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Stringer (journalism)

 

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Stringer (journalism)



 
 
In journalism
Journalism

Journalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and editorial via a widening spectrum of Media . These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and, more recently, the cellphone....
, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist
Journalist

A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that aren't biased....
 who contributes reports to a news organization on an on-going basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work.

As freelancers, stringers do not receive a regular salary and the amount and type of work is typically voluntary. However, stringers have an ongoing relationship with one or more news organizations to provide content on particular topics or locations when the opportunities arise.

The term is typically confined to news industry jargon
Jargon

Jargon is terminology which has been especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, or group. In other words, the term covers the language used by people who work in a particular area or who have a common interest....
, and in print or in broadcast stringers are sometimes referred to as correspondents or contributors, while at other times they may not receive any public recognition for the work they contributed.

A reporter
Reporter

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media.Reporters gather their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press releases, sources and witnessing events....
 can "string" for a news organization in a number of different capacities and with varying degrees of regularity, and the relationship between the organization and the stringer is typically very loose.






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Encyclopedia


In journalism
Journalism

Journalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and editorial via a widening spectrum of Media . These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and, more recently, the cellphone....
, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist
Journalist

A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that aren't biased....
 who contributes reports to a news organization on an on-going basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work.

As freelancers, stringers do not receive a regular salary and the amount and type of work is typically voluntary. However, stringers have an ongoing relationship with one or more news organizations to provide content on particular topics or locations when the opportunities arise.

The term is typically confined to news industry jargon
Jargon

Jargon is terminology which has been especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, or group. In other words, the term covers the language used by people who work in a particular area or who have a common interest....
, and in print or in broadcast stringers are sometimes referred to as correspondents or contributors, while at other times they may not receive any public recognition for the work they contributed.

A reporter
Reporter

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media.Reporters gather their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press releases, sources and witnessing events....
 can "string" for a news organization in a number of different capacities and with varying degrees of regularity, and the relationship between the organization and the stringer is typically very loose. Larger news organizations often rely on stringers to quickly provide scene descriptions or quotes on breaking news stories when it would be difficult for a staff reporter to get to the locale. Stringers are heavily relied upon in this capacity by most television news organizations for video footage and interviews.

Etymology

The etymology of the word is uncertain. Newspapers once paid stringers per inch of printed text they generated, and one theory says the length of this text was measured against a string. The theory given in the Oxford English Dictionary is that a stringer is a person who strings words together, while others use the term because the reporter is "strung along" by a news organization, or kept in a constant state of uncertainty.

See also

  • Correspondent
    Correspondent

    A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or Pundit who contributes reports to a newspaper, or All-news radio or television news, from a remote, often distant, location....
  • Parachute journalism
    Parachute journalism

    Parachute journalism is an often derogatory term used to describe the practice thrusting journalists into an area to report on a story in which the reporter has little knowledge or experience....
  • Freelancer
    Freelancer

    A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a self-employed person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any particular employer....