FOREWORD Welcome to the latest edition of this guide for journalists working on the BBC News website. This updated version is published at a time when online journalism and on-demand production are moving into the very heart of BBC News. It is meant as a starting point for finding out about how the BBC News website works, who the audience are, what formats and production systems we use, points of style and the key principles of BBC journalism overall. On all these things there is also more detailed information elsewhere, in the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, for example, in the online style guide and in the various guides and instructions available on our intranet. So whether you are working as a full-time member in one of the online news teams in London or elsewhere, or whether you are an occasional contributor working in another part of the BBC, this guide contains much of the basic information you are likely to need about producing content for the BBC News website and its related services on mobile and TV platforms. One of the challenges and attractions of working in online journalism is that the platforms and services we provide for continue to change fast. In the past couple of years, two new elements in particular have moved centre stage. The role of user generated content, in the form of first-hand accounts, video, pictures and comments, has become central. The other major development is the coming of age of on-demand video as an absolutely integrated and essential part of our storytelling, now that we are able to embed it within our stories. But there are also some things that don’t change:

• The need to be accurate, impartial, fair, informative and honest • Our goal of being first with breaking news – we have to be fast as well as accurate • The authoritative quality of our context and analysis – we explain why things have

happened, what is important and why • Our remit to be original and distinctive and to showcase the best of the BBC’s

journalism This guide is the product of over 10 years of accumulated experience of journalists who have worked on the BBC News website from its earliest days as BBC News Online, through to its place now at the heart of BBC News. It is they – and you – who continue to ensure that we are the best online news operation in the business. I am hugely grateful to Dan Coles for compiling this latest edition, and to all the others who have contributed. I hope you find it useful. Steve Herrmann Editor, BBC News website May 2008

CONTENTS

1) Core values 2) Journalistic values 3) Team structure 4) The teams 5) Our audience 6) CPS overview 7) Best practice 8) Writing for the web 9) Language 10) Style 11) Breaking News 12) Sources 13) Pictures 14) Video 15) Linking 16) Researching stories 17) The law 18) Emergencies

Appendix 1) FAQ Appendix 2) Jargon buster Appendix 3) Reporters in the field Appendix 4) Key links and contacts Appendix 5) Site structure diagram

(1): CORE BBC VALUES The BBC has six core values which are central to everything the corporation produces: Trust

Trust is the foundation of the BBC. We are independent, impartial and honest.

Audiences

Audiences are at the heart of everything we do.

Quality

We take pride in delivering quality and value for money.

Creativity

Creativity is the lifeblood of the corporation.

Respect

We respect each other and celebrate our diversity so that everyone can give their best.

Working together

We are one BBC. Great things happen when we work together.

(2): JOURNALISTIC VALUES Truth and accuracy

We will always strive to establish the truth of what has happened as best we can. BBC journalism will be rooted in the highest possible levels of accuracy and precision of language. It will be well sourced, based on sound evidence, and thoroughly tested. Facts set in their context, rather than opinion, are the essence of BBC journalism.

We will be honest and open about what we do not know and will avoid unfounded speculation.

Serving the public interest

BBC journalism will prioritise and report stories of significance, striving to make them interesting and relevant to all our audiences. We will be vigorous in trying to drive to the heart of the story, and well informed when explaining it.

Our specialist expertise will bring authority and understanding to the complex world in which we live. We will be robust, but fair and open-minded in asking searching questions of those who hold public office and in reporting that which it is in the public interest to reveal.

The BBC's news and current affairs journalism will never campaign, but will pursue journalistically-valid issues and stories, without giving undue prominence to any one agenda. We will provide a comprehensive forum for public debate at all levels.

Impartiality and diversity of opinion

For the BBC, impartiality is a legal requirement. BBC journalists will report the facts first, understand and explain their context, provide professional judgements where appropriate, but never promote their own personal opinions.

Openness and independence of mind is at the heart of practising impartiality. We will strive to be fair and open minded by reflecting all significant strands of opinion, and by exploring the range and conflict of views. Testing a wide range of views with the evidence is essential if we are to give our audiences the greatest possible opportunity to decide for themselves on the issues of the day.

Independence

The BBC is independent of both state and partisan interest, and will strive to be an independent monitor of powerful institutions and individuals.

We will make our journalistic judgements for sound editorial reasons, not as the result of improper political or commercial pressure, or personal prejudice. The BBC will always resist undue pressure from all vested interests, and will jealously protect the independence of our editorial judgments on behalf of our audiences.

Whatever groups or individuals may wish us to say or do, we will make all decisions based on the BBC's editorial values.

Accountability

Our first loyalty is to the BBC's audiences to whom we are accountable. Their continuing trust in the BBC's journalism is a crucial part of our contract with them as licence payers.

We act in good faith at all times, by dealing fairly and openly with the audience and contributors to our output.

We will be open in admitting mistakes when they are made, unambiguous about apologising for them, and must encourage a culture of willingness to learn from them.

Source: Neil report.

There is more information about BBC News editorial policy in the editorial guidelines and on the internal Gateway website.

(3): TEAM STRUCTURE The Online team consists of around 150 people - the majority of whom are journalists based in Television Centre in West London. Formerly a stand-alone department called News Interactive, the team is now fully integrated into the BBC’s new Newsroom department, which produces daily news across TV, radio and interactive platforms. Online is also supplied by specialist teams working in Newsgathering clusters (such as Business and Science), regional and national teams in place across the UK, and the Have Your Say area of the Mediawire team, who manage our popular debates and distribute user-generated material.

Video from around the BBC, including a growing amount of bespoke website material, is supplied by the Media On Demand team, and the whole collaboration is supported by a technical development and design team working for Future, Media and Technology, and based in Broadcast Centre, also in West London.

Online supplies an around-the-clock news service for the web - there is a website for UK-based readers, and an advertising-supported version for international readers – and for Ceefax, digital TV, e-mail, RSS feeds, mobile phones and PDAs. Syndication services deliver headlines and other content to third-party sites.

Online works very closely with BBC Sport and BBC News Programmes too, as well as the TV, newsgathering and radio teams it sits alongside.

The principal online teams are UK core, World core and a features and specials team, which is based on the 7th floor of TV Centre and includes feature writers, web graphics specialists and a dedicated picture desk. Online uses a bespoke piece of software called the Content Production System (CPS) to publish stories across all the text platforms. The CPS is also used to manage and publish audio and video on web pages. Journalists need to master a number of software programs and be receptive to learning new ones.

The team has pioneered new techniques and platforms. Journalists require the basic skills to work in print or broadcasting but must also be ready to learn new ways of telling the story with, for example, graphics or photo journals. The way we deliver news is constantly evolving.

Your line manager will be able to answer any questions you have about the various teams, platforms and training.

(4): THE TEAMS UK Core

The UK team is a 24/7 operation based in the heart of the multimedia newsroom on the 1st floor of TV Centre. It produces major stories of pan-UK interest and in-depth sidebars on domestic issues. It can produce quick takes of breaking news, correspondent-led colour and analysis, and original features. The UK-facing front page and UK index are run from here. The team consists daily of a front page assistant editor, a duty editor leading a small team of BJs, an index manager and a subbing desk. The UK team is also the home of the Ceefax analogue TV text service and newer digital text services. Both are run and monitored from here by the index manager. The UK team is also increasingly involved in mobile platforms as these develop rapidly. Because many of the specialist clusters are not staffed 24 hours, UK core journalists write and edit material across the website for much of the week. Complaints from readers are also monitored and quickly addressed by the team, giving us a very close and instant relationship with our audience. World Core The World team is UK’s sister service – running the international version of the site 24 hours a day. It also responds to breaking news, and will commission analysis and colour using the best of the BBC resources. The team has small specialist desks for each of the world’s regions – all working closely with their newsgathering, World Service and World TV colleagues. The team consists daily of a front page assistant editor, a duty editor leading a small team of BJs, and a sub. The world team is situated on the 2nd floor of the multimedia newsroom. Features and Specials Room 7540, on the 7th floor of TV Centre, is home to a new hub for “added-value” web teams. The UK and World features desk has a broad remit, tackling both daily and long-term projects. Its writers may be asked to produce sidebars to accompany major news stories but they also work on more time-consuming articles which provide context on an issue, or help broaden our agenda. Its members are expected to produce high-quality, original journalism and to provide guidance for

others in this respect. The UK features team is often called Magazine, after the features index it runs. It also supplies features to be promoted around the site, and runs a light-hearted blog called the Magazine Monitor. The world features team is particularly focused on planning coverage of special events, or long-running news stories. This means working closely with other parts of the BBC. The features teams are always happy to receive ideas. The specials team is made up of journalists, designers and web producers who work together to expand and enhance our original journalism.

It has several roles:

• Producing information graphics to visually explain our stories. These include events (how a building under siege was stormed), processes (a medical procedure), objects (spacecraft), or concepts (the business model of a company).

• Producing other types of added value content including background and explanatory guides, and data-led journalism.

• Developing new formats. These have included photo journals, audio slideshows, ways of displaying data and dynamic maps.

• Working on special in-depth reports. The team works with other desks to produce special indexes for major stories such as elections, wars, natural disasters or series focusing on a specific topic.

From time-to-time core journalists are attached to the specials team to exploit their specialist knowledge and increase their range of skills.

Also part of this hub are two other desks. The picture desk is a centre of excellence for images on the site and can help with any technical or copyright query. It produces some of our best galleries, go out to cover stories, and run the In Pictures index. The Blogs team is a new unit dedicated to updating and promoting our range of correspondent and specialist blogs. Some of our best analysis material, and strongest user feedback, is to be found here. Specialist teams Newsgathering organises the central pool of journalistic resource for BBC News. It

runs teams for specialist areas, such as politics, business, health and entertainments news, and within these there are online journalists running the corresponding indexes of the News website. These teams are editorially accountable to the Online desks, but are also tightly integrated with their newsgathering colleagues. Newsgathering is also the central point of contact for anyone seeking to commission anything from a correspondent for the website, and needs to be informed about all deployments for operational, health and safety reasons. Audio and Video On Demand

The Media On Demand team is responsible for commissioning and creating video and audio material for the website and other on demand platforms. It also takes the best radio and television material from BBC News and makes it available to the audience via a range of devices, from the PC to mobile phones and interactive TV.

As the audience appetite grows for watching and listening to BBC News via means other than TV and radio, its role is changing. On Demand is commissioning audio and video material that is more suited to an online audience and this, in turn, is informing the newsgathering process.

The website now uses Flash technology to embed video and audio into web pages rather then relying on a pop-up player. This approach has increased the prominence of audio and video and ensured that BBC News website pages make the best use of the storytelling devices available.

Have Your Say and the UGC hub

We have a duty to seek out all shades of opinion, and contact with our readers is a vital part of the feedback process.

The interactivity section (known as Have Your Say and part of the Mediawire team) husbands all the content from our audience and seeks to promote this valuable resource across the BBC.

The team looks after the daily debates on both the UK site and the International site, including moderating controversial topics and eliminating offensive comments.

Have Your Say encourages further dialogue with our readers by putting e-mail forms on stories, making it easier for them to send in their comments.

The team also gathers, collates and distributes BBC News’s reader contributions, known as User Generated Content, or UGC. This material has become an absolutely integral part of our site over recent years and provides in particular some of our best eyewitness and case study material.

Readers send huge amounts of text, images and video from breaking news events, though the team takes care to verify the validity of content from readers before publication.

Have Your Say is also seeking to engage with our audience in different ways - using their blogs, social networking sites and videos to provide a different perspective on events.

The team will be based, from October 2008, in the heart of the multimedia newsroom, and is available 24 hours a day. Programmes

The interactive programmes team supports a number of major BBC News programmes. These include Question Time and Panorama.

It is responsible for producing, building and maintaining programme websites, working closely with the programme production team and designers.

Staff also identify upcoming programmes with news interest and commission text and video pieces written by the programme makers for the main News website.

Nations and Regions

Journalists based in the BBC's 11 English regional centres and three national offices produce content for the BBC News website and Ceefax. They use the CPS to publish stories on a variety of indexes which dovetail with the core operation in London.

The regional output for the web and Ceefax is co-ordinated from Birmingham and the nations' teams are based in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow.

The division of duties and how best to cover stories which span the UK are discussed at SBJ level, but for UK stories you should check before starting a story that it is not already being covered by one of these teams.

Sport The interactive team in BBC Sport produces the BBC Sport website. We often work closely with them on sports news stories, and their material is prominent on our front pages. We were once part of the same team and we still share our technical and production technology. They are largely based on the 5th floor of Television Centre, along with the TV/radio production teams who look after BBC Sport's live coverage and other programmes. Some of the team also works directly alongside the rest of the TV/radio sports news operation in the main newsroom, with the aim of making sure coverage of the big stories is joined up and material shared effectively. Admin The admin team can offer advice and assistance to Online staff on all non-editorial issues. They will be able to help with matters ranging from contract or recruitment queries, training requirements or simply how to find your way around Television Centre. They are based in room 7540 Television Centre and can be contacted on 58096, 69819 or 61550.

(5): OUR AUDIENCE

The potential audience for anything you write or produce is huge. Total page impressions on the BBC News website have grown substantially each year since launch – it is currently growing at more than 20% annually. It is the most visited news site in the world outside the US, and we are continually looking at ways of increasing the number of people we reach, particularly in the UK.

An average day sees more than six million readers come to the site, with a record 20 million people estimated to have visited during the July 7 attacks in 2005. Over the course of a week more than 17 million people visit us at least once. About half are from the UK, and the rest are worldwide. The US is our second-biggest market. A major breaking story can hit two or three million page views, and even the most specialised sidebar or feature can reach half a million page views if it’s written accessibly and promoted intelligently. Text on TV also attracts a large number of users. It is estimated that the BBC reaches 18 to 20 million people on a weekly basis across Ceefax and our text services on all three main versions of digital TV: Dsat - Digital satellite (Sky), Dcable - Digital cable (Virgin Media), DTT - Digital Terrestrial Television (Freeview).

The mobile version of the website attracts more than half a million people per week, and a similar number receive email news updates. The internet population

Hundreds of millions of people across the world now have access to the internet and the numbers are growing all the time. The speed of their connections is also improving with broadband and wi-fi developments. Around 30 million people in the UK have access to the internet – almost all of them on fast broadband connections.

Who is using the website?

The BBC News website retains a traditional internet audience profile – most likely young, professional and male, but many developments on the site are aimed at broadening the audience base. Within the BBC, only Radio 1 and Newsround have younger audience profiles for news than Online.

Popular web pages

On a typical day, the most viewed pages are the UK front page and the International front page. UK news and World news are the two busiest areas, followed by the Business and Entertainment sections.

Website statistics are available in real-time on a dedicated page. Studying these will give you a picture of our reader profile. It also shows that our peak time for traffic on a weekday is between Midday and 2pm, coinciding with the lunch-break of millions of UK workers, and the start of the day for readers on the East coast of the US.

(6): CPS OVERVIEW

Web pages are constructed in Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML). It looks like this:

<td><b><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/" class="tbwl"><font size="1">News</font></a></b></td>

A lot of complex code is needed to generate one page so it is impractical for journalists who need to make regular changes and publish quickly. For a rolling news service we need a simpler system of publishing.

The Content Production System (CPS) allows journalists to concentrate on writing their stories, add media and links, and order the pages without using much HTML. This code is automatically added after the necessary templates have been filled in and published. The CPS is also used to write and deliver content to Ceefax, digital text and other platforms such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), and to publish video content.

The CPS is constantly evolving to meet new requirements.

Site structure and CPS

The website has two distinct front pages - the International Facing Site (sometimes referred to as the world edition) and the UK Facing Site (or the UK edition).

The majority of the content is the same but the split editions enable us to showcase different stories. The UKFS front page will contain the news agenda for a domestic audience but will contain international stories. The execution of Saddam Hussein was the UKFS splash story just as it was on domestic TV and radio bulletins.

The IFS runs a global news agenda for an international audience - it may contain UK-based stories but they have to compete with the best stories from across the world. A good UK angle on the Iraq war would sit in IFS because it was a key partner in the invasion. The strategy is very similar to a newspaper with 'change pages' for different regions. In addition to the front pages, some sections such as Business and Entertainment also have IFS and UKFS indexes.

News and sport were once integrated and, although sport is now run as a separate department, sport journalists use CPS to publish web pages on the BBC Sport website. The systems are seamless and stories can be shared between departments. In addition, some World Service foreign language sites use the CPS to produce their web content.

Ceefax

The CPS story template enables content to be published on the website and Ceefax. Ceefax stories are always four paragraphs long on one screen and consist of 16 lines - 13 of text and three line spaces between paragraphs. There are no five-line sentences, no one-liners and no widows (a word on its own on a line). The template displays these top lines of text exactly as they render on the TV screen. It is vital that you adhere to this format.

The top four paragraphs are delivered to Ceefax and form the top of the web story. The design of CPS allows us to write a single story for the web, Ceefax and other platforms. You will often hear people refer to this multi-platform authoring (MPA).

The software also allows us to manage Ceefax indexes from within the CPS - just as we control web indexes. Page 101 and the 150 flash are exceptions to this and are hand-crafted on Plasma software.

CPS functions

The CPS contains story templates and index builders.

Search facility Every story constructed in the CPS template has its own unique identifying number. Stories can be found and worked on using these numbers or by doing a simple word search. Some features such as clickable maps are constructed by other means and, although still an integral part of the site, do not have ID numbers and cannot be altered via the CPS story template. The CPS search tool allows journalists to find pictures, audio and video as well as individual stories.

Story template This is the building block of the website and Ceefax. It allows the journalist to write the story, add media and links, and control its publication. Story templates vary with function so it is important that you choose the right one. Index builder This controls the running order of stories in any section. Each web page is split into

cells that we call slots. The properties of each slot can be varied to change the way the index looks and the content it displays

Index management

Even though you may not be an index manager it is important you appreciate that your efforts in the story template have a direct bearing on the design of the web indexes.

It is especially important that you write a tight summary (to sell the story in four concise lines), add good index links, and that you provide both sizes of index pictures in good quality. Failure to do this will slow up the production time, look awful and may even break the index template.

When adding an index picture make sure it is not the same one that has been used on another related story. Monitor the output to avoid clashing headlines.

Updating stories

We offer a swift, rolling news service so it is imperative to have a system that allows constant change. But it is also important that we preserve the integrity of the online archive and avoid overwriting key events. To enable us to do both we have several different ways of updating live stories.

Each story goes through a common evolution:

Not ready - story is being written · Check - story is written and is ready for the sub-editing process · Live - story is signed off and ready for the web and Ceefax · Archived - the story has been taken off all the live indexes and will not be updated again. It is still available on the web via the search facility.

There are two other publication states for a story:

Second check - used to hold stories back. For example it has been written and edited but is embargoed or waiting for a legal check · Removed - the story is no longer available to the public but can be found in our database .

The public should only ever be able to find one live or one archived version of a particular story. As a general rule we begin a fresh story when there is a significant shift in angle, archiving the old story in the process.

For small alterations such as the correction of a typing error, change to a caption or updating figures we can republish the story very quickly, entirely replacing the original. Often, we need a third alternative which is to make substantial changes to a running story where the top line is unchanged. The template also allows us to update Ceefax text as often as we require. Most stories are begun by selecting “New Story”, but if you are editing an existing one, you’ll come across these options.

Minor change - Choosing this option after making a change to a live story republishes the story straight away. The original is lost, the identity number remains the same and the time stamp is unchanged. This is only to be used for minor alteration, ie typos or rewording. For more substantial changes affecting the meaning of a piece or introducing a significant update, a news update should be used. News update - If the journalist chooses this button and saves it as “check” before making a change, a temporary copy is created and it is this which is updated. The original story remains live on the site. When the new version is subbed and published it has a different identity number and a new publication time. The original story goes into removed status. The public can no longer find this story on the web – though it can be found in the CPS database. Journalists occasionally need to refer to a removed story to retrieve a quote or check what was published in an earlier version.

Importantly, the CPS recognises that any story updated in this way is still part of the same “family” as the original. All these updates can be found again via any of the individual numbers. A crude analogy would be to think of the original story to be an ancestor and all the updates as the children - they have individual identities but the same family name. Major rewrite This is used to update a story with a new angle. The original is archived and the new version has a new time stamp, fresh identity number and, crucially, the family is changed. In this instance the original story is replaced across all indices where it appeared.

Cloning A quick way to start a brand new story with a fresh angle is to clone an existing story. This creates an exact replica but starts a fresh family. This is a useful feature because it allows existing background material, media and links to be retained. However, there are inherent dangers. You MUST make sure all parts of the story and media are still relevant, accurate and contemporaneous. If you clone a story, you are responsible for the whole item and not just your fresh material. It is especially important to refresh the top picture otherwise any reader following the links will repeatedly see the same image through the archive.

(7): BEST PRACTICE Accuracy

Be pro-active. If you are not certain of a fact, then get on the phone and check, and if you are still in doubt - leave it out. There are plenty of experts within the department and the wider BBC. Make a point of finding out who they are.

All headlines, summaries and copy must be spell-checked and sub-edited by a second person before going live.

NEVER publish anything that you do not understand, that is speculation or inadequately sourced.

Impartiality

The BBC's reputation is built on authority and impartiality. But for the BBC, impartiality is also a legal requirement. BBC journalists must be open-minded, independent and fair. The views of the writer must not influence the story and any opinion should be clearly labelled as such (eg. quotes and correspondents' comments). Where possible we should aim to balance the story by seeking out a variety of views.

Avoid loaded language and colourful adjectives. eg. The government's lofty ideals. The insertion of the word lofty suggests that these targets were not achievable.

If your story includes a critical comment or accusation you MUST make a concerted effort to give the opportunity for reply. Speed

We must be fast. Breaking news stories must be published immediately as one-liners on Ceefax and on the website ticker. A story of four paragraphs should be up in five minutes and a fuller version within 20. Speed is very important but must not compromise accuracy.

Ideas

You are encouraged to bring story ideas to the editorial meetings - original

journalism is a major strength of the department. Please think about the way we treat a story too. It could be a factfile, Q&A, have-your-say debate, video package, infographic, an animation or clickable map. Nurture a specialism or geographical expertise which helps give us an edge on the competition.

Records

You must take an accurate short-hand or long-hand note of any interview. This is especially important with contentious issues where facts or comments may be disputed. Many journalists from a print background use short-hand already but refresher courses are available. Your notebooks must be kept. Alternatively, you can record your conversations either in one of the studios or at your desk using equipment provided. Guidance on using recording equipment can be given.

Ownership

Writing or updating a story means taking responsibility for the whole thing. It is never adequate to say of part of a story that you "inherited it". If material you add makes down-page material irrelevant, remove it. Check that captions, video, and quoteboxes are still valid and contemporaneous. Do not be tempted to leave the sub-editor to do the cleaning up - you must be happy that your story is ready to be published when it leaves your hands.

Watch the opposition

Our material is published across a range of platforms and we have competition on every one. Newcomers tend to monitor the opposition in their own field - broadcasters keep an eye on Sky and ITV and press journalists read the online newspapers. Become familiar with all of them. Our competitors range from The Guardian to al-Jazeera TV. Observe the way these organisations treat a story and the techniques they use to tell it.

(8): WRITING FOR THE WEB

Your copy has a potential audience of millions across a range of platforms. It is vital that the headline and first four paragraphs of a news story serve all these readers by telling the story accurately and impartially. Writing text quickly and at length is an acquired skill.

Headlines

Headlines must tell the story.

They also need to stand alone, avoid jargon or being too cryptic, and fit our pages.

Headlines are a key element on all platforms. We know from research that audiences skim through content and a good headline makes the difference between them reading the story or moving on.

Headlines should come from the intro on the story. As a general rule, the intro will be the first angle that grabs your attention. Keep it simple.

Our headlines are extracted and sent to other outlets, sometimes standing alone without a summary. Cryptic headlines which look fine accompanied by a summary may make no sense in isolation. Make them clever and enticing but also make sure they are intelligible when they stand alone.

The headline on news stories must be between 31 and 33 characters to serve all platforms. It should not include contractions, long words, double speech marks, or exclamation marks.

Do not use the same form of words for the headline and the intro - it will jar with the reader. An active headline is better than the passive one. Four-paragraph rule

It has always been our policy to make the top four paragraphs self-contained because this is the material made available to other platforms. Each story is written once for all platforms, so it is crucial this short-form text can stand alone. Ceefax pages are only four paragraphs long so they must tell the whole story.

Writing short-form text is a particular skill and can pose challenges even for seasoned journalists. With a limit of about 75 words you will have to focus on the most important information.

A guide to what must be included is encapsulated in the five Ws - Who, What, When, Where, Why.

When you have written the story ask yourself this: Does it contain the key information? Is it fair, balanced and accurate? Have we properly attributed claims and allegations? Do these four paragraphs adequately tell the story to someone reading this for the first time?

This applies particularly to running stories when there is a danger of assuming that the reader knows all the facts.

It is often useful to summarise the background in the last of the four paragraphs. If you do not understand a story, neither will your readers.

Avoid unnecessary geography or clauses in your intros. For example, when writing a UK story: A 22-year-old Redditch man, who runs his own ferret breeding business, has set a record …

Does it really matter that he comes from Redditch? If not, include this further down the story. It slows down the intro and introduces a secondary thought for the reader.

Of course, the reverse is true when writing an international story where geography may be a vital element.

Tedious attribution should also be simplified:

Britain's cowboy builders need to be reined in, says the National Federation of Small Builders, Plumbers and Bricklayers

…says a watchdog body would be a better option in the intro but it is still necessary to give the attribution later in the four pars.

We never start a story with It has been suggested that… or The BBC has learned that… Turn it round: The man at the centre of the MI5 mole-hunt scandal has been named as Boris Bregovic, the BBC has learned.

Never put crossheads or HTML tags in the top four paragraphs as these will appear on the screens of other platforms. You can use a quote but it must be self-contained. Do not leave the key quote until the fifth paragraph - a large proportion of your audience will never see it.

Summaries and Intros

Summaries should always be a single sentence, in the present tense and set out the most important facts of the story. They should tell the story in a wider sense and perhaps even stretch to hinting at other elements further down. It has to appear timeless and, in keeping with our remit, leave the impression of news on the move.

Remember that the reader may never read your summary if it is not in the top three of an index or if they are reading your copy on Ceefax or another platform.

The link between headline and intro must therefore be seamless. The BBC World News channel takes our summaries so they have to be self-contained.

Here is an acceptable example:

New Zealand jails Israeli 'spies' New Zealand imposes diplomatic sanctions on Israel after jailing two alleged intelligence agents.

Intros should be more specific and focused on the main angle of the story. On radio and TV, you sometimes have to lead listeners or viewers gently into a story. On the web, you need to get into the story immediately. Try to keep to a present or perfect tense. Do not start a story with:

The government has announced…

Focus instead on what is being proposed and why it matters: New taxes will make the rich richer and the poor poorer, according to a new government study.

The point of the story must come first.

Captions

A picture can tell many different stories depending upon its context. Two world leaders shaking hands could indicate that they have agreed a peace treaty or it might be that they are just smiling for the cameras. The job of the journalist as caption writer is to put the picture in context.

Please remember, captions should be engaging, not state the obvious, and be a

maximum of two lines.

Quotation marks should be used as appropriate:

Sir Paul McCartney: "The records keep selling"

But when summarising a mood or the gist of a statement, keep it simple.

Bush and Blair: Tough talking ahead

Follow the visual grammar of the picture. eg. if it is Owen (left) and Beckham (right) in the picture, do not say

Beckham and Owen…

Ideally captions should be two lines on a story picture. Avoid leaving a widow (one word on its own on a line). Alt tags

The alt tag is designed to be a label. It should simply describe the content of the picture.

Stories will not publish unless the alt tag is added.

Story length

On our website we have the capacity to write at length and sometimes we publish the full texts of important statements or lengthy features. But these are exceptions. Reading onscreen is more difficult than on paper so we have self-imposed word limits.

Major story: Likely to be lead stories - 600 words, several pictures, additional graphics. It will probably generate various sidebars such as case studies and Q&As etc. Only in exceptional circumstances will we consider breaking this word limit.

Good story: Likely number two or three on the index - 400 words, at least two pictures, graphics on merit. Sidebars may also be added.

Moderate story: About 200-300 words - one picture.

For the record: About 80-100 words - one picture, or no picture.

Before you embark on a new story or rewrite an old one, consider how many angles you are going to cover. Decide whether any of them would be better treated in full in a separate story, perhaps as a text statement, profile, or backgrounder. Keep in mind, however, that all the key elements must be in the main story.

Supplementary information is useful but many readers do not want to have to click through two or three stories to get all the information. Be disciplined about your writing. When you have finished your text, go over it with a dispassionate eye and cut out the superfluous. Web style

As well as a concise writing style we employ other techniques to make stories easier to read on a web browser.

Although our website has a broadsheet agenda our lay-out is more like a tabloid newspaper. One idea merits one sentence in one paragraph.

We also try to break up the text with other devices:

Pictures: They can be worth a thousand words so use them to help tell the story.

Locator maps: Serve as a quick reference and can aid story telling. Many have been done and are in our graphics archive. We have Curious Maps software to make new ones.

Crossheads: Use them to flag up the next part of the story. Two or three short words will suffice but avoid using material from the following sentence.

Bullet lists: These are easier to read than dense paragraphs of text. Use them to summarise complicated points or different elements of the story.

Factboxes: They work best as three or four snappy facts on one line each. They are particularly useful to detail chronologies and even better when used in conjunction with a picture or graphic.

Quoteboxes: Work in a similar fashion to factboxes and are used to highlight a particularly strong quotation. Keep the box above the actual quote and keep them short. These also work well with pictures. Embedded links, also called click-throughs, can be added to these boxes and are particularly effective at directing traffic to extra sidebars.

Accessibility

All our stories should be written in a clear and accessible manner - we are writing for a general audience and a global one. We must not assume too much knowledge and should include some context or explanation in the top four paragraphs. The importance of the story - why we should care - needs to be flagged up early on, as should the impact on ordinary people. Spell it out every time. If it is a big company merger, for example, what is the impact on jobs?

Think about the whole site. There are a great many conflicts in the world to cover but if your index picture is always a man with a gun then you reduce the impact of the pictures and deter some readers. Try to think of a different way of illustrating the story.

Similarly, if you are managing an index, aim to provide a variety of stories - hard news, background, features, analysis, lighter topics and relevant sports stories.

Try to develop a broad agenda. A majority of our audience tends to be made up of young men but we are actively trying to widen our reach.

(9): LANGUAGE We aim to use simple and unambiguous language that can be understood around the world. Use words and grammar with precision and consistency and remain objective.

Favour short words

However, a new facility has been established in the immediate area - following an investigation demonstrating that there are insufficient supplies of comestibles.

Becomes:

But a new plant has been set up nearby after an inquiry showed there was not enough food.

Avoid colloquialisms such as mum, dad, tot, teen etc. Remember too that common parlance in the UK may not be understood by people whose first language is not English eg. Sticky wicket.

Do not use tired words such as slams, blasts, nets etc.

Write afresh

Agencies and correspondents have their own styles. Read, understand and consider what they have written and then use your own words. Your copy will sound fresher. NEVER cut and paste agency copy.

Even if you are only rewriting the top of a story you must take responsibility for the whole thing. Remove down-page material if it is irrelevant and check that you are not repeating names and titles in the second mention.

Check after publication to see whether the story will need another refresh with new pictures or developments.

Loaded language

Always aim at neutrality. Avoid phrases such as "forced to" if it is a voluntary decision.

Avoid using the word claim when you mean said. Claim suggests an element of doubt where none exists.

Likewise, avoid "good news" and "bad news". A cut in interest rates may be good for homeowners with a mortgage but not so good for savers. Just say what happened and let the readers decide whether it is good news or not. Sometimes you will need to distance yourself from a sentiment being expressed eg. Crippling new fishing quotas are being criticised by fishermen who could lose their livelihoods.

The fishermen see this as damaging but environmentalists may believe it is the right move.

Any information which is not beyond dispute must be clearly and immediately sourced.

The words execute and murder can pose problems. Execute suggests a judicial process and murder is a legal term which refers to intent. These words are not banned but care must be taken with their context. The word killed is often preferable.

Use “declined to comment” rather than “refused”. In most instances people are not obliged to comment or give an interview.

Clichés

Lazy phrases include: broad daylight, level playing field, rushed to hospital, cheated death.

Consistency

Inconsistency is a serious threat to our credibility. Check your copy thoroughly to make sure you do not contradict yourself, that all your information is contemporaneous and the facts and figures are correct all the way through.

This also applies to summaries, picture captions, crossheads, factboxes and quoteboxes. It is also worth checking that your story matches the captions on media - such as video packages.

It is easy to get caught out with the way organisations are rendered eg. India's long-range missile - Agni-2 or Agni II. Find out what the style is and stick to it.

Jargon

Avoid using language specific to organisations - this is a particular risk on the specialist desks where journalists are close to their subject.

For example, the police often use stilted language such as a "road traffic accident has occurred in the vicinity". Management jargon is also particularly ugly - thinking outside the box, downsizing etc. Be wary of medical expressions. Journalese

We are striving to use short words where we can. This is especially important as we are writing text for other platforms with tight counts. Short words give more flexibility with headlines but it is easy to slip into clichés. Many tabloid terms such as slam and slate are barred. Be careful in your use of words - only use bid when it refers to a cash offer.

Tautology

Some of the culprits are: mass exodus, advance warning and complete elimination.

Quotes

Quotations are indispensable but easy to misuse. A good quote can capture the essence of a story, and be worth pulling out as a headline or quotebox. But using too many can disrupt the flow of the story and make it too long. Paraphrasing can be quicker and neater.

When quoting:

· Choose the crucial one-liner where possible · Remove conversational devices such as: "What I want to say is… · Discard anything that does not make sense · Avoid repetition. eg. The prime minister will permit a Euro referendum.

"There will be a referendum on the European constitution," he said. · Omit or paraphrase sections which highlight poor grammar or linguistic

incompetence

Typing errors

Spelling and typing errors make our stories look sloppy, undermine our credibility and generate more complaints than anything else. Such errors are hard to spot in your own copy so use the spell checker in CPS or Word. They do not catch everything, such as place names, so print out a preview and read it again. Your copy must be checked by another person before it is sent live.

Geographical bias

Avoid geographical bias. Regions are particularly sensitive to a London weighting. eg. We reported the opening of the Bluewater shopping centre in KENT and the Buchanan Galleries in SCOTLAND. Aim to be even-handed. Since devolution, not all legislation applies across the whole UK. Be aware that there may be exceptions for the devolved nations.

Opinion polls

Details of the long-standing BBC rules about opinion polls are contained in the Editorial Guidelines. For our purposes we do not put a poll story as the first item in any section - a possible exception might be an exit poll in a general election. We always report opinion polls as providing pointers rather than hard evidence. They suggest or indicate and do NOT prove or confirm.

We always give the background to a poll - who commissioned it, who carried it out, the date and most importantly, the size of the sample. We should mention any margin of error and any subsequent events which may have affected the poll eg. The poll was carried out before an important announcement .

We report all the national polls of political support carried out by the big organisations - Gallup, ICM, Harris, Mori, NOP and YouGov. We do not rely on the interpretation by the commissioning organisation.

(10): STYLE An extensive style guide is available by letter search on the intranet.

In general, our spellings follow first use from the Oxford English Dictionary and for place names we rely on the Times atlas. We have made a conscious effort to minimise the use of capitals. There are exceptions so please check.

Here are a few pointers to common queries:

Acronyms and initials

You can use abbreviations on first reference but only if there is no chance of any misunderstanding eg. UN, BBC, Nato. Otherwise spell them out - the World Health Organization, WHO - or introduce a label eg. The public sector union, Amicus.

We use upper and lower case for acronyms which can be pronounced as a word eg. Aids, Nasa, Fifa. Only use capitals where you would pronounce letters individually eg. FA, UNHCR.

In titles and names with initials, do not use full stops after the initials or spaces between eg. WH Smith.

Use lower case to abbreviate a phrase, eg. mph for miles per hour.

Americanisms

Beware of these. Say meet (not meet with) and talk to (not talk with). We appeal against a verdict (not appeal a verdict).

Avoid noun to verb conversions like "to hospitalise", "to scapegoat" and "to rubbish". Beware of words or phrases which have different meanings for US and UK audiences eg. suspenders, vest and slated.

Avoid US style on time references. President Bush was in New York ON Wednesday and not President Bush was in New York Wednesday.

Apostrophes

Apostrophes are the source of much confusion. Generally we do not use

contractions except in direct quotes, so I am busy instead of I'm busy.

To indicate possession, the apostrophe comes before the S unless it is a plural which ends in the letter S. eg. The emperor's new clothes unless there is more than one emperor in which case it would be the emperors' new clothes.

Be careful with the word “it”. It's means it is or it has. But the word its refers to the thing belonging to it.

eg. A setback for the company and its shareholders.

There are style rules too. Leave out apostrophes before common abbreviations such as phone and plane. Use one when omitting a century. eg. the Brazilian squad of '08.

Capitals

We try to minimise the use of capital letters. Some titles are always capped eg. the Queen, the Pope, but government job titles have caps only if a name is given.

eg. The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, was given a hostile reception, BUT There was a hostile reception for the home secretary.

Opposition portfolios take lower case. eg. Shadow chancellor George Osborne. All governments are lower case eg. The Italian government.

Use upper case for recognised regions eg. The Middle East. Otherwise it should be lower case - south-west France, mid-Wales etc.

With Latin names for plants and animals we follow scientific convention - capped first word and italicised. eg. Corvus corone, Rattus norvegicus. Commas

Take care with the use of commas. Avoid using long sentences with lots of sub-clauses requiring a mass of punctuation. This is best illustrated by example.

The boy, who hated my sister, was very rude. The boy who hated my sister was very rude.

Essentially, the sentence means the same but the second example implies that there is more than one boy. Is this what was intended?

A comma is generally used as a pause for breath but its presence can alter meaning.

With the meteor approaching the scientific community felt obliged to set a survival deadline.

This is tricky to read without the comma.

With the meteor approaching, the scientific community felt obliged to set a survival deadline.

It is now clear that the meteor is threatening the whole Earth.

Company names

We usually treat company names as though their punctuation were conventional (eg. "easyJet" is Easyjet). But there are specific exceptions (eg. PricewaterhouseCoopers, iMac, NatWest), and one general exception - we DO use a lower case "e" at the start of a name, where it stands for "electronic" (eg. eBay).

Contractions

We do not use them except in direct quotes. Spell them out - cannot, do not, is not etc. Occasionally, we relax this policy for eyewitness accounts and correspondents’ pieces.

Digits

Use words for numbers below 10 and then figures unless it comes at the start of a sentence. There are more examples of use with money and scores in the style guide.

Ellipses

Use three dots and a space… like this…

Do not use a space first as it runs the risk of an awkward line break.

Foreign names

If you have any doubts, the foreign language services at Bush House should be able to help.

We do not use foreign appellations (Monsieur, Herr etc).

When they occur in the middle of names, the Dutch van and the Italian di are lower case if the whole name is used eg. Ruud van Nistelroy. They are capped if only the surname is used eg. Van Nistelroy.

In the case of Spanish names, the last of the three names is usually the mother's name which should not be used on its own. So Manuel Echeverria Valdez becomes Mr Echeverria. BUT this does not apply to Brazilian or Portugese names. The family name in China comes first so Hu Jintao is Mr Hu at second reference.

Hyphens

Hyphens are often essential to convey the correct meaning. The headlines Mother-to-be assaulted and Mother to be assaulted are telling very different stories. The general rule is that words are hyphenated when they are used adjectively.

eg. A little-used car is different to a little used car.

Military titles

There is an extensive section on this subject in the style guide but the general rule is to cap up ranks with the name, otherwise leave them in lower case. Take care to get these right as inaccurate titles ruin our credibility and cause offence.

Money

There is no common policy for dealing with sums expressed in different currencies. Refer to the style guide for more help.

There is, however, a ruling on first use and alternatives depending on whether your story is rooted in the UK, the eurozone or world eg. In the UK we use pound

sterling first with an alternative in dollars.

Quote marks

Single:

· In headlines and crossheads · In puffboxes · On the ticker · For quotes within quotes eg. The security statement said: "Al-Qaeda declared

that we are 'facing the wrath' of Osama bin Laden" in the tape recording.

Double:

· In direct quotations in text · First use of phrases such as "mad cow disease" · First reference to nick-names eg. Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff · In pictures and audio captions

Singulars and plurals

Companies, governments and other bodies are singular - the exceptions are the police and sporting teams. Media is a plural (singular is medium). Other examples include bacteria, and criteria.

Paratrooper is the singular of paratroops. Water cannon is the same in singular and plural.

NB: There is an anomaly with sporting clubs when referred to as a business concern. eg. Arsenal has announced a big drop in profits. BUT Arsenal have won the championship.

Spellings

Stick to first use in the OED but use "…ise" rather than "…ize".

Avoid US spellings like color, TV program etc. This also covers job titles, so it is American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The exceptions are place names and official bodies eg. World Health Organization, Pearl Harbor, US Department of Defense.

Always use the spell checker and get a second person to sub your copy. Poor spelling damages our reputation and is particularly embarrassing if we spell the names of our own correspondents incorrectly. Always check.

Tenses

We use the present tense in summaries - it is fresher, more immediate and newsy.

Tenses cause problems in reported speech. Imagine the prime minister says: "I am resigning." If you begin with the present tense (The prime minister says…) or what is sometimes called the perfect tense (The prime minister has said…) then you can leave his tense as it is. Both of these are correct:

The prime minister says he is resigning.

The prime minister has said he is resigning.

But if you use the past tense (He said) then you have to go back one tense from that used in the original.

The prime minister said he was resigning

The definite article

For space reasons we should avoid using the definite article with a title. eg. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

The definite article is used with groups if it is part of their official title eg. The Beatles but the Stereophonics.

Date and time

Put the day before the month and avoid suffixes eg. 12 April 2008. Exceptions are holidays and historic dates eg. The Fourth of July and 9/11. If you are adding a day of the week the style is: Saturday, 12 April Saturday, 12 April 2008

Our readers live across all time zones so words like yesterday, today and tomorrow are confusing. Do not use them. Refer to days by name.

Use the 24-hour clock in all circumstances, labelled GMT or BST. For world stories put local time first followed by a conversion. eg. The prime minister will arrive in Washington at 1100 local time (1600 BST).

Decades are written 1960s, 1970s etc. You only need an apostrophe when you abbreviate eg. The sound of the '60s.

Individual centuries take a cap eg. the 21st Century but lower case in all other instances. eg. Scientists expect a cure by the end of the century.

Trademarks

Avoid using company names when you need a generic word. Among those commonly confused are: Hoover, Portakabin, Kleenex and Biro.

(11): BREAKING NEWS

We pride ourselves on publishing breaking news stories fast on all platforms. Every journalist likes to beat the opposition but we must be certain that the story is accurate. Be sure to follow the sourcing guidelines covered elsewhere in this booklet.

For a basic text story this is how we would deal with a breaking news event:

Ticker

Publish one sentence plus the words: More soon. The item may need to be on both the UKFS and IFS tickers. Assign someone to write the first take.

Alerts

If the story warrants it, send out a breaking news e-mail, SMS and desktop alert.

First take

You should aim to finish this within five minutes - either as an update of an existing live story, clone of an older story or clone of the breaking news template which has the ID number 1234567. The latter contains the breaking news graphics. The breaking news branded promo to promote our alert services from within the story is 3662897.

Once the first take – which can be as little as one paragraph - has been checked the story should be published to both Ceefax and the website, and placed in the relevant indexes.

If the story is delayed in reaching either platform call technical support of 57957. If there are serious technical problems you may need to use the emergency production system for the website and revert to using Plasma to publish to Ceefax.

Second and subsequent takes

There is enormous competition in reporting breaking news, and just because a first take has been published it does not mean we can slacken the pace. Additional paragraphs need to be published as soon as they are ready in order to build up a fuller story as quickly as possible.

Over-the-shoulder subbing can help speed up this process. Aim to reach 10 paragraphs within 15 minutes. This is a good point to start dividing the work if it is a big story. Other journalists can be assigned to making phone calls, watching other outlets for quotes to feed to the writer or cutting pictures.

Next steps

Do you need a map? These can be made using Curious software or there may be an existing one you can re-use in the graphics folder

Do you need to send someone to the scene? Liaise with Newsgathering and make sure the journalist has the relevant safety training. The journalist should not forget to take a digital camera and make arrangements to file copy.

Do you need to change other front page content? Some content, especially promos, may be inappropriate or legally unsafe. For example, if a notable politician dies then the backgrounder explaining medical options for survival suddenly becomes irrelevant and insensitive.

Do you need to stream a TV feed? The Video On Demand team can organise this and provide the icon link to place underneath the summary of the top story.

Do you need to put a UGC form on the story? These can lead to fruitful eyewitness accounts and pictures.

Ticker: Watch for fresh lines for the ticker which add to the published material. Once the main story is live, take the original ticker item down to avoid duplication.

Links: Initially you can add existing backgrounders such as profiles. Archived stories can be adjusted to bring them up to date - you will have to make them live again to accomplish this and bring the time stamp up to date. If the breaking news is a notable death, check the obituary list on the intranet. Do not forget external sites - they may have more background and practical information. Communication

Is the story an exclusive? If so tell the news organiser and flash copy through ENPS. There are full instructions on the intranet.

Sidebars

There is a vast range of material in the archive and a number of ideas to pursue to

add to a breaking news story. Here are some of the things you should consider.

Have Your Say: A flavour of good early responses can be woven into the main story but ideally you will want to link to a separate debate as soon as possible – the Have Your Say team will provide this. They will also look for eyewitness accounts from readers. User-generated content is a major part of our output now and some of our best material arrives this way.

Analysis: Do not forget to add a couple of paragraphs of analysis/context to the main story. These can be taken from BBC correspondents’ copy or broadcast material. For a self-contained sidebar, you can commission from newsgathering a bespoke piece of analysis or colour from a correspondent. Alternatively, we will often write our own background or analysis in-house based on the sources available.

Pictures: Picture galleries are well received by readers especially if they are dramatic. Four or five pictures in a gallery will suffice in the first instance. You can grab pictures from BBC News video using Jupiter.

Full transcripts: A major speech or statement looks good as a stand-alone page. This works well with major policy changes or resignations.

Spin-off angles: Pursue fresh angles in a separate page.

Reaction: Try publishing a page of quotes from the key personnel or the first eyewitness accounts - even if they are short.

Q&A: These are quick to make and quick to read. They are especially useful at teasing out some of the key issues when correspondents are too busy to write a full analysis.

Profiles and backgrounders: But remember that a great many already exist in our own archive.

Finally …

Once you have built up the content, display the stories to their best advantage. You might switch to a splash-layout front page. You might collect all the sidebars together on the top right-hand side of an index under a new strapline. You may want to showcase the best material in a puffbox scheduler. Build a hyperpuff to add to all relevant stories and use click-through to flag up key backgrounders from factboxes.

(12): SOURCES

You’ll be using a wide variety of news sources, including BBC material and correspondents, international agencies, websites, blogs and interviews with prominent figures and readers. The use of agencies, especially on breaking news, requires great care. A report from a single agency can only be used with great care and with clear attribution. A summary of the guidelines follows here.

International

Typically, the sources would be the main wire services, news copy from a BBC correspondent or stringer, or, in some circumstances, a write-up of a radio or television report supplied by the BBC's monitoring service at Caversham.

BBC correspondents are taken to be reliable as a single source. The same can be said of an AP report on a White House statement.

Editors should acquire the expertise to make more sophisticated judgements. These might be based on the knowledge that a particular Reuters correspondent is also the trusted BBC stringer, or conversely on a warning from a BBC correspondent about the unreliability of a local wire reporter. It is worth consulting the relevant regional desk, which is likely to have this kind of detailed knowledge.

For breaking news, a single source may be enough so long as there is clear attribution - a word like "reportedly" does NOT do the job - and the story makes clear there is no confirmation.

Some official and semi-official sources like the Chinese Xinhua and Turkish Anatolia news agencies carry quite a high credibility rating, others less so. When in doubt, refer up.

It is also important to consider whether a source has a specific agenda or reason to be partial. When there is, that should be taken into account and made clear. A phrase like "...which normally reflects the official view" may be helpful. And it is worth spelling out that there is no independent confirmation.

In some circumstances, such as natural disasters or bomb explosions, the picture will be partial, or confused. This need not be a problem so long as we acknowledge the fact and attribute carefully. We should be clear about what we do not know as well as what we do. By all means say "details are sketchy" - such phrases can add to the drama of a breaking news story, as well as honestly reflecting the limits of our knowledge.

If there is any doubt about whether the BBC is going with a story, the World News Orgs on the second floor are a good point of contact. They will be close to correspondents trying to stand up the story.

Particular care needs to be taken with other websites. During the conflict in Iraq, Arabic websites published accounts and video clips which were sourced to militant groups. It can be very difficult, if not impossible, to check these original sources, so we must make an attribution.

Do NOT copy and paste news agency material. UK

Again, most of the time we proceed with stories that have been confirmed using BBC material or our own checks. We can also proceed with a news story on the basis of facts from the Press Association (PA) only.

With breaking UK political news or Northern Ireland stories we should take guidance from the politics team at Millbank or the Belfast office. A story which PA attributes to "sources" and not to a clearly identified organisation or individual, and which is not supported by quotes, also needs to be treated with caution.

PA (and other agencies) often give numbers for people attending controversial events or rallies. When these are challenged, as they sometimes are by our readers, it is very difficult for us to stand by figures like this because we were not present. We should avoid using agency estimates of crowds and in general we should only attribute such numbers to the police and the organisers. We should use both where we can.

eg. "The Stop the War Coalition say 15,000 people attended the rally in Trafalgar Square, while police say they believe the number taking part was about 7,000."

With any queries, the UK news organiser can be called to get a sense of how the rest of the BBC is treating a story. It is also important to make clear that agency copy CANNOT be copied – so you must not cut and paste.

Sourcing pictures

Sourcing of pictures is just as important as sourcing of text. We must be sure of the origins and authenticity of our pictures and be aware that attempts are made to dupe us.

Pictures can be hard to verify, so the risk of being misled is greater.

When the source of a picture is unclear, it should be treated with caution. If in doubt, do not use it - and refer up. There may be occasions when we will want to use a picture of doubtful origin, in which case we should be careful to use a phrase such as "The picture broadcast by …apparently showing". Most of our pictures are taken from PA, AP, Getty and AFP wire services. Where appropriate these should routinely carry an identification tag (except on indexes). When we use other pictures - screen grabs for instance - their source should be identified in the alt tag. When it is an archive picture, this should also be made clear and great care should be taken with the caption.

Pictures should not be lifted from other web sites or social networking sites without permission.

Pictures sent in by readers are normally verified by the Have Your Say team.

(13): PICTURES Quality is crucial. Our readers expect to see the best pictures on our site. A good quality front page index picture will influence the way the whole site is perceived. Never think of pictures as an afterthought. Choose the best pictures which show something happening, are relevant, are well lit and communicate an element of the story.

Then crop them intelligently to fit the size required and maximise their impact. Most of our pictures are very small, so crop tight. The 66 picture is particularly small so must be clear. If it does not add to the story crop it out.

Crop imaginatively and do not always place the main subject centrally - use the rule of thirds to place the main subject of a picture off centre.

To do this divide the image into nine and place the main part of the subject (in this case the woman's eyes) on one of the lines or where the dissecting lines meet as in the above example. Offsetting the subject to one side can create a more pleasing balance to the picture and add emphasis to that which is most important.

When cropping faces go in very tight to add emphasis but remember to keep the chin rather than the forehead. For index pictures crop even tighter to just above the eyes. Place the eyes on one of the thirds. Even a simple head shot can have impact when cropped well. In terms of content other than portraits you need to crop as tight as possible and choose a subject that is easily recognisable at such a small size. They always look better when the person is looking into the page rather than out at the margins. Use all Adobe Photoshop Elements has to offer to improve the quality of the finished image before inserting it into CPS. Make sure you know how to adjust the levels and sharpen an image. You can use a video grab if there is nothing

appropriate in the Elvis picture library.

Avoid using too many pictures of men in suits. Images should grab the attention and begin to tell the story.

Stock pictures are fine but try to avoid using the same one over and over. Does a picture of a person inserting a CD into a PC really add to the story? If not, leave it out or find a new one.

There is also a danger of libel. If you are reusing a stock picture make sure that the new content does not defame the people or company pictured.

Picture sizes

The pictures in a story should meet all the above criteria. Usually one will be placed at the top with others lower down the story.

Story body pictures are usually 226 pixels wide by 170 high. When saving a finished image in Photoshop, use Save For Web to compress the picture to under 18k. Index pictures are 226 wide x 170 high for the top story, and for stories two and three are 66 wide x 49 high. An older format with pictures 203 wide by 152 high is being phased out. None of the index pictures require a credit.

For the feature slots, indexes are migrating to a format using an image 126 wide by 71 high, with the image placed on the story itself. Promo puffs are used to promote features on older indexes. Pictures there should be 66 wide x 66 high. File sizes should be less than 3k.

Picture galleries

CPS picture galleries are a great way to show off a set of images either as a stand alone story or alongside your text piece. Photo journals are also very powerful, though take longer to produce. Pictures there can be up to 466 wide by 300 high.

Pop-up galleries

Pop-up galleries are mainly used for vox-pops but can also be a good way to show off a set of pictures with about 70 words alongside each picture, ie. more than on a standard gallery. Pop-ups are not searchable and once the promo has been removed, unless there is a link from a story page, the gallery cannot be found in the archive. A guide to making pop-ups can be found on the intranet.

Copyright

The Picture Desk is there to help you source new images, clear copyright, crop well, improve your Photoshop skills and generally advise on how to get the best pictures in your stories.

It can also arrange for new stock photographs to be taken or provide a photographer to cover news or feature events. Pictures at-a-glance Image types and sizes Pixel size Max file

size Story body – landscape 226 x 170 18 K Story body– upright 226 x 282 24 K New Story body image – Cross column (Use with strong news pictures, no generics, stock shots etc. speak to picture desk first)

466 x 282 40 K

New Front page index – top slot – standard landscape format

226 x 170 18 K

New Front page index – top slot – upright format 226 x 282 24 K New Splash front 466 x 260 40 K Index – stories two and three + mobiles (All stories and picture galleries must have one of these)

66 x 49 3 K

New Index - Feature Promo’s 126 x 71 5 K Old style Index – top slot – all indexes except the front pages

203 x 152 14 K

New CPS picture galleries 466 x 300 220 x 300

35 K

Large Pop-up galleries 600 x 400 60 Vox-pop pop-up galleries 300 x 300 35 New AV Embedded video This will be scaled down to fit other formats such as the embedded video in stories, either Large 400 x 224 or Small 256 x 144

512 x 288 40 K

NEW Sport Features Landscape 206 x 116 18K

NEW Sport Features Portrait 126 x 158 18K

(14): VIDEO AND AUDIO

Embedded video and audio is an integral part of our news stories and features. The On Demand team select and process the clip. They then offer it up to the journalists assigned to the story, for them to watch and place within the page. Video that works for a web audience, rather than simply repeating presented material from television, is the key principle. There are a number of ways the video or audio can be place in a story: 1) 400 x 224 Large video (top of the page) Situation: This is for picture-led stories where you have to see the video to understand the story or the footage is ‘must-see’ video. Examples: Fire in East London http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7090725.stm

Alan Johnston http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6710863.stm

Position: The video should be placed in the First Tags box or above the CPS Shortform coding, so not to interfere with Ceefax formatting. 2) 400 x 224 Large video (backgrounder) Situation: This is for video which is integral to the story, but more illustrative or background in nature. This should be placed where it makes sense in the story. Example: US elections – what is a primary? A caucus guide

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7049207.stmPosition: The video should be placed one par below a crosshead and never be put at the top of a page. 3) 256 x 144 Small video (‘heads’ interview) Situation: This should only ever be used for “talking head” content. If the video is the point of the story – i.e. the whole story is a write up of the interview, then it should go at the top of the page. If it is illustrative and is an interview with a contributor mentioned in the story, then it should go wherever it makes most sense. Example: Killer drivers could avoid jail (mother interview) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7178120.stm Position: This video should be placed where it makes most sense to the story. Either at the top or lower down below the top four pars 4) Audio anywhere Situation: Audio content is anything which complements, explains and adds to the story, and therefore can go where ever it is most relevant on the page – but below the first four pars. Example: Festive sales ‘low’ – BRC director-general reaction http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7175261.stm Position: The audio player can go anywhere on the page but below the first four pars. Because the audio player is quite deep, you should avoid inserting directly underneath a picture or quotebox.

(15): LINKING

A key part of being a web journalist is understanding the navigation of the site. Readers must be able to move seamlessly between stories along a clear path, both to our own content and the wider web.

Research tells us that users value the quality of our links so these should not be treated as an afterthought. We are in the business of providing fast, accurate news but the links enable us to play to our other strength - delivering context, background and explanation.

The value of the internal archive continues to grow as long as it is properly maintained and the navigation is logical.

Internal links

Although the links are vital, experience has shown us that "less is more". We have a self-imposed limit of six associations (except in hyperpuffs) so try to find those which add most to the readers' understanding of an issue - focused pieces of analysis, a profile, an eyewitness feature or a picture gallery. Make sure they are contemporaneous or link to the most recent story of a chronology.

The same goes for the index alsos - the links that appear underneath the summary of a top story. We aim to have three of these.

The most important thing is to keep abreast of our content and read the in-depth pages so you know what is available.

Hyperpuffs bring together the best material on a particular topic - usually a major running story. They have a limit of 12 links. Make sure you put the relevant hyperpuff on a story where one exists.

And finally, do not forget other BBC sites which may offer more background and expertise eg. BBC History or BBC Science and Nature. External sites

Our links to other websites carry a disclaimer stating that we do not take responsibility for the content. But we must still take care about what we point to.

We should not link to an external site when it would be clearly inappropriate. We should ensure that providing a link does not damage the BBC's reputation for editorial integrity and taste - and decency issues must be carefully considered.

Great care must be taken when linking to any commercial site to ensure that we do not give the impression that the BBC is endorsing any commercial product or service.

We must be impartial. We would normally want to link to sites which represent a reasonable range of views provided they do not breach the taste and decency guidelines.

We do not link to sites that are defamatory, incite racial hatred or religious prejudice, advocate violence, or contain anything pornographic or distasteful.

As a general rule we do not link to foreign language sites as we cannot be sure of the material. We occasionally make exceptions with media reviews or major stories

This is not always as clear-cut as it might seem. If you are in any doubt, do not make the link and refer up to your editor. Common sense prevails here - if it looks suspicious, do not link to it.

When you are linking to an external site, click beyond the home page - make sure you are really linking to the right site. Some spoof sites will hide their content behind a plausible web address and an imitation home page. Do not copy addresses from a previous story or rely on ones from a cloned story - they may be wrong or out of date. Make sure there is no redirect in operation.

When linking you need to think about more than just taste. We are looking for quality not quantity. Make sure the site is relevant to the story, and try to balance the links on controversial topics.

Extra care is needed during elections when we have a legal requirement to be fair to all parties. If you are writing an election story make sure you provide external links to ALL the relevant political groups.

Choosing a link

When linking to an external site, it is normally best to link to the home page. This gives an element of choice for the reader. They can also see who created the site so they can be reassured as to its quality and content. Home pages often contain

useful alternatives such as differing language versions, search boxes and a choice of frames. Home pages are also less likely to disappear in any future reorganisation.

However, there are instances when it is desirable to find a specific page. eg. when you want to link to the full text of a statement or an individual profile.

When giving the URL (Uniform Resource Locator, or the web address) or site description in CPS, do not use the words "official", "website" or "home page". Most are official with home pages so there is no need to state the obvious - it also sounds a little old-fashioned.

Newstrackers

In addition to the links to our own archive and external sites we provide links from our stories directly to other versions of the same story on rival news websites.

Research among younger internet users has shown that they are keen to compare what different news sources are saying about particular stories. We also think that it enhances our reputation as a public service news organisation.

Called Newstracker, this service answers the question: How are other news organisations covering this?

The system uses web search technology to identify content from other news websites that relates to our own content. We receive a constantly updating feed of stories from about 4,000 different news websites.

The Newstracker system is automated. The BBC does not censor or change the results. But because there are scores of sites covering each story, the BBC has some rules that help define which sites we link to and in what order these links appear.

In general, our rules tend to give greater weight to national and international sources over regional or local ones. We have a policy of only linking to English-language sites. Once published, this group of links appears on the right-hand side of the news story.

Some sites will publish stories that we would not so you need to think carefully about whether your story could dredge up problematic headlines from other sites. If you are in doubt, talk to your editor.

(16): RESEARCHING STORIES Well-researched original journalism is a major strength of the website, especially when we make best use of the medium. We encourage you to bring ideas to the editorial meetings and pursue them.

There is a wealth of information and expertise in the wider BBC to help you, but learning where to go takes time.

Here are a few tips:

For UK news stories: A good place to find intro/top line material is in the running orders of the Radio 4 bulletins or sequence programmes. These are all contained in ENPS. The running orders of the 1, 6 and 10 o'clock TV news are also useful.

For World stories: The central Bush House core is a constantly updating list of the top world news stories - a useful reference for your top four paragraphs. The despatches list is made up of material transcribed from foreign correspondents and is a key source.

For features: The research gateway can be found at http://research.gateway.bbc.co.uk/research.gateway.live/main.asp

It includes NEON – a powerful newspaper archive search.

Analysis and Research carries the latest briefing papers. Its material can often provide the basis of a factbox or instant backgrounder.

Remember, the best kind of research is your own from original sources. Pick up the phone and contact the experts directly.

Searching the web

The most useful search tool is Google. But certain things are easier to find using a directory-style search facility like Yahoo.com.

Take time to work out the syntax of your favourite search engine. Most have a link to advanced searches or help which will explain how to make your search more specific using AND, OR and NOT, quotes, plus or minus signs. Google does its best to accept natural language queries - ie. questions written as full sentences rather than just keywords.

(17): THE LAW Journalists are expected to have undergone thorough legal training. The BBC runs regular law courses and refreshers.

There are copies of McNae's Essential Law for Journalists in the office but this must NOT serve as a substitute for proper legal advice.

If you are unclear about a story refer up to your editor and/or take legal advice from the BBC's duty lawyer. They can be contacted on 82220 or 82200. Their mobile number will be on the day’s newsgathering gird.

Defamation

A defamatory statement is one which would tend to "lower a person in the eyes of right thinking people generally", cause them to be "shunned or avoided", or expose them to ridicule.

The person about whom a defamatory statement is made can sue for compensation for the damage caused to their reputation. They can sue the publisher in any country where the libel is published. This means that the BBC can be sued for libel in any country in the world where our website is posted or can be downloaded, including of course in the UK.

Contempt

Under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to publish anything which creates a risk that "active" legal proceedings will be seriously prejudiced or impeded. Criminal cases are active from the time someone is arrested, charged or a warrant is issued for their arrest.

Once a case becomes active, the BBC policy is to remove any overt links to any previously published and potentially prejudicial archive material. The content will usually remain in the archive but in some cases it may be necessary to take further steps. If in any doubt, consult your editor or the duty lawyer.

The Contempt of Court Act applies only to cases in the UK. Although we cannot be expected to be aware of the law in every jurisdiction where the website can be read, contempt laws in this country are stricter than in many other countries. If you are in any doubt about reporting either a UK or a foreign case, consult your editor.

(18): EMERGENCIES

If you discover a fire or anything suspicious ring the BBC's emergency service on 666 - tell them who you are, where you are and what you have discovered.

In the event of a fire, the fire alarms will sound (continuous ringing). Leave the building by the nearest safe route. Follow the green emergency exit signs

In the event of a bomb warning or other emergency, move to a safe area and stay away from windows. Once you are in a safe area, wait for instructions.

Information Line - internal 159 (or 0800 0688 159). This will give you the latest information about incidents at main BBC buildings. In the event of a major emergency, updates will also appear on Ceefax page 159 and at www.bbc.co.uk/159 In a medical emergency, again ring 666.

PUBLICATION PROBLEMS

For any breakdown, call technical support on 57957. If any part of the publishing system is down for a short period - journalists should continue writing their stories in ENPS or Word, ready for a quick restart. There is an emergency system available if the Content Production System fails, but only senior staff are authorised to use it.

OBITUARIES For a royal death there is a strict protocol to be observed. This is detailed on the intranet - make sure you know what constitutes official confirmation and how to proceed. With some key personalities such as the Queen there is a special section to be published. This will be the responsibility of the most senior journalist on duty but it is useful for everyone to be familiar with the process.

Many obituaries are pre-written and exist in a hidden section of the CPS in a special template. Their identity numbers are detailed on the intranet.

These stories will not be available to the public until the template has been changed and made live. If you make a mistake, taking an obituary away from an index will NOT remove it from the archive. The file will still be available via the search engine.

COMPLAINTS

If you receive a serious complaint by phone you must address it immediately. Be calm and polite, take a note of the complainant details and the nature of the complaint, and inform them how and when they will be contacted. In the first instance, refer up to your editor. DO NOT be tempted to make an immediate change to a story or remove it until you know all the details. You may make things worse and signal a degree of culpability where none exists.

Occasionally people call in to try to persuade us to change facts, add or subtract comments or links. You must resist attempts to deflect us from the journalistic values outlined earlier in this booklet. If they have a genuine grievance then we must act fairly and promptly.

E-mail complaints are regularly checked and dealt with – the most serious are answered within 10 days and there is an escalation process for the most urgent.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Training within BBC News is the responsibility of a number of people. The Online team has a small training unit which provides a variety of courses to help you work efficiently. We also arrange swap days and attachments with other areas of BBC News.

It is an ever-changing environment and journalists need to be adaptable and open to learning new software packages and ways of working.

The BBC’s College of Journalism has an excellent website with training modules and case studies - http://college.gateway.bbc.co.uk/journalism BBC News runs a variety of training events. Examples include Writing for TV News, Law for the Internet, Chairing an Editorial Meeting, Managing Your Career, technical training in News systems such as Jupiter and VCS Dira, as well as the sharing of best practice through editorial and technical masterclasses.

BBC News also runs a mentoring scheme to help people learn from more experienced staff. The scheme includes BBC Sport and BBC TV.

APPENDIX 1: FAQ The BBC is a huge organisation. Even simple things like finding your way around and knowing who to contact can be a bewildering experience. Your colleagues are often best placed to answer questions.

This Q&A should help you with some common queries.

How do I find someone else in the BBC? On Gateway there is a link called Find BBC staff. Clicking on this gives you access to a search tool to help find the relevant person or department. You can also call 001 and say the name of the person you want to contact. If you speak clearly and the name is recognised, the extension will ring for you. Alternatively, you can call the switchboard on 100 or look in the contact list on your e-mail. Some of our key department numbers are listed in the back of this booklet. There is also a ‘live phonebook’ list on our intranet which will give you the number of any one logged on to a department computer.

I'm stuck in CPS. Where can I get help? There is a link on the left hand navigation of the intranet which provides crib sheets for most of the tasks in CPS. Basic training with a follow-up session will be offered to you when you join the department. In practice, your colleagues will often help you.

Where are BBC departments located? BBC offices are spread throughout the UK and the world. The News hub is based in London in three main buildings - Television Centre (TVC) in Shepherd's Bush, Broadcasting House (BH) near Oxford Circus, and Bush House (home of the World Service) in The Strand. The News division is due to move the majority of its operations to an expanded Broadcasting House by 2013. To contact anyone in these buildings you can use Gateway or the BBC's e-mail system.

Is my progress monitored and can I get more training? Yes. The BBC operates a formal appraisal system once a year which is reviewed at intervals. This is an opportunity to discuss progress, set objectives and identify training needs. Your line manager will explain the system in more detail and tell you who will conduct your appraisal.

Can I get transport to and from the BBC? If you are working unsociable shifts you may be entitled to transport to get to or

from work but this depends on the time of your shift and whether you live within a 30-mile radius of your workplace. There is also a shuttle bus which takes staff between London buildings. Full details on eligibility and how to book transport are on Gateway at http://finance.gateway.bbc.co.uk/procurement/transport/main.html

My workstation is uncomfortable. What can I do? Speak to your team DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Assessor or speak to your line manager for details of your local safety co-ordinator. Your line manager will be able to organise a workstation assessment for you to make sure you are working safely.

How do I find out if I can claim expenses? Again, the department's unit manager or management assistant are the first point of contact.

Where can I find information about new jobs in the BBC or attachments? Online organises swap days when journalists can work in another section to help familiarise themselves with the whole department.

Jobs are advertised in the in-house magazine called Ariel and sometimes in national newspapers. For more details visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs

APPENDIX 2: JARGON BUSTER Also in the news An unusual, funny story on the website. Offers light relief from the hard news agenda. Has its own slot on the front pages of the website, and has its own index.

Alsos or associations Headlines on the right hand side of a story which link to selections from our own archive. Not to be confused with index alsos - they do the same job but exist under the summary of the lead story on an index.

A&R Analysis and Research. Offers expert advice and research material across a wide range of subjects http://newstcrs03.tc.nca.bbc.co.uk/

Check In CPS terms this means that a story exists in a check status. It is finished and ready to be amended and published by a sub-editor. Sometimes you will be asked "to save into check" - the exact process will be described in your CPS training

Clone A way of copying a story in CPS. Often employed to mark a major development in a running news story

CPS Content Production System. The software used to build and order web pages. Also helps to deliver audio and video to the web.

CoolEdit Sound editing software on journalists' desktops.

Despatches Term describing pieces filed by BBC correspondents for World Service radio. The scripts are transcribed and available on ENPS. Useful source of copy for world journalists but be aware that some names are spelled phonetically. A despatch is sometimes referred to as an XN

Elvis Electronic Visual Image Store - the BBC's database of still images. It is also the portal to find agency pictures

E-mail alert If a breaking story is important it will be sent as an e-mail or SMS message to subscribers of our service

ENPS Editorial software. Allows journalists to search for agency copy, BBC material, create and access running orders, and send messages to other users.

FM&T Future Media and Technology is the BBC department responsible for the design and the technical development of the website and other platforms. Jupiter Pan-BBC News video database. The system enables journalists to find and edit current and archive video material. It works in conjunction with an editing programme called Q-cut. Media On Demand Multi-skilled team that commissions, creates and processes mostly bespoke video for the BBC News website. Millbank Office at Westminster where BBC political journalists work from.

MPA Multi-platform authoring. Our software makes it possible for a story to be written once for multiple outlets.

News update You may be asked to do your story as a "news update". This refers to a particular way the story is saved and published and is explained in CPS training

Newsgathering The central nervous system of BBC News. They assign correspondents to jobs and control the flow of material both domestically and from around the dozens of bureaux across the world.

Overtype A facility in CPS to allow you to change a headline or summary on an index but not at story level. Useful to avoid clashes with other headlines or to alter the length of a summary to prevent uneven index pages. A drawback is that an overtype will block fresh changes appearing so care must be taken to keep up with story developments.

Plasma Index management software used to run parts of Ceefax.

Promo Also called a promo puff - it is a small area on an index page linking to feature material, picture galleries, analysis or Q&As (See puffbox) Puffbox A promotional box on our web pages linking to feature stories or value added material. They come in various different shapes and sizes. Common ones include promo puffs, picture puffs (sometimes called Also in the news puffs), icon puffs and branded puffs.

Radar Internal site showing a list of the latest published stories around the site. Useful for index managers. Ringmain Material broadcast through the ringmain can be heard on one of the Rolec channels. If someone wants you to monitor the broadcast they will usually refer you to a channel number.

Rolec A piece of hardware that allows journalists to choose between large numbers of TV and radio feeds at their desktop

Scar Spur Central Apparatus Room. Scar sets up and co-ordinates feeds of incoming news material for TV. Slot A cell on an index page. These can be modified to change the look of our web pages

Splash sub Another term for the assistant editors who manage the front pages of the two editions of the News website.

Stream Video or audio broadcast live on the web.

Ticker One-line news alert which runs along the top of the front pages to highlight breaking news stories - resembles ticker tape, hence the name.

Traffic The switchboard which records pieces being filed by correspondents. You will often hear Tannoy announcements alerting staff to new stories being filed. It is worth listening to these as they can add fresh information to your story

UGC User generated content. Material submitted to the BBC by readers and viewers and used to inform our news coverage. It can include anything from photographs of a breaking news event to first-hand accounts of unusual or moving situations. UKFS UK-facing site. Global agenda but with an emphasis on domestic news. URL Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a web page.

Woods Work on off-duty days - an extra payment is made if you volunteer.

APPENDIX 3: REPORTERS IN THE FIELD This is a quick guide for correspondents and producers in UK Newsgathering on how best to contribute to the News website. Breaking News There is no expectation on correspondents to give the website a customised service for breaking news. The online newsdesks will be aware of correspondent advice and will be making use of copy – so filing news copy will really help us. We also always welcome any further steers on breaking stories. Developing story Our desks set about developing the story, which involves adding more detail, quotes and context, pictures, maps or graphics, factboxes, links to related stories and websites, and audio/video material. They’ll be monitoring BBC copy and outlets anyway, so will be relying on you filing news copy in the normal way. But the correspondent/producer can massively help us by filing any extra detail or colour. Colour and analysis By far the most common direct input from correspondents comes when we commission a self-contained piece that we can publish under a byline alongside the running news story, focusing on colour, analysis, or a mixture of the two. In extreme circumstances these can be filed over traffic and we’ll transcribe them – but please bear in mind they’ll end up as text pieces. We would normally agree a delivery time/date for any commissioned colour or analysis piece. (On breaking stories we’re looking for a piece no more than four hours in, preferably sooner.) They need to be roughly 400 – 700 words, though this is flexible. With colour we’re looking for a punchy intro, direct quotes, and where possible still pictures - especially important if the story has a strong visual element. With analysis we are looking for an initial interpretation of the events and the context. Sometimes a Q&A will be the quickest way of providing this – though not necessarily the best. Set-ups and wraps Set-ups or wraps from scheduled events, such as trials, elections or conferences can be very useful. In these cases, we are again looking for bylined pieces with original quotes, to accompany the running news story.

Exclusives and embargoes Advance warning through the planning system is essential if we are to be able to reflect these properly on the website. Where possible we will often ask the correspondent who has got the story to write it up as a bylined piece. This already happens regularly, for example, in the specialist clusters. Audio/ Video Increasingly we will be looking for a good flow of "On Demand" video from bureaux and correspondents - particularly now we can embed video into our story pages. This doesn't mean new packages, on new stories, every day. Mark Barlex, On Demand editor explains: "The beauty of On Demand material is that it often sits alongside a text story which does the bulk of the story-telling work for us, which means we can focus on the elements of video which really make an impact. "We're also interested in Show and Tells, which can be as simple as three or four energetic and informal piece-to-cameras bolted together. We like to see things being demonstrated. We want to know how things work, or what things do. The On Demand medium is very functional, and people use it in that way. Most of all, we're looking for a flow of information and ideas. Every story is different, but if we know what's going on and get an idea of what we might see, between us we can work out how to do it for On Demand." Mark can be contacted on TVC extension 61200, his mobile 07940 083408, or at mark.barlex@bbc.co.uk.

APPENDIX 4: KEY LINKS AND CONTACTS EDITORS: Online editor: 61533 UK editor: 57932 World editor: 68695 ONLINE UK: (newsonline.uk@bbc.co.uk for corrs) (newsonline.ukdesk@bbc.co.uk for press releases) Front page Ass Ed: 64854 UK duty editor: 64737 Index manager: 57023 Subbing desk: 58134 Planner: 69818 ONLINE WORLD: (newsonline.world@bbc.co.uk for corrs) Front page Ass Ed: 64909 World duty editor: 61492 World features: 57953 Middle East: 57779 Europe: 58015 Africa: 64192 South Asia: 73790 Asia Pacific: 58236 Americas: 58293 ONLINE EDITORIAL TEAMS: Specials: 61181/58294 Picture desk: 61458 Magazine: 69809 England: 0176800/02 Politics: 36242/36178 Home affairs: 69821 Scotland: 0127800/12 Wales: 0122236 N Ireland: 0138325/28 Business: 67354/ 58342 Sci/Nat: 57950 Technology: 59370 Health: 69610/69613 Ents: 60525/58153 Education: 58401 On Demand: 61200 Programmes: 81666/81482 HYS/UGC: 68200 Online sport: 57891 Graphics: 64764 Blogs: 58233 NEWSGATHERING UK television HDE: 49001 UK online HDE: 49691 UK commissions: 49576 World duty editor: 49111 World commissions: 48531 Deployments ed: 48508 NEWSROOM Multimedia editor: 49966 Mediawire: 48685 Newswire: 49960 News24 Ass Ed: 49362 Group number: 49249 Next on air: 49244 BBC World Ass Ed: 49431 World Service SDE: 72699 Radio 4 1800: 49953 Radio Bulletins: 49903/49911 OTHER Admin – Janet: 58096 Admin – Andy: 69819 Training room: 60673 Lawyers: 82220/82200 Ed policy: 81815/81819 BBC Press Office: 61865 Tech support: 57957 7th floor support: 57222 7540 Fax: 020 8225 9601 BBC home page: 82118 TVC emergencies: 61999 TVC Duty ops: 67777

Online intranet - http://intranet.newsonline.tc.nca.bbc.co.uk/ News intranet - http://news.gateway.bbc.co.uk/ Analysis and research - http://newstcrs03.tc.nca.bbc.co.uk/index.stm Gateway - http://home.gateway.bbc.co.uk/ College of Journalism - http://college.gateway.bbc.co.uk/journalism Website stats - http://livestats.newsonline.tc.nca.bbc.co.uk/livestatsreporter/news/

APPENDIX 5: SITE STRUCTURE