issue
An issue is a topic of journalistic coverage that guides the article writing conducted by reporters.
Reporters—or their editors—research the topics that are popular with the public and timely for coverage. Journalists may gain these insights by talking with people in the community or researching daily news events that they could write about.
If the journalist discovers an issue that they would like to cover, they may “pitch,” or present, it to their editor. If the editor approves their idea, they will be able to cover it. However, sometimes an editor will have a story that they will assign to a particular reporter. The indivduals who make these decisions about what topics to cover are called “gatekeepers” because they determine what information reaches audiences.
journalist
A journalist is a trained professional who creates, prepares and distributes content for newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, and news websites. They follow basic ethical principles like accuracy, transparency and neutrality, which builds audience’s trust in the news being distributed. Journalists are not required to complete a certain education level or certification process in order to enter the profession. Some people enter the field with no experience. However, most journalists have a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
reporting
Reporting refers to the activity of gathering news (via interviews with sources, observations, and research). Journalists engaging in reporting in order to obtain facts and quotes about timely news.
source
Sources include the people, organizations, or applications from which journalists gather information for their news project.
A reputable source is one that is credible and believable to gather or learn information from. They are likely backed by evidence, empirical data, and outside research.