Thursday, February 26, 2009
Smoking on Campus -Tolman
So i have switched story ideas now and am doing a story on smoking at USU. Does anyone know anyone with asthma that I could talk to? thanks--Ashley Tolman
Why USU needs Athletics
I'm doing this story on a presentation that was given by USU Athletic Director Scot Barnes in one of my classes. It's basically showing why the athletic fee raise of $65 per semester is necessary and ultimately helpful to the University in it's entirety. There is also a vote on March 23 on whether or not to accept the $65 fee that has been announced
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Craig Jessop
One of my stories is on Craig Jessop. I already interviewed him about why he is here instead of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...etc. I wanted to find students that are in his one choir class. Anyone know of people?
Plasma!
I'm wanting to do my next story on college students donating plasma for extra cash. Does anybody know someone who donates regularly or has donated? It would be best if there's some kind of juicy story behind it, like they donate plasma before a date so they can afford dinner or something like that. Help would be appreciated!!! :) Thanks!!!
Deseret News
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DNews to Become “Mormon Niche Publication”?Glen Warchol’s blog: Salt Lake Crawler
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Getting the 'tone' at the DNews
Update . . .Deseret News government reporters pulled their bylines today in protest of management changes made as the paper transforms itself into a Mormon niche publication.
Assistant managing editor for news Chuck Gates and business editor Julianne Basinger have been demoted. Gates is now a "special writer." Basinger has been sent to the copy desk. State government editor Josh Loftin says, "In both cases, you can't call it anything but a demotion."
Why? In the words of veteran DNews reporter James Thalman:
We weren't going Mo' enough, fast enough.Gates and Bassinger reportedly often fought against stories being killed or slanted because they "were not acceptable to the LDS reader." The change is not coming from the Church Office Building, Loften says:
This is a decision made ultimately by Joe Cannon. It's being done because he believes sincerely the way to save the newspaper is to turn it into a publication for a niche LDS reader. The News needs to still educate them, [Cannon says] but not offend their sensibilities or put the LDS chuch in a negative light.Tad Walch, a Utah County reporter, will replace Gates, Loftin says, because Walch "gets the tone" that Cannon, a former GOP state party chair and lobbyist, has been pushing since he took over at the DNews. "They can never tell us what the 'tone' is," Loftin says. "They say, 'You'll know it when you get it.' "
Loften's government staff, including political editor Bob Bernick, pulled their bylines from their stories — the only real control a reporter has over his or her work. The bylines were replaced with "By Deseret News staff."
Monday, February 23, 2009
(T)Editorial Comments #1
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Random (T)editorial comments
from Dr. Ted
from Dr. Ted
An occasional series of newswriting tips culled from students’ writing—deobfuscating common AP style issues and common writing/construction problems. . . in no particular order . . .
1. WHAT HAPPENED???? Get the lead right!
EX: The Political Science Department at Utah State University sponsored a speech on how history repeats itself titled, “Déjà Vu All Over Again: Rise of the New Russia.” (when?)
This is a classic “The City Council met…” lead. So what? The fact that a meeting or speech took place is not the news—what happened at the meeting/what was said at the speech?
2. THAT/WHICH
EX: 200 people attended the speech
a) What’s AP style rule for numbers that begin sentences?
b) that, which—see Stylebook. This is important. Basically, use of “which” in a sentence denotes a nonessential (or parenthetical) clause and requires use of a comma; use of “that” connects to an essential part of the sentence. For example:
1. The dog that was brown bit Tom.
2. The dog, which was brown, bit Tom.
What’s the difference? AP says, if you can drop the clause without losing the meaning, use which and set the phrase off with commas. In the first sentence, the brown part is essential to ID the vicious dog. In the second, the dog’s color is a throw-away: oh, by the way, the dog was brown. The important thing in the second example is that the dog bit Tom. See Stylebook, “that, which” entry.
3. AP STYLE—You’re still making too many basic AP style errors. No “last night” or “yesterday”—use day name. Number/numeral errors. a.m. p.m.
4. ATTRIBUTION/QUOTES: You MUST attribute all fact statements to a source. Who says? Unless the statement features unassailable or commonly accepted facts (EX: It had been snowing all day… or “Slum Dog Millionaire” is set in one of the many huge slums that ring Mombai…), attribute the sentence to a source.
Ninety percent of the time, use said as the attribution verb: he said, the professor said, police said…. Remember to bury the attribution in the middle of a statement or quote if you can, usually at a natural pause in the sentence cadence: “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month,” the senator said, “as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”
DO NOT place the attribution at the front of the quote, unless absolutely necessary for transition:
• NO: The senator said, “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month, as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”
That’s lazy. Figure out how to make a transition into the quote, to alert the reader of a change of subject. Like this:
(transition/set-up): Despite Tuesday’s passage of the $800 billion economic stimulus package, officials say it may take several weeks before the first impacts will be felt on Main Street.
(leads into quote): “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month,” the senator said, “as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”
5. ABBREVIATIONS: Only on second reference (Utah State University first, USU subsequently; driving under the influence first, DUI later….); also, NEVER 1400 N—the name of the street in Utah cities is 300 East, 1450 West, 400 North, etc. (the East West North is part of the name, and so does not get abbreviated): “The accident at North Main Street and 1400 North sent two people to the hospital….” Because the name of the street is 1400 North (or 300 West), just like “Main” or Center” or “Fox Run” are street names, the North is never abbreviated: “He lives at 213 E. 1400 North…”
6. SHOW, DON’T TELL—Let facts speak for themselves. Don’t try to shove stuff down the reader’s throat.
EX: Juan Delgado, employee of store owner Marcus Gilbert, needs a new kidney desperately. If Delgado doesn’t receive a kidney soon, he will die of kidney failure….
Show, Don’t tell: Don’t tell us he’s desperate—let the facts demonstrate desperation (a kidney and impending death at 16 is pretty desperate…)
(Also note that this student used “kidney” three times in 26 words…)
7. NAME or LABEL IN LEAD?—Unless the subject of the story is well known (e.g., Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., President Barack Obama…), it is better for the reader if you label or characterize the individual in the lead graf in news stories, and use her/his name later.
In the previous example, no one knows who Juan Delgado is, so call him a “16-year-old sandwich shop worker” or something on first reference.
NO: Walter P. Alley, 15, died in a freak traffic accident Wednesday.
Well, Fred will ask, “Who the heck is Walter P. Alley?”
Better to write this: A 15-year-old Logan middle school student was killed Wednesday…. And then use his name in the second graf.
BUT! While this is generally true in straight, hard news stories, you can get away with the name of an unknown in feature stories, using a “suspended interest” approach that teases the reader into the story.
EX: For Franceen Follicle, hairdo’s are all about fun—and go-go boots, strobe lights and disco music.
We don’t know who Franceen Follicle is, but the other details make the reader want to read on to find out.
Thus endeth this lesson. More to follow...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
news pitch idea... Help?
Ok guys, so I was thinking of some story ideas and one that came to mind is the fact that study abroad students, like some Armenians that I know, are on a scholarship and are affected by the budget cuts to a point where they can't come back to school next semester or possibly ever.
Do you know any other information about this or students that are also affected? And Peez, what do you think? I still want to do the one about the student that buys a ton of mints at the cafe but I can't find him. lol
Do you know any other information about this or students that are also affected? And Peez, what do you think? I still want to do the one about the student that buys a ton of mints at the cafe but I can't find him. lol
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Athletics Fee Increase
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Facebook Group Opposes Fee Hike
This just came to me via FB, FYI. Tyler Riggs, BTW, is a JCOM grad, former HJ reporter and editor, and now is on KVNU and KUSU.
TP
Tyler Riggs sent a message to the members of Say NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.
Subject: Please spread the word about the fee increase proposal
Hello everyone, thank you for taking interest in saying NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.
I promise not to flood you with messages in the coming weeks before the student vote, but I will send along some pertinent information as it becomes available about the issue and supporting reasons about why we need to vote no on the increase.
For now, however, please pass along word of this group to your friends on Facebook and also talk about the fee increase with people you know off Facebook. Like any election, the result of this vote is going to come down to who gets the most voters out to the polls. Unfortunately for us, the pro fee increase vote has the luxury of making announcements at sporting events, distributing a newsletter at sporting events and access to student groups throughout campus to promote the effort.
We must be more guerrilla and evangelize as best we can.
In the next few weeks, I will have USU Athletics Director Scott Barnes on KVNU radio to talk about the fee increase, and I will let you all know about the date when it happens. We will ask tough questions and attempt to expose many of the frauds in the talking points that are being used, such as saying athletics may have to "drop out of Division 1" if this fee increase isn't approved.
I also will attempt to set up an on-campus debate regarding the fee increase. Also, we need to get letters in the Statesman and the Herald Journal about the increase, because awareness is by and large low right now.
Thank you again, everyone, for taking interest in stopping this injustice of a fee increase from becoming a reality.
--Tyler Riggs
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1032348970820&mbox_pos=0
Facebook Group Opposes Fee Hike
This just came to me via FB, FYI. Tyler Riggs, BTW, is a JCOM grad, former HJ reporter and editor, and now is on KVNU and KUSU.
TP
Tyler Riggs sent a message to the members of Say NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.
Subject: Please spread the word about the fee increase proposal
Hello everyone, thank you for taking interest in saying NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.
I promise not to flood you with messages in the coming weeks before the student vote, but I will send along some pertinent information as it becomes available about the issue and supporting reasons about why we need to vote no on the increase.
For now, however, please pass along word of this group to your friends on Facebook and also talk about the fee increase with people you know off Facebook. Like any election, the result of this vote is going to come down to who gets the most voters out to the polls. Unfortunately for us, the pro fee increase vote has the luxury of making announcements at sporting events, distributing a newsletter at sporting events and access to student groups throughout campus to promote the effort.
We must be more guerrilla and evangelize as best we can.
In the next few weeks, I will have USU Athletics Director Scott Barnes on KVNU radio to talk about the fee increase, and I will let you all know about the date when it happens. We will ask tough questions and attempt to expose many of the frauds in the talking points that are being used, such as saying athletics may have to "drop out of Division 1" if this fee increase isn't approved.
I also will attempt to set up an on-campus debate regarding the fee increase. Also, we need to get letters in the Statesman and the Herald Journal about the increase, because awareness is by and large low right now.
Thank you again, everyone, for taking interest in stopping this injustice of a fee increase from becoming a reality.
--Tyler Riggs
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1032348970820&mbox_pos=0
Friday, February 20, 2009
Good question, Ashley
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Can I Have Fun with Frisbees?
On Feb 20, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Ashley Moscon wrote:
El Peeze:
Guess what—I had a blast interviewing USU’s ultimate frisbee team. They are an interesting bunch! But I’m having a hard time knowing how to start my story. It’s hard for me not to put my own opinions in it. I wish I could write a column or something instead. This doesn’t have to be inverted pyramid right? So we can have a little more fun with this one? Do Feature pieces still have to be objective?
your pissant,
ashley
The omniPotent Peez rePlies:
That’s a good question, Ashley. You do NOT have to use the standard hard news structure, although you will want to move logically from one point to another in this just as in any other story. And remember the “Romper Room Rule”—Show, Don’t Tell. You can start with a strong statement, but then back out of the picture and use quotes and facts and description to show the reader what you want her to see.
The concept here is to come up with a general theme about the people or topic, and then build it throughout. For example, are these guys NUTZ? and is that a theme you would want to follow (and have info to illustrate)? Then you could start like this:
These guys are nuts.
Every weekday afternoon, rain or shine, hot or freezing, the core 12 members of USU's ultimate frisbee team hit the field—or more recently, the snow drifts—for a little....
<And now a quote that reflects “nuts”.... “The colder it is, the better I like it,” said sophomore friznut Danny Dischead, standing ankle-deep in melting snow, oblivious to the slush heaped up around his sodden Vans. “This is no game for wimps.”
Or do you want to compare them to slushy ballerinas—leaping in a graceful arabesque through the 23-degree air after a frisbee tossed just beyond his fingertips, and then smashing into a snowy heap? Or frozen Neanderthals, thumping through knee-high snow in shorts after the frisbee. Or whatever.
These choices can reflect your opinions, but you don’t actually have to come out and write an editorial. It’s easy to express your perspective through the details you select, the quotes and descriptions, and how you arrange them, without writing a column. That’s a different beast. Try to keep your own presence hidden, and let the story focus on your sources and their activity and quotes without distracting the reader.
That make sense? Do have fun.
El Peez
Can I Have Fun with Frisbees?
On Feb 20, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Ashley Moscon wrote:
El Peeze:
Guess what—I had a blast interviewing USU’s ultimate frisbee team. They are an interesting bunch! But I’m having a hard time knowing how to start my story. It’s hard for me not to put my own opinions in it. I wish I could write a column or something instead. This doesn’t have to be inverted pyramid right? So we can have a little more fun with this one? Do Feature pieces still have to be objective?
your pissant,
ashley
The omniPotent Peez rePlies:
That’s a good question, Ashley. You do NOT have to use the standard hard news structure, although you will want to move logically from one point to another in this just as in any other story. And remember the “Romper Room Rule”—Show, Don’t Tell. You can start with a strong statement, but then back out of the picture and use quotes and facts and description to show the reader what you want her to see.
The concept here is to come up with a general theme about the people or topic, and then build it throughout. For example, are these guys NUTZ? and is that a theme you would want to follow (and have info to illustrate)? Then you could start like this:
These guys are nuts.
Every weekday afternoon, rain or shine, hot or freezing, the core 12 members of USU's ultimate frisbee team hit the field—or more recently, the snow drifts—for a little....
<And now a quote that reflects “nuts”.... “The colder it is, the better I like it,” said sophomore friznut Danny Dischead, standing ankle-deep in melting snow, oblivious to the slush heaped up around his sodden Vans. “This is no game for wimps.”
Or do you want to compare them to slushy ballerinas—leaping in a graceful arabesque through the 23-degree air after a frisbee tossed just beyond his fingertips, and then smashing into a snowy heap? Or frozen Neanderthals, thumping through knee-high snow in shorts after the frisbee. Or whatever.
These choices can reflect your opinions, but you don’t actually have to come out and write an editorial. It’s easy to express your perspective through the details you select, the quotes and descriptions, and how you arrange them, without writing a column. That’s a different beast. Try to keep your own presence hidden, and let the story focus on your sources and their activity and quotes without distracting the reader.
That make sense? Do have fun.
El Peez
Bathrooms
Topic: Where can you find the cleanest, most pleasant bathroom on campus.
What about it?a. Where they are clean
b. How busy they are
c. how the lighting, general ambience is
d. how large it is.
Sources:
a. Several volunteers of both genders, names to be released later.
What about it?a. Where they are clean
b. How busy they are
c. how the lighting, general ambience is
d. how large it is.
Sources:
a. Several volunteers of both genders, names to be released later.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tolman's ideas
ATK Thiokol adjusting to economical changes:
Topic: businesses have to adjust to fit the changing society.
Does anyone know ppl at Thiokol that I could talk to about the switch from shuttle stuff to weapons for the military forces?? Thanks?
Also, I wanted to put an Anthropology story on the backburner... Anyone know anything about that?
Topic: businesses have to adjust to fit the changing society.
Does anyone know ppl at Thiokol that I could talk to about the switch from shuttle stuff to weapons for the military forces?? Thanks?
Also, I wanted to put an Anthropology story on the backburner... Anyone know anything about that?
Story Pitch
Topic: Steel Industry
Focus: The economic effects being felt in a local town
What about it?
a. This business last year hit record numbers
b. Many employess, who were once working full time, have been cut to 28 hours a week
c. This steel plant employs many people from Plymouth and surrounding cities, how are the families being affected
Sources:
For a. Eileen Udy, Sales Representative for Nucor Steel Utah
For b. Kirk Pinder, employee for over 25 years
For c. Wes Udy, employee for over 10 years
Focus: The economic effects being felt in a local town
What about it?
a. This business last year hit record numbers
b. Many employess, who were once working full time, have been cut to 28 hours a week
c. This steel plant employs many people from Plymouth and surrounding cities, how are the families being affected
Sources:
For a. Eileen Udy, Sales Representative for Nucor Steel Utah
For b. Kirk Pinder, employee for over 25 years
For c. Wes Udy, employee for over 10 years
Ranting mad professors anyone?
Pitch: Student vs. Faculty spring break...
Want to know how faculty will spend their spring break-whilst being unpaid.
Are students taking extravagant vacations? no?
I NEED:
any student taking a fatty trip-or staying to tend their earth worms.
any professor raving about the break? good or bad! thanks...
Tressa.
Want to know how faculty will spend their spring break-whilst being unpaid.
Are students taking extravagant vacations? no?
I NEED:
any student taking a fatty trip-or staying to tend their earth worms.
any professor raving about the break? good or bad! thanks...
Tressa.
Health Promotion on campus
Topic: USU Health Fair
Focus: Promotion on USU campus
What about it?
In what ways is health promoted at Utah State besides this health fair and has it been effective?
Does anyone know nutrition majors? Or has anybody ever made food choices, good or bad, that were influenced by a program or event put on by the NFS department?
Focus: Promotion on USU campus
What about it?
In what ways is health promoted at Utah State besides this health fair and has it been effective?
Does anyone know nutrition majors? Or has anybody ever made food choices, good or bad, that were influenced by a program or event put on by the NFS department?
Idea Pitch
I didn't know about this until after 11 pm tuesday night, so I chose the easy route to have an idea ready for class
Topic: Speech
Focus: Chaco World Newest Research
Anthropology speech on Friday, Dr. John Kantner,
Sources: Dr. John Kantner, introductory/concluding/hosting speaker, audience reactions
Topic: Speech
Focus: Chaco World Newest Research
Anthropology speech on Friday, Dr. John Kantner,
Sources: Dr. John Kantner, introductory/concluding/hosting speaker, audience reactions
Fieldhouse Story
Fieldhouse Drama
Story: The machines (mainly treadmills) are always broken causing students to have to wait for people to get off the working machines. Mantience always comes in to fix them, but they just break again. How does our fitness center compare to other schools in Utah? How much money goes to the fitness center? After budget cuts?
SO WHAT? Students want to know why the machines are always breaking and what can be done to improve the equipment at USU.
Sources: USU Students, Fieldhouse staff, manager of fieldhouse
Suggestions? Sources? Let me know...
Story: The machines (mainly treadmills) are always broken causing students to have to wait for people to get off the working machines. Mantience always comes in to fix them, but they just break again. How does our fitness center compare to other schools in Utah? How much money goes to the fitness center? After budget cuts?
SO WHAT? Students want to know why the machines are always breaking and what can be done to improve the equipment at USU.
Sources: USU Students, Fieldhouse staff, manager of fieldhouse
Suggestions? Sources? Let me know...
CAPSA
Outside Story 1: CAPSA
Topic: CAPSA in Logan, UT. What they do, and how they help.
What about it?a. information about CAPSA
b. stats on domestic violence/rape/etc in Logan- IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN HERE!
c. try to find a person who is willing to tell their story, how CAPSA helped them OR a volunteer for CAPSA
d. ongoing charity fund by Sigma Chi
Sources:
a. Cathy bullock (on CAPSA board)
b. CAPSA volunteer
c. Jordan Taylor (EX Pres)
d. random person (find out how much the average student knows about CAPSA)
Topic: CAPSA in Logan, UT. What they do, and how they help.
What about it?a. information about CAPSA
b. stats on domestic violence/rape/etc in Logan- IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN HERE!
c. try to find a person who is willing to tell their story, how CAPSA helped them OR a volunteer for CAPSA
d. ongoing charity fund by Sigma Chi
Sources:
a. Cathy bullock (on CAPSA board)
b. CAPSA volunteer
c. Jordan Taylor (EX Pres)
d. random person (find out how much the average student knows about CAPSA)
Outside Story #1
Utah State is obssessed with ultimate frisbee... They even have an official team
anyone know someone who absolutely loves/hates to play ultimate frisbee?
anyone have a cool funny story about playing ultimate frisbee?
anyone know someone who absolutely loves/hates to play ultimate frisbee?
anyone have a cool funny story about playing ultimate frisbee?
Story Pitch
My topic is about the Accommodations (or lack there of) for Deaf students at USU, my focus is that there is not much being done. For example, when they showed Iron Man on campus, the people in charge wouldn't set up the closed captioning so the deaf students could watch and understand the movie.
I also will cover what the University has and does do, such as the Deaf dance before Valentines Day... And what USU can do to improve.
I'll try to find out about the challenges and help etc... uplifting or depressing, we'll see..
So far my sources are a couple of deaf students, lab teachers, ASL teachers, and some students who attended the deaf dance. Let me know if you know any deaf students or have other useful sources.
Muchas Gracias!
I also will cover what the University has and does do, such as the Deaf dance before Valentines Day... And what USU can do to improve.
I'll try to find out about the challenges and help etc... uplifting or depressing, we'll see..
So far my sources are a couple of deaf students, lab teachers, ASL teachers, and some students who attended the deaf dance. Let me know if you know any deaf students or have other useful sources.
Muchas Gracias!
Story Proposal #1 - Zac Pierce
General Topic: Economy
Focused Topic: Business that are thriving in a downward economy
Angle: Why and How are they thriving? What are they doing right? What can they improve on?
Sources: Owners of recently built businesses; Papa Murphy’s and Arby’s (Providence), Financial Professors, Nutrition Specialists
Does anyone have any other good ideas to go with this?
Focused Topic: Business that are thriving in a downward economy
Angle: Why and How are they thriving? What are they doing right? What can they improve on?
Sources: Owners of recently built businesses; Papa Murphy’s and Arby’s (Providence), Financial Professors, Nutrition Specialists
Does anyone have any other good ideas to go with this?
Outside Story 1: Old Barn Theatre
Topic: Community Theatres in Small Town
Focus: Old Barn Community Theatre in Collinston, UT
What about it?
a. how it continues to run based on donations (mainly)
b. what the theatre means to the locals
c. try to find conflict with funding or something else that could shut the theatre down (how is the economy affecting the theatre)
d. upcoming shows and information (I really don't want to do this but it would be the last resort)
Sources:
a. Maury Bergman, Tina Gregory, or Heather Gleason (board of directors for theatre)
b. Locals near the theatre, a friend that has performed in Old Barn shows
c. One or some of the board of directors again, mayor (if there is one) of Collinston
d. Website, board of directors
Focus: Old Barn Community Theatre in Collinston, UT
What about it?
a. how it continues to run based on donations (mainly)
b. what the theatre means to the locals
c. try to find conflict with funding or something else that could shut the theatre down (how is the economy affecting the theatre)
d. upcoming shows and information (I really don't want to do this but it would be the last resort)
Sources:
a. Maury Bergman, Tina Gregory, or Heather Gleason (board of directors for theatre)
b. Locals near the theatre, a friend that has performed in Old Barn shows
c. One or some of the board of directors again, mayor (if there is one) of Collinston
d. Website, board of directors
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Marching Orders, NewsHounds
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Dear Picayune Pissants:
First, I don’t believe it has ever happened in the 30 years since Wally Alley first fell off his pickup truck in Belchertown, Mass., that EVERYONE writing his tragic accident story managed to get fired for making errors of fact. That’s extraordinary. I will consider whether I want to rehire you for Pease’s Picayune Pissant....
Next, for those of you who missed today’s class (and those who were there but are easily confused), some recaps and reminders:
1. Read Chapter 6 in Harrower (“Beyond Breaking News”). Note esp. pp. 114-115 as you start developing your own story ideas, most of which will not be breaking news, summary leads, but “softer” feature stories.
2. If you did not do so today, please bring me your Gartner speech stories tomorrow (and anything else that you did, but for which the grade on your gradesheet is missing).
3. Generating Story Ideas. We now move into the latter half of the semester, in which you are increasingly responsible for finding and covering your own stories. As discussed, you should start NOW building a file of possible story leads—topics that interest you, flyers, newspaper clips, ideas that come to you in the shower, etc.
This is important, because you will be writing (almost) one out-of-class story per week, starting next week. And you will have to come up with most of your own story ideas, pitch them to your gruff-but-lovable editor (me), and organize your time to bring them off.
Here is (one way) to develop a story.
1. Come up with a general topic (in Peez’s fable, Michelangelo wanted to portray the general epitome of male beauty)
2. Focus on some aspect of the topic. What about it? (Michelangelo focused on David)
3. Figure out the angle you want on your “David”—So what? You should be able to answer that question in a short sentence.
4. Who are your sources? Minimum three sources per story. Who can you talk to who will provide good insight, expertise on your “David”?
(If you missed class today, you have no idea what “David” means. Tough.)
4. From now on (more or less), you will have pitched me a story by every Friday (or Monday, latest), which will be due the following Friday by 5 p.m. (this is flexible, depending on the story). I will give you a set of dates in class tomorrow. This means that you will be planning next week's story as you interview and write this week's story. OK?
5. Your first three out-of-class stories:
1. Friday, 2/27: Your own story idea (see No. 6 below)
2. Thursday, 3/5: Story growing out of the Annual Career Fair in the TSC, all day Wednesday, 3/4. Stories due to me by 6 p.m. Thursday via email.
3. Friday, 3/20: Conceive and pitch a story (by 3/4), due the Friday after Spring Break.
6. Tomorrow (Wednesday) in class, bring a written (typed) pitch for your first story (due 2/27).
For example:
Topic: Winter roads
Focus: County snowplow drivers
What about it?
a. County is running out of road salt and will cut back on plowing. OR
b. Plow drivers are POOPED from long hours, and their overtime is breaking the budget. OR
c. The long, dark, lonely road of the snowplow driver—I wanna ride around with Butch.
Sources:
• For a: Daryl, the Cache County Road Manager, County Executive Lynn Lemon, plow driver? Sheriff?
• For b: Daryl, other county people, snowplow drivers.
• For c: Find a plow driver and ride with him (or her). Talk to drivers about how plows are a) dangerous or b) saviours? Talk to homeowners who get pissed when plows knock over their mailboxes, plow their driveways in....
7. Once you have pitched your story tomorrow, post it here on NewsHounds. Then read each others’ story pitches and make suggestions on angle, focus, ideas for sources, etc. You will do this every week.
8. Story Frames. Today’s video offered some suggestions/perspectives on how to approach news stories. Too often, the narrators said, journalists focus on the extremes—he said/she said, conflict, etc.
While these elements do help the journalist write an easy story, they may be too easy and too simplistic (and this may contribute to why a lot of people don't like journalists....?). A more accurate way to reflect the community and your readers is to focus not on the extremes, but on the middle.
Tension in a story/topic may be a better way to think about how to frame the issues—disagreements on issues, not screaming. Most issues are not simply black and white. (BTW, this also relates to the journalistic myth of objectivity. Read my essay On Objectivity.)
So now, in addition to asking yourself the Fred question—What happened?—also start thinking in terms of the deeper issues: people’s motivations, emotions, the So what? and Why? questions.
As Harrower points out (pp. 114-115), you may start with an event—the WTO demonstrations in the video, for example—but then evolve to thinking about the “sidebar” stories beyond the central-event story. Harrower uses the example of graduation (an event) to construct what he calls an “Idea Map”—tangent ideas of stories growing out of the main event. These may be called “sidebars,” but really can be more interesting than the main event. This relates to the video’s message of looking for stories behind events, stories that answer more than just What happened?
This strategy is useful on a number of levels, because it means that you are not tied to the event, which is old news if you don’t get it done right away.
Thus, we talk about two general kinds of stories: “time-bound” stories, which are constrained by their time elements; and “process-oriented” stories, which means the deeper, featurey kinds of stuff that gets at motivations, emotions, character, process, history, etc. (See Bill Blundell's story blocks.)
Reporters have to make this kind of extrapolation all the time when they have some kind of annual, time-bound event to write about, but they get bored writing the same stories year after year about: Graduation, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Halloween, solstice, etc. Ditto with issue stories that are TOO HUGE to tackle—air pollution, cancer, sports, mental health, gender—so the reporter must find a smaller focus to serve as a vehicle for the larger topic. For ex: Focus on someone with bad asthma who is housebound while the inversion fills the valley with smog as a way to write about air pollution. Etc.
9. Coming Attractions:
1. Interviewing. Next week, we’ll talk about interviewing. After the actual writing, information-gathering (and interviewing, specifically) is the most central basic skill of the journalist. So we’ll talk about doing that. (Re)read pp. 74-83 from Harrower’s Ch. 4 on interviewing, quotes, attribution, etc.. And read the related interviewing handouts listed on AskDrTed: Interviewing and More Interviewing Skills.
2. Midterm Exam. Wednesday, 2/25. This will include some “knowledge” questions on news values drawn from your readings; a section of AP Style stuff; and a fact sheet from which you will write an inverted pyramid news story. You may use your Stylebook.
OK? We’ll discuss all this in class tomorrow (2/18)
Dear Picayune Pissants:
First, I don’t believe it has ever happened in the 30 years since Wally Alley first fell off his pickup truck in Belchertown, Mass., that EVERYONE writing his tragic accident story managed to get fired for making errors of fact. That’s extraordinary. I will consider whether I want to rehire you for Pease’s Picayune Pissant....
Next, for those of you who missed today’s class (and those who were there but are easily confused), some recaps and reminders:
1. Read Chapter 6 in Harrower (“Beyond Breaking News”). Note esp. pp. 114-115 as you start developing your own story ideas, most of which will not be breaking news, summary leads, but “softer” feature stories.
2. If you did not do so today, please bring me your Gartner speech stories tomorrow (and anything else that you did, but for which the grade on your gradesheet is missing).
3. Generating Story Ideas. We now move into the latter half of the semester, in which you are increasingly responsible for finding and covering your own stories. As discussed, you should start NOW building a file of possible story leads—topics that interest you, flyers, newspaper clips, ideas that come to you in the shower, etc.
This is important, because you will be writing (almost) one out-of-class story per week, starting next week. And you will have to come up with most of your own story ideas, pitch them to your gruff-but-lovable editor (me), and organize your time to bring them off.
Here is (one way) to develop a story.1. Come up with a general topic (in Peez’s fable, Michelangelo wanted to portray the general epitome of male beauty)
2. Focus on some aspect of the topic. What about it? (Michelangelo focused on David)
3. Figure out the angle you want on your “David”—So what? You should be able to answer that question in a short sentence.
4. Who are your sources? Minimum three sources per story. Who can you talk to who will provide good insight, expertise on your “David”?
(If you missed class today, you have no idea what “David” means. Tough.)
4. From now on (more or less), you will have pitched me a story by every Friday (or Monday, latest), which will be due the following Friday by 5 p.m. (this is flexible, depending on the story). I will give you a set of dates in class tomorrow. This means that you will be planning next week's story as you interview and write this week's story. OK?
5. Your first three out-of-class stories:
1. Friday, 2/27: Your own story idea (see No. 6 below)
2. Thursday, 3/5: Story growing out of the Annual Career Fair in the TSC, all day Wednesday, 3/4. Stories due to me by 6 p.m. Thursday via email.
3. Friday, 3/20: Conceive and pitch a story (by 3/4), due the Friday after Spring Break.
6. Tomorrow (Wednesday) in class, bring a written (typed) pitch for your first story (due 2/27).
For example:
Topic: Winter roads
Focus: County snowplow drivers
What about it?
a. County is running out of road salt and will cut back on plowing. OR
b. Plow drivers are POOPED from long hours, and their overtime is breaking the budget. OR
c. The long, dark, lonely road of the snowplow driver—I wanna ride around with Butch.
Sources:
• For a: Daryl, the Cache County Road Manager, County Executive Lynn Lemon, plow driver? Sheriff?
• For b: Daryl, other county people, snowplow drivers.
• For c: Find a plow driver and ride with him (or her). Talk to drivers about how plows are a) dangerous or b) saviours? Talk to homeowners who get pissed when plows knock over their mailboxes, plow their driveways in....
7. Once you have pitched your story tomorrow, post it here on NewsHounds. Then read each others’ story pitches and make suggestions on angle, focus, ideas for sources, etc. You will do this every week.
8. Story Frames. Today’s video offered some suggestions/perspectives on how to approach news stories. Too often, the narrators said, journalists focus on the extremes—he said/she said, conflict, etc.
While these elements do help the journalist write an easy story, they may be too easy and too simplistic (and this may contribute to why a lot of people don't like journalists....?). A more accurate way to reflect the community and your readers is to focus not on the extremes, but on the middle.
Tension in a story/topic may be a better way to think about how to frame the issues—disagreements on issues, not screaming. Most issues are not simply black and white. (BTW, this also relates to the journalistic myth of objectivity. Read my essay On Objectivity.)
So now, in addition to asking yourself the Fred question—What happened?—also start thinking in terms of the deeper issues: people’s motivations, emotions, the So what? and Why? questions.
As Harrower points out (pp. 114-115), you may start with an event—the WTO demonstrations in the video, for example—but then evolve to thinking about the “sidebar” stories beyond the central-event story. Harrower uses the example of graduation (an event) to construct what he calls an “Idea Map”—tangent ideas of stories growing out of the main event. These may be called “sidebars,” but really can be more interesting than the main event. This relates to the video’s message of looking for stories behind events, stories that answer more than just What happened?
This strategy is useful on a number of levels, because it means that you are not tied to the event, which is old news if you don’t get it done right away.
Thus, we talk about two general kinds of stories: “time-bound” stories, which are constrained by their time elements; and “process-oriented” stories, which means the deeper, featurey kinds of stuff that gets at motivations, emotions, character, process, history, etc. (See Bill Blundell's story blocks.)
Reporters have to make this kind of extrapolation all the time when they have some kind of annual, time-bound event to write about, but they get bored writing the same stories year after year about: Graduation, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Halloween, solstice, etc. Ditto with issue stories that are TOO HUGE to tackle—air pollution, cancer, sports, mental health, gender—so the reporter must find a smaller focus to serve as a vehicle for the larger topic. For ex: Focus on someone with bad asthma who is housebound while the inversion fills the valley with smog as a way to write about air pollution. Etc.
9. Coming Attractions:
1. Interviewing. Next week, we’ll talk about interviewing. After the actual writing, information-gathering (and interviewing, specifically) is the most central basic skill of the journalist. So we’ll talk about doing that. (Re)read pp. 74-83 from Harrower’s Ch. 4 on interviewing, quotes, attribution, etc.. And read the related interviewing handouts listed on AskDrTed: Interviewing and More Interviewing Skills.
2. Midterm Exam. Wednesday, 2/25. This will include some “knowledge” questions on news values drawn from your readings; a section of AP Style stuff; and a fact sheet from which you will write an inverted pyramid news story. You may use your Stylebook.
OK? We’ll discuss all this in class tomorrow (2/18)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Headlines
Click here for examples of headlines that readers love ... and that get copy editors fired!
.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Obama Declares
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Feb. 10, 2007On a bright, chilly February morning in 2007, an obscure long-shot stood on the steps of the state Capitol building in Springfield, Ill., to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.
Click here for speech (text & video).
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