week 6: journalism 2001 october 18, 2010. its’, its or it’s? 1. its 2. its’ 3. or it’s?
TRANSCRIPT
Week 6: Journalism 2001October 18, 2010
Its’, its or it’s?
1. Its2. Its’3. Or it’s?
Egradebook Doublecheck assignments correct in egradebook:
– http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook
Mid-term alerts to students with Ds, Fs
If grading today:– A: 90+– B: 75-89– C: 60-74– D: 45-59– F: 0-44
Review of last week’s news
Hard News:(murders, city council, government, etc.)– Major local stories– Major national/international stories– Major sports stories
Soft News:(retirements, school programs, human interest)– Local stories– National/international stories– Sports stories
North Dakota Proposal!
Due Tonight: Police beat story
Covering speeches
Speeches: Before, during …– Before
Research the speaker.
Request an advance copy of speech.
Ask if picture- taking will be allowed.
– During Get a good seat. Estimate the size
of the audience. Monitor the mood
of the crowd. Take along a tape
recorder.
Covering speeches
… and after– After
Create a compelling lead.
Avoid topic leads. Include minimal
background/ biographical data.
Highlight speaker’s key points.
Convey tone of speech.
Beware of false or libelous comments.
Speech story checklist
Speaker’s name Relevant
credentials Reason for speech Time, day and
location
Description of audience
QuotesCommentsResponsesSpeaker’s fee
Hard News 2: Attend City Council Meeting next Monday, October 25
Story Due:– Thursday, October 29
Covering meetings
Explain issues, how decisions are made, and what it means
– Start with research.
– Clarify. Condense. Concentrate.
– Encourage readers to attend meetings.
– Go early.– Dress
appropriately.
Covering meetings
Explain issues, how decisions are made, and what it means
– Stick around after the meeting.
– Distill meandering malarkey into meaningful news.
– Remember, meetings are not always news.
Covering meetings
Meeting story checklistGroup/agency
nameLocation and length
of meeting Important decisionsQuotesReactions
Crowd sizeAtmosphereGraphicsUnusual eventsWhat happens
next?
Covering meetings
Personalizing meetings– Write about real
people.– Write about real
issues.– Look for ways to
involve your readers.
Where to find info about next week’s meeting?
Duluth City Council Agenda:– http://www.duluthmn.gov/
Let’s look at last year’s class
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/lkragnes/fall2009jour2001umd/
Covering politics
Covering campaigns and elections– Prioritize.– Get to know the
candidates.– Do your homework.– Use reliable experts.– Decide what matters.– Brainstorm story ideas.– Spread onto the Web.
Covering politics
Keeping tabs of governmental policies and players
– Decision making– The election
process– Money
Getting the facts Meetings Speeches News releases News conferences Network of sources Documents
Unfortunate truths about covering politics
– Politicians lie.– Politicians will
schmooze you so they can use you.
– People don’t want to read about government process.
5
– Everybody believes your stories are biased.
– You must peel away layer after layer to get to the truth.
An awfully long day…
Another wayward sign! What’s the correct spelling?
1. Souvenirs!2. Souvanirs
Sports Reporting Assignment
Final story due: November 8 Any challenges?
Out-of-Class Assignment:Due October 25
From information provided the University of North Carolina, write a short story about a survey the students completed.
Write your story in Microsoft Word, doublespaced, and email a copy of the story as an attachment to: lkragnes
Make sure to copy yourself on the email
Hard News 1 Stories Interesting stories! A lot of red marks: Next story will be
easier…–Constructive criticism that will help
you write your next story Stick to third person, past tense Watch style errors
–Dates, titles, numerals, spelling Remember the 5Ws and H!
Avoid restating question Many used quotes effectively
– High up in story, direct and indirect Need demographic information to give
reader perspective:– What’s that?
Age, where from, where went to college, One sentence summary lead the strongest Punctuation inside quote marks
– “Blah blah blah,” she said.
For rewrites…
Include where/when interviews conducted
Work in candidates’ names Take out opinions! Keep quotes from sources together Use one source per paragraph Fix style errors! Paragraphs 2-3 sentences max
Election day is approaching and college students from the Duluth area may not be certain whom they will cast their gubernatorial vote for yet, but they’re certain that higher education is important to them.
With the governor election in a few weeks, voters still have time to learn about the candidates and issues, and that is time they just might need.
While shopping in Wal-Mart last week, Duluth residents ranked education as the highest among important issues addressed in the upcoming Minnesota governor election.
As the next election for Minnesota governor quickly approaches this November, students at the University of Minnesota Duluth are expressing their plans to vote due to concerns about higher education and job opportunities.
Former Democratic Sen. Mark Dayton holds a significant lead over the Republican state Rep. Tom Emmer in the Minnesota gubernatorial election, a recent study conducted among Duluth residents in Mount Royal Fine Foods has found.
In-class Assignment: Due today Editing classmate story
– Make changes, give to reporter– Editing form returned to me: Worth 5 points
Rewrite Hard News 1 stories– Using all of the editing suggestions,
rewrite/edit your story– You MUST make style changes – or no points!– Email final copy of story to:
[email protected] Worth 5 points
– Stories will be posted on class website
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