Week 7: Journalism 2001

Week 7: Journalism 2001October 22, 2007

Template copyright 2005 www.brainybetty.com

AnnouncementsCongratulations, Travis!Letter to the Editor published in Duluth News-Tribune


Review of last weeks newsHard News:(murders, city council, government, etc.)Major local storiesMajor national/international storiesMajor sports storiesSoft News:(retirements, school programs, human interest)Local storiesNational/international storiesSports stories


Oops!


Hard News 1 Reporting StoriesInteresting meetings!A lot of red marks: Next story will be easierHopefully constructive criticism that will help you write your next storyWatch style errorsDates, titles, numerals, percents, dollars, City CouncilMany used quotes effectivelyHigh up in story, direct and indirectNeed full names of sources, source list!One sentence summary lead the strongestNeed attribution or reads as fact/opinionPunctuation inside quote marksBlah blah blah, she said.


Poverty is a huge issue in Duluth, and mayoral candidates Don Ness and Charlie Bell discussed the problems and solutions at a candidate forum on Tuesday.

In an effort to reach out to student voters, mayoral candidates Charlie Bell and Don Ness were at the Kirby Rafters Tuesday to discuss issues relating to poverty in Duluth.

Mayoral candidates Don Ness and Charlie Bell answered some difficult questions from the citizens of Duluth Tuesday about the economy and poverty in the town at the latest mayoral debate.

Mayoral hopefuls Charlie Bell and Don Ness attended a forum on poverty at the University of Minnesotas Duluth campus Tuesday to address questions posed by an audience of students and other concerned citizens.


After two hours of impassioned debate last Tuesday the City Council finally agreed to support the American Indian Housing Organizations proposal to fund 29 homes in the YWCA of Duluth.

Duluth, Minn. The city council held their weekly meeting Tuesday night in front of a full audience, most of whom were concerned over an affordable housing resolution for Native Americans.

The Superior City Council voted down a request to amend city code Tuesday during a heated discussion about conflict of interest and codes of ethics.

The resolution to exercise special assessment powers to blacktop certain alleyways in Superior was motioned Tuesday night at the City Council meeting.

During their meeting on Wednesday, the Duluth Human Rights Commission grappled with ongoing harassment problems within the city, and discussed ways to get the Duluth City Council more involved with human-rights issues.


Important to check spelling of namesWhere to find city council names:Rusell Stuver?Rodger Rienert?Where to find UMD faculty members:Debra Peterson-Perlmen?Thom Issbel?Where to find Duluth citizen names?Rob Hermansen?Eric Hermanson?


What would make this lead stronger:

St. Louis County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday to review the wording of the countrys smoking ban that is in the process of being passed. They want to ensure that both the public and law enforcement will clearly understand the new ordinance.OK as isCombine into 1 sentenceAdd sentence


Lets fix a style error:

The St. Louis County Board of Commission met on the morning of February 20, 2007, to discuss a number of proposals, but mainly focused on Ordinance No. 60, Smoking in Public Places.

February 20Feb. 20Feb. 20, 2007


Lets rewrite the leads!


Chapter 16: Broadcast WritingRadio Station Organizational Chart


Television station organizational chart


National television networksCNN:http://www.cnn.com/CBS:http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtmlABC:http://abcnews.go.com/MSNBC:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/Fox:http://www.foxnews.com/


Local television stationsKBJR/KDLHhttp://www.kbjr.com/WDIOhttp://www.wdio.com/

Successful alumni/students- Amy Rutledge


WDIO-TV Tour


Dan RatherDan Rather stepped down as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News March 2005, 24 years after his first broadcast in that position. His last broadcast as anchor was March 9, 2005, the 24th anniversary of when he assumed the position from Walter Cronkite.


Rathers impact on television news


Who replaced Dan Rather as the permanent CBS anchor?Peter JenningsKatie CouricSam Donaldson


Broadcast StyleNumbersSimplify complicated numbers: approximately, more than, about, almostVary wording to help announcer, listenerSpell out numbers under 12Use a hyphenated combination of numerals and words to express thousandsUse round numbers:$2,001,894.46: slightly more than two million dollars


Broadcast writing websitesNewswriting for Radio:http://www.newscript.com/Writing for Broadcast:http://www.udel.edu/UDWI/other/writing_for_broadcast.htmlNational Association of Broadcastershttp://www.nab.org/Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundationhttp://www.rtndf.org/


Checklist for broadcast writersWrite the way you talkWrite simplyUse short words and short sentencesUse active verbs and sentencesWhen in doubt, leave it outDont raise questions you dont answerPut attribution before quote


Writing for radioWrapReporter wraps words or sentences around one or more major soundbitesAlso called a donut, with news story around the hole where the story is placedBlind lead-inIntroduces a taped excerpt from a news sourceDoes not signal that a soundbite followsWrap-upSignals end of story


Writing for TelevisionGetting video and conducting interviewshttp://www.udel.edu/UDWI/other/writing_for_broadcast.htmlHarmonizing words and pictures


Broadcast journalism checklistUnderstand technologyLearn to performKeep soundbites short and frame them appropriatelyEmphasize the last sentence of a storyApproach television as a unique mediumLearn to think visuallyMake sure that the words match the picturesApproach radio as a unique mediumStrong appeal to the imagination


Broadcast newswriting characteristicsImmediacyUse present tense as much as possibleAvoid yesterdays story; update yesterdays storyConversational styleWrite the way you talkTight phrasingConversational style without being wordyClarityWrite simply, OK to repeat words


Radio websitesLive radio broadcasts from around the worldhttp://www.broadcast-live.com/radionews.htmlKDALhttp://www.kdal.am/


Ethics Case StudyStrange Bedfellows: Federal agents in a TV newsroomhttp://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/ethics/aiding-law-enforcement/strange-bedfellows/


Would you let the federal agents into the news editing room?YesNo


Chapter 17: Multimedia JournalismStorytelling on the WebPrint, broadcast journalists inevitably online journalistsInternet explosion: 7 out of 10 surf in 2005Established in 1969 by Department of Defense (not Al Gore)Shovelware: text, photos, audio, video from other sources


Whats the difference from print?Multimedia stories:Linear or nonlinearUnlimited background, spaceLess formal snappy, conversational, edgyMore active with searchable databases, blogs, games, polls, surveys, quizzes, etc.Needs to be constantly updated


Multimedia story structureInverted pyramidLinear stories best on scrolling pagesScreen-size chunks for nonlinear storiesReaders rule: Each chunk independent

National Geographic:http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/


To link or not to linkWhat do you think?Story summaries: a type of linkSidebars, information boxes


Slide Shows (Photo Galleries)Take readers behind scenesWashington Posts Camera Workshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photoDuluth News-TribuneEditors told to put stories on web firsthttp://www.duluthnewstribune.com/Tips for cutlines:Good ol 5Ws and maybe H


Multimedia Storytelling on the WebSeven steps to successFind a fresh ideaFocus your topicPlan and researchSketch a storyboardReport, interview, observeEdit and reviseTest and troubleshoot


Your future as a Multimedia JournalistThe Backpack JournalistWrite, shoot and recordWhat skills do you need?Strong writingUse digital still camera, video camera, audio recorderEdit photos, videos, htmlGlobal, yet personalHow does it affect your readers?The Bottom Line: Skys the limitMay the force be with you


Upcoming storiesHard News 2 Reporting AssignmentFinal article due: October 25Will edit another writers story in class, return feedback to themEdit stories in class, submit them to the Community Journalism classAny challenges?Sports Reporting AssignmentFinal article due: November 5Any problems?Community Journalism reporting assignmentStory pitch due: October 24Final article due: November 19Feature Story AssignmentStory pitch due: November 12First draft due: November 26Final article due: December 10


Checklist for sportswritersGo with a summary lead if warranted, but you are not wedded to itAvoid chronological approachesBlend facts, turning points, quotations, statistics, analysisAvoid cliches: cliffhangersAvoid ridiculous direct quotations: we whipped em goodUse vivid description when appropriateDoublecheck spellingsDo your homework


Community Journalism AssignmentStory Pitch Due: Wednesday, 10/24No more than three paragraphs, 200 wordsInclude 5Ws and HEmail to: [email protected] in teams or soloGo out into an area of Duluth, report on a topic of interest in that areaDivide the city into zones lets assign teams to locations:Central HillsideChester Park/UMDCongdon ParkDowntown/Central Business DistrictDuluth HeightsEast Hillside/EndionKenwoodLakeside/Lester ParkLincoln Park/West EndPark PointPiedmont HeightsWest DuluthWoodlandFinal story due: 11/19


Feature Story Reporting AssignmentStory Pitch Due: November 14No more than three paragraphs, 200 wordsInclude 5Ws and HEmail to: [email protected] draft due: November 26Final story due: December 10


Dan Rather AssignmentOut of Class Assignment: Due 10/29You will be taking a look at Dan Rathers background, impact on television news


EgradebookDoublecheck assignments correct in egradebook:http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook

If grading today:115-130: A100-114: B85-99: C70-84: D

Todays assignmentAssociated Press Stylebook Editing


PortfolioStore academic information on your Electronic Portfolio. Each student has 100 mb of storage.Access Electronic Portfolio at: https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp


Documents

Week 7: Journalism 2001