Class notes -- Sept. 15, 2008

Class 2 – Journalism 175
9/15/08

Ch. 1 -- On the Job
· Preview: Journalists “are tenacious in their search for relevant information. They have a passion for accuracy and a determination to be fair.”
· News elements:
1. Impact
2. Conflict
3. Loss of life/destruction – injuries
4. Proximity
5. Prominence
6. Timeliness
7. Novelty
· Organize the news starting with the most important element:
JONESBOTO, Ark. (AP) – Two youths wearing camouflage opened fire on middle school students Tuesday as they assembled outside during a fire alarm. At least one person was killed and another injured.
· Feature or enterprise stories and approaches are different than NEWS stories and leads.
· Journalists 24/7. Darren Rovell – NCAA basketball game/betting. Two fire stories on a Sat. morning.
· Write the story as though you’re telling it to a friend.
o Write like you talk
o Say what you mean
o Know what you want to say (outline or list)
· Journalist’s role: provide information, watchdog
· Reporter’s traits
o Curiousity – see it for yourself
o Persistence
o Ask questions – must understand it to write it.
o Be fair – present all sides of the story.
· Credibility – Clearing the Record.

Ch. 5 – Leads
· Direct – hard news: the MOST IMPORTANT of the 5 Ws and H, so what
· Indirect – feature, delayed lead. LATER
· Tell the point of the story in ONE SENTENCE, 35 words maximum (aim for 30)
· Identify the lead while reporting when possible – enables you to pursue facts, background.
· Thieves get 36 Batteries: Page 103.
o What are the interesting elements?
§ Theft of batteries?
§ Breaking through brick wall?
§ Value of batteries -- $539.18? background? So what?
o Awkward attribution
· Attribution: not the most important part of the lead or sentence. Put it at the end of the lead or sentence. Tony Davis, Page 105.
o Use “said;” don’t look for synonyms (page 152).
· Focus, lead of story – Most prominent or longest part of the speech, meeting, report?
· Essentials: generally WHAT? WHEN? WHERE?
· Strong verbs – avoid forms of “to be.”
· Subject-Verb-Object; keep them close together.
o SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge has ordered the city of San Francisco to hire 60 women patrol officers within the next 32 weeks.
· Avoid jargon
o Accuracy is key – don’t alter the facts when boiling down the story to one sentence.
Assignments
1. Read AP Stylebook pages 91-179
2. Write leads for information posted Tuesday night on blog.
3. Clipping of one hard news lead, identifying 5Ws and H.
4. Come up with one idea for a Centurion story – provide some details: applicable news elements.