Week 5: Journalism 2001

1. Week 5: Journalism 2001 February 19, 2007

2. Find the misspellings…… • Bayfeild • Strawberrys • Both!

3. Announcements • Questioning your major? Is it time to make a change? Explore new options at the Secretly Undecided: Choosing and Changing Majors event! • Tuesday, February 20, 2007 • 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. • Solon Campus Center Wedge • Drop by for 5 minutes or stay for the entire time! For details, go to: http://www.d.umn.edu/~clasa/main/secretlyundecided.htm

4. Extra Credit: WDIO tour • WDIO-TV Tour: • Wednesday, 3/7: 4:30 p.m. • Tour, watch 5 p.m. broadcast • 15 extra credit points • Email me by 2/23 if interested

5. WDIO-TV Directions • WDIO-TV is located at 10 Observation Road between Arlington and Skyline Drive. • From UMD, take College Street north to Kenwood. • Turn right on Kenwood to Arrowhead. • Take a left on Arrowhead to Arlington (second stoplight). • Take a left on Arlington and go a few miles to Observation Road, which is about a mile past Central Entrance. • Take a left on Observation Road and go about a mile to WDIO, which is on the left in the shadow of the towers.

6. 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

7. Let’s take a quiz….

8. This Minnesota native announced during the last broadcast on his Air America radio show that he was running for U.S. Senate from Minnesota in the 2008 election. • Al Franken • Jesse Ventura • Tim Pawlenty

9. A front-page story in the Thursday Duluth News-Tribune focused on this UMD program. • Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program • Bulldog Taxi Program • UMD Theatre Department

10. This annual race that starts in Duluth was canceled last week. • Grandma’s Marathon • John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon • North Shore Inline Skating Marathon

11. The U.S. and four other nations reached an agreement last week with this country that would ultimately disable its nuclear facilities. • North Korea • China • Germany

12. The recent cold spell has caused many water main and fire hydrant leads across the City of Duluth. • True • False

13. It appears a majority of the St. Louis County commissioners are ready to pass a countywide smoking ban. • True • False

14. Cirrus Design Corp. of Duluth continued its production strides in 2006, boosting its overall output of _________________ by 20 percent compared with 2005. • Airplanes • Duluth packs • Michelina frozen food products

15. The future of ___________________could be on the line as the event’s founder and the city clash over changes for Bayfront Festival Park events. • Grandma’s Marathon • Bayfront Blues Festival • Green Man Festival

16. UMD student Sarah Krueger almost made the finals for ___________________. • Deal or No Deal • American Idol • America’s Funniest Home Videos

17. The UMD Women's Hockey team was swept by Minnesota this weekend. • True • False

18. Let’s look at last week’sDuluth City Council meeting http://www.ci.duluth.mn.us/city/council/agendas.html

19. Hard News 1 Assignment: Due 2/26 • Any problems? • Tips: • In text, review: • Writing the Meeting Story: An Inverted-Pyramid Story: p. 319-320 • Organizing an Inverted Pyramid: Guidelines to Follow: p. 65-66 • Just use said: he said, she said • Keep paragraphs short: no more than two sentences, three absolute max • Story length: 8-10 paragraphs, 350-400 words • Write strong summary lead of one sentence, 35 words or less • Need attribution from sources • Sit together at meeting! Ask for handouts! • Review class lecture notes at: • www.d.umn.edu/~lkragnes • Write story in Microsoft Word, doublespaced, and email as an attachment to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu

20. What I’ll be looking for (p. 65-66): • Write a terse lead • Provide background • Present news in order of descending importance • Use quotations early and throughout • Use transitions • Do not editorialize • Avoid “the end”

21. Review of last week’s assignments • Watch wordiness! • Avoid full name in lead unless prominent person • Attempted robbery, not assailant demanded money or refused to give up his wallet • Shot by a revolver: just shot • Were let out of school: classes dismissed • Style errors • Datelines • Numerals: When starting sentence, spell out • Correct names • 24-year-old: ages • Disc jockey, not disk jockey • States • Time: a.m., p.m.

22. VINELAND, N.J. – A college student who was working in a radio station at 1 a.m. was shot in the arm by a man who tried to rob him. VINELAND, New Jersey – Mark Dickson, a Stockton State College student, was shot while working at his local radio station yesterday after refusing to hand over his wallet to a robber. VINELAND, N.J. – A WKQV-FM disc jockey was shot and wounded early this morning at the local station after refusing to hand over his wallet to an attempting robber. VINELAND, N.J. – Mark Dickson, a 24 year old student at Stockton State College, was working late at WKQV-FM radio station when an assailant showed up around 1 a.m. and shot Dickson in the left arm after Dickson refused to give up his wallet.

23. Chicago, Ill. – The Farragut Career Academy of Chicago sent all students home Friday after a lunchroom scuffle escalated into series of gang fights resulting in minor injuries and the arrests of 30 students. Twenty students from Farragut Career Academy High School in Chicago, Ill., were arrested Friday after a scuffle that began in the lunchroom turned into a school-wide gang fight. CHICAGO, Ill. – 20 students were arrested at Farragut Career Academy High School Friday after several gang-related fistfights broke out. CHICAGO, Il. – 20 students at Farragut Career Academy High School were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after a lunchroom scuffle turned into a school-wide gang fight that injured three students.

24. Review: Writing a summary lead • Usually a single sentence • No more than 35 words • Bottom line: • Use a single sentence of no more than 35 words to summarize an event

25. Let’s rewrite the leads!

27. Statesman Guide to Writing

28. Chapter 15: Weather & Disasters • Covering weather • USA Today: Sets standard • Colorful, comprehensive • How does it affect the readers? • Explaining technical information • Weather forecasting services • National Weather Service • AccuWeather

29. Types of weather stories • Forecasts • State, local forecasts • Long-term • Same as hard news stories • Select appropriate lead • Structure concise, easy-to-understand first sentence • Quotations from authorities near top of story • Tell readers what they want to know: how weather will affect them

30. Travel conditions, closings • Road conditions • School closings • Record-breaking weather • Storm records • Unusual weather • Tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis • Seasonal, year-end stories • Go beyond statistics

31. Weather terms: AP Style • Weather terms section • Comprehensive section based on National Weather Service 2004 Stylebook: A term often used incorrectly for seismic sea wave. Scientists call them tsunamis, a term that is not widely used and should be explained if used. 2005, 2006 Stylebook: Use tsunami, but explain the term.

32. Checklist for weather stories • Develop sources with National Weather Service • Keep in touch with the: • State Patrol • State Department of Transportation • Local law enforcement agencies • Local agencies responsible for snow removal, storm cleanup • Institutions affected by weather: schools, utilities, airports, National Guard, hospitals, train stations, bus companies, taxi companies, Post Office • Interview local residents caught in the weather

33. On-line weather sources • “Ask the experts” page on USAToday.com • CNN.com • National Weather Service: www.NWS.NOOA.gov • AccuWeather: AccuWeather.com • Weather Channel: weather.com • UMD home page: www.d.umn.edu

34. Weather story examples • Tornado at coal mine • Flash flood in Buffalo • Blizzard stories • Snowplows hit the skids

35. Covering disasters • Elements of disaster coverage • The first bulletins • Writethrus: Complete stories, update bulletins • 1st Lead-Writethru, 2nd Lead-Writethru, etc. • Reporters use instinct: “nose for news” • Including essential information • Coordinating coverage • Getting the latest lead

36. Two problems for reporters • A pitfall of instantaneous coverage • To beat competition, facts often not double checked • Interviewing victims’ families • Research by Karen McCowan, reporter for The Arizona Republic • Many relatives didn’t mind being interviewed after a disaster

37. Covering September 11 • First bulletins • Radio, TV, Internet • When did you learn the news? • How 9-11 Changed the Evening News: • http://www.journalism.org/node/1839

38. Journalism Case Studies • Today: Intruding on grief: Does the public really have a "need to know?" Go to: http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/gallery/ethics/griefint.html - Compiled by University of Indiana School of Journalism

39. Another wayward sign!

40. What’s misspelled? • Additional • Availible • Restrooms

41. Chapter 23: Sports • Evolution of sports writing • Sports pages consistent • Contest coverage, personality profiles, features, columns • Go beyond the game: Vikings scandals • Flowery prose: Grantland Rice, Nashville Daily News, 1901 • Stanley Woodward, New York Herald Tribune • Still cliches – strive for middle ground • WWII put sports into better perspective: 5Ws & H • 1970s and 1980s: More balanced approach • Best sports writing: Includes statistics, essential ingredients (5Ws & H), more analytical

42. High School Sports Coverage • Terry Henion, Omaha World-Herald • “Kids playing kids’ games” • Reporters must keep stats • No sports information directors • Not really covering, more documenting • Stringers: College students covering high school sports • Quotes from losing, winning coaches & players

43. Reporting Sports • Working with statistics • Box scores • Team statistics • Individual statistics • Beware of becoming “statistic junkie” • Review statistics for trends: play-by-play charts

44. Going beyond statistics • Watch coaches on sidelines, nervous parents in stands • Policies for post-game interviews • Cool-down time • Talk to coaches • Talk to players • Talk to trainers • A showcase for good writing • Beyond the game – contracts, courtrooms, boardrooms

45. Checklist for sportswriters • Go with a summary lead if warranted, but more room to be creative. • Avoid chronological approaches • Blend facts, turning points, quotations, statistics, analysis • Avoid cliches: cliffhangers, take it to • Avoid “ridiculous” direct quotations: we whipped ‘em good • Use vivid description when appropriate • Double-check spellings • Do your homework

46. Online sports sources • National Collegiate Athletic Association: • www2.ncaa.org • National Basketball Association: www.nba.com • National Football League: http://www.nfl.com • Major League Baseball: www.mlb.com • ESPN: www.espn.go.com

47. Sports Story Reporting Assignment • Story pitch due 2/14: No more than three paragraphs, or 200 words • Go with classmates when interviewing after the game • Contact Bob Nygaard, Sports Information Director • UMD sports schedules • Detailed information at: • www.umdbulldogs.com

48. Assignment: Due 2/19 • From information provided from a Tempe Police Department activity log, write an inverted-pyramid news story based on all the information available. • Write your story in Microsoft Word, and email a copy of the story as an attachment to: lkragnes • Make sure to copy yourself on the email

49. Tonight’s assignment • Sports editing worksheet • Use the sports section in AP Stylebook

50. Egradebook • Doublecheck assignments correct in egradebook: • http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook