Week 9: Journalism 2001

1. Week 9: Journalism 2001 November 6, 2006

2. Announcements • Election Coverage: November 7 • Worth 15 extra credit points

3. 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

4. Saddam Hussein was sentenced by an Iraqi court to: • Life in prison • Death by hanging • Community service

5. The UMD men’s and women’s hockey teams swept the Gophers last weekend. • True • False

6. The Democratic gubernatorial ticket had a bad week. First, Lt. Governor Candidate Judi Dutcher asked in a television interview, • What is taconite? • What is E-85? • Where’s the Iron Range?

7. And Mike Hatch, when asked about the Dutcher interview, is accused of calling a Forum Communications reporter a: • Republican whore • Muckracker • Blubbering idiot

8. Let’s watch the election coverage… • Get your remotes ready for Tuesday night! • We’ll discuss next week who did what best

9. Upcoming stories • Sports Reporting Assignment • Final article due: November 6 • Speech/news conference/multicultural reporting assignment • Final article due: November 20 • Feature Story Assignment • Story pitch due: November 13 • First draft due: November 27 • Final article due: December 11

10. Review of Hard News 2 • Overall good job! • Good use of quotes • Beware of chronological stories • Focus on The News • Attribution strongest after quote • Style errors: • Dates, months, toward, City of Duluth, numerals, spelling errors, City Hall

11. At a public hearing held on Wednesday at the Duluth City Hall, the City Planning Commission approved the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the Duluth Historic District Renaissance Project by a vote of eight to two. The City of Duluth Planning Commission voted in favor of A&L Properties to attain an environmental impact statement in their Duluth Historic Renaissance Project. The Spirit Mountain Recreation Authority met on October 18th to discuss new signs, safety finances, and season pass sales. A couple from Duluth spoke before the Commission on Disabilities Members at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon to speak about accessible handicap parking.

12. Let’s rewrite some leads!

14. Chapter 9: Features • Hard news vs. soft news • Hard news: breaking stories • Soft news: looking at people, places and things that shape the world, nation, community • Feature stories often soft news • No firm line between news story/feature story • Many news events “featurized”

15. What are feature stories? • Profile people who made the news • Explain events that moved or shook the news • Analyze what is happening in the world, nation or community • Teach an audience how to do something • Suggest better ways to live in a complicated world • Examine trends in constantly changing societies • Take people someplace or let them see something new • Entertain or humor an audience

16. Watch out for “Jell-O Journalism” • Some editors decry emphasis on soft writing • If news story, give it a summary lead • Don’t make reader work to get to the news

17. Types of feature stories • Personality profiles • Bring audience closer to a person • Paint vivid picture of the person • Interviews, observations, creative writing • One of the most popular features • Buck • Human interest story • Show a subject’s oddity, or its practical, emotional or entertainment value • Travel writing

18. Trend stories • Examines people, things or organizations that are having an impact on society • In-depth stories • Detailed account beyond a basic news story or feature • Lengthy news feature • Investigative story • Backgrounder/analysis piece • Adds meaning to current issues in the news by providing more explanation

19. Feature story examples • Dartball a big hit • Whitewater rafting on the St. Louis River • Higher education in Duluth Superior • UMD Alumni Story • Buck profile • Sunday’s Duluth News-Tribune

20. Let’s brainstorm some ideas!

21. Organizing a feature story • Choose the theme • Do research, organize story around theme • Each section – beginning, body, end – revolve around theme • Narrow your theme • Has the story been done before? • The audience • Holding power • Worthiness

22. Write the lead • Usually avoid summary leads • Tough to summarize feature in opening paragraph • Lead possibilities endless: • Narrative, contract, staccato, direct address, etc. • Lead block: two or more paragraphs • Write the body • Vital information while educating, entertaining and emotionally tying reader to the subject • Provide background information

23. Use a thread • Can be single person, event or thing that highlights theme of the story • Use transitions • Transitions hold paragraphs together and helps writers move from one person or area to the next • Common transition words: meanwhile, therefore, sometimes, also, and, but, meantime, nevertheless, however

24. Use dialogue • Keeps readers attached to a story’s key players • Helps to introduce sources • Use voice • Subjective expression of writer • Writer’s signature or personal style • More license to reveal opinions, personality • Write the ending • Can trail off, or end with a climax • Often ends where the lead started • End with a quote

25. Rewriting and collaboration • First draft rarely makes it into print • Editor, reporter brainstorm ideas • Develop clear, narrow angle • Impact sources: • Real people who bring stories to life

26. Checklist for effective features • Know how to write news • Do your homework • Use observation • Use a tape recorder • Do not be afraid to ask questions • Maintain a relationship with every source • Transcribe handwritten notes as soon as possible

27. Write a rough outline first • Do not overwrite • Use lots of quotes! • Polish the story • Take criticism from an editor

28. Feature story assignment • Story Pitch Due: 11/13 • No more than three paragraphs, 200 words • Include 5Ws and H • Possible sources • Story angle • Email to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu • First draft due: 11/27 • Final story due: 12/11

30. Out-of-Class Assignments • Due today: • Computer Assisted Reporting Assignment • Due November 13: • News Release rewrites

31. Tonight’s assignment • Cheryl Reitan Guest Speaker: 11/6 • 350-400 word story due: 11/8 • Cheryl Reitan Complete Bio at: www.cherylreitan.com Publications Director • 1996-present, UMD • 1987-96, College of St. Scholastica Education • Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota B.A. 1975• University of Minnesota, M.A. English, 1997• University of Minnesota, M.L.S. 2003 Fiction writer/novelist

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

33. Egradebook • Doublecheck assignments correct in egradebook: • http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook Late Assignments: If you haven’t made arrangements to complete late assignments, you receive no points.