Journalism S-100 Proseminar in Journalism: Writing and Reporting

1. Journalism S-100Proseminar in Journalism:Writing and Reporting Instructor: Angelia Herrin June 26, 2008

3. Please go to

4. Class Stories

5. The Basic Ingredients • Who • What • Where • When • Why/How

6. Because • Readers make up their minds in 2.7 seconds • Readers are busy • Readers minds have been rewired by Google

7. But Which Order Do They Go In? Welcome to the inverted pyramid Built in the last century, still working today

8. The Order Depends On Which Fact Tells the Tale Best • Herrin’s rule: It’s as important to know what to leave OUT of the lede as to know what to put IN

9. It Also Depends On How You Want to Tell The Story • Herrin’s rule: Not every story wants a feature lede

10. Hard News A 13 year-old-girl shot and slightly wounded her father with a BB gun after he hit her mother on the head with a frying pan Saturday night, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. St. Petersburg Times

11. More Hard News • A former employee of Tufts University’s Martin Library was sentenced to seven years of psychiatric probation yesterday for the theft of $2 million worth of rare books. • John S. Smith was arrested in July, after co-workers discovered a rare map drawn by Columbus in his backpack. Smith, 42, told police that he was protecting the material from invaders.

12. Who-What Factor • A gay St. Cloud State University student who announced this spring he was running for mayor was arrested Tuesday, accused of molesting a 9-year-old boy. • St. Cloud Times

13. CHOICES • Two boaters were killed and third was injured Sunday when their small boat capsized in high winds and waves on Star Lake near the Rutland county line.

14. WHAT A small boat that capsized in high winds and waves on Star Lake near the Rutland County line caused the death of two boaters and injuries to a third.

15. When • On Sunday two boaters were killed and a third was injured when their small boat capsized amid high winds and waves on Star Lake near the Rutland county.

16. WHY High winds and waves on Star Lake near the Rutland County line caused a small boat to capsize Sunday, Killing two boaters and injuring a third.

17. Hard Lede/Nut Graf Brown University has expelled a student for shouting racial epithets during a pep rally last month, violating the anti-harassment rule the university enacted to combat racism on campus. It is the first time that a Brown student has been expelled for such a violation

18. Impact Ledes • Cambridge residents will pay $20 more for every parking ticket, under a new rule approved Tuesday by the city council.

19. Soft Lede • A nervous flight attendant was having trouble taking a urine drug test. So she drank a glass of water ­and another ­­– and another. • After guzzling three liters in three hours, she still couldn’t urinate. But hours later, the 40-year-old woman staggered into a San Jose hospital, her speech slurred, her thinking fuzzy. • The diagnosis: She was drunk – on water.

20. Anecdotal Lede • Late one night in 2004, Elaine Hollis agreed to her boyfriend’s desire to capture their passion on videotape. • Inside Edward Bayliss’ apartment, the video camera rolled. • Now three years later, Hollis is in court, accusing her former boyfriend of selling her tape on Ebay.

21. Narrative Lede • Capt. John Smith still remembers the feel of the gun barrel pressed against his neck. • “I’m gonna kill you,” a voice said. • Smith insticively knocked the gun away and then wrestled the masked suspect to the ground. • Beneath the mask was a 12-year-old boy

22. Soft Lede Gone Bad Emma and Alfred Mitchell are surrounded by broken beer bottles, crumbling cigarette packages and other rubbish. But even when trespassers start grass fires, the couple never complains. • Bad newspaper

23. Two versions • The dog in her arms was shaking, its rheumy eyes wide with fear. • “Just relax, sweetheart, it’s OK,” crooned Chris Powell, the manager of the Peninsula Humane Society animal shelter, where 10,000 unwanted pets are put to death each year. • The dog settled into Ms. Powell’s embrace…. • Tired of carrying out the daily killings, officials at the Human Society in San Mateo have proposed a novel solution to the pet overpopulation problem: a Moratorium on breed cats and dogs that will be considered by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 13. The ordinance, though to be the first of its kind in the nation…. • The New York Times

24. Feature Version • The dog in her arms was shaking, its rheumy eyes wide with fear. • “Just relax, sweetheart, it’s OK,” crooned Chris Powell, the manager of the Peninsula Humane Society animal shelter, where 10,000 unwanted pets are put to death each year. • The dog settled into Ms. Powell’s embrace, as a pound attendant approached…..

25. Now this is dull • Declaring that property owners must be protected from an arrogant government, House Republicans are nearing approval of legislation that would weaken federal efforts to protect wetlands and endangered species. • Associated Press

26. But this is a nightmare • Saying that a New Jersey law that requires police authorities to notify the public when a convicted sex offender is released into a community amounts to additional punishment for sex offenders who have done their time, according to U.S. District Judge Nicholas H. Politan, who yesterday ruled the law, known as Megan’s Law, named after 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was slain by a sex offender who lived across the street from her home in Hamilton Township, unconstitutional. • Please help this writer

27. ACTIVE and PASSIVE • A pet iguana started a fire in a split-level house in Belmont by knocking over a heat lamp with its tail, fire officials said. • A fire in a split-level home in Belmont was started by a pet iguana that knocked over a heat lamp with its tail, fire officials said.

28. Know When to Say When University officials agreed to raise tuition by $100 Monday. OR University officials agreed Monday to raise tuition by $100.

29. Ledes That Annoy Your Instructor • QUOTES IN A LEDE • “There’s no way that I am going to allow a silly marble building on city land,” Mayor John Allen said yesterday. • INSTEAD, bolster a lede with a quote A plan to build a $300 million pop art museum funded by Andy Warhol has met opposition from Mayor John Allen. “There’s no way that I am going to allow a silly marble building on City land,” Allen said yesterday. “He is an idiot.”

30. Questions In a Lede • Ever wonder why the sky is blue? • Looking for a way to get a stain out of your shirt? • Think traffic is bad here?

31. The JelloLede • Out of all the millions of dogs in the world, Tiffany is a special one.

32. Good news, Bad news is Bad • Some good news for city workers: The county administration may not have to give out pink slips this year. • Some bad news for city taxpayers: the county doesn’t plan to cut taxes this year.

33. LEDE SLAM • A study was released yesterday by the University of Colorado. The study was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The study said that 60 percent of students who begin studying science, mathematics or engineering switch to another major. The study cited poor teaching and an aloof faculty as the cause.

34. A fire in Cambridge caused $45,000 in damages to a two-bedroom home in the 2300 block of Main Street. Fire officials said the fire was started by a lighted cigarette on a sofa. Firefighters arrived a the house at 3:30 a.m. and found it on fire. They had the blaze under control in five minutes. The homeowner, Kathy Mahoney was awakened by the smoke and flames. She suffered minor burns on her hands and feet. This information came from Cambridge fire officials.

35. This information comes from police. Police said John Smith’s tears may have saved him. Smith is 13. He was walking in the 2700 block of Broadway about 5:25 p.m. in Cambridge when a car containing four people pulled up. The driver had a blue semi automatic handgun and demanded the boy’s Red Sox jacket. The boy started crying. The driver said, “Never mind,” and the car left. No one was hurt and no arrests were made.

36. Information came from police in Santa Anna, Calif. A Santa Ana woman was charged with attempted murder yesterday. She was being held in the Orange County Jail after being unable to pose $250,000 bond. Police said the woman, June Carter, 71, doused her husband, who was confined to a wheelchair and had cancer, with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire. Police said she was angry because he ate her chocolate Easter bunny. She called paramedics six hours after the attack. Paul Carter, 62, was taken to the Irvine Burn Center with third-degree burns, police said.

37. What is due Tuesday? • Bring in your AP DIY test. Email copy to journalist.herrin@gmail.com by 5 p.m. • Write your news story. Email copy to journalist.herrin@gmail.com by Monday 9 p.m.