Week 5: Journalism 2001October 11, 2010

Find the misspellings……

1. Bayfeild2. Strawberrys3. Both!

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

Words Matter!

Review of last week’s assignments

Watch wordiness!– Avoid full name in lead unless prominent person– Attempted robbery– Were let out of school: classes dismissed

Style errors– Spelling!– Datelines– Numerals: When starting sentence, spell out– Correct names– 24-year-old: ages– Disc jockey, not disk jockey– States– Time: a.m., p.m.

VINELAND, N.J. – A 24-year-old Stockton State College student and local disc jockey, Mark Dickson, has been reported in stable condition after being shot by a burglar at 1 a.m. during one of Dickson’s shifts at WKQV.

VINELAND, N.J. – A 24-year-old Stockton State College student and local disc jockey is in stable condition after being shot during an attempted robbery at 1 a.m. at WKQV.

VINELAND, N.J. – An attempted robbery led to a young man being shot at a radio station earlier today after being held at gunpoint and refusing to give up more than $2.

VINELAND, N.J. – An attempted robbery led to a 24-year-old Stockton College disc jockey being shot at a radio station earlier today after being held at gunpoint and refusing to give up more than $2.

Vineland, N.J. – After hearing a knock on the door, a Stockton State College student was shot and robbed for not giving up his wallet while working at a small radio station around 1 a.m.

VINELAND, N.J. – After hearing a knock on the door, a Stockton State College student disc jockey was shot for not giving up his wallet while working at a small radio station around 1 a.m. today.

CHICAGO – Twenty students of Farragut Career High School were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct Friday after several gang-related fights broke out sending three students to a local hospital.

CHICAGO – Twenty students of Farragut Career High School were arrested and classes were canceled Friday after several gang-related fights broke out sending three students to a local hospital.

CHICAGO – Multiple gang-related fistfights broke out Friday at Farragut Academy High School, resulting in three students being admitted to the hospital and 20 students getting arrested, with classes being cancelled for the remainder of the day.

CHICAGO – Multiple gang-related fistfights broke out Friday at Farragut Academy High School, resulting in three students being treated at the hospital and 20 students arrested, with classes cancelled for the remainder of the day.

Students at Farragut Career Academy High School were sent home early on Friday after several gang-related fistfights erupted, resulting in 20 arrests and 3 injuries.

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

Statesman Guide to Writing

Sports Story Pitch Due:Monday, October 4

Select a UMD or prep sporting event to cover

Length of story pitch: no more than three paragraphs, about 200 words

Include the 5 Ws and H: what makes this story newsworthy

Complete article due: November 8

How were the events this weekend?

Covering sports

Compiling, crunching sport stats– Conduct solid

research.– Take careful notes.– Use stats selectively.– Add charts, graphs or

sidebars, if needed.

Three most common story types

1. Game stories2. Feature stories

Analysis Profiles

3. Columns

Game story checklist

Final scoreTeams’ namesWhen and whereKey players and key

playsQuotesStrategies

Key statistics InjuriesBoth teams’

recordsWhat the game

meansOther relevant

factors

Sophomore guard Kalin Lucas, the 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year, stops to sign autographs before practice at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on March 19. Michigan State has since advanced to the Final Four and will play the University of Connecticut on April 4.

Covering sports

Advance sporting event checklistSignificance of

gameHistoryKey playersRecords and recent

performancesQuotes

Strategies InjuriesOther factorsWho’s favoredTime, place and

ticket information

Freshmen quarterback Jon Lynch led the Bulldogs' offense at spring practice Thursday afternoon at Malosky Stadium.

Sports style

– Team name usually plural.

– High school athletes are girls and boys.

– Abbreviate league names.

– Use figures for measurements.

– Use numerals for scores and time.

Tim Crisp of Fitchburg, WI finishes the last few feet of the 2009 American Birkebeiner in Hayward, WI this Saturday.

High School Sports Coverage

Reporters must keep stats– No sports information directors

Stringers: College students covering high school sports

Quotes from losing, winning coaches & players

Reporting Sports

Working with statistics– Box scores– Team statistics– Individual statistics– Beware of becoming

“statistic junkie”– Review statistics for

trends: play-by-play charts

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

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 ‘em Avoid “ridiculous” direct quotations: we

whipped ‘em good Use vivid description when appropriate Double-check spellings Do your homework

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

Let’s edit textbook quiz

Readings from the textbook!

Four crime briefs: p. 236 Check-writer sets off clerk’s internal alarm:

p. 237 Murderer caught in Texas 15 years after

escape: p. 238 Rampaging rooster attacks girl: p. 240 The Michael Jackson Verdict: p. 242 Amazing finish in relay winds gold, saves

Phelps: p. 250 Verr-ific!: p. 252 Give me the sign: p. 254 Vermeil senses it was go time: p. 256

Covering crime

Crime writing style and structure

Kicker

Inverted-pyramid lead

Chronology

Covering the crime beat

– Get to know everyone.

– Find what information is available.

– Get familiar with police procedures.

– Use a scanner.

Covering the crime beat

– Be prepared for anything.

– Think trends.– Convey the

human drama.

– Remember teachers, coaches, ministers and public officials are big news.

What you should withhold

– Names of minors– Names of victims

of sensitive crimes

– Names of endangered victims

– Labeling people as suspects

– Stereotypes

Homicide or assault checklist

Victim’s nameExtent of

injuries/cause of death

LocationTimeCircumstances

Description of suspect

Name and identification of anyone arrested

CommentsUnusual factors

Theft story checklist

Type, value of items taken

VictimLocationTimeCircumstances

Description of suspect

Name and identification of anyone arrested

CommentsUnusual factors

Covering Courts

Federal Judicial System– Supreme Court– U.S. Court of Appeals– U.S. District Courts– U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Minnesota Judicial System– Supreme Court– Court of Appeals– District Courts

Covering courts

Most trials aren’t newsworthy, except:

– Murder cases.– Celebrity trials.– Important legal

rulings.– Human-interest

stories.

Criminal, civil court procedures

– Misdemeanors – minor offenses

– Felonies – serious crimes

– Civil suits – resolve disputes, recover right or obtain compensation

What’s a famous criminal case ultimately decided in civil

court?

Types of court cases

Criminal Cases– Enforcement of criminal statutes– Brought by state or federal government

against a person for committing a crime such as murder, armed robbery

Civil cases– Legal disputes between individuals,

businesses, state or local governments, government agencies

– Commonly include suits for damages from auto accidents, breach of contract, libel

Criminal Cases

Basic criminal process:– Indictment/information filed:

Criminal charge– Warrant issued for arrest– Arraignment: Criminal charge is read to

accused– Preliminary hearing/Grand jury: Probable

cause– Second arraignment: Plea entered

Plea bargaining, jury date set– Trial by judge or jury– Jury reaches verdict

Civil cases

Basic civil process– Plaintiff files a complaint– Defendant served with a summons– Defendant files pleading– Depositions taken– Appearances before judge

Settlement often reached– Trial scheduled: Either jury or judge– Verdict

Checklist for covering courts

Learn the judicial system Learn the record-keeping system Provide sufficient background for the

reader Double-check facts Use complete names, addresses or

occupations– Johnson story example

By the Numbers

Journalists often dread using “math skills”

Numbers can help illustrate a story, make comparisons

Math for journalists

– Percentages– Mean & median– Polls & surveys– Use graphics

Pie charts Line charts Bar charts Fast facts

Understand the figures that matterIdea file Simplify. Use understandable

values. Round off. Put budget numbers

into context. Be accurate.

Basic math skills

Percentages:– 10 percent, 40 percent– Budget increase/decrease:

(Year 2 – Year 1)/Year 1– Percentage of a whole

(subgroup/entire group)– Percent or percentage points

(1 percent difference/5 percent base = .20 or a 20 percent increase)

Math for journalists

– Percentages Increases Decreases Increases of 100

percent or more

Understand the figures that matter– Mean and

median Mean is

arithmetic average.

Median is the halfway point.

Information charts and graphs

– Pie chart Shows different

parts that make up the whole.

– Line chart Measures

changing quantities over time.

– Bar chart Compares two or

more items.

– Fast facts Highlights most

important data.

Ask for help

Journalists often have big egos!– OK to ask for help

Where to turn online:– Robert Niles’ Journalism Help:

http://nilesonline.com/stats/– Math test for journalists:

http://www.ire.org/education/math_test.html– Looking for a calculator?

http://www.refdesk.com

Working with polls & surveys

– The source Was data

collected by objective researchers?

– The sample size The larger the

sample, the more accurate the survey.

– The questions Kill any poll that

uses leading, biased questions.

– Other variables Is survey

demographically representative?

Is it current?

Surveys

Conducting a survey– Formulating the questions

– Usually closed-end question: yes or no, one of two choices

– Open-ended questions: tough to tabulate

– Testing the questions– Developing the sample

Identifying respondents Selecting a random sample Determining the sampling error

Gathering data– Face-to-face interviews– Mailed questionnaires– Telephone interviews

Analyzing the data– Hand-tabulate– Computer programs

Writing the story– Don’t overstate results in the lead– Must explain survey methodology

When are surveys used?

Election campaigns– Harris poll– Media polls

http://www.startribune.com– Political party polls

Local issues:– Price of gasoline, price of beer

Pew Research Center:– http://www.people-press.org

Survey rules and guidelines Analyze the data carefully Carefully interpret statistics correctly Lead with survey’s most significant

findings Strive to humanize the statistics Organize the story to help readers

– Use bullets for key statistics Make comparisons among subgroups

– Gender, sex, age Consider using charts for statistics Don’t forget to explain survey

methodology

Another wayward sign!

Out-of-Class Assignment:Due 10/18

From information provided from a Tempe Police Department activity log, write an inverted-pyramid news story based on all the information available.

Assignment: Due tonight

Enroll in the News University course, “The Interview.” Access the course at: http://www.newsu.org

When you finish the course, send me a Course Report, which is the last item on the left hand column when you are in the course. Send the report to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu

You must complete the course by Monday, October 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Happy interviewing!

Hard News 1 Story: Due Tonight!

We will review the stories– Make corrections– Resubmit final story to me– Also turn in the printed copy of your

story to me

In Class Assignment

More AP Stylebook editing!

Let’s look for common errors

Attribution– “Quote……..,” he said.– Just use said!

Style mistakes No source list Restating the question Demographic information:

– Age, hometown, occupation

Egradebook

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

Portfolio

Store academic information in your Electronic Portfolio. Each student has 100 mb of storage.

Access Electronic Portfolio at: https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp