Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?
Amount of teams in the NCAA March Madness tournament.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
There needs to be more.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
Convince people it would be more fair and fun if there were more.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
- show it would be more fun
- show disappiontment in the current tournament
- beting on the tournament would be more fair
- a before and after image
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Get them excited to see what it would be like with more teams
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
It can connect with all of the NCAA fans and watchers
Amount of teams in the NCAA March Madness tournament.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
There needs to be more.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
Convince people it would be more fair and fun if there were more.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
- show it would be more fun
- show disappiontment in the current tournament
- beting on the tournament would be more fair
- a before and after image
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Get them excited to see what it would be like with more teams
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
It can connect with all of the NCAA fans and watchers
Monday, March 15, 2010
Final: Hard News Story
Seeing Godzilla
My Aunt Kathie loves cats. I think she is the main reason why my entire family loves cats. Ever since I was a little kid I remember going to her house and trying to catch one of her 15 cats. We could spend all day running around outside finding new cats and making it our mission to get that specific one. The variety of cats that were out there gave us inspiration to not stop looking. That was always the highlight of going to Wisconsin and seeing my family.
When we were in 4th grade, we were living with no pets for about a year now. I knew that we had to be getting a new cat soon; we all just missed having a pet. My mom said next time we went to see my aunt Kathie, we could come home with a new cat. So the next weekend we went back to my aunt’s house. It was our mission to find a new friend that could stay home with us. Over and over we searched for the youngest but nicest cat we could find. I remember seeing a group of 7 younger cats, but not kittens, with their mom all packed together in the corner of the empty swimming pool. So we went over there with the mother cat getting mad and we just held our hands out. They all came to us and we ended up playing with all of them. Max and I knew that we had to choose one of these specific cats.
Immediately we ran inside to go tell our mom we found the ones we want to choose out of. She came out to look at them, but they had all ran off. So me and max went searching and searching but couldn’t find them. We stayed inside for the night and decided we could find them better in the day light. So the next morning we went out and sure enough they were all sitting together in the corner of the pool. We got our mom immediately and she made it out in time to see them. I could tell right away we made the right choice, she was playing with one of the cats and she asked us if that could be the one. Without hesitation, Max and I agreed.
Godzilla was one of us now. We already had name picked out for him before we even got to my aunt’s house. Right away we knew that we had made a good choice because on the car ride home he came to sit with everyone of us. It seemed like Godzilla had a plan for the ride. He was so easy to pet and he loved to lay with us, exactly what we wanted.
About a year went on with the new family member and it was all going perfectly. Godzilla loved to play with strings and balls. He would actually spend all day running around trying to get a laser pointer. Nothing slowed him down. Also when we wanted he would simply lay with us and let us pet him all night long. He gave us a lot of good laughs and made many funny pictures that we will always remember. He was our perfect cat.
After about 3 more years everything was going well. He was still our favorite pet of all time and we didn’t give him any less attention as time went on. Over the years he seemed to gain quite a bit of weight. Weighing in about 36 pounds Godzilla was considered to be a massive cat, but it fit his name well. Still loved chasing the little laser pointers and playing in boxes and bags. If we gave him a box he would love it until he ruined it. It would be his castle to sleep in and his cave to hide in. He got more and more interesting and we loved him for that.
In 7th grade we would come home and our cat would be dying to go run around outside. It was a routine to come home and open up our back door and just let him roam around in the woods. He would usually spend about 15 minutes running around and finding small bugs and plants to chew on. I don’t remember when we let him out but I do remember about an hour after where Max and I were confused to where he could have gone. About 3 hours passed by and we decided that we needed to go search for him. We had all of his little toys and were shaking his jar of treats which usually gets him to come in less than a second. Nothing was found and nothing worked. We called it a night and came home without our cat.
For the next week we would go out and look for him but never found anything. About a month passed and we had no idea what to even do. We pretty much stopped trying. Although hope of finding him or him returning was gone, my mom would try to get us all happy by insuring us that we could get a new cat once the season was right for kittens. This wasn’t for another 5 months. We didn’t even want a new cat but it was definitely better then not having one. We would make trips up to my aunt’s house to see if any new kittens were ready. Nothing came early so we knew that it would be a while.
So about 3 months passed since my cat was gone and we didn’t even think about seeing him again. Joe Peterson was over we were playing in the backyard. Just throwing rocks into the lake and other random activities that can be done in woods. In the middle of our conversation Joe cut me off by saying “Dude that looks like a cat. Looks like Godzilla.” I turned around not really sure what he was talking about. I thought I was looking at Godzilla, but I couldn’t even believe it. It was too small, way too small but I had to see it. I immediately told Joe to hold still as I held my hand out for him to check out. He was very slow and didn’t want to get too close, but as he got close to me I could see it was Godzilla by looking at his face. I was so excited and so nervous at the same time, but I had to restrain myself from freaking out. The very second he got close enough to snatch, I did. I squeezed him as he squirmed around but I held him way too tight to let him slip out. I turned around and ran! I ran as fast as I could back to the house to give him food and tell my mom.
I couldn’t believe it was him. This cat left at about 36 pounds and came back at 3.5 pounds. He was just a boney little cat with nappy hair. He had dirt and burs in his fur. We gave him so food that was in our garage. He ate very little but I know that’s all it took to fill him up. Eventually we brought him to the vet so he could get shots and shave all his fur off. Godzilla was back and we couldn’t believe it.
We never let him out again. We had him for another 2 years after that and he gained every single pound back. He was still in love with playing with the strings, chasing laser pointers, and hiding in boxes. Godzilla didn’t change from when he first left, but he gave us a pet to brag about when he came back.
My Aunt Kathie loves cats. I think she is the main reason why my entire family loves cats. Ever since I was a little kid I remember going to her house and trying to catch one of her 15 cats. We could spend all day running around outside finding new cats and making it our mission to get that specific one. The variety of cats that were out there gave us inspiration to not stop looking. That was always the highlight of going to Wisconsin and seeing my family.
When we were in 4th grade, we were living with no pets for about a year now. I knew that we had to be getting a new cat soon; we all just missed having a pet. My mom said next time we went to see my aunt Kathie, we could come home with a new cat. So the next weekend we went back to my aunt’s house. It was our mission to find a new friend that could stay home with us. Over and over we searched for the youngest but nicest cat we could find. I remember seeing a group of 7 younger cats, but not kittens, with their mom all packed together in the corner of the empty swimming pool. So we went over there with the mother cat getting mad and we just held our hands out. They all came to us and we ended up playing with all of them. Max and I knew that we had to choose one of these specific cats.
Immediately we ran inside to go tell our mom we found the ones we want to choose out of. She came out to look at them, but they had all ran off. So me and max went searching and searching but couldn’t find them. We stayed inside for the night and decided we could find them better in the day light. So the next morning we went out and sure enough they were all sitting together in the corner of the pool. We got our mom immediately and she made it out in time to see them. I could tell right away we made the right choice, she was playing with one of the cats and she asked us if that could be the one. Without hesitation, Max and I agreed.
Godzilla was one of us now. We already had name picked out for him before we even got to my aunt’s house. Right away we knew that we had made a good choice because on the car ride home he came to sit with everyone of us. It seemed like Godzilla had a plan for the ride. He was so easy to pet and he loved to lay with us, exactly what we wanted.
About a year went on with the new family member and it was all going perfectly. Godzilla loved to play with strings and balls. He would actually spend all day running around trying to get a laser pointer. Nothing slowed him down. Also when we wanted he would simply lay with us and let us pet him all night long. He gave us a lot of good laughs and made many funny pictures that we will always remember. He was our perfect cat.
After about 3 more years everything was going well. He was still our favorite pet of all time and we didn’t give him any less attention as time went on. Over the years he seemed to gain quite a bit of weight. Weighing in about 36 pounds Godzilla was considered to be a massive cat, but it fit his name well. Still loved chasing the little laser pointers and playing in boxes and bags. If we gave him a box he would love it until he ruined it. It would be his castle to sleep in and his cave to hide in. He got more and more interesting and we loved him for that.
In 7th grade we would come home and our cat would be dying to go run around outside. It was a routine to come home and open up our back door and just let him roam around in the woods. He would usually spend about 15 minutes running around and finding small bugs and plants to chew on. I don’t remember when we let him out but I do remember about an hour after where Max and I were confused to where he could have gone. About 3 hours passed by and we decided that we needed to go search for him. We had all of his little toys and were shaking his jar of treats which usually gets him to come in less than a second. Nothing was found and nothing worked. We called it a night and came home without our cat.
For the next week we would go out and look for him but never found anything. About a month passed and we had no idea what to even do. We pretty much stopped trying. Although hope of finding him or him returning was gone, my mom would try to get us all happy by insuring us that we could get a new cat once the season was right for kittens. This wasn’t for another 5 months. We didn’t even want a new cat but it was definitely better then not having one. We would make trips up to my aunt’s house to see if any new kittens were ready. Nothing came early so we knew that it would be a while.
So about 3 months passed since my cat was gone and we didn’t even think about seeing him again. Joe Peterson was over we were playing in the backyard. Just throwing rocks into the lake and other random activities that can be done in woods. In the middle of our conversation Joe cut me off by saying “Dude that looks like a cat. Looks like Godzilla.” I turned around not really sure what he was talking about. I thought I was looking at Godzilla, but I couldn’t even believe it. It was too small, way too small but I had to see it. I immediately told Joe to hold still as I held my hand out for him to check out. He was very slow and didn’t want to get too close, but as he got close to me I could see it was Godzilla by looking at his face. I was so excited and so nervous at the same time, but I had to restrain myself from freaking out. The very second he got close enough to snatch, I did. I squeezed him as he squirmed around but I held him way too tight to let him slip out. I turned around and ran! I ran as fast as I could back to the house to give him food and tell my mom.
I couldn’t believe it was him. This cat left at about 36 pounds and came back at 3.5 pounds. He was just a boney little cat with nappy hair. He had dirt and burs in his fur. We gave him so food that was in our garage. He ate very little but I know that’s all it took to fill him up. Eventually we brought him to the vet so he could get shots and shave all his fur off. Godzilla was back and we couldn’t believe it.
We never let him out again. We had him for another 2 years after that and he gained every single pound back. He was still in love with playing with the strings, chasing laser pointers, and hiding in boxes. Godzilla didn’t change from when he first left, but he gave us a pet to brag about when he came back.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
News Story
Topic: the story of godzilla (previous cat)
Interviewers: Marie Saunders (godzilla's mother), Joe Peterson (godzilla's friend), Jake Hiracheta (yeah)
Interviewers: Marie Saunders (godzilla's mother), Joe Peterson (godzilla's friend), Jake Hiracheta (yeah)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Eastview Lightning Track and Field Begins
As the season begins to change to spring, the new sporting teams start their practices. On March 8th the Eastview track and field will begin their season. Over the years the track team has been filled with talent and is hoping it will be the same this year. Although there were many seniors lost the seniors this year are looking very promising. During the preseason there have been captain practices ran by the captains Ryan Carriere, Gavril Telkov, and Paul Thompson. This is just one step to guiding the team to get in shape and be ready for the upcoming season.
It is always hard to tell who will stand out for the team but you never know which athlete will surprise. With a group so big and so young, there must be talent deep within the team. Also there will be the returning seniors, juniors, and sophomores, who have experience and know what is ahead of them. The coaches have dealt with many athletes and know how to train everyone properly. With so much talent and experiences with the coaches and athletes it is sure to be a good season for the Eastview Lightning track and field team.
After a captains practice I sat down with the senior leader and captain Ryan Carriere. As we talked about how successful the team was going to be this year he went on saying “To be good we are going to need effort and commitment from everyone.” With such a young team underneath him I believe he will need to be a demanding leader and let everyone know that track and field will be taken very serious. As he runs the practices for now he plans on showing them how serious he takes the sport and hopes that will be a good example for them.
After talking with Ryan I decided I would go see what some of the younger guys were actually thinking. I approached sophomore LeAndre Kennedy and asked him a few question about what he thought about the upcoming season and captains. When I asked him how serious he takes track on a scale from 1 to 10 he explained “About and 8. Track is very laid back but I still take it serious.” With the young guys taking it serious still I thought it would be helpful for Ryan to run as a leader. I decided to see what he thought about the captains this year as well. “I only know BT (Ryan) as a captain and I like him. I could see him being a good captain.” Now although LeAndre only knows one captain, he definitely respects him. If all of the young track and field athletes are on the same commitment level as LeAndre, I think it could be a very successful season for everyone.
Now that the spring sports are beginning I will be looking forward to see what this specific track team can amount to. With all of the deep talent and committed seniors it is sure to be a very successful season. Many athletes such as LeAndre Kennedy and Ryan Carriere are already becoming prepared for this upcoming season. As LeAndre said “We have a lot of track members so there has to be a lot of talent out there. Trust me, we will be glorious.”
As the season begins to change to spring, the new sporting teams start their practices. On March 8th the Eastview track and field will begin their season. Over the years the track team has been filled with talent and is hoping it will be the same this year. Although there were many seniors lost the seniors this year are looking very promising. During the preseason there have been captain practices ran by the captains Ryan Carriere, Gavril Telkov, and Paul Thompson. This is just one step to guiding the team to get in shape and be ready for the upcoming season.
It is always hard to tell who will stand out for the team but you never know which athlete will surprise. With a group so big and so young, there must be talent deep within the team. Also there will be the returning seniors, juniors, and sophomores, who have experience and know what is ahead of them. The coaches have dealt with many athletes and know how to train everyone properly. With so much talent and experiences with the coaches and athletes it is sure to be a good season for the Eastview Lightning track and field team.
After a captains practice I sat down with the senior leader and captain Ryan Carriere. As we talked about how successful the team was going to be this year he went on saying “To be good we are going to need effort and commitment from everyone.” With such a young team underneath him I believe he will need to be a demanding leader and let everyone know that track and field will be taken very serious. As he runs the practices for now he plans on showing them how serious he takes the sport and hopes that will be a good example for them.
After talking with Ryan I decided I would go see what some of the younger guys were actually thinking. I approached sophomore LeAndre Kennedy and asked him a few question about what he thought about the upcoming season and captains. When I asked him how serious he takes track on a scale from 1 to 10 he explained “About and 8. Track is very laid back but I still take it serious.” With the young guys taking it serious still I thought it would be helpful for Ryan to run as a leader. I decided to see what he thought about the captains this year as well. “I only know BT (Ryan) as a captain and I like him. I could see him being a good captain.” Now although LeAndre only knows one captain, he definitely respects him. If all of the young track and field athletes are on the same commitment level as LeAndre, I think it could be a very successful season for everyone.
Now that the spring sports are beginning I will be looking forward to see what this specific track team can amount to. With all of the deep talent and committed seniors it is sure to be a very successful season. Many athletes such as LeAndre Kennedy and Ryan Carriere are already becoming prepared for this upcoming season. As LeAndre said “We have a lot of track members so there has to be a lot of talent out there. Trust me, we will be glorious.”
Monday, March 1, 2010
Hard News Topic: Track Team
Angle: How well will the track team perform in the 2010 season?
Interviewers: Ryan Carriere (captian), Swanson (coach), LeAndre Kennedy (sophmore runner)
Questions for Ryan:
1. What do you think will be needed by all team members to be successful this season?
To be really good we will need effort and commitment from everyone.
2. What is being done in the preseason to prepare?
As of right now we are doing captian practices.
3. How, as a captain, are you being a leader for the team?
I am currently running the practices and showing off my effort i put into the sport.
4. What are you personally doing to prepare yourself?
I've been going to lifetime often to run, workout, and stretch. The usual track practice.
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Very well. A lot of younger people are beginning track this year.
Questions for Swanson:
1. What are your plans, as a coach, for preparing the team this year?
2. What do you want to focus on improving this season?
3. What are the strengths coming into this season?
4. How do you think the team last year compares with the team last year?
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Questions for LeAndre:
1. How are feeling about starting track and field again?
Excited. Track is always a fun sport to participate in.
2. What do you think about the captains this year?
I only know that BT is a captian and I like him. I could see him as being a good leader
3. What are you doing to prepare yourself for this season?
I started with going to the captians practice.
4. How serious (scale of 1 - 10) do you take track and field?
haha maybe an 8. It's very laid back but I still take it serious.
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Good. We have a lot of track members so there has to be a lot of talent out there. Trsut me, we will be glorious.
Angle: How well will the track team perform in the 2010 season?
Interviewers: Ryan Carriere (captian), Swanson (coach), LeAndre Kennedy (sophmore runner)
Questions for Ryan:
1. What do you think will be needed by all team members to be successful this season?
To be really good we will need effort and commitment from everyone.
2. What is being done in the preseason to prepare?
As of right now we are doing captian practices.
3. How, as a captain, are you being a leader for the team?
I am currently running the practices and showing off my effort i put into the sport.
4. What are you personally doing to prepare yourself?
I've been going to lifetime often to run, workout, and stretch. The usual track practice.
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Very well. A lot of younger people are beginning track this year.
Questions for Swanson:
1. What are your plans, as a coach, for preparing the team this year?
2. What do you want to focus on improving this season?
3. What are the strengths coming into this season?
4. How do you think the team last year compares with the team last year?
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Questions for LeAndre:
1. How are feeling about starting track and field again?
Excited. Track is always a fun sport to participate in.
2. What do you think about the captains this year?
I only know that BT is a captian and I like him. I could see him as being a good leader
3. What are you doing to prepare yourself for this season?
I started with going to the captians practice.
4. How serious (scale of 1 - 10) do you take track and field?
haha maybe an 8. It's very laid back but I still take it serious.
5. How well do you think the team will do this season?
Good. We have a lot of track members so there has to be a lot of talent out there. Trsut me, we will be glorious.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Writing a News Story
1. What can I write about? What is news?
On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing projects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It also prints background analysis, opinions, and human interest stories.
Choosing what's news can be harder.
The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening in the world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of their importance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do NOT have to coincide in each and every story!
2. Identify what kind of a story it is
Hard news (+/- 600 words): This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom? Why? (The journalist's 5 W's). It must be kept brief and simple, because the purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.
Keep the writing clean and uncluttered. Most important, give the readers the information they need. If the federal government announced a new major youth initiative yesterday, that's today's hard news.
Soft news (+/-600 words): This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of YPP's news content is soft news.
Feature (+/-1500 words): A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of their individual lives are full of complexities which can be reflected in a longer piece.
Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas, color, lights, action and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A feature takes a certain angle (i.e. Black youth returning to church) and explores it by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information. The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through comments from people involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No personal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make up the story. You are the narrator.
Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets the writer comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the topics must still be relevant to the reader.
3. Structure for your article
The structure of a news story (hard & soft news & features) is simple: a lead and the body.
The lead
One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in (depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story - See below for the difference between these two genres of news stories).
In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism (who, what, where, when and why) as possible. (e.g. "Homeless youth marched down Yonge St. in downtown Toronto Wednesday afternoon demanding the municipal government provide emergency shelter during the winter months." - Can you identify the 5 W's in this lead?)
In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. "Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways...") Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 "W's" should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.
The body
The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution, however. In this style of writing, you are not allowed to "editorialize" (state your own opinion) in any way.
Remember:
The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. These comments make up the bulk of the story. The narrative helps to weave the comments into a coherent whole. Hint: Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You can put in different details but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. (e.g. If your story is about black youth and their relationship with the police you DO NOT want to go into details about the life of any one particular youth).
As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life (this is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best). You should also try to get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.
Okay, got it? Let's look at two examples as a way of summarizing the essentials:
Youth are banding together to start an organization. You want to show why are they doing that and the changes are they trying to make in the world. You want to say who they are and the strategies they are using.
An artist is having her first show. Why? What is it that she believes about her art? Is her artistic process rational or from the soul? What does the work look like?
4. Further tips for news writing
Finding story ideas
Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.
Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines.
Think of a youth angle to a current news story.
Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to know more about.
Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Newsgathering
Begin collecting articles on your subject.
Talk to friends and associates about the subject.
Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge in the area.
Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue.
Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts
Be polite.
Explain the ground rules of the interview to people unfamiliar with how the media works - this means that you tell them the information they give you can and will be published. If they do not want any part of what they say published, they need to tell you it is "off the record."
Tape the interview (so if anyone comes back at you, you have the proof of what was said).
Build a relationship with the person being interviewed.
Start with easy questions; end with difficult questions.
Read the body language of the person you're interviewing and if they get defensive, back away from the question you are asking and return later.
Don't attack the source.
Keep control of the interview; don't let the subject ramble or stray from the subject.
On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of what the story should be colour the interview. Always remember that the person you are talking with knows more about the subject than you do.
Organizing the information
Gather your notes, interviews and research into a file.
Review your notes.
Look for a common theme.
Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts.
Develop a focus.
Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences.
Writing and editing
Remember you are the narrator, the story teller.
Don't be afraid to rewrite.
Be as clear and concise in the writing as possible.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Be direct.
Tell a good story.
Tell the reader what you think they want to know.
Always ask yourself what the story is about.
Read the story out loud; listen carefully.
Kreb's 6 Steps
1. Find a Topic
2. Find an Angle
3. Collect Information
4. Conduct Interviews
5. Organize and Write
6. Review and Edit
1. What can I write about? What is news?
On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing projects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It also prints background analysis, opinions, and human interest stories.
Choosing what's news can be harder.
The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening in the world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of their importance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do NOT have to coincide in each and every story!
2. Identify what kind of a story it is
Hard news (+/- 600 words): This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom? Why? (The journalist's 5 W's). It must be kept brief and simple, because the purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.
Keep the writing clean and uncluttered. Most important, give the readers the information they need. If the federal government announced a new major youth initiative yesterday, that's today's hard news.
Soft news (+/-600 words): This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of YPP's news content is soft news.
Feature (+/-1500 words): A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of their individual lives are full of complexities which can be reflected in a longer piece.
Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas, color, lights, action and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A feature takes a certain angle (i.e. Black youth returning to church) and explores it by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information. The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through comments from people involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No personal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make up the story. You are the narrator.
Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets the writer comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the topics must still be relevant to the reader.
3. Structure for your article
The structure of a news story (hard & soft news & features) is simple: a lead and the body.
The lead
One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in (depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story - See below for the difference between these two genres of news stories).
In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism (who, what, where, when and why) as possible. (e.g. "Homeless youth marched down Yonge St. in downtown Toronto Wednesday afternoon demanding the municipal government provide emergency shelter during the winter months." - Can you identify the 5 W's in this lead?)
In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. "Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways...") Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 "W's" should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.
The body
The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution, however. In this style of writing, you are not allowed to "editorialize" (state your own opinion) in any way.
Remember:
The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. These comments make up the bulk of the story. The narrative helps to weave the comments into a coherent whole. Hint: Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You can put in different details but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. (e.g. If your story is about black youth and their relationship with the police you DO NOT want to go into details about the life of any one particular youth).
As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life (this is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best). You should also try to get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.
Okay, got it? Let's look at two examples as a way of summarizing the essentials:
Youth are banding together to start an organization. You want to show why are they doing that and the changes are they trying to make in the world. You want to say who they are and the strategies they are using.
An artist is having her first show. Why? What is it that she believes about her art? Is her artistic process rational or from the soul? What does the work look like?
4. Further tips for news writing
Finding story ideas
Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.
Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines.
Think of a youth angle to a current news story.
Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to know more about.
Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Newsgathering
Begin collecting articles on your subject.
Talk to friends and associates about the subject.
Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge in the area.
Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue.
Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts
Be polite.
Explain the ground rules of the interview to people unfamiliar with how the media works - this means that you tell them the information they give you can and will be published. If they do not want any part of what they say published, they need to tell you it is "off the record."
Tape the interview (so if anyone comes back at you, you have the proof of what was said).
Build a relationship with the person being interviewed.
Start with easy questions; end with difficult questions.
Read the body language of the person you're interviewing and if they get defensive, back away from the question you are asking and return later.
Don't attack the source.
Keep control of the interview; don't let the subject ramble or stray from the subject.
On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of what the story should be colour the interview. Always remember that the person you are talking with knows more about the subject than you do.
Organizing the information
Gather your notes, interviews and research into a file.
Review your notes.
Look for a common theme.
Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts.
Develop a focus.
Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences.
Writing and editing
Remember you are the narrator, the story teller.
Don't be afraid to rewrite.
Be as clear and concise in the writing as possible.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Be direct.
Tell a good story.
Tell the reader what you think they want to know.
Always ask yourself what the story is about.
Read the story out loud; listen carefully.
Kreb's 6 Steps
1. Find a Topic
2. Find an Angle
3. Collect Information
4. Conduct Interviews
5. Organize and Write
6. Review and Edit
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
What is the company?
- Playstation
Who is the target audience:
- Teenagers
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Quick cuts
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Live in your world. Play in ours
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes because it sticks with me
What is the company?
- Budweiser
Who is the target audience:
- Football Watchers
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Nice setting. good props
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- King of Beers
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It makes sense and i thought it was funny
What is the company?
- Chrysler
Who is the target audience:
- All Adults
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Action and celebrity
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Nice shots of the car movin
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Drive and Love
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Maybe. Nice camera shots and good music?
What is the company?
- Pepsi
Who is the target audience:
- Music fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor, i guess
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- They had celebrities and a dream
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- A twist on a great thing
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- No. not interesting or funny
What is the company?
- Fedex
Who is the target audience:
- All people
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Scruffy looking man
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Fedex Express
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny. Shows dedication of the Fedexers
What is the company?
- Dodge
Who is the target audience:
- Adult Men
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Gets intense when he starts driving
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Grab life by the Horns
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It shows a good truck
What is the company?
- Gatorade
Who is the target audience:
- Basketball fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Celebrity
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- used older images from the player
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Is it in you?
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- For me. I'm a big fan of that.
What is the company?
- ESPN
Who is the target audience:
- Sport fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- People freaking out and a relaxed dinner
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- this is sports center
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny
What is the company?
- H and R block
Who is the target audience:
- Music fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- willie nelson doesnt shave
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Double check
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny
What is the company?
- Budlight
Who is the target audience:
- Adults
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- It was a average sports bar with an upside down clown
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Make it a bud light
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- No. too weird
- Playstation
Who is the target audience:
- Teenagers
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Quick cuts
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Live in your world. Play in ours
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes because it sticks with me
What is the company?
- Budweiser
Who is the target audience:
- Football Watchers
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Nice setting. good props
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- King of Beers
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It makes sense and i thought it was funny
What is the company?
- Chrysler
Who is the target audience:
- All Adults
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Action and celebrity
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Nice shots of the car movin
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Drive and Love
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Maybe. Nice camera shots and good music?
What is the company?
- Pepsi
Who is the target audience:
- Music fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor, i guess
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- They had celebrities and a dream
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- A twist on a great thing
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- No. not interesting or funny
What is the company?
- Fedex
Who is the target audience:
- All people
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Scruffy looking man
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Fedex Express
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny. Shows dedication of the Fedexers
What is the company?
- Dodge
Who is the target audience:
- Adult Men
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- Gets intense when he starts driving
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Grab life by the Horns
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It shows a good truck
What is the company?
- Gatorade
Who is the target audience:
- Basketball fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Celebrity
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- used older images from the player
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Is it in you?
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- For me. I'm a big fan of that.
What is the company?
- ESPN
Who is the target audience:
- Sport fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- People freaking out and a relaxed dinner
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- this is sports center
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny
What is the company?
- H and R block
Who is the target audience:
- Music fans
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- willie nelson doesnt shave
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Double check
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- Yes. It was funny
What is the company?
- Budlight
Who is the target audience:
- Adults
What persuasive method used (humor, action, celebrity, human interest, etc.)?
- Humor
How were camera shots and editing used to enhance the message?
- It was a average sports bar with an upside down clown
What is the slogan/message for the company?
- Make it a bud light
Was the message effective? Why or why not?
- No. too weird
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Define “Journalism” in 1-3 sentences.
- Current events that are newsworthy.
List and describe the six criteria of newsworthiness.
TITLE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
1. Significance: more significant the event the bigger the impact
2. Timelieness: current events. the news that is going on now
3. Unusualness: out of the ordinary
4. Proximity: information related to our location
5. Prominence: care about important celebrities
6. Human Interest: feel good stories
What are the advantages of print journalism?
1.Control of when you get the news
2.You can take it with you. Portable
3.Choose to read what you want, when you want.
What are the advantages of broadcast journalism?
1.Video and sounds. A lot more accurate then trying to picture it
2.Easier to get information to public fast
3.More details
Why has online journalism (convergent media) become so popular?
Its the best of broadcast jounalism and the best of print journalism. You can read when you want and you can watch what video you want to. Its also updated as soon as it needs to be. The ultamite control of the news.
- Current events that are newsworthy.
List and describe the six criteria of newsworthiness.
TITLE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
1. Significance: more significant the event the bigger the impact
2. Timelieness: current events. the news that is going on now
3. Unusualness: out of the ordinary
4. Proximity: information related to our location
5. Prominence: care about important celebrities
6. Human Interest: feel good stories
What are the advantages of print journalism?
1.Control of when you get the news
2.You can take it with you. Portable
3.Choose to read what you want, when you want.
What are the advantages of broadcast journalism?
1.Video and sounds. A lot more accurate then trying to picture it
2.Easier to get information to public fast
3.More details
Why has online journalism (convergent media) become so popular?
Its the best of broadcast jounalism and the best of print journalism. You can read when you want and you can watch what video you want to. Its also updated as soon as it needs to be. The ultamite control of the news.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
RaPPeR
1. 2pac
2. Biggie
3. Eminem
4. Jay Z
5. Slug
6. Lil Wayne
7. Big L
8. Kanye West
9. Method Man
10. Tech N9ne
2. Biggie
3. Eminem
4. Jay Z
5. Slug
6. Lil Wayne
7. Big L
8. Kanye West
9. Method Man
10. Tech N9ne
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