Seems like all the video stuff made you a bit rusty on your writing. Let's go over some patterns I saw that I feel can be improved upon:
>>> Yes, we did have a fatal. Three, in fact. The essence of journalism is getting it right. That's our first duty; to make sure what we wrote lines up with the facts. In this case, you referred to the Ingham County Commission as both the Ingham County City Council and the City Commission, both of which are incorrect; and you listed the fire truck donation as $60,000, when in fact it was $600,000.
Finally was this slip-up in a lede:
The heroic act of two 15-year-old girls went unnoticed at the latest Ingham County Commission meeting . . .
I know what you meant to say, that the heroic acts didn't go unnoticed. But that's not what you said. And that's a fatal, I'm sorry to say.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: there is no such thing as a small error in journalism. Any mistake erodes your credibility with readers, and gets them wondering what else you may have gotten wrong. If you're going to make it as a journalist, you MUST make fact-checking your top priority.
Don't take fact-checking for granted. Learn to check items, line-by-line and item-by-item.
>>> The news isn't that things were discussed; it's what was done or not done. Too many ledes or section starts defaulted to things were discussed. That's not the news, right?
This was a lede that went in that direction:
Heroic teenage girls, gun regulations and a commissioner pay raise were some of the topics discussed at Tuesday afternoon's Ingham County Commission meeting.
You would have been better off to emphasize what happened -- and de-emphasize the simple fact that they met -- like this:
Heroic teenage girls were honored, a gun regulation was proposed and a commissioner pay raise was rejected at Tuesday afternoon's Ingham County Commission meeting.
Just putting everything into a catch-all category like "discussed" -- when some of the items wet far beyond discussion and resulted in inaction -- falls short of ultimate outcome.
>>> Label transitions to subsections. When ending reporting on one item and beginning another item, use transitional tags at the start of a subsection lede like, "In other business," or "Also at the meeting," so readers can see the transition point clearly.
>>> Fact-checking includes checking for AP Style. I don't still have to remind you of that, do I?
>>> Don't freak out. Oddly enough, looking at last semester's blog after the third out-of-class story, that class had the EXACT SAME PROBLEMS with this assignment. Literally. I just had to cut-and-paste the problem areas and update the exact examples.
A part of me says maybe we should do this test story closer to when we actually work in class on similar stories. But the other part of me says the things we learn we need to retain, as we'll need them every day as journalists. I'm leaning toward the latter.
BTW, the last class I taught had the best overall grades of any class I taught. So if this class follows suit, you'll make up for what was not a very good day around here.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
A Reminder: Extra Credit Options . . .
. . . because it looks like extra credit is needed:
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your lowest test story grade as long as the published story grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
For me to count your extra credit, you need to submit to me via email a link to your work, along with a request to have it applied to extra credit.
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS VIDEO OR BLOG PUBLISHED, I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s for EACH video or blog that gets published.
FOR DOING A REWRITE OF THE FIRST-DAY IN-CLASS PROFILE, I will replace your three lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING MULTIMEDIA AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA RELATED TO THE FIRST-DAY PROFILE, I will replace your two lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING A FIFTH OUT-OF-CLASS STORY, I will replace your lowest-scoring out-of-class story with the extra credit assignment's grade.
FOR DOING VIDEO, BLOG POSTS AND A TWEET STREAM WITH A FIFTH OUT-OF-CLASS STORY, I will replace your lowest multimedia scores with 4.0s.
FOR DOING AN OUT-OF-CLASS MINI-STORY -- which can be between 400 and 600 words, with a minimum of two human sources, in which you can cover ANY sort of event (subject t my approval) like a student group meeting or a speaker on-campus -- I will replace your lowest test story grade with the mini-story grade.
FOR GETTING THE MINI-STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your two lowest-scoring practice stories with 4.0s.
I will also consider other extra-credit projects on a case-by-case basis. Please see me during my office hours to work out other extra-credit assignments.
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN ALL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS is that you are demonstrating to me that you can now correctly apply skills learned in this class that at one time you did not apply as well; that you went above and beyond what we are learning in this class to further educate yourself in journalism; and/or you are demonstrating ability learned on your own prior to this class but applicable here. You can expect any ad hoc extra credit beyond the assignments listed here to include at least one of those components.
I don't care if you messed up earlier; show me you can get it right now and I'm happy to replace earlier grades with something more accurately reflecting where you are at NOW.
I just want to be clear on this one point regarding extra credit: extra credit will be applied to replace the grades of assignments you have actually done, including fataled assignments.
Extra credit will NOT be applied to assignments that you did not turn in, or in which you had a time fatal.
So if you were thinking of skipping an assignment or two toward the end of the semester since you've already turned in some extra credit, then that plan won't work.
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your lowest test story grade as long as the published story grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
For me to count your extra credit, you need to submit to me via email a link to your work, along with a request to have it applied to extra credit.
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS VIDEO OR BLOG PUBLISHED, I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s for EACH video or blog that gets published.
FOR DOING A REWRITE OF THE FIRST-DAY IN-CLASS PROFILE, I will replace your three lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING MULTIMEDIA AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA RELATED TO THE FIRST-DAY PROFILE, I will replace your two lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING A FIFTH OUT-OF-CLASS STORY, I will replace your lowest-scoring out-of-class story with the extra credit assignment's grade.
FOR DOING VIDEO, BLOG POSTS AND A TWEET STREAM WITH A FIFTH OUT-OF-CLASS STORY, I will replace your lowest multimedia scores with 4.0s.
FOR DOING AN OUT-OF-CLASS MINI-STORY -- which can be between 400 and 600 words, with a minimum of two human sources, in which you can cover ANY sort of event (subject t my approval) like a student group meeting or a speaker on-campus -- I will replace your lowest test story grade with the mini-story grade.
FOR GETTING THE MINI-STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your two lowest-scoring practice stories with 4.0s.
I will also consider other extra-credit projects on a case-by-case basis. Please see me during my office hours to work out other extra-credit assignments.
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN ALL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS is that you are demonstrating to me that you can now correctly apply skills learned in this class that at one time you did not apply as well; that you went above and beyond what we are learning in this class to further educate yourself in journalism; and/or you are demonstrating ability learned on your own prior to this class but applicable here. You can expect any ad hoc extra credit beyond the assignments listed here to include at least one of those components.
I don't care if you messed up earlier; show me you can get it right now and I'm happy to replace earlier grades with something more accurately reflecting where you are at NOW.
I just want to be clear on this one point regarding extra credit: extra credit will be applied to replace the grades of assignments you have actually done, including fataled assignments.
Extra credit will NOT be applied to assignments that you did not turn in, or in which you had a time fatal.
So if you were thinking of skipping an assignment or two toward the end of the semester since you've already turned in some extra credit, then that plan won't work.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Videos/Blogs/Tweets -- All Together Now . . .
Instead of looking at your second multimedia assignments by medium, let's look at things by topic and as a unified multimedia approach using video, blogs and tweets. I'll comment as we go along, and feel free to chime in as well.
But my general comments are these: you guys are quickly picking up multimedia storytelling. I've seen many good videos, original approaches, strong content via sound bites and hyperlinks and telling b-roll and factoid-style tweets and such. I'm very happy with your quick progress in this area that seemed so confusing just days ago.
Here we go:
ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK
video / blog / tweets
BW3 UNDER-21 BAN
video / blog / tweets
FOOD WASTE
video / blog / tweets
SMOKING BAN
video / blog / tweets
OFF-CAMPUS LIVING
interactive map w/video / blog / tweets
We'll look at some more combos next week.
But my general comments are these: you guys are quickly picking up multimedia storytelling. I've seen many good videos, original approaches, strong content via sound bites and hyperlinks and telling b-roll and factoid-style tweets and such. I'm very happy with your quick progress in this area that seemed so confusing just days ago.
Here we go:
ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK
video / blog / tweets
BW3 UNDER-21 BAN
video / blog / tweets
FOOD WASTE
video / blog / tweets
SMOKING BAN
video / blog / tweets
OFF-CAMPUS LIVING
interactive map w/video / blog / tweets
We'll look at some more combos next week.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Videos -- One Last Initial Look
I won't review every initial tweet and blog and video you all did (though you can expect more thorough class reviews in the future). Most were decent for a first try and exhibited the sort of things we've seen in previous reviews.
But I will pull out a couple of videos that I thought stood out.
In all fairness, the producer of this vid had previous video experience, so he had a head start from many of you.
Still, I want you to notice -- and even emulate -- the strong points shown. Look at the creativity and variety of b-roll. Look at the use of captions. Look at the use of fairly short and to-to-point sound bytes. Look at the way the producer went to a bite, then someone else's bite, then back to the original person's bite. It nicely breaks up the first person's bite so the viewer doesn't get stuck listening to one person talk on and on and on. Note the narration at the start of the piece, offering a strong lede to the story.
There's a lot to learn from this vid.
This next vid has a lede that's very fun and produced well but not exactly in the most journalistic style; still, for this first assignment it's fine. But what I really like is the back-and-forth use of sound bites. It doesn't feel like an interview; it feels like a conversation the viewer is having with two students. Very nice way to break up what was time-wise a verrrrry loooooong video.
But I will pull out a couple of videos that I thought stood out.
In all fairness, the producer of this vid had previous video experience, so he had a head start from many of you.
Still, I want you to notice -- and even emulate -- the strong points shown. Look at the creativity and variety of b-roll. Look at the use of captions. Look at the use of fairly short and to-to-point sound bytes. Look at the way the producer went to a bite, then someone else's bite, then back to the original person's bite. It nicely breaks up the first person's bite so the viewer doesn't get stuck listening to one person talk on and on and on. Note the narration at the start of the piece, offering a strong lede to the story.
There's a lot to learn from this vid.
This next vid has a lede that's very fun and produced well but not exactly in the most journalistic style; still, for this first assignment it's fine. But what I really like is the back-and-forth use of sound bites. It doesn't feel like an interview; it feels like a conversation the viewer is having with two students. Very nice way to break up what was time-wise a verrrrry loooooong video.
Making Maps -- Sooooo Easy
Seriously, it's easy as hell.
Let's go to Google Maps and make one now!
This is a map I made a while back. Took me all of about two minutes to do it. Beyond this, you can use different locator tabs, embed pics and videos and links, ect.
Maps work well with stories where geography and location weigh heavily in telling a story, like where crimes happen on campus and such. It also allows readers to interact with the story, clicking on tabs and reading about whatever news happens at that location.
Let's go to Google Maps and make one now!
This is a map I made a while back. Took me all of about two minutes to do it. Beyond this, you can use different locator tabs, embed pics and videos and links, ect.
Maps work well with stories where geography and location weigh heavily in telling a story, like where crimes happen on campus and such. It also allows readers to interact with the story, clicking on tabs and reading about whatever news happens at that location.
Multimedia -- Something A Bit Different . . .
We've been talking about video, but really multimedia is simply finding an active way to present a story. And it doesn't have to be video.
Here are some options offered by students from my past JRN 200 classes.
One MM presentation was something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by past students. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
For your multimedia component, these options are perfectly acceptable, as long as you tell me in advance. So, whaddya think?
Here are some options offered by students from my past JRN 200 classes.
One MM presentation was something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by past students. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
For your multimedia component, these options are perfectly acceptable, as long as you tell me in advance. So, whaddya think?
Twitter: How To Tweet A Non-Breaking News Story
Tweeting a breaking news story is easy, as you've learned. Just type what you see, as you see it. But how do you tweet something that isn't breaking? Like a trend story, or something about a topic without a specific time peg or an actual event associated with it?
Actually, that's easy, too!
That was a situation a student in one of my past JRN 200 classes faced. She was doing a story about a rash of concussions among student-athletes. And here's her tweet stream, which I reversed so that you see her first tweet first and her last tweet last; the opposite of how it would appear on Twitter. Here we go:
#concussedathletes Over 300,000 sports related concussions occur each year, according to the Brain Trauma Research Center.
#concussedathletes The NCAA, the nation's largest college athletic association, has no guidelines for treating athletes with head injuries.
#concussedathletes The Big Ten is trying to implement its own regulations to deal with concussed athletes.
#concussedathletes Michigan State University is not pushing for the Big Ten to have the regulations.
#concussedathletes MSU soccer goalkeeper Liz Watza has had five concussions and said "The NCAA should create guidelines."
#concussedathletes Sports Specialist Dr. Homer Linard said the main concern with letting injured athletes back in the game is brain injury.
#concussedathletes Suffering a second concussion shortly after the first one can be deadly, according to the Brain Trauma Research Center.
#concussedathletes Incoming freshmen athletes at MSU are given a specific concussion test, called ImPACT. impacttest.com
#concussedathletes Athletic Clinical Coordinator Brian Bratta said "ImPACT assesses memory, cognitive ability and function of the brain."
#concussedathletes Once a concussion occurs at MSU, the athlete takes ImPACT again to gauge the severity of the injury.
Now, please notice a few things. Look at the first four tweets. Each could be a lede, right? For many of you, in writing a story -- especially trend stories -- you may find that you have more than one good lede option, but you can only choose one lede. But in tweeting the news, each lede option can become its own tweet.
Second, the tweeter took telling quotes and made each a tweet, like that of teh player giving her opinion on the subject. Just like a quote in a story, it's not YOUR opinion; it's what somebody who is a subject of your story thinks.
Third, interesting facts are offered as tweets, like those on what the effects of a concussion can be.
Fourth, a mini-series of tweets are used to explain a nuance of the story, like the half-dozen tweets that in total detail how MSU deals with concussed athletes.
Fifth, hyperlinks are offered via tweet. Notice the tweet that uses a bit.ly link. Bit.ly is a URL shortener that will take a long URL and convert it into a shorter one that better fits on a character-restricted service like Twitter.
Let's take a look at what bit.ly can do for you, via this link.
Actually, that's easy, too!
That was a situation a student in one of my past JRN 200 classes faced. She was doing a story about a rash of concussions among student-athletes. And here's her tweet stream, which I reversed so that you see her first tweet first and her last tweet last; the opposite of how it would appear on Twitter. Here we go:
#concussedathletes Over 300,000 sports related concussions occur each year, according to the Brain Trauma Research Center.
#concussedathletes The NCAA, the nation's largest college athletic association, has no guidelines for treating athletes with head injuries.
#concussedathletes The Big Ten is trying to implement its own regulations to deal with concussed athletes.
#concussedathletes Michigan State University is not pushing for the Big Ten to have the regulations.
#concussedathletes MSU soccer goalkeeper Liz Watza has had five concussions and said "The NCAA should create guidelines."
#concussedathletes Sports Specialist Dr. Homer Linard said the main concern with letting injured athletes back in the game is brain injury.
#concussedathletes Suffering a second concussion shortly after the first one can be deadly, according to the Brain Trauma Research Center.
#concussedathletes Incoming freshmen athletes at MSU are given a specific concussion test, called ImPACT. impacttest.com
#concussedathletes Athletic Clinical Coordinator Brian Bratta said "ImPACT assesses memory, cognitive ability and function of the brain."
#concussedathletes Once a concussion occurs at MSU, the athlete takes ImPACT again to gauge the severity of the injury.
#concussedathletes Despite new technology, the biggest indicator is the presence of symptoms, said Bratta. http://tinyurl.com/6cq9dx
#concussedathletes When a head injury occurs, MSU athletes are immediately given SCAT, the Standardized Concussion Assessment Test.
#concussedathletes SCAT is a checklist of common symptoms and tests balance, said MSU Certified Athletic Trainer Yume Nakamura.
#concussedathletes When a head injury occurs, MSU athletes are immediately given SCAT, the Standardized Concussion Assessment Test.
#concussedathletes SCAT is a checklist of common symptoms and tests balance, said MSU Certified Athletic Trainer Yume Nakamura.
Now, please notice a few things. Look at the first four tweets. Each could be a lede, right? For many of you, in writing a story -- especially trend stories -- you may find that you have more than one good lede option, but you can only choose one lede. But in tweeting the news, each lede option can become its own tweet.
Second, the tweeter took telling quotes and made each a tweet, like that of teh player giving her opinion on the subject. Just like a quote in a story, it's not YOUR opinion; it's what somebody who is a subject of your story thinks.
Third, interesting facts are offered as tweets, like those on what the effects of a concussion can be.
Fourth, a mini-series of tweets are used to explain a nuance of the story, like the half-dozen tweets that in total detail how MSU deals with concussed athletes.
Fifth, hyperlinks are offered via tweet. Notice the tweet that uses a bit.ly link. Bit.ly is a URL shortener that will take a long URL and convert it into a shorter one that better fits on a character-restricted service like Twitter.
Let's take a look at what bit.ly can do for you, via this link.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Let's look at some videos!
First up is this one. Note the nice use of b-roll; that is, video of something regarding what an interview subject is talking about, used while the interview subject is talking. B-roll lets you show and tell your viewer simultaneously, while also allowing you to break away from lingering on a static and boring shot of someone simply talking.
Two nit-picks about this vid -- first, the sound quality was poor. Yeah, I know you're working with basic equipment, but make sure that you grab audio in as non-echoey and quiet a space as possible. And get a microphone as close as you can to the subject; in the case of using flip cameras, that means shooting very close-up if you are shooting an interview.
B-roll would have helped this video. I know this topic wasn't the most visual: it's about what you learned in class; how visual can that be? But in an ideal situation where you had more time, you could b-roll students in class, working on stories and keyboarding in assignments and such.
This next one uses captions, but those captions are incomplete. Think about the same standard you'd use for attribution in print: what is the minimum amount of information readers need to know to sufficiently identify the interview subject and know why they are credible on this subject?
I'd say you need a full name and some sort of title; like Makia Brooks, JRN 200 student as opposed to just Makia.
One vid went a bit away from journalistic style and led with a bit of a scripted moment, but for this assignment it's okay. It's cleanly edited and well-structured and offers some telling comments from its interview subjects, once we get away from the start.
Here, I think captions would have helped as a form of attribution. Think of it just like a print story; you wouldn't put in a quote without saying who it's from, and what that person's title and relevance to the story is, right?
This one is fairly raw. Not atypical for a first assignment, and that's fine. I mostly wanted you to simply start getting used to shooting interviews and editing tape. What would you do to beef up this tpe? I'd like to hear some good ideas.
Now I'd like to hear from you guys about this assignment. What worked well? What did not? How easy or hard was it? What was fun and what sucked? What would you do different, now that you have one vid under your belt?
We'll look at some more video Wednesday.
Two nit-picks about this vid -- first, the sound quality was poor. Yeah, I know you're working with basic equipment, but make sure that you grab audio in as non-echoey and quiet a space as possible. And get a microphone as close as you can to the subject; in the case of using flip cameras, that means shooting very close-up if you are shooting an interview.
B-roll would have helped this video. I know this topic wasn't the most visual: it's about what you learned in class; how visual can that be? But in an ideal situation where you had more time, you could b-roll students in class, working on stories and keyboarding in assignments and such.
This next one uses captions, but those captions are incomplete. Think about the same standard you'd use for attribution in print: what is the minimum amount of information readers need to know to sufficiently identify the interview subject and know why they are credible on this subject?
I'd say you need a full name and some sort of title; like Makia Brooks, JRN 200 student as opposed to just Makia.
One vid went a bit away from journalistic style and led with a bit of a scripted moment, but for this assignment it's okay. It's cleanly edited and well-structured and offers some telling comments from its interview subjects, once we get away from the start.
Here, I think captions would have helped as a form of attribution. Think of it just like a print story; you wouldn't put in a quote without saying who it's from, and what that person's title and relevance to the story is, right?
This one is fairly raw. Not atypical for a first assignment, and that's fine. I mostly wanted you to simply start getting used to shooting interviews and editing tape. What would you do to beef up this tpe? I'd like to hear some good ideas.
Now I'd like to hear from you guys about this assignment. What worked well? What did not? How easy or hard was it? What was fun and what sucked? What would you do different, now that you have one vid under your belt?
We'll look at some more video Wednesday.
Let's look at some blogs and tweets!
We'll look at blogs and tweet streams in complementary pairs; since each medium was supposed to help tell the same story. First up will be a report on MSU men's basketball. These two blog posts dissect the team in two ways; first, there's an up-to-now season recap, and then a game review.
Nice use of hyperlinks that offer background not only in text, but in video as well. Really, whatever background you offer by hyperlink can be in any other medium, as long as the content helps tell the story or builds upon the story or offers relevant background.
Here's the related tweet stream, which follows the aforementioned game as the score waxes and wanes. That's a basic and effective way of tweeting a game, but think about other observances you can note: substitutions, whether the coach is going batshit crazy at any given moment, player reactions, crowd reactions, ect.
These blogs looked at the comeback of a long-gone sitcom actor from two perspectives; first, the broader view of where he AND his castmates are now; and then a post zeroing in on the one cast member's comeback. Look at the very nice use of hyperlinks to provide background here, allowing the blog to be much shorter in size than a print story offering comparable information.
Now, the tweets, which are about the actor's new TV show. Nice use here of telling moments and pulled quotes. Ideally, you can take a tweet stream, read them from first posted to most recently posted, and be able to make sense of how things unfolded. That you do here.
These blog posts offer a similar inside/outside perspective here. One post i about a specific band; the other is about a club performance featuring several different bands, including the one you profiled. Here, social media offers compelling -- and easy! -- hyperlink connections. Very nice tweet stream with the sort of observable moments I cited earlier as a good thing to look for and include.
There's a very nice personal voice here in these blogs about the TV show Glee. Still, I'll find a couple of flaws. First, make sure that your hyperlinks actually work and that they don't go bad. Nothing more frustrating to readers than a dead end to information, as opposed to a gateway.
Second, your original blog post ends with, (continued in blog 2). Totally unnecessary. A blog is an ongoing conversation, so of course you'll have more to say.
The related tweet stream takes an interesting perspective. Instead of following what's happening blow-by-blow, you offer instant analysis of what's happening. Not a bad use of a tweet stream during an event other people have access to.
Okay, like we did with videos, now please chime in on blogs and tweets. Gimme the good and the bad and what you learned and what you're still wondering about.
We'll look at more blog/tweet combos Wednesday.
Nice use of hyperlinks that offer background not only in text, but in video as well. Really, whatever background you offer by hyperlink can be in any other medium, as long as the content helps tell the story or builds upon the story or offers relevant background.
Here's the related tweet stream, which follows the aforementioned game as the score waxes and wanes. That's a basic and effective way of tweeting a game, but think about other observances you can note: substitutions, whether the coach is going batshit crazy at any given moment, player reactions, crowd reactions, ect.
These blogs looked at the comeback of a long-gone sitcom actor from two perspectives; first, the broader view of where he AND his castmates are now; and then a post zeroing in on the one cast member's comeback. Look at the very nice use of hyperlinks to provide background here, allowing the blog to be much shorter in size than a print story offering comparable information.
Now, the tweets, which are about the actor's new TV show. Nice use here of telling moments and pulled quotes. Ideally, you can take a tweet stream, read them from first posted to most recently posted, and be able to make sense of how things unfolded. That you do here.
These blog posts offer a similar inside/outside perspective here. One post i about a specific band; the other is about a club performance featuring several different bands, including the one you profiled. Here, social media offers compelling -- and easy! -- hyperlink connections. Very nice tweet stream with the sort of observable moments I cited earlier as a good thing to look for and include.
There's a very nice personal voice here in these blogs about the TV show Glee. Still, I'll find a couple of flaws. First, make sure that your hyperlinks actually work and that they don't go bad. Nothing more frustrating to readers than a dead end to information, as opposed to a gateway.
Second, your original blog post ends with, (continued in blog 2). Totally unnecessary. A blog is an ongoing conversation, so of course you'll have more to say.
The related tweet stream takes an interesting perspective. Instead of following what's happening blow-by-blow, you offer instant analysis of what's happening. Not a bad use of a tweet stream during an event other people have access to.
Okay, like we did with videos, now please chime in on blogs and tweets. Gimme the good and the bad and what you learned and what you're still wondering about.
We'll look at more blog/tweet combos Wednesday.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Test #2 -- Some General Observations . . .
First off, most of you did well in this assignment, and no one did awful. Lots of good story structure and organization; many good ledes followed by explanatory nut grafs and telling quotes.
Still some problems with attribution. Make sure each graf containing information which you did not observe and which does not aggregate information from multiple sources has an attribution.
Also, using the name of a state in conjunction with a city's name usually is not necessary when the city is within the state of your publication. So adding the state name to Grand Rapids, for example, was unnecessary. If the flight originated from Peoria, Ill., then you would have to add the state ID.
There are some cities, like Chicago, that almost never need a state name,, regardless.
Plus, if the quotes you used in this story were ones you gathered straight from the mouth of the sources, then capitalizing Daddy inside of quotes would have been improper. You can make changes to conform with AP Style with quotes spoken to you, since that would not change the meaning at all.
If these quotes came from a document, though, then you would have to stick with the literal text if used as a quote (but not if you change it to a paraphrase).
Please review AP style under cities and towns, and city, and datelines.
It's also important that you simplify terms for your readers. Some of you noted one of the passengers suffered lacerations. What is a laceration? It's a fancy word for a cut. So, why not say the passenger suffered cuts, then? Try to use layman's terms whenever you can.
Also, make sure that you adequately go over your information before you start writing and find any inconsistencies. How many of you noticed Alyssa was spelled two different ways? Not many of you asked which spelling was correct. And if you did notice but didn't seek clarification, you were in the wrong.
Don't assume anything. Maybe the girl spells her name an unusual way, but someone offering you the information thinks it's spelled the conventional way and passes on an error. If I decided the unusual spelling was the correct spelling, many of you would have fataled this assignment.
Don't assume. Check it out.
And try to find the best and most accurate words to use. One person's lede called the event a "potential crisis." Well, I would argue that a pilot passing out and forcing a kid to take control of a plane is a crisis. What was averted was a crisis turning into a disaster, right?
A couple of you said what was avoided was a "potential tragedy." I think that's far more accurate and correctly descriptive of the event.
Finally, don't overlook the obvious. One story failed to mention the time element until well into the story, and even then in offering a time, the story never said what day the incident took place!
A couple of other people were vague or late in saying where this happened: in Lansing.
Don't forget your 5 w's: who, what, when, where, why (and how). Make sure not only that you have those answered in your story, but that they are listed prominently as well.
Still some problems with attribution. Make sure each graf containing information which you did not observe and which does not aggregate information from multiple sources has an attribution.
Also, using the name of a state in conjunction with a city's name usually is not necessary when the city is within the state of your publication. So adding the state name to Grand Rapids, for example, was unnecessary. If the flight originated from Peoria, Ill., then you would have to add the state ID.
There are some cities, like Chicago, that almost never need a state name,, regardless.
Plus, if the quotes you used in this story were ones you gathered straight from the mouth of the sources, then capitalizing Daddy inside of quotes would have been improper. You can make changes to conform with AP Style with quotes spoken to you, since that would not change the meaning at all.
If these quotes came from a document, though, then you would have to stick with the literal text if used as a quote (but not if you change it to a paraphrase).
Please review AP style under cities and towns, and city, and datelines.
It's also important that you simplify terms for your readers. Some of you noted one of the passengers suffered lacerations. What is a laceration? It's a fancy word for a cut. So, why not say the passenger suffered cuts, then? Try to use layman's terms whenever you can.
Also, make sure that you adequately go over your information before you start writing and find any inconsistencies. How many of you noticed Alyssa was spelled two different ways? Not many of you asked which spelling was correct. And if you did notice but didn't seek clarification, you were in the wrong.
Don't assume anything. Maybe the girl spells her name an unusual way, but someone offering you the information thinks it's spelled the conventional way and passes on an error. If I decided the unusual spelling was the correct spelling, many of you would have fataled this assignment.
Don't assume. Check it out.
And try to find the best and most accurate words to use. One person's lede called the event a "potential crisis." Well, I would argue that a pilot passing out and forcing a kid to take control of a plane is a crisis. What was averted was a crisis turning into a disaster, right?
A couple of you said what was avoided was a "potential tragedy." I think that's far more accurate and correctly descriptive of the event.
Finally, don't overlook the obvious. One story failed to mention the time element until well into the story, and even then in offering a time, the story never said what day the incident took place!
A couple of other people were vague or late in saying where this happened: in Lansing.
Don't forget your 5 w's: who, what, when, where, why (and how). Make sure not only that you have those answered in your story, but that they are listed prominently as well.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Video -- Some Editing Help
One basic video editing program is iMovie, which is available on most lab desktops in this building and for which I have a link to this guide on how to use it.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
Videos -- Some Examples
I know this might be a tough assignment, given that you don't have much to refer to. But guess what? You do. Here's some videos from my fall 2010 JRN 200 class, along with comments/critiques of their work.
First up is this video. It ran way over the one minute that you were allotted, but for now let's simply focus on how the story was told. The lede wasn't one I'd recommend with a harder news story, but in this case it was fine.
The problem was with the audio. I can barely hear what some folks are saying. Can you? Make sure you follow some of the recording tips offered in the handout I gave you last week and in the downloaded texts I offered in the syllabus: Journalism 2.0 by Mark Briggs and The Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency by Mindy McAdams.
In the same way a print story must be easy for a reader to navigate in terms of word use and sentence structure, a video story has to be easy to watch and listen to in terms of clear video and understandable audio. Make sure the audio and video are clear and easy to follow for your viewers.
Try to be precise in where you have transitions between interviews. In this video, the first person seems to get cut off. Perhaps you transitioned too quickly. With the last one, the interview subject kind of trails off at the end. Maybe the edit should have been a bit sooner. In the same way you try to be precise in using quotes in print, try to be just as precise in audio and video.
Now let's look at this one. And this one. Whaddya think?
One of you did something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by this class. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
I'm sorry to say this story failed in a very critical area: one name was misspelled in the closing credits.
I wish I didn't have to, since otherwise this was such a nicely-done assignment. But no matter what the medium, the journalistic value of getting it right applies. If I gave you a pass on multimedia, I send the message that it is lesser journalism. It's not. I'm sorry to say this was a fatal.
First up is this video. It ran way over the one minute that you were allotted, but for now let's simply focus on how the story was told. The lede wasn't one I'd recommend with a harder news story, but in this case it was fine.
The problem was with the audio. I can barely hear what some folks are saying. Can you? Make sure you follow some of the recording tips offered in the handout I gave you last week and in the downloaded texts I offered in the syllabus: Journalism 2.0 by Mark Briggs and The Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency by Mindy McAdams.
In the same way a print story must be easy for a reader to navigate in terms of word use and sentence structure, a video story has to be easy to watch and listen to in terms of clear video and understandable audio. Make sure the audio and video are clear and easy to follow for your viewers.
This video also has some choppy audio, but what I want you to focus in on is the use of multimedia tools in this video, such as titles and captions and transitions (like the page-flip effect between interviews) and even background music. When you're in a visual medium, use the tools offered by programs like iMovie to maximize your presentation.
Such tools aren't just to make your video look flashy. The captions with each interview, for example, provide value-added information: the name of who is being interviewed. It gives the viewer MORE information. That's a good job of attribution, which is a basic journalistic principle. The tool, in this case, allowed you to seamlessly offer that attribution.
Instead of relying on titles and such, in this video you offered narration before heading into the interview sections. Note a common problem -- and a frequent problem for first-time videographers -- and that's poor sound. Try to avoid spots that create an echo (like a hotel hallway) or places with background noise. If you can use a microphone, put it close to your subject. If you are using a device lacking an extended mike -- like a Flip camera -- try to shoot the person as close to the camera as possible, so audio doesn't suffer.
Now let's look at this one. And this one. Whaddya think?
One of you did something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by this class. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
I'm sorry to say this story failed in a very critical area: one name was misspelled in the closing credits.
I wish I didn't have to, since otherwise this was such a nicely-done assignment. But no matter what the medium, the journalistic value of getting it right applies. If I gave you a pass on multimedia, I send the message that it is lesser journalism. It's not. I'm sorry to say this was a fatal.
Blogs -- An Example
I'm sorry to say most of the JRN 200 blog posts from the fall are either gone or buried under socres of more recent blog postings.
But I think you may be able to get a sense of how you can turn a news story into a blog by looking at this Gawker.com blog post based on a news story you have have heard about on your own: Michigan's ban on energy drink/alcohol mixes. Oh, and whaddya know, this blog links to -- and even credits -- The State News!
Take a look at the blog and its style and how it presents information, and then look at the State News story and its presentation method. See similarities? Differences? How alike goals are accomplished in differing ways? And see how helpful hyperlinking is to provide background without cluttering the blog or breaking its conversational tone?
But I think you may be able to get a sense of how you can turn a news story into a blog by looking at this Gawker.com blog post based on a news story you have have heard about on your own: Michigan's ban on energy drink/alcohol mixes. Oh, and whaddya know, this blog links to -- and even credits -- The State News!
Take a look at the blog and its style and how it presents information, and then look at the State News story and its presentation method. See similarities? Differences? How alike goals are accomplished in differing ways? And see how helpful hyperlinking is to provide background without cluttering the blog or breaking its conversational tone?
Tweeting -- Some Examples
Unfortunately, many of the Tweet streams from my last JRN 200 class are long gone. But here are some tips for tweeting from last semester:
>>> If you go waaaay beyond 12 tweets, that's okay! If there's something going on that calls for constant updates, then tweet away until you feel the story is adequately told.
>>> You can supplement your tweets with links to a photo uploading site, like yFrog, which can help tell the story beyond the 140 characters allowed in a tweet, and beyond simple words.
>>> You can also link to anything on the Web with the aid of a URL shortener, like bit.ly. What the service does is take a URL and replace it with a much shorter one. Using a bit.ly link here gives you more room to write text without the URL taking up so much space.
>>> Ideally, the best tweet streams can be put in reverse order and read just like an inverted-pyramid news story, with (timewise) your first tweet summing up what happened, and the following tweets filling in details and offering a chronology as something unfolds.>>> If you go waaaay beyond 12 tweets, that's okay! If there's something going on that calls for constant updates, then tweet away until you feel the story is adequately told.
And that's the most basic value of Twitter -- it's another way to relay events live and as they happen to an audience who may not be near a TV or radio or whatever. You can essentially "broadcast" live, just using text sent to mobile devices of readers.
>>> You can also link to anything on the Web with the aid of a URL shortener, like bit.ly. What the service does is take a URL and replace it with a much shorter one. Using a bit.ly link here gives you more room to write text without the URL taking up so much space.
Here -- again, in reverse order, with the tweets in order of when they were posted -- is the State News' sports Tweet stream just before and from the press conference announcing Coach Dantonio's heart attack:
Report: Football head coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack but is OK.
There is a "important football-related press conference" scheduled for 1 p.m. It is unclear if it is related to reports of Dantonio's health
MSU: Dantonio will remain at the hospital for a few days for monitoring. Return to sidelines at a later date.
MSU: Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell will manage day-to-day responsibilities of head coach.
MSU: Dantonio had "symptoms consistent with a heart attack."
MSU: Dantonio had a cardiac catheterization procedure early Sunday morning.
AD Mark Hollis said Dantonio will not be on the sidelines for the Northern Colorado game Saturday.
Hollis: "This is a time for the Spartan nation to come together, to rally."
Dr. D'Haem of Sparrow Hospital said a full recover is expected.
Dr. D'Haem said procedure is very routine and happens often. Also said he expects no long-term negative impact. Return yet to be determined.
Dr. D'Haem said Dantonio began feeling symptoms around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
Dr. D'Haem: Heart attacks are never good...but I would classify this as a rather small heart attack.
Hollis said he spent the night at the hospital until about 5:30, the returned to hospital this morning at 8.
Dr. D'Haem: "Stress doesn't cause coronary heart disease, but very stressful events can be a trigger."
Coach Treadwell on players' reaction: "They're handling it as well as they can. They love their head coach."
Hollis: "(Dantonio's) thoughts went immediately to his family and then to the football program."
Treadwell said the fact staff has been together for a number of years will make this process easier from a football point of view.
Dr. D'Haem said timetable for Dantonio's return will be taken week-by-week.
There's a lede. There's a nut graf. There's supporting details. There are quotes. There is background. It collectively qualifies as a journalistic story. And you did it within the confines of social media.
This is exactly how The Associated Press wire service has always filed breaking news stories as a story is breaking: line-by-line, with the idea the lines can be pasted together into a story. It allows the writer to push out a story (and an editor to edit copy) much faster than if he or she waited to have a mass of information combined into a story, and yet a reader still ends up with all the information they need to consider the package in its totality.
There is a "important football-related press conference" scheduled for 1 p.m. It is unclear if it is related to reports of Dantonio's health
MSU: Dantonio will remain at the hospital for a few days for monitoring. Return to sidelines at a later date.
MSU: Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell will manage day-to-day responsibilities of head coach.
MSU: Dantonio had "symptoms consistent with a heart attack."
MSU: Dantonio had a cardiac catheterization procedure early Sunday morning.
AD Mark Hollis said Dantonio will not be on the sidelines for the Northern Colorado game Saturday.
Hollis: "This is a time for the Spartan nation to come together, to rally."
Dr. D'Haem of Sparrow Hospital said a full recover is expected.
Dr. D'Haem said procedure is very routine and happens often. Also said he expects no long-term negative impact. Return yet to be determined.
Dr. D'Haem said Dantonio began feeling symptoms around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
Dr. D'Haem: Heart attacks are never good...but I would classify this as a rather small heart attack.
Hollis said he spent the night at the hospital until about 5:30, the returned to hospital this morning at 8.
Dr. D'Haem: "Stress doesn't cause coronary heart disease, but very stressful events can be a trigger."
Coach Treadwell on players' reaction: "They're handling it as well as they can. They love their head coach."
Hollis: "(Dantonio's) thoughts went immediately to his family and then to the football program."
Treadwell said the fact staff has been together for a number of years will make this process easier from a football point of view.
Dr. D'Haem said timetable for Dantonio's return will be taken week-by-week.
There's a lede. There's a nut graf. There's supporting details. There are quotes. There is background. It collectively qualifies as a journalistic story. And you did it within the confines of social media.
This is exactly how The Associated Press wire service has always filed breaking news stories as a story is breaking: line-by-line, with the idea the lines can be pasted together into a story. It allows the writer to push out a story (and an editor to edit copy) much faster than if he or she waited to have a mass of information combined into a story, and yet a reader still ends up with all the information they need to consider the package in its totality.
So really, tweets are just a way of applying old journalistic skills in a new way.
Multimedia -- How To Do A Video Story
Well, not really. But this video from the BBC is kind of correct in its (snarky) advice on a basic way to structure a video story. (Thanks for the heads-up, Ryan McPhail!)
Multimedia Homework -- A Reminder
What you need to do is . . .
. . . find ANY THING to observe -- a sporting event, fave TV show, a real news happening, whatever -- and . . .
1. Do at least 12 live tweets, each with the same hashtag of your choosing, via your Twitter account.
2. Do at least two blog posts of 100-400 words, each with at least two hyperlinks, via your blogspot account.
3. Send links to your Twitter and blog accounts to omars@msu.edu by 9 a.m. Monday.
Then, you ALSO need to do a 1-minute video story or photo/audio slide show on what peopel have learned sofar in JRN 200, using a minimum of two sources from among your classmates. Then upload the video to YouTube, and send me a link to the video by 9 a.m. Monday.
. . . find ANY THING to observe -- a sporting event, fave TV show, a real news happening, whatever -- and . . .
1. Do at least 12 live tweets, each with the same hashtag of your choosing, via your Twitter account.
2. Do at least two blog posts of 100-400 words, each with at least two hyperlinks, via your blogspot account.
3. Send links to your Twitter and blog accounts to omars@msu.edu by 9 a.m. Monday.
Then, you ALSO need to do a 1-minute video story or photo/audio slide show on what peopel have learned sofar in JRN 200, using a minimum of two sources from among your classmates. Then upload the video to YouTube, and send me a link to the video by 9 a.m. Monday.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Stats -- Write With (AP) Style
Is it internet, or Internet?
Did anyone look in AP Style, under Internet?
If you did, you'd see it's Internet, capitalized.
Please review AP Style under Internet.
Did anyone look in AP Style, under Internet?
If you did, you'd see it's Internet, capitalized.
Please review AP Style under Internet.
Lawsuit -- Write With (AP) Style
In AP style, under titles:
In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual's name.
That means, if you are referring to the principal in the generic, then it's lower-case:
In response, the principal said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
If you are adding the title before the name, then you do capitalize:
In response, Principal Greg Hubbard said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
But if you do not directly connect the name and title, then the title remains lower-case.
In response, the principal of the school, Greg Hubbard, said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
Please review AP Style under titles.
In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual's name.
That means, if you are referring to the principal in the generic, then it's lower-case:
In response, the principal said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
If you are adding the title before the name, then you do capitalize:
In response, Principal Greg Hubbard said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
But if you do not directly connect the name and title, then the title remains lower-case.
In response, the principal of the school, Greg Hubbard, said the plaintiff's son is a dumbass.
Please review AP Style under titles.
Extra Credit -- An Important Point To Make
I just want to be clear on this one point regarding extra credit: extra credit will be applied to replace the grades of assignments you have actually done, including fataled assignments.
Extra credit will NOT be applied to assignments that you did not turn in, or in which you had a time fatal.
So if you were thinking of skipping an assignment or two toward the end of the semester since you've already turned in some extra credit, then that plan won't work.
Extra credit will NOT be applied to assignments that you did not turn in, or in which you had a time fatal.
So if you were thinking of skipping an assignment or two toward the end of the semester since you've already turned in some extra credit, then that plan won't work.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Out-of-Class Story #1 -- The Rewrite
Some general observations on your first rewrite:
Doing rewrites helped your grades. The average grade on the original story was a 2.7. The average rewrite grade was nearly a 3.2. That raised the overall average final grade for this assignment to a 3.0. And that's no small increase, given that just one out-of-class story is equal to 10 -- yes, 10! -- practice stories that we do in class.
Don't simply correct what I note. Take the opportunity to step back and look at your story in total. You're not writing it from scratch, so you have the time to just read it and see if it sounds like a sensible story to someone who may be encountering your topic for the first time and who has no prior knowledge of anything you're writing about.
Ask yourself, does it flow the way you want it to? Is it logically sequenced? Do any changes you make create the need for a restructuring of your story to make it read the best? Would it make sense to your grandmother if you gave it to her to read?
Don't be afraid to play with your story a bit and to fine-tune it beyond my suggestions. The worst thing that could happen is that your grade would be no worse off than before.
Make sure you spell people's names correctly! Someone fataled the spelling of a name. I know that because I compared the person's name to what was listed at MSU People Search.
That person received a major break because I did not catch the same fatal on their original paper. This one time only, I will not dock the person for the original fatal. The next time, your grades will be subject to revision if I subsequently find a fatal that I missed while originally grading the assignment.
Whenever you interview any subject, don't assume you know how their name is spelled. Ask them to spell it out for you. Each time. Every time. You know what happens when you assume.
Make sure that you get contact information for your sources, and that you list their contact info after your story! First, you should be getting contact info in case you have questions later. Second, I want to be able to contact your sources randomly and verify the information you gathered.
Neutral experts help! One of you did a story on the lawsuit against Taco Bell, alleging it uses subpar meat. You got statements from the lawyers behind the suit. And Taco Bell. And an MSU professor who specializes in food law!
Another one of you did a story on STDs, and you found a professor in Alabama who happens to head an international STD association. That person was able to help rate a vaccine that was developed by a pharmaceutical company that has a profit motive in touting the drug. The prof, of course, has no similar motive. He's just calling it like he sees it, based on his expertise.
Good gets!
Doing rewrites helped your grades. The average grade on the original story was a 2.7. The average rewrite grade was nearly a 3.2. That raised the overall average final grade for this assignment to a 3.0. And that's no small increase, given that just one out-of-class story is equal to 10 -- yes, 10! -- practice stories that we do in class.
Don't simply correct what I note. Take the opportunity to step back and look at your story in total. You're not writing it from scratch, so you have the time to just read it and see if it sounds like a sensible story to someone who may be encountering your topic for the first time and who has no prior knowledge of anything you're writing about.
Ask yourself, does it flow the way you want it to? Is it logically sequenced? Do any changes you make create the need for a restructuring of your story to make it read the best? Would it make sense to your grandmother if you gave it to her to read?
Don't be afraid to play with your story a bit and to fine-tune it beyond my suggestions. The worst thing that could happen is that your grade would be no worse off than before.
Make sure you spell people's names correctly! Someone fataled the spelling of a name. I know that because I compared the person's name to what was listed at MSU People Search.
That person received a major break because I did not catch the same fatal on their original paper. This one time only, I will not dock the person for the original fatal. The next time, your grades will be subject to revision if I subsequently find a fatal that I missed while originally grading the assignment.
Whenever you interview any subject, don't assume you know how their name is spelled. Ask them to spell it out for you. Each time. Every time. You know what happens when you assume.
Make sure that you get contact information for your sources, and that you list their contact info after your story! First, you should be getting contact info in case you have questions later. Second, I want to be able to contact your sources randomly and verify the information you gathered.
Neutral experts help! One of you did a story on the lawsuit against Taco Bell, alleging it uses subpar meat. You got statements from the lawyers behind the suit. And Taco Bell. And an MSU professor who specializes in food law!
Another one of you did a story on STDs, and you found a professor in Alabama who happens to head an international STD association. That person was able to help rate a vaccine that was developed by a pharmaceutical company that has a profit motive in touting the drug. The prof, of course, has no similar motive. He's just calling it like he sees it, based on his expertise.
Good gets!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Rescue -- Why Did So Few Of You . . .
. . . make any mention that the city's zoning board was to be notified about the site's hazard to children, as indicated at the end of the report?
Isn't that an important detail relating to where the story may go from here, and detailing consequence for what happened?
Also, some of you referred to the site owner generically, but you never named the company directly. Why is that? Isn't that specific and useful information? Wouldn't readers want to know who owns the land, in the same way they want to know who died? Isn't who one of the five W's every story should have?
Finally, if this was a real story you were doing for a real news organization, what would have been some additional steps in reporting this story? Let's get some good answers.
Isn't that an important detail relating to where the story may go from here, and detailing consequence for what happened?
Also, some of you referred to the site owner generically, but you never named the company directly. Why is that? Isn't that specific and useful information? Wouldn't readers want to know who owns the land, in the same way they want to know who died? Isn't who one of the five W's every story should have?
Finally, if this was a real story you were doing for a real news organization, what would have been some additional steps in reporting this story? Let's get some good answers.
Rescue -- Be Careful With Word Use
This was one of your ledes:
On Tuesday afternoon, an East Lansing boy drowned after playing near a pond with friends . . .
Hold on right there. Did the boy drown? Or did he die after being buried?
Let's look at this definition of "drown" from the American Heritage Dictionary in my office:
drown. 1. To kill by submerging and suffocating in water or another liquid. 2. To drench thoroughly or cover with as if with a liquid.
The only reason I did not score this as a fatal was because of definition number 2.
At best, this is a poor choice of word use. Drown is so often associated with a watery death that this is a confusing term. If you had offset it in a more specific phrase, like an East Lansing boy drowned in dirt, then it would have been much more acceptable.
At worst, this is an outright fatal. Make sure you use the correct words that best tell the story. At the same time, make sure you fully understand the words you are using so that you are sure they are being used correctly.
On Tuesday afternoon, an East Lansing boy drowned after playing near a pond with friends . . .
Hold on right there. Did the boy drown? Or did he die after being buried?
Let's look at this definition of "drown" from the American Heritage Dictionary in my office:
drown. 1. To kill by submerging and suffocating in water or another liquid. 2. To drench thoroughly or cover with as if with a liquid.
The only reason I did not score this as a fatal was because of definition number 2.
At best, this is a poor choice of word use. Drown is so often associated with a watery death that this is a confusing term. If you had offset it in a more specific phrase, like an East Lansing boy drowned in dirt, then it would have been much more acceptable.
At worst, this is an outright fatal. Make sure you use the correct words that best tell the story. At the same time, make sure you fully understand the words you are using so that you are sure they are being used correctly.
Rescue -- A/An vs. The
Is it an East Lansing Fire Department incident report? Or the East Lansing Fire Department incident report.
In general, on first reference you'd be better off using an or a. That's because this report is certainly not the only incident report filed by East Lansing Fire Department. You are noting it's one among many reports on various incidents that the department handles every day.
Now, after establishing in the first reference you are referring to one report among many, then you are free to refer to it as the report.
Where you may vary in first references is when you are using a clearly distinct and one-of-a-kind document; e.g., according to the Declaration of Independence; according to the resignation letter from President Nixon, ect.
Otherwise, if it's a more common type of document, you may be better off with a or an in first reference.
Again, once you establish that, the should be acceptable in all subsequent references.
In general, on first reference you'd be better off using an or a. That's because this report is certainly not the only incident report filed by East Lansing Fire Department. You are noting it's one among many reports on various incidents that the department handles every day.
Now, after establishing in the first reference you are referring to one report among many, then you are free to refer to it as the report.
Where you may vary in first references is when you are using a clearly distinct and one-of-a-kind document; e.g., according to the Declaration of Independence; according to the resignation letter from President Nixon, ect.
Otherwise, if it's a more common type of document, you may be better off with a or an in first reference.
Again, once you establish that, the should be acceptable in all subsequent references.
Rescue -- Was it . . .
. . . a fort the kids were building? You know, with gates and turrets and moats and solid stone walls and stuff?
Or a tunnel that was a kind of play-fort?
It's the former, right?
So, why call it a just fort when it was really a tunnel?
It's not wrong that you refer to the fort in some way; just make sure the context is correct. One of you found a great way to say it: the boys were digging a tunnel to create a play fort.
Or a tunnel that was a kind of play-fort?
It's the former, right?
So, why call it a just fort when it was really a tunnel?
It's not wrong that you refer to the fort in some way; just make sure the context is correct. One of you found a great way to say it: the boys were digging a tunnel to create a play fort.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Spring Break Reading -- Some Links
In case you forgot your syllabus en route to Florida, here are links to downloadable PDFs of your assigned multimedia readings:
http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20/
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/now-printable-reporters-guide-to-multimedia-proficiency/
http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20/
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/now-printable-reporters-guide-to-multimedia-proficiency/
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Police -- Deadlines Are Important!
I'm sorry to say on this assignment we had a time fatal; that is, someone who failed to turn in their story by the 11 a.m. Tuesday deadline.
It's doubly sad because the person says their story was finished on time; they just forgot to turn it in.
It's a shame, but I can't cut slack for that. In journalism, you not only have to get it right, but you also have to get it on-time. This is a deadline-oriented business. Finishing a story on-time is of no use to readers if they don't get that story from you on-time.
Newspaper people have to get their stories to the printer on time, so newspapers can get delivered on time. Broadcast people have to get their scripts done before their scheduled newscasts, or else anchors won't have anything to read. (They won't hold up the 11 o'clock news until 11:03 so you can get a script finished.) Online journalists must get content up as soon as possible. Getting news to people while the news is still fresh and needed is like delivering a pizza while it's desired and hot. Late just won't cut it.
Let's please be sure we're meeting our deadlines. Every time and all the time.
It's doubly sad because the person says their story was finished on time; they just forgot to turn it in.
It's a shame, but I can't cut slack for that. In journalism, you not only have to get it right, but you also have to get it on-time. This is a deadline-oriented business. Finishing a story on-time is of no use to readers if they don't get that story from you on-time.
Newspaper people have to get their stories to the printer on time, so newspapers can get delivered on time. Broadcast people have to get their scripts done before their scheduled newscasts, or else anchors won't have anything to read. (They won't hold up the 11 o'clock news until 11:03 so you can get a script finished.) Online journalists must get content up as soon as possible. Getting news to people while the news is still fresh and needed is like delivering a pizza while it's desired and hot. Late just won't cut it.
Let's please be sure we're meeting our deadlines. Every time and all the time.
Police -- Peanut Barrel
I'm kind of surprised that so few of you cited something that to me stood out like a sore thumb: the fact that the cane-wielding victim was almost 6 1/2 feet tall, while the would-be alleged robber he beat was not much over five feet tall and weighed less than half as much as the victim.
Isn't that a Peanut Barrel-type of story? Isn't that sharp contrast in size what takes an out-of-the-ordinary robbery story (unusual in that the victim beat off the attacker) and make it even more unique?
I'm not shocked that many of you didn't weave it into your ledes, because to do that is doable but a bit complex. I'm just surprised many of you didn't note that bit of interest at all.
Any explanations?
Isn't that a Peanut Barrel-type of story? Isn't that sharp contrast in size what takes an out-of-the-ordinary robbery story (unusual in that the victim beat off the attacker) and make it even more unique?
I'm not shocked that many of you didn't weave it into your ledes, because to do that is doable but a bit complex. I'm just surprised many of you didn't note that bit of interest at all.
Any explanations?
Police -- Many of You . . .
. . . didn't list an exact address for Jiffy Foods.
You should have. It's news WHERE something happens, right?
Who, what, when, where, why, how.
You should have. It's news WHERE something happens, right?
Who, what, when, where, why, how.
Police -- Allegedly
Some more problems with when to use allegedly.
It's not alleged that Keel entered the store. He has a face full of broken bones proving he was there.
What is alleged is whether he pulled a knife, and tried to commit a crime.
So, where does allegedly fit in here?
DaRoza walked behind the counter for the key to the restroom when Keel followed him and exposed a knife.
Before "exposed a knife," right?
It's not alleged that Keel entered the store. He has a face full of broken bones proving he was there.
What is alleged is whether he pulled a knife, and tried to commit a crime.
So, where does allegedly fit in here?
DaRoza walked behind the counter for the key to the restroom when Keel followed him and exposed a knife.
Before "exposed a knife," right?
Police -- Attribution
Many people fell short of offering proper attribution.
For example, how do you know that Keel suffered broken facial bones? Was it because you spoke to paramedics?
No. It's because that's what paramedics told police for their report.
So, correct attribution would be something like, Paramedics said Keel suffered various broken facial bones, according to a police report.
For example, how do you know that Keel suffered broken facial bones? Was it because you spoke to paramedics?
No. It's because that's what paramedics told police for their report.
So, correct attribution would be something like, Paramedics said Keel suffered various broken facial bones, according to a police report.
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