Transcript September 15 - University of Minnesota Duluth

Journalism 2001
Week 2: September 15, 2008
Announcements

Who you are
– Freshmen, sophomores, junior
– Communication, philosophy, film, English,
International Studies, Business, Literature, Political
Science, undecided majors
– Future accountants/business leaders, Men’s Health
reporters, activists, anchors, editors, freelance
writers, Sports Illustrated reporters, newspaper
reporters
– All curious and interested in improving writing!
Extra Credit Opportunities

Primary election coverage at WDIO-TV
– Who attended? Cody?

Media Expert: Wednesday, 9/17; 1 p.m., Kirby
Rafters
– Mark Anfinson, an attorney who represents
newspapers on behalf of the Minnesota Newspaper
Association, will talk about the First Amendment
challenges faced by journalists and citizens alike at
the recent GOP convention in the Twin Cities.
– 10 Extra Credit points: Write 5 paragraph summary of
what you learned; will be posted on class Web site
Review of last week’s news

Hard News:
(murder, City Council, government, etc.)
– Major local stories
– Major national/international stories
– Major sports stories

Soft News:
(retirements, school programs, human interest)
– Local stories
– National/International stories
– Sports stories
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
Statesman
Today’s Front Pages
On Sunday, a front-page story in the Duluth NewsTribune focused on:
1.
2.
3.
Reopening of the
I-35W bridge
Job shortage at
the Fond du Luth
Casino
Mayor Don Ness
What major sporting event took place in Duluth
over the weekend?
1.
2.
3.
Grandma’s
Marathon
Northshore Inline
Marathon
Minnesota Twins
Who won the election for state representative in
the 7B DFL Primary?
1.
2.
3.
Bill Kron
Marsh Stenerson
Roger Reinert
______________________ skiing operations will
continue this winter despite city budget cuts and
layoffs that threatened to shut down the program.
1.
2.
3.
Chester Bowl
Spirit Mountain
Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa Chairwoman Karen Diver
says the millions of dollars her tribe’s _________ pays the
City of Duluth each year amounts to a “gift” the band isn’t
inclined to continue giving unless it gets something better
in return.
1.
2.
3.
tourism tax
casino
reservation
Journalism Case Studies

Throughout semester we’ll look at ethical
dilemmas journalists face on the job
– Compiled by University of Indiana School of
Journalism

Today: When Journalists Play God
Words matter!
Assignment due today:

Using the Tuesday (9/9) Duluth News-Tribune, list the
stories on the front page, local section and the sports
section. Determine if the stories where selected on the
traditional news elements of:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Timeliness
Proximity/relevance
Conflict
Prominence
Consequence & impact
Human Interest
Keep evaluations brief: no more than three sentences each.
Email Microsoft Word attachment to: [email protected]
Also due today:
AP Stylebook practice

Let’s check AP Stylebook….
Chapter 4: Summary leads
Summary lead literally sums up the story
in the lead, giving the reader the most
important information first
 Developed in Civil War when stories sent
by telegraph
 Continued into the 1970s with wire service
telegraph machines

Inverted pyramid
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Put the most important news first
Organize the rest of the paragraphs in
descending order of importance
Why? Lets readers quickly scan a newspaper
story and decide whether to continue reading it
Different from short stories, novels, most feature
stories
Easy to cut stories as needed to fit news hole
The 5 Ws and H!
Who?
 What?
 When?
 Where?
 Why?
 How?
Focal point determines emphasis in lead

No two leads the same
Reporters covering the same story will
write different leads
 Examples from Duluth News-Tribune and
Minneapolis Star Tribune about opening of
Swenson Science Building

How to write a summary lead
Usually a single sentence
 No more than 35 words

Bottom line:
– Use a single sentence of no more than
35 words in a summary lead
Identifying the focal point
Which W or H is the focal point?
 Let’s practice:

– The search for a new president for the university has
been temporarily postponed.
 Who:
 What:
 When:
 Where:
 Why:
 How:
Focal point?

Mayor Jane Doe announced today that she
will not seek re-election next year.
– Who:
– What:
– When:
– Where:
– Why:
– How:
Focal point?

In an effort to increase awareness on campus,
the UMD Kirby Program Board has appointed a
new coordinator, and she plans to use more
advertising to bring about change.
– Who:
– What:
– When:
– Where:
– Why:
– How:
Focal point?
What to avoid

Clutter leads:
– Too much information overwhelms readers

Buried leads:
– Don’t make the reader work too hard
What’s the bottom line for a
summary lead?
1.
2.
3.
Usually a single
sentence of no more
than 35 words.
Usually as long as
needed to tell story.
Usually two
sentences of no
more than 35 words.
Billings Gazette Examples
Stuck gas pedal puts automobile in bank
office
 Blizzard leaves ‘nothing to feed’
 Flash flood leaves mess in Buffalo
 Buffalo flash flood leaves silt layer,
‘incredible mess’
 Subdivision wants county to take over
private road

How I write a lead

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When starting to write a story, I often write out
all of my notes, including the direct quotes
Lead often becomes clear in the second graph
When leaving a meeting, speech, etc., ask
myself: What would I tell my friend, husband,
person passing in the street?
What happened?
Who cares?
Active voice
Write in active/rather than passive voice
 What’s the difference?

– In active voice, the subject performs the
action expressed in the verb; the subject acts
– In passive voice, the subject receives the
action expressed in the verb; the subject is
acted upon

Active voice doesn’t mean present tense
Huh?

Active voice: Subject acts
– The dog bit the boy.
– Mary will present her research at the conference.
– Scientists tested the hypothesis by conducting
experiments.

Passive voice: Subject acted upon
– The boy was bitten by the dog.
– Research will be presented by Mary at the
conference.
– Experiments have been conducted to test the
hypothesis.
Summary of summary leads
Don’t go with the first lead
 Avoid unnecessary words
 Avoid gobbledygook

– Government jargon
Write clearly, concisely
 Use vivid verbs
 Use colorful words

Chapter 3: Qualities of good writing
Poynter Institute for Media Studies
 http://www.poynter.org

Robert Gunning: 10 Principles of
Clear Writing


Keep sentences short, on the average
Prefer the simple to the complex
– KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Use familiar words
– 10th grader
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Avoid unnecessary words
Use active verbs
Write the way you talk
Use terms your reader can picture
Tie in with your reader’s experience
Use a variety of words
Write to express, not impress
– Communicate!
Words matter!
Chapter 5: Organizing a news story

Inverted pyramid style
– Write a terse lead of no more than 35 words
– Provide background
 From source or previous story
– Present news in order of descending importance
 Seldom chronologically
– Use quotations early and throughout
 After the news, separated by news and paraphrases
– Use transitions
 Numerically, by time, geographically, with words (also, but, once)
– Do not editorialize!
– Avoid “the end”
 Report news until the end; often end with direct quote

Hourglass Style
– Same as inverted pyramid until the turn, a
transitional paragraph to introduce a
chronology of events
– Used when reporting trials, police, fire news

Circle Style
– Mainly for feature stories
– Reporter sets scene, returns to it

Block Style
– News or feature stories
– Often broader story, introduces many sources
What about the end?
Don’t end with “the end”
 No editorial comment to wrap it up
 Just quit, or use a direct quote

Hard News 1 Story Assignment
Work in teams to interview Duluth citizens
 Each reporter writes own story
 Interview 8-10 Duluthians

– Might not use all sources in story
– List all sources, with contact info, at end of story

Groups of 1 to 2:
– Will finalize groups next week

Stories will be posted on class Web site:
– Fall Jour 2001 Website
Let’s brainstorm ideas of where
Duluthians gather:
Greyhound bus station West Duluth
Amazing Grace café in Canal Park
 Fond du Luth Casino/Old Downtown
 First Street/Cozy Bar/Encounter
 Gas station
 Miller Hill Mall bus stop
 Pizza Luce concert
 Courthouse Courtyard
 Public library
 Canal Park/Lift bridge
 WalMart
 Dunn Brothers coffee shop
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Ideas from last semester
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UMD Dining Center/Kirby Student Center
Northlan Gaming Center
– Lincoln Park/West End
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Encounter/Cozy Bar corner (2nd Ave. E. & First St.)
Spirit Mountain
Miller Hill Mall
Community Center
DECC: Hockey game
Downtown: Superior Street
Marshal Performing Arts Center: Play
Hard News 1 Story Pitch Due:
September 24
Length of story pitch: three paragraphs,
about 200 words
 Include the 5 Ws and H: what makes this
story newsworthy

Let’s look at the calendar:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~lkragnes
Sample story pitch

Michelle Skarp
– What’s missing from list of questions?
In-class assignment for 9/22
To help you prepare for interviewing
sources, during next week’s class you will
be interviewing Lucy Kragness. She will
review her background, and each student
will ask at least one question.
– Assume story assignment for the Statesman
– To prepare, review website, write out
questions in advance.
 http://www.d.umn.edu/~lkragnes
Assignment for 9/22

Summary lead exercises
– Steps to help you:
 Identify the five Ws and H
 What’s the focal point?
– Determine what’s the most important to include
– Reminder: Summary lead contains no more than 35
words
– Email assignment, written in Microsoft Word, as an
attachment to [email protected]

Read Chapters 6, 7, 10
Today’s assignment


AP Stylebook editing practice
Summary lead exercise
– Steps to help you:
 Identify the five Ws and H
–
–
–
–
–
–
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
 What’s the focal point?
– Determine what’s the most important to include
– Reminder: Summary lead contains no more than 35 words
– Email assignment, written in Microsoft Word, as an attachment
to [email protected]