Media Journalism English 302

Archive of Assignments: Media Journalism
English 302/COA 302

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November 26: Opinion Pitches

I'm asking you to write an opinion, review or humor column, approximately 500 words in length. You may direct this article to one of two audiences: the Georgetonian audience, or the audience of the Lexington Herald-Leader (through their "Open Mike" column). Due date: Dec. 3

I want to talk briefly about the extraordinary power of opinion writing--illustrated by the controversy over two separate articles in last week's Georgetonian, illustrating two extremes in opinion writing (go too http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/georgetonian if you haven't read the articles by Mark Tyler Jackson and by Katie Smith, both on the Opinion page).

Then I'll come around the room and ask for opinion pitches. As a class, you will give advice on what points of view to consider, what research is necessary, and what hidden pitfalls might exist.

I'll save some time at the end of the class period for each group of The Georgetown View to meet and do an inventory of what still needs to be accomplished before the pages are complete.

Revised Revised Tentative Schedule:

Nov.
26    View stories due; last day to hand in Sports (beat) stories. Opinion story pitches.
Dec.
3      Opinion stories due; final article assignments
5      Final edit, Georgetown View
10    Overview and course evaluation

November 14: Opinion Writing

"Comment is free but facts are sacred." --C.P. Scott

This quotation is the key to understanding the difference between responsible and irresponsible opinion writing. You will never have more of a chance to hurt people and cause trouble than you will have when you write opinion pieces. Too often, students believe that "anything goes" in an opinion piece, since it is "just" opinion.

You will be writing opinion columns rather than editorials. What is the difference?
Editorials speak with an impersonal voice and represent the collective view of an editorial board; opinion columns can have a personal viewpoint and personal voice. Editorials are generally unsigned; opinion columns have a byline.

You can present any opinion you want; whether your opinion article gets a good grade does not depend on the nature of your opinion, however. It depends on the way you support and develop your opinion.

Important considerations:

1. You must do your background research, and you must seek the other side of the story. You are most likely to embarrass yourself when you write an impassioned opinion about a subject only to discover that you completely misunderstood the facts of the case.

2. Recognize that you just might be wrong in your opinion, and anticipate the objections.

3. Always support all critical comments. The most common weakness in opinion writing is the lack of illustrative examples. An opinion is hollow and worthless without support. You are still a reporter; you have a responsibility to be objective in your analysis of the subject, though your response (your opinion) will be your own..

4. Keep the focus on commentary; have a unified, focused organization and use compelling, stylistically consistent language. The more concrete your language, the better the article. Avoid cliche. Avoid cheese.

5. Not all opinion pieces have to attack something. Opinions can be positive as well as negative. But even positive opinions have to be supported.

6. Don't ramble. Organize and focus your opinion. Keep it relatively short--500 words. Remember, an opinion piece is essentially an analytical essay, and it should have the unity that we expect of an analytical essay.

7. Understand that the worst thing you can do is overstate your case. You have a lot of power in editorials, but if you abuse that power you are responsible in front of a large readership (1200+ people for The Georgetonian, tens of thousands if you take the option of writing for the Lexington Herald Leader).

8. Recognize that this is your opportunity to develop your personal voice in this class. So much of our writing has emphasized the need for objective, standard style; this is the assignment in which you can let your own style shine. Of course, you still have to be grammatical, and you have to remember that your object is to involve your audience, not indulge yourself. You still have to follow the principles of good style.

9. If you are doing an arts review, be sure that the critical opinions are INFORMED opinions. Review an art form in which you have some expertise. Know the standards of the art form you are reviewing. The work or performance should be compared with similar works. Don't just say you liked or didn't like something; support and defend the opinion with specifics. In book and movie reviews, don't summarize plot, though you might have to give context for a person to understand your criticisms (positive or negative). In food reviews, be very specific about your experience and avoid vague adjectives. Reviews are actually very hard to do well; don't assume this is an "easy" story.

Good arts reviews are incisive and witty. Perhaps my favorite witty bit of criticism was one by Samuel Johnson, who said, "[The work] is both good and original; but the part that is good was not original, and the part that is original was not good." Talk about skewering someone! And remember, nothing is more boring than a good review of something that just natters on about how great and awesome and moving something was. If you do a review, do some sort of incisive, analytical review.

10. If you've got a gift for satire or humor, consider using it. I'll allow you to write a humor piece to satisfy this assignment, and I can't really give you many rules on how to write satire or humor. I'll have to grade you on the basis of whether I think what you've done is effective (and whether it makes me laugh).

Assignment: I'm asking you to write an opinion, review or humor column, approximately 500 words in length. You may direct this article to one of two audiences: the Georgetonian audience, or the audience of the Lexington Herald-Leader (through their "Open Mike" column). Due date: Dec. 3

I also want to talk a little about the history of investigative journalism as a preparation for our classes next week, when we'll be watching and discussing All the President's Men. I need to know how much you already know about the Watergate story, and I want to talk to you about how public perception of the press has changed since that story broke 30 years ago.

Revised Revised Tentative Schedule:

Nov.
14    Introduction to Opinion writing; discussion of investigative reporting.
19    All the President's Men
21    All the President's Men
26    View stories due; last day to hand in Sports (beat) stories. Opinion story pitches.
Dec.
3      Opinion stories due; final article assignments
5      Final edit, Georgetown View
10    Overview and course evaluation

November 12: Planning the Georgetown View

Today we will choose sections and do article planning and page budgets. We'll start in the classroom, where I'll ask for volunteers and then have you get together in small groups and do a preliminary planning of what you'd like to have on your page. After about 20 minutes, I'll stop you and we'll do a rundown of what is being planned for the entire paper--so that we can see if anything is duplicated, overemphasized, omitted.

Then we'll do a "field trip" up to the second floor of the library, where we'll spend some time looking at tabloid newspaper designs, and your groups will again gather and (perhaps using model ideas from the papers you see) draw up preliminary page designs and make assignments for stories AND graphic elements.

When you're done, the group as a whole should bring the design sheet to me and we'll discuss it.

Sections

Front / Campus visit (back page)

Academics

Activities (clubs, etc.)

Center: student life

Sports

What makes GC different?

Things to keep:

Keep accessible

Sports collage?

Fun facts—lots

Keep elements geared to new students

Teaser elements ("doesn’t it figure" feature)

Things to improve:

More science

ACADEMICS

Gcard—what you can do

Cheap fun (restaurants, stuff to do)

What’s around in Gtown, lex

RELIGIOUS LIFE (and religious diversity)

Clubs

WHAT MAKES THIS COLLEGE DIFFERENT

--prof relationships

--stats, fun facts

Financial aid

Various quick access facts as a way to unify publication?

Art

Greek life

Successful grads

Qualifications of Faculty

Added value education

Honors/oxford

The college sense of COMMUNITY

Activities/clubs

November 6: The Georgetown View

This is our day for coming up with ideas for The Georgetown View. I'm handing out copies of last year's product. I thought last year's issue had more visual interest than usual, but it still could have been better. I have high hopes for this year's issue. I'm looking for innovative design ideas, and I don't want it to get too text-heavy. I'd really like you to get your hands on some tabloid-style newspapers in order to get design and layout ideas. Keep stories short, and always keep your audiences in mind (remember: both the high school students AND their parents).

Each page should have a focus. The center spread can span the gutter, just as it does in last year's version. It would be possible to have the center spread focus on a single important feature story--much as the Herald-Leader often does in its daily tabloid section.

Also consider things such as constructing "ads" as a way of conveying important information ("ads" would make the publication look more like a newspaper, too).

Depending on how things go today, I may or may not shift around some of the tentative schedule for the rest of the semester. We'll talk....

Tentative schedule for the rest of the semester:
Nov.
12    All the President's Men
14    All the President's Men
19    View stories due; layout and editing
21    Layout and editing, View
26    Sports stories due; pitch Opinion stories
Dec.
3      Final edit, Georgetown View; final article assignments
5      Opinion stories due
10    Overview and course evaluation

November 5: Press Ethics

The article I gave you from the Washington Post is an interesting test case in press ethics. It isn't a bad story; it's not intentionally lying about Georgetown College. But in its selective presentation of the truth, one could argue that the journalist made some questionable ethical decisions. What did you think? What is clearly inaccurate? What is an effective use of observation--but admittedly selective and therefore perhaps slanted? Does the selection of facts suggest bias on the part of the writer?

The second article I'm distributing illustrates a different ethical issue related to accuracy: taking responsibility for the material you use, even if it appears to come from a reputable source. In essence, these journalists all plagiarized each other, and had the misfortune to plagiarize inaccurate information. Do any of you remember hearing this story? And did you ever realize that it wasn't true?

In situations involving inaccuracy and plagiarism, the ethical issues are reasonably clear. But when it comes to situations that involve privacy and matters of taste, the ethical questions are much tougher.

As your book points out, there are key steps to take in order to resolve ethical questions. The book advocated breaking the process into three steps:

Define the dilemma
Examine all your alternatives
Justify your decision

The book also reproduces the Poynter Institute Model of questions to ask in order to resolve ethical questions:

Why am I concerned about this story, photo or graphic?
What is the news? What good would publication do?
Is the information complete and accurate, to the best of my knowledge?
Am I missing an important point of view?
What does my reader need to know?
How would I feel if the story or photo were about me or a member of my family?
What are the likely consequences of publication? What good or harm could result?
What are my alternatives?
Will I be able to clearly and honestly explain my decision to anyone who challenges it?

Sometimes you'll have an ethical reaction that seems very clear; other times, it may be more difficult to identify the nature and components of your ethical reaction. Don't just react in a knee-jerk way; try to come to understand the process through which you come to ethical decisions. We'll use a set of photographs to illustrate.

Below is a series links to photos and to descriptions of situations, all with implications on the issue of ethics. Don't click to the next photo or step until I tell you to. You may click on this first link without my express approval, but do not go any further!

Media Ethics

Assignment for Thursday: Read Chapter 12; We will review last year's Georgetown View and come up with story ideas/focus areas for this year's edition.

October 24: Press Law Test

You'll take your test and hand in your beat report.

For Tuesday, Nov. 5:
Read the chapter on Ethics in your book, and bring the article from the Washington Post that I distributed.

October 22: Press Law Review

Definition of libel: a false and defamatory attack in written form on a person's reputation or character.

Note that it has to be both false and defamatory. Simple untruth isn't sufficient if no harm is done; defamatory info isn't libel as long as it's true.

New York Times Rule (Times vs. Sullivan): This Supreme Court decision established a difference between the libel standards applied to public figures and those applied to private figures. The federal rule they established "prohibits a public official from recovering damages for defamatory falsehood relating to his official conduct unless he proves that the statement was made with 'actual malice'--that is knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not."

It's very important to recognize that private individuals have more protection from libel than public figures (the New York Times Rule was expanded to include public figures, in the many categories outlined by your book).

For private figures: the burden of proof is less stringent. In many states, they need prove only negligence rather than actual malice (laws vary by state). For public figures, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff, and in addition to proving a defamatory falsehood the plaintiff must prove "actual malice" (knowledge of untruth or reckless disregard of the truth).

Defense for libel suits

--lack of defamatory content
This defense varies from state to state, since laws vary. For instance, your AP Stylebook points out that it seems to be legally acceptable to insult someone's appearance (the hard-boiled egg example). And it's pointed out that in New York, many accusations "may or may not be defamatory, depending on the circumstances of the case." In short, this can be a tricky defense to negotiate.
--truth
Theoretically, the burden of proof of libel is on the person bringing the lawsuit. Nonetheless, a newspaper conducting a defense against libel will be best able to defend itself if it can prove the truth* of its reporting. In some states the paper must also prove that there was reason to publish the material; it has to be newsworthy.
*must be true in itself; it’s not enough that it is a truthful account of what someone said
it’s not enough simply to say that something is ALLEGEDLY true, though you will often see it handled this way--though one hopes only when someone has been formally charged with an action.
--privilege:
Government officials acting in their official capacity are protected against libel.
Reporters have "qualified privilege" to report on statements made during official government proceedings.
--fair comment:
OPINIONS on matters of public interest are allowed; false FACTS are libelous, even in opinion pieces. Thus, I can say that I think someone's actions show him to be a dishonest scoundrel in the vest pocket of Satan, but I can’t say that I think he stole a car (unless, of course, he did). Satire, parody and hyperbole (in certain instances) are protected as opinion.

RETRACTIONS DO NOT ABSOLVE A NEWSPAPER OF GUILT, though they usually reduce the likelihood of a suit.

Remember that anyone can sue, though not everyone can win. The difficulty for the press comes in part from the burden of legal fees. It's entirely possible to win a libel case but still be forced out of business because of the costs. That's one of the reasons why large news organizations have legal teams that examine stories before they are printed or broadcast.

If you make a mistake and defame someone in a story in The Georgetonian, these are the people who could be on the hook: you; the editor of the page on which your story appears; Mark Tyler Jackson as editor; me; President Crouch; and the entire college (which would be the "deep pocket" someone would love to exploit). Are you surprised we want you to be careful??

Criteria for libel
(These aren't in the book)
--you must be living
--you must be identified
--you must be defamed
--the libelous piece must be published (though what constitutes publication is sometimes surprising)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Questions you should ask:

Is what you wrote capable of defamatory meaning?
Does the story refer to a specific, identifiable individual?
Do any privileges apply (opinion; fair comment; neutral report--only in some states; qualified privilege/fair report)
Are you reporting on a public figure or public official, or are you talking about a private person?
Is the topic of public concern?
What investigation was done in preparation of the article, and what sources did you use? In other words, can you prove the potentially defamatory statements are true?

Recognize when something is "fair comment" or "opinion" and when it is not.

DON’T ACCUSE ANYONE OF ANYTHING in a straight news story without specific factual basis. Be VERY careful about how you present negative information.

Privacy

Invasion of privacy is DIFFERENT from libel. You may not intrude into individual’s private lives without their consent, which means no eavesdropping or surveillance. Does this mean that various "hidden camera" stories are an illegal invasion of privacy? Well, let's look at four distinct forms of cause of action in suits for invasion of privacy:
misappropriation of name or likeness for commercial purposes
public disclosure of private facts
unreasonable intrusion upon seclusion
false light in the public eye

Realize that the invasion of privacy involves both legal and ethical issues; we'll talk about the ethical issues next time.

For Thursday: Press Law Test--the real thing. Also, we'll spend some time talking about accuracy and ethics in reporting. Read the handout.

October 17: Sports Reporting and Beat Reporting

Most reporters start out their careers by covering a particular beat. Sometimes the beat is defined geographically (Allison May covers a particular county for the Danville paper) and sometimes it's defined by a topic (sports, courts, business, religion, etc.). The concept of beat reporting grows out of the idea that a reporter should be well informed about the issues on which he or she reports, and the continuous coverage of a beat reporter allows that reporter to build experience and expertise.

The key advantage to beat reporting is that the reporter can cultivate and keep sources. Because the beat reporter is familiar with how things run in that particular focus area, the reporter knows who to contact and generally has a better chance of getting someone to talk on the record.

We'll discuss "beat" possibilities on campus.

Sports

There are probably more positions for sports writers than for any other specialty reporter. Every small town newspaper writes extensively on local sports--and there is a lot to cover. Generally, prime emphasis is on high school sports, but in Georgetown there is also the emphasis on college sports. There are a number of types of stories to be written as well. Everyone expects the standard game report--what you read in The Georgetonian when you read Selina Howard's stories on the football team. But for the purposes of this assignment, I would prefer that you look for one of the other possibilities, beyond the Game Story:

Sports News
Sports Feature
Sports Commentary

Most of you will end up writing sports features. You will probably focus on a person or a team or a situation that your audience will find interesting. Look for the offbeat, the unexpected. For instance:
--one year, a journalism student won a state award for writing about a little boy in a wheelchair who came to watch the football team every week
--one year, a journalism student won a state award for writing a feature about the college's number one sports FAN--Dr. Joe Lunceford
--a sports commentary award went to a student who wrote about faculty prejudice against athletes
--a sports news award went to someone who did an expose on the state of the training equipment (this was several years ago--partly as a result, they upgraded the equipment)
--an award-winning sports feature talked about the experience of a baseball player from the Ukraine who came to play at Georgetown

There are a number of possible stories. Did you know that there is a member of the GC faculty who is a prize-winning triathlete? Have you considered that some people might consider laser tag a sport? Or hiking? Is there an underreported sport (like volleyball) on campus? Is there someone--not necessarily a star--who has a story of overcoming adversity? Is there someone with an unusual sports hobby? What about the problem with students who have to miss class for sports? What does the new season look like for the women's basketball team? Is there anything about Georgetown sports that you find worthy of commentary? How 'bout intramurals? Frisbee golf? Hunting? Use of the new fitness center?

You have a lot more leeway for creative writing in sports features and commentaries, but still remember to keep the first person out of anything except a commentary (and I'm not going to let you write a commentary unless you have an extremely good idea that comments on campus sports).

Make sure you abide by the guidelines for sports style that are in your book. There are some very peculiar and specific expectations listed in that section, so make sure you review them before you write this story.

You will discover that there are several on-line resources that can be of help with your stories. The Tiger Sports page on the college web site has a ton of press releases. There are also stats for games and links to the NAIA.

As you write your story, consult the AP Stylebook's section on Sports Guidelines and Style, pages 282-301

Sports Story (or other beat reporting) assignment:
1) choose your beat (sports or another campus focus area--it cannot be something in which you are directly involved. Thus, Gerald can write about sports, but he can't write about football; Meredith could write about Greek life but she couldn't write about the Sigmas; etc.)

2) prepare a beat report--an overview of the sources and issues connected to that beat. This WRITTEN beat report, and a WRITTEN story proposal (graded), with a proposed deadline, are due next Thursday. I reserve the right to reject story ideas, so come up with more than one possibility. If you're writing a sports story, your beat report will focus on the particular sport you are choosing to cover.

3) write your story. Your deadline is negotiable, depending on your story, though I ask that you choose a story and a deadline date that's before Thanksgiving. The key is to make your story timely

Tuesday, October 15
Final Editing: The Homecoming Issue

First, you get to hear me lecture you about the problems with your feature/news stories. Some of you wrote good, solid stories. But some of you just really weren't thinking. I was appalled at the number of serious grammar errors, for one thing. And in some stories, the insertion of opinion and/or bias was equally astounding. This is REPORTING, people!! This is NOT a forum for personal expression, or a venue for you to push your personal agenda! Ethical journalists present objective and balanced stories. And then some of you wrote stories that wandered all over the place, without attention to logic or transition. In short, though I got some good stories, this was not a stellar group of articles overall.

You have a chance to get back into my good graces by doing two things: finish your homecoming pages and, if you wish, rewrite your feature/news stories to improve your grade.

The first thing is a must: you must make sure your Homecoming pages are perfect, with genuinely good stories that are entirely free of errors.

Here's your last chance to work out the problems that remain with your pages! You will all get fresh printouts of your pages. You will gather in your groups and each proof your individual copies. Then you will collate your changes on ONE copy (the proofing master copy) that you will return to me before you leave.

At that point, those of you who are satisfied with your news/feature grade may leave and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Those of you who are not satisfied with your news/feature grades may stay and do revisions. Whatever you can accomplish by the end of the class period will be accepted for possible mitigation of your grade (and to make the story more fit for publication, which will also help offset your grade situation).

For next time:
Read Chapter 18 and the handout on Sportswriting.

As of now (Saturday, October 12), you should be able to pull up the Adobe Acrobat version of your page. Please note all missing pictures, text that exceeds the appropriate space, text that's too short, etc. Please make basic changes in areas such as that no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, and put the changes under my office door if I'm not there, or e-mail them to me.

You will all have a chance for final proofing on Tuesday. THERE ARE A LOT OF ERRORS in the rough draft, both those you made and some I made. Correct them! Your grade depends on it.

Click below for your pages:

allen/HC_centerspread_draft.pdf

allen/HC_page_10_draft.pdf

allen/HC_page_6_draft.pdf

allen/HC_page_7_draft.pdf

October 8: Editing the Homecoming Stories

You will gather in groups, according to your page assignments (see below for a list, if you've forgotten). Your group will have to sign up for one of the page editing conference times (sign-up sheet will be circulating).

In your groups, you will work on editing the rough drafts of the stories for your pages. You will all be responsible for the quality of your page; you will receive a group grade for your page, as well as individual grades on your articles. Thus, it is important that you find ways to improve each others' work.

Exchange your papers with a member of your group. At the top of the paper, write "Edited Copy" and put your name as "editor."

As story editor, you are responsible for marking all necessary improvements in the article. You will look specifically for the following items:

Content issues:
Is the lead interesting?
Is the lead appropriate--does it introduce the story?
Is there a clear connection between the lead and the next paragraph?
Is there a clear progression from paragraph to paragraph?
Is there sufficient development?
Have a variety of sources been consulted?
Is all information properly attributed?
Is anything unclear?

Form issues:
Are attributions placed properly?
Do pronouns agree?
Is sentence structure clear and simple?
Can you cut out any wordiness?
Are there any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation?
Are there any AP Style errors?

You must mark all the errors on the edited draft of the article. Don't worry--your edit partner will not suffer from your acute criticism, but will instead benefit.

The article in its present state will not be graded, but YOU WILL BE GRADED ON YOUR EDITING JOB; it'll affect your personal "Homecoming Story" grade as well as having an impact on your group's grade.

You will give this edited copy back to your editing partner. Your editing partner will keep this copy and turn it in with the final version of the article. I would like to have the revised and finalized story by the end of class, but you may have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to get it to me without using your extension card. There is no class on Thursday; you will instead be coming for your layout/editing conferences. You must have all the pictures for your page when you come in for your layout conference. If you are counting on ME to get your pictures, I better know about it!!

Homecoming issue groups:

Page 6 (the page of Features that comes right before the special section): Daniel Dermitt, Mary Pope, Caleb Walker. Story ideas: The truth behind Georgetown myths; a story on why people don't get into the whole homecoming idea; a calendar of homecoming events

Page 7 (lead page of the special section): Jennifer McKinney, Stacey Stratman, Sara Redmon. Story ideas: focus on the theme and on the past (no place like home--what has made this place seem like home?) Also: where are they now/past homecoming Kings and queens. Maybe a focus on an element of campus that has changed over the years (cafeteria? theater? gym?) This group needs to think about creating a special section nameplate banner

Page 8 (first page of center spread) and Page 9 (second page of center spread--needs to be carefully coordinated with the first page of the center spread): Jared Sloan, Seth Flynn, Meredith Holladay, Leslie Cook, Erika Johnson, Dennis Hall. This is the section that will focus on Homecoming Now--stories like songfest, homecoming court, etc.--you guys wrote it all down before you left!

Page 10 (last page of the special section--sports features) Andi Johnson, Doug Hardin, Gerald Parker: such stories as the football preview, the rumors about Cronin, and the feature on the Sports Hall of Fame/alumni games, etc.

Page 11 (the page of Features that comes right after the special section): Neely McLaughlin and Mark Tyler Jackson: Seniors' last Homecoming; memories of those lost (focus on Eric Hogg, if possible).

Oct. 10 Layout conferences begin (run through Oct. 14)
Oct. 15 Homecoming issue: final proofing

For Thursday:
No class; don't forget your layout conference, though!

October 3: News Story Editing,
and Homecoming Issue Continued

Your primary mission today is to plan the design of your pages. You will try to think of innovative visual presentation--since this is a special section, we can do just about anything we want. You may have to assign members of your group to get pictures or do artwork. Each group should choose an "editor" who will handle disputes and be responsible for ensuring that all tasks are assigned.

You will draw up the concept for your page, keeping in mind some basic facts of visual editing:

1. You must work within the confines of column structure--in other words, realize that each of The Georgetonian's pages must have a certain number of columns, generally either four or five, and that your design has to take that into consideration. Realize, for instance, that your pictures have to be placed so that you don't end up with a really narrow column of text.

2. Consider the power of dominant visual elements. Each page should contain a dominant visual element set above the fold and large enough so that readers can recognize its images. More than one visual element should be used on a page, but only one should be dominant. If one visual element is horizontal, the other should generally be vertical. Don't clutter the layout with a bunch of small visuals--use good, big, clear visual elements. You might want to place the visual elements FIRST, instead of focusing first on the story contents of the page.

3. Strive for an informal balance on your page--there should be variety, but not so much variety that the layout becomes confusing. There should be clear associations between visuals and the stories to which they are related, and you have to consider things such as placement of headlines and a clear flow of the text.

4. Don't be as afraid of white space as The Georgetonian tends to be--we don't have to cover every inch of the paper. But don't trap white space, and have it there for a reason. Tabloid pages are small, and thus if too much space goes unused, it's hard to fit everything in.

5. If you're on the team designing the center section, think carefully about your color options. Look at newspapers for ideas of color design; don't hesitate to use background colors, text colors, etc., but don't OVERuse anything (we want to avoid visual overload).

Once your group has finished its planning, the editor should raise his/her hand and I will do a quick consultation with the group. The editor should then type up a list of exactly who has been assigned to do what.

Homecoming issue groups:

Page 11 (the page of Features that comes right after the special section): Neely McLaughlin and Mark Tyler Jackson: Seniors' last Homecoming; memories of those lost (focus on Eric Hogg, if possible).

News story editing

After your group has completed its planning, you may take the rest of the class period to perfect your news article. Have someone else in your group read your article and make suggestions/ corrections; make changes, and print out a fresh copy before you hand it in.

Schedule for the next few weeks:
Oct. 8          Draft of Homecoming stories due
Oct. 10        Layout conferences begin (run through Oct. 14)
Oct. 15        Homecoming issue: final proofing

For Tuesday:
Bring in the draft of your Homecoming story for preliminary editing. Have visual elements prepared, pictures taken or assigned, etc. We will make appointments for layout conferences.

Tuesday, October 1
Planning the Homecoming Issue

Today we work on assembling ideas for the Homecoming issue. We'll generate multiple ideas, then try to focus the ideas in certain thematic groups that can be put on particular pages. We will select stories based on

quality of the idea
the way it fits into the larger idea of the special section
its visual possibilities

Essentially, your news/feature story was selected on the basis of the story itself; you looked at it from the writer's perspective. For your homecoming story, you will have to act both as writer and editor--you will need to consider design as much as story.

The Homecoming Special section is a four-page insert that is set up like a mini-Georgetonian. There is a header at the top of the first page, and we can come up with our own page designations for the remaining three pages. The Special Section must be unified around the idea of homecoming, and in some way it usually makes use of the homecoming theme. Remember that the section comes out on the Wednesday BEFORE homecoming, so we have to be a little careful in story assignments to make sure that there is sufficient info available before the story is due.

Because of the size of the class, we're also going to "take over" the feature pages from Neely, the Georgetonian's features editor. Those features pages need not be part of the special section explicitly, but it can be if you elect to make them part of the special section.

We will divide the four to six pages among you, with three people assigned per page. As you will see, that will result in assignments for only twelve of you. The other seven will do supplemental homecoming issue stories for the Features, News and Sports pages.

Our mission for today is to plan the homecoming special section. We will first brainstorm for ideas, then plan the "page budget" for the four pages. Stories that do not fit onto the four pages will be assigned for other pages in the edition. Remember, you will have only one week to pull this story together (get used to it--that's how journalists work!)

Schedule for the next few weeks:
Oct. 1          Homecoming Story ideas due
Oct. 3          News/Feature Stories due; Homecoming group strategies
Oct. 8          Draft of Homecoming stories due
Oct. 10        Layout conferences begin (run through Oct. 14)
Oct. 15        Homecoming issue: final proofing

For Thursday:
Finish your news/feature stories. We'll spend some time on story editing and some time broken up into your page groups.

Thursday, September 26
Storytelling

Today's chapter introduces you to a very interesting but sometimes controversial form of journalism, a story form that reads more like fiction than like traditional journalism, but that adheres to the values of traditional journalistic writing.

Before we talk about the feature technique, let's do a quick rundown of the previous chapter, on traditional story structure:

Inverted pyramid
Traditionally, the most common structure for straight news is the inverted pyramid. This story structure begins with a summary lead (the who/what/when/where/why/how factor) and then moves to the main points that support the lead, starting with the most important and descending to the least important (thus the name: you go from big issues to little issues; you don't use the non-journalistic structure in which you are often advised to save your best points for last).

Wall Street Journal formula
In this structure, you move from specific to general. You start not with a summary lead but instead with an anecdote to draw the reader into the issue, then a nut graph that clarifies the issues. The development of the story goes point by point, with the ending referring back to the lead. Your book talks about this as structure particularly suited to feature stories and stories on trends. Several of you proposed story ideas that could work in this formula.

Hourglass
This story starts out with a summary lead but then goes back and goes through the chronology of a story. It'll end with an overview statement, look forward, or report on the outcome. See your book's summary: it can be a useful tool for stories that are halfway suited to the narrative feature technique but that aren't quite a complete "story" in that way.

List
In this format, you start with a lead and backup/background information before moving into a list of supporting points (often indicated with bullet points). This structure can be very useful when you have a lot of facts to convey (such as Erika's overview of Greek awards/activities).

Sections
When you have a long story with several divisions, don't hesitate to give a general introduction and then have a series of subtitled sections. Each section should have a good lead, by the way. This format is useful in long stories and stories that would otherwise seem confusing (such as a sports game story that covers several different days of competition)

The Storytelling Feature was the focus of today's chapter.

What are the attractions of this formula?
What are the dangers?
How would you go about gathering information for such a story?

We're going to do an exercise a little like the interview exercise. I want you to do Exercise 3, page 227, and I DO NOT want you to do it with the same person you did your exercise with last time. Write it up as a story, preferably with dialog but certainly with description and detail; print it and hand it in.

Tuesday, September 24
Pitching the News Story

What we're doing today can be fun: we're pitching stories. That is, you are proposing your story idea to the class, and (as might happen in a newsroom) they'll comment on whether they think it will work and how you might want to go about developing it. Whoever pitches a story first gets to do it, by the way--and that's one of the reasons I want you always to come in with multiple story possibilities.

I'm also going to give you back your profile stories (which were in general very good) and ask you to make the changes on the disk copy that reflect both the revisions you made in class and the revisions you need to make as a result of my comments on your paper. In the process of your revision, you might want to think about how to improve the ending: see the list on p. 192.

Key points from today's reading:

Don't think just about the lead--also try to keep us interested in the middle, and give us a good "kicker" at the end. A good kicker can make a story...

Thursday, September 19
Fine-tuning the Profile

We're going to spend some time in class today editing and improving your Profile story. I'll have you work with an editing partner, and the two of you will look for strengths and weaknesses in the stories you edit.

First, print out (if you haven't already) a copy of your article. Write "Editing Copy" at the top. Give it to your editing partner.

Each editing partner will then write, "Edited by [name]" at the top. The editing partner will then read through the story, marking anything that appears questionable. At the end, the editing partner will write 1) the story's greatest strength, and 2) the story's greatest weakness.

Once both you and your partner are through, give the story back to your partner and let them look at your suggestions and marks. Talk about what could be done to make the story better, and see if the two of you can come up with strategies that would improve the story.

To evaluate ways to improve the story, look at these issues:

Is there a clear focus?
Have you avoided excessive use of chronological organization?
Does the organization flow clearly?
Is there a clear point to everything that is included in the story?
Is there any standard information that's not relevant to the story focus that could be pulled out of the story and put into a fact box?
Can you come up with any other ideas for interesting graphics?
Key: Are there any vague generalizations that could be made into something more specific?
Key: Is there any inappropriate expression of opinion?

When you and your partner are done with the analysis of your profiles, then spend the rest of the class period making additions, changes, corrections, etc. You can use the phone at the front desk if you need to call someone to confirm a fact or get additional information.

For Tuesday:
Read Chapter 10
Bring in at least three ideas for a news or feature story

September 17: Writing the Story and Making it Work

Drafting your profile story:

Your book has some excellent suggestions in chapter 8 about how to develop your story. The key elements:

Have a clear focus
Make your story flow in an orderly way
Provide transitions and connections through strategic repetition of key words

Under the section on "order," the book recommends that you consider the effect that a graphic might have on your story, and use the graphic as part of the planning process.

My primary concerns are these: I want your story to have a clear focus--it shouldn't just be a rambling "getting to know you" feature. I'll come around the room and ask those of you who have done your interviews about how the "focus" of your story looks.

I also want you to concentrate on removing yourself from the story. Many of you fell into the opinion trap in the Fulbright story--making yourself the judge of what's "important" or "prestigious." (Your job is to report--if you become convinced that something is "important" or "prestigious," give us the information that led to that conclusion, rather than giving us the conclusion. After all, you're just the reporter--why should we blindly accept your judgment? Tell us what your sources have said instead.)

Revising the draft of your profile story:

Point #1: Be Careful

The message I want to send is pretty clear: be very, very careful of the way you use words. Be precise in your language. Avoid bias. including sexism. Avoid imprecise word choice. Make sure you're using the right word. Be sure you use proper grammar.

Just in case you think this is obvious and hardly needs to be said, follow this link for some examples of what has been done in newspapers across the country.

A look at errors like these (and a look at some of the errors you made in your Fulbright stories) should make you a little more aware of the potential for misunderstanding that can arise if you are not precise in your use of language.

A look at your brief interviews from last time and your Fulbright stories will show you that you might have a ways to go when it comes to precision in your use of language.

One of the most important points I can make: use short, clear direct sentences. Really. I mean it.

Point #2: Be Coherent

Use transitions. Tie your story together. Plan your story. Show relationships between ideas. Realize how subtle transitions improve a story. The best kind of transition involves repetition of key words--that technique ties the story together well. However, sometimes you'll need to use transition words. Want some help with transition words? Click here.

Point #3: Be Concrete

Totally eliminate vague generalizations. This rule is particularly important in profile articles, where the concrete detail and anecdotes are what keep people reading. We want concrete, specific language. Show, don't tell. Consider appealing to one or more of the five senses.

1. Be sure you make the portrait vivid and specific; use anecdotes if possible.

2. Keep the portrait focused.

3. Try to use quotation.

4. Be sure there are no ambiguous phrasings or imprecise words.

5. Make sure that you are addressing your target audience. Remember that the audience is primarily the on-campus student audience, but it is also this individual's colleagues. Plus I'd say there's an 80% chance the article will be clipped and sent to this person's parents or children. Plus, it'll be on the Web version of the paper for the world to see.

6. Eliminate all vague generalizations. Have you done everything possible to make your article concrete, specific and interesting?

7. Make sure you have eliminated all instances of passive voice, rewritten passages with dull verbs, avoided all temptation to go for the "cheesy" and still managed to keep the article clear, clean and objective.

8. Proofread, proofread, have a friend proofread, have the person next to you proofread, have your dog proofread and proofread again.

Assignment for next time (Thursday, Sept. 19):

Chapters 9 and 21; Profile story due

Start accumulating story ideas--you will soon have to "pitch" your best ideas in class!

September 12: Using Quotations (Quiz comes first)

I will pair you with another student in the class. You will interview each other. Each of you will tell a story about something that has happened to you during your college career that can be a lesson to new students. It can be a funny story, a frightening story, an embarrassing story, an uplifting story--but it should have a point. The interviewer should take notes and ask questions as appropriate. Don't take more than fifteen minutes to complete the interview. The interviewer will need to take down and use at least TWO direct quotes. As soon as the interviews are over, the reporter should do a draft of the story (try to limit it to no more than 150 words).

When you are finished, print out the draft and do a careful edit (don't just edit on the screen). Make changes on the story. Give me the hand-corrected copy. Save the corrected computer copy as a .txt article, then e-mail it to me (getting this right is part of the assignment) at

rallen@georgetowncollege.edu .

Remember basic rules:

Don't misrepresent your source (even if the quotation is accurate)
Don't overuse partial quotes
Check your grammar
Remember: when placing attribution, generally put it AFTER the quotation, for single-sentence quotations. If the quotation is more than one sentence long, put the attribution after the first sentence of the quotation.
Don't hesitate to overuse "said." Indeed, resist the temptation to use other attribution words unless they are clearly justified.
Check the on-line Stylebook for some information on quotation style

September 10: Preparing for the Interview

You are handing in your first story today. In the course of writing it, you've learned (I hope) a little about the difficulties and pitfalls of basic journalistic writing.

Now I'm going to add a new element: collecting information through the interview process.

I'm going to make your first interview as stress-free as possible. These are all intended to be feature interviews with friendly sources, so you'll be able to work out any nervousness in a situation that won't get confrontational.

The Basic Skill: Interviewing

You are going to develop your interview skills to undertake your first independent assignment. You will find your interview assignment listed below. The story will be due on Thursday, Sept. 19, and it should be 500-750 words long. You need to set up your interview AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that you make sure you don't miss your deadline.

Remember some basic rules as you undertake your assignment:

Rule #1: Don't look like an idiot: do your research first

Never walk into an interview unprepared. Find out as much as you can about the person you are interviewing and the subject of the interview. You have many possible sources for this information--the library, reference books, clip files, on-line newspaper archives, and people who know something about the subject or the person (such as other people on campus, including members of this individual's department). You don't have to set up pre-interview interviews--just contact a few people for initial background information.

Use your research to make the interviewee feel at ease

If the person you are interviewing sees that you have done your homework and already understand something about the subject of the interview, the person is more likely to open up and treat you with respect. On the other hand, don't parade your knowledge; keep the focus on the subject of the interview, rather than on your own brilliance. Talk as little as possible, but ask intelligent, well-informed questions. Don't be afraid to let silence ask the question for you when you need more elaboration.

Rule #2: Dress appropriately, but be comfortable with it

Two people need to be comfortable in an interview: you and your interview subject. But that doesn't mean you should go to an interview with President Crouch when you are in your ratty old jeans and dirty shoes--that's liable to make him feel uncomfortable, since it would show a lack of respect for his office. "Read" the situation--what is appropriate? How will your interview subject react to your appearance? How will it affect his/her willingness to talk to you? If you're going to make these judgments, you need to know something about the person you're interviewing.

Rule #3: Consider the setting of the interview--it can be important

Will a professor be able to give you more time if you go to his office rather than talk to him after class? Will she be more relaxed if you interview her over the cafeteria's Free Friday Lunch for faculty? Will a student feel most relaxed in his room, in the grille, or sitting out in the quad? Could you get the scoop from an administrator if you found a way to sit with him in the Grille? Is it worth the price of a cup of coffee in the Mulberry Cafe if it puts your source at ease? Or is it too quiet in there, and might the source be afraid that her confidential communications might be overheard by the other patrons? Don't take these details for granted.

Rule #4: Make an appointment. Keep the appointment. Be on time for the appointment. Don't run overtime on your appointment. Thank the source for the appointment.

Ok, so this is a many-faceted rule. But the basic idea is this: respect the principle of the appointment. Make it in advance, and confirm it with a phone message before you go. If you're stood up, don't get hostile--reschedule. Your source can be late, but you can't be late. Make sure your source knows how much of his or her time you will need, and do your level best to stay within that time frame (it won't always be possible, and sometimes the source won't mind). After the interview, thank the person you interviewed--and then send that person a note or an e-mail to follow up with more thanks.

Rule #5: Go into an interview with a prepared list of questions

You may never actually use this list. But the very act of preparing the list helps focus your mind on the information you wish to extract from this interview. If you have the questions prepared, you are less likely to blank out during the interview and look like an idiot. Well-prepared questions won't make the conversation seem forced--they'll just make you look like you cared enough to be professional in your preparation.

This is a very, very important rule. Take it seriously. Prepare your questions carefully and thoughtfully--nothing turns an interview subject against you quicker than a stupid question.

Remember to pay careful attention to how the question is phrased, as well as to what the question is about.. Use neutral phrasings; don't ask leading questions, or questions that clearly advocate an agenda.

Ask open-ended questions, except when you are trying to elicit specific information. But don't let the open-ended question be TOO open--then the interview subject won't know where to go with the question. Vague questions elicit vague answers. If you get a vague or general answer, consider asking for an example. Examples = anecdotes; anecdotes makes stories interesting!

I'm tempted to make this a rule: GET ANECDOTES. Specific little stories can really liven up an article.

Rule #6: Take notes, even if you're recording the interview

It's hard to take notes during an interview, but it is essential. First, you need insurance against recorder malfunctions. Second, you want to have an "index" to your interview that can help you locate important information. Third, you have to be prepared for the fact that a lot of people are made uncomfortable by tape recorders, and you may well do the majority of your interviews without one. Indeed, my guess is that very few of you will use a tape recorder in your interviews. (I have a recorder; if you're doing an interview for which you think a recording is essential, you may borrow it.)

Your book talks a lot about the strategy of note taking. Keep the suggestions in mind, particularly when it comes to the need to set your interview subject at ease. For this first interview, don't hesitate to take out the notebook at the very beginning (it's not likely to make your interview subject nervous--and it might well convince the person that you're trustworthy and professional).

Realize that the person you are interviewing is watching you take notes. If you don't take notes, it is irksome, since it seems to indicate to the interview subject that you don't think what's being said is important. What you're doing is hard--you are trying to form rapport and maintain some eye contact, but you're also trying to write down verbatim every important thing that the interview subject says. Experiment.

Rule #7: Check your notes

Read back important bits to the interview subject to see if you got it right. Review your notes quickly before you leave and ask for clarification of anything that is unclear in your notes. KEEP YOUR NOTES, They may be your only defense in a lawsuit. When you write your story, consider contacting your source again to clarify or confirm the information you have decided to use. Do not, however, let your source proofread and change your article.

Rule #8: Before you leave, ask if there's anything you forgot to ask

Give your interview subject a chance to contribute--no matter how well you did your research, there is a good chance that you missed something important that your interview subject might think you should know.

Rule #9: Always keep your original notes

This rule is very important, at least in part for legal reasons: you want to be able to show what information you collected, and your notes are evidence. In addition, you'll never know when you might need to come back and recheck something. On occasion, I will ask you to hand in your interview notes.

Interview Assignments:

Bevins, Bolton -Juan Brown, about his recent leave to go to grad school

Cook, LeslieAnn -Brian Caza, new professor in political science

Dermitt, Daniel -Mark Eddy, new professor in psychology

Flynn, Seth -Karen Heavin, new professor in math

Hall, Lloyd -Jana Henson, new professor in biology

Hardin, Douglas -Kevin Calhoun—about officiating U.S. Open

Holladay, Meredith -Dr. Khalid Makki Said

Jackson, Mark Tyler-Sonny Burnette, about his new role as faculty chair

Johnson, Andi -Erika Stevens, new (sort of) in Spanish

Johnson, Erika -Joanna Fryman, Academic Programs Admin. Asst. (series: powers behind the scene who make things work)

McKinney, Jennifer -Sim Blake, new "Wellness Coordinator"

McLaughlin, Neely -Jennifer Fairchild, new Student Activities Director

Parker, Gerald-Charlene Lucas, Student Life Admin. Asst. (series: powers behind the scene who make things work)

Pope, Mary -Jan Lobitz, Facilities Admin. Asst. (series: powers behind the scene who make things work)

Redmon, Sara -Karyn McKenzie, Manning Award Winner

Sloan, Jared -Bonnie Redditt-grant writer (series: powers behind the scene who make things work)

Stratman, Stacey -Steve May (on progress of his index project)

Walker, Caleb -Jean Kiernan, new professor in Kinesiology

Before you go: check yourself against the answers to your take-home Editing Test

Assignment for Thursday:
1) Have your interview scheduled
2) Bring in a preliminary list of questions and a description of how you intend to focus your interview
3) Read handout, what the AP Stylebook says about quotations in the news, and the article linked here: http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/Ethics/great.html and http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/comm352-fall2000/quotes.html

September 5, 2002
Improving the Story: Focus on Leads and Grammar

I'm assuming you had the sense to read that checklist I included on the web page on Tuesday. If you're not sure you did, check it on the Assignment Archive.

First, a technical check: I want you to have the .txt version of your story pulled up on the screen; I'll come around and check.

Then, we'll do is take a look at those elements that draw your reader into your story. I'll come around the room and ask you to read your headline, summary blurb, and lead sentence. We'll talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

After that, wait for instructions.

Click here for a basic quiz--better get 10 for 10, or you've got issues.

Spelling Reality Check

If you're feeling like someone who really needs a good, basic course in grammar, here's something that might help: an online book with an extraordinary set of on-line lessons and exercises. If you're serious about the communications professions (or if you're thinking of being a teacher), you should bookmark this site on your computer in your room and go through a section a day until you've mastered everything. The site: http://grammar.uoregon.edu/

Before you leave:

Give me the first draft of your story, but keep your disk. I want you to work on revisions and improvements and then give me a new and improved version on Tuesday (and I will check that you've used your time wisely).

For Tuesday:
1) Revise and improve the Fulbright assignment; make changes on the disk copy and also print out a fresh grading copy.
2) Read chapters 7 and 8

Next week, you will be assigned a member of the faculty or staff so that you can conduct your first interview.

September 3, 2002
Writing the Basic News Story

You spent all that money on a book for a good reason: it tells you what the elements of a good news story will be. I'm not going to review them here, though I'll answer any questions you might have. Instead, I'm going to simply expect you to read and understand the chapter and then apply it to your first writing assignment. Remember: you're held responsible for doing what the book tells you to do.

There's one problem: this isn't, I'll admit, the most extraordinarily interesting news story you'll ever write. That fact gives you an extra mission: the stories that get A grades will be those that find a way to make the story interesting. I have ideas of ways that'd be possible, but you're going to have to discover those possibilities for yourself.

Pay particular attention to the Elements of the Basic News Story (p. 37-43). You won't necessarily have all of these elements in your story, but the more you have, the better off you'll probably be. Feel free to use a "soft" lead rather than a summary lead, if you can come up with a good one.

Also, look very carefully at the rules on quotation and attribution. I will REQUIRE you to use at least one quotation in this story, just so I can check your attribution style. Plus, you need to remember to attribute information other than direct quotation as well.

The best story will be rewarded with an appearance in The Georgetonian.

Remember:
--Write a headline and summary blurb as well as your story
--Always check names
--Keep the lead short
--Attribute opinion and information that's not readily verifiable fact
--Don't plagiarize from other sources (websites, etc.)
--Find out the who, what, when, where, why and how, but don't feel you must include them all in the lead
--Write a sentence or paragraph telling the readers what the news means to them
--Gather all basic information; decide later what should be cut from the story
--Write to the length assigned, even if you don't think the story is worth it (let your editor deal with cuts)
--After the lead, introduce the additional important information you were not able to include in the lead
--If possible, indicate the significance or "so-what" factor
--Elaborate on the information presented in the lead
--Continue introducing new information in the order in which you have ranked it by importance
--Develop the ideas in the same order in which you have introduced them
--Generally, use only one new idea in each paragraph.
--Keep paragraphs short
--Be sure to attribute all information that is not readily verifiable fact
--Use quotations from your sources as a way of livening up your text
--Don't get too cheesy in your leads, but make them interesting
--Don't you dare make grammatical errors. I'll give you some leeway on Stylebook errors--but not much. Check things.
--Consult the "Saving a file to disk" web page to get directions on how to submit both printed copy and disk copy. Your success in following these directions will be factored into your grade.
--To get an A on this assignment, you will need to do something to distinguish your story from all the others. Consider doing some creative reporting, searching out additional sources, including an informational graphic, etc.

Warning: I have intentionally given you at least one incorrect piece of information for this story (and I may have unintentionally made errors as well). Remember--you (not your source) are responsible for the accuracy of your story.

Assignment: 500 words on applying for Fulbright program grants (+/- 25 words; better to go long than to go short). Due Thursday, September 5. You will hand in both a printout and a disk.

Also: Read Chapter 4 on Grammar and Usage, and apply what you learn to your story!

August 29, 2002:
Connecting the Writing Process to the Visual Presentation

The Writing Process

Take seriously the advice the book gives on the steps for developing a story. The first list is self-evident: "Conceive, Collect, Construct, Correct"--but it's amazing how many people will leave out the last step. No draft is perfect in its first incarnation; you must revise and revise, taking out unnecessary words and making the style clear

More valuable is the discussion of how to develop a focus. They have some good, common-sense ideas about how to balance the need for a clear purpose to the story with the need for something that's interesting. Do what they say: write down a clear focus statement. The newspaper may well use this focus statement as a "summary blurb" under the headline, which means you should make the focus statement as short and clear as possible. Writing the focus statement will also force you to focus on the most important element of your story.

You'll notice that the book puts a lot of stress on the importance of revision. Be prepared to do a lot of tinkering with your story; it's nearly impossible to write a truly good story in a single draft.

Look at the parts of the story on page 5:

Focus statement
Lead
Focus/nut graph
Supporting material
Comments/quotations/reactions

As the book points out, one of the benefits of including a "summary blurb" is that it frees you up to be creative in your lead. You no longer have to cover the "who/what/when/where/how" elements in the lead paragraph--you can write something that will be creative and bring the reader into the story.

Your book is also very insistent that you pay attention to the importance of visual elements. I'm with them, as indeed all the page editors here will be. One of the problems The Georgetonian often has is that our paper is "grey" -- too heavy on words, too light on visual interest. MTJ and crew have been working on this by doing such things as adding the "summary blurb" as a "point of entry" for the story, but anything you can do to enhance the visual impact of the story will be greatly appreciated. Thus, I will on occasion require that you supply a visual element with your story, and on other occasions I will give you extra credit if you come up with something particularly good.

Among the visual possibilities:

A Fact Box giving key information from the story
An "Empowerment Box" that sends you to a website that is related to your story
A Pull Quote -- something striking or interesting from the story that can be pulled out and used for a "point of entry" to the story
An Informational Graphic -- these can be more challenging to create, and are most likely to earn you significant extra credit.
A photograph, with an appropriate caption. If you have a photograph, save it electronically (you can scan it up in the T3 center) and save it on a high-quality setting (200 dpi is best). Save the photo in one file and the caption in a separate file

Visuals that are generally inappropriate: don't give me cheesy clipart off the internet, though sometimes you can use clipart to enhance an informational graphic, fact box, or empowerment box.

Now let's look at your copy of the Lexington Herald-Leader and examine the way it uses "points of entry," and how it clarifies the focus of each story

As you scan the pages, what do you look at? What makes you decide you do or do not want to read a story?

Do the summary blurbs add or detract from your interest in reading the story? Are you happy that they're there?

Now let's compare the print version of the Herald-Leader against its on-line version, at http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/

(P.S.: Extra credit if you can find the AP Stylebook error--actually, it's simply wrong, AP or no AP--on the Herald-Leader's main web page.)

Do you read this version differently? What are some of the effects of the differences in presentation?

This "media convergence"--the use of multiple delivery systems for information by a single news provider--is an increasingly important element of the media world. The Georgetonian will be initiating a web version this semester. What are the advantages/disadvantages of the web presentation of news? What features do you like best? What ideas might you have for what The Georgetonian can do on its website?

For next time:

Read Chapters 3 and 5.
You are all going to be assigned a story on the Fulbright Scholarship competition, with me as your primary source. I'll be holding a "news conference" in class on Tuesday to give you some information; you'll need to supplement that material with your own research and ideas and try to come up with an interesting approach to the topic. A good reporter would come to the news conference prepared, having done some preliminary research on the Fulbright Scholarships.
Start keeping a log of story ideas--you'll need them as the semester progresses

August 27, 2002:
An introduction to the class and to AP style

(Syllabus, handouts, pictures and class info sheets first)

Basic Journalistic Style

One of the benefits of taking a class in journalism is that you will learn to adapt your style to the expectations of the medium in which you are writing. Journalistic style is unlike any other, but the skills it teaches you can benefit your writing style in almost any other medium. Ernest Hemmingway, for instance, was a journalist before he was a novelist, and his clear, direct style is a result of his early journalistic training.

Some basic rules of journalism:

Keep sentences short and clear. Contrary to popular opinion, this rule was not formed just because newspaper readers are considered to have an average eighth grade education level. It is also the result of the format of newspapers: the short width of columns makes long sentences seem chopped up and difficult to read.

Do not insert your opinion, except in commentary. You will find this a difficult rule to follow at first. Look for hidden opinion as well as explicit statements of opinion; be particularly wary of adjectives.

Brevity is a virtue. Specificity is a must.

Factual errors are inexcusable, but they will happen. Be aware of the consequences, and be careful.

Memorize the AP Stylebook. Ok, at least read over the sections on times, titles, plurals, punctuation (especially commas), abbreviations capitalization and numerals.

The importance of "The Journalist's Bible"

The AP Stylebook and Libel Manual will be your constant companion. Journalistic writing is unlike writing for other purposes; it abides by a strict set of rules that are designed to ensure uniformity across a publication. Remember that any newspaper or magazine will be made up of the work of scores of writers and dozens of editors; there must be some sort of consistent set of rules about how basic, silly things are done. These rules aren't always the same as what standard common usage might dictate.

For instance, which of the following time designations is correct?

8 PM

8 pm

8 P.M.

8 p.m.

8:00 PM

8:00 pm

8:00 P.M.

8:00 p.m.

eight o'clock in the evening

8 o'clock in the evening

Are there any errors in this sentence?

Dr. Rosemary Allen, who is Chair of the English Department, has been the Faculty Advisor for the college newspaper of Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY for ten years.

(hint: there are at least seven errors, according to the AP)

In general, you have to be extraordinarily vigilant when it comes to grammatical clarity, proofreading and factual exactness. As your handout shows, I will be merciless when it comes to deducting points for errors. These assignments are short, but you have to approach them as a professional.

Remember the items from Dr. Allen's Hall of Shame....

For Thursday, August 28:
Read Chapters 1 and 2; bring in a copy of Thursday's Lexington Herald-Leader.