Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
EDITORIAL From the Foo Fighters to Michele Bachmann: Questions about media freedom and control
Twin Cities Daily Planet Editor Mary Turck considers the ethical questions surrounding concert photos and requirements politicians place on photos of themselves.
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/column/mary-turck/foo-fighters-to-michele-bachmann
EXCERPT:
In May, for example, the Poynter Institute raised the question of staged photos following the president's announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden. According to senior AP Staff Photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais, “The statement for the photographers took place two to three minutes after the live speech and it happened very quickly — extremely fast — with each photographer rotating into the center position.”
Poynter noted that AP reveals in its captions that the photo is taken after the news conference, but not all newspapers publish that disclaimer. The practice had been standard for a long time:
Doug Mills, New York Times photojournalist and former Associated Press staffer, says it has been done this way “always, always … well, as long as I have covered the White House, going back to the Reagan administration. We [still photographers] have never, never, never, ever been allowed to cover a live presidential address to the nation!”
Poynter noted that "this practice of re-enacting a historic speech flies directly in the face of the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics, which includes this relevant passage: 'Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.'"
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/column/mary-turck/foo-fighters-to-michele-bachmann
EXCERPT:
In May, for example, the Poynter Institute raised the question of staged photos following the president's announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden. According to senior AP Staff Photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais, “The statement for the photographers took place two to three minutes after the live speech and it happened very quickly — extremely fast — with each photographer rotating into the center position.”
Poynter noted that AP reveals in its captions that the photo is taken after the news conference, but not all newspapers publish that disclaimer. The practice had been standard for a long time:
Doug Mills, New York Times photojournalist and former Associated Press staffer, says it has been done this way “always, always … well, as long as I have covered the White House, going back to the Reagan administration. We [still photographers] have never, never, never, ever been allowed to cover a live presidential address to the nation!”
Poynter noted that "this practice of re-enacting a historic speech flies directly in the face of the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics, which includes this relevant passage: 'Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.'"
Thursday, September 22, 2011
VIDEO How to punctuate quotes
Are you punctuating quotes correctly? Make sure by watching this video.
Monday, September 19, 2011
VIDEO Write a good second paragraph
What comes after the lead? Your second paragraph. What makes a good one? Watch and find out.
CLASSROOM BULLETIN: Story 1
• Please remember to doublespace your stories. Place your name and the story number at the top, along with a slug line. (Refer to your syllabus if you’re not sure what a slug line is.)
• When it comes to numbers, remember this rule: Spell out one to nine. Use numerals for 10+. Exceptions are ages and years.
• It’s tractor-trailer (Needs a hyphen). This is the precise term for “semi” which is used in speech but not in writing.
• Avoid repetition in a news story. Be consise and to the point. Offer new details as you move through the story rather than restate what you already said.
• Question - How important do you think the traffic piece of this is to your readers? Should that information be placed earlier in the story instead of at the end?
AVOID WORDINESS IN NEWS STORIES
As it is in other styles of writing, you want to avoid wordiness and redundancy in news stories.
Ex) I-790 had to be closed.
FIX: I-790 was closed.
Ex) Sgt. Albert Wei counted the number of vehicles involved at 18.
FIX: Sgt. Albert Wei said 18 vehicles were involved.
MAKE SURE YOUR QUOTES ARE ACCURATE
Many of you made some of the quotes from the story into direct quotes. I applaud your desire to add direct quotes into the news story, and agree that it does make a story more powerful. However, in this instance, there were no direct quotes in your notes. If you don’t know for sure something is a direct quote, you can’t use it as such. One of the places reporters get into trouble with is their quotes. You want to be as correct as possible. Never make changes to how someone said something either.
SHOW DON’T TELL
Many of you included adjectives like “violent” and “severe” to describe the crash. Pull those out of your writing whenever you see them there. In journalism you want to show, not tell the reader. By using details like “deaths of two people” or “20 injured” readers can judge for themselves what type of crash this was.
PUNCTUATION OF QUOTES
We'll be learning about how to correctly punctuatate quotes next week when we read Chapter 10 in our textbook. However, if you want to work on this area now, I encourage you to do the chapter 2 exercise in chapter 10 on pages 266-67. There is an answer key in the back so you can check your work and learn as you go.
YOUR CITY
When your textbook says “your city”, go ahead and substitute the name of a city, such as Coon Rapids.
YOUR LEADS
Read through these leads to see how your fellow classmates approached this subject. I’m sure you’ll get some ideas on what to do next time and some ideas of what to avoid.
• A fatal accident occurred this morning at 6:45 a.m. on Interstate 790, on the western edge of Forest Lake.
• Four tractor trailers and 14 cars were involved in an accident at 6:45 a.m. today on Interstate 790 north bound near the west side of Anytown, Minn.
• Two people were killed and 20 others injured in an early morning crash involving four tractor trailers and 14 cars on the northbound lanes of Interstate 790.
• A deadly car crash pile-up, involving 18 vehicles, occurred at 6:45 a.m. this morning on Interstate 790.
• The grisly 18-vehicle pileup on I-790 this morning at 6:45 a.m. “looked like something from a war zone,” according to Fire Chief Tony Sullivan.
• Two people were killed and many others injured in this mornings commute when two tractor-trailers collided on Interstate 790.
• A crash between two tractor-trailers, at 6:45 a.m. this morning, led to a massive chain of car wrecks on the northbound lanes of Interstate 790 that has left two dead and 20 injured.
• Two tractor trailers collided around 6:45 this morning on Interstate 790, leaving two dead and twenty people injured.
• A tractor-trailer containing diesel fuel collided with another trailer early this morning on I-790, leaving two dead and 20 injured.
• Until this morning's accident on the east side of Big Lake, Chief Tony Sullivan had never witnessed anything this bad in his 18_ years with the fire department.
• Two people were killed today and 20 were injured in a multiple vehicle accident on Interstate 790 at 6:45 a.m.
Commentary on the future of journalism
"At a time when mainstream news media are hemorrhaging and doomsayers are predicting the death of journalism (at least as we've known it), take heart: The free press is alive and well in small towns across America, thanks to the editors of thousands of weeklies who, for very little money and a fair amount of aggravation, keep on telling it like it is. Sometimes they tell it gently, in code only the locals understand. After all, they have to live there too. But they also tell it with courage, standing up to powerful bullies — from coal company thugs in Kentucky to corrupt politicians in the Texas Panhandle."
Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-muller-weeklies-20110913,0,3782815.story
Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-muller-weeklies-20110913,0,3782815.story
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
VIDEO Practice Makes Better
You don't write a perfect news story at the first try. But by trying again and again, you'll find your way to success.
Classroom bulletin: Session 4 leads
GREAT HEADLINE, POOR LEAD
When it comes to writing leads, remember that they aren’t the same as writing headlines. A lead is the first sentence in your story. It should be a complete sentence. Be sure to include articles like “a,” “an,” and “the.” In most cases the lead should be written in the past tense because the event/crash/etc. occured in the past. Someone was charged with a crime. The mayor made an announcement at a press conference. Also, be sure to try to provide an answer to the basic journalism questions in every lead (who, what, when, where, why and how).
View a video about the differences between leads and headlines: Click here
• New fire tax proposed by the mayor
FIX: On Monday night, the mayor proposed a new fire tax that he hopes will eliminate a $6 million deficit.
• New program established to help teachers get housing
FIX: A new program has been established that will help teachers get housing.
GOOD LEADS
These leads make a point using specific details. They are not overly general. They include answers to the main journalism questions (who, what, when, where, why and how) without trying to pack everything into one sentence.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested yesterday and taken to a juvenile detention facility after allegedly slapping a girl on the cheek at the playground.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested yesterday after slapping a girl in the face at a playground.
An 8-year old boy was arrested on a battery charge yesterday for slapping a girl across the face at the Riverview Park playground.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested this afternoon at Riverview Park on a battery charge after slapping a girl who was trying to use a swing on the playground.
A policeman arrested an 8-year-old boy for a battery charge yesterday at Riverview Park. An internal investigation will ensue to examine the decision for arrest, says the police chief.
A woman was charged with grand theft today after federal investigators discovered she concealed her grandmother's death 20-years ago and has since collected over $200,000 in social security checks.
A woman has been charged with grand theft after allegedly collecting more than $200,000 in social security payments from her long-deceased grandmother.
Mayor Sabrina Datolli proposed a new fire tax today that would charge an annual fee to homeowners, churches, businesses and schools. City Council member Carole Nyad calls the proposed tax “bazaar.”
Local school officials today unveiled a new program that will offer below-market interest rates on mortgage loans for teachers and administrators in public schools.
A new program aimed at helping teachers pay for their mortgage was revealed by local school officials in hopes that will lower teacher shortages in schools.
Fire Chief Tony Sullivan announced today that the tradition of sliding down a pole to get to the fire engine will end when the old multistory firehouse is replaced with a new one-story station.
The fire chief announced today that all multi-story stations will be demolished by early next year and replaced with new one-story stations, ending a 100-year tradition of fireman sliding down the pole.
The fire chief announced today that the fire department is building one-story stations and replacing multi-story firehouses to eliminate the dangers associated with sliding down poles.
Today the Big Lake fire chief announced that the old firehouse will be replaced with a new single-story building, bringing an end to the century-old tradition of sliding down the brass pole, and the injuries that went with it.
OPINION
Many of you found it hard to keep opinion out of the lead about teachers. By saying that teacher’s aren’t paid much and can’t afford down payments, you are being opinionated. To fix this problem, you need to attribute the opinion to someone, or merely state that a new program has been created to help teachers afford to buy homes.
Unbiased:
• Local school officials have launched a program that will offer mortgages to teachers who are purchasing a home for the first time.
• School officials have proposed a plan to help the ease the financial difficulties faced by many teachers. The plan, which was proposed today, would allow teachers to obtain more affordable mortgages.
BUT WHEN?
Many of you neglected to include the all-important “when” in your leads. Readers need to know when something happened to put it into context.
• Policeman Roger Temple arrested a juvenile boy around 4 p.m. at Riverview Park for allegedly slapping a girl in the face.
FIX: Policeman Roger Temple arrested a juvenile boy yesterday around 4 p.m. at Riverview Park for allegedly slapping a girl in the face.
• Police arrested a child on the playground at Riverview Park for striking another child on the face.
FIX: Yesterday, police arrested a child on the playground at Riverview Park for striking another child on the face.
DON’T ASSUME GUILT
Be careful to not assume someone is guilty until a jury finds her guilty. You don’t want to be sued! In discussing crime, always be sure to state that someone has been charged, or that “according to so and so” this happened.
WRONG WAY
• A woman hid her deceased grandmother’s body in a trunk and illegally collected social security for 20 years.
RIGHT WAY
• Today police charged a woman with grand theft after they learned she had been collecting her grandmother’s social security checks for 20 years. The woman told police her grandmother died of natural causes and she hid the body in her basement in order to continue receiving her checks.
COMMON AP STYLE ERRORS THIS WEEK
• Remember to spell out numbers one to nine and use the numerals for 10+. Exceptions to this rule are ages and years.
• Don’t use the word “dollar”. Instead, use just the $ sign.
ETHICAL ISSUE
What do you think of the use of “dumb cop” in a quote? Should the quote be paraphrased to eliminate the use of the phrase?
FORMAT
Remember to include your name and information on the exercise (For example: Leads, chapter 7, exercise 3) at the top of the document you hand in.
When it comes to writing leads, remember that they aren’t the same as writing headlines. A lead is the first sentence in your story. It should be a complete sentence. Be sure to include articles like “a,” “an,” and “the.” In most cases the lead should be written in the past tense because the event/crash/etc. occured in the past. Someone was charged with a crime. The mayor made an announcement at a press conference. Also, be sure to try to provide an answer to the basic journalism questions in every lead (who, what, when, where, why and how).
View a video about the differences between leads and headlines: Click here
• New fire tax proposed by the mayor
FIX: On Monday night, the mayor proposed a new fire tax that he hopes will eliminate a $6 million deficit.
• New program established to help teachers get housing
FIX: A new program has been established that will help teachers get housing.
GOOD LEADS
These leads make a point using specific details. They are not overly general. They include answers to the main journalism questions (who, what, when, where, why and how) without trying to pack everything into one sentence.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested yesterday and taken to a juvenile detention facility after allegedly slapping a girl on the cheek at the playground.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested yesterday after slapping a girl in the face at a playground.
An 8-year old boy was arrested on a battery charge yesterday for slapping a girl across the face at the Riverview Park playground.
An 8-year-old boy was arrested this afternoon at Riverview Park on a battery charge after slapping a girl who was trying to use a swing on the playground.
A policeman arrested an 8-year-old boy for a battery charge yesterday at Riverview Park. An internal investigation will ensue to examine the decision for arrest, says the police chief.
A woman was charged with grand theft today after federal investigators discovered she concealed her grandmother's death 20-years ago and has since collected over $200,000 in social security checks.
A woman has been charged with grand theft after allegedly collecting more than $200,000 in social security payments from her long-deceased grandmother.
Mayor Sabrina Datolli proposed a new fire tax today that would charge an annual fee to homeowners, churches, businesses and schools. City Council member Carole Nyad calls the proposed tax “bazaar.”
Local school officials today unveiled a new program that will offer below-market interest rates on mortgage loans for teachers and administrators in public schools.
A new program aimed at helping teachers pay for their mortgage was revealed by local school officials in hopes that will lower teacher shortages in schools.
Fire Chief Tony Sullivan announced today that the tradition of sliding down a pole to get to the fire engine will end when the old multistory firehouse is replaced with a new one-story station.
The fire chief announced today that all multi-story stations will be demolished by early next year and replaced with new one-story stations, ending a 100-year tradition of fireman sliding down the pole.
The fire chief announced today that the fire department is building one-story stations and replacing multi-story firehouses to eliminate the dangers associated with sliding down poles.
Today the Big Lake fire chief announced that the old firehouse will be replaced with a new single-story building, bringing an end to the century-old tradition of sliding down the brass pole, and the injuries that went with it.
OPINION
Many of you found it hard to keep opinion out of the lead about teachers. By saying that teacher’s aren’t paid much and can’t afford down payments, you are being opinionated. To fix this problem, you need to attribute the opinion to someone, or merely state that a new program has been created to help teachers afford to buy homes.
Unbiased:
• Local school officials have launched a program that will offer mortgages to teachers who are purchasing a home for the first time.
• School officials have proposed a plan to help the ease the financial difficulties faced by many teachers. The plan, which was proposed today, would allow teachers to obtain more affordable mortgages.
BUT WHEN?
Many of you neglected to include the all-important “when” in your leads. Readers need to know when something happened to put it into context.
• Policeman Roger Temple arrested a juvenile boy around 4 p.m. at Riverview Park for allegedly slapping a girl in the face.
FIX: Policeman Roger Temple arrested a juvenile boy yesterday around 4 p.m. at Riverview Park for allegedly slapping a girl in the face.
• Police arrested a child on the playground at Riverview Park for striking another child on the face.
FIX: Yesterday, police arrested a child on the playground at Riverview Park for striking another child on the face.
DON’T ASSUME GUILT
Be careful to not assume someone is guilty until a jury finds her guilty. You don’t want to be sued! In discussing crime, always be sure to state that someone has been charged, or that “according to so and so” this happened.
WRONG WAY
• A woman hid her deceased grandmother’s body in a trunk and illegally collected social security for 20 years.
RIGHT WAY
• Today police charged a woman with grand theft after they learned she had been collecting her grandmother’s social security checks for 20 years. The woman told police her grandmother died of natural causes and she hid the body in her basement in order to continue receiving her checks.
COMMON AP STYLE ERRORS THIS WEEK
• Remember to spell out numbers one to nine and use the numerals for 10+. Exceptions to this rule are ages and years.
• Don’t use the word “dollar”. Instead, use just the $ sign.
ETHICAL ISSUE
What do you think of the use of “dumb cop” in a quote? Should the quote be paraphrased to eliminate the use of the phrase?
FORMAT
Remember to include your name and information on the exercise (For example: Leads, chapter 7, exercise 3) at the top of the document you hand in.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
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