journalism 2001: reporting and writing i week one september 13, 2010
TRANSCRIPT
Journalism 2001:Reporting and Writing I
Week OneSeptember 13, 2010
Words Matter!
Are you ready to work!
You’ll be a better writer/communicator at the end of this class …
Announcements
Attendance! Name cards Composition prerequisite
– Comp 1120 If drop any classes, 100% tuition
refund if dropped by September 14– Drops to 75%
Introductions Instructor: Lucy Kragness
– University of Minnesota Duluth Experience 3/96 to present: Assistant to the Chancellor 1/05 to present: Jour 2001 instructor 1/09 to present: Jour 2300 instructor (News
Photography) 10/90 to 3/96: Alumni Director, University Relations 8/90 to 10/90: Acting Director, Alumni and Media
Relations 11/84 to 10/90: Publications Director, Alumni and
Media Relations 3/89 to 5/94: Taught Publications Editing, a three-credit
spring quarter journalism course 6/85 to 6/90: Volunteer editorial adviser, Statesman
student newspaper– Freelance Experience:
7/86 to present: Freelance writer, photographer for several regional and national publications
– Newspaper Experience: 9/83 to 9/84: One-person bureau in Sheridan, Wyo.,
for the Billings Gazette in Billings, Mont. 3/81 to 9/83: Assistant state editor at the Billings
Gazette in Billings, Mont. 3/80 to 3/81: Managing editor of the Williston Daily
Herald, Plains Reporter (weekly) and the Williston Basin Reporter (bi-weekly), all in Williston, N.D.
11/79 to 3/80: Assistant managing editor/Sunday editor at the Williston Daily Herald
6/79 to 11/79: Reporter, business editor at the Williston Daily Herald
11/78 to 6/79: Assistant editor at the Northeaster newspaper in Minneapolis.
– Education: Master of Education in Educational Computing and
Technology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 2001. Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of
Minnesota Minneapolis, 1979.– Personal:
Married, two grown stepchildren, grandma!
Remember this photo….
Who are you??
Let’s look at syllabus
Office Hours: 502 Darland
Mondays between 4-5 p.m. Before/after class By appointment
Course description
First course for Writing Studies journalism major/minor
Basic news reporting/writing
Student Responsibilities Mandatory attendance
– Please arrive on time– Turn off cell phones– Avoid surfing the Internet!– Respect classmates/instructor
Weekly writing/editing assignments In-class assignments Class participation Snowy? Call UMD snow hotline: 726-SNOW Current event/textbook quizzes Bring fully charged laptop to class each
week
Daily reading of the Duluth News-Tribune Front page, opinion, local news, sports Subscription specials through Newspaper Lady
– $1 week, easy pay available– Call Paula at 218-390-0800
Sign up for news alerts Weekly reading of the Statesman Daily viewing of a local news program
– WDIO-TV: Channel 10 (Charter Channel 13) ABC affiliate
– KDLH-TV : Channel 3 (Charter Channel 4) CBS Affiliate
– KBJR-TV: Channel 6 (Charter Channel 5) NBC Affiliate
– KQDS Channel 21What’s the connection between KDLH/KBJR?What’s the connection between KQDS 21 and the Duluth
News-Tribune?
Final Project: Due December 17
Store academic information on your Electronic Portfolio. Each student has 100 mb of storage.– Access Electronic Portfolio at:
https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp
Grading
Major writing assignments: 28% In-class assignments: 24%
– Lowest assignment dropped Weekly assignments: 24%
– Lowest assignment dropped Class participation: 13% Final project: 3% Final exam: 4% Story pitches: 4% Egradebook:
– http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook
Extra Credit
Article published: 10 points– Need prior approval
Letter to the Editor published: 10 points– Duluth News-Tribune– Minneapolis Star-Tribune– St. Paul Pioneer Press
Media tours: 10 points Other: Arranged
Late assignments
Journalism definition:– The collection and editing of news for
presentation through the media Old news = no news:
– No late assignments!
Internships
Internships key to journalism positions
Marty Sozansky, Department of Writing Studies, coordinates internships
Student Academic Integrity Policy
Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishment of students. The Student Academic Integrity Policy (http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/student.html) enables UMD to have a consistent, clear-cut process in place for the reporting of offenses. The main objective is to have a central reporting office on campus, which will allow repeat offenders to be identified. To be fair and equitable to students, reporting to the academic integrity officer is mandatory. Records maintained by the academic integrity officer are confidential and are protected by federal law.
Student Conduct Code
The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University’s Student Conduct Code (http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/code). Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor’s ability to teach, or student learning, is prohibited.
Students with Disabilities It is the policy and practice of the University of
Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.
Safety and Security at UMD
The University of Minnesota Duluth is committed to the safety and security of its students, faculty, and staff. Many people have been involved in planning and implementing a variety of approaches to campus safety. This Web site (http://www.d.umn.edu/emergency/) provides information about how UMD prepares for and responds to safety, health, and weather emergencies. Be aware and be safe.
How will the class work? Weekly reading assignments In-class assignments Weekly out-of-class assignments Major reporting assignments Current event quizzes
– A journalist must follow the news! Textbook quizzes
All assignments need to be completed in Microsoft Word and sent as an attachment to: [email protected]
A printed copy of noted assignments are also due before class begins. Double spaced, 12 point type, Times Roman
October 25: Important!
Class will be attending Duluth City Council meeting on Monday, October 25
If miss that class, miss Hard News 2 assignment!
Questions about syllabus?
Syllabus, assignments, lectures at:http://www.d.umn.edu/~lkragnes
Let’s practice Connect to UMD Wireless Access
– http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/computing/wireless/ Microsoft Word available almost free to all
students:– http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/software/
Open Microsoft Word Open blank file Type: testing Save file to desktop as: Class test
Open Mail Program New message Send to this address: [email protected] Copy yourself: Add cc: Attach file Send!
Words matter!
Who is the current mayor of Duluth?
1. Don Ness2. Herb Bergson3. Gary Doty
When was Don Ness elected mayor?
1. Two years ago2. Three years ago3. Last November
Is Mayor Ness a graduate of UMD?
1. Yes2. No
As a student at UMD, Don Ness was ___________.
1. Captain of the UMD basketball team
2. Editor of the Statesman
3. Student Association President
What election is this November?
1. U.S. Senator2. Minnesota governor3. Duluth mayor
Who won the DFL primary?
1. Matt Entenza2. Mark Dayton3. Margaret
Kelliher
Yvonne Prettner Solon is running for lieutenant governor
with which candidate?
1. Matt Entenza2. Mark Dayton3. Margaret
Kelliher
Where is Yvonne Prettner Solon from?
1. Rochester2. Minneapolis3. Duluth
What’s Yvonne Prettner Solon’slink to UMD?
1. Solon Campus Center named after her husband, Sen. Sam Solon
2. She is a UMD graduate3. All of the above
The Duluth Public Schools system is undergoing a reorganization process. What is it called?
1. Time for change
2. The Red Plan3. Zenith City
Plan
Duluth voters approved the Red Plan for reorganization of the Duluth Public Schools.
1. Yes2. No
What UMD administrator was featured in a story in today’s Duluth News Tribune?
1. Kathryn Martin
2. Scott Sandelin
3. Bob Nielson
Chapter 1: The Story of Journalism
Remembering 9/11– Moment of silence
Where were you on 9/11? How did you hear the news? News events help define generations
Journalism skills helped theseUMD alumni succeed
Newspapers– Sarah Doty, Rochester Post-Bulletin– Jim Heffernan, former opinion editor, Duluth
News-Tribune– Tim Franklin, publisher of the Hinckley News,
Pine County Courier (former Statesman editor, editor/reporter in Cloquet, Grand Marais, Duluth)
TV news reporters– Dennis Anderson, anchor for WDIO-TV– Joel Runck, former reporter for KBJR-TV– Kyle Underwood, former WDIO-TV
Public relations Susan Latto, UMD Public Relations Director Amy Rutledge, communications manager for
Minnesota Power, former anchor for KDLH-TV and
Sports Information Bob Nygaard, UMD Sports Information
Director Grant writers/non-profit organizations
Cindy Finch, Woodland Hills Advertising
John Hyduke, Westmoreland Flint Government relations
Julene Boe, St. Louis River Alliance/City of Duluth
Jess Myers, Minnesota Senate Office/former Hockey News
“It's impossible to teach anyone to be a journalist because most of the skills necessary to be a good journalist — an insatiable curiosity, a tenacity for the truth and a love of words — must be developed within. Those of us who have chosen to teach journalism don't really teach, we merely light the way.”
— Prof. Malcolm Gibson, College Program Guide, published by The New York Times Co.
• Mark Twain (1835-1910)• Humorist and novelist
5Legendary journalists
Newsroom heroes, legends and folklore
• Nellie Bly (1864-1922)• “Best reporter in America”
in late 1800s
• H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)• Timeless, biting, quotable
social commentary
• Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
• Legendary American novelist• Started as reporter
5Legendary journalists
Newsroom heroes, legends and folklore
• Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005)
• “Gonzo” journalism• Dangerous, wrong and
entertaining
–Female reporters are gutsy, idealistic, beautiful and single.
Male reporters are surly, cynical loners.–Reporters routinely solve mysteries.–Reporters ambush, dodge, shout.–Reporters drink at their desks.–Reporters have a liberal bias.
5Myths about reporters
5Fictional newsroom characters– Clark Kent
Daily Planet reporter and Superman
– Lois Lane Ace reporter and
Superman’s girlfriend– Lou Grant
Surly, burly, gruff-but-lovable
– Brenda Starr 1940s strong
female comic hero– Jimmy
Fabricated character that helped Janet Cooke win Pulitzer Prize in 1980s
Every culture seeks ways to spread the news
The birth of journalism
Ancient clay tablets Roman newsletters Wandering minstrels
Reporting becomes disciplined craft–Emergence of penny
press Marketed to masses New York Sun –1833
–Innovations in printing
–Rise of modern newsroom
News in the 19th century
Bennett crafts new style of journalism New York Herald –
1835 Biggest in world by
midcentury
Yellow journalism’s golden age–Loud headlines–Sensational
stories on sin and sex
–Lavish use of pictures Often faked
News in the 19th century
–Sunday supplements Comics and
features–Rumors disguised
as news Led to war with
Spain
Yellow journalism–Horace Greely
Liberal, crusading social reformer
–Henry Raymond NY Times
News in the 19th century
–Joseph Pulitzer The World
–William Randolph Hearst New York Journal
Pulitzer spreads crusading influence–The World
Transcended yellow journalism
Launched crusades against corruption in government, business
News in the modern age
–Funded one of 1st schools of journalism Columbia University
–Established Pulitzer Prizes Encourage journalistic
excellence
Radio, TV bring end to newspaper’s media monopoly–Competition too
appealing Radio had sound and
music Movie newsreels
added faces to voices By 1950, television Now, Internet
News in the modern age
Newspapers respond Tighter writing Better formatting Improved design Corporate
consolidation
Radio, TV and the Newspaper–Radio rules
airwaves1927 – 30 million listen to Lindberg’s homecoming
1st 24-hour news coverage
News in the modern age
–Television news comes of age1963 – Kennedy assassination
– Inverted pyramid
– No longer Americans’ first, or favorite, source of news
– More facts;less sensationalism
– More readable
Radio, TV and the NewspaperMeanwhile, back at the newspaper…
News in the modern age
Local TV newsRadio newsLocal newspaperWeb siteNational TV news
Whom do YOU believe when you hear conflicting versions of a news story?
News in the modern age
Chapter 2How the Newsroom Works
Ingredients of News
What is news?– Folklore definition:
North East West South
Let’s hear your definitions…
Dictionary definition of news
Merriam Webster Online Definition:1 a : a report of recent events b :
previously unknown information <I've got news for you>2 a : material reported in a newspaper or news periodical or on a newscast b : matter that is newsworthy
What is hard news?
1. Timely events reported almost automatically by the media.
2. Events not usually considered immediately important or timely to a wide audience.
Are these hard news or soft news?
Car wash by fourth graders to raise money for a classmate with cancer
Murder in Lakeside High wind creating surf conditions for
wind surfers City council meeting Strike by AFSCME
Hard News
Murders City Council meetings Government meetings Not always bad news: major
announcements
Soft News Retirements School programs Human interest
Convergence
Collaboration between newspapers, TV and Internet– KDLH/Duluth News Tribune– Newspaper reporter/radio reporter
What does it mean for a journalist to be objective?
Let’s hear your definitions
A subjective/objective business
Journalist’s feelings, thoughts, experiences influence a story
Objectivity key to respect of media What’s a gatekeeper?
– Editors, reporters, sources– Big responsibility: Deciding what’s news
Evolving process– Editor/reporter tap dance
What makes news?
Immediacy– Train derailment
Proximity Conflict Prominence Consequence Novelty Impact Emotions/Human Interest
What is news?
They prefer news about serious issues and major events. 63%
They prefer crime and celebrity news. 24% The media is out of touch with
average Americans. 48% They find the news depressing. 84% They find the news negative. 77% They find the news sensational. 58%
News by the numbers– Americans who say:
What is news?
Have little or no interest in politics. 42%– Journalists who say:
They often avoid running stories readers think are important but dull. 77%
They sometimes ignore stories because readers might find them too complex. 52%
News by the numbers– Americans under the age of 30 who say
they:
What is news?
– The Metropolitan Daily Lots of pages to fill with range of topics Local to global
– The Community Weekly Limited space Tight regional focus
– The Twice-Weekly Campus Paper Space very tight Stories focus on campus events and culture
News depends on the newspaper
What readers want
– We ask them.– We watch them.
Focus groups Phone, mail and
Web surveys Monitoring devices
So how do we know what readers read?
And more Ethnography Sales/Web views Reader response Anecdotal
feedback
What readers want
– Readers are in a hurry.
– Readers have short attention spans.
– Readers want stories that connect.
Things every reporter needs to remember about readers
5– Readers want
stories told in a compelling way.
– There’s more than just one type of reader.
What readers want
– Spend 90% of time chasing a story, and 10% writing it.
– Not everything a reporter hears makes it into the finished story.
How a story gets written– Not everything is
as it seems.
What goes in the newspaper
Daily editorial meeting– Editors make story
pitches– Editor/managing
editor makes final decision
– Photography or graphic assignments finalized
Deadlines for multiple editions
General assignment reporters Spot news Night reporter
Beat reporters Education Crime/courts Government: city, county, regional, state, national
Specialty reporters Multicultural Family Taste Business
How reporters cover the news
– Major divisions Advertising
department Production
department Circulation
department
How the news comes together
– Reporters and editors
– Copy editors and presentation
– Editorial board– Photo and
graphics
Inside the Oregonian newsroom
How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom
How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom
Who’s who in the newsroom
– At most papers, writers are either: General assignment
reporters – cover wide range of stories.
Beat reporters – covera specific topic.
Clear lines of authority avoid chaos
Some news-rooms now organize staffers in teams to encourage them to work together.
What it’s called
– Daily – printed every day.
– Weekly – printed once a week.
– Newsletter – printed once a month.
Talk the talk
– Mainstream newspaper (The New York Times)
– Alternative press (The Village Voice)
– Specialty publication (Fur & Feather Magazine)
What it’s called
– Broadsheet – large format page
– Tabloid – half the size of a broadsheet
Talk the Talk– Stories can be
spiked or killed.– Writers can create a
thumbsucker or a goat-choker.
– Editors can trim or cut a few graphs and butcher or bury stories.
What it’s called
Parts of a story
– Photo– Byline– Dateline– Lead– Quote– Attribution
– Photo credit– Liftout quote– Tagline
– Headline
What it’s called
– Flag Name of paper set in
special type. Never changes.
– Edition Daily papers often
print street sales and home delivery editions.
The parts of a page– Infographic
Informational graphics.
Display key facts.– Deck
Subheadline. Written by copy
editors.
What it’s called
– Text Story measured in
inches.– Jump line
Tells readers where story continues, or jumps.
The parts of a page– Cutline
Caption. Written by copy
editors or reporters.– Teaser
Promo or skybox. Captures readers’
attention to highlight story in issue.
What it’s called
– Refer Alerts readers to
another story related to topic.
– Wire story Story written by
reporter working for another paper or national wire service.
The parts of a page– Mug shot
Closeup photo of someone’s face.
Usually small.– Centerpiece
Lead story.
Tools, talent & temperament
– Notebook Use spiral-bound
pads.– Tape recorder
Know the laws.– Computer
Learn to type.
The basic hardware: The tools every reporter needs
– Camera Carry extra
batteries.– Telephone
Think cell phones that take pictures.
Words matter!
Let’s look at Duluth News-Tribune
Assignments for 9/20: Using the Thursday (September 16, 2010) Duluth
News-Tribune, list the stories on the front page, local section and the sports page. Determine if the stories where selected on the traditional news elements of:– Impact– Immediacy– Proximity/relevance– Conflict– Prominence– Novelty– Emotions/Human Interest
Keep evaluations brief: no more than three sentences each.
Bring PRINTED copy of evaluations to class on Monday, September 20. Double spaced, Times Roman font, 12 point.
Textbook Quiz– To help reinforce what you have read,
you will have a take-home quiz about the textbook reading
– Turn quiz in next Monday, September 20
How to use AP Stylebook
Stylebook Key– Addresses:
Is this correct? 25 East Silver St.– Spellings:
Adviser/advisor; Legislative titles Sports Guidelines and Style Business Guidelines and Style A Guide to Punctuation Editing Marks
Don’t memorize, familiarize!
Today’s assignment
AP Stylebook editing practice Prepare a Microsoft word file with the
following information and send it as an email attachment to: [email protected]:– Your name, hometown– Your year at UMD– Your major/minor– Your career goals– Journalism experience (OK if none!)– What you hope to get out of this class– Anything else you’d like me to know