Last day of class, fall 2011. Thanks for a good semester!
Spell it right
If you have trouble keeping lose and loose straight … or if you tend to mix up then and than, or there, their and they’re, than then this page is for you: Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling.
Assignment updates
I’ve updated the class schedule to reflect the changes we discussed in class:
- This week’s “on the ground reporting” assignment (a news story on either the Locavore Fair or the MADD exhibit on campus) should be about 350 words long and doubled spaced. Your story should include information and/or quotes from at least three sources (people you interviewed), only one of which can be another Jour 61 classmate. This news story is due Monday, Oct. 31. Please submit it as a hard copy.
- I’ve pushed back the due date of your classmate profile to Wednesday, Nov. 2., from Oct. 31. Please submit your 350-500 word profile (yes, I am making it a bit shorter than originally listed) as a hard copy. Note: In this case, a single-source story is OK.
I’ve also updated the description of the Online Package assignment on the Assignments page of the Jour61 class blog.
Text on reserve
I just want to confirm that a copy of our textbook, Inside reporting: A practical guide to the craft of journalism, is on reserve at the MLK Library. It is available at the reserve desk on the first floor of the library. You can take it out for a couple hours at a time.
The copy at the library is the first edition, not the second, but it has most of what you need for this class.
Fall ’11 – Welcome
Welcome to the class blog for Journalism 61, section 1, which meets M/W 10:30-11:45 a.m. in DBH 222 at SJSU.
For the past few years I’ve taught Jour61 as a fully online class, but this fall it’ll be “on ground” and in person. You may notice I’m still making some changes to this blog to update it for the fall semester. I’ll be getting the kinks worked out over the next week or so.
See you soon!
Holding pattern
Yes, we’re in a holding pattern, waiting to see if enough students sign up this week to make this section of Journalism 61 a “go” for the spring ’11 semester. I’ll know for sure by Wednesday.
If not, I’ll make sure those of you who registered for this section of the class can transfer into one of the other M/W 12 noon sections.
OK, so the spring section of this class didn’t fly, but we’re on for the fall — section 1, M/W 10:30-11:45 a.m., in DBH 222.
Why spelling matters
See: J.D. Hayworth Campaign Misspells McCain’s Name In Response To Attack Ad, thus reinforcing McCain’s message that his opponent is kind of dumb. Also see the phrase: “Hoist by his own petard.”
Help is just a click away
If you haven’t explored the Resources page of this blog lately, you could be missing a bet.
For example, did you know you can download the pdf version of my PowerPoint presentation on broadcast writing? Could be a big help with this week’s broadcast writing assignments. For example, it will remind you that you’re supposed to use ALL CAPS when writing for broadcast.
You’ll find this link, along with a link to style rules for broadcast and a sample broadcast story, listed under “Broadcast” on the Resources page.
If you’re thinking of writing a review for your final magazine/multimedia project for this class, have you noticed that the Resources page includes a section on writing reviews?
You also might want to listen to one of America’s best storytellers, NPR’s Ira Glass, give his take on storytelling. You’ll find a link to that YouTube video listed under “Other Resources” … it’s just below the link to an excellent discussion of interviewing skills.
At the bottom of the Resources page you’ll find links to some interesting blogs. For example, if you check out Daniel Sato’s Photojournalism Blog (BTW, Sato is a JMC photojournalism grad), you’ll see that he’s just written a blog post that explains (and shows!) how to make your first map, using Mapnik or Google Maps.
Wouldn’t that make a fabulous “graphic extra” to accompany your final project for this class?
It’s “website” now
Big news: The Associated Press has changed “Web site” to “website.” Even better, AP “tweeted” the change. How trendy is that!
It’ll become official in the next edition of the AP Stylebook, which is due out in about a month, but you can start using “website” now.
Now if they’d just change e-mail to email, I’d be content.
Finding feature leads
This week I’ve asked you to find and identify two different types of feature leads. Please review “Leads that succeed” on pages 46-47 in our text before completing this assignment.
To help you get started, here are a few examples of news stories that open with feature-style leads:
- A recent San Francisco Chronicle story that opens with a “scene-setter” lead.
- A profile that opens with a “startling statement” lead. (Some might also describe this as a “character lead” since it characterizes the person being profiled.)
- And here’s an example of a “direct address” lead.
Now let’s see what you can find.
