The reading from weeks three and four not only supported my argument from the first set of readings but also added to my view of what it means to be a journalist.
As I said two weeks ago, the digital age of journalism has shifted the role of news from an information provider to a conversation about information. TMZ's budget meetings are now open to the staff as well as the editors: The journalists are talking about the news more and more, especially with each other on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Josh Korr says, "...collaborative thinking draws readers, is easy, and costs nothing more than time (and not even much of that)." These new forums of communication have created a community of news-seeking individuals online who may or may not be of a journalistic background, but who are still participating in the pursuit of truth. Korr goes on to point out, "As for money, when the technology is free all you need to invest in is smart journalists."
Charlie Beckett extends this argument to include the future of politics with the future of journalism on the Internet. He says, "There is evidence of an increased capacity for a more interactive style of democracy." Just as journalism has become, in my view, an interactive media, Beckett argues that government has as well. If the public feel involved and passionate about an issue, they will participate. Beckett argues that is why social networks have been so successful - and I agree. He says, "When it comes to our football team or our family, we are prepared to invest effort in creating journalism as well as sharing communication with others....Together we produce the kind of journalism that mainstream media failed to produce." Thus, the news media and the government should pay attention to what is being said on social networking sites because these are issues the public cares about right now.
Also, the Poynter Twitter survey and the tips for accuracy made me think of the role of the journalist in a new way. The tweets on the Poynter site, such as "Assume audience is smart, caring and good. Assume same about people on whom I report," really gave a humanizing side to journalism that I hadn't thought about before. These stories are about every day people and their lives. We must always remember that.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Poligraft
Analysis: This tool will be extremely helpful to me in the future not only for reading the news but also expanding my knowledge of what's going on in the world. There are so many times while reading a news story that I want more information about a subject but either don't have access to a computer or forget to look it up after I finish reading. This tool will help the journalism world by finding connections between people and organizations that reporters may overlook. I wish that the report sidebar would provide more information for hits than it does now, however.
Summary of story: According to an article from The New York Times online, DotOrg, Google's original philanthropic organization, is not fulfilling the goals a Google founder, Larry Page, outlined in 2004.
Here are the hits Poligraft found in this story:
The story quotes Joshua Cohen, a professor at Stanford University. Seventy-five percent of campaign contributions from individuals connected with this university were for Democratic candidates. The remaining 25 percent went to Republicans.
Employees and other individuals connected with Google contributed 57 percent of their total contributions to Democrats, 12 percent to Republicans and 31 percent to other parties.
The other hits listed on the sidebar did not provide relevant information. I thought this website would provide more information about companies and individuals than simply campaign contributions, but I can see how this website would help in stories about political figures.
Summary of story: According to an article from The New York Times online, DotOrg, Google's original philanthropic organization, is not fulfilling the goals a Google founder, Larry Page, outlined in 2004.
Here are the hits Poligraft found in this story:
The story quotes Joshua Cohen, a professor at Stanford University. Seventy-five percent of campaign contributions from individuals connected with this university were for Democratic candidates. The remaining 25 percent went to Republicans.
Employees and other individuals connected with Google contributed 57 percent of their total contributions to Democrats, 12 percent to Republicans and 31 percent to other parties.
The other hits listed on the sidebar did not provide relevant information. I thought this website would provide more information about companies and individuals than simply campaign contributions, but I can see how this website would help in stories about political figures.
Case Study 4
This week's case study asks readers to put themselves in the role of an editor. The assignment asks whether we would run this image, how we would run it and what we believe the consequences of running it would be.
Whether to run it
If I were the editor of a publication, I would choose to publish this photograph in a restricted way.
How would the following changes in circumstances affect your decision:
-Would you publish if the bodies were of American soldiers, rather than civilian workers?
This would not change my decision of publishing the photo.
-If the charred bodies could be recognized as human forms, not just as parts of corpses?
I would make the same decision since my method of publication has some yellow tape.
-If the bodies were not charred, but were visible as distinctive human beings?
If this were the case, I would make my warning in the print version descriptive of the photos online.
-If the face on one of the bodies was recognizable?
I would not publish the photo if this were the case. Family members of that person might not have known of the person's death before seeing the photo from my publication, and I believe news media outlets should not be the notifier of a loved one's death. Journalism's role is to provide truthful information, but that information is private and personal.
-If the bodies were not of Americans, but of Iraqis?
I would publish the photo in the same way I outlined below.
-If the bodies were not charred, but naked?
I don't believe I would publish the photo in this case.
-If the bodies were of women and children, not men?
I think I would still publish this photo again in a restricted way.
How to run it
If my hypothetical publication had both a print and online version, I would note in the print version that images of the story's subject could be seen online - and that many may find the photos disturbing. That way, readers of the print publication - especially children - would not be exposed to the gruesome photo if they didn't want to be.
-Would you prefer an alternate image?
Yes. I would prefer a photo of the bridge and the crowd without sight of the charred bodies hanging.
-If you ran it on the front page, where on the front page?
I would definitely not run this photo on the front page, but if I did, I would probably budget it at the top of the layout - and small.
-Would you run it inside?
No.
-What size would you run the image?
Online, I would run it the regular size of an image on my publication's website.
-Would you explain why you are running the image or why not? In what form would you explain this?
As I said above, I would explain in the print version why the photo would only run online. I would explain this in a blurb to the side of the news story.
-Would you issue a warning about the graphic nature of the image?
Yes.
-Would you be tempted - through cropping or digital manipulation - to alter the image?
No. That goes against journalistic ethics. We are not to manipulate the truth.
-If you didn't run this image, how would you convey the news?
I would convey the news in a story.
-How would your media platform influence your news judgment? What are the differences, if any, if you were making these judgments for a daily newspaper, a news magazine, network television, cable television, a news website?
The print media platform of my news organization would be more conservative about what to publish because of its availability. Readers, when looking at a page, cannot choose what they see. Online, however, they can choose to click a link to see a photo they've been warned is disturbing. I believe that print and television should be conservative with what they choose to publish because the media are so intrusive. With proper warnings online, however, readers can choose to discover news based on warnings.
Consequences of your decision
All the questions listed on the Poynter site would concern me.
Publication of the image could change the public's opinion about the war in Iraq. However, opinions are formed based on facts. The public should have access to these facts in order to form opinions.
The photo's publication could affect the safety of other Americans in Iraq because there could be copycat incidences.
I do believe the publication of this photo could offend and upset some people which is the reason I would include warnings before viewing.
I don't believe publication of this photo would ruin our credibility because we're publishing what happened. I don't think we would be charged with sensationalism, though I do agree that competitive publications might make different decisions. I don't think my publication would be accused of political bias.
In journalism, editors are faced with decisions similar to this one every day. The media control what information the public has access to. With this job description comes many responsibilities, including making thought-out decisions about what to publish.
Whether to run it
If I were the editor of a publication, I would choose to publish this photograph in a restricted way.
How would the following changes in circumstances affect your decision:
-Would you publish if the bodies were of American soldiers, rather than civilian workers?
This would not change my decision of publishing the photo.
-If the charred bodies could be recognized as human forms, not just as parts of corpses?
I would make the same decision since my method of publication has some yellow tape.
-If the bodies were not charred, but were visible as distinctive human beings?
If this were the case, I would make my warning in the print version descriptive of the photos online.
-If the face on one of the bodies was recognizable?
I would not publish the photo if this were the case. Family members of that person might not have known of the person's death before seeing the photo from my publication, and I believe news media outlets should not be the notifier of a loved one's death. Journalism's role is to provide truthful information, but that information is private and personal.
-If the bodies were not of Americans, but of Iraqis?
I would publish the photo in the same way I outlined below.
-If the bodies were not charred, but naked?
I don't believe I would publish the photo in this case.
-If the bodies were of women and children, not men?
I think I would still publish this photo again in a restricted way.
How to run it
If my hypothetical publication had both a print and online version, I would note in the print version that images of the story's subject could be seen online - and that many may find the photos disturbing. That way, readers of the print publication - especially children - would not be exposed to the gruesome photo if they didn't want to be.
-Would you prefer an alternate image?
Yes. I would prefer a photo of the bridge and the crowd without sight of the charred bodies hanging.
-If you ran it on the front page, where on the front page?
I would definitely not run this photo on the front page, but if I did, I would probably budget it at the top of the layout - and small.
-Would you run it inside?
No.
-What size would you run the image?
Online, I would run it the regular size of an image on my publication's website.
-Would you explain why you are running the image or why not? In what form would you explain this?
As I said above, I would explain in the print version why the photo would only run online. I would explain this in a blurb to the side of the news story.
-Would you issue a warning about the graphic nature of the image?
Yes.
-Would you be tempted - through cropping or digital manipulation - to alter the image?
No. That goes against journalistic ethics. We are not to manipulate the truth.
-If you didn't run this image, how would you convey the news?
I would convey the news in a story.
-How would your media platform influence your news judgment? What are the differences, if any, if you were making these judgments for a daily newspaper, a news magazine, network television, cable television, a news website?
The print media platform of my news organization would be more conservative about what to publish because of its availability. Readers, when looking at a page, cannot choose what they see. Online, however, they can choose to click a link to see a photo they've been warned is disturbing. I believe that print and television should be conservative with what they choose to publish because the media are so intrusive. With proper warnings online, however, readers can choose to discover news based on warnings.
Consequences of your decision
All the questions listed on the Poynter site would concern me.
Publication of the image could change the public's opinion about the war in Iraq. However, opinions are formed based on facts. The public should have access to these facts in order to form opinions.
The photo's publication could affect the safety of other Americans in Iraq because there could be copycat incidences.
I do believe the publication of this photo could offend and upset some people which is the reason I would include warnings before viewing.
I don't believe publication of this photo would ruin our credibility because we're publishing what happened. I don't think we would be charged with sensationalism, though I do agree that competitive publications might make different decisions. I don't think my publication would be accused of political bias.
In journalism, editors are faced with decisions similar to this one every day. The media control what information the public has access to. With this job description comes many responsibilities, including making thought-out decisions about what to publish.
FOIA letter
Team Queen decided to request information from the University of Florida in our FOIA letter. The information we want is a breakdown or itemized list of where our tuition payments go. We believe this information is important and relevant because as our tuition continues to rise, budget cuts continue to occur. We want to know where each and every one of our dollars contributes to this university and our education.
We were unclear as to where we should send this request, which is the reason this post is late.
We were unclear as to where we should send this request, which is the reason this post is late.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Case Study 3
In class Wednesday, we discussed a story that changed the gender of a person quoted. The editor assumed that a person's name meant they were a specific gender. This served as an example of the importance of calling the reporter before making a change.
Conversing with the reporter on stories one edits is essential to the success of the story. In this story, published by the Alligator, the editor would need to double-check all of the numbers and statistics with the reporter because numbers are so easily changed and overlooked in news stories.
Telling a story in the age of the Internet is becoming more and more of a team effort. Reporters must speak with photographers, editors and website personnel about how the story can best be presented in all forms of communication the news organization has. A photo paired with a story online may be different than a photo paired with a story for print. The headlines may also be different because of search engine optimization techniques. Thus, all of these people must be in constant communication to not only present the story but also to make sure all of the details - even the slight changing of a "she" to a "he" - won't be lost in translation.
Conversing with the reporter on stories one edits is essential to the success of the story. In this story, published by the Alligator, the editor would need to double-check all of the numbers and statistics with the reporter because numbers are so easily changed and overlooked in news stories.
Telling a story in the age of the Internet is becoming more and more of a team effort. Reporters must speak with photographers, editors and website personnel about how the story can best be presented in all forms of communication the news organization has. A photo paired with a story online may be different than a photo paired with a story for print. The headlines may also be different because of search engine optimization techniques. Thus, all of these people must be in constant communication to not only present the story but also to make sure all of the details - even the slight changing of a "she" to a "he" - won't be lost in translation.
Strat44
This cutline, I believe, states the obvious about the photo.
Original: Friends reunite at the sculpture known on the University of Florida campus as "the french fries" on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2010.
Rewrite: Students often plan to meet on the University of Florida campus at this sculpture, known as "the french fries." These students met there on Jan. 5, 2010.
This cutline also states the obvious. The person who wrote this cutline could have pulled a quote or detail from the story about Tim Lynch.
Original: Tim Lynch, retired director of the Alachua County Office of Veterans Services, walks past the headstone of the Hampton Veterans Memorial on Saturday.
Rewrite: Tim Lynch, retired director of the Alachua County Office of Verterans Services, spoke Sunday afternoon at the memorial dedication for all United States veterans in Hampton, Fla.
This cutline does not tell the story of the photograph it's paired with at all. The young girls are left unidentified and the reader knows nothing about their experience at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Riviera Beach, Fla.
Original: (see site)
Rewrite: [The names of the girls] anxiously wait the approach of more bands and floats in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Riviera Beach Monday. They attend the parade with their parents every year.
I believe all three of these cutlines could be more descriptive in telling the story of the photo they are paired with.
Original: Friends reunite at the sculpture known on the University of Florida campus as "the french fries" on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2010.
Rewrite: Students often plan to meet on the University of Florida campus at this sculpture, known as "the french fries." These students met there on Jan. 5, 2010.
This cutline also states the obvious. The person who wrote this cutline could have pulled a quote or detail from the story about Tim Lynch.
Original: Tim Lynch, retired director of the Alachua County Office of Veterans Services, walks past the headstone of the Hampton Veterans Memorial on Saturday.
Rewrite: Tim Lynch, retired director of the Alachua County Office of Verterans Services, spoke Sunday afternoon at the memorial dedication for all United States veterans in Hampton, Fla.
This cutline does not tell the story of the photograph it's paired with at all. The young girls are left unidentified and the reader knows nothing about their experience at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Riviera Beach, Fla.
Original: (see site)
Rewrite: [The names of the girls] anxiously wait the approach of more bands and floats in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Riviera Beach Monday. They attend the parade with their parents every year.
I believe all three of these cutlines could be more descriptive in telling the story of the photo they are paired with.
AP Terms
After perusing the AP Exchange website, I found these three stories. Each of these has a different AP term: i, f and s.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Read and Blog No. 1
I concluded two ideas about copy editing from the first set of online readings: first, copy editors must be perfectionists. Secondly, I believe journalism is moving from a constant state of competition to one of community.
I first realized the importance of perfection from when I was an editor of my yearbook in high school. I hated seeing even the smallest grammar mistake forever ruin a caption - especially a grammar mistake I had fixed three times before deadline. Since then, my experience in college has only reiterated this idea. Not only will the term "fact error" forever cause a knot in my stomach, but I've learned to read every publication critically and triple-check my own writing. The checklists for editors provided in the readings also encourage this idea: mistakes in news stories are not permitted because the goal of journalism is to report the truth - even if that means doing some dreaded math.
One of the questions that struck me the most was whether or not a story has enough information for readers to form their own opinions about the event. I hadn't ever thought of news stories in this mind set, and as a copy editor, I believe this is hugely important. Not many people read a news story before it is published. The copy editor thus serves as the first reader of the story and the perfecter of the information.
As the Internet becomes more and more a part of our lives, the American Society of Copy Editors has discussed the changing role of copy editors at newspapers. Not only do they perfect copy but also page designs, news briefs and website material. Many publications have changed the name from a "copy desk" to the "presentation desk." The material presented, however, still has to be perfect, even when the copy editors work with many different people to get the information published.
I found the article on the status of the Internet at The New York Times very interesting. Though written a year and a half ago, many of the same issues are relevant today. Publications are still deciding whether or not to make their website free. Journalists who learned how to type on typewriters now have to think "Web first" when reporting and collaborate not only with their editors but also with Internet technicians at their media organizations. Newspapers have gone from printing the news to presenting it in a collaborative way. Twitter - and especially Twitter Lists - are evidence of the community arising from journalism online. Blogs and social networking add to the Internet world of individuals working together to present the news quickly and - most importantly - truthfully.
I first realized the importance of perfection from when I was an editor of my yearbook in high school. I hated seeing even the smallest grammar mistake forever ruin a caption - especially a grammar mistake I had fixed three times before deadline. Since then, my experience in college has only reiterated this idea. Not only will the term "fact error" forever cause a knot in my stomach, but I've learned to read every publication critically and triple-check my own writing. The checklists for editors provided in the readings also encourage this idea: mistakes in news stories are not permitted because the goal of journalism is to report the truth - even if that means doing some dreaded math.
One of the questions that struck me the most was whether or not a story has enough information for readers to form their own opinions about the event. I hadn't ever thought of news stories in this mind set, and as a copy editor, I believe this is hugely important. Not many people read a news story before it is published. The copy editor thus serves as the first reader of the story and the perfecter of the information.
As the Internet becomes more and more a part of our lives, the American Society of Copy Editors has discussed the changing role of copy editors at newspapers. Not only do they perfect copy but also page designs, news briefs and website material. Many publications have changed the name from a "copy desk" to the "presentation desk." The material presented, however, still has to be perfect, even when the copy editors work with many different people to get the information published.
I found the article on the status of the Internet at The New York Times very interesting. Though written a year and a half ago, many of the same issues are relevant today. Publications are still deciding whether or not to make their website free. Journalists who learned how to type on typewriters now have to think "Web first" when reporting and collaborate not only with their editors but also with Internet technicians at their media organizations. Newspapers have gone from printing the news to presenting it in a collaborative way. Twitter - and especially Twitter Lists - are evidence of the community arising from journalism online. Blogs and social networking add to the Internet world of individuals working together to present the news quickly and - most importantly - truthfully.
Case Study 2
The massacre that occurred in Tucson, Ariz., last Saturday has caused many questions to surface about news reporting. One of them is how to be prepared to report a sudden crisis quickly and accurately. My group, the Queens, said our media organization would immediately send a reporter and photographer to the scene of the incident. We know that presently, reporters are often expected to take pictures in addition to reporting; however, in the event of a crisis, we believe that ideally a photographer needs to be there to take as many photos as possible and a reporter should be there to gather as much accurate news as possible. Primarily, the reporter needs to ask the basic news questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? So what? The photographer should be photographing answers to these questions as well. We also noted that both of these individuals need to be prepared to wait for information to be released from the bureaucratic entities involved. They are also in the information-gathering stages in the event of a crisis. After the initial news break, two to three more reporters should be sent out to begin getting background information on others involved in the crisis, while the original reporter maintains updates on the core newsworthy event and details the scene. Background information on the suspect is vital; however, it should be all information instead of speculation. The Internet is a fantastic source for immediate background information on individuals involved. By visiting social networking and video sites, reporters can learn vast amounts of information on individuals quickly. However, it is important to download and save this information for access later, as it might be removed from the Internet as time after the crisis passes.
Team Queen said that in our hypothetical news organization, a phone number list from most available to least available reporters - such as those with families - should be able to be easily accessed. A phone tree should also be established for crisis events.
Here are some examples of how The New York Times handled the Tucson massacre:
Michael D. Shear kelp a live blog.
Marc Lacey and David M. Herszenhorn wrote a news story for the following day.
Joe Sharkey wrote a news story from Gifford's office in Arizona.
Jennifer Steinhauer wrote a news story from Washington, D.C. about Gifford's politics.
Team Queen said that in our hypothetical news organization, a phone number list from most available to least available reporters - such as those with families - should be able to be easily accessed. A phone tree should also be established for crisis events.
Here are some examples of how The New York Times handled the Tucson massacre:
Michael D. Shear kelp a live blog.
Marc Lacey and David M. Herszenhorn wrote a news story for the following day.
Joe Sharkey wrote a news story from Gifford's office in Arizona.
Jennifer Steinhauer wrote a news story from Washington, D.C. about Gifford's politics.
Strat5
The fourth assignment under Strategy 5: News Judgment calls for comparing stories from your favorite newspaper and favorite news website.
I personally don't have favorite newspaper yet, but I do have newspapers that I read daily. Thus I'm going to compare a story from The Independent Florida Alligator and the Google News website. This story is about the continued relief the Salvation Army is providing to Haiti a year after its devastating earthquake.
The Independent Florida Alligator: The Salvation Army continues to provide Haiti relief
Google News: One year later, The Salvation Army continues to work in Haiti
The Independent Florida Alligator is a local newspaper for a college town while Google News compiles stories from the many media outlets on the Internet. Thus, the angle of these two stories reflects the newsworthiness in each area. Both stories first site Kevin Smith, who is the Salvation Army's director of emergency disaster services in Florida, as a source. Then both stories go on to use statistics to describe the amount of help the Salvation Army has provided to Haiti. Thirdly, they both quote and discuss more sources. Here is where the two stories differ: The Alligator story quotes the University of Florida student who is president of the Gators United for Haiti student organization, while the national story sites more sources from the Salvation Army.
These news products are the two I use most on a daily basis, each for its own reasons. The Alligator allows me to keep in touch with my immediate community. Google News, however, not only provides me with the most up-to-date sources from multiple media outlets, but it also allows me to customize the types of stories showing up on my page when I'm logged into my Google account. With the Internet so full of information updated all the time, I believe that having the ability to choose what information gets to me keeps the news from becoming an overwhelming entity and instead something I'm excited to read.
I personally don't have favorite newspaper yet, but I do have newspapers that I read daily. Thus I'm going to compare a story from The Independent Florida Alligator and the Google News website. This story is about the continued relief the Salvation Army is providing to Haiti a year after its devastating earthquake.
The Independent Florida Alligator: The Salvation Army continues to provide Haiti relief
Google News: One year later, The Salvation Army continues to work in Haiti
The Independent Florida Alligator is a local newspaper for a college town while Google News compiles stories from the many media outlets on the Internet. Thus, the angle of these two stories reflects the newsworthiness in each area. Both stories first site Kevin Smith, who is the Salvation Army's director of emergency disaster services in Florida, as a source. Then both stories go on to use statistics to describe the amount of help the Salvation Army has provided to Haiti. Thirdly, they both quote and discuss more sources. Here is where the two stories differ: The Alligator story quotes the University of Florida student who is president of the Gators United for Haiti student organization, while the national story sites more sources from the Salvation Army.
These news products are the two I use most on a daily basis, each for its own reasons. The Alligator allows me to keep in touch with my immediate community. Google News, however, not only provides me with the most up-to-date sources from multiple media outlets, but it also allows me to customize the types of stories showing up on my page when I'm logged into my Google account. With the Internet so full of information updated all the time, I believe that having the ability to choose what information gets to me keeps the news from becoming an overwhelming entity and instead something I'm excited to read.
Strat41
Strategy 41 from "Think Like an Editor" discusses the process of writing headlines both for print and Web media outlets. The third assignment asks to select some local headlines that may need some improvement. I chose the following headlines from The Palm Beach Post's website Sunday morning.
1. Tampa project creating original works for Broadway: The writers of "Think Like an Editor" give many tips in the process of writing headlines. One of the first pieces of advice given to the reader is to "play is straight." The writers reiterate the importance of not only identifying the main idea of a story in a headline but also making sense. When I read this headline the first, second and third time, I still had no idea what this story was about. Headlines are supposed to answer that question immediately - especially on the Web. This headline does have a verb, which keeps it from being a label headline. Also, it doesn't include any puns or plays on the names of people. What this headline lacks is keywords that describe the main idea of the story. I found myself asking, "What kind of project is it? What kind of works are they creating?"
Rewrite: Tampa arts project creating, perfecting Broadway shows
I realize this headline is a longer than the original, but space on a website is much more malleable than in print. I think this headline is better not only because it says what kind of arts project is occurring in Tampa but also because it more accurately explains what the project is doing.
2. 2nd man charged in corrections guard, son's death: I think one of the main problems of this headline is the grammar confusion. It wasn't until I read the story that I realized two deaths were being discussed.
Rewrite: 2nd man charged in correction guard, son's deaths
I realize this is a minor revision; however, attention to detail is what determines the effectiveness of a headline.
3. Reverse prostitution sting snags 19 Johns in Lake Worth: This headline, I believe, has a few problems the writers of "Think Like an Editor" outlined. First, many readers may not know the meaning "sting" in terms of crime. The use of this word takes away from the use of a more meaningful and effective word in the headline. Also, "snags" does not accurately explain what happened to the 19 men, and I think it sounds like jargon. Finally, though the term "Johns" in this context may be well known, people named John may take offense to their name being used in this way.
Rewrite: Female cops disguised as prostitutes arrest 19
I believe this headline more effectively conveys the meaning of the story. Female sheriff's deputies arrested these men by posing as prostitutes. They did not sting or snag 19 men named John.
1. Tampa project creating original works for Broadway: The writers of "Think Like an Editor" give many tips in the process of writing headlines. One of the first pieces of advice given to the reader is to "play is straight." The writers reiterate the importance of not only identifying the main idea of a story in a headline but also making sense. When I read this headline the first, second and third time, I still had no idea what this story was about. Headlines are supposed to answer that question immediately - especially on the Web. This headline does have a verb, which keeps it from being a label headline. Also, it doesn't include any puns or plays on the names of people. What this headline lacks is keywords that describe the main idea of the story. I found myself asking, "What kind of project is it? What kind of works are they creating?"
Rewrite: Tampa arts project creating, perfecting Broadway shows
I realize this headline is a longer than the original, but space on a website is much more malleable than in print. I think this headline is better not only because it says what kind of arts project is occurring in Tampa but also because it more accurately explains what the project is doing.
2. 2nd man charged in corrections guard, son's death: I think one of the main problems of this headline is the grammar confusion. It wasn't until I read the story that I realized two deaths were being discussed.
Rewrite: 2nd man charged in correction guard, son's deaths
I realize this is a minor revision; however, attention to detail is what determines the effectiveness of a headline.
3. Reverse prostitution sting snags 19 Johns in Lake Worth: This headline, I believe, has a few problems the writers of "Think Like an Editor" outlined. First, many readers may not know the meaning "sting" in terms of crime. The use of this word takes away from the use of a more meaningful and effective word in the headline. Also, "snags" does not accurately explain what happened to the 19 men, and I think it sounds like jargon. Finally, though the term "Johns" in this context may be well known, people named John may take offense to their name being used in this way.
Rewrite: Female cops disguised as prostitutes arrest 19
I believe this headline more effectively conveys the meaning of the story. Female sheriff's deputies arrested these men by posing as prostitutes. They did not sting or snag 19 men named John.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Case Study1
Eagle Snatches Dog While Owner Watches
Valdez, Alaska -- A bald eagle satisfied its hunger at a Valdez gas station when it snatched up a small dog and flew away, leaving the dog's owner screaming in horror.
The chihuahua-like dog had been let out of a motor home to run around in the station's parking lot while the owners, an unidentified couple from Georgia, cleaned the vehicle's windshield.
Witnesses said the pet was about 5 feet away from the RV when the eagle swooped down from a perch in a nearby tree. Before the owners could react, the eagle circled up and away, heading off toward the city's harbor clinching the pooch tightly.
"It was the damnedest thing I ever saw," said Dennis Fleming, a gas station attendant. "The dog gave one yelp and that was it."
The woman owner clutched her hands to her face and cried, "Oh, my God," while Fleming tried to console her.
Her husband, however, didn't appear to take the dog's departure too seriously. Fleming said as the man walked around the side of the motor home, out of sight of his wife, he began to grin and chopped his hands in the air and exclaimed, "Yeah! Yeah!”
Case Study1
Questions I would ask the reporter:
1. How do you know the eagle was satisfying its hunger? Did it actually eat the dog, or did the eagle just carry the dog away?
2. How do you know the dog's owner was screaming in horror? Did you ask her why she was screaming?
3. What is the actual breed of the dog? "Chihuahua-like" is an insufficient description.
4. Why aren't the dog's owners identified and interviewed? If you knew they were from Georgia, you should know not only their names but also their entire point-of-view of what occurred.
5. How many witnesses were there? What were they doing? What did they see?
6. Did anyone else see Fleming trying to console the woman?
7. Why didn't you interview the owners or any other witnesses?
8. What was the dog's name?
9. Why was this couple in Alaska?
10. Was there a search for the dog conducted?
11. Was Fleming your only source of information? If so, he was not properly attributed and you need more sources.
12. How else has the local bald eagle population affected this area?
13. What should be done for future prevention?
What I would say to the editor:
It was a mistake to run that story because it lacked so much important information and details.
There are several issues in this story that are vital to the success of journalism. The first that I recognized immediately was the severe lack of reliable sources. The nut graph, arguably the most important paragraph in any news story, has no attribution for the information. The story only has one source: a gas station attendant who claimed to be an eye-witness. Though the story mentions other eye-witnesses, none are interviewed. The reporter did not even interview the owners of the dog, one of whom seemed to have an interesting reaction to the event. News stories need different points of view for their ultimate pursuit of the truth. This story severely lacks different views as well as any expert knowledge on eagle habitats in the area.
Secondly, though the description of what happened is somewhat clear, details are lacking. One of the golden rules of journalism is to get the animal's name. Doing this almost mandates the reader to personally relate to the story because so many people have pets of their own. This story is almost unable to be related to because no one personally involved is given the chance to tell their story. The people who were most affected by this event cannot share the details of their emotions because they were not even interviewed.
Finally, the "So what?" factor behind this story is unclear. The event is certainly newsworthy because it is so out of the ordinary; however, no explanation as to the reactions of the male owner as well as local bureaucrats is given. The local residents would like to know how this event affects not only them but also the bald eagles. The local animal officials and leaders potentially searching for the unidentified dog should have been interviewed. This seemingly small event could have a big effect on the surrounding Alaskan populations, and the possibility of that happening is not even considered in this story. The reporter had so much potential to be creative and in-depth with this story and apparently did not even try to get to the truth. The constant pursuit of the truth: that is the goal of journalism.
The writing is far too light-hearted and general to be taken seriously.
Strat2
Students arrested for robbing frat houses
Posted: Friday, January 7, 2011 12:13 am | Updated: 12:18 am, Fri Jan 7, 2011.
Former Sigma Alpha Epsilon members Jack Martin Hostutler, Jr. and Eric Francois Lanoue were arrested on felony charges of stealing items from fraternity houses Dec. 14.
According to a police report by the Gainesville Police Department, Hostutler and Lanoue stole a rocking chair from Delta Tau Delta fraternity at 1926 W. University Ave. at 1 a.m..
The two men also entered Delta Upsilon’s fraternity house at 1814 W. University Ave. through an unlocked second-story window and took a composite portrait, according to Delta Upsilon President Eric Weber.
Police found Hostutler and Lanoue later that afternoon on Fraternity Row with the stolen items in the back of their red Chevy pickup truck.
The two men were arrested and charged with burglary and theft, and the stolen items were returned.
Delta Tau Delta and Delta Upsilon declined to press charges, so the charges were dropped.
“Delta Tau Delta considers this matter closed,” said Adam Tagliero, the Delta Tau Delta president. “We have not pressed any charges and all the damages have been paid for.”
Police estimated the stolen rocking chair to be worth about $150.
The value of the the stolen portrait was estimated to be at least $75.
Interfraternity Council President Rajiv Ansani said the council would take no disciplinary action against Sigma Alpha Epsilon or the two men since they were no longer affiliated with the fraternity at the time the robberies occurred.
“It seems pretty clear from our perspective that these individuals were acting not under the actions of the fraternity but of their own accord,” Ansani said.
Both Hostutler and Lanoue were removed from Sigma Alpha Epsilon last semester during the fraternity’s reorganization.
Had the two men still have been part of their fraternity, Ansani said it would have been a “Greek conduct matter” and the council would have to had to have started a judicial process to determine the consequences.
Weber said Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Marcus Motes personally apologized for the robbery.
Motes is arranging for Hostutler and Lanoue to apologize as well.
Think Like an Editor
1. Who are the people affected? The people affected are the two men who were arrested, the members of the organizations they stole from and the members of the organization in which the two men were former members.
2. How are people affected or how might they be affected? The members of the two organizations who had items stolen from them are affected because their personal property was taken from them, and the current members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon are affected because their organization was reflected in a negative light in this story. The two men arrested for burglary and theft were no longer members of that organization, thus that fact had no relevance to their crime.
3. Why are you writing this? Burglaries that are out-of-the-ordinary occurred, and these burglaries affected large groups of people.
4. Who are the bureaucrats? The bureaucrats are the police and the leaders of these organizations. No ordinary members were interviewed for this story.
5. What are the key questions? A. Who committed these crimes? B. What was their motive? C. What were the stolen items? D. How did the men get caught? E. When did this happen? F. Where did this happen? G. What is being done to prevent it from happening again? H. How did these men steal the items? I. What was the relevance of the items? J. Do these men have a criminal record? K. Why were these specific organizations targeted?
6. What research must you do? The reporter must read the police report, speak with police and speak with the bureaucrats. I also think the reporter should speak with ordinary people. More research could include whether or not a crime like this has happened before.
7. Where can you go? The reporter can go to the fraternity houses in question to get a feel for the environment in which the crimes occurred.
8. What are you missing? This story is missing the reaction of ordinary members of these organizations as well as what is being done to prevent this in the future.
9. How can you be creative? The reporter, after visiting the fraternity houses, could describe their layout and general feel. Using the five senses in description adds depth to any story.
10. What is your vision? The vision of this story was to report a crime. However, due to the amount of fraternities in this community, I think an important part of the vision that is missing is why the two specific organizations were targeted.
This story does not address all 10 of Steps to a Better Story. Improvements could be made to the story by interviewing ordinary people, specifically asking how they were affected. Other important details that are missing are why those two specific fraternities were targeted and what is now being done to keep this crime from happening in the future. If I were editing this story, I probably would feel somewhat comfortable running it as it is above because it is newsworthy, but I would then want to assign some sort of follow-up story.
Who Am I?
Name: Lily Parkinson
What year? Junior
E-mail: lilypark89@gmail.com
Where are you from? Delray Beach, Fla.
Why did you come to the University of Florida? Not only is UF the school most of my family members attended, it was the best fit for me because this university is so successful in so many different areas. This appealed to me because when deciding where I wanted to attend college, I wasn't sure about my path of study. UF gave me great options. In addition, this school made the most sense for my family financially with my Bright Futures scholarship. Many of my friends from high school decided on this university as well, so I knew I would have a solid friend base as a freshman.
Major? Journalism and English
Why are you taking this course? I really enjoy editing. I discovered this while serving as editor of my high school's yearbook in 11th and 12th grade and taking Editing last semester with Dr. Lewis. I also believe this course will improve my editing skills, something I am always trying to do.
Outside interests, hobbies, avocations, things you love to do? I grew up dancing and participated on a competitive dance team in middle school and my first year of high school. After that, I decided to devote more of my time to school involvement and became editor of my high school's yearbook. I really enjoy participating in community service projects. I fell in love with reading as soon as I learned the alphabet in pre-kindergarten, and I hope that my love of literature will one day be reflected in my career.
Tell me one interesting thing about you - something that makes you unique. I have an abnormally large space between my big toe and the next toe. My feet were designed for flip-flops.
Are you the first person in your family to attend a university? No.
On a scale from one to 10, with 10 being top-notch, how would you rate your knowledge of grammar, punctuation and AP Style? Eight.
On the same scale, how would you rate your skills with working with InDesign and PhotoShop and with online media in general? Three.
What online skills do you feel you are proficient at? Social networking and research.
Where do you get most of your news? I read local newspapers every day, and I also use Google News.
What books are you reading and have read in the last three months? I've been reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell little by little, and currently I'm reading "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah. I also regularly read devotional books.
Career goals? Be specific as possible. Elaborate a bit. I have two career goals: to be happy and to make a positive difference in people's lives. These goals seem very general, yet they seem to be leading me to a career in education. I do enjoy editing and reading, so I may try to pursue a career in publishing as well.
What magazines, newspapers and news websites do you read regularly? The Independent Florida Alligator, The Gainesville Sun, The New York Times, The Palm Beach Post, Southern Living and Google News.
What is your favorite website? The website I go to the most is Google News. I like the layout, and I also like how Google allows your to personalize the types of news that filter on to the site.
Do you blog? I kept a blog while I studied abroad in Europe in May, but I have not blogged since then. I would like to start a blog about community service.
Do you have any media/communication experience? Besides working as editor of my yearbook in high school, I have not yet held any internships in the media world. I plan on rigorously pursuing internships this semester and this summer.
Are you pursuing a media-related internship or job at this time? No.
Do you have an updated resume in your files? Yes.
What year? Junior
E-mail: lilypark89@gmail.com
Where are you from? Delray Beach, Fla.
Why did you come to the University of Florida? Not only is UF the school most of my family members attended, it was the best fit for me because this university is so successful in so many different areas. This appealed to me because when deciding where I wanted to attend college, I wasn't sure about my path of study. UF gave me great options. In addition, this school made the most sense for my family financially with my Bright Futures scholarship. Many of my friends from high school decided on this university as well, so I knew I would have a solid friend base as a freshman.
Major? Journalism and English
Why are you taking this course? I really enjoy editing. I discovered this while serving as editor of my high school's yearbook in 11th and 12th grade and taking Editing last semester with Dr. Lewis. I also believe this course will improve my editing skills, something I am always trying to do.
Outside interests, hobbies, avocations, things you love to do? I grew up dancing and participated on a competitive dance team in middle school and my first year of high school. After that, I decided to devote more of my time to school involvement and became editor of my high school's yearbook. I really enjoy participating in community service projects. I fell in love with reading as soon as I learned the alphabet in pre-kindergarten, and I hope that my love of literature will one day be reflected in my career.
Tell me one interesting thing about you - something that makes you unique. I have an abnormally large space between my big toe and the next toe. My feet were designed for flip-flops.
Are you the first person in your family to attend a university? No.
On a scale from one to 10, with 10 being top-notch, how would you rate your knowledge of grammar, punctuation and AP Style? Eight.
On the same scale, how would you rate your skills with working with InDesign and PhotoShop and with online media in general? Three.
What online skills do you feel you are proficient at? Social networking and research.
Where do you get most of your news? I read local newspapers every day, and I also use Google News.
What books are you reading and have read in the last three months? I've been reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell little by little, and currently I'm reading "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah. I also regularly read devotional books.
Career goals? Be specific as possible. Elaborate a bit. I have two career goals: to be happy and to make a positive difference in people's lives. These goals seem very general, yet they seem to be leading me to a career in education. I do enjoy editing and reading, so I may try to pursue a career in publishing as well.
What magazines, newspapers and news websites do you read regularly? The Independent Florida Alligator, The Gainesville Sun, The New York Times, The Palm Beach Post, Southern Living and Google News.
What is your favorite website? The website I go to the most is Google News. I like the layout, and I also like how Google allows your to personalize the types of news that filter on to the site.
Do you blog? I kept a blog while I studied abroad in Europe in May, but I have not blogged since then. I would like to start a blog about community service.
Do you have any media/communication experience? Besides working as editor of my yearbook in high school, I have not yet held any internships in the media world. I plan on rigorously pursuing internships this semester and this summer.
Are you pursuing a media-related internship or job at this time? No.
Do you have an updated resume in your files? Yes.
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