Week 4: Journalism 2001

1. Week 4: Journalism 2001 February 13, 2006

2. Its, it’s or its’. Which is correct? • Its • It’s • Its’

3. Announcements • UMD Networking Night 2006 • Wednesday, February 15 • 5-6:30 p.m. • Technology Village Lobby, 11 E. Superior St. • To register: carserv@d.umn.edu or call 726-7985 • UM Job Fair • Monday, February 20 • Bus leaves UMD at 7:30 a.m., returning at 5:30 p.m. • To register: Career Services at 21 Solon Campus Center, carserv@d.umn.edu or call 726-7985

4. Review of last week’s news • Hard News: (murders, city council, government, etc.) • Major local stories • Major national/international stories • Major sports stories • Soft News: (retirements, school programs, human interest) • Local stories • National/international stories • Sports stories

5. Derelictions in “housekeeping” helped drive the combined number of federal safety citations last year at Northeastern Minnesota taconite operations to the highest level in 26 years. • True • False

6. The number of people visiting many of Duluth’s traditional tourist attractions has slowly eroded since 2000. • True • False

7. Duluth is not ready to take another shot at hosting the Minnesota Vikings training camp. • True • False

8. Which Northeastern Minnesota company recently celebrated its 100th year in business: • St. Mary’s Duluth Clinic • Minnesota Power • University of Minnesota Duluth

9. Review 2/6 summary lead assignment • Overall continued progress! • Best to use one-sentence summary lead • Style errors: • Datelines • State abbreviations • Dollars • Addresses • Titles • Grammar • Spelling • Run-on sentences • In-complete sentences • Agreement • That/which

10. Another winter storm slammed into Northern California Thursday morning bringing snow to Mount Hamilton and the Coast Range mountain areas along with hail and torrential rains to already saturated roadways. A winter storm brought intense weather conditions throughout California Thursday morning that caused numerous car accidents and an increased risk of mudslides. A smoldering cigarette was blamed for a house fire on Lawler Avenue that caused $50,000 in damages. The Skokie Fire Department responded Friday night to a cigarette-started house fire on Lawler Avenue which caused $50,000 in damage, but no injuries.

11. Review: Writing a summary lead • Usually a single sentence • No more than 35 words • Bottom line: • Use a single sentence of no more than 35 words to summarize an event

12. Let’s rewrite the leads!

13. Review: Lucy Kragness interview • Overall tough to condense all the info! • Some “untrue” facts! • Use spellchecker, AP Stylebook • Common style errors: • Titles • Years • Numerals • State names • Degrees: master’s, bachelor’s, Ph.D. • Freelance • Tornados or tornadoes • The Associated Press

14. Use last name on second reference • Watch editorializing • Verify facts • Paragraph length • Grammar • Agreement • Run-on sentences • When to use hyphens • Attribution: she said strongest • Wordiness • Don’t be afraid to use quotes!

15. Editing marks • Let’s review editing marks in Stylebook: • page 410

16. Lucy Kragness was glad when the journalism minor returned to UMD in the 2005 spring semester. It meant that the longtime freelance writer and photographer could return to a job she enjoys: teaching. For the first time in ten years, journalist veteran Lucy Kragness has returned to teach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. “I enjoy teaching,” Kragness said. “It’s fun to watch the light bulb go off.” She’s back. After UMD cut the journalism program ten years ago, Lucy Kragness, a journalism teacher here at UMD and volunteer adviser to the Statesman, was forced to find a new job. She said the class was cut simply due to a budget cut and the subsequent retirement of department head. After a ten year break Lucy Kragness will return to the University of Minnesota Duluth bringing with her real world news experience and a rejuvenated desire to teach. The Watergate scandal shaped America’s political landscape. It also inspired student Lucy Kragness to pursue a career in journalism. Thirty years later, she returns to the classroom to share her experiences and knowledge with this generation’s aspiring journalists.

17. Another its, its’ or it’s? • It’s • Its’ • Its

18. Bottom line on it’s or its • Use it’s: when mean it is, it has • All other uses: its No such word as its’

19. Useful websites • Grammar, writing • Purdue’s OWL (Online Writing Lab) • Guide to Grammar and Writing, Capital Community College Foundation • Guide to Grammar and Style, Jack Lynch • Journalism • Beginning Reporter Resources • Power Reporting

20. Let’s look at run-on sentences • Go to this link: • http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm

21. What are typical reporting beats? • Police & fire • Courts • Education • Government • All of the above

22. Chapter 19: City Government • Municipal government systems • Mayor-council • Strong: Mayor forms budget, administers policy • Weak: Managerial functions divided among others • Council-manager • City manager oversees city operations; hired by council • Commission • Committee of city leaders assume executive, legislative functions

23. Story pitch:Hard News Assignment due 2/13 • Length of story pitch: three paragraphs, about 200 words • Include the 5Ws and H: what makes this story newsworthy Challenges with story pitch?

24. Duluth has a weak mayor, strong council form of government. • True • False

25. What’s in Duluth? • Strong mayor-council • City of Duluth organizational chart What’s in St. Louis County? • Strong administrator-commission • St. Louis County Information

26. Typical city government beat • No typical day! • City council meetings • Check agenda • Advance story • Meeting story • City budget process • Administrative reports • Other committee, task force meetings • Vikings proposal

27. How to cover a council meeting • Check Agenda • Check meeting Action • Don’t be afraid to ask questions after the meeting • Stay to the end: Other business can be hot news! • Take lots of notes

28. Checklist for covering city government • Learn the system • Get to know the personalities • Develop reliable sources • Be persistent • Never let friendship interfere with the job • Always be prepared • Make note of story possibilities • Read other coverage • Write to inform, not to impress • Use your brain • Ask questions!

29. Chapter 20: Police and Fire • Organizational structures • Duluth Police Department • St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department • Duluth Fire Department

30. Covering police, fire beats • Making the rounds: develop sources • Each city, county different • Billings, Sheridan examples • Departmental records • Police log, reports • Fire reports

31. Checklist for police, fire beats • Develop, cultivate sources • Learn how to handle hostile sources • Know the job responsibilities of sources • Don’t deceive sources • If a big story comes along, go after it • Know the territory • Learn the terminology • Double-check spellings • Check with hospital, morgue, to update information • Be careful when reporting arrests • Don’t confuse an arrest with filing of a charge • Know policy on using minors’ names

32. Chapter 22: Sports • Evolution of sports writing • Flowery prose: Grantland Rice, Nashville Daily News, 1901 • Stanley Woodward, New York Herald Tribune • Still cliches – strive for middle ground • WWII put sports into better perspective: 5Ws & H • 1970s and 1980s: More balanced approach • Best sports writing: Includes statistics, essential ingredients (5Ws & H), more analytical

33. High School Sports Coverage • Terry Henion, Omaha World-Herald • “Kids playing kids’ games” • Reporters must keep stats • No sports information directors • Not really covering, more documenting • Stringers: College students covering high school sports • Quotes from losing, winning coaches & players

34. College sports coverage • Working with statistics • Box scores • Team statistics • Individual statistics • Beware of becoming “statistic junkie” • Review statistics for trends: play-by-play charts

35. Going beyond statistics • Watch coaches on sidelines, nervous parents in stands • Policies for post-game interviews • Cool-down time • Talk to coaches • Talk to players • Talk to trainers

36. Writing a sports story • Morning newspapers • Tight deadlines, usually straightforward account • Summary leads, stories • Afternoon newspapers • More time to write comprehensive stories • Weekly newspapers • More time for analysis, what results mean

37. Checklist for sportswriters • Go with a summary lead if warranted, but more room to be creative. • Avoid chronological approaches • Blend facts, turning points, quotations, statistics, analysis • Avoid cliches: cliffhangers, take it to • Avoid “ridiculous” direct quotations: we whipped ‘em good • Use vivid description when appropriate • Double-check spellings • Do your homework

38. Online sports sources • National Collegiate Athletic Association: • www2.ncaa.org • National Basketball Association: www.nba.com • National Football League: http://www.nfl.com • Major League Baseball: www.mlb.com • ESPN: www.espn.go.com

39. Due 2/20: Sports Story Reporting Assignment Pitch • Length of story pitch: three paragraphs, about 200 words • Include the 5Ws and H: what makes this story newsworthy • UMD sports schedules • Detailed information at: • www.umdbulldogs.com

40. Assignment: Due 2/20 • From information provided from a Tempe Police Department activity log, write an inverted-pyramid news story based on all the information available. • Write your story in Microsoft Word, and email a copy of the story as an attachment to: lkragnes • Make sure to copy yourself on the email

41. In-class assignment for 2/13 • Summary lead exercise • Steps to help you: • Identify the five Ws and H • Determine which is the most important to include. • A summary lead should contain no more than 35 words. • One sentence strongest summary lead. • Complete your assignment in Microsoft Word. • Email the file as an attachment to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu • Make sure to keep a copy of the file for yourself.

42. Egradebook • Doublecheck assignments correct in egradebook: • http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook

43. Portfolio • Store academic information in your Electronic Portfolio. Each student has 100 mb of storage. • Access Electronic Portfolio at: https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp