Last Day of class Fall 2011

Chapter reviews on local government and journalism and the law

JOURN 300/FALL 2011

Chapter 24/Local Government and Education

1) What is an ordinance? (478)

2) What is a resolution? (478)

3) What is a bylaw? (Answer: a law enacted by a town, for instance Amherst's noise bylaw.)

4) Who crafts and who enacts/signs laws in a town? in a state? In the country?

5) What is a quorum?

6) What is the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law (see below) designed to do?

7) Name six reasons a governmental body may give in order to hold a meeting outside of public view (known as an executive session.)

Chapter 25/Reporters and the Law

1) What is libel?

2) What is slander?

3) True or False: During a period of particularly intense racial tensions in the United States, The New York Times ran an advertisement in 1969 that an all-white jury found to be libelous toward L.B. Sullivan, a Montgomery, Ala. city commissioner responsible for the police department. Sullivan was awarded $500,000 in damages.

But the Supreme Court heard an appeal of the case, The New York Times vs. Sullivan, in 1964 and in its decision took away states' power to award damages in a libel action brought by public officials against critics of their official conduct.

The Supreme Court wrote that a public official must prove the statement was made with "actual malice," whether it was false or not.

4) Did Supreme Court Justice Brennan write that the right to criticize the government is "the central meaning of the First Amendment" guaranteeing freedom of Speech? True or False

5) Explain who qualifies as a "public figure" and why. A) a police officer B) a newspaper columnist C) Brad Pitt 4) The editor of the Collegian

6) What are privileged proceedings? Is a court hearing a privileged proceeding? Is a political rally a privileged proceeding?

Massachusetts Open Meeting Law

Governmental bodies must post a notice to say there will be a meeting 48 hours in advance of it to give the public a chance to attend. A quorum (majority or the number of members present needed to vote) may not get together and discuss SUBSTANTIVE issues outside of the public's view. There are nine exceptions under which a board may hold a closed-door session although it must later make the results of decisions reached available to the public. Below is the Massachusetts General Law with a few annotations by me.

TITLE VII. CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS

CHAPTER 39. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

TOWN MEETINGS

Chapter 39: Section 23B. Open meetings of governmental bodies

Section 23B. All meetings of a governmental body shall be open to the public and any person shall be permitted to attend any meeting except as otherwise provided by this section.

No quorum QUORUM IS THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF A BOARD NEEDED TO VOTE of a governmental body shall meet in private for the purpose of deciding on or deliberating toward a decision on any matter except as provided by this section.

No executive session EXECUTIVE SESSION IS A CLOSED DOOR MEETING shall be held until the governmental body has first convened in an open session for which notice has been given, a majority of the members have voted to go into executive session and the vote of each member is recorded on a roll call vote and entered into the minutes, the presiding officer has cited the purpose for an executive session, and the presiding officer has stated before the executive session if the governmental body will reconvene after the executive session.

Nothing except the limitation contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the governmental body from holding an executive session after an open meeting has been convened and a recorded vote has been taken to hold an executive session. Executive sessions may be held only for the following purposes:

(1) To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health rather than the professional competence of an individual, provided that the individual involved in such executive session has been notified in writing by the governmental body, at least forty-eight hours prior to the proposed executive session. Notification may be waived upon agreement of the parties. A governmental body shall hold an open meeting if the individual involved requests that the meeting be open. If an executive session is held, such individual shall have the following rights:

(a) to be present at such executive session during discussions or considerations which involve that individual.

(b) to have counsel or a representative of his own choosing present and attending for the purpose of advising said individual and not for the purpose of active participation in said executive session.

(c) to speak in his own behalf.

(2) To consider the discipline or dismissal of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual, provided that the individual involved in such executive session pursuant to this clause has been notified in writing by the governmental body at least forty-eight hours prior to the proposed executive session. Notification may be waived upon agreement of the parties. A governmental body shall hold an open meeting if the individual involved requests that the meeting be open. If an executive session is held, such individual shall have the following rights:

(a) to be present at such executive session during discussions or considerations which involve that individual.

(b) to have counsel or a representative of his own choosing present and attending for the purpose of advising said individual and not for the purpose of active participation.

(c) to speak in his own behalf.

(3) To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the governmental body, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel, to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.

(4) To discuss the deployment of security personnel or devices.

(5) To investigate charges of criminal misconduct or to discuss the filing of criminal complaints.

(6) To consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, if such discussions may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the governmental body and a person, firm or corporation.

(7) To comply with the provisions of any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements.

(8) To consider and interview applicants for employment by a preliminary screening committee or a subcommittee appointed by a governmental body if an open meeting will have a detrimental effect in obtaining qualified applicants; provided, however, that this clause shall not apply to any meeting, including meetings of a preliminary screening committee or a subcommittee appointed by a governmental body, to consider and interview applicants who have passed a prior preliminary screening.

(9) To meet or confer with a mediator, as defined in section twenty-three C of chapter two hundred and thirty-three, with respect to any litigation or decision on any public business within its jurisdiction involving another party, group or body, provided that: (a) any decision to participate in mediation shall be made in open meeting session and the parties, issues involved and purpose of the mediation shall be disclosed; and (b)no action shall be taken by any governmental body with respect to those issues which are the subject of the mediation without deliberation and approval for such action at an open meeting after such notice as may be required in this section.

This section shall not apply to any chance meeting, or a social meeting at which matters relating to official business are discussed so long as no final agreement is reached. No chance meeting or social meeting shall be used in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this section to discuss or act upon a matter over which the governmental body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power.

Except in an emergency, a notice of every meeting of any governmental body shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town in which the body acts, and the notice or a copy thereof shall, at least forty-eight hours, including Saturdays but not Sundays and legal holidays, prior to such meeting, be publicly posted in the office of such clerk or on the principal official bulletin board of such city or town. The secretary of a regional school district committee shall be considered to be its clerk and he shall file the notice of meetings of the committee with the clerk of each city or town within such district and each such clerk shall post the notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the city or town and such secretary shall post such notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the district. If the meeting shall be of a regional or district governmental body, the officer calling the meeting shall file the notice thereof with the clerk of each city and town within such region or district, and each such clerk shall post the notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the city or town. The notice shall be printed in easily readable type and shall contain the date, time and place of such meeting. Such filing and posting shall be the responsibility of the officer calling such meeting.

A governmental body shall maintain accurate records of its meetings, setting forth the date, time, place, members present or absent and action taken at each meeting, including executive sessions. The records of each meeting shall become a public record and be available to the public; provided, however, that the records of any executive session may remain secret as long as publication may defeat the lawful purposes of the executive session, but no longer. All votes taken in executive sessions shall be recorded roll call votes and shall become a part of the record of said executive sessions. No votes taken in open session shall be by secret ballot.

A meeting of a governmental body may be recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic reproduction or by means of videotape equipment fixed in one or more designated locations determined by the governmental body except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that in such recording there is no active interference with the conduct of the meeting.

Upon qualification for office following an appointment or election to a governmental body, as defined in this section, the member shall be furnished by the city or town clerk with a copy of this section. Each such member shall sign a written acknowledgement that he has been provided with such a copy.

The district attorney of the county in which the violation occurred shall enforce the provisions of this section.

Upon proof of failure by any governmental body or by any member or officer thereof to carry out any of the provisions for public notice or meetings, for holding open meetings, or for maintaining public records thereof, any justice of the supreme judicial court or the superior court sitting within and for the county in which such governmental body acts shall issue an appropriate order requiring such governmental body or member or officer thereof to carry out such provisions at future meetings. Such order may be sought by complaint of three or more registered voters, by the attorney general, or by the district attorney of the county in which the city or town is located. The order of notice on the complaint shall be returnable no later than ten days after the filing thereof and the complaint shall be heard and determined on the return day or on such day thereafter as the court shall fix, having regard to the speediest possible determination of the cause consistent with the rights of the parties; provided, however, that orders with respect to any of the matters referred to in this section may be issued at any time on or after the filing of the complaint without notice when such order is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this section. In the hearing of such complaints the burden shall be on the respondent to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the action complained of in such complaint was in accordance with and authorized by section eleven A 1/2 of chapter thirty A, by section nine G of chapter thirty-four or by this section. All processes may be issued from the clerk’s office in the county in which the action is brought and, except as aforesaid, shall be returnable as the court orders.

Such order may invalidate any action taken at any meeting at which any provision of this section has been violated, provided that such complaint is filed within twenty-one days of the date when such action is made public.

Any such order may also, when appropriate, require the records of any such meeting to be made public, unless it shall have been determined by such justice that the maintenance of secrecy with respect to such records is authorized. The remedy created hereby is not exclusive, but shall be in addition to every other available remedy. Such order may also include reinstatement without loss of compensation, seniority, tenure or other benefits for any employee discharged at a meeting or hearing held in violation of the provisions of this section.

Such order may also include a civil fine against the governmental body in an amount no greater than one thousand dollars for each meeting held in violation of this section.

The rights of an individual set forth in this section relative to his appearance before a meeting in an executive or open session, are in addition to the rights that an individual may have from any other source, including, but not limited to, rights under any laws or collective bargaining agreements, and the exercise or nonexercise of the individual rights under this section shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of the individual.

Court visit

Journ 300 students talk to lead prosecutor on the 2010 Granby murder case First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne (center), Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Handel Suhl and Springfield Republican reporter Fred Contrada after Friday's bail hearing.

Fred Contrada's story: "Cara Rintala, accused of murdering her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, held without bail"

COURT DATE LIKELY TO BE POSTPONED TILL WEDNESDAY -- SO QUIZ ON MONDAY!

The court date is likely to be postponed until Wednesday, Nov. 26.

So, long story short -- I'm going to keep you posted. AS SOON AS the court date is confirmed, meaning IF I hear BEFORE NOON on Monday that it has been moved to Wednesday, we WILL have class and do the quiz and blog presentations tomorrow/Monday (and would not have class on Wednesday).

If the hearing is NOT moved, we will NOT have class tomorrow and would have class, the quiz and presentations on Wednesday.

In either case, I'll let you know by noon Monday, OCT 24.

Could EVERYBODY get back to me about whether they can come or not. There will be a 500-word piece due on whichever event you end up attending.

See below some instructions on how to get to the court, which is on 15 Gothic St., a side street off the main street (also known as Route 9) running through Northampon. I know one of the PVTA busses will take you right into Northampton from UMass.

We should meet and head inside and to the courtroom NO LATER THAN 1:30 p.m. (This is 15 minutes earlier than I said before, but we need to be early to be assured of getting seats. You'll have to go through a metal detector and cell phones absolutely have to be turned off in the court room. You won't be able to bring cameras inside.)

Email me if you have any questions. Talk to you soon!

Massachusetts Ave becomes N Hadley Rd.	0.5 mi
	4.	Merge onto RT-116 S towardHadley/Northampton. If you reach Roosevelt St you've gone about 0.3 miles too far	1.8 mi
	5.	Take the RT-9 W ramp towardNorthampton/Pittsfield/Mass. Pike.	0.1 mi
	6.	Stay straight to go onto Russell St/RT-9 W. Continue to follow RT-9 W.	5.6 mi
	7.	Turn right onto Gothic St. Gothic St is just past King St Hampshire Law Library in Courthouse is on the right If you reach Center St you've gone a little too far	0.04 mi
	8.	15 GOTHIC ST is on the right. If you reach Allen Pl you've gone about 0.1 miles too far

New iPhone Conceals Sheer Magic

I chose an article called "New iPhone Conceals Sheer Magic" from the New York Times on October 11, 2011.


This article discusses the hype over the new iPhone 4S, though fans were expecting an iPhone 5. It describes all of the new features on the iPhone 4S and what makes it so different than any other phone out there today. Specifically, the new program called Siri is what everyone seems to be talking about. This is considered to be the phone's virtual assistant and is a break through in technology.


I chose this article because cell phones are something we all use on a day to day basis, and the iPhone 4S shows where the technology in phones is headed towards. I've been patiently waiting for the iPhone 5 to come out, and was rather disappointed when I heard it was only going to be a newer version of the iPhone 4, except with better features. But once I heard about Siri, I quickly changed my mind. The article successfully gave important details and good descriptions of the phone. The set up was also interesting when it listed the new features as "things."


A great quote was the ending. " The question isn't what's in a name - it's what's in a phone. And the answer is: 'A lot of amazing technology. And some of it feels like magic.' " I like how it ended with a question and answer. It also made the article come full circle because the first sentence asked, "What's in a name?"


AP Tip: Nicknames -- A nickname should be used in place of a person's given name in news stories only when it is the way the individual prefers to be known: ex. Jimmy Carter


When inserted into the full name of the individual, use quotation marks: ex. Sen. Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson or Jackson is known as "Scoop."


In sports stories/columns, commonly used nicknames may be substituted for a first name without quotation marks: ex. Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson


Capitalize without quotation marks with terms like Sunshine State, the Old Dominion, Motown, the Magic City, Old Hickory, Old Glory, Galloping Ghost.

Brendan Hall visits class

Interviewing assignment

JOURN 300/Interviewing for information, meaningful content and quoteworthy quotes

Assignment: Interview a classmate about his or her home town. Get a basic feel for the city/town. For instance, how big approximately? Urban or rural? What is it known for? How do people there describe it? How is it described by outsiders?

Make it personal. Ask your subject to recall a moment he or she may recall when he/she reflected on the nature of the town. Did he or she always want to leave there? Does he/she want to go back?

Identify some QUOTEWORTHY quotes. Don’t just throw the quotes in. INTRODUCE them. Look for specific, concrete, colorful details. AVOID clichés. Think about every word. Think about the tone etc.

Spell check. Proofread. Post it on the class blog.

Example from a past class:

Moving from the Bronx to White Plains, NY at age 5, Shamique White was surprised at how small her new town was. (DOESN’T JUST SAY THE SUBJECT IS FROM WHATEVER CITY/TOWN BUT ESTABLISHES THE THEME OF THE PIECE, WHICH IS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF MOVING FROM A BIG CITY TO A MORE SUBURBAN COMMUNITY/INTRODUCES THE FOLLOWING QUOTE.)

"I called it a ghost town," she said.(KEEP PARAGRAPHS SHORT FOR READABILITY AND IMPACT.

When she was young, White would spend her summer days playing at the park down the street from her home with other kids from her neighborhood when she was in White Plains. (CONCRETE IMAGE)

But on most weekends, sometimes for weeks at a time, White would go to the Bronx to go to church with her grandmother. (CONCRETE IMAGE)

"I went to school in White Plains, but I didn't hang out in White Plains," White says of her younger years. (MEANINGFUL QUOTE)

As she entered into middle school and then on to high school, White Plains began to grow more metropolitan. Lots of people moved from the city to her town and commuted to work in New York City, only a half hour south. Businesses also began to flourish in a downtown section that had a city-like feel. But the town still maintained some of its rural charm in certain neighborhoods. (GOOD DEMOGRAPHIC INFO PUTS THE SUBJECT’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE INTO CONTEXT.)

The kids of White Plains joined into one public high school after being in five different elementary schools and two middle schools. White made close friends in high school, where the arts and basketball and track were popular activities for students.

Even though White went back and forth between the Bronx and White Plains at first, she still calls White Plains home. (NICE ENDING, BRINGS US BACK TO THE THEME. THE PIECE HAS A NARRATIVE “ARC.”)

Visiting "The Pawn Shop - Fox Proprietors"

Visiting "The Pawn Shop - Fox Proprietors"
Free exhibit by Tim Winn and Zehra Khan runs Sept. 11- Thursday, Oct 6, 2011
Hampden Gallery, Hampden Commons, Southwest Residential Area
UMass-Amherst, MA,
(413) 545-0680

Artist Zehra Khan's website
"Pawn Shop" catalog at Blurb.com

Articles and AP Tip schedule

SEPT 7

SEPT 12
SEPT 14 Steve and Jenny

SEPT 19 Michelle W. and Brittney
SEPT 21 Nelly and Felicia

SEPT 26 Chelsea, Alex
SEPT 28 Michelle L, Tanya

OCT 3 Katie, Lacy
OCT 5 Patrick, Jared

OCT 10 NO CLASS
OCT 12 Jenny, Steve

OCT 17 Michelle W.
COT 19 Nelly

OCT 24 Felicia
OCT 26 Chelsea

OCT 31 Brittney
NOV 2 Alex

NOV 7 Michelle L
NOV 9 Tanya

NOV 14 Katie, Lacy
NOV 16 NO CLASS

NOV 21 Jenny, Steve
NOV 23 NO CLASS

NOV 28 Patrick, Jared
NOV 30 TBA

DEC 5 Watch video
DEC 7 LAST DAY

FALL 2011 Syllabus

JOURN 300 :NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, FALL 2011 -- M/W 1:25-3:30 p.m. -- DuBois 720

MARY CAREY maryelizacarey@gmail.com, 413-549-4595

Class blog: Journ300.blogspot.com

REQUIRED TEXT: Melvin Mencher, News Reporting and Writing (latest edition)

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED READING

AP Style Guide online

Daily newspapers and news magazines. Try to scan online and in print at least one of the local newspapers including the Collegian, Daily Hampshire Gazette or Springfield Republican every day. Also be aware of what’s on the front page of, for instance, the Boston Globe and New York Times. Each class, three or four people will bring in a newspaper article and comment on some aspect of the news, news coverage, style, choice of stories or contrast between coverage. Being conversant with what is in the news is essential to writing it.

GRADES

Grades are based on timely and thoughtful completion of in-class and out-of-class writing assignments and quizzes, multi-media blog, attendance and in-class participation. Writing criteria include news judgment, clarity of writing, grammar, accuracy, organization, spelling, conciseness, use of AP style, and meeting deadlines. Although the big picture things like news judgment and solid reporting are important, misspelling names and other seemingly minor shortcomings can ruin a story and your reputation, so they will count. Numerical equivalent of grades: A=95, A-=92, A-/B+ =90, B+88 etc.

ATTENDANCE

Not making appointments or missing the action will also undermine your career and the class. You MUST tell me BEFORE class if you are going to be absent and it has to be a legitimate excuse. (I read my e-mail regularly and have a phone message machine at home.) Otherwise you will receive zeroes for the day’s assignments. Please do not be late or leave early. More than three absences and/or repeatedly being late or leaving early will result in a significantly lowered final grade, with the grade being lowered by a full half grade for each absence over three.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

In-class writing assignments usually won’t be longer than 2-3 typewritten pages. Most major assignments are 1,000 words or 4 pages. First drafts must be in turned in on-time for credit. Not turning in a first draft or turning in an insufficiently complete first draft will result in a zero for the first draft and a significantly lower final draft grade. Among your assignments are a profile (counts for 15 percent of final grade), feature (15 percent), coverage of a speech (10 percent), issue piece (20 percent) and review (10 percent), minor papers, including first drafts (10 percent), blog (10 percent), participation/homework, worksheets and quizzes etc (10 percent).

HONESTY

There’s no excuse for any dishonest use of material. Any instance of plagiarism or any other form of cheating is ground for course failure.

Journ 300 blogging assignment/FALL 2011

Journalism 300 blog assignment/FALL 2011/ M-W 1:25-3:30 pm/DuBois 720

We'll do the blogs in pairs and there will be time to work on them in the computer lab. Midway through and at the end of the semester, the blog pairs will do a presentation on the blogs, projecting them on the screen in the computer room. Class members are expected to post constructive comments on the blogs.

Using Blogger or other blog-publishing service, start a blog that can function like a website with a

I) HOME PAGE

1) Should briefly describe the blog and 2) Have links or tabs to the following pages:

II) PAGES

1) List of EVENTS of interest to journalism students in the UMass area. The class may attend one or more of these, if possible. Each entry should include the following information 1) speaker/presenter 2) Topic/Title 3) Where 4) When 5) )Brief blurb about the event 6) Link to more/related info

2) EXAMPLES from work produced for the class by one or both of the blog partners A) Speech story B) Profile C) Feature D) Issue story . These should be thoroughly proofed and polished. One or more of these stories should be accompanied by a SLIDESHOW. (If your sources do not want their names published, you can use partial names AFTER completing the assignment that you turn in for a grade.

3) A blog post describing what went into CREATING THE BLOG, for instance why you decided to pick a certain template; how you decided which stories to include as examples, which one would include a slideshow and what went into getting the photos for the slideshow. The piece should also mention any interesting data you are able to gather using a service like Google Analytics or Statcounter about who is visiting the blog and why.

4) A page with topic of YOUR CHOICE.

III) SLIDESHOW should enhance/illustrate the story that accompanies it. It should include thoroughly proofed captions

IV) EMBEDDED DATA COLLECTING service like Statcounter or Google analytics

FALL 2011 SCHEDULE

JOURN 300/CAREY/ FALL 2011--M/W 1:25- 3:20 p.m.-Dubois 720

This is a tentative schedule of topics subject to revision to accommodate the news, campus goings-on that we’ll attend and classroom visitors. Check the blog (Journ300.blogspot.com) for updates and changes. Note: Each day 3-4 people will bring in an article to discuss and post an "AP Style tip" to the blog.

SEPT 7 Introduction, In-class writing assignment. NEXT: read Chap. 5; write 300-word summary for next class. Bring three or more ideas of speeches/events to attend, ideally during class time, at UMass or nearby in the coming days.

SEPT 12 Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, in-class exercise on leads. NEXT: Read Chap. 16 on speeches, write 200-word summary for next class.

SEPT 14 Discuss chapter on speeches, how to write a speech story. In-class work on blog. NEXT: Read Read Chap 15 on Interviewing Principles to discuss. Write 6 "bullet points" based on information in chapter.

SEPT 19 Discuss Chap 16; in-class interviewing exercise NEXT: Write a brief profile pitch to present Wednesday.
SEPT 21 Present profile pitch. NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3.

SEPT 26 SPEECH paper potentially DUE (DEPENDING ON WHICH EVENT COVERED),750 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT. Discuss Chaps. 2 and 3
SEPT 28 In-class work on profiles. NEXT: Read Chap. 7 on the Writer's Art. Write 100-200 words SHOWING something (vs TELLING) and post it on the blog

OCT 3 FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (INCLUDE WORD COUNT) Discuss feature stories. Discuss Chapter 7 and SHOW v. TELL examples. In-class work on profiles. NEXT: in-class feature pitch, read Chap. 8 on Features.

OCT 5 Have read Chapter 8 on features to discuss. PEER EDIT first draft profiles. NEXT: Read Chapter 18 on Accidents and Disasters and Chapter 19 on Obituaries.

OCT 10 NO CLASS COLUMBUS DAY

OCT 12 FEATURE PITCH. Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.

OCT 17 In-class work on feature and blog, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts

***************SOME REVISIONS BELOW*************

OCT 19 FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) In-class work on blogs. Discuss Issue paper requirements, including interviews with 2-3 "experts." NEXT: read Chaps. 11 on layered reporting. and 14 on sources. TOUR DAILY COLLEGIAN AT 2:30

MON/OCT 24 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14. MID-TERM PRESENTATIONS ON YOUR BLOGS

WED/OCT 26 DEADLINE POSTPONED FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) was due. Now it's due. NOV 2. /In-class work on features. Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Next: Issue pitch.

MON/OCT 31 ISSUE PITCH / In-class work on blogs

WED/NOV 2 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE DUE -- peer edit

MON/NOV 7 Discuss feature first drafts; In-class work on Issue papers. Possible court visit in morning. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police.

WED/NOV 9 NO CLASS/ FOLLOW THURSDAY SCHEDULE

MON/NOV 14 FINAL FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, police, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

WED/NOV 16 NO CLASS

MON/NOV 21 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (with four voices, two of whom are "experts") due. PEER EDIT drafts. Discuss chapters on Taste and Morality.

WED/NOV 22 NO CLASS/THANKSGIVING is NOV, 23 In-class work on Issue paper, blog. Watch video "Independent Media in a Time of War" and discuss with reference to chapters on Morality and Taste. Next: Read Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law.

MON/NOV 28 Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.

WED/NOV 30 ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE, discuss Chapters 24 and 25, review writing

MON/DEC 5 Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

WED/DEC 7 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP

Welcome Back! Fall 2011 UMass schedule

Last day of class-Spring 2011

Thanks for a great semester, everyone. Keep in touch!

Daily Hampshire Gazette/Amherst Bulletin Reporter Ben Storrow visits class

By Shamique White

Determination and skill are what helped Ben Storrow, 24, kick start his career as a reporter. He has written many news stories as a Daily Hampshire Gazette staffer. With all of his success at the local newspaper, it’s hard to imagine that Storrow never took a course in journalism.

On April 11, Storrow of the Daily Hampshire Gazette shared his experience as a reporter with the students of a newswriting course at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Storrow spoke about a range of topics including the stories he had written, where he grew up, and his journey into the journalism profession.

“For every boring story, there’s at least two interesting ones,” said Storrow as he spoke about select board meeting he would write stories about.

Although a story might seem small and trivial to the reporter, these are the events in people’s lives which is neither small nor trivial to them. Storrow explained to the class that a reporter should always put the maximum amount of effort in every story he or she writes, no matter how big or small it may seem.

Storrow was given three crime stories involving murder to report. When asked if he got nervous when contacting the victims’ family and friends, he said “Of course.”

The first assignment he was very nervous but when he spoke to them he made clear that he wanted to write a story so that the community can get to see how the victim was viewed by loved ones. He always tried to add dimension to the victims instead of the victim being perceived as another faceless victim.

Storrow has never taken a course in journalism and had zero experience, but wrote some demo news stories to show what he was capable of. Although it did not get him the position he applied for, it did get him a part-time job working for the paper.

Storrow graduated from George Washington University in Washington D.C with a degree in International Relations. After he graduated, he had the longing to return to his home state of Massachusetts. He grew up Gill, in the Amherst area, so it was very near and dear to his heart. His yearning for home made him reconsider what he wanted to do with his life. Storrow always had a knack and passion for writing so he decided to apply for a position at the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

He has been working for the paper for over two years not and does not plan on stopping. “It’s really a lot of fun,” said Storrow, despite the stressful nature of the career. Since childhood, he has always been interested in writing for the National Geographic Magazine but when asked if he wanted to do foreign reporting he said that he was happy writing locally and saw great importance in his work.