Chapters 2 & 3 worksheet

CHAPTER 2: COMPONENTS OF THE STORY:
1) What's most important: A) accuracy B) getting both sides on the record C) a lively writing style?

2) Which is the better description and why: A) She was unusually tall. B) She was an inch over 6 feet tall.

3) Give of examples of A) a firsthand account B) secondhand account C) thirdhand account

4) Should the reporter make it clear in the story whether an account is firsthand, second or third? Is there a scenario in which you would not need to attribute information?

5) Explain A) on the record B) on background C) on deep background D) off the record

6) Which sentence would you pick to follow this one: The temperature reached an all-time high yesterday at noon. A) The air conditioning failed at UMass. B) The mercury hit 102 degrees, breaking the April 10, 1968 record of 98 degrees. C) Dogs howled and cats slunk under bushes looking for shade.

7) True or False: Objective journalism is the reporting of the visible and verifiable.

CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS NEWS?
1) Who said this in 1883: "Always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always be drastically indpendent, never be afriad to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty."

2) Describe a news story that fits each of the following criteria for what is news: A) Information about a break from the normal flow of events, an interruption in the expected, deviation from the norm B) INformation people can use to help them make sound decisions about their lives.

3) Give a example of a news story that exemplifies each the following criteria (for a total of 9 stories):
A) Timely

B) Impact

C)Prominence

D) Emotional proximity

E) Geographical proximity

F) Conflict

G) The Unusual

H) Currency

I) Necessity


4) What are some other factors that play into the selection of news published?