Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Speech assignment
Due Wednesday, Feb. 19: Hard copy of 750-word speech story, with quotes from the speaker Omar Dahi and two or more audience members (put these at the end of the piece). Include a word count.
Prepare in advance:
Omar Dahi, a Hampshire College professor of economics, will give a talk titled "The Crisis of Syria's Refugees in Lebanon," in the Commonwealth College Building, Events Hall -East, beginning at 4 p.m., today, Feb. 12.
Some info and links to websites and videos:
A good, recent video interview with Dahi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMxFgGBZnGA
Article Dahi wrote: http://www.merip.org/syrian-cataclysm
Video interview from a year ago: https://vimeo.com/47525682
Notes:
Dahi talks in a recent video about how reporting on the subject of the humanitarian crisis in Syria has not been critical enough, that is that it has not been well-enough informed about the many dynamics involved -- the various sides, the role of foreign governments, the history of the conflict etc. One challenge is to make sure that your pieces ARE well-informed about the crisis, based on Dahi's summary and analysis.
What you'll be trying to do in a relatively short piece is to present a brief overview, as related by Dahi, of the crisis, where it stands now and what he thinks needs to happen. (He talks about four things he thinks need to happen in one of the videos I've linked to below.) Your tone must be objective. Do NOT use the first person.
You will be writing for a general audience -- of people who, for the most part, are not very well-versed in what is going on in Syria, or what our government's role has been, is now, or should be, according to Dahi. Make sure that you totally understand what it is you're writing. (If you don't your reader won't.) Write as you would speak. Don't use abstract words, like "neoliberalism," for instance.
Your goal is to write a piece that clearly explains the main points of Dahi's talk to an audience that you can pretty much assume doesn't know much about Syria or the current crisis. So, think about what a typical reader might want to know, for example -- Is this a civil war? Who is fighting who? How many sides are there? How many people are estimated to have died and how many displaced? What are the main things the sides disagree about? Has the United States taken sides, and is our government supporting one side with military assistance or money? Did the United States government or some other government(s) help cause the current crisis? Should other countries intervene? What does Dahi think the United States should do about this? Can average citizens like us do anything?
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Article/AP tip schedule Spring 2015
| ||||||||
Article and AP tip
1)
Article title, publication and date.
2)
Shortest possible summary of what it’s about.
3)
Reasons for picking this article. What is interesting about its content? Its
form?
4) Great
quote from the article and why it’s great.
5) AP Tip
and example of how it is used. For example -- TIP: In general, write out
numbers one through nine and use numerals for 10 and above. EXAMPLE: There are
15 people in the class, three of whom are from Connecticut. (Tip does not have
to be related to the story you’ve chosen.)
Monday, February 3, 2014
ESPN writer Brendan Hall visits class
ESPN reporter Brendan Hall at UMass
By: Nicole B. Dotzenrod
“Once the moment is gone, it’s gone forever and there’s no getting it back … when moments like that happen you just become a fly on the wall and let it roll,” he said.
Hall, a 2007 University of Massachusetts Amherst grad, returned to his Alma mater last Monday to speak to current journalism students about his experiences as the high school sports editor and reporter for ESPN Boston since 2010.
With his easy-going demeanor, Hall shared many stories with the students about the day-to-day life of a sports reporter and his passion for creating new ideas and ways to cover sports.
“I’m never going to have this much creative autonomy in my life,” he said. “I use this as a cool thing to give to the kids. It’s not a bad way to live.”
Prior to joining ESPN, Hall has worked for a series of news organizations, including the Sentinel in Fitchburg, the Telegram and Gazette in Worcester, and The Boston Globe. The veteran reporter shared some advice with the college students: “You can have all the practice you want, but if you don’t know your subject, you’re gonna suck,” he said.
He also told students the importance of being a tough editor on yourself, and surviving in a changing field of journalism. “If you’re worried about your future, as there’s a lot of change as we morph into an online medium, you have to cast a wide net,” he said.
Hall shared with students that as a young reporter, he did everything necessary to stay afloat, picking up substitute teaching positions during the day, working as a basketball coach in the afternoon, and then driving to Boston to cover the Celtics at night.
Still, “It’s not a bad way to live,” he said. “One hundred years from now when people are looking at this in history, they’re going to pull up your account of it.”
Hall’s dreams go further than covering high school sports – he said his ultimate goal since playing football as a child has been to work covering the NFL.
“It’s been my biggest passion since I was five years old. As soon as I was heavy enough to be eligible, I was on the field. I’ve always been attracted to it.”
Hall’s laidback temperament shined through when he described one of his experiences interviewing New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. “His eyes have a way of piercing through your soul,” he said, laughing.
Student Katie Bowler said, “I thought Brendan Hall was hilarious. He didn’t hold back and gave great advice, especially on broadcasting your horizons and writing about a range of subjects. It was really cool to have him come in for the day.”
Hall told the students that the biggest reward of his job as a reporter is seeing other writers come along.
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