Chapters 11 & 14 questions

Chapters 11 on Layered Reporting/Digging for Information and 14 on Sources

1) A reporter writes an advance story for a concert taking place on Saturday, using a press release from the  concert promoter. Is this Layer I, II or III reporting?

2) A reporter goes to an Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals meeting and hears that the Amherst Brewing Company has been granted a permit to move into a vacant building on University Drive. She calls one of the neighbors living next to the building to get a reaction to the news, which she incorporates into her story about the ZBA's decision. Is this Layer I, II or III, and why?

3) After reviewing a half-dozen ZBA decisions, the reporter realizes that the ZBA has been granting more permits recently than it usually does. Coincidentally, one of the board members was not recently re-appointed by the town manager, who was quoted as saying that the board member doesn't get along well with other people on the board. Wondering whether the increase in permits and the non-appointment of the board member are related, the reporter interviews a number of people on the board, neighbors and the town manager. The reporter writes a story saying the board is now granting many more permits BECAUSE the former board member was not reappointed. Level I, II,  III and why?

4) What is a "pseudo-event" and a famous example of one?

5) What are some ways in which officials "manage" the news? (page 237)

7) What are the two basic types of sources?

8) Are high-ranking officials and company managers better sources than their secretaries or lower-level employees?

9) What is a "pseudo source"? Give an example of one, either from a real or theoretical example.

10) Is a reporter who is best friends with the secretary of defense a better or worse choice to write a story about the war in Afghanistan than a reporter who doesn't know any governmental officials personally?

11) Would the secretary of defense be a good choice of a source for a story about the housing crisis?

12) How can a reporter tell if a source is reliable?

13) What are some specific ways in which a reporter can tell if a webpage is reliable?

14) Is it good to mix human and written sources in a news story? Give an example of how you could mix the two in a feature story.

15) Do direct quotations need to be in the speaker's words all the time? Explain.
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