Thursday, September 14, 2017

Interviews Fall 2017

Interviewing tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmHjXA8QtfY
Mini-profile example: https://journ300.blogspot.com/2017/02/mini-profile-example.html
Blog post about Kate Fagan 2015 visit to UMass: https://journ300.blogspot.com/2015/10/espns-kate-fagan-at-umass.html

Parker's group:




Kaitlin and Lyndsey:  https://youtu.be/f3mJ5g5qg1o

Tyler and Kaitlyn: https://youtu.be/iPN1DlO2gM8


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What's coming up:

SEPT 14  - Analyze interviewing videos, discuss elements of a good mini-profile NEXT:Write a mini-profile of a classmate based on interview and follow-up questions. Include a photo that adds value to your story, for example more information, details or illustration. SEE MINI-PROFILE TIPS BELOW

 NEXT: Read Chapter 4 on Quotations and Attributions

SEPT 19: Continue to analyze  interviewing videos, if not finished.  Discuss chapters, how to write a speech story. If time, start blogs.
  • TURN IN HARD COPY OF FIRST ASSIGNMENT: 400-500 word written piece with photo based on your interview of a classmate. (5 percent of final grade) 
  • NEXT: READ: Chapter 14 on Speeches, News Conferences and Meetings
  • NEXT: Write a brief profile pitch to present in class Thursday Sept. 26. Tell us who you plan to write about, what the angle likely will be, who else you can interview about your subject. It should be about a local person and NOT a family member or friend.)
SEPT 21 ******update: ATTEND Kate Fagan event************ 4-6 p.m., Massachusetts Room, Mullins Center


SEPT 26 SPEECH PAPER on Kate Fagan event DUE (10 percent of grade) See Speech Paper Essentials below
  • Present PROFILE PITCH
  • NEXT:  Bring in to peer edit next class a 500-word, written “pre-first draft” profile with lead, nutgraph and quote(s). 
  • Discuss feature stories. 
SEPT 28   *****update: 
  • PEER EDIT hard copies of profile  pre-first drafts.
  • NEXT: Read Chap. 9 on Writing to be Read
( POSTPONED until OCT 5: In-class, deadline writing assignment: In your groups, interview 2-4 people EACH on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources. (5 percent of total grade)

OCT 5 -  FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) 
In-class, deadline writing assignment: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources. (5 percent of total grade)
  • NEXT: Read Chapter 10 on Alternatives to the Inverted Pyramid
  • NEXT: Write Feature Pitch for next class. 

OCT 10: NO CLASS/FOLLOW MONDAY SCHEDULE

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Mini-profile assignment (500 words with photo(s))

  • The lead should make a POINT about your subject. (She LOVES fashion/ Being an EMT wasn't always rewarding/ She was always nervous about traveling but realized it was just as life-changing as people told her it would be when she went to Paris.) 
  • Nutgraph should sum up the points you'll make in the piece. (He had enough negative experiences to learn what the apparently inevitable drawbacks of the job are, but the positive experiences were unforgettable.) 
  • Step back high in the story and give us some facts about your subject. Where he or she is from, some family details, how or why he/she came to UMass. Then "unpack" the points you made in the nutgraph by explaining in greater details, using examples and quote from your subject. Pay attention to your topic sentences/transitions. 
  • Don't forget to include a photo(s)!



Some profile tips:

 The reader wants to know what makes your subject unique or interesting.  SHOW vs TELL us that he or she is unique.

 For instance, the UMass "omelet lady," who students have written about, is unique, because she 1) interacts with the students so closely, 2) keeps up a steady stream of banter, which not all DC employees do and 3) conveys a strong sense of pride in her job. 

· Provide examples that illustrate/SHOW the qualities you think make your subject interesting. 

So, for example, SHOW the omelet lady talking to a particular student at a particular time about a particular subject. Don’t just sum up what she USUALLY talks about, or if you do ALSO add a PARTICULAR example. How do you show she is proud of her job? Ask her why she is. Mention that she has a Facebook page. (It turns out her husband started the FB page; interview him! Ask him if she has always been so invested in all of her jobs. Have them met a lot of people through her job? What does she say about it to him? Has she told him of any particularly memorable things that happened on the job? )

· Once you’ve established that this person is unique or otherwise interesting, ask questions about his or her background to discover things that LED to him/her being the interesting person he/she is. 

For instance, a basketball player SC is shown in his room amid a LOT of clothes, but it is apparent he keeps all his clothes well organized and that he takes care of them. *Ask him WHY he thinks he is neat? *Were his parents neat? *What did they do? *What kind of a house did he grow up in? *Does he value orderliness? If so, does he think it is because the value of it was ingrained in his childhood? Or is he neat because his childhood was kind of chaotic, for instance? *Ask him who has been a big influence in his life and why? *Can he remember any particular instances of this person helping or guiding him or any particular advice this person offered him? You don’t have to go on at great length about his in the piece. Just a couple of sentences would help us “picture” the subject and where he came from.

· Paint a multi-dimensional picture of your subject that goes beyond the main thing you’re concentrating on in the piece/the "angle."

You can do this by asking "evergreen questions." For instance, AM is a lacrosse coach at UMass where she once was a player. She is well-respected by her players for her strong work ethic. Ask what else she does besides lacrosse? Does she bring this strong work ethic to everything she does, would she say? (Maybe she’ll say she’s got a dog, but she’s totally undisciplined when it comes to training her dog and she lets the dog run all over the house and knock things over, for instance.) Where does she think she got this strong work ethic she brings to coaching lacrosse? When did she first start playing lacrosse? Was it her first choice of a sport to play? Did someone encourage her? How? 
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SPEECH PAPER ESSENTIALS (750 words)


1) The lead should get to the heart of the event -- NOT just say it occurred.

2) Include in the first few sentences of the story A)what the occasion was, B)who sponsored it, C) where it was held and –D) how many attended. Include the title if there is one. It’s not necessarily to cram in every detail, such as what time it was held.

3) Nutgraph: This takes the reader beyond the lead and sums up in a few sentences the major points the speaker made or the basic gist of his/her argument/case/presentation. It’s a roadmap to the rest of the story. Can be combined with the paragraph that includes the title, name of occasion etc.

4) Body of story: Take the reader through the points that the speaker made in support of his or her case/main point/argument/presentation. Each paragraph should have a strong topic sentence. Provide specific examples and direct quotes.

5) Interview 3-4 people who attended for their reaction/thoughts. Don’t forget to include this at the end of your paper!

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