Journ 300: A UMass Journalism Newswriting and Reporting blog

Justin's photos from Collegian tour

2012-02-09T12:30:00.013-05:00

Chapters 2 & 3 worksheet

2012-02-06T14:09:00.001-05:00

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?

Profile assignment and some sample profile leads

2012-02-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

PROFILE assignment: 1,000 words (include word count)
First draft due: Feb. 15
Final draft due: March 5

The profile:

should be of a person who is accessible to you for an interview but not someone who is a close friend or relative. (We'll discuss exceptions)

should have an angle that becomes apparent in the lead and/or nutgraph. In a sentence, what is the main point of this profile?

should include the following information 1) full name 2) age 3) where he/she grew up 4) family details (what did his/her parents do? how many siblings? is he/she married with kids, for instance? 5) brief physical description 6) one or more scenes of the subject in action 7) what the subject stands for/believes in, 8) occupation 9) hobbies or interests 10) quotes from others ABOUT the subject

Nice profile lead in the Daily Hampshire GazetteBob Flaherty: Northampton police officer bikes by day, teaches salsa dance by nightTuesday, September 22, 2009

NORTHAMPTON - You can see glimpses of it in the way the officer moves.

The subtle flair he employs to pull over a motorist on Main Street, from the hips, like a ref tossing a flag. The way he pops the kickstand on his Trek mountain bike and slowlyswashbuckles away, stocky and muscular, readjusting his bulletproofvest and the nylon belt that holds his flashlight, handcuffs, extraammo and 40-caliber Glock.

Chico Jimenez, 52, has been a Northampton cop for 21 years, the last10 as a member of the bike patrol. He works the day shift, in thedowntown sector.

But on Friday nights, Jimenez works a shift of another kind. Swing shift, you could call it. Jimenez is teacher and practitioner of salsa, the sultry, flirtatious, hip-to-hip, face-to-face dance of the tropics....Continued at Gazettenet.com

Koby's team: Motherhood forces Northampton teen, a hoop standout, to sharpen her gameBy Jim Pignatiello02/21/2009

NORTHAMPTON - Cassy Sicard sat alone in the passenger seat of her mother's car outside JFK Middle School with her mind racing.

Tests earlier that day in May 2006 confirmed she was 7½ months pregnant. She was trying to wrap her brain around the challenges ahead.

"What am I going to do about school?" the 15-year-old freshman at Northampton High School wondered. "What am I going to do about basketball? What are my (friends) going to think?"

Sicard's AAU basketball team, the New England Explosion, was practicing inside the school's gym. But she couldn't bring herself to walk in and give the news to coach Perry Messer and her teammates, many of them friends since first grade.

"That was the hardest thing," Sicard said. "I had to have my mom (Erin Crowley) go in and tell" Messer and the rest of the Explosion.

Along with the initial worry and embarrassment, Sicard felt she had let her teammates down and was concerned about their reactions.

Then she got her answer.

The entire team, having just learned from Crowley that Sicard was outside, stormed out of the gym toward the car.

"Everyone was coming out in tears and they were all hugging me," Sicard said. "They were all telling me that they were there for me, that they love me and that they love the baby."

By the time Crowley returned to the parking lot, Sicard's teammates "were pretty much all in the car with her and then they brought her into the practice with them," Crowley said.

(Daily Hampshire Gazette) AMHERST - The question is not why Bart Bouricius loves bugs.

"The real question is what got someone not interested in bugs. If you're not afraid of them, learning about them is quite interesting," said Bouricius in an interview Thursday.

Bouricius' exotic bug collection is interesting enough to get him an invitation to the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show Monday, as "spider wrangler" for Mark "Dr. Bugs" Moffett, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of entomology" by National Geographic magazine.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE: profile of Jon Stewart:
It’s hard to top a kick in the nuts.

Especially when the kicker is Linda McMahon, the Connecticut Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. Pure comedy gold.

Jon Stewart watches the tape and doubles over with laughter. He and fifteen of The Daily Show’s writers, producers, and performers are gathered around a 40-inch flat-screen TV inside the show’s Eleventh Avenue offices early on a Thursday morning in August. Creating a segment for tonight’s Daily Show around this footage, from one of World Wrestling Entertainment’s harmless little skits, would seem to be easy. Maybe they can just run the nut shot repeatedly. Along with another clip of McMahon, the co-founder and former CEO of WWE, chugging a beer and drooling foam down her cheek.

Except that the goal here isn’t simply topping the kick in the nuts—it’s using the scrotum slam in the service of a larger point. Oh, Stewart & Co. enjoy a lowbrow laugh as much as the folks over atSouth Park; heck, next week they’re publishing a book that includes some excellent masturbation jokes. But Stewart and The Daily Show became America’s sharpest political satirists by aiming at least a little bit higher.

Two talks that would be good to attend

2012-02-06T11:22:00.002-05:00

From the weekly Journalism Program newsletter:

Joe McGinniss, the celebrated author of "The selling of a president, 1968" and "The rogue: Searching for the real Sarah Palin," will be speaking at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 12, in the Cape Cod Lounge.

Also, the next day, at the same hour and in the same place, UMass will host Pulitzer Prize writer and journalist Tony Horwitz.

Reporting on a computer science talk

2012-01-31T19:49:00.002-05:00

Some talking points from Monday's presentation:

- It was a "multi-disciplinary event."

- The subject, according to the presenters was about teaching and "engaging students in technology through material culture."

-- The art historian Caroline Bruzelius said she has been frustrated by how to communicate "change over time."

- Bruzelius collaborated with computer scientist/engineer Rachael Brady who is interested in artificial intelligence and "visualization technologies."

- Brady doesn't consider any of the technology used "rocket science." There are a few things they thought students should know: -web authoring, HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver; - 2-D inmage manipulation (Photoshop and Illustrator); - 3D modeling (Google Sketchup) and -mapping (Google Maps)

Quote:

Brady: "Scholars should be able to tell good stories about what they do to the public."

-Brady is also interested in trying to "demystify the computer" by teaching art history students some "digital literacy."

- Their first project was to show how a Franciscan convent near Naples changed over time as earthquakes damaged it and it was rebuilt.

-The professors are concerned with being able to show what aspects of the information they have are solid/verified and which are "uncertain," an issue that is very familiar to computer scientists, Brady said.

-Uncertainty can be shown with fuzzy lines

-Brady likes "opportunities for automation." For instance, given a map, can elevations be generated; given a painting can 3-D space be generated; can sound analysis be done on 3-D models

-Challenges the professors encountered: - balancing teaching content with teaching of the technology and -ensuring that students applied the same intellectual they would to a written research project. The professors did NOT want students to make "Disneyesque reconstructions."

Second day of class Spring 2012: TIPS

2012-01-25T13:23:00.004-05:00

JOURN300/Spring 2012

-- CUT TO THE CHASE: The lead should get to the heart of the event without delay. It should make an assertion that you have come up with after thoroughly “digesting” everything that happened and coming up with the one sentence that sums up the most important thing to be said about the event. (You may also use a DELAYED LEAD, which ILLUSTRATES the lead with an anecdote or a visual description that SETS UP your main assertion.)

-- In general, the lead should NOT be a question or a direct quotation. It should NOT be ungrammatical and it should not include clichés or canned language.

-- ONLY MAKE ASSERTIONS YOU CAN PROVE/THAT CAN BE OBSERVED – You can say “Students said they think it will be a great semester,” but you CAN’T say “Students think it will be a great semester,” because we can’t really ever know what someone is thinking. Nor can you say “It will be a great semester,” because we can’t predict the future. The reporter reports what he or she OBSERVES and HEARS – NOT his or her own opinions or predictions.

-- Include ACCURATE direct quotations, using correct punctuation, for example – “Remember to always cut to the chase,” the professor said. COMMAS and PERIODS INSIDE QUOTATION MARKS.

-- WRITE AS YOU WOULD SPEAK – Use the ACTIVE voice. Be CONCRETE and SPECIFIC. Don’t use long words when short ones will do. Make your writing lean, direct and lively by using SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT construction. Don’t start off with information that could be placed at the end of the lead or in another sentence later on. You don’t have to cram every detail, such as the number of the room where the event was held or the exact time it was held into the lead. The lead should be your best, most polished, lively, easy-to-read sentence!

-- Check name and place spellings using Google. Review AP Style for states (It’s Mass. – not MA.; Spell out one through nine, numerals for 10 and above; DON’T capitalize academic subjects etc.)

-- SYNTHESIZE information: Don’t just report what happened in the order it happened. Much of what goes on at an event is not interesting or important to relate to your readers. Think about what is the key information you want to convey and put the most important point highest in your story. Combine related information and point out similarities and differences, for instance that several students in the class said they’re interested in sports.

SPRING 2012 -- Blog assignment

2012-01-22T15:54:00.002-05:00

Journalism 300 blog assignment/SPRING 2012/ M-W 3:35-5:30 pm/DuBois 767

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

SPRING 2012 SYLLABUS

2012-01-22T15:46:00.000-05:00

JOURN 300 :NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, SPRING 2012 -- M/W 3:35-5:30 p.m. -- DuBois 767

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.

SPRING 2012 SCHEDULE

2012-01-22T15:41:00.001-05:00

JOURN 300/CAREY/ SPRING 2012--M/W 3:35-5:30 p.m.-Dubois 767

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.

JAN 23 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.

JAN 25 Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, in-class exercise on leads. NEXT: Read Chap. 16 on speeches, write 200-word summary for next class.

JAN 30 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.

FEB 1 Discuss Chap 16; in-class interviewing exercise NEXT: Write a brief profile pitch to present Wednesday.

FEB 6 Present profile pitch. NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3.
FEB 8 SPEECH paper potentially DUE (DEPENDING ON WHICH EVENT COVERED),750 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT. Discuss Chaps. 2 and 3

FEB 13 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
FEB 15 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.

FEB 20 NO CLASS – Presidents Day

FEB 22 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.

FEB 27 FEATURE PITCH. Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.

FEB 29 In-class work on feature and blog, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts

MAR 5 FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) In-class work on feature drafts Discuss Issue paper requirements, including interviews with 2-3 "experts." NEXT: read Chaps. 11 on layered reporting. and 14 on sources.

MAR 7 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14.

MAR 12 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Next: Issue pitch.

MAR 14 Discuss issue ideas, experts. In-class work on blogs. NEXT: Issue pitch

*************************************NO CLASS week of MARCH 19 – SPRING BREAK ************************************

MAR 26 Issue pitch.

MAR 28 In-class work on Issue papers. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police.

APRIL 2 Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

APRIL 4 FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. Discuss Chapters 26 and 27

APRIL 9 . In-class work on Issue paper.

APRIL 11 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (with four voices, two of whom are "experts") due. PEER EDIT NEXT: Read Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law.

APRIL 16 – NO CLASS

APRIL 18 ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;

APRIL 23 Discuss Chapters 24 and 25, review writing. END OF SEMESTER QUIZ

APRIL 25 Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

MAY 1 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP

UMass Spring 2012 calendar

2012-01-22T14:53:00.001-05:00

Last Day of class Fall 2011

2011-12-07T17:04:00.004-05:00

2011-11-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hugo

2011-11-30T13:12:00.001-05:00

The article I chose, Movie Reviews: Hugo, was published on the Birmingham Post website on Nov. 30, and written by Roz Laws and Graham Young. The film is “set in and around a Paris railway station in 1931.” In Hugo, the famed film director, Martin Scorsese, directs his first 3D film. The plot of the movie revolves around a young boy who sets out to unlock a secret left to him by his father.

The film was adapted from Brian Selznick’s 2007 bestseller, The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. The review calls into question Scorsese’s decision to rely on “so many star names to play supporting characters.” The review also compares the film to an animated film from earlier this year, Rango, saying “at first glance, adults will seemingly appreciate more than their children.”

The review anticipates whether or not Scorsese will be able to improve the 3D viewing experience and how it will affect actors and films in the future.

Favorite quote: “Hot on the heels of Steven Spielberg’s motion capture experiment with The Adventures of Tintin, director Martin Scorsese returns with a live action movie set in and around a Paris railway station in 1931.”

AP Tip: Composition Titles

Apply guidelines to book titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, song titles, titles of lectures, speeches and works of art. Capitalize the principal words, including prepo- sitions and conjunctions of four or more letters. Capitalize the article if it is the first or last word in the title.

Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except the Bible and books of reference. i.e. “The New York Times”

Encyclopedia Britannica

Chapter reviews on local government and journalism and the law

2011-11-28T12:25:00.001-05:00

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.

(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.

(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.

Jenny's Article and AP Tip

2011-11-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

The article I chose was "Prince William Joins Irish Sea Rescue Mission" from ABC news on November 27, 2011.

This article is about how Prince William joined a search and rescue mission early Sunday after a cargo ship sank in the Irish Sea. He is in the Royal Air Force and was co-pilot of the helicopter which helped rescue two members of the Russian crew where seven went missing.

I chose this article because I think it's rare to find the Royal family in proactively saving people. It's always nice to see famous people doing kind things for others, especially in this type of situation where he saved lives.

A great quote from this story was, "The second in line to the British throne, who is a Royal Air Force helicopter and known professionally as Flight Lt. William Wales, was aboard an aircraft which rescued two crew members early Sunday, after their vessel's hull cracked in gale force winds off the coast of north Wales." I liked this quote because I think it summed up the main point of the article in a nice way and include good descriptive words for visuals.

My AP tip is for uses of homicide, murder, and manslaughter: Homicide is a legal term for slaying for killing. Murder is malicious premeditated homicide. Some uses of this is if the killing occurs in the course of armed robbery, rape, etc. Manslaughter is homicide without malice or premeditation. A person shouldn't be described as a murderer until convicted of the charge. Unless authorities say premeditation was obvious, victim was not murdered but instead was killed or slain.

EX. It was clear that Smith had murdered Jones due to obvious premeditation of the act.

Steve's article and AP tip

2011-11-27T19:26:00.000-05:00

The article I chose was, “Woman surrenders in Black Fridaypepper spray incident,” which was put on CNN.com on Saturday.

It discussed how the woman turned herself in to Los Angeles authorities after allegedly pepper spraying people grabbing XBOX games at a Walmart. There is still a lot that needs to be done in the investigation, authorities said, as they need to interview countless witnesses and victims, as 10 people received treatment at the scene as a result of the pepper spray.

I chose this article because I believe that Black Friday is a frenzy and that, although the deals are great, people become animals as they grab and push and will do anything to get the item they’re looking for.

The quote I chose came from witness Juan Castro, who was at the Walmart that night trying to buy video games as well.

“I tried to get away as quickly as possible because I didn’t think it was worth it. No deal’s worth that.”

I thought this quote perfectly summed up the entire situation and people’s obsessions with hunting for Black Friday deals even if it means they become a monster in the process.

My AP tip is when writing about a person who is a junior or third generation, you don’t include a comma after the name. For example, it would be “John Elliot Jr.” or “John Thompson III.”

Article and AP tip for Nov. 9th

2011-11-21T15:24:00.002-05:00

November 8, 2011 “U.N. Agency Says Iran Data Points to A-Bomb Work”

By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD

New York Times

Summary: "United Nations weapons inspectors have new evidence that they say makes a ‘credible’ case that ‘Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device,’ and that the project may still be under way.”

“The inspectors devoted a section of this report to ‘credibility of information.’ The information was from more than 10 countries and from independent sources, they said; some was backed up by interviews with foreigners who had helped Iran.”

“The report does not claim that Iran has mastered all the necessary technologies, or estimate how long it would take for Iran to be able to produce a nuclear weapon.”

Reason for picking the article:

I picked this article because the US has involved itself in this situation, and if Iran decides to take action and actually go forward with the plan of a nuclear bomb we could very much be affected. It is a very controversial article in the sense that it may not intentionally scare the readers, but the subject itself is frightening. The article was well written and biased, although the writers probably felt very strongly about the situation.

Great quote from the story and why:

“’The level of detail is unbelievable,’ said a Western diplomat familiar with the report, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was discussing the agency’s internal assessment of the report. ‘The report describes virtually all the steps to make a nuclear warhead and the progress Iran has achieved in each of those steps. It reads like a menu.’”

This is a great quote said by a person who was interviewed for the article because of the vivid description of the report and you really get a sense of how the diplomat is intrigued by the report.

AP TIP:

• Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, and tribes:
Indian
Arab Caucasian

Visitor tomorrow/issue first draft due

2011-11-20T20:44:00.007-05:00

Hi Everybody - We're going to have a visitor tomorrow, Bill Carey, a longtime newspaper reporter, editor and magazine writer who works for Aviation International News, which is known as a "trade publication." Bill can tell us about what trade publications are and the pros and cons of working for them. One of the pros is that he has traveled all over the world, most recently to Dubai, to report on aviation and avionics ( a combination of aviation and electronics.) Check out the AIN's website at http://www.ainonline.com/ and read one of Bill's pieces (pasted below), a blog entry in which he talks about how as a reporter you often hear very interesting things that you can't always include in stories. Be prepared to do a good interview and write 250 words due when we come back after Thanksgiving. See you in class and don't forget your issue first drafts!

An Anchor Loosens His Tie, Along With His Persona

2011-11-15T00:36:00.000-05:00

Originally published on November 1, 2011 in The New York Times

Summary:
Brian Williams, a well-known news anchor, started his own newsmagazine show called “Rock Center with Brian Williams” that focuses on everything news, but with a comedic twist. As known as he is for his nightly reports on NBC, his comedic side is also in the public eye, as he has appeared on several talk shows and comedies. The article goes on to explain how media personalities have changed, from having basically zero show appearances to making constant appearances on television because as the article states, “the audience for network news keeps dwindling, so those who want to be seen have to go where the viewers are.”

Why I Chose It:
I picked it because I always think it’s interesting to see the whole side of the reporter, not just what he’s like on screen. Also, the title of this article caught my eye. I like how it said “An Anchor Loosens His Tie.” It makes me think of how an anchor gets off set, is done with the work day, and “loosens his tie” because he’s off television.

Great Quote from the Story:
”It used to be that news anchors, like sitting presidents, had a quelling authority that made any sidestep into entertainment surprising and even newsworthy. Now entertainment shows are a bobbing life raft holding serious news — and serious people — afloat.”
I thought this quote was interesting, to see how times have changed and media personalities have also changed roles.

AP Tip:
Use commas in numbers with four or more digits, except in years and street addresses.
1,080 students
1234 Sesame St
The year 2011

Where Football Is King, Alleged Crimes Sometimes Get a Pass

2011-11-14T16:40:00.001-05:00

Summary:

This article is about the Penn State football controversy and how students are choosing to deal with it. The games still have a high number of attendees despite recent controversy to show pride for the school. Although the public may think otherwise due to the media’s wide coverage of this issue, students won’t let this mishap ruin their school pride. They do feel strange about it, though, as Paterno and Sandusky were part of everyone’s childhoods in the area. One woman says, “There was a feeling of infallibility. It may not sound rational or logical to someone who didn’t grow up here, but it feels like we were told part of our childhood is a lie.” A UMass clinical psychologist mentions that boys are more likely to be sexually abused than girls because we, as a culture and society, have trouble believing that boys can be and are sexually abused. A Penn State grad also mentioned that terms like “predators” and “monsters” and “stranger-danger” discourage people from believing that someone they know and trust could be an abuser.

Why I chose it:

I chose this article because I know that lately there has been a lot of controversy over this issue. I have a friend who goes to Penn State and insists that the University should still live up to its prideful reputation despite recent controversies. I feel like a slip like this is not as big of a deal when it happens to someone that’s an unknown guy to society, but when it happens to someone kind of famous like these coaches, then I think people make a bigger deal out of it. I think it’s interesting the way people have reacted to the situation.

Quote:

Houser, a Penn State grad, says “People see Joe and Jerry at the grocery store. Joe would walk to the stadium from his house on game day and you would walk behind him," she said. "So, this whole community is struggling with this sudden glimpse in the mirror…" The fact that she mentions people would walk behind him really shows the connection between the school and Joe.

AP Tip:

DO NOT use an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses after the first reference of a full name. Wrong: The Radical Underwater First United Sailors (RUFUS) meets tonight. Right: The Radical Underwater First United Sailors meets tonight.

Katie McKenna

Court visit

2011-10-28T20:56:00.003-04:00

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 HEARING POSTPONED TILL FRIDAY

2011-10-24T09:16:00.002-04:00

Class today! The hearing has been postponed till Friday.
Don't forget the quiz and blog presentations!

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

2011-10-23T21:38:00.002-04:00

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

AP Tip

2011-10-23T18:24:00.001-04:00

alumnus- masculine, singular but can often be used for a female as well

alumna- feminine, singular

alumni- masculine, plural

alumnae- feminine, plural

A Story of Drugs and the Police

2011-10-19T12:26:00.002-04:00

October 18, 2011 The New York Times

The article’s main focus is on the story of Yvelisse DeLeon of Coney Island who was arrested in 2007 after police showed up at her apartment, ordered her and her boyfriend, Juan Figueroa to get out of their car at gunpoint, and claimed that they found crack cocaine in her car after searching. She denied the claim, and called out that the police had “put it in the car.” Neither Ms. DeLeon, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, or her New Yorker boyfriend had ever been arrested before, but spent the night in the police station and endured a year of follow up before the charges were dismissed. Both accused the police officer, Jason Arbeeny for conspiring with other police officers to pass illegal drugs to informers to lie about arrests. The police officer’s lawyer has said that Ms. DeLeon made up these allegations in fear of deportation. The city ended up paying both DeLeon and her boyfriend $75,000 dollars.

The article also touches upon the issue of corruption cases involving police officers and drugs and the possible framing of innocent people and how even when these cases are uncovered, they are prosecuted as “matters of dishonest paperwork.”

Since we have been talking about feature stories, as well as issue pieces, I came across this article and thought that this feature piece could also serve as an idea for an issue piece as well. Coming from the New York area, I was interested in this article because it exposed a story that I do not hear often. I feel that the corruption of police offers is a sensitive subject to expose for a journalist, so I was interested to see how the writer went about doing so.

Great quote: “Because I know I don’t do,” she began, pausing to edit her own translation.

“I know I didn’t do what they say I did.”

I liked this quote because by the journalist using DeLeon’s broken up translation it gives personality to DeLeon as a person who is struggling with the translation for her thoughts.

AP TIP -- Does not have to be related to the story - and example of how it is used.

The comma is omitted before Roman numerals and before Jr. and Sr. in names:

Ex: Richard Stevenson III or John Elliot Jr.

Revisions to schedule

2011-10-17T18:06:00.003-04:00

SOME REVISIONS TO CLASS SCHEDULE:

The main change is that the feature first draft deadline has been moved from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. Remember you need to interview and quote at least three sources for it.

On Wednesday, we'll be working on the blogs for a little while and then visiting the Collegian at 2:30 p.m.
Next Monday, we'll have a mid-term quiz and spend the second half of the class doing the mid-term presentations of the blogs. This midterm presentation will count for half of the blog grade and 5 percent of your final class grade. (The blogs count for 10 percent of the final class grade.)

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

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

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

ESPN Boston's Hall returns to UMass

2011-10-12T15:06:00.000-04:00

As Brendan Hall walked into the room, his audience was quickly captivated by his enthusiasm and passion for his work.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst alumnus offered his experience and advice to Journalism 300 students on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Hall, 26, has excelled early in his career as a journalist, as the Westminster, Mass. native rose quickly through the field and is currently the High School Editor for ESPNBoston.com.
Hall quickly made his presence felt in the room, engaging in discussions on anything from his inspirations to his encounters with professional athletes.
He expressed the pride he takes in his work, citing an experience in which he covered a Catholic Memorial School senior's 24-hour basketball marathon, which included 8,101 shot attempts for brain cancer research.
"I'd love to keep doing stories like that because it had great appeal," said Hall, who stayed at the gymnasium for the entirety of the event and admitted to taking a few shots of his own while the young boy rested.
Hall, who graduated from UMass in 2007, got his first big break in his first semester of his senior year, where he wrote for the Boston Globe through the university's Co-Op program.
In addition, he was very active with the Daily Collegian during his college years, serving as the editor of the Editorial-Opinion section during his second semester of his senior year and writing for both the news and sports sections prior to that.
Hall headed south to Jacksonville, Fla. after graduating for an internship with the Florida Times-Union in which he wrote for the news section.
"I learned more in my career in those three months than in my seven or eight years doing sports stuff," said Hall.
Much of his visit to the class consisted of story telling, in particular one he wrote after the death of former Super Bowl champion and gold medalist, Bob Hayes.
"Jacksonville's Doug Flutie," as Hall referred to him, did not have a headstone at his burial site and the story created a great deal of publicity following its publication.
"It's a story I'm very proud of," said Hall.
The class had the opportunity to pick the guest's brain and ask for advice as the students hope to experience similar success after graduating.
He stressed the importance of being able to write for multiple sections of a newspaper, as employers are looking for writers who are well rounded during the hiring process.
Hall also explained how the relationships one forms in the business could go a long way towards benefiting a journalist in the future, whether with obtaining information for stories or when applying for jobs.
"You never know who you're going to meet in this world," said Hall.
He still plays pick-up basketball with people he used to work with at The Boston Globe, despite the fact that ESPN Boston competes with the Boston newspapers for readers.
Hall went on to share his dream of writing feature stories similar to ESPN.com senior writer Wright Thompson, whose work digs deep into off-the-field stories in the world of sports.
"It's really what I think sports writing is about," said Hall.
For more information on Hall, log onto ESPNBoston.com or follow him on twitter at @BHallESPN.

Underwear Bomber Pleads Guilty

2011-10-12T13:17:00.000-04:00

The article I chose was titled “Underwear Bomber pleads guilty to terrorism charges” from the LATimes.com. The defendant has been serving as his own council in a prosecution accusing him of eight felonies. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been accused of attempted murder, attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction, and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism.
While pleading guilty Abdulmutallab took the time to explain how he went about preparing the failed attack as well as why he “did not consider the attack to be in violation of the Koran”. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds has been put in charge of overseeing the proceedings of the trial. And when questioning the defendant as to whether he was “pleading guilty freely and voluntarily” he replied, “That’s right, yes.” A quote I found to be somewhat chilling, especially when facing life in prison.
I chose this article because I am interested in these types of so called ethical and moral justifications. Justifying the detonation of a bomb on an airliner full of innocent passengers using the holy book of the Muslim religion certainly brings up heated debate. Terrorists seem to constantly us certain quotes from the Koran as excuses for their actions and this court case proved as another fine example. Abdulmuttalab is only 24 years old and will be serving a life sentence.
“Titles: Ofethnic groups: - The preferred usage for African Americans is “black.” The term is not capitalized. - Preferred usage for Caucasians is “white,” also not capitalized. - Preferred usage for Asian people is “Asian,” capitalized. Please note that in British usage the term applies only to people of the IndianSubcontinent. - “American Indian,” capitalized with no hyphen, is preferred over “Native American”.”

New iPhone Conceals Sheer Magic

2011-10-11T23:44:00.000-04:00

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.

Conservative pastor on Romney: Don't vote for a Mormon

2011-10-11T17:09:00.000-04:00

Stephen Sellner

Article and AP tip

The article I chose was called "Conservative pastor on Romney: Don't vote for a Mormon," found on CNN.com on Friday, Oct. 7.

Robert Jeffress, pator of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, believes that Republicans should not vote for Mitt Romney in the upcoming presidential election because he is part of a “cult.” The pastor is an avid supporter of Rick Perry and even introduced the Texas governor at the Values Voter Summit in Washington.

I chose this story because I am religious and I found it odd that a pastor would go out and ridicule another religion, such as monogamy.

The best quote from the story came from Jeffress when asked about who he would prefer in office: Romney or President Barack Obama.

“I would rather have a non-Christian who at least supports biblical principles than a professing Christian like Barack Obama who embraces unbiblical positions,” he said.

I chose this quote because it reveals hostile feelings towards the president and really jumps off the page.

My AP tip of the week is to avoid successive numerals in an expression. For example, “15 six-inch boards.” This creates confusion for the reader and can disrupt the flow of the sentence.

Amanda Knox Set Free

2011-10-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

American Amanda Knox was set free on Oct. 3, after a four year case was finally put to rest. Knox was accused back in 2007 of sexually assaulting and murdering her British housemate Meredith Kercher while they studied in Italy. Knox was convicted of the charges and was held in an Italian prison after her conviction in 2008. But, after finally being granted a re-trial, Knox's accusations were overturned and she has been released from the Italian prison and will return to the Unites States within the next few days.
The reason that I chose this article was because this was a big story in American headlines. Knox was the defendant in the case along with two other girls. After Knox and Rudy Guede were convicted of the murder and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison, they opted for a re-trial, something granted TWICE by the Italian judicial system. This story raised a lot of American support because there was very little evidence against Knox and her conviction created a lot of uproar about the equality in the Italian judicial system. It also became a huge pop-culture story because of Knox's attractive appearance.
Hallmark already made a "Movie of the Week" about her a couple years ago and now with her being set free, many movie studios are trying to vie for the rights to make a movie about the whole case.
Quote:
"The Knox case was a pop culture obsession, and that's not going to stop now that the jury has decided to set her free. The race will be on for which media outlet interviews her first."
I like this quote because it is becoming very popular for these big cases to draw media attention and attract the likes of movie companies. We also saw it with the Casey Anthony trial and the battle to get her in the public eye as quick as possible. "Hustler" magazine made a quick pitch that they wouldn't be out-bid for the rights to her.
AP Tip:
Spell out abbreviations or acronyms on first reference
"Harrisburg Community College... HCC"
"Amherst Police Department... APD"

Showing vs. Telling

2011-10-03T14:44:00.001-04:00

"Interrupting the Cycle of Teen Violence" and AP Tip

2011-10-03T14:31:00.003-04:00

”Interrupting the Cycle of Teen Violence,”
CNN.com by Elliot C. McLaughlin on September 27, 2011 10:54 a.m.

The article begins with an account told by Tard Carter, an interviewee who volunteers as a violence interrupter for the East Baltimore Operation Safe Streets. The story entails of one of Carter’s subjects who got into a potentially fatal fight with another hustler, and Carter’s point of view of what occurred. The article continues to explain that projects such as Operation Safe Streets are the brainchild of Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist of the University of Illinois at Chicago. The article explains that violence occurs in teens in poor areas because of poor role models, and that drug dealers take advantage of young adults for business because they wont receive the same punishment due to being an adolescent. The CeaseFire model of projects (the original project that sparked Operation Safe Streets) offers a “fresh prism” to view problems associated with gun violence and street violence. “Once you change the behavior that spreads the disease, you can address the issues that caused it”

About 4,000 kids have been murdered since 2006, according to FBI statistics.Carter himself is a case in point of being able to change once you are impacted at a young age to change your ways. He was also once a crack addict and was involved in violence. Now, Carter has 3 children and hopes his brighter future will impact their lives.

I picked this article because it was very emotional and grabbed me with the title. Also, the picture at the beginning of the article is very moving and attention grabbing. I chose the article also because it affects teens and young adults, and is a very controversial subject that upsets most people but at the same time is often neglected. The quotes used in the article could be better, but I think they really help with getting the message across. Also, the statistics used in the article are very effective.

"When I was young, you had a fantasy of being a drug lord -- not a dream, a fantasy," he said.

This quote is very symbolic to the story and to Carter’s story in general. He tries to explain that in areas such as East Baltimore, role models are scarce and adolescents look up to those who surround them. After he has experienced such a drastic transformation in his life, it is interesting to hear his views of when he was sucked into this world that now he tries to prevent.

AP TIP:

- In a series, omit the final comma before and and or:

Examples:

red, white and blue

no job, no money and no car

small, medium or large

Banks Plan New Fees for Using Debit Cards

2011-10-02T14:36:00.002-04:00

Bank of America wants to charge customers a $5 monthly fee for using debit cards. They are going to start collecting fees early next year. Other banks are likely to follow Bank of America's lead in order to generate revenue. They want to generate revenue because they're going to lose revenue starting Saturday when the new government regulations cap what they are allowed to charge merchants for debit-card transactions. Banks expect to lose about $6.6 billion a year in lost revenue due to this change. The fee is going to apply to standard checking accounts, but not most premium checking accounts because the premium accounts tend to be more profitable than the standard accounts with lower balances. Some argue that it's unfair, but others say that it's necessary. The $5 fee is higher than what most banks plan to charge; most banks want to charge $3 or $4. Others are not charging fees at all.

I chose this article because I feel like it's relevant and necessary information for a lot of people, seeing as Bank of America customers take up a large percentage of the population. This is an issue that can be argued on both sides, but the people seem to have a larger say. The only people that seem to be on Bank of America's side are people working for Bank of America. None of the customers seem to agree and it will be interesting to see what becomes of this situation.

I thought that the lead was a great quote; it was my favorite part of the article. It says, "The nation's beleaguered banking industry, which has been raising fees and doing away with free services, has a new target: debit card users." I thought putting "debit card users" at the end of the sentence kept the reader wondering about what the writer was going to say. After reading "debit card users," I was hooked on the story, wondering why and how the company was going to charge debit card users, perhaps because I am one of them.

AP Tip: A colon is used in clock time.

example - 8:15 a.m.

10 a.m. (not 10:00 a.m.)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204138204576600800330404330.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopStories

Brendan Hall visits class

2011-09-28T20:12:00.005-04:00

Leaving Sharon: a Profile on Felicia Cohen

2011-09-28T13:18:00.001-04:00

After four years of cheerleading, dancing, and pursuing an interest in journalism at Sharon High School, Felicia Cohen was more than ready to spread her wings.

The small south shore town of Sharon, Mass, located south of Boston and adjacent to the hometown of the New England Patriot’s, is also known for its diverse Jewish and Muslim population. Cohen described an easygoing scene where the center of town boasted private shops and local enterprise.

She graduated from Sharon High School in the spring of 2010, adhering to her chosen route of public education.

“I wanted to get far away as possible,” Cohen said referring to her next decision in life, college preference. No particular place, just far from Sharon.

However, when she began to consider the reality of homesickness the likelihood of a New England college started to become much more plausible. Cohen entered the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s freshman class of 2010, stayed true to her passion for journalism, and declared her major as such.

“I graduated in class of just 275 kids,” she said when answering a question about the enormity of her new environment. Cohen seems to have adjusted to the university bustle just fine, balancing ad design for the Daily Collegian with the workload of her studies.

She is currently 19 years old, living in a South West Residential Hall, well on her way to a successful tenure here at the university.

Memorable details in hometown pieces and great leads from Sept. 26 quiz

2011-09-28T10:46:00.002-04:00

1) In Salem, kids get assigned to research a specific witch trial instead of a generic history assignment.
2) The mailman in Katie's former neighborhood delivered under the influence of alcohol.
3) Nathan Hale, who said "I only regret I have one life to give," is Coventry's most famous resident.
4) When Nelly was getting ready to come to UMass "she was packing up her belongings for the first time in her life."
5) Patrick wanted to be close to "the fan base of one of his true loves -- hockey."

Great Quiz leads:
1) Joe moved to Austin when he was 11 years old, but he never forgot where he came from.
2) Zip codes may change, but one's birthplace stays with that person forever.
3) Joe Smith is one who have lived in two different extremes.
4) The very forgetful Joe Smith seems to have been all over the place for his whole life.

The Strohecker Beat

2011-09-28T01:48:00.000-04:00

Hailing from Camp Hill, Pensylvania, Patrick Strohecker decided to come to the University of Massachusetts Amherst in order to get away, and be closer to the fan base of one of his true loves, hockey.

In regards to his hometown, Strohecker says “There’s not really much going on. I certainly don’t want to live there. Strohecker’s older sister had also moved away from the small town four years ago to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Following in his sister’s footsteps, Strohecker moved away to peruse the things that he is passionate about, sports, hockey, and journalism. He has been playing hockey since he was three years old and he plans to keep writing about the sport once his career is over. He currently writes a blog called the Sports Beat, and after working for his highschool newspaper, and having two internships with newspapers, he is a seasoned writer that is only in his sophomore year in college.

You can find Strohecker’s blog at http://sportsbeat-pstrohec.blogspot.com/

Meet Michelle Liu, The Future of Broadcast Journalism

2011-09-28T01:04:00.001-04:00

Born and raised in Chicopee, Mass, 19 year old Michelle Liu was determined to find a college that met her journalistic needs - and UMass Amherst was just the place. About 45 minutes from her hometown, and filled with familiar faces, Liu could not be more pleased with her decision to enroll.

Liu interned at the Springfield news station her senior year of high school, where she fell in love with broadcast journalism. “I got to write stories, interview locals, and even go out in the field. It was really cool,” Liu said of her experience.

Only in the start of her sophomore year, Liu is still unsure of what exactly she wants to do when she graduates. She explains how she would possibly like to stay close to her hometown, due to the opportunities it offers aspiring journalists. “Springfield is a great place to start out with broadcast journalism. Who knows if I’ll want to move later on, but right now I’m happy with being close to home.”

“In Small Towns, Gossip Moves to the Web, and Turns Vicious”

2011-09-27T18:56:00.001-04:00

The New York Times—September 19, 2011

A specific forum on Topix, a social media website, called the “Mountain Grove Forum” which is anonymously commented on from the community members of Mountain Grove, Missouri is discussed in this article because of the negative effects that have come from its existence. A small town of 5,000, members of this community have used this forum mostly for town gossip and to negatively scrutinize others, causing not only tension between the people of this town, but divorce and contemplations of suicide. The article discusses the trend in the use of social media by older, poorer and more remote populations as a place for discussion about local news and politics. However, the forum has turned into a place for unsubstantiated gossip, with up to 3,700 visitors on a given day, has caused members of small communities to feel quite alienated. The aspect of the forum being anonymous also contributes to this growing trend, in that in a small town, anonymity is a new concept. The website, Topix, has become increasingly popular in areas across, the Ozarks, Appalachia, and much of the rural south and has caused a number of lawsuits and censure by local governments. However, Topix is protected from libel suits under federal law, but those who post could be sued if they are found.

I chose this article because I find the topic of social media in general very interesting because it is on the rise and is affecting almost everyone’s life in this day and age. I never really thought about the certain populations that are affected with social media, like small towns in this case, with forums like this. I think the author did a good job in interviewing people in the town about their feelings on the forum, as well as the harsh examples the author gave as to what was said on the forum, which really places the reader in a position to make his or her own judgments. The author began with a delayed lead, which I thought was appropriate because it set up the scene of the small town vibe, and ended with a really powerful kicker quote: “In a small town, rumors stay forever.”

I thought a great quote was:

”In the small towns nestled throughout the Ozarks, people like to say that everybody knows everybody’s business — and if they do not, they feel free to offer an educated guess.”

This quote was the lead, and I really thought that it was appropriate for the story. It set up the story in a way that leaves the reader wanting to read more, as they question what exactly “an educated guess” means. The reader doesn’t exactly know what the article is specifically about when first reading the lead, but looking back after reading the story, the lead fits very well.

AP TIP: Avoid the use of quotation marks with slang expressions or single words where meaning is the meaning is clear.

Incorrect: He called the youth a “hippie”

Correct way: He called the youth a hippie.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/us/small-town-gossip-moves-to-the-web-anonymous-and-vicious.html?pagewanted=2&ref=us

"Typhoon Rains Flood Philippine Capital, Kills 16"

2011-09-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

Typhoon Rains Flood Philippine Capital, Kills 16

The New York Times

A powerful typhoon hit the Philippines yesterday, killing 16 people and causing waves of water—higher than palm trees—to crash over sea walls. Most of the deaths occurred in Philippine’s capital, Manila, which already suffered from pounding winds and rain before Typhoon Nesat even arrived. Wind gusts were up to 93 mph. Along downtown Manila Bay, cars and buses were stuck. People were struggling to walk through the chest-deep water. About 100,000 people were evacuated. The first reported death was a one-year-old boy who drowned after falling into a creek. Other deaths included a mother and child, four girls and a baby, and a man. Typhoon Nesat comes exactly a day after Manila honored the 500 lives lost in the Philippine’s 2009 cyclone, which dumped a month’s rainfall in just 12 hours.

I picked the article because I hadn’t heard about the typhoon before reading the article. I follow several news outlets on twitter, and had read pretty much all the stories that was on the front page of The New York Times website, but not this one. I thought it was interesting how the reporter related the cyclone of 2009 and the typhoon as they're both natural disasters.

The quote I picked from the story was "He said it was heartwarming to see Filipinos remaining calm amid the unfolding crisis. 'We see people on the roofs of their houses drinking gin and smiling and waving,' Ramos said. 'Such resiliency helps them get by in stressful times.'"

I thought this quote was great. Despite the harsh conditions and flooding, people are still remaining positive, which I admire.

My AP tip is to lowercase “spring” “summer” “fall” and “winter” and derivatives like “springtime” unless it is part of a formal name. Ex. My favorite season is the fall. The Summer Olympics are always fun to watch.

Journ 300 alum Brendan Hall to visit Sept. 28

2011-09-27T12:06:00.004-04:00

Brendan Hall, a Journ 300 alum and ESPNBoston.com high school sports editor, is visiting tomorrow.

Read his piece about staying up for 24 hours to do a story about a high school senior who shot basketballs for 24 hours in a row to benefit cancer research here at ESPNBoston.com.

Let's be prepared to ask him some good questions.
A 500-word piece on his visit is due Monday, Oct. 3. Bring your camera, if you have one!

Sellner's Big Break

2011-09-26T20:17:00.003-04:00

Growing up in the close-knit community of North Attleboro, Mass., Steven Sellner took his first big break when enrolling into the University of Massachusetts in the fall of 2010.

Born in New Jersey, raised by his very religious parents from the mid-west of Nebraska, and living in a big, yet small town of North Attleboro, Mass., all made Sellner become the well rounded individual he is today. "I was raised right," was the way he put it.

When asked about his home town, Sellner had mentioned, "It's better taken in small doses, just every now and then I needed a break." Although he had attended a relatively large high school, he says it was the kind of town where everyone went to the football games on Friday nights, and everyone knew eachother's business.

In high school, Sellner was heavily involved in sports. He played football, basketball, baseball, and he also took a singing class for an elective that he very much enjoyed. At UMass, he is still very much involved, but this time the extra-curriculars go towards his journalism major.

Sellner keeps his own sports blog, one for the Daily Collegian's multimedia section and also covers newstories on sporting events. Sellner hopes and plans to one day be the sports editor for the Daily Collegian. Referring to himself as "The Renaissance Man," that can do it all, there is no doubt that this goal will one day become a reality for Sellner.

Looking to the Future

2011-09-26T17:29:00.002-04:00

Living in the same house her entire life, Chelmsford, Mass. was a “safe, nice place to grow up,” said Michelle Woodward. About an hour and a half away from Boston, Chelmsford’s vibe is that of “classic suburbia”, with an increasing amount of commercial business and a decreasing amount of small family-owned ones. But, as Woodward describes it, “It’s still a community.”

Graduating in a class of about 2,000, around 50 of those students, including Woodward, decided to leave the town of a little less than 34,000 to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Although unfamiliar with some of the people who decided to attend UMass from her graduating class, the large campus became more at home when her boyfriend was coincidentally placed across the hall in the same residential dorm freshman year.

UMass was “not that much of a change” for Woodward in comparison to her hometown and it allowed her to become as involved as she was in high school, joining organizations like UVC-TV 19, UMass’ student-run television station.

For the future, Woodward believes that if she were to settle in a community like Chelmsford, she would be happy but is also looking for a change from the town that she’s always known as home. “I’ve lived there my whole life and I really want to live somewhere else and experience other things.”

Active attitude helped prepare Figueira for UMass

2011-09-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

After being an active member in extra curricular activities at Peabody High School, Brittney Figueira felt her experiences greatly prepared her for the challenges of attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Figueira, who was lived in Peabody, Mass. her entire life, was the editor of her school's newspaper, a three-sport athlete, a member of the school's marketing club (DECA) and involved in student council. The sophomore believes that her experiences in high school were heavily influential in her life today, as she looks forward to becoming involved in UMass' wide range of clubs and activities.
"It taught me how to be independent and how to lead," said Figueira.
Her motivation and drive towards becoming involved in activities can be attributed to her upbringing, as her parents instilled a "no excuses" attitude at a very early age.
Figueira wants to become involved with WMUA, the campus' radio station, as she hopes to build experience in broadcast journalism.
Attending a large public high school produced a lot of opportunities for Figueira to become involved in extra curricular activities, which she believes is very similar to the opportunities that UMass offers as a large public institution with many clubs and organizations.
"We had more electives at Peabody High School, which gave me more opportunity to be in clubs," she said.
Figueira, a journalism major, hopes to become more active with in the field of journalism in the near future.

A Change of Pace

2011-09-26T15:15:00.004-04:00

When Nelly Adamietz moved four hours away from her hometown in Sparta, N. J., to college in Amherst, Mass. she was packing up her belongings for the first time in her life. She had lived in the same house since she was born, and was moving to UMass, where the amount of undergrads alone exceeded the population of her small lake community.

But Sparta is growing every year, and just recently built a new high school to keep up with the increasing population. It has even become more commercialized, with a newly added Dunkin’ Donuts and Panera Bread.

Years ago, Sparta was much different. Her mother moved the area when she was in college, and has been there ever since.

“She actually lived there when there were more cows than people,” Adamietz explains.

Although she admits to Sparta being a bit boring, she says being in Massachusetts made her appreciate her New Jersey home. In Sparta she is close to both New York City, and the Jersey Shore- where there’s always a lot going on.

The relaxed nature of Amherst is quite different from the hustle and bustle she’s used to back home.

“Here it’s a lot more laid back,” she said.

Still, Adamietz says she likes the change of pace, and likes experiencing new places.

The Best of Both Worlds

2011-09-26T15:15:00.002-04:00

Spending the weekdays with her mom and two older sisters in her small-town home of Westwood, New Jersey, and weekends with her dad in New York City; Jenny Schreer grew up knowing the best of both worlds.

Westwood, which is located about 20 minutes outside of New York, has a population of only about 4,000 people, and has a commercial downtown area.

Schreer experienced both the positives and negatives of growing up in a small town where everyone knows a lot about you. She graduated from a regional high school with a relatively small class of only 150 students. Even still, Schreer always felt “New York City was [her] home away from home.”

“I like the idea of New York” Jenny said, but at the same time it is “weird being bombarded with people everywhere.”

Regardless of the appeal that a larger city has, and all the time that Schreer has spent in the city throughout her youth, she still considers Westwood her home.

Being at school at UMass Amherst, the “town of Amherst reminds me of home,” Schreer said. She decided on UMass because she liked the atmosphere and all that the school had to offer. Schreer’s older sister also attended UMass and “had a good time here and enjoyed it. She definitely encouraged me.” said Schreer.

As for the future, Jenny has many plans, but wants to continue embracing both her worlds, saying “after graduation [from college], I want to be home, but I do definitely want to live in the city.”

Lacy Palianto of East Hanover, New Jersey

2011-09-26T15:14:00.001-04:00

Lacy Palianto is from a town populated with celebrities, but she’s glad to get away from it.

“It’s kind of annoying because I know how the people are before they were famous and on a television show so the show seems kind of fake to me,” Palianto said.

The move to Amherst, Mass. from East Hanover, New Jersey for college was a welcome one.

“This campus is great because it's so big! There's always something to do and people to see," she said.

The junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst lived in East Hanover for all 20 years of her life. The small town only has about eleven thousand people, so it was a big change from Amherst.

"Even though it's more urban in East Hanover and there are farms in Amherst, I'm always surrounded by people in Amherst," Palianto said.

Palianto hopes to make the move from western Mass to Boston when she graduates from UMass.

Tanya Loss On Cresskill

2011-09-26T15:11:00.002-04:00

Residents of Cresskill are familiarized with everyone and everything that happens in town. A suburb of Manhattan, this small New Jersey town has a population of about 7,000 people. But there is more to this small town than a typical local pizza shop.

“Once you see that side of the world it makes you want to see something else,” said Tanya Loss, a UMass student that grew up in Cresskill. Loss said that there are many residents who never leave Cresskill, and others, like herself, who are intrigued by what the world has to offer outside of this small town.

“People stay because it’s easy,” said Loss, noting that it is a great place to grow up and have kids. Loss said that Cresskill is a nice town with a suburban feel, but it’s not somewhere she wants to spend the rest of her life.

The center of town consists of two pizzerias, a barber shop, and other typical suburban places. “It’s very middle school to go there,” said Loss. The center of town is not an attraction, but rather, a place to fill time and maybe run a few errands.

High school students in Cresskill typically graduate with about 120 students in each class. Loss said that she knew everyone in her graduating class and that when something happens, everyone knows. People in town get a reputation, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There is a definite community feel in Cresskill, as many residents don’t leave after growing up there. Even though she has lived in three different houses in Cresskill, Loss said that it is hard to break out of the shell of such a small town.

Although it may be hard to break away from a certain reputation, Loss said that it is a nice town and she’s glad to have lived there.

Meet Alex Lane!

2011-09-26T15:09:00.002-04:00

Living in the extremely touristy town of Salem, Mass. is never boring for Alex Lane.

“It’s so much fun all of the time. You get to see tourists see the town through their own eyes.”

Salem is a mostly urban town about 20 miles from Boston. The population is around 40,000 people but near the peak season during Halloween, it sky rockets to 100,000 visitors. These tourists come to seek information mainly on the Salem Witch Trials. Even when Lane was in elementary school, she was assigned a specific witch trial instead of covering history.

She has seen pretty much all there is to the spooky town. “I’ve gone to all the museums,” Lane said, “Once you’ve done one of them, you’ve done them all.”

She also describes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s house, the writer of the classic, “The Scarlet Letter”. He wrote the first page of the book while looking at the back of the Salem Jail, which has now been modernized and converted into condos. “It’s cool to pull out things from academics that relate to your hometown,” Lane said.

And of course Halloween is the most anticipated event of the year for everyone including Lane herself. “People get really legit on Halloween,” Lane said, “People spend a full year creating their Halloween costume.”

But coming to UMass was an adjustment for Lane due to the size of the town. “Coming here is so different because Amherst is so small,” Lane said, “The energy that Amherst has is so different than what Salem has.”

Meet Chelsea Cote

2011-09-26T15:05:00.004-04:00

The transition from small-town Coventry, Conn. to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst was an easy one to make for Chelsea Cote.

When Cote attended Coventry High School, her graduating class had a mere 111 students. Now, at UMass, it is very easy for her to find herself in a class with twice as many students in it as her graduating class. Sometimes even three times as many.

But, it was Cote's decision to get away from her small-town life and attend a larger school. "The University of Connecticut is where all of my friends go, but I wanted to go to a big school and leave Connecticut," said Cote.
Most notably, the town of Coventry is known for being the birthplace of Nathan Hale, a Revolutionary War spy for the Colonial Army, but was ultimately caught and hanged by the British Army. Prior to being hanged he said "My only regret is that I have but one life to give to my country."

Growing up in Coventry as an only child, there was very little to do, so Cote became very active in the arts. She was a dancer for 10 years, was an active member in theater in high school, and sang in a choir for three years.

Aside from her activities as a dancer and singer, there was not much else to do in Coventry. Once a year, the town would host their own festival, appropriately named "Coventry Fest."

Cote is currently a sophomore journalism major at UMass and is also working on a minor in history.

Katie McKenna's Chelmsford

2011-09-26T15:05:00.003-04:00

After spending almost her entire life in Chelmsford, Mass., Katie McKenna can see why other people call the town home for long spans of time.

Chelmsford, as McKenna says, is a big town with a small town feel. She recalls her mother telling her a story that took place during the first year of her life, when the McKennas still lived in Jamaica Plain, an area of Boston, Mass., when, “the mailman was drunk all the time ,” says McKenna. Once the family had moved to Chelmsford, the subtle difference was noticed that the mailman of the neighborhood would bring their letters to the counter and greet the family hello. “Oh, god, we’re in the suburbs,” said McKenna as she quoted her mother.

McKenna enjoys the fact that Chelmsford is still a large town and gives opportunity to be able to go places, but at the same time provides privacy for its inhabitants. She also appreciates that the town includes a wide range of people.

With 35,000 people living in the town, she finds it strange that it’s, “a pretty big town even though no one’s heard of it,” said McKenna. Although she tells everyone from Mass. that Chelmsford is a town between Concord and Lowell, she finds it rather funny how often the name of the town is misspelled or how little people actually know about it.

Although McKenna enjoyed her time in Chelmsford growing up, she does not plan on living there in the distant future. “The world’s a big place,” said McKenna.

Revised schedule for the coming few days/weeks

2011-09-26T14:51:00.002-04:00

SEPT 26 SPEECH paper DONE! QUIZ: DONE! Finish pieces about a classmate and his/her hometown. NEXT: read the hometown pieces, post substantive, meaningful comments. Answer questions about your profile subject and WRITE 200-250 words about your profile subject TO BE PEER-EDITED ON WEDNESDAY

SEPT 28 In-class work on profiles/PEER EDIT 200-250 word profile pieces.
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 SHOW v. TELL PIECES DUE!
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 FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE!!! INCLUDE WORD COUNT.

Have read Chapter 8 on features to discuss.

OCT 10 NO CLASS COLUMBUS DAY

OCT 12 FEATURE PITCH/PEER EDIT PROFILE DRAFTS.

Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.

____________________________________________________________

BACK TO ORIGINAL SCHEDULE:

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

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

Interview with Jared Tringale by Felicia Cohen

2011-09-26T14:43:00.006-04:00

Growing up in a crossroad between city-life and suburbia had a heavy influence on Jared Tringale, from Medford, Mass. Tringale, 20, has come to appreciate his hometown, just ten minutes north of Boston, however, this has not always been the case.

"I definitely wanted to get out. We had a house on the Cape I'd spend the summers at. But it has the best people."

Tringale has a postive outlook on his town, despite current drug problems it is facing.

"It hit a lot of my friends who were older than me, half are going in and out of rehab" he said. "A lot of families have been affected. They're all good kids, just got into negative things."

Perhaps attending Malden Catholic High School instead of Medford Public Schools helped shape Tringale's view of the town. He played lacrosse and was the captain of the hockey team at Malden Catholic, and went to prep school before college to try and play for a college level team. He even considered trying out for the team at UMass.

"Malden Catholic blended together crazy city kids and suburban kids who played on sports teams. I could be friends and fit in with everyone," Tringale added.

Interviewing assignment

2011-09-21T12:34:00.001-04:00

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"

2011-09-19T16:41:00.011-04:00

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

2011-09-19T11:27:00.003-04:00

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

"A Marriage of a Dream and a Scheme"

2011-09-18T16:22:00.004-04:00

A Marriage of a Dream and a Scheme

By Stephen Kurkjian and Callum Borchers

The Boston Globe

Sunday, September 18

Maria-Helena Knoller from Holyoke, Mass. pleaded guilty in February to federal charges of marriage fraud and concealing and shielding illegal immigrants. In 2005, she started her scheme of arranging illegal immigrants with americans for fees of up to $12,000. The americans that participated would earn half of the fees just by showing up for the license application, the marriage ceremony, and an immigration interview to “tell an officer a story of love and marriage.” She didn’t do much to hide her operation, but it has taken this long to press charges because there are “too few immigration officers,” and many interviewers working for the Citizenship and Immigration Services are “reluctant to fill out time-consuming fraud referral forms.”

The title of the article caught my eye, and once I started reading I thought it was an interesting topic and it brought up points I hadn’t known about before. Also, the woman being charged is from western Massachusetts, which shows places other than Arizona can have issues with illegal immigrants and immigration laws.

The writers of this article chose to use a delayed lead, followed by a quote. This is uncommon, but I liked it because it draws the reader into the story, and makes you want to find out what they’re talking about. They then moved into a more conventional format, with the most important information at the beginning, and specifics near the end.

My favorite quote was, "and then, in a double-standard that often marks such cases, the immigrants who purchased Knoller’s services are facing deportation, but none of the US citizens involved - collecting fees up to $6,000 to act as spouses - face any legal consequences.”

I thought this was a really interesting quote, and it pointed to a big problem in the way the government handles immigration frauds. Although the immigrants that were just trying to make a living and be welcomed in a new world are severely punished, their american co-conspirators face no consequences.

my AP style tip is that email is spelled without a hyphen, but other e- words are hyphenated: e-commerce and e-book.

Ex. Sue sent Bob an email linking to his favorite e-book.

Michelle Obama to Join Olive Garden Announcement

2011-09-17T11:26:00.004-04:00

Many may be aware that child obesity in America is a serious problem today, however not everyone may know that first lady Michelle Obama is speaking out for it. Not only has Mrs. Obama been campaigning for healthier meal choices in restaurants, but many are agreeing with her and further helping her campaign.

Restuarants such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster, owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., are all initiating better choices for the children. Dardens Restaurants have been campaigning with Mrs. Obama to reduce calories and sodium in their kids' meals by 10 percent.

Drew Madsen, president and chief operating officer for the Orlando, Fla.-based Darden had told the associated press, "All kids' meals will automatically come with a side of fruit or vegetables and eight ounces of 1 percent milk unless an adult requests a substitute." Madsen also mentions that he thinks this is the most comprehensive health and welness commitment in the industry.

The fight to lower America's child obesity rate does not stop there. Mrs. Obama also made an effort to team up with Wal-Mart who plans to reformulate thousands of products it sells to ensure their suppliers will produce healthier grocery items for their stores.

I chose this article because I am a big fan of Michelle Obama and how she makes a difference in our society. It's nice to know we have a first lady who is speaking out to restaurants, food stores and more to help the children of America become healthier and physically fit. I've always been a fan of hers because although she stands by President Obama in the White House, she is not one to hide in the shadows. She has a voice too and is not afraid to show it.

My AP tip is to abbreviate and capitalize titles before names such as Mrs. Sen. Rep. Gov. Lt. Sgt. Gen. Dr. etc. Also never abbreviate President, ever.

Controversy Over the HPV Vaccine

2011-09-14T00:05:00.002-04:00

I chose an article from the New York Times posted Tuesday, Sept. 13. It's titled "In Republican Race, a Heated Battle over the HPV Vaccine."

The article discusses a debate that occurred Monday night when Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum attacked Rick Perry for issuing an order requiring sixth grade girls to be vaccinated against HPV. Bachmann and Santorum, and later on Sarah Palin, found it to be an overreach of state power in a decision that should be left to the parents to decide. Bachmann also sparked another controversy when she then stated that vaccines are linked to mental retardation.

I chose this article because I think it's an issue that every girl has come across or will at some point in the future. I have received the Gardasil vaccine to prevent certain strains of HPV, so I found an immediate connection with the article. I found it interesting to hear both sides of the argument. I also think it's good to know what issues are being up for debate with the new candidates. The form of the article goes from specifics of the debate, to more broad information. There are more quotes and outside opinions towards the end of the article.

A quotation that I liked was one said by Mark Miner, a spokesman for Perry. "You're going to have candidates grasping for straws and grasping to get attention. However Governor Perry will continue focusing on issues that matter to people such as creating jobs and improving the economy." Bacmann is sparking another controversial issue on top of one already. Not only is she opposing to requiring girls to receive the HPV vaccine, but also bringing up the highly controversial topic of the linkage between vaccines and mental retardation. Miner is trying to say the Perry will be focusing on the main problems with the U.S., that being our economy and lack of jobs. Miner pointed out well that Perry is not trying to spark more controversy, but to focus more on the problems that the people want to be fixed.

The AP tip I chose was how to write out months. Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Spell out when using alone or with a year alone. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, dat, and year, set off the year with commas.

EXAMPLE: August 2011 was a hot month, but Aug. 5 was the hottest day. My birthday is Aug. 16, 1992.

U.S. Sees Rise in Poverty Rate

2011-09-13T20:54:00.000-04:00

The article I chose was titled, “U.S. Poverty Rate, at 15 Percent, is the Highest Since 1993,” and was found in The New York Times on Tuesday.

The nation now has 46.2 million people below the poverty line, which increased by 2.6 million over the past year despite President Obama’s economic recovery plan being aimed to help the poor. The number of people living in poverty is the greatest total in the 52 years since the Census Bureau began tracking the statistic.

I felt this article rang true to my life because my father had been out of work for over a year after being laid off, so my family is very aware and has been exposed to the economic depression.

The best quote from the article came from Lawrence Katz, an economics professor at Harvard:

“A full year into the recovery, there were no signs of it affecting the well-being of the typical American family,” said Katz. “By late 2010, the economy was sort of dead in the water, and that’s where it’s remained.”

I felt this quote truly captured the main point of the story, emphasizing the fact that the economic recovery plan has had little impact on American families and has yet to take off and become effective.

My AP tip of the week is to spell out the names of organizations, agencies, universities and others in the first reference, but abbreviate in the second reference and so on. EXAMPLE: The University of Massachusetts Amherst saw an increase in freshman enrollment in the fall of 2010. UMass will have 4,500 students entering campus in the 2011 school year.

FALL 2011 Syllabus

2011-09-06T22:26:00.002-04:00

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

GRADES

ATTENDANCE

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

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

2011-09-06T22:20:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

2011-08-29T17:19:00.004-04:00

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

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*************

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

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

2011-08-28T16:54:00.003-04:00

Last day of class-Spring 2011

2011-04-27T19:36:00.004-04:00

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

"Rio" Teaches us to Learn to Fly Against the Odds

2011-04-27T14:03:00.001-04:00

“Rio”, an animated 3D adventure comedy from Carlos Saldanha, the Brazilian director of Robots and the Ice Age Trilogy, encourages us to get back to our wild roots in the most colorful and musical way possible.

In this 2011 G-rated film from 20^th Century Fox, leading bird Blu (Jesse Eisenburg) is one of the only two blue macaws left in the world. He never learned to fly before he was snatched up from his nest in Brazil. Luckily, his best friend Linda found him in Moosehead Lake, Minnesota and gave him a very comfy life in her book store and home. Blu’s life is turned around by circumstances that land him in his beautiful place of birth.

An exotic bird enthusiast and ornithologist named Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) comes to Linda one day to convince her to bring Blu to Brazil to try and save the Macaws. He tells her and Blu that there is one other macaw in Rio de Janeiro. Jewel (Anne Hathaway) is tough and street-savvy and since Blu is none of those things, their first meeting was less than romantic. However, a crew of exotic animal smugglers and an evil bully cockatoo named Nigel (Jemaine Clement) soon find the two birds and whisk them away from Linda and Tulio. Their journey of escape starts out with Jewel looking out for mostly herself since she finds a bird that can’t fly pathetic. Unfortunately, the two birds were cuffed together so Jewel must put up with Blu who weighs her down along the way. The two birds are helped by some friendly locals including a Toucan named Rafael (George Lopez), a bulldog named Luiz ( Tracey Morgan), and two best friend birds Pedro and Nico (Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx). But running on foot can’t save Blue from the smugglers so he must learn a different way to get around Rio.

While the idea behind the movie is somewhat generic, the execution and character personalities make it incredibly charming. The 3D animation was wonderful. Birds were flying at my head for the duration of the movie and I loved it. What makes Rio really stand out though is it’s soundtrack by executive music producer Sergio Mendes. There was a constant flow of music that match the vivid colors and gorgeous sights of Rio de Janeiro-another thing that makes it hard to look away from this movie.

Besides a small part where a bird is bounced off of a women’s large bikini clad bottom that I found a little unnecessary but still sure to make children laugh, I would definitely recommend this for children and parents. The children can laugh at the quirky characters and the parents will be captivated by the sights and sounds of a foreign place that is known for its beauty.

Last days of the semester presentations

2011-04-16T18:15:00.002-04:00

Daily Hampshire Gazette/Amherst Bulletin Reporter Ben Storrow visits class

2011-04-16T18:03:00.003-04:00

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.

2011-04-13T12:18:00.003-04:00

The early season woes continue for Boston as the host Red Sox were dismantled, losing 16-5 to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on Monday night. Daisuke Matsuzaka was rocked early on by Rays hitters, lasting just 2 innings enroute to allowing 7 runs on 8 hits, including 2 home runs. The 2nd inning was horrible for Dice-K, as the Rays pounded Matsuzaka with a 6 run inning. Luckily fans were able to enjoy a nice night this early in the season, as well as Fenway's new HD screens, because the game was all but over with the Rays leading 9-2 in the 5th inning. Former Red Sox hero Johnny Damon led off the scoring for the Rays in the 1st with a solo blast that carried into the visitors bullpen. Dice-K surprisingly pounded the strike zone, but the Rays crushed everything he threw. The early 7-0 lead had to of been a big confidence boost for Rays rookie pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, as the 24 year old was able to settle in to the game nicely, mainly keeping Red Sox hitters off balance with a low 90s fastball and an exceptional change up. Rays left fielder Sam Fuld had a career night at the plate, as the Durham, NH native went 4-6 with a home run, triple, and two doubles in the contest. He was admittedly more excited for the game since he grew up rooting for the Red Sox. The lone bright spots, if any, for the struggling Red Sox were David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury. Ortiz went 2-4 with a triple and 2 rbi while Ellsbury managed to crush a solo home run as part of his 2-4 night. The Rays had only scored 20 runs in their first 9 games combined before exploding for a big 16 run night. Tuesday night's 3-2 Rays win dropped the Red Sox overall record to 2-9, worst in the MLB. It is a particularly awful start considering Boston was the preseason favorite by many to win the World Series in 2011.

CRUNCH TIME!

2011-04-09T21:06:00.002-04:00

Hi Everybody -- We just have 5 classes left! Here's the schedule with the revisions we discussed Wednesday.

APR 11 Daily Hampshire Gazette/Amherst Bulletin reporter Ben Storrow visits class at 4 p.m. Read his stories I've emailed you and be prepared to ask him questions. A 500-word piece about his visit is DUE WEDNESDAY/APRIL 13

Next: Read Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law.

APR 13 500-word piece on Ben Storrow visit DUE.

TORI and CHRISTINA present on CHAPTER 26 on TASTE pages 533-541

ALISSA and ELLIE present on CHAPTER 26 on TASTE pages 541-549

Complete Government chapter worksheet

APR 18 NO CLASS

APR 20 *****ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE******

CASEY and EMMA present on CHAPTER 27 on MORALITY pages 550-560

MIKE and COLEY present on CHAPTER 27 560-571

Go over review writing

APR 25 Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

APR 27 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP

What's coming up before Spring Break

2011-02-27T12:12:00.003-05:00

Hi Everybody -- Just a reminder that:

1) The speech papers are due Monday, FEB. 28, for those people who didn't write a paper on the poet or who have not talked to me about covering some other event. "The Two Escobars," shown on Thursday, was fantastic, I thought!

2) Bring in a written "show vs. tell" scene from your feature paper on Monday, FEB 28. We'll be peer editing them and discussing the chapter on the courts.

3) On Wednesday, MARCH 2, we'll review for the Mid-Term quiz next Monday, MARCH 7, which will be on AP tips and questions from the worksheets and class discussions.

4) The final draft of the profiles are also due on Wednesday, MARCH 2.

5) NEXT Wednesday, MARCH 9, the first draft of the feature is due, and we'll peer edit them.

Then, it's Spring Break!

AP Tip

2011-02-16T20:41:00.002-05:00

Do not abbreviate Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. (the two states that are not part of the contiguous United States and those states that are five letters or fewer)

AP Tip

2011-02-16T16:04:00.000-05:00

Call out quote: This is a tactic used by editors/writers in order to draw interest and attention to a particular article. It takes a direct quote out of the article and places it near a picture or between paragraphs in larger, bold print in order to catch the reader's eye. The quote is usually powerful, poignant, or unusual in order to fully hook someone who may normally skip over the article.

Ex. "Michael Jordan is a God at playing basketball." - Larry Bird

Example of a great lead from the speech papers

2011-02-16T15:11:00.001-05:00

"In honor of Black History Month, celebrated poet Natasha Tretheway brought a University of Massachusetts audience on an emotional journey through what is uncharted territory for many -- the life of a mixed-race person."

--Christina O'Brien