Worksheets for Chapters 5 and 16

JOURN 300/SPRING 2010

CHAPTER 5/LEADS

1) It's good to start a story with a quote. True or False

2) It's good to start with a question. True or False

3) The lead does not have to be grammatical. True or False

4) Explain why the following are good or bad leads: A) A snowplow hit a cow on South Pleasant Street, Thursday, splattering its guts all over the road. B) When the mayor announced there would be deep cuts in next year's budget, she let the cat out of the bag.

5) Is it a good idea to start thinking about your lead at the same time you are reporting a story?

6) Which of the following two leads is best and why? A) A Harvard sociologist studying teen-age pregnancy gave a speech last night to more than 200 students and faculty members in Hall Auditorium. B) Teen-age pregnancy is costing the country billions of dollars a year, a Harvard sociologist told students and faculty Monday.

7) Will any anecdote or incident related to the story suffice as a delayed lead?

8) You go to a city council meeting that lasts two hours. Board members spent the first 15 minutes discussing whether they should meet on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays, an hour listening to reports from the DPW and Council on Aging directors, approved four taxi-driving licenses and voted to close City Hall on Fridays. What would you report in the lead?

9) Should you make sure to include the who, where, why, what and how of an event in the lead even if it makes the lead, hard to read and clunky?

10) Is the following a good lead? Ayla Brown, a Boston College student, will appear on "American Idol" this season.

CHAPTER 16/SPEECHES, MEETINGS and NEWS CONFERENCES

1) If something unusual occurs at a speech event, it's best to just leave it out and focus on the theme of the speech. True or False

2) If the reporter is unsure of the main theme of a speech, what is one way to try to find out what it was?

3) Could an interesting story be written about a dull speech?

4) Does the reporter have a right to be present an an official, public meeting and report on anything he or she sees or hears? Is the same true of a private meeting?

5) What does off- and on-the-record mean?

6) Is it a good idea to get a meeting agenda ahead of time?

7) Is there any reason why you interview someone who wasn't at a meeting for a story about it?

8) Should you include direct quotations from a speech or meeting and, if so, who should you quote?

9) Research online the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law at http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/39-23b.htm and briefly explain it.