JOURN 300/SPRING 2013/ Possible questions to ask your profile subject:
• The reader wants to know what makes your subject so unique or interesting that you want to write about him/her. Ask the other people you interview for your story to help you with this. For instance, the omelet lady is unique, because she 1) interacts with the students so closely, 2) keeps up a steady stream of banter, which not all DC employees do and 3) seems so proud of her job.
• Provide examples that illustrate/SHOW the qualities you think make your subject so interesting. So, SHOW the omelet lady talking to a particular student at a particular time about a particular subject. Don’t just sum up what she USUALLY talks about, or if you do ALSO add a PARTICULAR example. How do you show she is proud of her job? Ask her why she is. Mention that she has a Facebook page. (It turns out her husband started the FB page; interview him! Ask him if she has always been so invested in all of her jobs. Have them met a lot of people through her job? What does she say about it to him? Has she told him of any particularly memorable things that happened on the job? )
• Once you’ve established that this person is unique or otherwise interesting, ask questions about his or her background to discover things that LED to him/her being the interesting person he/she is. For instance, the basketball player SC is shown in his room amid a LOT of clothes, but it is apparent he keeps all his clothes well organized and that he takes care of them. *Ask him WHY he thinks he is neat? *Were his parents neat? *What did they do? *What kind of a house did he grow up in? *Does he value orderliness? If so, does he think it is because the value of it was ingrained in his childhood? Or is he neat because his childhood was kind of chaotic, for instance? *Ask him who has been a big influence in his life and why? *Can he remember any particular instances of this person helping or guiding him or any particular advice this person offered him? You don’t have to go on at great length about his in the piece. Just a couple of sentences would help us “picture” the subject and where he came from.
• Ask some “evergreen” questions that will help you paint a multi-dimensional picture of your subject that goes beyond the main thing you’re concentrating on in the piece. For instance, Angela McMahon is a lacrosse coach at UMass where she once was a player. She is well-respected by her players for her strong work ethic. Ask what else she does besides lacrosse? Does she bring this strong work ethic to everything she does, would she say? (Maybe she’ll say she’s got a dog, but she’s totally undisciplined when it comes to training her dog and she lets the dog run all over the house and knock things over, for instance.) Where does she think she got this strong work ethic she brings to coaching lacrosse? When did she first start playing lacrosse? Was it her first choice of a sport to play? Did someone encourage her? How?
GOOD EXAMPLES FROM SOME OF THE PAPERS:
“At the beginning of class Lamb walks over to her desk – her gait is punctuated by a preference for her right leg – and places what looks like thousands of paper down with a thud. She eases herself up onto the desk and it momentarily tilts forward and supports Lamb with only two pegs. She doesn notice, pounding the desk and calling out for “offerings for the gods.” – Araz
“When Keller was moved to Berkshire while Hampshire is renovated, she was excited that she got new omelet pans. But the excitement wore off quickly, as she had trouble adjusting to life at Berk. “The stir fry lad who has my space after me always comes over and tells me she has to start at 11, but I end at 11!” said Keller in frustration to a group of students. – Shannon
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
AP tips Spring 2013
AP tips
- Spell out an organization's name the first time you use it: University of Massachusetts on first mention; UMass after that
- Time: 9:25 a.m. and 9 a.m., midnight and noon. When describing when an event will occur, say the time before the date. For instance: The event begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. (NOT 10th)
- Names of most websites and apps are capitalized without quotes, like Facebook or Instagram. Use quotation marks for "Farmville" and other computer game apps.
- While titles are capitalized and abbreviated when placed before a person's name, titles that follow a person's name are generally spelled out and not capitalized. An exception is President. Example: Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts was in attendance at the school's basketball game yesterday. (vs. Gov. Deval Patrick)
- Round off numbers greater than a million: 2.77 million (vs 2, 752,123) About $2.35 million (vs. $2,349,999)
- Capitalize days of the week. Do not abbreviate except when in a graphic or headline
- In football, use numerics for yards not downs Fourth-and 4, Run for 20, Punted from their own 3
- Street, Avenue and Boulevard are abbreviated when they are part of a numbered address. Court, Drive, Lane and Way are not abbreviated. For example: He lives on 123 Hilly Ave. Hilly Avenue is in South Amherst. She lives at 45 Pond Drive.
- Lowercase for seasons. For example: Her favorite season is spring.
- Use figures for all temperatures except zero and spell out degrees. Wednesday will be in the 70s (no apostrophe).
- More than vs over. Use more than when referring to numbers. For example, he had to run more than 20 miles in the marathon. NOT He had to run over 20 miles.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Notes from the James Welling photography exhibit at the Fine Arts Center Museum of Modern Art
James Welling wants his photos to be a puzzle or something to decode -- which is what viewers said they found themselves trying to do at "Open Space."
Welling tries to make photos that are more "complicated" or "dense," he told about 75 faculty, students and community members that came to the opening day of "Open Space," a new exhibit of Welling's photography and paintings at the Fine Arts Center Musuem of Contemporary Art. Most photographs are "uninformative," with the role of the person holding the camera being quite small, he said.
Welling created most of the work shown in his homestate of Connecticut in the 1970's.
The New England native is visiting from California, where he is a photography professor at UCLA. He himself didn't major in photography, he said. He got into it at the suggestion of a friend who told Welling when he was 25 that he should get a camera and take photos like Ansel Adams.
Welling tries to make photos that are more "complicated" or "dense," he told about 75 faculty, students and community members that came to the opening day of "Open Space," a new exhibit of Welling's photography and paintings at the Fine Arts Center Musuem of Contemporary Art. Most photographs are "uninformative," with the role of the person holding the camera being quite small, he said.
Welling created most of the work shown in his homestate of Connecticut in the 1970's.
The New England native is visiting from California, where he is a photography professor at UCLA. He himself didn't major in photography, he said. He got into it at the suggestion of a friend who told Welling when he was 25 that he should get a camera and take photos like Ansel Adams.
Welling thought the suggestion was absurd at first but ending up buying a camera -- he said at one point that he always buys used equipment -- and "apprenticed himself to the camera" while also researching the history of photography. At first, his photographs looked liked everybody else's photos, Welling said, but there was a moment when he "remade the medium for himself."
Welling is often said to be a member of the "Pictures Generation," whose most famous member is probably Cindy Sherman, who photographs herself in costumes and disguises. Welling said members of the "Picture Generation" were looking for ways out of an "imaginary confinement"; they wanted to create photography that was different than what Welling referred to as 1960's photography. "It's kind of like Sonic Youth says: 'Kill your idols,'" Welling said.
Welling's work is hard to characterize, according to speaker Lorne Falk, a visiting professor at Hampshire College. Falk said he finds some of Welling's work to be romantic, with elements of the "tragic.
Speaking with students before the talk, Eva Fierst, education curator for the museum, described the "Open Space" exhibit as reflecting Welling's strong connection to Connecticut, nature and abstraction.
Asked what he thinks students think of photography today, Welling said there are two types of seeing: 1) "Normal seeing" and 2) "More aware seeing." Welling doesn't think it makes much of a difference whether the medium is digital or film photography.
Welling is influenced by poetry, especially that of Wallace Stevens, which Welling described as being "seasonal," "about place" and "extremely vivid. Other influences he mentioned include Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton and Emily Dickinson.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Spring 2013 article and AP tip schedule
Journ 300 Schedule to bring in an article and AP tip and example of how to use it to share with class. Fill in article questions sheet (link at top-right of blog at Journ300.blogspot.com) to hand in. Bring in printed copy of article.
JAN 23
JAN 28 Mark
JAN 30 Emily, Peter
FEB 4 Ellie
FEB 6 Araz, Diana
FEB 11 Aviva, Zac
FEB 13 Jeff, Alyx
FEB 18 NO CLASS/PRESIDENT'S DAY
FEB 20 Jason, Mitch
FEB 25 Shannon, Emily
FEB 27 Peter, Sofia
MARCH 4 Mark, Ellie
MARCH 6 Araz, Diana
MARCH
MARCH 13 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14
*************SPRING BREAK (NO CLASSES MARCH 18 & 20)**************
MARCH 25 Aviva, Zac
MARCH 27 Jeff, Alyx
APRIL 1 Jason, Mitch
APRIL 3 Shannon, Emily
APRIL 8 NO CLASS -Veterans Day
APRIL 10 Peter, Sofia
APRIL 15 NO CLASS/PATRIOTS DAY
APRIL 17 Mark, Ellie
APRIL 22 Araz, Diana
APRIL 24 Aviva, Zac
APRIL 29 – Jeff, Alyx
MAY 1 - LAST DAY OF CLASS
Monday, January 21, 2013
SPRING 2013 SYLLABUS
JOURN 300: NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, SPRING 2013 -- M/W 3:35-5:30 p.m. -- DuBois 767
Journalism 300 is a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts news writing and reporting class in which we learn and discuss:
- What is news
- How to identify and pitch a good story
- How to report and conduct interviews
- The news story "formula," especially leads and nutgraphs
- Kinds of stories and how to tell them
- The importance of fairness, accuracy, telling the truth and serving the public good
MARY CAREY maryelizacarey@gmail.com, 413-588-4274
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, one or more studentswill 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.
CELL PHONE RINGERS MUST BE TURNED OFF. NO TAPING WITHOUT PERMISSION – IT'S ILLEGAL. NO READING FACEBOOK, UMASS MEMES etc ONLINE DURING CLASS!
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 (10 percent).
HONESTY
SPRING 2013 SCHEDULE
JOURN 300/CAREY/ SPRING 2013--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 one or more students will bring in an article to discuss and post an "AP Style tip" to the blog.
JAN 23 Introduction, In-class reporting assignment. NEXT: EMAIL TO ME BY TONIGHT: 500 words with LEAD and NUTGRAPH about class visit; 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 28 Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, in-class writing. 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 4 **********SPEECH/EVENT PAPER ON JAMES WELLING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT DUE********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 6 Present profile pitch. NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3.
FEB 11 In-class work on Profile -- 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 18 NO CLASS/PRESIDENT'S DAY
FEB 20 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 25 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 Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.
MARCH 4 FEATURE PITCH.
MARCH 6 In-class work on feature and blog, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts
MARCH 11 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.
MARCH 13 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14
*************SPRING BREAK (NO CLASSES MARCH 18 & 20)**************
MARCH 25 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Next: Issue pitch.
MARCH 27 Discuss issue ideas, experts. In-class work on blogs. NEXT: Issue pitch
APRIL 1 Issue pitch.
APRIL 3 In-class work on Issue papers. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE.
APRIL 8 REVISION**** WE DO HAVE CLASS**********Work on Issue papers
APRIL 10 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.
APRIL 15 NO CLASS/PATRIOTS DAY
APRIL 17 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27
APRIL 22 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,
APRIL 24 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; review writing. ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;
APRIL 29 - Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.
MAY 1 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
LAST DAY
LAST DAY - FALL 2012 - JOURN 300
Film review grading criteria: A range – Is clearly written with a clear lead and nutgraph; organized and flows well, includes quotes and detailed descriptions of specific scenes; touches, even if briefly, on important themes in the movie, including that Bias’s death had far-reaching ramifications with respect to U.S. drug laws; does not have many typos and AP style errors B range – Does some of the above but not all C-F range – Poor content, not well organized, hard to read, ungrammatical, full of AP errors
Class grading criteria: 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 (10 percent).
Re-CAP of some take-away points:
1) First day LEADS
• Follow the lead rules in the book – must be grammatical, no cliches, don’t start with a quote
• Makes an assertion. Is NOT a classic bad lead. Gets to the HEART of the event. (If you had ONE thing to say about the event, what would it be?)
2) Interview practices (blog posts on another student)
• Establish a relationship; don’t interrupt, be prepared with good questions; get the correct spelling of all names
• Ask open-ended details that allow your interviewee to tell you anecdotes; press for DETAILS
3) Speech paper on artist Henry Hargreaves
• Lead needs to get to the heart of the event
• Research in advance and prepare good questions; interview a lot of people who attended for a more lively piece with greater perspective. Go the extra mile and contact the subject of your paper.
4) Event paper on “It’s Your Call” conference
• Lead must get to the heart of the event. If you interview a lot of people, which you should, and they have similar critiques of an event, definitely mention that
5) Interview with Globe reporter Maria Sacchetti
• Research ahead of time. If it’s a writer, read some of her work. Ask probing questions. Lead should get to the heart of her visit.
Maria’s advice: 1) If you have a goal, go for it first. Then reassess. 2) Do your best to tell the true story.3) Don't assume you know; be humble. 4) Work at your writing -- a foreign language if you're trying to learn one -- every day. 5) Appeal everything. 6) Go to job fairs. Wear a suit. Stand in line. Be nice. They might not hire you (but they might remember you). 7) Embrace math. Math is essential. 8) Always be careful and well-prepared when you travel abroad for a story. You don't want anything bad to happen. "Because then you can't tell the story."9) Do your expenses.10) Have fun. Learn salsa dancing, photography. Keep learning.
6) Profile
• A good interview is key! Ask probing questions. Get concrete details and anecdotes. DESCRIBE
7) Election interviews
• Research the candidates and issues; be informed.
• Use your people skills to get voters to talk to you
8) Feature
• Picking a good topic is KEY. Spotting a trend and writing a story that hasn’t been written before is impressive!
9) Issue
• Picking a good topic is KEY.
• Identify experts and contact them ASAP
• Interviewing sources in-person is much better than by phone or email (BEING THERE is key)
• Experts are the ones who offer opinions/analysis. Your sources talk about their personal experiences
10) Review
• Lead should make it clear if you recommend/don’t recommend the movie and why
• Write as you would speak!
11) Summaries
• Synthesize information. Doesn’t have to be in the same chronological order as what you are summarizing
12) Blogs
• Should be well organized and reader-friendly; AP style and grammar should be correct; photos add a lot
Film review grading criteria: A range – Is clearly written with a clear lead and nutgraph; organized and flows well, includes quotes and detailed descriptions of specific scenes; touches, even if briefly, on important themes in the movie, including that Bias’s death had far-reaching ramifications with respect to U.S. drug laws; does not have many typos and AP style errors B range – Does some of the above but not all C-F range – Poor content, not well organized, hard to read, ungrammatical, full of AP errors
Class grading criteria: 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 (10 percent).
Re-CAP of some take-away points:
1) First day LEADS
• Follow the lead rules in the book – must be grammatical, no cliches, don’t start with a quote
• Makes an assertion. Is NOT a classic bad lead. Gets to the HEART of the event. (If you had ONE thing to say about the event, what would it be?)
2) Interview practices (blog posts on another student)
• Establish a relationship; don’t interrupt, be prepared with good questions; get the correct spelling of all names
• Ask open-ended details that allow your interviewee to tell you anecdotes; press for DETAILS
3) Speech paper on artist Henry Hargreaves
• Lead needs to get to the heart of the event
• Research in advance and prepare good questions; interview a lot of people who attended for a more lively piece with greater perspective. Go the extra mile and contact the subject of your paper.
4) Event paper on “It’s Your Call” conference
• Lead must get to the heart of the event. If you interview a lot of people, which you should, and they have similar critiques of an event, definitely mention that
5) Interview with Globe reporter Maria Sacchetti
• Research ahead of time. If it’s a writer, read some of her work. Ask probing questions. Lead should get to the heart of her visit.
Maria’s advice: 1) If you have a goal, go for it first. Then reassess. 2) Do your best to tell the true story.3) Don't assume you know; be humble. 4) Work at your writing -- a foreign language if you're trying to learn one -- every day. 5) Appeal everything. 6) Go to job fairs. Wear a suit. Stand in line. Be nice. They might not hire you (but they might remember you). 7) Embrace math. Math is essential. 8) Always be careful and well-prepared when you travel abroad for a story. You don't want anything bad to happen. "Because then you can't tell the story."9) Do your expenses.10) Have fun. Learn salsa dancing, photography. Keep learning.
6) Profile
• A good interview is key! Ask probing questions. Get concrete details and anecdotes. DESCRIBE
7) Election interviews
• Research the candidates and issues; be informed.
• Use your people skills to get voters to talk to you
8) Feature
• Picking a good topic is KEY. Spotting a trend and writing a story that hasn’t been written before is impressive!
9) Issue
• Picking a good topic is KEY.
• Identify experts and contact them ASAP
• Interviewing sources in-person is much better than by phone or email (BEING THERE is key)
• Experts are the ones who offer opinions/analysis. Your sources talk about their personal experiences
10) Review
• Lead should make it clear if you recommend/don’t recommend the movie and why
• Write as you would speak!
11) Summaries
• Synthesize information. Doesn’t have to be in the same chronological order as what you are summarizing
12) Blogs
• Should be well organized and reader-friendly; AP style and grammar should be correct; photos add a lot
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Reporters and the Law; writing reviews
1) The Lead: Recommend/do not recommend the movie/video for THIS/THESE SPECIFIC REASON(S). Write down the reasons you would recommend the movie and figure out which one (or more) you want to highlight in the lead. In the nutgraph, you can briefly mention some of the other reasons. You will then explain further in the body of your paper, using one or more scenes as example(s).
How to come up with a lead:
• First, sum up the movie/video in a sentence or two. (This will take some thinking!)
• Then, analyze how the various elements of the movie/video worked together to figure out what contributed to your liking/not liking the movie. Some movie elements are: visual qualities, dialogue, characterization (were the characters believable, likeable, unlikeable – or were they just like cartoon/stock figures?), music, story/plot etc. Some video qualities are clarity of story/plot/message and how compelling it was, quality of interviews, the interviewees (similar to the characters; were they believable? Compelling?), visuals, dialogue etc
Example: Would I recommend “Life of Pi” directed by Ang Lee? Yes.
• What it’s about: Based on a children’s book, it’s about a teenager from India’s dangerous, nearly year-long experience trying to survive on a life boat -- alone with a ferocious tiger -- following a ship-wreck.
• Reasons I liked “Life of Pi”: 1) It was beautiful 2) It reminded me of snorkeling, only the fish and other creatures shown were more colorful ( and there were more than I’ve ever seen snorkeling which lifted the scenes into the realm of fantasy while still being believable – as if were a heightened reality. Plus, I saw it in 3-D and that also heightened the experience.) 3) The story was compelling. It was simple and yet it had a twist at the end that made it that much more moving and thought-provoking as well as sad. 4) There was a gripping shipwreck scene 5) The actor who played the main character was very believable as was the ferocious tiger (which was not actually on the lifeboat with the boy and was, in part, computer-generated.)
Possible lead? “Life of Pi,” about a teenaged Indian boy who survives for months on a life boat with a ferocious tiger, is by turns gripping, beautiful, and sad; but above all it is magical.
2) The Nutgraph: Sum up the elements of the movie/video that made you like/not like it and that you will discuss in the review
Sample NUTGRAPH: Directed by Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain,”) “Life of Pi,” makes good use of 3-D effects in portraying underwater scenes that are realistic yet so spectacular that they appear fantastical while telling a simple story about a boy’s determination to live. Though based on a children’s book, the story has a twist at the end (DON’T GIVE IT AWAY AS THAT WOULD BE A “SPOILER,” WHICH YOU SHOULD AVOID) that makes the story that much more thought provoking and compelling.
3) Body of the paper: Expands on all the points you make in the nutgraph by describing one or more specific scenes that exemplify the qualities you praised/criticized
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. Exceptions include to consider or discuss: 1) reputation, character etc (vs professional competence) of someone 2) disciplining/firing an employee 3) collective bargaining strategy 4) deployment of security 5) criminal charges 6) real estate purchases 7) grant requirements 8) job applicants 9) mediation
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Polling places in Amherst
From the Town of Amherst website:
Precincts
The Town of Amherst is divided into ten precincts which contain a total of eight polling locations.
You may also go to the State Elections Division website to look up your polling location.
Hours
The polling hours for all elections and all polling places are 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Prohibited Activities
State law prohibits the display of political paraphernalia within 150 feet of the entrance to the polling location. Signs, stickers, and even lapel buttons are not permitted within this restricted zone. State regulations also prohibit political solicitation within the restricted zone.
Voters may take their own personal notes into the polling place as an aid to assist their voting. This information cannot be shared with other voters or left in the polling place.
Precincts
The Town of Amherst is divided into ten precincts which contain a total of eight polling locations.
You may also go to the State Elections Division website to look up your polling location.
Hours
The polling hours for all elections and all polling places are 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Prohibited Activities
State law prohibits the display of political paraphernalia within 150 feet of the entrance to the polling location. Signs, stickers, and even lapel buttons are not permitted within this restricted zone. State regulations also prohibit political solicitation within the restricted zone.
Voters may take their own personal notes into the polling place as an aid to assist their voting. This information cannot be shared with other voters or left in the polling place.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
No Class Monday due to Hurricane Sandy
Hi Everybody -- Take care and let me know if you need anything. Plan to bring in your Feature first drafts (1,000 words, interviews with/quotes from 4 or more sources) Wednesday and we'll do some peer editing.
Here's the schedule for the remainder of the year:
OCT 29-- NO CLASS DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY
OCT 31 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Discuss chapters 11 and 14. Next: Issue pitch. Discuss issue ideas, experts.
NOV 5 Issue pitch. Discuss interviewing voters at poll tomorrow/Election Day Nov. 6
TUESDAY, NOV. 6 --Interview voters at polls on Election Day. Write 600 words.
NOV 7 In-class work on Issue papers. Discuss Election Day interviews. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE.
NOV 12 NO CLASS -Veterans Day
NOV 14 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.
NOV 19 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27
NOV 21 NO CLASS- Thanksgiving is NOV 22
NOV 26 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,
NOV 28 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; review writing. ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;
DEC 3 - Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.
DEC 5 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP
Here's the schedule for the remainder of the year:
OCT 29-- NO CLASS DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY
OCT 31 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Discuss chapters 11 and 14. Next: Issue pitch. Discuss issue ideas, experts.
NOV 5 Issue pitch. Discuss interviewing voters at poll tomorrow/Election Day Nov. 6
TUESDAY, NOV. 6 --Interview voters at polls on Election Day. Write 600 words.
NOV 7 In-class work on Issue papers. Discuss Election Day interviews. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE.
NOV 12 NO CLASS -Veterans Day
NOV 14 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.
NOV 19 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27
NOV 21 NO CLASS- Thanksgiving is NOV 22
NOV 26 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,
NOV 28 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; review writing. ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;
DEC 3 - Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.
DEC 5 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP
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