The most useful part of this semester in JOUR 3101 has been learning AP style. When I entered the class I was completely unaware that print news reporting had its own 'style' that it followed. I still have much to learn and know with AP style, but it is something that I know I cannot completely memorize. I can only know what I should recognize when writing or proofreading articles.
The least useful part of the class I would say is the powerpoints and lectures. I don't feel like I have completely benefited from the lectures that the class has on Tuesdays. I only found myself referencing the slideshows themselves and my notes a few times throughout the entire semester. It was a lot more useful to have hands on information, like the labs every Thursday, that helped me learn and recognize things that need to be changed while writing articles.
I do find myself reading news differently. I have noticed AP errors in magazines and newspapers that I would no have recognized before. I can also tell while watching broadcast if something on the prompt was written incorrectly or it was a public service announcement.
Showing posts with label analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label analysis. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Analysis on diversity
The article I am going to analyze for the week is about a school in Mississippi which is has now been mandated to integrate races at there school.
The article shows the stereotypes of whites in the South because the school district allows segregation by allowing many white students to transfer out of the school district they live to a school that is now identified as predominantly white. This is a stereotype of whites in the South because during the Civil Rights movement 40 years ago, much of the demonstrations took place in the South because that is where much racism existed at the time.
The article describes the segregation of the public schools by saying there were "'clustered'" students with "'disproportionate numbers of white students into designated classrooms' at elementary schools". The article also says that the school that allows white students to transfer out if they choose is "'...predominately black.'"
I did not know that school's still allowed there to be "segregation" during the 21st Century. I'm also surprised to read that this was an issue that had been going on for a while, since this has been an issue since 1970, that had been dismissed since there was little activity in the ongoing case. I believe this is something, that since it is illegal to have segregation, that should have been looked at in greater detail after it was brought to the courts attention. It should not have occurred this long.
The article shows the stereotypes of whites in the South because the school district allows segregation by allowing many white students to transfer out of the school district they live to a school that is now identified as predominantly white. This is a stereotype of whites in the South because during the Civil Rights movement 40 years ago, much of the demonstrations took place in the South because that is where much racism existed at the time.
The article describes the segregation of the public schools by saying there were "'clustered'" students with "'disproportionate numbers of white students into designated classrooms' at elementary schools". The article also says that the school that allows white students to transfer out if they choose is "'...predominately black.'"
I did not know that school's still allowed there to be "segregation" during the 21st Century. I'm also surprised to read that this was an issue that had been going on for a while, since this has been an issue since 1970, that had been dismissed since there was little activity in the ongoing case. I believe this is something, that since it is illegal to have segregation, that should have been looked at in greater detail after it was brought to the courts attention. It should not have occurred this long.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Analysis on number use
The article that I chose to analyze for this week is an article found in the Minnesota Daily on the decreasing number of the sexually transmitted disease in Minnesota for the year 2009.
The reporters uses uses many different numbers to express years, the amount of sexually transmitted disease in the state of Minnesota, also the number of HIV cases that were reported in Minnesota, and also percentages. Also, the title of the article has numbers in it, a 5, to express that STD rates have gone down in percentage. The reporters then goes on to use exact numbers for the number of STD's reported in 2008 and in 2009. I believe can be somewhat overwhelming because the both numbers are in the 10,000 range. Therefore people overlook the exact numbers and continue to read the article without grasping the actual numbers, I did this myself during my first morning class. I think it would more reader friendly if the sentence read "...just over 14,000 cases, up slightly from 2008," instead of "...with 14,186 cases, up slightly from 2008."
The reporters did use math to crunch some of the data down, such as using percentages like 70 percent to explain how much chlamydia cases reported had gone down. I also believe that this helps the reader grasp the data better, especially when they are reading the first few paragraphs of the article, which appeared on the front page of the Minnesota Daily.
The source for the data used in the article comes from the Minnesota Department of Health. There is also quotes and other information from Peter Carr, the manager of the STD and HIV section MDH. There is also information from the Boynton College Student Health Survey, which is a health organization made available to students at the University of Minnesota.
The reporters uses uses many different numbers to express years, the amount of sexually transmitted disease in the state of Minnesota, also the number of HIV cases that were reported in Minnesota, and also percentages. Also, the title of the article has numbers in it, a 5, to express that STD rates have gone down in percentage. The reporters then goes on to use exact numbers for the number of STD's reported in 2008 and in 2009. I believe can be somewhat overwhelming because the both numbers are in the 10,000 range. Therefore people overlook the exact numbers and continue to read the article without grasping the actual numbers, I did this myself during my first morning class. I think it would more reader friendly if the sentence read "...just over 14,000 cases, up slightly from 2008," instead of "...with 14,186 cases, up slightly from 2008."
The reporters did use math to crunch some of the data down, such as using percentages like 70 percent to explain how much chlamydia cases reported had gone down. I also believe that this helps the reader grasp the data better, especially when they are reading the first few paragraphs of the article, which appeared on the front page of the Minnesota Daily.
The source for the data used in the article comes from the Minnesota Department of Health. There is also quotes and other information from Peter Carr, the manager of the STD and HIV section MDH. There is also information from the Boynton College Student Health Survey, which is a health organization made available to students at the University of Minnesota.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Analysis on records/CAR
The article that I chose to analyze for this is about information that has been held from the North Carolina public for 35 years.
The article covers information that has not been disclosed the public about the salaries that government employees receive whether they are promoted or demoted to different positions. The writer goes on to explain that when a woman lost her job that was lower than her previous job she received no pay cut which did not help the economy as a whole. The North Carolina state government does now allow access to the salaries of any employees for up to five years. This has been interpreted as the government is trying to hide information, such as spending, from the public.
The writer also talks about how people have been trying to sway the current law into making the salaries and employment history made public without question, but this is something that according to the article has already been attempted at in 2001 which was denied. The writer then goes on to say that the information could be seen as to too shocking to the public, giving the impression that employees are getting paid far above what they should be during budget cuts to the state.
Computer skills that could have been used to develop the data for the article could be the information about how local news coverage has been able to track down how much government workers have made. There is also the amount of money that is included in the article of how much some employees make. That data had to be found during some sort of computer search online of records that had been made public and most likely was put on to the internet.
The article covers information that has not been disclosed the public about the salaries that government employees receive whether they are promoted or demoted to different positions. The writer goes on to explain that when a woman lost her job that was lower than her previous job she received no pay cut which did not help the economy as a whole. The North Carolina state government does now allow access to the salaries of any employees for up to five years. This has been interpreted as the government is trying to hide information, such as spending, from the public.
The writer also talks about how people have been trying to sway the current law into making the salaries and employment history made public without question, but this is something that according to the article has already been attempted at in 2001 which was denied. The writer then goes on to say that the information could be seen as to too shocking to the public, giving the impression that employees are getting paid far above what they should be during budget cuts to the state.
Computer skills that could have been used to develop the data for the article could be the information about how local news coverage has been able to track down how much government workers have made. There is also the amount of money that is included in the article of how much some employees make. That data had to be found during some sort of computer search online of records that had been made public and most likely was put on to the internet.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Analysis on Obits
The obituary that I chose for my analysis this week is on Jim Marshall from the New York Times. Jim Marshall was a Rock 'n' Roll photographer from many notable acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, and Johnny Cash.
The sources that were used included previous interviews with Marshall and people that he had worked with during his career such as Annie Leibovitz. The person they used to confirm Marshall's death was a representative of him while Marshall was staying in New York. Another source that the New York Times used was a curator who had worked a gallery featuring Marshall's photography in the past. There is also a quote used from a book that Marshall wrote explaining himself as a photographer.
The lead of this obituary is very standard. It starts with the persons name and then immediately goes into what Marshall's occupation was. Then it explains why he is a public figure and what he is most known for, which was being a photographer of famous musical acts. It then gives the date and location in which Marshall died and finally says his age. The lead works well in the instance because I personally did not know who Jim Marshall was so it was nice having a simple explanation of his life, who is was, and why he is regarded as being important.
The obituary is different than a resume because it does have every detail of Marshall's life. It gives details that are important to his legacy without being repetitive. The article is also not in chronological order. The beginnings of Marshall's career are more towards the middle of the article rather than right after the lead. The end of the article, also, is a quote and carries more information about the latter part of his career in the '80's. In the third to last paragraph is the information about survivors, or in this case the fact that Marshall did not have immediate family survivors. This is information usually found closer to the end of an obituary.
The sources that were used included previous interviews with Marshall and people that he had worked with during his career such as Annie Leibovitz. The person they used to confirm Marshall's death was a representative of him while Marshall was staying in New York. Another source that the New York Times used was a curator who had worked a gallery featuring Marshall's photography in the past. There is also a quote used from a book that Marshall wrote explaining himself as a photographer.
The lead of this obituary is very standard. It starts with the persons name and then immediately goes into what Marshall's occupation was. Then it explains why he is a public figure and what he is most known for, which was being a photographer of famous musical acts. It then gives the date and location in which Marshall died and finally says his age. The lead works well in the instance because I personally did not know who Jim Marshall was so it was nice having a simple explanation of his life, who is was, and why he is regarded as being important.
The obituary is different than a resume because it does have every detail of Marshall's life. It gives details that are important to his legacy without being repetitive. The article is also not in chronological order. The beginnings of Marshall's career are more towards the middle of the article rather than right after the lead. The end of the article, also, is a quote and carries more information about the latter part of his career in the '80's. In the third to last paragraph is the information about survivors, or in this case the fact that Marshall did not have immediate family survivors. This is information usually found closer to the end of an obituary.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Slide show analysis
The slide show I analyzed tells the story of how the fashion in movies has influence the popular media over the years. The slide show contains 12 pictures and titles with different popular film stills and how they have influenced the fashion of reality.
The first five slides are the most related to the title of the slide show which is "Film's Influence on Fashion, Then and Now". The slides show pictures of the films like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Out of Africa" and how the fashion of Meryl Streep and John Travolta started a frenzy among the population. This is greatly seen when you look back on fashions history and even some of the collections of fashion designers. The captions of the others are obvious and not giving much detail that we cannot see for ourselves. There were captions explaining that women enjoyed "slinky midi-skirts, twin sets, and jaunty berets..." which the readers can see for themselves from the picture. As the pictures go on in the shows the details in the descriptions become less, not improving on the beginning descriptions which I do not really enjoy.
As for telling a story, the captions are used well buy giving the title of the film still that is on the page. Some of the captions also explain if the film is nominated for an Oscar which were held on March 8. The eighth picture of the slide show, for example, is a still from the film "Bright Star" which was nominated for Best Costume Design at the this years Academy Awards. I believe this is also a good use of space because people want to know what films are nominated for which categories.
I believe the space that the author had to use, being limited, was used well. Some of the captions at the end of the slide show could have used a bit more detail rather than simply stating the title of the movie. The author could have said which fashion era the movie had an influence on. I was partially confused, however, when I saw that films such as "Bright Star" and "Nine" were used in the slide show because both of those movies take place in the past and are less likely to have an influence on our fashion now. I believe with the title of the slide show that the films used should have referred to the fashion era when the film was released.
The first five slides are the most related to the title of the slide show which is "Film's Influence on Fashion, Then and Now". The slides show pictures of the films like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Out of Africa" and how the fashion of Meryl Streep and John Travolta started a frenzy among the population. This is greatly seen when you look back on fashions history and even some of the collections of fashion designers. The captions of the others are obvious and not giving much detail that we cannot see for ourselves. There were captions explaining that women enjoyed "slinky midi-skirts, twin sets, and jaunty berets..." which the readers can see for themselves from the picture. As the pictures go on in the shows the details in the descriptions become less, not improving on the beginning descriptions which I do not really enjoy.
As for telling a story, the captions are used well buy giving the title of the film still that is on the page. Some of the captions also explain if the film is nominated for an Oscar which were held on March 8. The eighth picture of the slide show, for example, is a still from the film "Bright Star" which was nominated for Best Costume Design at the this years Academy Awards. I believe this is also a good use of space because people want to know what films are nominated for which categories.
I believe the space that the author had to use, being limited, was used well. Some of the captions at the end of the slide show could have used a bit more detail rather than simply stating the title of the movie. The author could have said which fashion era the movie had an influence on. I was partially confused, however, when I saw that films such as "Bright Star" and "Nine" were used in the slide show because both of those movies take place in the past and are less likely to have an influence on our fashion now. I believe with the title of the slide show that the films used should have referred to the fashion era when the film was released.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Event Advance
The article I chose to analyze for this week is about the music duo Simon and Garfunkel. The article was published by the Star Tribune on March 4 and talks about how the music duo who has broken up many times is reuniting for a tour and will be stopping in Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for a show. The article also gives information on when ticket sales will begin.
The article does not appear to have any sources within it, but possible sources could have been the groups Web site or a gossip site that focuses on celebrities.
The article's angle in the beginning, seems to focus upon the fact that the duo has broken up many times and are once again reuniting. This gives the impression that either this tour is no surprise or that they will not have the ability to perform well during this tour because of their lack of connection anymore. The article then goes into the background of how the two, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, came to be friends in high school and began performing together. It also gives individual information, for example, that Simon has a solo career which is striving.
Overall the article does not seem to be very exciting or catch my interest. It could have been written better, perhaps giving some details of what the duo is planning to do before or after the tour. If the duo is planning on recording once again would have been insightful, because the article does point out that the group has not recorded an album together since the 1970's besides live recordings. This would have intrigued fans and get them more excited for the group and the upcoming tour. Because of this, I believe the article is more of a listing than an article.
The article does not appear to have any sources within it, but possible sources could have been the groups Web site or a gossip site that focuses on celebrities.
The article's angle in the beginning, seems to focus upon the fact that the duo has broken up many times and are once again reuniting. This gives the impression that either this tour is no surprise or that they will not have the ability to perform well during this tour because of their lack of connection anymore. The article then goes into the background of how the two, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, came to be friends in high school and began performing together. It also gives individual information, for example, that Simon has a solo career which is striving.
Overall the article does not seem to be very exciting or catch my interest. It could have been written better, perhaps giving some details of what the duo is planning to do before or after the tour. If the duo is planning on recording once again would have been insightful, because the article does point out that the group has not recorded an album together since the 1970's besides live recordings. This would have intrigued fans and get them more excited for the group and the upcoming tour. Because of this, I believe the article is more of a listing than an article.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Press Release vs. News Article
The Food and Drug Administration published a press release regarding the investigation into the recent salmonella outbreak in peppers spices from the retailer Wholesome Spice. I then found an article from The Orgeonian regarding the recent outbreak and recall.
According the press release from the FDA the salmonella outbreak has not officially been linked to one item in particular. The FDA is searching for the source. The press release also says that there are 44 states that have confirmed cases of salmonella in the United States. People have contracted salmonella from a "variety of ready-to-eat Italian style meats". Since the outbreak the meats that have made people sick have been called and pulled off the shelves. In Rhode Island there have been sample of black pepper from within the state that have tested positive for salmonella. The FDA is currently leaning in the direction that the pepper is responsible for the recent outbreaks.
In the article, it reads that there have been "pepper-related" salmonella cases beginning in Oregon in the middle of last year which was when the recall began. This is something that the press release from the FDA failed to put in their release. The article then goes on to say that scientists first believed that the outbreaks were caused by salami, which matches the press release. The salami was then pulled off shelves before there was further tracking down of the origins of the salmonella.
For the most part, the article and the press release have the same basic ideas and information. However, I believe that the article focuses more on the fact that pepper has been the main cause of the salmonella outbreaks in the United States while the press release says that it is still under investigation whether that is the main source. The press release was published on Feb. 17 and the article was published on Feb. 26 and there is the possibility that there has been alterations in the press release and information that I was unable to find. It seems like the article was exaggerating that the pepper is the cause of the outbreak, when it is not 100 percent known if that is true.
According the press release from the FDA the salmonella outbreak has not officially been linked to one item in particular. The FDA is searching for the source. The press release also says that there are 44 states that have confirmed cases of salmonella in the United States. People have contracted salmonella from a "variety of ready-to-eat Italian style meats". Since the outbreak the meats that have made people sick have been called and pulled off the shelves. In Rhode Island there have been sample of black pepper from within the state that have tested positive for salmonella. The FDA is currently leaning in the direction that the pepper is responsible for the recent outbreaks.
In the article, it reads that there have been "pepper-related" salmonella cases beginning in Oregon in the middle of last year which was when the recall began. This is something that the press release from the FDA failed to put in their release. The article then goes on to say that scientists first believed that the outbreaks were caused by salami, which matches the press release. The salami was then pulled off shelves before there was further tracking down of the origins of the salmonella.
For the most part, the article and the press release have the same basic ideas and information. However, I believe that the article focuses more on the fact that pepper has been the main cause of the salmonella outbreaks in the United States while the press release says that it is still under investigation whether that is the main source. The press release was published on Feb. 17 and the article was published on Feb. 26 and there is the possibility that there has been alterations in the press release and information that I was unable to find. It seems like the article was exaggerating that the pepper is the cause of the outbreak, when it is not 100 percent known if that is true.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Entry on Spot and Follows
The two articles that I chose to analyze were both published on the same day about Lindsey Vonn's skiing debut at the Vancouver Olympics. They were published by the Star Tribune on Feb. 17, 2010. The first article is about how Vonn is ready to take the challenge of downhill skiing after a recent shin injury. The second article is about how Vonn won her first Olympics gold despite having her injury.
In the leads, both articles focus on the fact that Lindsey is fighting a bruised shin even after she won her gold medal. The also both state that Vonn will take part in skiing at the Olympics. With this in mind, the two leads do not differ that much with the facts that are in it, but the tone in which the two leads are written in makes the difference with how the article is read. The first story is written to make you worry and have anticipation about what Vonn's ski run is going to be like and the follow up story makes you proud of her for finishing the run in first place despite an injury.
The main news in the first article is summarized by saying how luck has been on Vonn's side as weather has caused rescheduling of many events, including the downhill skiing event Vonn would be competing in. It also states that she is expected to win as many gold medals in all her runs as possible. In the second article it continues to explain how after just one event and winning gold, Vonn will continue to surprise people and be the Michael Phelps of the winter Olympics by winning only gold. The article also states that there was nothing that could stop her, even the pain, from winning her gold reflecting upon the previous article where she said she would have to fight through the pain to win.
The second story really takes a step forward in giving people hope that Lindsey Vonn will go on to win every event that she will compete in in her remaining time at the Winter Olympics. It pulls information from the first article, which caused some fear and doubt in readers, into the second article and used it to create excitement. It also gives the days and events which Vonn will be competing in in the next few days to encourage others to watch, hopefully winning more gold.
The second article does not seem to be a response due to competing organizations. I believe, because Lindsey Vonn is not only a Minnesota native but a Twin Cities native, that the Star Tribune focused on both articles closely to tell her story for Twin Cities readers. It is very likely that some of many readers of the Star Tribune may know Lindsey and having articles focusing on her success in the Olympics will cause them to watch more of her events and find out more about her.
In the leads, both articles focus on the fact that Lindsey is fighting a bruised shin even after she won her gold medal. The also both state that Vonn will take part in skiing at the Olympics. With this in mind, the two leads do not differ that much with the facts that are in it, but the tone in which the two leads are written in makes the difference with how the article is read. The first story is written to make you worry and have anticipation about what Vonn's ski run is going to be like and the follow up story makes you proud of her for finishing the run in first place despite an injury.
The main news in the first article is summarized by saying how luck has been on Vonn's side as weather has caused rescheduling of many events, including the downhill skiing event Vonn would be competing in. It also states that she is expected to win as many gold medals in all her runs as possible. In the second article it continues to explain how after just one event and winning gold, Vonn will continue to surprise people and be the Michael Phelps of the winter Olympics by winning only gold. The article also states that there was nothing that could stop her, even the pain, from winning her gold reflecting upon the previous article where she said she would have to fight through the pain to win.
The second story really takes a step forward in giving people hope that Lindsey Vonn will go on to win every event that she will compete in in her remaining time at the Winter Olympics. It pulls information from the first article, which caused some fear and doubt in readers, into the second article and used it to create excitement. It also gives the days and events which Vonn will be competing in in the next few days to encourage others to watch, hopefully winning more gold.
The second article does not seem to be a response due to competing organizations. I believe, because Lindsey Vonn is not only a Minnesota native but a Twin Cities native, that the Star Tribune focused on both articles closely to tell her story for Twin Cities readers. It is very likely that some of many readers of the Star Tribune may know Lindsey and having articles focusing on her success in the Olympics will cause them to watch more of her events and find out more about her.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Progression of Information
The story I chose to analyze was published by the Star Tribune and I found it online. The article is a description of the opening ceremony, and the events that led up to it, of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver of British Columbia, Canada. Overall, the article gives a good description of all the events that happened in the opening ceremony on Friday Feb. 12, but the organization of the article down to to the lead of the article seems to confuse me.
First of all, the lead of the news article is quite poor. It does not grab interest and does not connect with the rest of the article very well, in my opinion. The lead talks about the anxiety that the CEO of the organizer of the Olympic games is feeling prior to the ceremony on Friday is similar to that the athletes are feeling now before they perform in next few weeks of the games. The next two paragraphs talk not about what the ceremony consisted of and how it underwent, but about how Vancouver has worked hard for years preparing for this night. For an article that has focus on the opening ceremony, I believe it would have been more effective to have a different lead and have the first two paragraphs include descriptions of the ceremony. Then after some description, the writer could bring in information on how Vancouver has prepared for the Olympics for the past few years.
Something that the writer did do well in placement, was mentioning the fallen Olympian that lost his life earlier Friday before the ceremony in luge accident. This was placed in the third paragraph of the article among, what I believe, is a poor beginning to an article due to its organization and lead.
The information that the writer chose to use within the entire article, however, is very descriptive and used well. It gives the details about how Canada has taken pride in their natives for the ceremony and both the urban city in which the ceremony took place. The information in the middle and the end of the article is also placed well. The writer talks about those who oppose the Olympic games and how protesters had attempted to block streets during the torches journey to Vancouver. There is also a small part of the article that talks about the speech at that IOC president gave during the ceremony which I believe was placed well in the article, towards the last few paragraphs.
Other than the first four paragraphs, the article is effective in giving description and informing readers of the events that took place on Feb. 12 in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I believe the article would have been more grabbing by a different lead talking about the a single part of the opening ceremony. Also having more description at the beginning would give the reader a better understanding of what the article was going to contain.
First of all, the lead of the news article is quite poor. It does not grab interest and does not connect with the rest of the article very well, in my opinion. The lead talks about the anxiety that the CEO of the organizer of the Olympic games is feeling prior to the ceremony on Friday is similar to that the athletes are feeling now before they perform in next few weeks of the games. The next two paragraphs talk not about what the ceremony consisted of and how it underwent, but about how Vancouver has worked hard for years preparing for this night. For an article that has focus on the opening ceremony, I believe it would have been more effective to have a different lead and have the first two paragraphs include descriptions of the ceremony. Then after some description, the writer could bring in information on how Vancouver has prepared for the Olympics for the past few years.
Something that the writer did do well in placement, was mentioning the fallen Olympian that lost his life earlier Friday before the ceremony in luge accident. This was placed in the third paragraph of the article among, what I believe, is a poor beginning to an article due to its organization and lead.
The information that the writer chose to use within the entire article, however, is very descriptive and used well. It gives the details about how Canada has taken pride in their natives for the ceremony and both the urban city in which the ceremony took place. The information in the middle and the end of the article is also placed well. The writer talks about those who oppose the Olympic games and how protesters had attempted to block streets during the torches journey to Vancouver. There is also a small part of the article that talks about the speech at that IOC president gave during the ceremony which I believe was placed well in the article, towards the last few paragraphs.
Other than the first four paragraphs, the article is effective in giving description and informing readers of the events that took place on Feb. 12 in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I believe the article would have been more grabbing by a different lead talking about the a single part of the opening ceremony. Also having more description at the beginning would give the reader a better understanding of what the article was going to contain.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Attributions
The story I analyzed was found on the Star Tribune's website and is about two teenagers who have been charged with six counts of murder in a grocery store robbing.
The first attribution in the story was different than we have learned in class. The attribution was put in front of and at the beginning of a paragraph rather than after the first quote is used. The attribution also said that the statement was from a lawyer and that was put before the lawyers name, which I found to be different than what I am used to and saw in class. This was done twice with both quotes that are used in the newspaper article with two different speakers. They are also both very close to one another; one paragraph followed by another paragraph. I think this makes the quote rather confusing to the reader because readers like to know what the speaker said before finding out who they are. I believe that it adds for more excitement to an article not predicting what the speaker may have said.
Although other sources were used when writing this article, none are specifically mentioned. The article says that there four people who testified on the grand jury for the indictments on the defendants, but the writer of the article does not address where they know this information from. Whether it is from the Minneapolis Police Department or if they were at the grand jury when the witnesses testified I am unsure. I believe this article could have had more references and sources named. This is also only in one short paragraph not giving the reader much information about their sources.
The first attribution in the story was different than we have learned in class. The attribution was put in front of and at the beginning of a paragraph rather than after the first quote is used. The attribution also said that the statement was from a lawyer and that was put before the lawyers name, which I found to be different than what I am used to and saw in class. This was done twice with both quotes that are used in the newspaper article with two different speakers. They are also both very close to one another; one paragraph followed by another paragraph. I think this makes the quote rather confusing to the reader because readers like to know what the speaker said before finding out who they are. I believe that it adds for more excitement to an article not predicting what the speaker may have said.
Although other sources were used when writing this article, none are specifically mentioned. The article says that there four people who testified on the grand jury for the indictments on the defendants, but the writer of the article does not address where they know this information from. Whether it is from the Minneapolis Police Department or if they were at the grand jury when the witnesses testified I am unsure. I believe this article could have had more references and sources named. This is also only in one short paragraph not giving the reader much information about their sources.
Friday, January 29, 2010
What is lead?
Within a lead in a news article or story is the five W's; who, what, where, when, why and sometimes how. These answer some of the questions that people generally want to know right at the beginning of an article as to catch the readers attention. Generally, leads do not begin with the 'when', but usually comes towards the end of the lead in the possible second or third sentence of the article. The 'when' could be considered as general information that goes within the new story.
Detailed information that should be included in the lead of an article is information about the 'who' of your story. This will interest the readers of the story because people love hearing about others life especially in the lifestyle we lead nowadays. The 'where' is also an important factor in the lead. This is because the closer something is to home, or the more local, the more the audience is going to be interested. If there is, for example, a plane crash in California and there was a resident from the Minneapolis aboard the plane then newspapers may include a story about the passenger from Minneapolis. The 'what' of a story is also something that should be included in the lead because it ties the 'who' into the story and why they are important the article.
If the story that is being written is going to be included in a magazine and may not be straightforward hard-news than the lead may not be as short and simple as one for a newspaper. The author of the article can take more time to introduce what they will be talking about to the reader. The five W's may be left out in for the first few sentences or may even be placed in the second or third paragraph of the magazine article. Writing more feature news allows for the author to be more mysterious in the beginning of their article instead of grabbing the attention of the reader right away because they know that the reader will continue to read the article no matter what.
Detailed information that should be included in the lead of an article is information about the 'who' of your story. This will interest the readers of the story because people love hearing about others life especially in the lifestyle we lead nowadays. The 'where' is also an important factor in the lead. This is because the closer something is to home, or the more local, the more the audience is going to be interested. If there is, for example, a plane crash in California and there was a resident from the Minneapolis aboard the plane then newspapers may include a story about the passenger from Minneapolis. The 'what' of a story is also something that should be included in the lead because it ties the 'who' into the story and why they are important the article.
If the story that is being written is going to be included in a magazine and may not be straightforward hard-news than the lead may not be as short and simple as one for a newspaper. The author of the article can take more time to introduce what they will be talking about to the reader. The five W's may be left out in for the first few sentences or may even be placed in the second or third paragraph of the magazine article. Writing more feature news allows for the author to be more mysterious in the beginning of their article instead of grabbing the attention of the reader right away because they know that the reader will continue to read the article no matter what.
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