EllenEinsporn tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383 2007-11-28T17:16:18Z Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.0 It's all so magical...or is it? tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.22405 2007-11-28T16:56:21Z 2007-11-28T17:16:18Z Good writing may seem magical, but it's not magic. Ch. 10 America's Best Newspaper Writing... Good writing may seem magical, but it's not magic. Ch. 10 America's Best Newspaper Writing ]]> America's Best Newspaper Writing state, good writing results from thinking about writing, talking about writing, actually writing, rewriting, talking about writing some more, then rewriting some more, and so on. You get the point, good writing is not always easy. In fact, it can be very painful. According to the authors of America's Best Newspaper Writing, "Writing is not just accomplished with a pencil or at the keyboard. It is done in the head, with the eyes and the ears, and with the legs. So scratch out that image you have of a newspaper writer sitting in seclusion typing away on his computer furiously as he comes up with some brilliant, riveting story. No, this doesn't happen. First this reporter has to go out and search for such a story to write about. He has to use his legs to propel him forward on his search, while his eyes observe and his ears listen. And finally, when he finds his story, he most probably will not have time to go back and cozy up at home in seclusion for days to write it, he may even be so rushed that he types the story out on his laptop on the bus ride back to his office. ]]> Ah, the Power of Quotes tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.22376 2007-11-26T17:03:05Z 2007-11-26T17:17:43Z Git back! Gawddammit, git back! America's Best Newspaper Writing 262... Git back! Gawddammit, git back! America's Best Newspaper Writing 262]]> While reading through the stories we were assigned for class, I was surprised to see how each author used direct quotes. While, so far, I have written stories that are entirely dependent on quotes--I let my sources do the talking directly--writers such as Richard Wright add their own narrative twists to their stories. For example, in Richard Wright's story, "Joe Louis Uncovers Dynamite," his quotes are highly emotional and strategically placed. While I might include a quote that is purely informational but not very dramatic within my story, all of Wright's quotes produce some dramatic effect within his story. For example, the quote above where the police officers scream "Git back" to the crowd of black people celebrating Joe Louis's victory is is perfectly placed within his story to show the strong fear the whites had of blacks during the time. My wonderful world of blogging tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.22105 2007-11-01T19:33:21Z 2007-11-02T16:38:52Z In case you're a little confused on what this is, I'll explain. This is my wonderful blogging portfolio, a collection of all the blogs I have posted over the past couple of weeks for my news writing class. Most of... wonderful blogging portfolio, a collection of all the blogs I have posted over the past couple of weeks for my news writing class. Most of these blogs are about the book we've been reading, It Ain't Necessarily So, but a few deviate. Here's what I had to say: Coverage (here's all of it together, every required entry): Live and Learn Question the Question Pleasantly Surprised Don't skip the boring stuff How many licks? Depth (here's where I was a little more analytical in my thinking while blogging): Don't skip over the boring stuff How many licks? Interaction (here's where I responded to my peers): Question the Question Discussions (here's where I created a good discussion): Question the Question Timeliness (here's where I posted my blog early): How many licks? Question the Question Xenoblogging (here's where I commented on my peers' blogs): Creating Optimism (the comment primo) The truth is out there (the comment grande) For better or for fear (the comment grande) Wildcard (here's the best exapmle of my blogging skills): Question the Question ]]> How Many Licks? tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.22033 2007-10-29T18:28:57Z 2007-10-29T18:53:13Z IANS CH 9 & 10 How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? A-one, a-two, a-three...crunch ...The world may never know.... IANS CH 9 & 10
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? A-one, a-two, a-three...crunch ...The world may never know.
]]> Nevertheless, for all of its flaws, what Churchill said of democracy can also be said applied to peer review: it is the worst system for judging research, except for all of the other alternatives that have ever been tried. (IANS161) With this quote in mind, we as reporters, and students for that matter, should respect peer-reviewed articles as credible sources of information; however, we also need to remember that we still need to use our own brains to evaluate what we are reading. Instead of simply agreeing with what has already been said, simply because it was said by a smart person, we need to personally analyze the what has been said and base our conclusions jointly on what has already been said and what we have to say. Even geniuses are human and all humans make mistakes. It's up to us to avoid being swindled by these mistakes. As reporters and students, we need to avoid making mistakes based on someone else's mistake. Lord knows, we already make enogh on our own.]]> Don't skip over the boring stuff tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.22019 2007-10-28T23:38:16Z 2007-10-29T01:46:16Z IANS CH 7 & 8 ...dramatic coverage designed to heighten fear is simply better remembered than more analytic coverage that might lower it. After all, drama is, well, more dramatic than cold-blooded analysis. (IANS 130)... IANS CH 7 & 8
...dramatic coverage designed to heighten fear is simply better remembered than more analytic coverage that might lower it. After all, drama is, well, more dramatic than cold-blooded analysis. (IANS 130)
]]> This thought is more than a little unnerving. It suggests that most people remember the hyped up stories of things that are relatively unimportant over the stories that really do hold some substantive value. It suggests that readers care about the unimportant. Well, this certainly explains celebrity news. But let's look past Brittney Spears apparent lack of a motherly instinct, past Keith Urban's and Nicole Kidman's move from their multi-million dollar home to an even bigger multi-million dollar home, past Angelina Jolie's supposed conflict with Brad Pitt's friends (If you can't tell, I spent entirely too much time at the doctor's office last week.) All this information simply takes up valuable space in my brain. Maybe, that's why, according to IANS, we have trouble remembering the important stuff. The news, especially tv news, fills our heads with worthless information about celebrities, about the emotions of traumatized individuals, about the water-skiing squirrel, that there is simply no more room left for news about the latest product recall, an update from Iraq, or an upcoming presidential candidate's future plans for social security. Too often the important stories are placed behind the exciting stories. A story about frog deformities may run on the front page of the newspaper while a story about the latest developments in Iraq runs sandwiched in the middle. A story about an old man feeling sad over the loss of his home airs first on the news while a story about a massive recall receives less than 10 seconds air time more than 25 minutes into the broadcast. Pleasantly Surprised tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21997 2007-10-26T13:17:47Z 2007-10-26T13:33:02Z WB 5... WB 5]]> So, I will admit that I was a wee bit nervous as President Boyle hovered over me in class on Wednesday. I had read an article that used her as a source (big surprise here, I read the NY Times football story). I had prepared questions that I would theoretically like to ask Dr. Boyle,and I had even invented possible answers I might receive from her. All of my questions dealt with the introduction of the football team at Seton Hill, but I wish I had prepared some other general questions to ask her. I am not very good at asking people questions, and I usually need to think about what exactly I'm going to ask in advance. I know, I know, I should have asked President Boyle a question in order to practice and improve my reporting skills, but I found Dr. Boyle's powerful presence incredibly intimidating, especially in comparison to my blatant amateurism. So, shy little me did not ask President Boyle any questions, but I enjoyed listening to her respond to other people's questions. I learned a lot from simply listening. For example, I had heard the rumor that Seton Hill might build another residence hall, but wasn't sure if I should believe it or not. The fact that President Boyle acknowledged the possibility is exciting because I think that's something we are definitely going to need on this campus soon, if not now. At the beginning of the school year, residence life was so swamped with room requests that they had four upperclassmen men living in the lounge in the basement of Havey Hall. Question the Question tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21940 2007-10-22T16:04:32Z 2007-10-22T16:46:52Z IANS Ch 5 and 6 Inside each of us, reporter and newspaper reader alike, is an Alice B. Tolkas demanding to know the answer; but she very much needs to be balanced by a Gertrude Stein inquiring about the question.... IANS Ch 5 and 6
Inside each of us, reporter and newspaper reader alike, is an Alice B. Tolkas demanding to know the answer; but she very much needs to be balanced by a Gertrude Stein inquiring about the question.
]]> IANS stress something very important when they encourage their readers to not only search for the answer, but to question the question as well. If we fail to do so, we may unknowingly allow ourselves to believe false or slanted information. By questioning the questions that lead to answers, we can find out more than the answer--we discover how and why someone sought the answer in the first place. ]]> Live and Learn tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21905 2007-10-19T13:33:55Z 2007-10-19T13:50:35Z IANS--Intro and Ch.1 To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to be badly briefed once may be regarded as a misfortune; to do it twice looks like carelessness.... IANS--Intro and Ch.1
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to be badly briefed once may be regarded as a misfortune; to do it twice looks like carelessness.
]]> It's ok. Everyone makes mistakes...Just don't do it again. That's the gist behind this quote at least, and I agree with it. No one is perfect. It's inevitable that everyone screws up from time to time and reporters are no exception. If a reporter gives faulty information once and apologizes for the mix-up, usually his career won't be altered too dramatically. However, if the same reporter gives faulty information repeatedly, it's likely that he will not be reporting for much longer. Most people are willing to overlook one mess-up, but too many mistakes pervade an air of carelessness, thus resulting in distrust from readers and employers. Just like any other mistake, it's ok to make one in reporting; however, it's not ok to make the same mistake twice. A reporter, and any other person for that matter, should not simply accept the fact that he has done something wrong and walk away with his head hanging. No, he should meet his mistake head-on, realizing what he did wrong, so that he can avoid a similar mistake in the future. Too True tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21828 2007-10-12T15:48:40Z 2007-10-12T16:27:07Z Media Commentary While the clips from the Onion and Saturday Night Live we watched in class were funny, they also pointed out some dissappointing truths about tv news. In The Onion's Something Happening in Haiti broadcast, the news reporter explains... Media Commentary While the clips from the Onion and Saturday Night Live we watched in class were funny, they also pointed out some dissappointing truths about tv news. In The Onion's Something Happening in Haiti broadcast, the news reporter explains what is happening in Haiti based on another reporter's live reports. However, neither reporter seems to know exactly what is going on. Possible predictions range from an election, to a riot, to a coup, to a picnic. While this situation is obviously humorously exaggerated, I've often felt extremely confused about what's really happening during a live tv broadcast. Sometimes, the news is so fresh that the reporters don't seem to know exactly what is going on and, instead of being able to give a true account of the event, they resort to giving several possibilities of what may be happening. When this happens, I always ask myself "What's the point?" Saturday Night Live also exaggerates a slightly frustrating aspect of tv news in a parody of Wolf Blitzer. Throughout the reporter's newscast, the newsfeed runs along the bottom of the screen with ridiculous statements such as "Ugh. This Iraq stuff is sooooooo boring!" and a desire for "More Anna! Anna! Anna! Anna! Anna!..." (Anna Nicole Smith). Actually this desire is sad but true. Most people would rather watch Anna Nicole Smith than an update on the war in Iraq. No offense to those who watch tv news, but I think I'll stick to reading the paper.]]> Good to Know tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21662 2007-09-23T18:10:05Z 2007-09-23T18:25:49Z Ch. 5 Covering Crime The reporter who stands apart from the mob stands out. Dickerson suggests stashing the notebook and the briefcase, and handing the subject a business card with a note written on the back.... Ch. 5 Covering Crime
The reporter who stands apart from the mob stands out. Dickerson suggests stashing the notebook and the briefcase, and handing the subject a business card with a note written on the back.
]]> This quote was really helpful. I always wondered how I would approach a victim of a serious crime or accident as a reporter. I don't think I would have thought of the business card idea on my own, but I think it would work. Victims most likely feel overwhelmed at the scene of a crime/accident and are probably not willing or even able to talk to reporters at that moment. While a tv station might want to show the victim or his family members in a state of shock/personal torment, a writer might be able to hold a more productive interview with the subject at at later date after the victim has had time to process what has happened. After the victim has had some time to accept such a traumatic experience, he might be able to provide the reporter with more coherent, thought-out quotes. Furthermore, by waiting the reporter shows the victim and his loved ones a measure of respect, thus earning their respect in return and creating a profitable relationship between reporter and victim. Plain Silly tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21646 2007-09-21T13:48:38Z 2007-09-21T14:00:34Z AP Guide to News Writing (CH 3-5) HARTFORD, Conn.--Hello, tree. There is good news and there is bad news for you today.... AP Guide to News Writing (CH 3-5)
HARTFORD, Conn.--Hello, tree. There is good news and there is bad news for you today.
]]> AP Guide to News Writing. I mean honestly, who comes up with stuff like this and then actually thinks it's worth publishing in a newspaper. I want to meet this person; I feel like he (or she) might be distantly related to Luna Lovegood. But, I do have to give the author of this lead props. This lead was so weird that it made me want to read the rest of the story (not to get any facts from the reading, but simply to look at the author's bizarre style of writing.) Hey, at least the writer was original. ]]> Why we all hate bicyclists tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21606 2007-09-19T12:58:10Z 2007-09-20T14:10:04Z Readings (Gomez and your choice) The child...veered into the sports-utility vehicle, which was traveling north at about 20 mph, Thibodeau said. The driver attempted to veer left, but struck the boy and ran over his bicycle. (Gomez)... Readings (Gomez and your choice)
The child...veered into the sports-utility vehicle, which was traveling north at about 20 mph, Thibodeau said. The driver attempted to veer left, but struck the boy and ran over his bicycle. (Gomez)
]]> Admit it. At least once in your life you have driven by a bicyclist cursing. Maybe it was a group of teenage boys swerving in and out of the road. Maybe it was a guy on a racing bike trying to keep up with the cars. But why do we curse at them. Because we are afraid. As driver's we know we have the upper hand. Hmm...car vs. bike--it's not that hard to figure out who would win in a game of chicken. Mark Gomez's story simply illustrates this fear. He does not actually say that the driver, Maria Velasquez, was scared that she would hit the boy, but she was driving 20 mph (slow--who actually follows the speed limit?) and she tried to veer left. Soon, this fear can turn into a hatred. I think these angry drivers (and I'm not saying that Velasquez was one of them) are somewhat jealous of bicyclist because, while the person riding the bike does have to abide by certain rules, often times he/she does not. Despite this fact, should a collision happen, the resulting guilt is almost always heavier for the driver...even if it was an accident. Ok, another confession--I will admit that I, myself, am a bicyclist. I rode a rinky dink bike around my neighborhood when I was little with my friends and now I race a fancy racing bike up and down the back roads of my hometown. While some drivers may be scared of bicyclists, bicyclists are also scared of drivers. Angry drivers often refuse to show courtesy to bicyclists--you know, the ones who don't move over or slow down when they're passing you. In fact, they may even inch towards you. So, while we all may harvest some inner aggression towards bicyclists, as drivers we have to remember that our cars are far more intimidating than a bike. Reversely, bike riders should keep their ears open and stay on the side of the road at all times. Obviously, accidents are inevitable, but maybe if both parties followed the rules, some of the aggression between drivers and bicyclists could be reduced. Ch1 & Ch2 Reflection Paper tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21600 2007-09-19T03:42:24Z 2007-09-19T03:47:43Z AP Guide to News Writing (Ch1 & Ch 2)
…humans oddly realize their limited finitude, and by the very fact that they do, transcend it in awareness of some further being of potential infinity (Cappon 2).
]]> When I read this quote, I had to stop and think about it for a moment. The fact that humans can realize their own limited abilities enables us to exceed these limitations in thought; however the fact still remains that we are limited and thus unable to always act in accordance to such higher thought. Well, that’s quite a Catch-22, one that I found both depressing and uplifting at the same time. I found this statement depressing because of the frustration it implies. A human can theoretically know how something should be done; however, this does not mean that he will actually be able to physically do what should be done correctly. Despite that discouraging thought, this statement also conveys hope because it stresses that humans are indeed capable of high level thinking. Furthermore, such high level thinking can combine with a low level of ability and form a goal. If humans could simply do everything the way that they wanted, no one would ever have reason to set such goals. The action of setting goals also correlates to learning. If we could already do everything perfectly, there would be no need to learn anything new. As a student who wants to be an English teacher, this is a sad thought especially. Imagine how different the world would be if people didn’t need to become educated (in both the school sense and the worldly sense). What on earth would we do??? Think...Rethink...Rethink... tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21598 2007-09-19T02:31:32Z 2007-09-19T02:52:58Z AP Guide to News Writing--Ch. 1 & 2
Writing is the art of second thought. (Cappon 5)
This is exactly what I need to work on. I admit it; I am a hard core procrastinator. I couldn't tell you how many papers I've written at two in the morning and then turned in within the next couple of hours. At best, these papers get one read through and a simple spell check. Well, according to Cappon's statement in The AP Guide to News Writing, I should not do this. Every time I turn in a paper I have just written the night before, I am turning in my first thoughts. I should write my papers in advance so that I have the night (or, if I'm really ambitious, a few nights) before to revise what I've already written. That way I'll be turning in a much paper full of second thoughts (and maybe even third thoughts). ]]> Portfolio #3 tag:blogs.setonhill.edu,2007:/EllenEinsporn//383.21145 2007-05-07T19:24:53Z 2007-05-07T19:25:23Z Portfolio 3 -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)... Portfolio 3 -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study) ]]> What's with the fish? A disturbing death toll I like it, I really like it! Tough Love Sad and Funny Two Little Bunnies Depth Two Little Bunnies Interaction A disturbing death toll Discussions Sad and Funny Xenoblogging Witty and Sad Wildcard Two Little Bunnies ]]>