November 2007 Archives

In America's Best Newspaper Writing Regarding the Language of Journalism has a voice:

In Fact, hearing is what most journalists do and voice is described as an illusion in writing. You have a voice when you write, especially for journalists who sometimes write on big issues to the public. It's not like speech, but closer to speech than most other types of writing. "When eyewitnesses, especially everyday people are given their voices in print, the effect can be powerful, moving, puzzling, funny, or outrageous."

Quotes can enhance the drama or sharpen a point and not just quotes, but good journalism's voice can be powerful just in the way the details and the words are arranged.  

In 'RED SMITH' from our readings in America's best Newspaper Writing, It identifies with my Article 2 in a way that I am doing a local story on our christmas dance and giving background information and history. It's a soft news story that I can use adjectives(to an extent) in. It's also a big event to write about. "How well does the reporter write on a deadline when challenged by a monumental event?"  

            In Best Practices, It is very helpful in letting you know how the public, over the years, has viewed the newspapers and what they write. It helps you get an idea of what could get you in trouble and what to stay clear of so you don't upset anyone. I guess I like the way it was set up, but I keep getting discouraged, even though my professor says not to, because I feel like there are so many bad things about journalism, and the critics are hard(as well as the public) All eyes are on us, it seems, and everyone is waiting for a screw up. There is a lot of pressure in this field, which is kind of unnerving.

"Reading quotes back has to be handled carefully; while a worthwhile practice for fairness and accuracy, it can result in sources trying to improve quotes by doctoring them. If the quote is to be changed, it should be a fresh statement of the person's  opinion, not a cosmetic altering to make a person look better."

In Best Practices, It explains how some people like to take their quotes back after realizing it might hurt them or a company that could cause them to be fired. This is just like asking to fix mistakes that the paper prints and should not be a problem if they don't want their quote in the paper anymore. But this doen't mean you should just change it to make them look better. Pete Carey says, "If i'm quoting someone, I want them to pick up th paper in the morning and say, "yeah, that is exactly how I feel about it."" This means you need to be carefull what quotes you put in a paper, not just any will do. You need to make sure that the quote will not bias anything and will not insult the person being quoted(even if that is what they said)

"Business, community and civic leaders say they and their organizations often are covered by reporters who simply do not know enough about the subjects they are trying to report on."

Of course we all can't hold all informaition on every subject, and maybe sometimes we don't feel like learning molecular biology over night to write a story on it. There are other ways to write about things you don't know much about. I write about topics that I'm not completly 100% sure on sometimes, but mostly i liek to stay clear of that. If I have ot write something, I usually do the research before hand so I don't make any mistakes.

But, "when reporters and their editors have a limited grasp of the topic, the story they produce is likely to be unfair."

These and other fair topics are found in our Best Practices assignment.

So now we read America's Best Newspaper Writing, and i'd have to say that for the first assigned article, it really seemed more like a story, not a crime report. Though very detailed, Linnet Myers really doesn't let things slip through. When I imagined a crime report I thought it might be less, well, wordy. But this none the less was very good. I hope i'm never assigned to do one, because I could never live up to Myers.

This is my second Portfolio of this year! Hope you like it, enjoy!

Coverage: These entries are all of the assignments Iv'e had since my last portfolio

-It ain't good to use ain't

-If you can't say something true, don't say nothing at all

-Where's the presidents Saxaphone?

-Well Well, so that's what you think huh?

-For better or for Fear

-CONFLICT OF INTEREST PEOPLE!!

-The End

Depth: Entires in which I may have gotton carried away...

-Well Well, so that's what you think huh?

-For better or for Fear

-If you can't say something true, don't say nothing at all

Interaction: I have things to say about my peer's blogs

-Jeremy Barrick

-Jacquelyn Johns

-Chelsea Oliver

Discussions: Aww, people like to comment on my awsome ideas!

-Well Well, so that's what you think huh?

-If you can't say something true, don't say nothing at all

-For better or for Fear

-It ain't good to use ain't

Timeliness: These entires were created on time so my peer's could respond and I could disscuss the entry in class

-It ain't good to use ain't

-If you can't say something true, don't say nothing at all

-Where's the presidents Saxaphone?

-Well Well, so that's what you think huh?

-For better or for Fear

Comments: More comments I have made on other's blogs

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=21890

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JeremyBarrick/2007/10/it_aint_necessarily_so_el227_c.html

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JeremyBarrick/2007/10/ians_ch_2_4_el227_how_media_ch.html

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JacquelynJohns/2007/10/were_still_being_duped.html

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ChelseaOliver/2007/10/i_like_making_lists.html#comments

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/VanessaKolberg/022010.html

 http://blogs.setonhill.edu/BethanyMerryman/2007/10/the_good_and_the_bad.html

 Wildcard: Get ready for my awsomely random blogging!!

OHH save yourself some pain!!

This is a sweet pumpkin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, in conclusion to our IANS readings, we learn what happens to the public when our news stories are published, that it is very difficult to be accurate with scientific findings, statistics are bad, we shouldn't cast a play where politicians are villiains, not everything about news writing is insanly hard (just most of it), and  lastly, how the media remake our picture of reality. Well, we're done kids, So lets get on with our news stories. What? your afraid of news writing now? Well, just follow everything the book warned you about and you should do fine....

IANS readings chapter 9:

"CLAIMS THE SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, HEADLINES THAT PROMISE A QUICK FIX, DIRE WARNINGS OF DANGER ABOUT A SINGLE PRODUCT OR REGIMEN, SIMPLISTIC CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM A COMPLEX STUDY," and "ADVICE BASED ON STUDIES PUBLISHED WITHOUT PEER REVIEW!"(148)

Yep, it is ironic when the researchers own stock in the company manufacturing the vaccine they developed. Financial and ideological motives in news writing are a NO. Conflict of intrest, it sends off a big red flag. Our job is not to get publicity for thigs we like or are involved in; if we wanted that maybe we would be salesmen or public speakers. Just deliver the important, non-biased information and get on with it already.

Chapter 10:

I you keep following the dark, dreary road you might not find bambie's meadow; maybe you should have explored the other alternatives...yeah, let's stop ignoring the things we don't like because everyone deserves to know the whole truth. Let's not bird pick it; explore every possible outcome, explanation and path. It gets redundant when everyone keeps talking about the same thing.