Sorry about that! Here is the actual link.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
POD-O-MATIC TROUBLES
THE SERVER HAS BEEN BUSY FOR A LONG TIME AND I WILL UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO TURN IN THE AUDIO PORTION OF MY ASSIGNMENT LATE...GRADE ME HOW YOU WISH!
BROADCAST ASSIGNMENT
I’VE RECENTLY BEEN HASSELING WITH THE REALITIES OF HAVING TWO PUGS IN THE HOUSE. YOU WOULD THINK THAT ADDING TWO CUTE, FUN LOVING CREATURES INTO MY LIFE WOULD MAKE THINGS MORE RELAXING AND ENJOYABLE, RIGHT?
WRONG!
WHILE HAVING BUFFY AND PEACH AROUND HAS HAD IT PERKS, I HONESTLY CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHY I DIDN'T BUY TWO CATS INSTEAD.
I MEAN REALLY, WHY SET YOURSELF UP WITH SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO POTTY TRAIN WHEN YOU CAN GET A CAT?
CATS HAVE BEEN LITERALLY PREPROGRAMMED TO DISCARD THEIR OWN FECAL MATTER IN CONVENIENT, OUT OF THE WAY PLACES.
OR IN OTHER WORDS, THEY GO ON YOUR NEIGHBOR'S LAWN. NO CLEANUP NECESSARY!
BESIDES THE OBVIOUS, THEY ARE INDEPENDENT, CAN FEED THEMSELVES AND, LET'S FACE IT. THEY HAVE A LOT MORE CLASS THAN ANY OLD MANGY SLOBBERY DOG WILL EVER AMOUNT TO.
IN OTHER WORDS, THINK TWICE BEFORE CHOOSING FIDO OVER FLUFFY!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
How To Appear Smarter Than You Actually Are
The amount of people I've met who have declared that they were "just born stupid" is astounding. I know that everyone has been insecure about his or her intelligence at some point or other, especially when conversing with people you don't know too well. I, who have gotten mostly straight A's since middle school, still manage to feel stupid in conversation from time to time.
Thankfully it's actually pretty easy to come off as an intelligent individual with minimal effort. All you have to do is learn a few obscure facts, and presto! In this small article I will reveal several key things that you can actively begin doing to ensure coming off more intelligently in conversations, etc.
First, like I mentioned above, learning a few obscure facts can greatly enhance how smart other people perceive you. Think about it; hardly anyone you meet will know much about your area of expertise! You also won't have to worry about making mistakes because no one else will know enough about your topic to know the difference!
About now you're probably wondering how one can go about learning obscure facts in a pain-free way. No one likes going to the library to do extensive research! The answers are simple:
1. If you pick up and actually read scientific magazines you're guaranteed to literally become an expert on something weird and interesting. National Geographic and Scientific Weekly are both landmines of obscure information. My sister learned quite a deal on "bog bodies" after reading an article in National Geographic and has impressed quite a few of her friends with her knowledge.
2. If reading entire articles at a time consumes too much time for you and your schedule, you can always learn through trivia game cards and "word-a-day" calendars. Simply place them by your bed and learn a new word or fact everyday, as simple as that.
I hope that this has helped you to understand just how easy it is to appear smart, and that you apply some of these techniques in your daily lives! It's essential that every person feel comfortable with their ability to appear knowledgeable and interesting in social situations. The simple learning of obscure facts definately helps with this. If my ideas seem like too much work for you, you can always opt to not say anything at all, for "it's better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and prove it"!
News Website Critique
a) Do the news items reflect immediacy?
Yes, they do. The Santa Barbara fires are a very important story right now, and it is given the most attention ontheir the home page.
b) Does the site try to help readers save time?
No. The site takes time to navigate through. The type is in small font, and there is a lot of it on the page. You really have to focus and physically get close to the screen to find what you want out of all of the rest of the stuff they have displayed.
c) Is it quick and easy to get information?
Check above.
d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information?
Yes, although most of the pictures are quite small. It would have been nice to have some bigger ones! There was also quite a bit of text covering the page!
e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan?
Yes, there are lists and bullets, although the bullets are hard to distinguish since they are not physically separated from the bullets above and below them.
f) Are the stories broken into "chunks"?
Yes, some stories are broken into chunks. On the right hand side of the screen there are links to several stories, all with a small chunk of catchy information to get the reader to pursue the story.
g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information?
YES! For example in an article titled, "South Bay voters approving school tax measures", there is a link provided to help readers to get a better understanding of the material.
http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_12303561?nclick_check=1
h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"?
Yes, there is a designated area on the bottom of each article for people to make comments as they see put. Not many people appear to be taking advantage of this, however.
i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal?
There are no videos on the site, but there are quite a lot of photos!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Lead Exercise
LEAD #1 : As Californians grapple with ways to save water in this third consecutive dry year, Jerry Block has taken an extreme path.
Last month, the retired medical doctor had four gravity-fed, 5,000-gallon polyethylene water tanks installed on his Monte Sereno property. The system will harvest raindrops to provide irrigation for an extensive food garden.
Block sees it as a patriotic as well as an environmental statement.
LEAD #2 : Given the circumstances, Kristen Graczyk might have abandoned her pursuit of a soccer career. She has suffered three major knee injuries and wasn't drafted when the Women's Professional Soccer league began this year.
ANALYSIS : Lead #1 is a focus story lead while Lead #2 is a character lead.
Last month, the retired medical doctor had four gravity-fed, 5,000-gallon polyethylene water tanks installed on his Monte Sereno property. The system will harvest raindrops to provide irrigation for an extensive food garden.
Block sees it as a patriotic as well as an environmental statement.
LEAD #2 : Given the circumstances, Kristen Graczyk might have abandoned her pursuit of a soccer career. She has suffered three major knee injuries and wasn't drafted when the Women's Professional Soccer league began this year.
Yet she has become a starting defender for FC Gold Pride.
ANALYSIS : Lead #1 is a focus story lead while Lead #2 is a character lead.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Exploring 'White Culture'
In one of my classes we were recently assigned to present a short speech on our culture to the class. To this several of the white students complained, “What am I supposed to talk about? White people don’t have a culture!” Even I had trouble grappling with the task at hand.
And then it came to me.
There are so many different kinds of white people out there that it's hard to fit us all into one universal category. The reality is that white culture consists of a variety of sub-cultures, and it's the lifestyle you lead that defines which sub-culture you belong to. Alas, we are not culture-less after all!
Take my family as an example. We are all as white as you can get, but we definitely belong to a culture and lifestyle that differs greatly from others of our kind. What makes us different? Where we come from and the values we share. In our case this common ground is a love of hunting animals for food and sport.
I come from a family of farmers and ranchers from North Dakota, where killing your own meat is literally a way of life. When you have chickens and deer running around why go to the supermarket when you can chop a head off or go hunting? My uncle who lives in Alaska embodies this ideal perfectly; he shot a moose out of his own backyard a while ago and has been living off the meat for months now.
The fact that conversation at our family get-togethers always seems to revolve around hunting stories should have given me a clue that I had a culture a long time ago. We talk 'gun-talk' like some people talk about football!
I guess what I'm getting to is that you should never allow yourself to think that you are 'culture-less'. Just because yours pales in comparison to more colorful and obvious cultures (complete with costumes, blatantly obvious traditions and relics) doesn't mean that yours doesn't exist!
If you want to get a clear idea of what your TRUE culture is all about, think under the skin. Is there a core value, tradition or lifestyle that you and your whole family share? That alone should give you a strong clue and help you to discover that you do have a culture after all.
And then it came to me.
There are so many different kinds of white people out there that it's hard to fit us all into one universal category. The reality is that white culture consists of a variety of sub-cultures, and it's the lifestyle you lead that defines which sub-culture you belong to. Alas, we are not culture-less after all!
Take my family as an example. We are all as white as you can get, but we definitely belong to a culture and lifestyle that differs greatly from others of our kind. What makes us different? Where we come from and the values we share. In our case this common ground is a love of hunting animals for food and sport.
I come from a family of farmers and ranchers from North Dakota, where killing your own meat is literally a way of life. When you have chickens and deer running around why go to the supermarket when you can chop a head off or go hunting? My uncle who lives in Alaska embodies this ideal perfectly; he shot a moose out of his own backyard a while ago and has been living off the meat for months now.
The fact that conversation at our family get-togethers always seems to revolve around hunting stories should have given me a clue that I had a culture a long time ago. We talk 'gun-talk' like some people talk about football!
I guess what I'm getting to is that you should never allow yourself to think that you are 'culture-less'. Just because yours pales in comparison to more colorful and obvious cultures (complete with costumes, blatantly obvious traditions and relics) doesn't mean that yours doesn't exist!
If you want to get a clear idea of what your TRUE culture is all about, think under the skin. Is there a core value, tradition or lifestyle that you and your whole family share? That alone should give you a strong clue and help you to discover that you do have a culture after all.
Football Injuries
The ball-carrier from an opposing high school football team runs towards the goalpost. Pete Sternoff has the perfect opportunity to wrestle his opponent to the ground before he makes it...He leaps and braces for the contact...and his life changes right before his eyes.
Sternoff knew there were risks involved when he decided to play high school football. He didn't realize how serious they could be until that fateful game; the day he hit his head into the side of the opposing ball-carrier and cracked several vertebrae in his back.
Now confined to a wheelchair, Sternoff is not alone. Out of all of the 20,000 high school football related injuries that occur each year, roughly 35% involve injuries to the neck and head; 12% of all cases result in permanent damage. 13 youths died from football-related accidents last year alone.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
MAGAZINE PROPOSAL
I have two cousin’s who are hard-core addicted to videogames and I know that videogame addiction is becoming a serious problem in today’s world. I would love to use my firsthand experience, as well as that of my cousins and their afflicted friends, to write a magazine article on the issue. This would be especially relevant to the times since a new study was recently (I’m talking like a week ago) released proving that videogames can be as harmfully addictive as gambling addictions, etc.
NYLON MAGAZINE
Nylon Magazine is targeted at young men and women ranging from late teens to late twenties. To be more precise, the magazine appears to be geared to attract the attention of ‘trendsetter’ types who wan’t to stick out from the masses with unique clothing assortments. The magazine has a definite style that’s very laid back, and if I may say so myself, a little ‘stuck-up’ sounding. It’s focus is very fashion and looks-orientated. Most of the articles are written in a casual, ‘cool’, ‘hipster’ way that is obviously meant to appeal to its target audience. For example if my grandma were to read the magazine she would probably have to consult urbandictionary.com a couple of times!
http://www.nylonmag.com/
SLICE OF LIFE : Cats V.S. Dogs : The Age Old Debate Continues
I’ve recently been hassling with the realities of having two pugs in the house. You would think that adding two cute, fun-loving creatures to your household would make things more relaxing and enjoyable, right?
WRONG.
While having Buffy and Peach around has had its perks, I honestly can’t help but wonder why I didn’t buy two cats instead.
I mean, really, why be stuck with an animal that you have to potty train when you can buy a cat? Cats have been literally preprogrammed to discard their own fecal matter in convenient, out of the way places. They essentially do what I wish my pugs would do…crap discretely with stealth and skill on other peoples yards. No cleanup is necessary!
Cats are also very independent, something I would appreciate in my own animals. Dogs are needy, codependent and always looking to you for entertainment, which can get really annoying. Cats can entertain themselves by stalking prey or pouncing around in humorous ways.
To sum up my point, consider the following. Cats are far more sophisticated and elegant than pugs. Trust me, there is a reason why we have words like “glamourpuss” and “sex kitten”. Felines just seem a heck of a lot sexier, sleeker and cleverer than two dogs licking themselves and snorting a the corner, will ever be. Ahem, think before you choose dog over cats.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Test Yourself Pg. 174
1. A POLICE OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED A MAN WITH A GUN TODAY. THE MAN HAD HIS GUN POINTED AT THE OFFICER AND WAS REFUSING TO PUT IT DOWN. THAT WAS WHEN THE OFFICER DECIDED TO SHOOT. HERE IS [REPORTER'S NAME] LIVE WITH THE STORY.
2. POLICE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A SMALLVILLE MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY STABBED HIS WIFE AND TRIED TO SET HER ON FIRE. HERE IS [REPORTER'S NAME] LIVE WITH MORE INFORMATION.
3. RESEARCHES MAY HAVE FOUND A CURE FOR STINKY FEET. HERE IS [REPORTER'S NAME] LIVE WITH THE INSIDE SCOOP.
COPY EDIT THE WORLD PART2
1. I noticed the following mistake in Carly Bossert's "Guide for Writing Journalism Profiles".
"In the end, new is about people, and profiles are just intensive and extensive looks at newsworthy people. "
THE MISTAKE : She forgot to add the "s" that belongs in "news".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
2. I noticed the following mistake in Carly Bossert's "Guide for Writing Journalism Profiles".
"Take an while just to chat, gauging what sort of person you are dealing with, getting him or her
to trust you."
THE MISTAKE: She accidentally added an "n" to the end of what she meant to be "a".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
3. I noticed the following mistake in Carly Bossert's "Guide for Writing Journalism Profiles".
"'It was a lovely afternoon each Tuesday as I wen to the coffee shop,' said Smith."
THE MISTAKE: The author forgot to write in the "t" that belongs in the word "went".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
4. I found the following in Reyhan Harmanci's article, "Mary Roach on writing sex book 'Bonk'". It was published in San Francisco Chronicle.
"I can't exactly ask, 'Are there are women masturbating in your lab and can I come watch?' "
THE MISTAKE: The author accidentally used the second "are" in this sentence in an awkward and grammatically incorrect way.
LINK: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/04/LV6SVUPT8.DTL
5. I was looking up dream symbols on Dreammoods.com yesterday and found the following error in one of the descriptions.
"To dream that you are kissing someone else's boyfriend or girlfriend, indicates your wish to be a relationship and to experience the energy of love."
THE MISTAKE: The word "in" should be between the words "be" and "a" in this sentence.
LINK: http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=kiss
6. I found the following mistake while perusing menshealth.com. The article I found it in was titled, "How to Avoid 5 Dating Pitfalls", and I couldn't find an author's name on it.
"Later, ask her if there any unresolved issues."
THE MISTAKE: There needs to be an "are" between "there" and "any".
LINK: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/dating_advice_and_tips/index.php
7. I found the following mistake in an article in March 22's Edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The article? "Magazine to let readers choose content; Effort to mimic online news feeds" by Ryan Nakashima.
"Online advertising, through growing, hasn't generated enough revenue to offset declines in print."
THE MISTAKE: The author obviously meant to use the word "though" and somehow got an "r" mixed in somehow.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11939635?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
8. I found this one in the Mercury News as well. The article is, "Solyndra gets $535M federal loan; Fremont solar-panel maker to use funds for second factory, add 100,000 jobs" and was written by Matt Nauman. It was published on Monday the 23rd.
"The the company applied for the funds in 2006, but the process..."
THE MISTAKE: The author put two "the"'s where there should have been only one.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11959324?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
9. The San Jose Mercury News is full of typos! I found this in Monday's (the 23rd of March) edition in Larry Magio's article titled, "Follow me as I 'tweet' on the value of Twitter".
"But despite the fact I've been "tweeting" for several months and consider myself relatively hip to the tech scene and culture, I have admit there is something about Twitter that I don't fully "get".
THE MISTAKE: There needs to be a "to" in the middle of "have" and "admit" for this sentence to work. In other words he should have said "I have to admit there..."
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11952407?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
10. I found the the following error on the Ruritan National Foundation's scholarship application.
"If the questions does not apply to your situation, place N/A in the application blank."
THE MISTAKE: Whoever wrote this should have written "don't" instead of "does".
LINK: http://www.ruritan.org/publications/grantApplication.pdf
11. I found this in an online advertisement for a book called "Should You Stay Or Should You Go".
"We're also no usually taught anything about our emotions and how to deal with them that we're aware of."
THE MISTAKE: There should be a "t" at the end of that "no". It should read "We're also NOT usually..." instead of "We're also no usually..."
LINK: http://www.stayorgo.com/
"In the end, new is about people, and profiles are just intensive and extensive looks at newsworthy people. "
THE MISTAKE : She forgot to add the "s" that belongs in "news".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
2. I noticed the following mistake in Carly Bossert's "Guide for Writing Journalism Profiles".
"Take an while just to chat, gauging what sort of person you are dealing with, getting him or her
to trust you."
THE MISTAKE: She accidentally added an "n" to the end of what she meant to be "a".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
3. I noticed the following mistake in Carly Bossert's "Guide for Writing Journalism Profiles".
"'It was a lovely afternoon each Tuesday as I wen to the coffee shop,' said Smith."
THE MISTAKE: The author forgot to write in the "t" that belongs in the word "went".
LINK: http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/journalism_workshop_profiles.htm
4. I found the following in Reyhan Harmanci's article, "Mary Roach on writing sex book 'Bonk'". It was published in San Francisco Chronicle.
"I can't exactly ask, 'Are there are women masturbating in your lab and can I come watch?' "
THE MISTAKE: The author accidentally used the second "are" in this sentence in an awkward and grammatically incorrect way.
LINK: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/04/LV6SVUPT8.DTL
5. I was looking up dream symbols on Dreammoods.com yesterday and found the following error in one of the descriptions.
"To dream that you are kissing someone else's boyfriend or girlfriend, indicates your wish to be a relationship and to experience the energy of love."
THE MISTAKE: The word "in" should be between the words "be" and "a" in this sentence.
LINK: http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=kiss
6. I found the following mistake while perusing menshealth.com. The article I found it in was titled, "How to Avoid 5 Dating Pitfalls", and I couldn't find an author's name on it.
"Later, ask her if there any unresolved issues."
THE MISTAKE: There needs to be an "are" between "there" and "any".
LINK: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/dating_advice_and_tips/index.php
7. I found the following mistake in an article in March 22's Edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The article? "Magazine to let readers choose content; Effort to mimic online news feeds" by Ryan Nakashima.
"Online advertising, through growing, hasn't generated enough revenue to offset declines in print."
THE MISTAKE: The author obviously meant to use the word "though" and somehow got an "r" mixed in somehow.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11939635?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
8. I found this one in the Mercury News as well. The article is, "Solyndra gets $535M federal loan; Fremont solar-panel maker to use funds for second factory, add 100,000 jobs" and was written by Matt Nauman. It was published on Monday the 23rd.
"The the company applied for the funds in 2006, but the process..."
THE MISTAKE: The author put two "the"'s where there should have been only one.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11959324?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
9. The San Jose Mercury News is full of typos! I found this in Monday's (the 23rd of March) edition in Larry Magio's article titled, "Follow me as I 'tweet' on the value of Twitter".
"But despite the fact I've been "tweeting" for several months and consider myself relatively hip to the tech scene and culture, I have admit there is something about Twitter that I don't fully "get".
THE MISTAKE: There needs to be a "to" in the middle of "have" and "admit" for this sentence to work. In other words he should have said "I have to admit there..."
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11952407?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
10. I found the the following error on the Ruritan National Foundation's scholarship application.
"If the questions does not apply to your situation, place N/A in the application blank."
THE MISTAKE: Whoever wrote this should have written "don't" instead of "does".
LINK: http://www.ruritan.org/publications/grantApplication.pdf
11. I found this in an online advertisement for a book called "Should You Stay Or Should You Go".
"We're also no usually taught anything about our emotions and how to deal with them that we're aware of."
THE MISTAKE: There should be a "t" at the end of that "no". It should read "We're also NOT usually..." instead of "We're also no usually..."
LINK: http://www.stayorgo.com/
Soft Broadcast Lead
Cake Alarms Firefighters
A 95-YEAR OLD WOMAN'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS INVADED BY FIREFIGHTERS YESTERDAY.
ONE MABEL MCCULLOUGH WAS CELEBRATING HER BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH SOME FRIENDS FROM CHURCH. WHEN SHE BLEW OUT ALL OF THE 95 CANDLES ON HER CAKE IT CREATED A CLOUD OF SMOKE. MCCOLLOUGH AND HER GUESTS DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE SMOKE HAD SET OFF THE BUILDING'S FIRE ALARM. EVERYONE RECEIVED QUITE A SHOCK WHEN 24 FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED AT THE DOOR MINUTES LATER LOOKING FOR A FIRE TO FIGHT!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Playing Editor
A sophomore at Springfield University claims a chemistry professor has sexually harassed her.
Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.
"I am having trouble in the class and I have to go see him to get help with my papers and projects," Hart said. "But I am scared to go in his office now."
Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it published the story.
Hart said she is thinking of filing a formal complaint with the university.
"I don't know how to do that," she said. "I don't know what to do."
CONSENSUS : I would not publish this article. One student's testimony is not enough evidence to back up a story with such hefty accusations against someone. For all we know the student is trying to get back at her professor by spreading a false rumor about him. I would wait to publish this story when I found out that she was actually serious about filing a report. It would only be safe to proceed with this story once the police get involved and more evidence pops up that strongly suggests she is right. Until then I would take Jungle's libel suit threat very seriously!
Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.
"I am having trouble in the class and I have to go see him to get help with my papers and projects," Hart said. "But I am scared to go in his office now."
Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it published the story.
Hart said she is thinking of filing a formal complaint with the university.
"I don't know how to do that," she said. "I don't know what to do."
CONSENSUS : I would not publish this article. One student's testimony is not enough evidence to back up a story with such hefty accusations against someone. For all we know the student is trying to get back at her professor by spreading a false rumor about him. I would wait to publish this story when I found out that she was actually serious about filing a report. It would only be safe to proceed with this story once the police get involved and more evidence pops up that strongly suggests she is right. Until then I would take Jungle's libel suit threat very seriously!
Ethical Decision-Making : 3 Questions
Scenario 1
You are interviewing a high government
official about her involvement in a bribery
scheme, when she is called out of her office.
While alone, you notice some documents on
her desk that appear to be related to your
investigation.
Would you read them? Take them? Ask her
about them when she returns?
You are interviewing a high government
official about her involvement in a bribery
scheme, when she is called out of her office.
While alone, you notice some documents on
her desk that appear to be related to your
investigation.
Would you read them? Take them? Ask her
about them when she returns?
CONSENSUS : I would read as much as I could off of them before she got back and then ask her about them. I would admit that I had noticed them while she was gone and that I would like an explanation. If she left them on her desk in plain view it wouldn't be my fault that I happened to notice them!
Scenario 2
Conditions at a local nursing home are
known to be substandard. It’s privately
owned, and efforts to gain admittance or
information have failed.
Your editor asks you to get a job as an
orderly and write a story based on your
first-hand experiences.
Would you do it? Why or why not?
CONSENSUS: Yes I would. I would be honest on my application to work at the nursing home though. If the nursing home hired me and I happened to notice that patients were being maltreated while on the job, whose to stop me from reporting the place to the authorities or write an article about my experiences? As long as you go about it honestly you shouldn't get into too much trouble in the aftermath!
Scenario 3
You are writing a feature story and
find some excellent quotes about your
subject from another written source.
–May you use those quotes as if you
obtained them yourself, or must you
credit the other written source?
–What if you obtained the quotes from a
web site?
Conditions at a local nursing home are
known to be substandard. It’s privately
owned, and efforts to gain admittance or
information have failed.
Your editor asks you to get a job as an
orderly and write a story based on your
first-hand experiences.
Would you do it? Why or why not?
CONSENSUS: Yes I would. I would be honest on my application to work at the nursing home though. If the nursing home hired me and I happened to notice that patients were being maltreated while on the job, whose to stop me from reporting the place to the authorities or write an article about my experiences? As long as you go about it honestly you shouldn't get into too much trouble in the aftermath!
Scenario 3
You are writing a feature story and
find some excellent quotes about your
subject from another written source.
–May you use those quotes as if you
obtained them yourself, or must you
credit the other written source?
–What if you obtained the quotes from a
web site?
CONSENSUS: If they were excellent quotes I would use them, but give credit to the other source. I wouldn't use them overwhelmingly in my article though. If I found them on a website I would use them only if the website was my sources own, personal site. For example, if I was writing an article on Mary Roach I wouldn't think twice about quoting something she wrote herself on her own website. I would also definately mention where I found it.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Fog Index
SAMPLE OF MY WRITING
"The city of San Francisco has recently created a new law that went into effect on the first of January of this year that will help to curb obesity from further manifesting itself in it’s citizens; the Bicycle Tax Credit (BTC). Passed as part of the $700 billion bailout plan, the BTC has granted tax cuts to those who commute to work via bicycle. The law also allows employers to reimburse their bicycle-commuting employees up to twenty dollars per month for bicycle-commuting related expenses that may come up (Westlind 2008). This law helps to fight the obesity epidemic by giving people a monetary incentive to exercise and practice healthy habits."
FOG INDEX :18.1
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS
Wow! I really need to cut my sentences short! Looking back I could have shortened the first sentence into two different sentences and maybe used a couple of simpler words to make this more friendly on the eyes. I need to keep it short and sweet!
"The city of San Francisco has recently created a new law that went into effect on the first of January of this year that will help to curb obesity from further manifesting itself in it’s citizens; the Bicycle Tax Credit (BTC). Passed as part of the $700 billion bailout plan, the BTC has granted tax cuts to those who commute to work via bicycle. The law also allows employers to reimburse their bicycle-commuting employees up to twenty dollars per month for bicycle-commuting related expenses that may come up (Westlind 2008). This law helps to fight the obesity epidemic by giving people a monetary incentive to exercise and practice healthy habits."
FOG INDEX :18.1
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS
Wow! I really need to cut my sentences short! Looking back I could have shortened the first sentence into two different sentences and maybe used a couple of simpler words to make this more friendly on the eyes. I need to keep it short and sweet!
Got What It Takes To Be A Reporter?
MY SCORE: 22
According to this little quiz journalism is overall a good fit for me but I’ll have to “change my attitude or improve some skills” first. This makes total sense to me, since meeting deadlines is a laborious effort for me. I’m a perfectionist, and whipping out news stories under pressure as a career doesn't appeal to me at all. I like writing, but I think that working for a magazine or as an author would be more my pace.
According to this little quiz journalism is overall a good fit for me but I’ll have to “change my attitude or improve some skills” first. This makes total sense to me, since meeting deadlines is a laborious effort for me. I’m a perfectionist, and whipping out news stories under pressure as a career doesn't appeal to me at all. I like writing, but I think that working for a magazine or as an author would be more my pace.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
REVISIONS!
News Story #5
A crash involving a runaway asphalt truck left four people injured, a house in flames and several cities without power in and around El Cerrito today.
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a house on Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into the residence, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovate version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more expansive and innovative a website is, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. To gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholin’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?” I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small area you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; that way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
2) Lt. Cmdr. John Carpenter was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff, when his ball went out of bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a house on Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into the residence, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
The Future of News
The problem with moving the news online is that so far we have not found a way to securely finance and profit from doing so. Judging from the readings we were assigned for this assignment I have come to the conclusion that journalism agencies will only succeed in their online endeavors if they do the following things.First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovate version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more expansive and innovative a website is, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. To gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholin’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?” I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small area you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; that way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
AP Style Exercise (M-R)
1) He hopes to make a billion dollars by the time he’s 40. Already he figures his net worth is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock market prices. (3)2) Lt. Cmdr. John Carpenter was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff, when his ball went out of bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)
Math for Journalists
1. COLLEGE BUDGET
*Of the college's budget, 67% comes from the state, 5% comes from student tuition and 28% comes from fees, grants and gifts.
* The average prison term for someone convicted for aggravated assault is 1 year and 1o months.
*The most significant source of funding comes from the state and the least amount comes from tuition.
* About two thirds of the schools budget comes from the state, a little less than a third of it comes from fees, grants and tuition and only 5% comes from student tuition.
2. PRISON TERMS
* The average prison term for someone convicted for aggravated assault is 1 year and 1o months.
* The median prison term for someone convicted for aggravated assault is I year
* The median is more representative, since it shows that most of the inmates are actually sentenced to 1 year in prison, whereas the average isn't equally as representative.
3. California's state sales tax is 8.5%. If restaurants become exempt from the sales tax someone who pays $5 dollars for a meal once a week will save $21.45 a year. Someone who spends $20 dollars for a meal once a week will save $85.80.
JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise (S-Z)
1) He thought of Smokey Bear every time he got near a smoldering fire or entered a smoky room. (3)
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a travelers' advisory. (3)
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags. (3)
4) His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt. (2)
5) A 19-year-old youth was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown. (4)
6) She’d hoped to be able to trade in her car after getting a tuneup, but she totaled it last night. (3)
7) Could you photocopy that invoice for me? I need it for our year-end budget. (2)
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a travelers' advisory. (3)
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags. (3)
4) His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt. (2)
5) A 19-year-old youth was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown. (4)
6) She’d hoped to be able to trade in her car after getting a tuneup, but she totaled it last night. (3)
7) Could you photocopy that invoice for me? I need it for our year-end budget. (2)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
AP Style Exercise (M-R)
1) He hopes to make a billion dollars by the time he’s forty. Already he figures his net worth is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock market prices. (3)
2) Lt. Cmdr. John Carpenter was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff, when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)
2) Lt. Cmdr. John Carpenter was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff, when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)
REVISIONS!
Copy Edit the World Part 1
1. In response to your confusion about error #1, there was a fragment in between both of the paragraphs I included in my sample of the article. "Open primaries" does not make sense or stand on its own as a sentence, and yet it is placed on the page as if it is supposed to be an entire paragraph or something. The words don't make sense there! (It was really weird).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters were alarmed yesterday when 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake set off fire alarm.
Everything kicked off when all 95 candles on Mabel McCollough's cake were lit.
Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.”
It was no surprise when a huge cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after McCollough blew them out! No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene.
"In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
1. In response to your confusion about error #1, there was a fragment in between both of the paragraphs I included in my sample of the article. "Open primaries" does not make sense or stand on its own as a sentence, and yet it is placed on the page as if it is supposed to be an entire paragraph or something. The words don't make sense there! (It was really weird).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters were alarmed yesterday when 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake set off fire alarm.
Everything kicked off when all 95 candles on Mabel McCollough's cake were lit.
Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.”
It was no surprise when a huge cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after McCollough blew them out! No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene.
"In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
A newlywed couple was carjacked Saturday night in San Mateo when they stopped for a snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Ave. on the way to their honeymoon suite.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima. He had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
According to the police the groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima. He had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
According to the police the groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Future of News
The problem with moving the news online is that so far we have not found a way to securely finance and profit from doing so. Judging from the readings we were assigned for this assignment I have come to the conclusion that journalism agencies will only succeed in their online endeavors if they do the following things.
First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovated version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more innovative and original a website it, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. In order to gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholins’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?”,I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; thar way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
First of all, and most importantly, news agencies must not begin to charge their readers for content that they already receive for free. Doing so will only redirect readers to other news sources that offer similar content for nothing at all, especially now during the economic crisis. However, charging people to access a more expansive and innovated version of what they can already access for free is more likely to generate profits by tantalizing people into subscribing to it.
It is also absolutely imperative for news agencies to create creative and entertaining websites if they are to succeed. The more innovative and original a website it, the more likely it is to accumulate fans and loyal readers. In order to gain advertising revenue you have to first become popular and gain viewers; you can’t to that by being like every other news website!
After reading a handful of articles about the fiuture of journalism I have come to the conclusion that creating a small online news website could be a possible career endeavor for me. Judging from Ryan Sholins’s article, “Are we asking the right questions about online revenue models?”,I realized that creating a news website dedicated to covering local news could be profitable. If you cover a relatively small you can use local businesses to advertise on your site; thar way they would be able to target people in the area and you would be able to profit from it. He also pointed out that craigslist.com hasn’t completely taken over classified ad sales, and that there is still a dollar to be made selling classified ads. People would also be attracted by the proximity of the stories featured on the site.
News Story #5
A crash involving a runaway asphalt truck left four people injured, a house in flames and several cities without power in and around El Cerrito today.
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into a residential home, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples immediately began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety just in the nick of time.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. We do not currently know how the driver lost control of the vehicle.
The crash happened when the driver of the 10-wheel hauler lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of Moeser Lane. Five vehicles were smashed and one power pole snapped in two before the vehicle finally came to a stop after plowing into a residential home, causing both the truck and the single-story house to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene and said that he immediately heard cries coming from the burning house and truck. Maples immediately began digging through the debris and found the driver of the truck mangled and unable to move. He and another rescue worker were able to grab his hand and pull him to safety just in the nick of time.
Maples said, "We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there."
The truck also hit a Honda sedan, which was left so crumpled that rescue workers had to slice and peel back its roof in order to free the driver trapped inside. Two other vehicles, including one with a man and boy inside, were also hit by the truck, but no other injuries were reported.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the house that was hit, said that at first he thought the crash was an earthquake. “This is unbelievable” he said while looking across the street and surveying the smoldering aftermath of the accident.
The driver of the truck, a San Jose man whose name has not yet been released, broke both of his legs in the crash and is currently listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. We do not currently know how the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Copy Edit the World Part 1
1. I found the following peculiar mistake in Mike Zapler's article, "Schwarzenegger signs budget deal" that was placed in Friday's edition of the San Jose Mercury News.
"... Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento — who Tuesday had ordered that legislators be locked inside the Capitol building until they forged a deal — at one point ordered recalcitrant Democrats into his office one by one to try to win their cooperation.
Open primaries
Even so, when the Senate resumed session about 3:40 a.m., four Democrats initially refused to vote for Maldonado's..."
THE MISTAKE : There is a fragment in-between both of these body paragraphs. The author should have edited it out or expanded upon its original purpose.
Open primaries
Even so, when the Senate resumed session about 3:40 a.m., four Democrats initially refused to vote for Maldonado's..."
THE MISTAKE : There is a fragment in-between both of these body paragraphs. The author should have edited it out or expanded upon its original purpose.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11750411?nclick_check=1
2. I found another grammatical error in one of the later paragraphs of the same article by Mike Zapler. Here is the sentence with the problem:
"State Controller John Chiang's office is awaiting the state Department of Finance to provide details of the budget, which are expected in about a week, before determining when payments can resume".
THE MISTAKE: The author forgot to put a period mark after the last word of this sentence, 'resume'.
LINK: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11750411?nclick_check=1
3. 1. While surfing www.omg.yahoo.com I came accross a photo of Jessica Alba that had a typo in it's caption:
"Jessica Alba may be back to her pre-baby body, but getting their wasn't easy. The actress told Elle magazine that her workouts were so grueling that she would cry afterwards."
THE MISTAKE: Whoever wrote this made a word usage mistake. He or she should have used the word "there" instead of "their" in the first sentence.
LINK : http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/week-in-photos-february-1-7-2009/2636?nc#id=9
4. I noticed a spelling mistake in the first sentence of the directions for our "News Story #2 : Cathedral Robbery" assignment:
"You're at your desk in the San Francisco bureau of a newspaper, working on a sotry and listening to the police scanner.
THE MISTAKE : The word "story" is mistakenly spelled "sotry" in the first sentence.
LINK : http://jmcweb.sjsu.edu/mccune/61/cathedralrobbery.html
5. While reading through the article, "Dating Secret Exposed: Why Nice Guys Finish Last" by April Masini (a "Special to Yahoo! Personals) I noticed that the author started a lot of her sentences incorrectly, as in the following example:
"And as obvious as that sounds, if you are one of those guys I described that is exactly what you are trying to do. And it won't work."
THE MISTAKE: The author started these sentences with "and", which is grammatically incorrect. She should have omitted the word 'and' from the first sentence and changed the period at the end of the first sentence into a comma.
LINK: http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singles/datingtips/85967/dating-secret-exposed-why-nice-guys-finish-last
TOP NEWS #4
Mike Zapler and Edwin Garcia wrote a newsworthy piece in yesterday's San Jose Mercury News that is simply titled, "Schwarzenegger signs budget deal".
This article is newsworthy because...
1. Governor Swarzenegger is the man who signed the bill and is mentioned in the title, which adds prominence to the issue at hand.
2. It is also current, since the whole ordeal of coming up with a budget to save California from going broke has been in the news for the past three months.
3. Since the budget deal will steeply increase taxes wether voters accept it or not, the article has an impact factor that makes it newsworthy.
4. The budget was signed recently, which makes this article timely.
5. The fact California assembly members were literally forced to stay at their jobs until they came up with a budget deal adds an element of the bizarre to this story.
6. The article also addressed the conflict between assembly members as they created the budget deal.
7. To top it off the budget deal that was signed by the governor will only affect Californians, which make up the San Jose Mercury New's primary audience (proximity).
Two Feature Leads
TULSA, Oklah. – Firefighters alarmed by 95-year-old woman’s “torch” of a birthday cake.
The women from the United Methodist Church’s women’s group decided to throw Mabel McCollough a party for her 95th birthday. Although seemingly excessive and uncommon amongst elderly birthday celebrators, it was decided that Mable would have her cake adorned with one candle per year that she has lived; a total of 95 candles. Eddi Carlin, one of the guests at the event, remarked, “There wasn’t an inch to spare [on the cake]. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch.” It was no surprise when a big cloud of smoke was left hanging in the room after Mable blew them out!
No one, however, expected that it would attract 24 firefighters to the scene in search of a fire to put out! Apparently the smoke from the blown out candles had set off a smoke alarm, which attracted them to the scene. "In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake," said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb.
The firefighters didn't stick around for birthday cake, but did take pictures with the birthday girl.
News Story #4: The Carjacker
A newlywed couple was carjacked Saturday night when they stopped for a snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Ave. on the way to their honeymoon suite.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima and had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
The groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
According to Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney, the groom had left his wife in the passenger seat of their 2003 Nissan Ultima and had barely made it to the entrance of the restaurant when a man high on methamphetamines bolted across the parking lot and leaped into their idling vehicle.
The groom managed to pull his screaming wife from their car just before their confused assailant, 21-year-old Alan Ticas-Soto, crashed it into a Taco Bell sign. Ticas-Soto then took off running and was later found going southbound on South Delaware Street where he was arrested without incident.
He is currently being held in San Mateo County Prison and is faced with carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. “If he is found guilty, [he] could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking,” says Wolcott.
News Story #3: Gas Line Break
Four blocks were evacuated yesterday in the aftermath of the accidental severing of a high-pressure gas pipe near Folsom and 11th Streets.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker on the scene said that a private construction crew had accidentally severed the two-inch underground pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30 p.m.while trying to repair sewer lines. The resulting gas expulsion posed such a hazard that police cordoned off four blocks surrounding the area, which led to tied up traffic and the complete evacuation of the entire four block area.
At least 100 people were evacuated, including neighborhood residents, business owners and their customers. Samantha Feldman, manager of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, says that she lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown after her employees and patrons were forced to leave.
One business managed to remain open throughout the ordeal. Carlann Lauria, the manager of a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th St., moved her employees outside of the police perimeter and conducted business as usual. When asked how she felt about the accident, Lauria said, “Just ask my customers. They were pretty irate.”
According the PG&E the gas was finally turned back on at approximately 5:09 p.m. yesterday.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker on the scene said that a private construction crew had accidentally severed the two-inch underground pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30 p.m.while trying to repair sewer lines. The resulting gas expulsion posed such a hazard that police cordoned off four blocks surrounding the area, which led to tied up traffic and the complete evacuation of the entire four block area.
At least 100 people were evacuated, including neighborhood residents, business owners and their customers. Samantha Feldman, manager of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, says that she lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown after her employees and patrons were forced to leave.
One business managed to remain open throughout the ordeal. Carlann Lauria, the manager of a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th St., moved her employees outside of the police perimeter and conducted business as usual. When asked how she felt about the accident, Lauria said, “Just ask my customers. They were pretty irate.”
According the PG&E the gas was finally turned back on at approximately 5:09 p.m. yesterday.
JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise (I-L)
1) The last time she played soccer, she suffered a serious injury to her knee. Sometimes it's hard to understand why she wants to keep playing. (2)
2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)
3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)
4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)
2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)
3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)
4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Top News 3
An article that I found on abc.com entitled "Senate Approves $787B Stimulus Plan" that was written by Jonathan Karl, Byron Wold, Huma Khan and Christina Caron is newsworthy in every single way mentioned on the UNCP website.
The article describes how the $787 billion economic stimulus bill was passed by the Senate late Friday night by a vote of 60-38. Apparently it was almost entirely supported by Democrats, with no Republicans whatsoever supporting the measure. The stimulus plan consists of a package of tax cuts and public works spending. President Obama also is quoted in the article saying that the results of this huge expenditure might not be noticeable for years to come.
The article is newsworthy first and foremost because the topic of the stimulus plan is currently a timely topic that has been splattered all over the media for the past year. It will affect all Americans, which adds proximity to the story.The article also quotes Obama saying that the positive results associated with the plan will not begin to have take effect as soon as we all expected, which will definitely have an impact on all Americans, especially their attitudes.
The article is also newsworthy because it addresses the controversy and strife now present between the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, which makes for intriguing news.
To top it off, this story definately has an element of the bizarre. It is undeniably strange that the bill, which will have a huge impact on Americans, was passed without the well-wishing of any of the Republicans in the Senate!
LINK: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6870873&page=1
The article describes how the $787 billion economic stimulus bill was passed by the Senate late Friday night by a vote of 60-38. Apparently it was almost entirely supported by Democrats, with no Republicans whatsoever supporting the measure. The stimulus plan consists of a package of tax cuts and public works spending. President Obama also is quoted in the article saying that the results of this huge expenditure might not be noticeable for years to come.
The article is newsworthy first and foremost because the topic of the stimulus plan is currently a timely topic that has been splattered all over the media for the past year. It will affect all Americans, which adds proximity to the story.The article also quotes Obama saying that the positive results associated with the plan will not begin to have take effect as soon as we all expected, which will definitely have an impact on all Americans, especially their attitudes.
The article is also newsworthy because it addresses the controversy and strife now present between the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, which makes for intriguing news.
To top it off, this story definately has an element of the bizarre. It is undeniably strange that the bill, which will have a huge impact on Americans, was passed without the well-wishing of any of the Republicans in the Senate!
LINK: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6870873&page=1
Friday, February 13, 2009
AP Style #2 (E-H)
1. His new book on elections and the Electoral College is entitled “Does Your Vote Count”?
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her.
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier.
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.
5. The boys' stories didn’t jibe, so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth.
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner.
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her.
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier.
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.
5. The boys' stories didn’t jibe, so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth.
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
News Writing #2 : Cathedral Robbery
Two Taiwanese tourists were robbed at gunpoint today in St. Mary’s Cathedral parking lot, according to Sgt. Lawrence Price of the San Francisco Police Department.
The victims, WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30, were robbed at around 10 a.m. when they separated from their tour group to take pictures. Alone and in the cathedral’s lower parking lot they were then approached by a man who threatened them with a gun and demanded their money. Not satisfied with the $100 dollars WeiMing initially handed over, the offender only fled the scene after the couple had also surrendered their passports, camera and airline tickets.
The victims described their assailant, who has not yet been captured by police, as being approximately 18-years-old and wearing a black jacket. Nobody knows if the victims were able to made it back home to Taipei with the rest of their tour group, who were scheduled to leave today at 1 p.m.
The victims, WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30, were robbed at around 10 a.m. when they separated from their tour group to take pictures. Alone and in the cathedral’s lower parking lot they were then approached by a man who threatened them with a gun and demanded their money. Not satisfied with the $100 dollars WeiMing initially handed over, the offender only fled the scene after the couple had also surrendered their passports, camera and airline tickets.
The victims described their assailant, who has not yet been captured by police, as being approximately 18-years-old and wearing a black jacket. Nobody knows if the victims were able to made it back home to Taipei with the rest of their tour group, who were scheduled to leave today at 1 p.m.
News Story #1 - Firefighters
A fifty-year old man was rescued by firefighters from his burning home on Annapolis Way yesterday.
San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper attests that the victim, a retired Robert Kent, was found lying unconscious and surrounded by flames on his kitchen floor. Firefighters quickly pulled him to safety, but not before he had suffered second and third-degree burns on 50% of his body.
Apparently Kent did not have a fire alarm installed in his home, which prevented a prompt response from firefighters. By the time help arrived on the scene smoke had engulfed the entire single-story home and the fire within it had already spread to the attic.
Kent is currently being treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where a nursing supervisor has commented that he is in grave condition.
San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper attests that the victim, a retired Robert Kent, was found lying unconscious and surrounded by flames on his kitchen floor. Firefighters quickly pulled him to safety, but not before he had suffered second and third-degree burns on 50% of his body.
Apparently Kent did not have a fire alarm installed in his home, which prevented a prompt response from firefighters. By the time help arrived on the scene smoke had engulfed the entire single-story home and the fire within it had already spread to the attic.
Kent is currently being treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where a nursing supervisor has commented that he is in grave condition.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Top News #2
Although not on the front page of the Mercury News, the article titled, "Obama: FDA too slow in tracking tainted food" and written by the Associated Press, is beyond newsworthy.
The article addresses Obama's reaction to the wide distribution of salmonella-laced peanut products that has lead to 550 cases of poisoning and 8 deaths as of far. Apparently the distributor, Peanut Corp., had tested their products, found they were contaminated and still placed them into the open market. The scariest part of this is that a large percentage of the contaminated peanut products went to public schools.
Because Peanut Corp. also chose not to disclose the salmonella outbreak to the FDA, Obama has decided to take firm action to prevent future outbreaks.
This issue is important mostly because of the impact it has already had on the American people in lieu of the deaths and sicknesses caused by the salmonella outbreak. Because the outbreak ocurred here in the U.S. and was affecting public school students, many people will also be afraid for their own personal safety as well as that of their families. This alone is guaranteed to get people interested in the topic due to its fear factor.
Besides all of that the article is also timely and current; people are presently all too eager to hear about the changes Obama will make while in office. This article will surely grab their attention.
Leads Exercise 5
Fact Set #1: Pipe fitter
Immediate Identification Lead
- Duane La Chance, a Gross Engineers employee, suffered third degree burns and was listed in serious condition last night after accidentally electrocuting himself on the job at the Springfield Municipal Power Plant.
Delayed Identification Lead
- A Gross Engineers employee was rushed into the intensive care unit yesterday after being injured on the job. He was listed as being in serious condition Wednesday.
Fact Set #2: Car Accident
Immediate Identification Lead
- No serious injuries resulted when Wayne Clay, 19, crossed over the divider line and crashed head-on into James Cunning's Ford Focus on U.S. 63 today. Cunning is currently in satisfactory condition at Springfield hospital.
Delayed Identification Lead
- A head on collision between a Ford Focus and a vehicle that crossed over the divider line north of Blue Ridge Road on U.S. 63 left no one seriously injured, said Lincoln County Sheriff Dept.
Leads #4
4a) Smoking Wheels
A Northwest Airlines jet was evacuated at Wisconsin's Municipal Airport today after it was deemed unsafe to take off.
Passengers aboard Flight 428 were following up a flight from Minneapolis when a landing tower employee spotted smoke near the plane's wheels. All forty passengers were promptly escorted off, and the cause of the smoke is currently unknown.
4b) Missing Boy
A boy who had been missing for three years was found after a missing child alert was aired at a movie showing in Brick Township, New Jersey.
After recognizing the boy's picture in the alert that aired after the showing of Adam: The Song Continues, a neighbor promptly called the police. The boys' mother, one Ellen Lynn Conner, is now facing charges of kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.
Lead #3
The Amtrak train Colonial collided into three Conrail locomotives near Chase today. The northbound Conrails appear to have run a stop sign at a track merger, Amtrak spokesperson Larry Chase said.
Friday, February 6, 2009
AP Style Exercise (A-D)
1. Mayor Richard Wrigley expressed confidence that the gubernatorial debate, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will have a positive effect on his candidacy. He added, "Gov. Red Davidson is a master of dirty politics, but I won't take any of his baloney."(4)
2. For her birthday, the 9-year-old girl invited five good friends over for ice cream and cake. The chocolate cake was so good that any one of the children could have eaten it all, but they carefully divided it among themselves. (4)
3. Persuaded of the bill's importance, members of the Democratic and Republican parties came together on Capitol Hill to support anti-terrorism legislation, despite their differences on other issues. (4)
4. ROME - All around the world, Roman Catholics today listened as the pope delivered his homily. (3)
Week 1 Assignment Revisions
LEADS EXERCISES #1
Lead #1 : A local couple won $150,000 in damages in Butte County Court today after suffering injuries in a car crash in March.
Lead #3 : Three firefighters were injured fighting a fire in a six-story building at 204 Union Ave today. All 41 families living in the building were successfully evacuated, police say.
LEADS EXERCISES #2
One hundred-and-thirty-one people aboard a U.S. Air plane died yesterday in one of the worst airplane disasters the United States has seen in three years. The plane, which was flying out of Chicago and headed towards Pittsburgh, crashed into the ground during landing for reasons that remain unknown.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Leads Exercises #2
A U.S. plane flying out of Chicago smashed into the ground outside of Pittsburgh yesterday, killing all of the 131 passengers onboard in one of the worst airplane disasters this country has seen in the past three years. The crash occurred during landing, but not much else is known about what caused the accident.
Leads Exercises #1
Lead #1 : A local couple who suffered injuries in a car accident in March won $150,000 in damages in Butte County Court today.
Lead #2 : Forecasters say that another snow storm is expected to hit the Sierras today as a part of a larger series of storms that will be passing through the area in the days to come.
Lead #3 : Three firefighters were injured in their attempt to squelch a fire that erupted in a six-story building at 204 Union Ave today. All of the 41 families who inhabited the building were successfully evacuated, police said.
News Worthy Article
One of the most important and newsworthy pieces of news to surface this week was addressed in Mike Zapler and Frank Davies' article, "Judge gives OK to furlough state workers", that was published on last Friday, the 30th of January. The article explained how a Sacramento judge gave Governor Schwarzenegger the green light to go ahead and cut two workdays out of state employee's work schedules, and is important and newsworthy because it includes five out of the seven main news values mentioned in our textbook.
The topic covered in the article concerns a measure that was approved of recently, which illustrates that it is timely. It will also have a discernible impact on not only the hundreds of thousands of state employees directly affected by the measure but also on the general public who won't be able to access government facilities like the DMV on the affected days. The fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the man behind the change also makes this story more grabbing since people are more apt to be interested in hearing about what he is up to rather than the goings on of a less recognizable politician. Because the topic also concerns a current and popular topic being addressed in the media these days (the economic crisis) and will be affecting the main audience of the Mercury News, Californians, it is without doubt that it deserved its spot on the front page of yesterdays newspaper. What about this story doesn't make it front page worthy?
*Link to this article : http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11581816
Sunday, January 25, 2009
First Post!
Hey!
My name's Kate. I'm a second-year Sophomore here at San Jose State majoring in Spanish because I wanted an excuse to study abroad in Spain and force myself to take a year of French, a major requirement. I'm also minoring in Magazine Journalism (a minor that although not placed in the SJSU Course Catalog I am presuming to still exist) and thus have found myself here in this class due to requirement reasons.
Don't get me wrong though, I expect to have a lot of fun with this class! I chose to minor in Magazine Journalism because I like to research things and write about them; no one ever believes me when I say that, but it's true!
Anyway I also expect to not forget that I am taking this class, as I will be continuously writing "Remember Jour 61" on my hand for the rest of the semester in hopes that it will save me in the case that I forget!
When it comes to the media I am most interested in magazines (I can read them for HOURS), the A&E Section of the Mercury News (I am a regular Dear Abby and Food Section reader) and food television ('Ace of Cakes' and 'Iron Chef' are some of my personal favorites).
Anyway I look forward to this class!
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