NR&W Media Journal Part Two
Post your second Media Journal per "On-line Writing" syllabus instructions (page 2).
See also a description of the Media Journal assignment on the syllabus (page 5: Week 6, Oct. 3). And be sure to review the Five Media Concepts & Questions handout for the fundamentals of media analysis.
Media Journal Part One
News Reporting & Writing Students: Please post your first Media Journal on 10/11/05 by 10pm, per syllabus instructions (see page 2, "ON-LINE WRITING").
See also a description of the Media Journal assignment on the syllabus (page 5: Week 6, 10/3). And be sure to review the Five Media Concepts & Questions handout for the fundamentals of media analysis.
Finally, here's the 'BLOG handout that we went over in class, with my version of a media journal.
News Leads
Consider the following sample leads for impact, word choice, and structure.
MEDFORD, OH – Scissors defeated rock Monday, marking the cutting instrument’s first-ever victory over its longtime nemesis. [14 words] (“Scissors”)
WASHINGTON – President Bush urged Americans on Monday to cut back on unnecessary travel to make up for fuel shortages caused by Hurricane Rita. [22 words] (Pickler)
BALTIMORE – A man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in jail for shooting a civilian police employee in a dispute over a stolen can of Spam more than 30 years ago. [30 words] (AP)
FORT HOOD, Texas – Army Pfc. Lynndie England, whose smiling poses in photos of detainee abuse at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison made her the face of the scandal, was convicted Monday by a military jury on six of seven counts. [36 words] (Badger)
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Insurgents dragged five Shiite Muslim schoolteachers and their driver into a classroom, lined them against a wall and gunned them down Monday – slayings in Iraq’s notorious Triangle of Death that reflect the enflamed sectarian divisions ahead of a crucial constitutional referendum. [41 words] (Keath)
Homeless, mentally shaken and emotionally disturbed are the last words Uptown native Cody Camacho ever thought he would use to describe himself. But it’s exactly the image that the 23-year-old has faced in the mirror everyday since he finished a tour of duty in Iraq and returned home last year. [50 words] (Caputo)
WORKS CITED
AP. “58-year-old gets 3 years for killing man over can of Spam.” Chicago Sun-Times 38 Sept. 2005: 52.
Badger, T.A. “England guilty in prisoner abuse.” Chicago Sun-Times 27 Sept. 2005: 26.
Caputo, Angela. “‘I’ve been living on a thread.’” Pioneer Press News-Star 14 Sept. 2005: 1+.
Keath, Lee. “Iraqi rebels line 5 teachers against wall and kill them.” Chicago Sun-Times 27 Sept. 2005: 38.
Pickler, Nedra. “Curb excess travel, Bush urges.” Chicago Sun-Times 27 Sept. 2005: 6.
“Scissors defeats rock.” The Onion’s Finest News Reporting. NY: Three Rivers Press, 2000: 4.
International News Sites
Please feel free to post your favorite links to international English-language news sites, in addition to the ones listed here.
Al-Ahram Weekly
Al-Jazeera
All Africa
Asia Times
British Broadcasting Service
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
China Daily
EFE News Service
Gulf Daily News
Ha'Aretz
The Jerusalem Post
The Jordan Times
Kyodo News Service, Japan
Nigerian News
OpenDemocracy
Persian Journal
Journalism Guest Speaker Series
News Reporting & Writing at Truman College welcomes you to join in the following talks with professional journalists on a variety of topics, including how to pursue stories for publication and broadcast.
Roxane Assaf speaks about Middle East media coverage and broadcast journalism on September 19 (photo courtesy of Truman College).
Sessions take place at Truman College (1145 W. Wilson), Room #2106, at 11:30am, on the following dates:
Wed., Sept. 14 — Former feature writer and editor of the Wilmington Morning Star in North Carolina, CLIFTON TRUMAN DANIEL directs Public Relations and writes web stories that represent Truman College to the world. Daniel will speak on his journalism experiences and the differences between news writing and PR. He will also talk about specific approaches to on-line reporting and writing.
Mon., Sept. 19 — Award-winning journalist and Medill graduate ROXANE ASSAF teaches at Truman in the ESL and credit programs, in addition to having been a television producer, disc jockey, documentary filmmaker, essayist, and performance artist. Her work in Bethlehem and Jerusalem won a 2002 National Arab Journalists Association's Excellence in Journalism Award. (See also Ms. Assaf's full bio.)
Wed., Oct. 12 — Staff writer at the Pioneer Press News-Star, ANGELA CAPUTO covers neighborhood news and public interest issues for the community newspaper that carries stories about Uptown and other North Side neighborhoods.
Wed., Oct. 26 — Also covering local neighborhood news, Medill School of Journalism graduate JEFF KELLY LOWENSTEIN reports for the South Shore Community News and has freelanced for NPR, the Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, Daily Southtown, and The Common Review.
Wed., Nov. 2 — Truman student at large, KARI McCLEAN represents The Night Ministry as Coordinator for Public & Media Relations. In Spring 2005, she completed the News Reporting & Writing class and contributed articles to the Uptown Exchange premiere issue. Students will learn answers to the question: What can you do with journalism classes at Truman?
Mon., Nov. 28 — Founder and editor-in-chief of the bi-monthly culture and politics mag Punk Planet (which he created when he was 19), DAN SINKER developed some of his best ideas on a skateboard at our own Wilson park, where he also dreamed up Bail magazine and Punk Planet Books. Sinker will talk about do-it-yourself journalism and publishing.
Wed., Dec. 7 — World Press prize-winning photojournalist JON LOWENSTEIN has exhibited his work locally and in the pages of Mother Jones, US News & World Report, Fortune, The New York Times, and Chicago Magazine, among other publications.
ELEMENTS of JOURNALISM Part 2
Think about the following question to summarize and comment on The Elements of Journalism, Chapters 7-10.
How does a journalist go about preparing coverage that is engaged but independent, while dealing with real-world challenges to the integrity, conscience, and profitability of news organizations? Use quotes, details, examples, or case studies from the text or class discussions and articles.
POST DUE NO LATER THAN 10pm, 9/12/05...
ELEMENTS of JOURNALISM Part 1
Do your best to summarize the ideas packed into The Elements of Journalism, Introduction through Chapter 6.
In your response, focus on one of the following questions:
1. What is journalism for?
2. Why is truth the first principle?
3. Who does a journalist work for?
4. How is verification the essence of journalism?
5. Why should journalists maintain independence from those they cover?
6. What is the journalist's relationship to power?...to the people (citizens)?
POST DUE NO LATER THAN 10pm, 9/6/05...
SYLLABUS: English 151-C (NEWS)
Welcome to News Reporting & Writing, Fall 2005!
Download the syllabus as a Word document.