CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

*OBITUARIES

Hofstra University * Professor Vaccaro * JRNL 11

Today’s roadmap AP Style Quiz

Lecture on crime and punishment reporting

Lecture on obituariesGo over Assignment No. 3

The basics Police reporters cover vast array of

newsBreaking storiesFeaturesInterpretative articlesInvestigative reporting

The basics Police reporting comes with

CrimeAccidentsFiresDepartmental activityDepartmental integrityOther law enforcement agencies

The basics Access

Police issues office press passPolice provide access to crime reports

NamesGenerally only used when someone is chargedPolice blotters list all people arrested (though not

formally charged) Wording of stories

*Innocent until proven guilty Attribution

Attribute all accusatory sentences and info

Things to think about Victims: Get all names, ages, hometowns, info,

etc. Suspects: Names, ages, addresses Cause of fatalities or injuries Location of incident Time of incident What happened- the details Arrests and charges filed Eyewitness accounts Play detective – think in their shoes

Homicide checklist Lots of questions to ask …

Victim, identificationTime, date, place of deathWeapon used, where was it obtained?Official cause of death or authoritative commentWho discovered bodyClues; any identification of slayerPolice comments, motivation for crimeComments from neighbors/friendsAny police record for victim; any connection with

criminal activityConsequences to victim’s family, others

Motor Vehicle Accidents Speed, destination, and directions of vehicles

and exact location at the time of the accident Cause of accident, arrests, citations, damages Victims’ use of required equipment, such as

seat belts and bicycle or motorcycle helmets Weather-related info Alcohol-or-drug info Rescue attempts Hospital, end location of victim(s)

Burglaries and robberies What was taken and the value of the

goods? Types of weapons used How entry was made Similar circumstances, and or odd

conditions

Fires Time fire started, time fire companies

arrived, time it took to put out fire Number of companies responding Deaths, injuries, victims Cause of the fire Who discovered the fire, extent of the

damage, insurance coverage Smoke detector condition Fire inspective record

Cautions Double check everything … you can

never be too sure. It’s sensitive material.

Juvenile records … usually are sealed and generally the press shy away from using this information for young offenders.

*Innocent until proven guilty

Other coverage notes Campus crime

Check with university relationsCheck with public safetyRemember they’re your peers

FiresFind officer/chief/fire marshal in charge for commentStand behind fire lines for your safety

Courts and trialsFollow security protocolsCheck if you’re allowed to have a phone or camera

Obituaries Before interviews: do your homework and background

checks

Make it lively, not dull and boring

Things to include … Name – full name, with initialsIdentification

○ Describe this person’s life in one brief phrase○ The lead starts with that brief summary about their life/interests/impact

AgeDate and place of deathCause of death (not always required)Address: Hometown of person when they died

Obituaries Background

Accomplishments, organizations, educational background, military background, major interests

SurvivorsNames of immediate family membersGrandchildren mentioned by number“He was survived by five grandchildren.”

ServicesSpecify time, date, location

BurialName of place and memorial info

Obituary structure 1 NAME / ANNOUNCEMENT

Full name of the deceased, including nickname, if any

Age at deathResidence (for example, the name of the

city) at deathDay and date of death (remember to

include the year)Place of deathCause of death

Obituary structure 2  LIFE

Date of birth  Place of birth Names of parents Childhood: siblings, stories, schools, friends Marriage(s): date of, place, name of spouse Education: school, college, university and other Designations, awards, and other recognition Employment: jobs, activities, stories, colleagues, satisfactions,

promotions, union activities, frustrations,  Places of residence Hobbies, sports, interests, activities, and other enjoyment Charitable, religious, fraternal, political, and other affiliations; positions

held Achievements Disappointments

Unusual attributes, humour, other stories

Obituary structure 3  FAMILY

Survived by (and place of residence):○ Spouse○ Children (in order of date of birth, and their spouses)○ Grandchildren○ Great-grandchildren○ Great-great-grandchildren○ Parents○ Grandparents○ Siblings (in order of date of birth)○ Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws○ Friends○ Pets (if appropriate)

Predeceased by (and date of death):○ Spouse○ Children (in order of date of birth)○ Grandchildren○ Siblings (in order of date of birth)○ Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws○ Pets (if appropriate)

Obituary structure 4 SERVICE

Day, date, time, placeName of officiant, pallbearers, honorary pallbearers,

other informationVisitation information if applicable: day, date, time, placeReception information if applicable: day, date, time,

placeOther memorial, vigil, or graveside services if

applicable: day, date, time, placePlace of intermentName of funeral home in charge of arrangementsWhere to call for more information (even if no service

planned)

Obituary structure 5  END

Memorial funds establishedMemorial donation suggestions,

including addressesThank you to people, groups, or

institutionsQuotation or poem Three words that sum up the life 

Assignment No. 3 Gather info from news clips, magazines,

online sources about a celebrity or prominent person who is STILL alive.

Write an obituary of 400 words Include comments the person has made

and comments about the person Due Tuesday, Nov. 20! [Next class]

Next class Tuesday, Nov. 20

Assignment No. 3 is due

Lecture on profile/feature writing