Week 15News Writing

December 11, 2012

Week 14 brainstorming

Peer Editing organisation/structure of story (inverted pyramid, storytelling, combination, interview/profile, in-depth) spelling, grammar, punctuation errors (Use AP stylebook for reference)passive voice, present-tense verbs in headlines, redundancy, incorrect repetitionfactual errors (names, places, dates correct)/quotational errors, attribution verb agreement, dangling modifiers, and run-on sentences, misplaced pronouns

Final Exam SECTION A - Multiple Choice (30%, 2 points each)

In this section there are 15 questions. Example: What name is given to the good

sense a reporter uses to determine which details to include in a story?

a. news judgement b. human interest c. consequence d. prominence

Final Exam SECTION B- Fill in the blanks (30%, 1 point each)

Some words are missing. Write the missing words on the answer sheet. For numbers one through five, use your AP stylebook to look up the correct usage of the missing word(s). Spelling and capitalisation must also be correct in order to get credit.

You will use the mini AP stylebook.

Examples: According to AP style, an acceptable use of user interface on second reference is ____18____.

The Queen of England is newsworthy because of ____35____.

Final Exam

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (20%, 2 points each)

In this section there are 10 short answer questions.

1/2. Evaluate the following lead. Briefly explain what you think is wrong or right about it. If you object to the lead, suggest a better one.

3/4. The following lead is poorly written. Rewrite it to keep it short and to the point.

5. Correct the commonly misspelled words.

Final Exam SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (20%, 2 points each)

In this section there are 10 short answer questions.

6. The headlines below have a flaw. Find the flaw and briefly explain what is wrong.

7. News writing is bare, lean, precise, and concise. Find a shorter or simpler word for the following words.

8. The words that follow are too long for a headline. Find a shorter word or an abbreviated form of a word for each one.

9. Edit or rewrite the following sentence to remove all unnecessary words.

10. Using some of the following 6 W’s, write a lead.

Final Exam SECTION D- News Articles (20%)

In this section you will write two short news articles.

For the first, using inverted-pyramid structure, develop a news story from all of the information. Assume all information comes from news writing instructor Marissa Kluger. When you finish, write a hammer head for the story.

For the second, write a news story from the information below, gathered at a faculty meeting of the school of translation studies. Eliminate any information that you think is irrelevant. Then write a flush-left head for the story.

HeadlinesBBC: Libya ex-PM al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi on trial in Tripoli

Apple Maps 'is life-threatening' to motorists lost in Australia heat

NYT: Gunmen Assassinate Afghan Women’s Affairs Official

CNN: Australian radio network cancels show after nurse's death

From slum life to Disney film: Ugandan teen chess star 'the ultimate underdog'

Leads BBC: Libya's former Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi has gone on trial in Tripoli charged with "acts that led to the unjust killing of Libyans".

Inaccuracies in Apple Maps could be "life-threatening" to motorists in Australia's searing heat, police have warned.

NYT: KABUL, Afghanistan — The acting head of women’s affairs in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan was shot to death in broad daylight on Monday as she was traveling to work.

CNN: An Australian radio network at the heart of a hoax targeting Prince William's pregnant wife canceled the show responsible for the prank on Monday, expressing deep regret for the death of a nurse who took a call from the DJs involved.

She grew up in one of the poorest spots on earth. She couldn't read or write. As a child, she scrounged for food each day for herself, her mother, and her brother.

Second Sentence BBC: Mr Mahmoudi and two others are also accused of funnelling about $25m ($16m) of public money through Tunisia to help forces supporting Col Gaddafi.

Officers in Mildura, Victoria, said they had had to assist drivers stranded after following the software's directions.

NYT: It was the second time in less than six months that the person holding that post has been assassinated. In the latest attack, two assailants on a motorcycle gunned down Najia Sediqi, the acting head, as she was getting into a rickshaw in Mehtar Lam, the provincial capital, according to Ahmad Gul Baidar, the head of administrative affairs for the women’s department.

CNN: The two DJs "will not return to the airwaves until further notice," the statement from the network, Southern Cross Austereo, said. The company also suspended all prank calls, pulled advertising and ordered a comprehensive review of relevant policies and processes.

But a chance encounter with a chess coach turned her into a rising international chess star, the subject of a book -- and the protagonist in a future Disney movie.

Week 14 Tasks

Second draft of story #2Deadline: Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 p.m.You must print a copy of your story and bring it to class on Dec. 18 for peer editing.

Odds & Ends Just submit your story once, please! If you do not receive an email from me, then you can be reassured that I didn’t have any problems opening your submitted assignmentYou will get your first draft of story #2 by Wednesday evening. If you do not receive your regularly scheduled email from me on Tuesday, you should check the public inbox on Wednesday. The website will always be updated on Wednesday.

Odds & Ends