Final Exam Review

1. Timeliness- Recent events have higher news value than earlier happenings. Of particular value are stories brought to the public ahead of the competition. These are known as scoops.

2. Proximity- Stories about events and situations in one's home community are more newsworthy than events that take place far away.  

3. Human Interest- Stories with a heartwarming twist, drama or a unique turn on human lives.

4. Prominence- For the same occurrence, people in the public eye have higher news value than obscure people.

5. Conflict- Strife is newsworthy. War. Public anger or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues. 

6. Interviews- a meeting of people face to face for consolation. 

7. Research- Systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. 

8. Quotations- A way of putting in your story what someone has said. ex: "

9. Yes-no question- A question that can only be answered with "yes" or "no".

10. follow-up question- An article or a report giving further information on a previously reported items of a news

11. Objective writing- Telling the exact truth, what happened and when, without opinions. 

12. Transition paragraph- Helps the piece continue on with the story smoothly.

13. Hard news story- Are written so the reader can stop reading at anytime and still come away with the whole story.

14. Soft news story- Refers to feature stories -- news that you've chosen to do. 

15. Inverted Pyramid- A metaphor used by journalists and other writers to illustrate how information should be prioritized and structured in a text. 

16. Third-person point of view- Using narration

17. 5 Ws and H lead- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

18. editing

19. attribution- Assigning some quality or character to a person or thing. 

20. paraphrase- A restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form.

21. fragmentary quotation- Single word or phrase used by a source in a quote using paraphrasing.

22. direct quotation- Directly relates to the Statement paragraph above it. 

23. partial quotation- Combination of a direct quote and paraphrasing.

24. Uses of quotations- Quoting a person. 

25. When to use quotations-  When directly quoting someone. 

26. When quotations are unnecessary or not desired- If it doesn't relate to the topic being discussed.

27. Editorial- Is the voice of the newspaper. This is the only place where the staff as a whole takes a stance on a subject.

28. editorial page- A leading piece

29. columns- An article giving opinions or perspectives  

30. editorial that criticizes- Constructively criticize actions, decisions or situations while providing solutions to the problem identified. Immediate purpose is to get readers to see the problem, not the solution. 

31. editorial that explains- Explains the way the newspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject.

32. editorial that persuades- Aim to immediately see the solution not the problem.
33. letter to the editor- A letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. 

Current Events Quiz 3.5

1. Tell me three things you learned about Dell the company

Deal was $25 billion dollars, it had been public for 25 years and Dell has around 14,000 employees in the area

2. Why did Michael Dell choose to buy his company back and make it private?

He wanted the company to expand the company and had the freedom to accomplish it.

3. What does Michael Dell think about "cloud-based" IT?

He thinks it has lots of challenges and wants to make it easier for people to use.

4. Who is Dell (the company) new market to sell their products, according to the story?

Different countries around the world

5. What does Michael Dell think is the future of computer use?

Big business is growing rapidly, he believed it is positive.

From the rest of the paper:

A. What local district attorney will be allowed to keep her job despite getting a recent DWI?

Travis County Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg

B. Who is Time Magazines person of the year?

Pope Francis

C. Who is the front runner to replace Mack Brown as the coach of the UT Longhorn football team?

Nick Saban

D. Who is Joel Sidelnik and what is his claim to fame?

Furniture retailer that makes furniture out of old and used furniture

E. What famous person passed away this week in South Africa?

Nelson Mandela

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1.) Please go to page A13 and look at the political cartoon on the bottom portion of the page. Although we have yet to discuss political cartoons and how to interpret them I would like you to do your best on this one, later we will talk about these. So what do you think the message of this cartoon is and tell me why you interpreted this way?

I think the message of the cartoon is that Obama's second term is falling apart along with his promises. I think it's hanging off a tree branch because Obama is barely hanging on or following through. It shows that sooner or later Obama's term is going to fall apart and ruin everything he said he was going to do for the country. 

Feature Story Brainstorm

1. Who is your main subject?
Brother2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to)?
Mother and Father3. What is the topic?
Joining the Navy4. Which angle from above will you write the story?
Human Interest5. Then to help you get going faster, come up with 20 questions that you can ask your main subject. Type these in your blog.

• What made you consider joining the military? School wasn't for me. 
• Why did you choose the navy? I love boats.
• What was boot camp like? Very mentally hard. 
• How did you react to the things you had to do at boot camp? I thought it was fun but scary. 
• Where are you stationed? Coronado, CA
• Do you enjoy where you are stationed? Yes it is warm. 
• What jobs do you do? I drive he USS Carl Vinson air craft carrier.
• What is it like driving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier?  It is stressful because there can be planes landing and i have to be very carful. If I make a wrong move I can cause a crash.
• How difficult are the jobs that you do? They are tough. 
• What is your favorite part about being in the Navy? The uniforms.
• What is your least favorite part? Waking up early. 
• What are the people like? Hard working people. 
• What is it like being out to sea? Stressful, tiring, and long. 
• What are some things you see? Dolphins in the water. I see aircrafts land.
• What is your sleeping situation like?  I barely get sleep, and we sleep on racks. 
• What ship do you work on? USS Carl Vinson
• How many men work on it? 5,000
• What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you? Driving while the f18s land.
• What is the worst thing that has happened to you? Almost fell off. 
• How did you almost fall off? A helicopter went over my head and the rotter wash almost picked me up ad blue me off the ship.
• Who is the most interesting person you've met? My Captain. 
• Why is your captain the most interesting person you've met? I think that he is very interesting, also he has 775 arrested landings on aircraft carriers.
• What are your plans after the Navy? Drive big ships. 

6. Once you complete that portion, you need to come up with 5-10 questions you need to ask your supporting interviews. Type these into your blog. You may need different questions for each supporting subject.
Mother-

• Are you and your son close? Yes
• Were you approving of your son joining the Navy? Yes
• How did you support him? By listening to his reasons for going in and supporting them.
• How do you feel that he goes out to sea? I feel that he's getting good work experiences that could carry over to other things in his life. 
• What is your favorite part about your son being in the Navy? He will gain experience and be exposed to different jobs he wouldn't have normally endured. 

Father

• Were you approving of your son joining the Navy? Yes.
• How did you attribute to his decision? I helped him go through the experience every step of the way. 
• How do you feel seeing your son in his uniform? It makes me very proud.
• Are you and your son close? We are and we are still working at it today. It's a work in progress. 
• How has him being in the Navy caused you to become closer? Sharing his new experience which helps us bond.

7. You will need to do a little research on the topic you expect to interview your main subject about. Take a little time and do some google searching - find at least 5 new things about the intended topic you should know before you interview your main subject. List those on your blog.

• The coronado naval base has expeditionary warfare training and the West Coast base of operations for Seal teams and Special Boat Units
• 5,000 Military personal live there and 7,000 student and reservists
• San Diego is California's second largest city
• 70 miles of shoreline
• 54 ships are on the base

8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)?
Over Christmas break, when my brother is in town which is the 28th.9. Where you will interview them (some interviews are better to do in the persons environment, while others should be done in public places, ALL interviews should be done in person)?
In our house.
10. How will you record the information? (taking notes is ideal, and if you want to record the conversation you MUST get permission. You can do both if they will allow you to record, this is a really strong technique that you could use.)
I will record them with my phone and take additional notes.

Key Ingredients for Feature Writing

1. LIST 3 DETAILS THAT YOU FOUND ABOVE THAT HELP THE STORY

• "She was 5-foot-5, 105 pounds. Pretty and petite"
• "his was at the Mayflower, one of Washington’s choicer hotels"
• "It was after 9 on the night before Valentine’s Day when she finally arrived"

2. THERE ARE DETAILS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT INCLUDE IN A REGULAR NEWS STORY, PLEASE LIST AT LEAST 2 OF THEM

• He describes his story about how he paid for the prostitute
• He puts the most important thing at the bottom

3. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP READING?

Yes

4. LIST 3 DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS THAT YOU FOUND ABOVE THAT HELP THE STORY

• "Her ribs and collarbone jutted out"
• "Her black hair was matted, crawling with lice"
• "Rashes and sores pocketed her skin"

5. THERE ARE DETAILS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT INCLUDE IN A REGULAR NEWS STORY, PLEASE LIST AT LEAST 2 OF THEM

• "Except for a swollen diaper."
• "One skinny arm was slung over her face"

6. WHAT CONDITIONS EXIST REGARDING THIS CHILD THAT THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES TO YOU?

"She lay on a torn, moldy mattress on the floor"

7. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP READING?

Yes

8. HOW DOES THE QUOTE HELP THE TRANSITION STATEMENT ABOVE IT?

The quote helps truly show how people felt about what was happening.

9. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP READING?

A little bit

10. LIST 3 DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS THAT YOU FOUND ABOVE THAT HELP THE STORY

• "flames were rushing through the brush toward Zaca Ridge"
• "he Zaca made a run"
• "they were facing a potential monster"

11. THERE ARE DETAILS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT INCLUDE IN A REGULAR NEWS STORY, PLEASE LIST AT LEAST 2 OF THEM

• "Rainfall the previous winter had been among the lowest on record in Southern California"
• "about 15 miles north of Solvang"

12. WHAT WAS THE ANECDOTE THAT THE AUTHOR USED IN THIS STORY?

The anecdote was the story about the ranch hands fixing the water pipe.

13. WHAT WAS THE IRONICAL PART OF THIS STORY IN REGARDS TO HOW THE FIRE STARTED?

They were trying to fix something and it ended up making things worse.

14. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP READING?

No

15. LIST 3 PIECES OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOUND IN THESE 3 PARAGRAPHS

• "A decade ago, the agency spent $307 million on fire suppression"
• "state wildfire spending has shot up 150% in the last decade, to more than $1 billion a year"
• "Congress is considering a separate federal account to cover the cost of catastrophic blazes"

16. WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST CRUCIAL?

How much the agency is spending on fire suppression

17. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP READING?

No

Caption Writing

Who: Joe Smith
What: Holiday fantasy house
When: December 1st
Where: Austin, Texas
Why: To win "Best Holiday House Contest"
How: Spend days decorating house with hundreds of dollars worth of lights

First Sentence: Joe Smith from Austin, Texas decorates his house with hundreds of dollars worth of christmas lights on December 1st, to win the "Best Holiday House Contest".

Second Sentence: Joe Smith was thrilled to have won the contest by a landslide.

Who: Sam Pin
What: man wins the World Record of most clothes pins attached to face
When: December 3rd
Where: World Records Museum
Why: To win the award
How: He pinned the most clothes pins to his face

First Sentence: On December 3rd Sam Pin wins the World Record for most clothes pins attached to face.

Second Sentence: At the World Records Museum Sam Pin showed off his amazing talent. 

Who: NYC Train Service
What: Train derails
When: November 29th
Where: New York
Why: The train detached from the tracks and crashes
How: The speed of the train was greatly over its speed to make the turn

First Sentence: A train from the NYC Train Service, crashes off of their tracks from going extremely fast around a sharp turn.

Second Sentence: November 29th was a devastating day, with many injuries that followed the accident.

Who: Citizens of Thailand
What: Floating lanterns
When: December 2nd
Where: Thailand
Why: To honor the death of their President
How: By all citizens gathering in a national park to set out the floating lanterns

First Sentence: On December 2nd, the Citizens of Thailand gather in a national park, to honor the death of their beloved president, by releasing luminous floating lanterns.

Second Sentence: The gathering had a wonderful turn out and was filled with love and joy.

Current Events Quiz 3.4

1. How many years is it estimated that it will take to complete the MoPac toll road?

2 years.

2. What major fast food chain opened its first Austin location this week? Are you interested in eating there?

Inn and Out. YES!! I love it.

3. What innovative technology is Amazon.com hoping to utilize to deliver packages to customers in the next 4-5 years?

Aircrafts.

4. What is the current reason a commuter train in New York City crashed, killing four people and injuring dozens?

The crew fell asleep.

5. What is "Cyber Monday" and why is it named that?

A day where online shopping is huge. Shopping sites have their products 20% off.

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1. In the news recently there has been a heated debate over Mascot names. The most visible is the Washington Redskins, although there are high school and college teams with similar names. Opponents of the names conclude that the mascots/team names are derogatory and rude and want them changed, while proponents believe that the historical significance of the names are overrated and that the schools/teams should not be forced to change their mascot. Here is some additional information: the Washington team has been names Redskins since 1933, there is a baseball team in Atlanta called the Atlanta Braves, and Native Americans have come down on both sides of the subject with some demanding a change and others who believe the names are fine. What is your opinion of the subject? Make sure to tell me why you think that way!!

I don't think the names should be changed. The people who named these teams way back when, didn't name them to be disrespectfully. At least I think so. Even so, today we don't use them in an offensive way. I don't think the names are offensive because it's a part of history and culture. They shouldn't have to change these names because people may also have a connection to the team either playing on it, or being a huge fan. Having a new name added to a team, doesn't just lose an old name, but all the memories that come along with it. Nothing will please EVERYONE, but I believe the only way to keep things calm is to keep everything the way it is with no changes, because it will only cause an uproar and lots of commotion over something that won't please everyone. The team names and mascots should remain the same. 

Thanksgiving Story

My thanksgiving break started on Tuesday afternoon and consisted of a few moments of excitement, but was generally layed-back and relaxed.

Tuesday afternoon, I went to my rehearsal for the musical Miss Saigon and worked on the "backstage" scene. 

After rehearsals, I went to Starbucks with my boyfriend, Cole and we got peppermint mocha's and coffee cake. 

Wednesday I watched Gossip Girl on Netflix and relaxed all day in my pajamas.

Around 5 o’clock, Cole and I went to Which Wich for dinner and after browsed at Goodwill for sweaters but had no luck finding any. 

When it got colder and darker outside, we went to my friend Dom’s house for a bonfire with our friends Alexa, Jared, Josh, Brooke, and Dom.

The boys decided to set of fireworks and throw them in the fire and that was very scary.

We stayed there until about 10:30, drinking hot cocoa and warming up by the fire.

Thursday was thanksgiving and I spent it with my parents at my house. We ate dinner around 2:30 and it consisted of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, turkey, and gravy.

The rest of the day I watched Gossip Girl and enjoyed every minute of it.

Friday morning I woke up feeling sick with a runny nose and sore throat, so I made tea with honey and agave.

Later in the afternoon, I had a ton of thanksgiving leftovers, so much I fell asleep after I ate.

When I woke up, I watched more Gossip Girl.

Around 4 o’clock, Cole and I played Black Ops. I trained Cole to play zombies because he was really bad at it, but he eventually got better. We also played gun game which is on Black Ops as well.

The rest of the night I watched Gossip Girl and FaceTime’d Cole.

Saturday morning I woke up still feeling sick, so I made tea. Along with my tea I made a breakfast taco which is the yummiest breakfast taco anyone will ever eat. Ever.

I picked Cole up around noon, and he and I ate my mom’s homemade turkey soup.

I said goodbye to my dad because he left for Hawaii for the week on business.

Cole and I played zombies and gun game again on black ops for a few hours.

We decided to play Uno together, and I beat him about 5 times and he beat me once, it was quite funny.

My mom needed to go to the gym so Cole and I went to his house to hang out. We watched the first Harry Potter movie.

Sunday morning I woke up and made tea and a breakfast taco again because it tastes so amazing.

I watched Gossip Girl until lunchtime, then ate the remains of the leftovers.

I watched more Gossip Girl until about 3, and I went over to Cole’s house.

Cole and I watched the movie King Kong and it was so sad and intense.

We decided to go to my house and I made him and I tomato soup and grilled cheese.

We then played zombies again and got to level 18, which is so good! Cole has gotten better than me.

After zombies, we watched The Fox and The Hound and I cried my eyes out. Cole secretly wanted to cry I know it.

To end off the night, and my break, I watched Gossip Girl.