Editing Techniques

Girl Sneezes 12,000 times a day

http://www.cnn.com/video/

The video starts off with the camera looking leveled with the grass and looking up at the girl. After she throws the ball to her dog there's a close up of her petting the dog. There's also up closeup head shots of the little girl and her mother talking to the camera when answering the questions of the interviewer. Then there are several jump cuts to different shots of her sneezing. The girl is seen jogging up steps, outside on the lawn again and in her kitchen.

The camera man/woman is constantly alternating between medium and closeup shots. He or she also alternates the angles of the shots so the viewer gets different perspectives.

Slideshow story

For my slideshow story I will be focusing on a sales associate at South Moon Under, a retail clothing store at the Kenilworth Shopping Mall. This store has very high end, expensive clothing, but you also get your money's worth of service. The sales associates are basically trained to be a customer's personal shopper. Although the customer may pick out a few items to try on, the sales associate that is helping them will then pick out other outfits for the customer to try on. This sales associate is more hands on than others in other retail stores like the mall.

Broadcast Leads

You may want to think twice before eating pig this year. Three pigs at the Minnesota State fair are found to have tested positive for the H1N1 virus in August.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/us/17swine.html?hpw

The 6-year-old balloon boy was found hiding in his attic today instead of his helium balloon floating in the air.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/us/17blitzer.html?scp=1&sq=balloon%20boy&st=cse

There may some hope for us in this recession after-all. A bill aimed at regulating derivatives passed through the House of Representatives Committee Thursday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/business/economy/18gret.html?ref=us

Audio Story Idea

For my audio assignment I'm thinking of going behind the scenes of a thrift store. Thrifts stores are very popular right now because of the vintage and 80s fads. I will interview someone from a thrift store and get the inside scoop - find out who shops there, what's sold, have they been experiencing more business in the past year with the vintage/80s trends, etc. I would then interview someone who is an active "thrift shop goer" - find out why they shop there, what do they like better about thrift shops than malls, what do they buy, etc...

How to attack my feature story

I've decided I'm going to do the "purchase for a cause" topic. I haven't really seen articles done on this topic before and I like the whole idea of it. I want to link this topic to the recession and find out if it is motivating people to spend money and how this method of sale may help certain companies sales while others suffer. With the recession the average person doesn't have as much money to just spend on jewelry or expensive brands, like Juicy Couture, so maybe when it comes time to buy an expensive item they are going to buy the brand for a cause. Or I will just be writing about how to shop while also giving back - just give information about places to go/what to buy and ask opinions/get info from students and retailers

Wall Street Journal Style

Wall Street Journal Formula

1. The story typically opens with a specific example presented in an anecdotal, descriptive or narrative lede.
2. The nut graph relates the example to a more general point and explains what the story is about.
3. The body of the story provides support for the general point.
   
4. The story typically ends with another anecdote or description story or speculates on a future development related to the lede.

Example:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125288517883707275.html

New York Times article, "Coming Out in Middle School," by Benoit Denizet-Lewis is a very long feature story consisting of nine pages about the struggle young teens experience in discovering their homosexuality or bisexuality.

The article starts with off with a narrative lede, telling the true story of a young boy named Austin who is 13 years old and claims he is gay. We learn about Austin and his boyfriend and how Austin's boyfriend struggles with telling his parents about his sexuality.

We then learn about a program called Openarms which is there for those who have newly "come out." The journalist writes about what she observes and quotes another boy, Laddie. By the ninth paragraph the journalist finally reveals the nutgraph. He or she tells you why you should care about what she is writing about and why these adolescents' stories are important.

The nutgraph says, "I heard similar accounts from those who work with gay youth all across the country. Though most adolescents who come out do so in high school, sex researchers and counselors say that middle-school students are increasingly coming out to friends or family or to an adult in school. Just how they’re faring in a world that wasn’t expecting them — and that isn’t so sure a 12-year-old can know if he’s gay — is a complicated question that defies simple geographical explanations. Though gay kids in the South and in rural areas tend to have a harder time than those on the coasts, I met gay youth who were doing well in socially conservative areas like Tulsa and others in progressive cities who were afraid to come out."

The article ends with a narrative ending with a quote from Austin's mom.

Feature story ideas

Our next in class assignment is a feature story and my article will obviously have something to do with fashion. But I really want to try to do something different from the traditional fashion article, like topic with a fashion twist. I'm going to name some of my ideas. Let me know what you think - opinions are greatly appreciated! Here it goes...

• Purchases for a cause: Lately I have been seeing a huge trend with a lot of companies selling a certain article of clothing or particular piece of jewelry for an organization and donating a portion or all of the proceeds to the said cause. The biggest philanthropy I have seen among these sales is breast cancer awareness. I would write about the different companies and celebrities that participate in this and see what the most popular philanthropy actually is. I want to ask around and get plenty of opinions from various people to see if they think more causes should be involved. Is there something more important we could be focusing on besides whatever the most popular philanthropy actually is? Would people participate in these purchases? Is it more of a motivation to go shopping? Will this trend in the fashion industry continue to grow?
• Go Green: Fashion has taken "going green" to a whole new level within the past year. There are more eco-friendly clothes being made. Organic hair product brands are becoming larger and they just keep on growing. Other things that are becoming green: make up, perfume, bed sheets, curtains, dish liquid, light bulbs etc. Everything is becoming organic and all natural. Are students actually buying these eco-friendly products? Do people actually wear these clothes? Is this a great idea?

Summary ledes vs. feature ledes

A summary lede is considered the first sentence of a news story. It should contain some answers to the "5 W's," be concise, consist of 30 words or less and be written in active voice (subject verb object). A summary lede is a summary of the entire story and gives away the ending of the article. It should give the reader the main idea of the news story.

A feature lead typically appeals to an individual's emotions. These ledes tend to be more descriptive because their goal is to hook the reader and make them interested to read the rest of the article. There are four main types of feature ledes: descriptive, anecdotal, narrative or mystery.

Examples of a summary ledes:

More than three million doses of swine flu vacine will be available by the first week of October, a little earlier than had been anticipated, federal health officials announced Friday.

The president of Athletics South Africa has admitted that he lied about gender tests on runner Caster Semenya before her gold-medal win at the World Athletics Championships last month.

Examples of feature ledes:

On the last episode of reality... Jon left Kate and his eight children and took up with the party girl Hailey. Audrina got a restraining order against an alleged stalker. NeNe got into an argument with Kim during a photo shoot. And Rachel was attacked -- yet again -- by one of the city tabloids.

We all know we're supposed to eat healthy portions. So why is it that a rough day at the office or even just the smell of chocolate-ship cookies can cause us to throw our best intentions out the window?

Beat Blog Topic

I have finally decided that my beat blog is going to be about women's fashion. But I'm not talking about brand names like Channel, True Religion, BCBG or 7 for all Mankind. I'm going to be reporting about all the latest fashions while also suggesting where you can find these styles on a college student's budget. Money gets tight away at school, but that's no reason to have someone's trendiness suffer. Fashion goes beyond just clothes and shoes, so this blog could experiment outside the box. Since the number of girls on Towson's campus exceeds the number of boys this seems like an appropriate topic. I'm still playing around with names for this blog but look out for my new one shortly!

The blogging returns - MCOM 258

For anyone who does not know me, my name is Elena and I am starting my junior year at Towson. I'm majoring in both public relations and journalism. I'm a member of Phi Mu women's fraternity on campus and hold the position of PR committee head. When I'm not at school I can be found at the Jersey Shore and I've loved growing up at the beach. It's always an awkward question when people ask me if I'm from north or south Jersey because I honestly don't know the answer. So I've just settled on the answer of central east.

In MCOM 258 I hope to broaden my knowlege in the journalism field in all different aspects. I enjoyed learning how to use new computer software in MCOM 257 last year. Although I know things will get challenging I look forward to continue using those special programs along with others.

Destination your choice on your time

While vacations may not always be affordable or people just simply do not have the time, everyone can still use one. Instead of settling with the acceptance that you are not going on a vacation this summer, why not create your own? Yesterday, the fourth of July, the beach would have been my first choice to spend the gorgeous day. But a great idea came to mind as an alternative. I have really been wanting to get away so I decided to create the illusion that I was on a vacation. There were so many choices. Where did I want to go? I finally settled on a Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico vibe. Create your own mock getaway by following these key steps:

1. Pick a beautiful sunny day.

2. Get a few plants to create the mood.

Conveniently I already had some palm plants and hibiscus flowers on my back deck.

3. Play appropriate music for the destination of your choice.

4. Prepare a food of the culture.

(Ex: fresh cut pineapple)

5. Make yourself an appropriate drink.

(Ex: planters punch, pina colada - drinks can also be made virgin style)

Photos: Compliments of Google

Enjoy your getaway :)

Great Buys!

Yesterday didn't exactly have the best weather as rain is what June has consisted of so far. So what's better to do on a rainy then go shopping?! While shopping is a fun activity and the satisfaction of buying clothing/accessories can be a rush, it does take a toll on the wallet. So I was especially excited when I found two great buys, one being exceptional!

These exact stylish sandals I've seen at boutiques for $25.00 or more. I found them at TJMaxx for just $14.99!

These Gilber Gilmore trousers are seen priced around $177 and $229 on the internet. I got them for $10 at Lucky Boutique at the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets! The bottoms are not hemmed, but I can still get them custon hemmed for ridiculously cheaper than the normal pants price.

All Aboard the Twilight Bandwagon

So I know I’m a little late with the whole "Twilight" craze... scratch that, very late. I never saw what the big commotion was about "Twilight." I never had an interest in reading the books or watching the movie. I always thought “Vampires huh? Doesn’t really sound like my kind of thing.” I was never really into the whole supernatural fad. So I stayed away from "Twilight" for a while.

I recently watched the MTV Movie Awards where "Twilight" won a few golden popcorn trophies. And that was it. My curiosity finally got me to cave in. So I decided to rent the movie just to see what this craze was all about.

I became hooked right away. Actually hooked is an understatement, addicted is more like it. I then scared myself for a second, took a step back and realized “Wow I’m now ‘one of them’, aka. a Twilight freak.” Needless to say, I was shocked.

Then, that brought me to thinking. What is it about this movie, or better, the story behind the movie, that’s caused me and many others to become so attracted to it? It wasn’t that Pattinson’s Edward Cullen character is necessarily hot or that the character Jake is mouth watering. But it’s that Edward Cullen is that perfect guy every girl wishes they could have: protective, caring, good-looking, romantic, bad, fun, sincere, etc.

It’s almost hard to grasp that even a movie character could be so utterly perfect. It’s heartening, yet painful to watch at the same time. It almost gives a girl hope only to realize "Twilight" is just a book/movie and Edward Cullen is only a character. If only there were real Edward Cullens out there.

Now I just have to read the entire "Twilight" series. At least for now I can have my Edward Cullen as I get lost in each novel.


The trailer for the next "Twilight" series movie: New Moon
Coming out November 20th (can't wait!!)

Link to my last article for journalism class

Towson student has different name for places she's lived

Sarah Brady talks about the many places she's lived growing up and the different identities she went by.

Slideshow I made for class...

Towson University's dirtiest job

Adam Swink

New and upcoming music artist Adam Swink

Young singer and songwriter Adam Swink hopes to make it big someday in the competitive music industry and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

Swink, 18, of Vienna, Va., first developed a strong passion for songwriting from his first written song “I Can't Bear” after being heartbroken his mid-freshman year of high school.

The young artist began taking music lessons at a music venue, Jammin’ Java, where he further pursued his music production. He plays the piano, guitar and drums, but prefers to play the piano. He then took up song writing with the help of Jammin’ Java owner Daniel Brindley, and eventually songs started flowing, Swink said.

“Inspiration sometimes comes to you or you go to it, “said Adam Swink, 18, musician. “I always try to have an experience or learn from people's experiences for song ideas.”

Swink sings three of his favorite genres of music which include pop, alternative and rock. “I like to hear original songs that are distinctly unique, not the generic bands that I hear on the radio all the time,” Swink said. Some of his favorite musicians are Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Imogen Heap, Postal Service, Jacks Mannequin and currently Helios.

The 18-year-old recorded his first song “Tonight,” in 2005 which later appeared on his first recorded EP, a 5 song cd, Not What It Seems in 2006. Swink recorded a second EP in 2008 Seasonal Delivery.

You can find Swink playing all around the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas and occasionally at music festivals on the east coast. “When I’m on stage I feel like I’m in a subconscious state of mind with the help of adrenalin to help me stay on my feet,” Swink said.

Swink frequently tries to keep up with the new technology such as Myspace, Facebook, iTunes and Twitter to keep getting his music out to the public. He also makes sure to be very friendly to his fans as they are a vital support system in a music artist’s career, Swink said.

“In the future I hope to be something new and unique sounding that everyone will want to sing along to,” said Swink. “My goal is to make music that's interesting but at the same time something people will enjoy.”

If anyone is interested in watching Adam Swink live he has a schedule of upcoming shows on his Myspace page.His next performance is scheduled for Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. in Springfield, Va., at Immanuel Bible Church.

Picture Walk

Tiger's paw

Person shot

Reporter's Tip Sheet

Summary Ledes

• Be as specific as possible
• Avoid backing in
• Be concise
• Use active voice
• 30 words or less

Writing stories

• Isolate the heart of the story
• Get the facts (who, what, when, where, why, how)
• Write using the inverted pyramid
• Use delayed ledes really only for feature stories
• Nut graf after lede
• Body of story- decide what additional info readers need to know to understand story
• When writing a second day story first lead must relfect what has happened since the initial report and the story must provide new details and also summarize original report for those who might have missed it
• Check your facts!!!
• When using a quote make sure it adds to a story

Covering Events

• Research before you attend the event
• Prepare questions
• Ask clarifying questions
• Listen and take notes
• Watch for sparks
• Check details
• Find the most important or interesting thing about the event to focus on

100 word assignment

A 3-year-old girl trapped in a Laundromat washer machine was saved yesterday by a local passer-by, Rockland police chief said.
Jennifer Childs, 3, and sister, Elizabeth, 7, were playing together in the Laundromat when Jennifer climbed into one of the washing machines and Elizabeth shut the door.
Paul Hecker of Rockland was grocery shopping at the Glen Rock Shopping Center when he heard screams coming from the Laundromat and saved Jennifer.
Jennifer Childs was admitted yesterday afternoon to Rockland Hospital and was listed in good condition, a hospital spokesperson said.
Parents, Nancy and Phillip Childs, could not be reached for comment.

Summary Ledes 4 &5

4. A possible state bill can help lower Towson's risk of being a victim of identity theft which exceeds the national average.

5. The Towson school district leads in the effort to help at-risk youths with its Community Helping Hands program receiving $1.2 million in aid from the total $30 million federal grant money.

Summary Lede Practice

1. The Mayor's husband was injured in a three-vehicle accident Thursday afternoon suffering a broken leg and several broken ribs.

2. City council members raised the issue of creating a local board to oversee building changes in historic downtown at their monthly meeting.

3. The Senate-approved plan to store over 77,000 tons of nuclear waste in a Nevada desert is safe, the Secretary of Energy said Monday.

Extra Credit Blog

Comma Rules

Rule #1: Use commas in compound sentences when clauses are separated by a conjunction such as "and," "but," "for," "nor," or "yet."

Examples: She managed the restaurant, but he did the cooking.
This food tastes superb, for it was made by the best.

Rule #2: Use commas to separate elements in a series. Such element usually are adjectives, verbs, or nouns.

Examples: The tall, dark, handsome man hailed, lauded, and applauded Ben, George, Maude, and Rebecca.
Most people think of the beach as a calm, fun, and beautiful place.

Rule #3: Use commas when attributing from quoted material. Commas set off words of attribution from the words of a one-sentence quotation unless a question mark or exclamation mark is preferred. Use them also in greetings.

Examples: He said, "Hello."
"The fair has been canceled," she said.

Rule #4: Commas follow introductory matter, such as after an introductory adverbial clause.

Examples: When the team was forced to kick, the coach sent in his best players.
In the spring of 1981, she returned to College Park.

Rule #5: Commas follow the salutation of a friendly letter and the complimentary close of any letter. Commas also follow capitalized elements such as the complimentary close.

Examples: Dear James,
Sincerely, Dean Smith

Rule #6: Commas follow all items in a date or full address:

Examples: July 16, 1962, is his date of birth
She has lived in Lake City, Fla., all her life.

Rule #7: Commas surround nonessential words or phrases.

Examples: Well, we will just have to walk home.
The president-elect, suffering from laryngitis, canceled his speech.

Rule #8: Commas surround words of direct address.

Examples: Maria, please pass the butter.
I can see, Fred, that you are lazy.

Rule #9: Commas indicate omitted verbs, usually expressed in another part of the sentence.

Examples: Talent often is inherited; genius, never.
Pilots Ask for Guns; Airlines, for Marshals.

Five Most Common Grammar Problems

1. Punctuation – Few people actually know the rules of punctuation use. Do not use the “feel good” method of punctuation.
- Example correct comma usage: The tall, dark, handsome man hailed, lauded and applauded Ben, George, Maude and Rebecca.

2. Subject and Verb Agreement - Some people confuse the subject and verb agreement by using the wrong verb type (singular or plural) for a noun
- Example of correct subject and verb agreement: The Girl Scouts is a fine organization

3. Pronouns - Pronouns help in avoiding needless repetition in language.
- Example of correct pronoun usage: Journalism is a popular major, and now it (journalism) prepares students for many careers.

4. Sentence Structure - Along with fragments and run-on sentences, faulty parallelism and modifier placement cause problems with sentence structure
- Example: Marvelene listed steps in planning a successful party: sending invitations early, greeting guests personally, and supplying abundant food and drink

5. Word Usage - Subtle word usage errors can cause misunderstandings. In addition, correct usage leads to credibility; readers have confidence in error-free reading.
- Examples of word misusage: affect and effect, comprise and compose, sit and set, less and fewer, and lie and lay
- Correct: Exercise affects your heart rate
- Correct: The rain had no effect on Amy’s hairdo.

Summary Lede

A summary lede is considered the first sentence or first couple sentences in most news stories. It should contain answers to the "W's," be concise, and include interesting information inviting the reader to read the rest of the story.

Examples:

• The Baltimore Sun's article about Michael Phelps and his recent marijuana photograph. This automatically catches the reader's attention within the first sentence because it follows up on a previous story about a celebrity, tells where the photograph was found, gets to the point of how Michael Phelps feels, and includes a quote from Michael Phelps.
• The New York Times' article, "Hyundai, Using a Safety Net, Wins Market Share." This especially struck my attention because I drive a Hyundai Santa Fe. The one sentence preview of the article explains what the company is going to do, lets the public know that Hyundai is committed to this proposal, and tells the reader who this proposal is directed toward, those who lose their jobs, which is presently a large economic concern.
• The New York Times' article, "Small Payroll, but Big Woes on Insurance." The title alone is enough to draw the eye because of America's dwindling economy. But, within the first two sentences of the article the reader it briefly told a true story about another every day American. This helps the reader relate to the story and makes them want to read further. The sentences show what the individual did, what happened her, and the conflict or struggle at hand.

Ch. 14 Answers

1. Objectivity requires that journalists stick to observable facts and avoid injecting their opinions into news reports. One can achieve this by covering all sides of an issue, along with finding the observable facts find the truth, and do not just take the viewpoints of officials.
2. Thoroughness is looking into every aspect of a story. One can achieve this by tracking down and talk to the best sources, finding the best documentary evidence, and giving the audience as much information as possible.
3. Accuracy is the quality of information being true, correct, or exact. One can achieve this by reading the information back to sources to verify that it is correct, checking information obtained from interviews against original sources, and never assuming anything.
4. Fairness is an attempt to make sure all bases are being covered. One can achieve this by listening to different viewpoints, letting people respond when they believe you are wrong, and getting the facts.
5. Transparency is the idea to gain and maintain public trust. One can achieve this by being as open as possible about what biases you may bring to the job, being honest and truthful, and being open about mistakes.