1. What is News and Journalism? Week 1

2. What is News? ♦63% of American prefer news about serious issues and major events. ♦24% say they prefer crime and celebrity news. ♦48% think that the media are out of touch with average Americans. ♦25% of stories in a typical newspaper are about government or politics. ♦42% of Americans under 30 have little or no interest in politics. ♦77% of journalists say they often avoid running a story that readers think are important but dull. ♦52% say they sometimes ignore stories because readers might find them to complex. ♦84% of Americans find the news depressing. ♦77% find the news negative. ♦58% find the news sensational.

3. What Other People Think ♦News is the first rough draft of history. – Phillip Grahm. ♦News is anything that makes a reader say “Gee whiz.” – William Randolph Hearst ♦News is anything you can find out today that you didn’t know before. – Turner Catledge ♦When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But when a man bites a dog, that IS news. – Charles Dana.

4. What Do You Think? ♦Small Group Discussion ♦Write Definition

5. News Formula 1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life = 0 1 ordinary man + 1 extraordinary adventure = NEWS 1 ordinary husband + 1 ordinary wife = 0 1 husband + 3 wives = NEWS 1 bank cashier + 1 wife + 7 children = 0 1 bank cashier - $100,000 = NEWS 1 man + 1 auto + 1 gun + 1 six-pack = NEWS 1 man + 1 wife + 1 fight + 1 lawsuit = NEWS 1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 79 years = 0 1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 100 years = NEWS

6. Exercise 1 - Would you run the story? A. City council allocates money for sewer repair Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice Weekly Campus Paper B. Broken water main damages university restaurant and bookstore Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper C. U.S. president schedules visit to neighboring county Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper D. Two arrested dumping green paint in campus fountain Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper E. Popular night club loses liquor license after sting Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper F. Citywide emergency drill coming in three months Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper

7. Would you run the story? Cont. G. Fourteen hospitalized after contracting E. coli at county fair Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper H. University announces it will build 70 new housing units on parking lot site Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper I. Tattoo artist elected as student body vice president Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper J. College appoints members of new diversity committee Metropolitan Daily Community Weekly Twice-Weekly Campus Paper

8. Interesting News ♦Impact – Does it have consequences? ♦Immediacy – When did it happen? ♦Proximity – Where is it happening? ♦Prominence – How important is it? ♦Novelty – Is it new? ♦Conflict – Is there a clash for power? ♦Emotions – Does it create feelings?

9. Exercise 2 - Will readers care about this story? That's what editors ask themselves all the time. Their answer depends on the degree to which the stories offer the seven news elements described in your textbook. Rank each of the following stories, element by element, from 1 to 10 (with 10 being most prominent) based on the degree to which each news element figures prominently in each story. Assume your paper's home territory is whatever geographic location is mentioned.

10. Exercise 2 Cont. A. NASA officials said Monday conditions seemed "optimum" for Wednesday's scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. impact __ immediacy __ proximity __ prominence __ novelty __ conflict __ emotions __

11. Exercise 2 Cont. B. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday it may take as long as 12 years for U.S. forces to defeat Iraq's insurgency. C. A Kentucky teenager who lost an arm in a shark attack last month is recovering at home after 23 days in a Florida hospital. D. Shares of Apple Computers surged Thursday after the company released better-than- expected earnings.

12. Exercise 2 Cont. E. All lanes of Interstate 69 outside Charlotte were reopened at 11 a.m. today following a fiery big rig collision that killed two people and shut down most of the freeway for three hours. F. Hurricane Emily swept along the southern coast of Jamaica on Saturday, bringing 155 mph winds and the potential for heavy flooding. G. President Bush said Saturday that Americans should give his nominee to the Supreme Court a "fair and timely" hearing.

13. Exercise 2 Cont. H. Farmers across the Northeast are asking for help as drought, heat and low prices threaten their crops and livestock this summer. I. Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers was charged yesterday with misdemeanor assault for an attack on two television cameramen before a game last month. J. The sixth book in the Harry Potter series sold nearly 9 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale in the United States and Britain, becoming the fastest-selling book in history, publishers said.

14. Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment ♦Consider the seven elements of news when deciding which of each of the following pairs would make a better news story. There are no right or wrong answers, but in giving voice to the reasons behind your choices, you'll be articulating news values shared by journalists across the world. Write at least three sentences defending your answer.

15. Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment cont. 1.A 15-year-old has been found safe and healthy after being lost for three days in the Sierras. B. A 15-year-old fended off bear attacks and survived three nights alone in Sierras. 2.A. A beloved teacher left behind an inspiring legacy after retirement. B. A beloved teacher left behind an inspiring legacy and moved on to the city council presidency. 3.A. The mayor announced a plan for free citywide wireless computing access. B. The mayor's plan for free citywide wireless access is getting a cold reception from the city council.

16. Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment cont. 4.A. A teen driver is in critical condition after a fiery crash on her way home from work last night. B. A teen driver is in critical condition after a fiery crash on her way home from prom last night. 5.A. The local university has hired a new football coach. B. The local university has hired a new football coach, the first Latin to hold that position. 6.A. The latest draft of the city budget eliminates funding for a needle-exchange program. B. The latest draft of the city budget reduces funding for employee pension programs.

17. Five Points About Readers ♦They are in a hurry. ♦They have short attention spans. ♦They want stories that personally connect. ♦They want stories told in compelling ways. ♦There are more than just one type of reader.

18. Who’s Who? Publisher Ultimate Boss Production Manager Oversees the staff and equipment that get the newspaper printed on time. Circulation Manager Supervises the distribution of the paper for subscribers and street sales. Advertising Manager Coordinates the sales and production of classified and display ads. The Editor Runs the newsroom. Has the final say in story selection and news philosophy. Managing Editor Oversees the day-to-day operation of the newsroom; resolves staffing issues. Sports Editor Assigns and edits all the stories running in the paper’s sports section Features Editor Assigns and edits all the stories running in the paper’s feature section Sports Reporter Features Reporter Copy Desk Chief Oversees the editing of all the stories in the paper. Editors City Editor Assigns and edits most of the paper’s local “hard news” stories. News Reporters Beat Reporters – Cover a specific topic. General Assignment Reporters – Cover a wide range of stories.

19. What It’s Called The Parts of a Story ♦Byline ♦Dateline ♦Lead ♦Quote ♦Attribution ♦Headline ♦Photo ♦Photo Credit ♦Liftout Quote ♦Tagline The Parts of a Page ♦Flag ♦Edition ♦Infographic ♦Deck ♦Text ♦Jump Line ♦Cutline ♦Teaser ♦Refer ♦Wire Story ♦Mug Shot ♦Centerpiece ♦Index ♦Logo

20. Homework ♦Bring in newspaper and identify all of the elements for a story and for a page.

21. Got What it Takes? ♦Do you have the talent and temperament to be a reporter?

22. Homework Checklist 1.Exercise 1 - Would you run the story? 2.Exercise 2 - Will readers care about this story? 3.Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment 4.Bring in story and label parts 5.Bring in page and label parts 6.Reporter Survey 7.Test Yourself Chapter One

23. What is Happening to Newspapers? ♦http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking- the-unthinkable/http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking- the-unthinkable/ ♦http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/02/whats-happening- to-newspapers/http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/02/whats-happening- to-newspapers/ ♦http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/09/newspapers-how- did-it-happen/http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/09/newspapers-how- did-it-happen/ ♦http://www.cjr.org/feature/build_the_wall_1.php?page=allhttp://www.cjr.org/feature/build_the_wall_1.php?page=all ♦http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7830218http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7830218 ♦http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/ ♦http://www.becker-posner- blog.com/archives/2009/06/the_social_cost.htmlhttp://www.becker-posner- blog.com/archives/2009/06/the_social_cost.html

24. What is Happening to Newspapers? Cont. ♦Read the information on one of the websites. ♦Pair up with someone that also read that website. ♦Share what you have each learned. ♦Present the important information to the class.