Danielle

Headlines and cutlines

2008-04-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

Obama campaign trails to Pennsylvania

Sen. Barack Obama, (D-Ill.) pauses as he speaks at a town hall meeting in Reading, Pa. Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) have both been campaigning in Pennsylvania in hopes to win the presidential primary Tuesday, April 22. (Reuters photo by Bradley Bower / April 20, 2008)

Former Ravens coach: chicken or pig?

2008-04-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

A bacon and egg breakfast might not mean much to some, but for those who heard Brian Billick speak Thursday, April 10, know it has a lot to do with drive and commitment.

The former Ravens coach said that pigs are committed to the breakfast; chickens are just involved. Billick explained to about 100 Towson University students spread around Smith lecture hall that pigs are patriots and chickens are mercenaries.

Billick stated that people deal with chicken all of their lives. “But if you want to be a pig you must exhibit passion and conviction for what you’re doing,” he said. Billick went on to explain that he would rather people be wrong with certainty and enthusiasm than be “right” and have no conviction or passion.

Billick, who has an undergraduate degree in communications from Brigham Young University, explained to the mass communications and communications studies majors that he is now at a similar crossroads as them.

He is unsure if he wants to go back into coaching or find something else he can have passion for and excel in as he did for leading the Baltimore Ravens.

Billick is a 54-year-old former NFL head coach. He said that he does not want to “fall into a rut of doing something simply because I can’t think of anything else to do.” He wants to give himself the opportunity to find passion for something else.

Billick knew his communications skills would serve him well, but he did not think he would use his degree. It ended up giving him his “big break.”

Lacking a background in business, Billick decided to go on an interview for a business anyway. He was a dedicated student and athlete. When he learned he had gotten the job, he couldn’t help but wonder why.

Billick’s athletic, “never say die attitude” and his broad-based communications background all tied together, helping to give him his “big break” in the business world.

Billick described communications as a “very exciting field; one that cuts across many boundaries.” With both his wisdom and insight, he encouraged many people that day, to a dynamic and broad field.

Billick is very experienced in communications, business and leadership. He warned the young undergraduates that, “people may mistake your passion for ego, your conviction for arrogance,” but he prides himself in being experienced and old enough to know the difference. “When you talk about arrogance and ego, you're really talking about a very selfish perspective and you're making that passion and conviction about you,” he added.

The speech inspired confused mass communications student Charlotte Jarrett who has changed her major three times. “After listening to Brian Billick talk about how communications has helped him in the business aspect of his career, I was convinced that I have finally made the right decision,” said Jarrett. “I am a mass communications major ready for the business world!”

Billick said that the “key to success, if your that pig, is to figure out how you’re going to get the most out of the chicken.”

Partner Picture!

2008-04-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

Journalistic Principles

2008-04-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

According to the text book, All in the News, objectivity requires that journalists stick to observable facts and avoid injecting their opinions into news reports. Being objective is all about facts and not about opinions. You should be neutral when reporting the news.

Thoroughness requires time to track down and talk with the best sources, find the best documentary evidence, and so on. The goal is go give the audience as much information as possible so they can understand what is happening and make informed decisions based on that information. Being thorough in journalism is very important. Not only are you allowing yourself to understand the story more but your giving the audience more information to based their opinions on.

Accuracy is vital in journalism. If something is not accurate, it has absolutely no value. People turn to the news for a major source of news information. If something is not accurate then people have a tendency not to trust that particular news source. People remember the bad things more than the good.

Fairness means an attempt to make sure all the bases are covered. According to columnist Nat Hentoff, “Fairness means you get the facts, all of them if you can, especially when they surprise you into re-evaluating what you thought the story was going to be about when you began.” A journalist has to be fair.

Transparency is the idea that to gain and maintain public trust, journalists must be as open as possible about what biases they bring to the job, how they get their information and how they make decisions on choosing and reporting stories. Steven A. Smith, editor of The Spokesman-Review said that transparency is about being open about mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes but learning from those mistakes is what sets people apart. You have to be open and let others know you too are human.

I think the most important journalistic principle is accuracy. If you are not accurate then you cannot be trusted especially in reporting the news. You need to be a good investigator not just a good journalist. Do your homework, be thorough, triple check the facts. Don’t get caught taking a shortcut that can be costly. You don’t want to look like a liar even if it was an honestly mistake. If it was a mistake, fess up! Explain how it happened to gain the publics trust back.

Photos!

2008-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Fills Frame

Does not fill frame

Action

No action

Tells a story

No story

Candid

Not candid

Interview progess (if that's what you want to call it)

2008-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been in constant contact with Liz Urbanski the past couple of weeks. She has been extremely helpful with the background information I need for my story. She has yet to give me any names of people that have benefited from the program.

I don’t know what to do at this point. Start entirely over, pick a new program, try to contact the media rep then finally try to contact people that have been through the program? Sounds like a lot in two days (especially between full school days and other class assignments). Help!

Here is an extremely rough draft of a potential feature lede:

College students are thinking about their future more in terms of money instead of happiness.

More students are graduating with a fancy degree and debt. In order to pay for the expenses of life-after-college and debt, students are looking for high paying jobs and not jobs they truly want.

The Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program’s (LARP)priorities are recent graduates in lower paying job fields. They provide a larger incentive for individuals to work in critical shortages in the public and non-profit sectors. According to LARP's 2007 annual report, in 2006 alone, 569 eligible applicants received awards for a total dollar amount of 2,464,975.

Field Trip with a "nerd from Kansas"

2008-04-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was ready. I had my new “business casual” outfit, comfortable shoes, my reporter’s notebook and an open mind. I was ready for the field trip to The Washington Post and the Washingtonpost.com.

I was a little apprehensive as the Towson shuttle bus pulled away from the familiar campus. I felt like a young, inexperienced mass communication student compared to the graduating, knowledgeable journalists.

I did not know what to expect as we started to pile in front of The Washington Post building. I looked up in awe. About 20 Towson students and faculty made our way to a conference room where we were all relieved to see food! As we became lost in our lunch, we were introduced to our host, Rob Curley.

All I can say is wow. Rob is a charismatic, innovative thinker who has done just about everything.

He gave a three-hour presentation that was simply amazing. He showed us and explained all the various aspects of journalism, emphasizing multimedia.

One of the most interesting things I was exposed to during this trip was, OnBeing. Words cannot describe this form of journalism. Please click on the link and explore on your own. It is not just the interviewing that makes the story, it is the editing and other parts of video that make it what it is.

Rob Curley jumps into all aspects of his job. No assignment is too small or unimportant. He truly makes you want to make every little, minuscule thing lavish and extravagant. This is something he demonstrated to us when he worked at various small-town papers. He is the hyper-local guru. A “nerd from Kansas,” as he introduces himself.

This field trip opened my eyes to all aspects of journalism. Curley explained to us that journalist cannot be just incredible writers. They need to be more. They need to stand out, outside of writing such as blogging, podcasts, video editing, digital publishing, and other outside interests. It made me think a lot about what else I am interested in and what else I can do to stand out.

This field trip was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am so happy I was able to experience. Thank you to Rob Curley, Professor Spaulding and Professor Lieb.

Brian Billick: Former Ravens Coach and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

2008-04-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

If I was asked to cover the speech about former Ravens coach, Brian Billick, I would first get background information. I would like to find out a little about his life, where he grew up and where he went to college. I would like to know how he became the former Raven’s coach and why he is receiving this lifetime achievement award. I would also try to find out how he got nominated.

According to chapter 13, a reporter should obtain any available advance information about the event. This includes news releases and obtaining the agenda for the discussion.

I would need to try to find the news release about Brian Billick speaking to Towson University students. I could contact the Towson University public relation office to start my search.

Next, I would need to conduct research on Billick. I could talk to experts and locals who may know Billick or who have worked with him. I could do various online searches such as Google and looking up the archives of local newspapers.

I need to prepare questions before I go to the speech. I could use these in case there was a question-and-answer segment at the end of the speech or even if I was able to talk to Billick one-on-one afterwards. Along with preparing questions before the speech, I need to be thinking of questions during his speech.

I would take my new reporter’s notebook and listen while jotting down important information or interesting quotes.

I need to be a good listener and a good observer. Observing the audience’s reactions can tell a lot about what people think is interesting or news worthy. I could incorporate that into my story.

Details. I need to find out the size of the audience and the exact location of the speech. I need to confirm the names and titles of the key players involved in the speech.

There would be many challenges I could potentially face. Not understanding the information or not being able to obtain necessary information can all be downfalls. I would be pleasant but persistent. I would do my homework and ask around for more information.

Multimedia is growing in importance in the journalism field. This would be a great opportunity to incorporate it with this story. I could perhaps have audio and video clips about the speech online. I could even have an interactive time line of his life or a Google map of where his life has taken him.

Pleasant but persistent

2008-04-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I took Professor Spaulding's advice. I was "pleasant but persistent."

I called the Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program about five times. I left various messages with Christopher Falkenhagen, the media contact and Liz Urbanski, the Director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). I also sent an e-mail to the general office of MHEC.

Each day I would call and hear a recorded voice. Each day I would leave the same pleasant message. I was lucky this morning. I heard a real, live voice on the other end of the telephone line, "Hello, Liz."

I started my rehearsed introduction which was followed by an apologetic voice explaining how busy she has been and how she meant to call me back. She had about thirty minutes before her next meeting which I took full advantage of (with her permission, of course).

Liz was extremely helpful in the background information of the program itself and the statistics I needed to understand the program better. She was enthusiastic and willing to provide me with more then enough information.

It didn't feel like a formal interview at all. I said I had some questions and the conversation took off from there. She asked for my e-mail address to provide me with further details. I asked her for contact information of a couple people that have been through the program and benefited. She said she needed to talk to her supervisor and go through the proper procedure before she gave out personal information. She also thought it would be a good idea for her to contact them first and then get back to me.

I left the conversation with a lot of great information and a foot in the door. She said we would keep in touch and I asked if I could contact her if I had any further questions. The answer was, "Of course. Please let me know if you need anything else and do not hesitate to call me. Here's my direct number..."

I thought the interview went great. There was a lot of information and a lot of statistical details. I would like some advice on how to know what to write down without taking too long and slowing the interview down. Is it rude to ask them to repeat the information if you were completely lost in "information overload?"

Liz also asked when the story would be published. I believe she was under the impression that I was writing for the university newspaper as I did introduce myself as a "student journalist" who was writing a story. I didn't include the part that this was for a class grade. I didn't know the correct way to respond to that. Help?

My feature story start!

2008-03-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

The first thing I did after class was to Google, student loan repayment programs. I came across the Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program.

I searched around the website to get a general idea of the program. I then started making calls. I contacted a couple people at their Annapolis office. I was transfered a couple times and eventually was forced to leave a message with Elizabeth Urbanski. I was told by a Christopher, head of media relations, that she was the financial guru at the office. I was disappointed that I was unable to talk to her directly so I shot over an e-mail. I hope I get a e-mail back today or I'm going to have to call again in between my classes.

After reading the website, I was able to get a better idea of the program itself. The thing that impressed me was the number of different fields this program helped. You can be a lawyer, nurse, social worker, teacher and many others in between.

The have eligibility requirements such as you must earn a degree from a Maryland college. You must be employed full-time in a state or local government job. The website talks about the selection process and the award amount. They also have an application available online.

I'm looking forward to speaking with someone at the program to get a better understanding of the program as a whole.

Feature Story

2008-03-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

I used to think a feature story was simply a human interest story. After readying chapter 6, Writing the Advanced Text Story, I found out that a human interest story is just one type of feature story.

A feature story is more then just the facts of a story. It is more creative and a story-telling type of story. The feature story format is for stories that are more interesting than important. It is the how and why instead of the what of the story.

When I think of a feature story, I think more about a story and not the news.

A feature lede is a summary lede. Instead of starting with the 5 W's, a feature lede provides a preview of the story.

The article, In a Flash, Ring Slips Away; Search for Diamond Sends Crews Into Muck, fits the definition of a feature story. It is creative, interesting and unusual. It's not hard news so a news story with facts wouldn't be appropriate. A story about a women who lost her engagement ring and the many people who helped her is a perfect story for a feature story format.

The lede is different then what I'm used to because it's more wordy. It explains the story more then the facts. The feature story ledes needs to grab your attention not just state the facts.

Revised Lede 2

2008-03-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

The ease of obtaining a credit card can leave both banks and college students in financial crisis', according to a Bank of America representative.

REVISION: Helmet provision causes concern

2008-02-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

Towson physicians petitioned a bill that would change the current state law and mandate motorcyclists to wear helmets.

A motorcyclist interrupted the press conference when he arrived at Memorial Hospital with injuries from an accident.

The press conference occurred Monday on the front lawn of Memorial Hospital. Doctors from Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Mercy Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Center were present. Over 100 nurses, paramedics and other health care workers joined the audience.

About 50 local physicians unveiled a petition to Maryland legislators asking them not to pass the bill. The doctors have nearly 400 signatures and hope to have at least 500 by the time they send it to the Legislature on Monday.

The helmet mandate was approved over two decades ago and statistics have proven it was a positive step.

The number of serious head injuries caused by motorcycle accidents in Maryland is over 70 percent less now then when the helmet law was adopted 25 years ago, said Dr. Karl Sodergreen.

Motorcyclists will not be the only ones affected by a potential change in the current helmet law. Health care cost will also feel the impact of this new bill.

A study from last year on the relationship of health care costs and motorcycle riding by the State Medical Society showed that emergency room costs alone could increase more than 45 percent if the helmet law is repealed, said Dr. Hector Rivera.

The physicians plan to send their petition to the legislature on Monday, said Dr. Sodergreen. The Legislature will consider the bill next Wednesday.

The motorcyclist injured in a two-vehicle accident was 19-year-old Grady Smith of 8213 Peach Street. Smith suffered a broken arm and several broken ribs.

His injuries would have been much worse if he had not been wearing a helmet, said his doctors in the city police report.

******************************************************

Proofreading:

Walk away! I always proofread immediately after I complete a paper. This doesn't work or help. You end up reading your story the way you want it to sound instead of how it actually is read.
Take your time. I would read my paper once, make my corrections and then read it again. I learned to take it slow and do your proofreading in steps. It's nice to take it slow and really take you time to read the story step by step.
Study groups. You don't immediately think study groups in a writing class. But it makes sense. Getting together with your classmates to exchange your writing pieces is a great way to make your paper better. You not only get a fresh perspective but you are offering a new perspective too.

Helmet provision causes concern

2008-02-27T04:54:00.000-08:00

Towson physicians petition a bill that would change the current state law that mandates motorcyclist to wear helmets at a press conference.

Ironically, a motorcyclist interrupted the press conference when he arrived at Memorial Hospital where he sustained injuries.

About 50 local physicians unveiled a petition to Maryland legislators asking them not to pass the bill. The doctors have nearly 400 signatures and hope to have at least 500 by the time they send it to the legislature on Monday.

The press conference occurred Monday on the front lawn of Memorial Hospital. Doctors from Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Mercy Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Center were present. Over 100 nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers joined the audience.

The helmet mandate was approved about 25 years ago and statistics prove it is a positive step.

“The number of serious head injuries caused by motorcycle accidents in Maryland is over 70 percent less now then when the helmet law was adopted 25 years ago,” said Dr. Karl Sodergreen.

Motorcyclists will not be the only ones affected by a potential change in the current helmet law. Health-care cost will also feel the impact of this new bill.

A study from last year about health-care costs related to motorcycle riding by the State Medical Society showed that emergency room costs alone could go up by more than 45 percent if the helmet law is repealed, said Dr. Hector Rivera.

The physicians plan to send their petition to the legislature on Monday, said Dr. Sodergreen.
Legislature will consider the bill next Wednesday.

The motorcyclist injured in a two-vehicle accident was 19-year-old Grady Smith of 8213 Peach Street. Smith suffered a broken arm and several broken ribs.

His injuries would have been much worse if he had not been wearing a helmet, said his doctor’s in the city police report.

Good lede drafts

2008-02-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

The two ledes I like were Annie's and Cristy's.

I really liked Annie's angle on her news story. It wasn't about the negative side effects of college students and credit card debt. It is about how college students can avoid credit card debt through knowledge. I was hooked when I read, "consciously conquer" and "self control." I'm excited to read her news story because it's different. I enjoy the way she rights.

I also liked Cristy's lede. She gave attribution which made her more crediable. She also started with a startling fact that grabbed my attention right away.

When I was reading everyone's ledes, these two really stood out. They were different in structure and content. They are both off to great starts. Can't wait to read more!

News story lede

2008-02-25T06:24:00.001-08:00

I am not 100% positive which way I am going with my news story. I was thinking about concentrating on the fact that the university is contributing to students debt problems by allowing banks to solicit on the campus. Then I was thinking I might write about how students aren't educated enough on financial matters including debt. So here are my ROUGH ledes:

Towson University students are being targeted on their own campuses by credit card companies with the universities permission.

OK, I already know I'm not a big fan of this one. I have "ON their own campuses" "BY credit card companies" "WITH permission..." Help?!

Towson students fail "Debt 101" because of inexperience and feel the effects long after graduation.

Debt impacts many

2008-02-18T09:18:00.001-08:00

Sources and references are key to establishing credibility in a news story. There are three basic types of sources. These include an everyday person who is impacted by the story, an expert on the subject and someone who has control over policy.

For my news story i have tons of ideas going through my head. For my "average Joe" source I want to interview my friend, Audrey Nagle. Audrey is a junior majoring in Business Administration. She is a full-time student at Towson and has a full-time job. She lives off-campus in which she pays a monthly rent. She also makes pays for her own car by making monthly payments along with paying for gas. She pays for all expenses and luxuries in her life. She makes these purchases on credit cards. It has added up and she fears she may not be able to get out of debt anytime soon.

I have a couple ideas for the experts I would like to interview. I would like to talk to a finance professor here at Towson, a debt counselor or a bank representative. This week I plan to contact and set up appointments with all three. A finance professor can give me insight to not only financial matters but economical matters as well. A local debt counselor can provide me with in depth information on college students and credit card debt, including how they got there and what they can do. A bank representative can give me more local information about Towson students spending habits.

I was unsure where to begin with my source who can impact policy. After doing some research, I found Terri Hall, the Associate Vice President of Campus Life. I also found, Deb Moriarty, the Vice President for Student Affairs. Both Terri Hall and Deb Moriarty would be great people to talk to about the procedures and standards for bank marketing on campus.

Once I talk to the various people, I will have a better understanding of what angle I would like to start with on this story.

Credit Card Debt among College Students

2008-02-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

Imagine applying for student loans, credit cards and graduation all in the same year. Sounds great, use the credit cards to pay off the students loans so you can graduate. Easy, but according to Lucy Lazarony at Bankrate.com, the average college student has about $2200 in credit card debt. That’s not even including student loan debt.

As I began researching information on this topic, I started thinking about my own debt. Along with 83% of students, I too have one or more credit cards. My dad always said one of the greatest gifts he could give me was for me to graduate college without any debt. It’s wonderful that I’m fortunate enough to graduate college with no student loans to pay off ten, twenty years from now, but I will be graduating next year with credit card debt. I never thought of a couple hundred dollars in unpaid payments on my credit cards as debt. That’s a scary thought.

Gerri Detweiler, education Adviser for Debt Counselors of America said that it would take a student more than 12 years and $1,115 in interest to pay off a $1,000 bill on a card with an 18 percent annual rate. Twelve years and $1,115 in interest! I’ll be 32 years old and still paying for a bill at The Kent from college. It really puts things in perspective when it costs you more in interest then your original bill.

According to a Collegiate Case Study done by USA Today, “In 1999 alone, an estimated 461,000 Americans younger than 35 sought protection from their creditors in bankruptcy” and that was almost 10 years ago. What has happened to our generation that we have to seek bankruptcy as our last resort? Here’s a thought, we can start understanding credit card debt and perhaps cut back and even use cash!

This phenomenon is affecting college students nationwide. Undergraduates and graduates are both affected by student loans, credit card debt and high interest rates. I think education and awareness is a must in attacking this problem. People can get caught up in the “plastic era” simply because they aren’t directly affected by the transactions. They don’t see what is actually happening, sometimes until it’s too late.

Newsrooms use Google Maps to improve wildfire coverage

2008-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

After reading the article, "Newsrooms use Google Maps to improve wildfire coverage" by Robert Niles I thought it was a great example of convergent journalism. By using Google Maps people were able to track and receive up to the minute information about the fires locations, damage etc. I think this is an example of convergent journalism because news reporters used several different forms of media to get information out to the public. Google Maps provided the residence of California and the rest of the world access to essential information that print media and television cannot always report. I think our own personal Google Maps can be thought of as convergent journalism as well. They are not going to reach a mass audience but they are using different forms of media blended together to provide the public with information.

Hometowns

2008-01-29T09:23:00.001-08:00

View Larger Map