Chapters 18-21

Chapter 18 writes about investigative reporting. This reminds me of the movie Charlie Wilsons war. There is a part of the movie where a investigative reporter finds out that this congressmen at this inappropriate party and reports on it. I think it would be a really exciting aspect of reporting. It may get annoying, but I still think it would be very worth it.
Chapter 19 is about television and radio reporting. This was a very interesting chapter for me because my brother works for Fox News and he has been in tv news for as long as I can remember. I used to also work for radio news when I was 18. It was interesting to really see the difference between the different outlets for news (tv, radio ,newspaper) I enjoyed reading this chapter. Brings back lots of good memories.
Chapter 20 Web reporting. This chapter helped with add my multi-media project on the web for this class. Im not sure if web reporting would be the job for me. I don’t think I would like to sit in front of a computer all day for a job. But for people that like to work from home and like to write this would be a great job for them.
chapter 21 reporting for public relations. This is the kind of reporting I think I would be good at. During the day I work at my dad’s office in the marketing department. We write proposal all day to get jobs for the office. We write the proposals to make the office look its best. In the chapter it makes PR writing sounds kind of boring. I kind of wish the authors wrote more about the fun side of PR reporting.

Chapter 11-17

Chapter 11 is about news release stories. When I first started reading this chapter, I found it hard to stay concentrated on what I was reading but as I got to the end of the chapter I found myself very interested in the information. I think it is really interesting how the author come up with stories, and how they tried to come up with stories that are most likely to have an effect on a bigger audience. I think this is important to a writer; the whole point of summiting writing is so that the public feels coupled to read it. This reminds me of the stores that are told by motivational speakers.
Chapter 12 is the chapter deals with speeches, how to cover speeches how to write down quotations, and correct quotations. As a journalist it is key to get these things right. If you quote one wrong word or phrase in your story it could result in you losing your job and your credibility. This reminded me of being on the debate team and how important it is to write down what the other team is saying as the debate goes on, if you miss quote them you could loss the round.
Chapter 13 Talked about covering of disaster stories. As I was reading I couldn’t help but think of my big brother who works for Fox News in Arizona. He is always talking about all the tragic stories they have to cover everyday. In the chapter the author says you must be very delicate when talking to the victim and victim's family, or anyone who is involved. On the other hand you need to cover the story, and get the story right. So talking to everyone and anyone including cops, firefighter. The chapter also went over how to be delicate and take down as many notes as you possible can.
Chapter 14 was all in the beat. Beats are kind of like a reporters territory where reporters go for their stories. This reminded me of the movie Anchor Man. In the movie one news team is walking along in the park when they run in to the number 2 rated team. They ask “why you on our turf?” When it comes to getting a good story, you have to know the area you are reporting and some reporter know certain areas better then others.
Chapter 15. Uhg, I am not a fan of business! (or math) But someone has to report on it. I don’t think it will be me. It was interesting to see how much work has to go in to getting these breaking stories about business and company problems. Reporting these stories is just like a math problem, one wrong step and it done for. Props to any person that tackles these stories.
Chapter 16 Sports stories. I love sports, who doesn’t like sports. But the book goes on to say that sorts writing can be kind of boring. For someone like me, who loves sports this would be a great oppritunarty. But for someone who is not into the sports, the players, it would be a very mundane job. But it seems the hardest thing about sports reporting would be that the writers have to keep the readers interested in there team even if they are not doing so well. (Go Chargers)
Chapter 17 .Seemed like it was a recap of everything we have gone over so far. You must become accustomed to your environment and pay attention to every detail. One false slip up could mean the loss of great information.

Final Project

Jessica Sillman
WRI 250
December 15, 2009
jsillman100@pointloma.edu
858.610.5680

Music group Hanson performed at San Diego State University Sunday afternoon on Nov. 8 to bring attention to their view on important issues around the world. The pop band from the 90’s, made up of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, started their day in San Diego at San Diego State University by having student and fans take off their shoes and walk barefoot with them to the campus.
In 2007, Hanson partnered with shoe company TOMS doing "The Walk," where they walk for one mile before giving a concert in an attempt to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa as well a number of other causes. For every person who participates, Hanson will donate $1 to places in need. "We're raising money to aid those that are less fortunate," Taylor Hanson said. "This is not an awareness walk, this is an action walk."
Hundreds of San Diego State students and student from all over San Diego country chanted and screamed as they walked with the band one mile around the campus. "It's a great opportunity to speak to people and do something together," Taylor Hanson said as he was taking off his shoes for the start of the walk. "Even though there are a million causes, a student can have an active role in creating change."
Brother Zac Hanson shares the same view as his older brother's and wants to spread a message of hope. They hope to change the living conditions in parts of the world that need it. Zac Hanson said. "We don't need a government or nonprofit to reach out, We got all the tools we need. Walks are just a way to provide people with a way to start."
Not only did students decided to join in on the march for a good cause, fans from all over also joined in."This is our second walk," said Laura Conner, 19, who attends City College of San Diego. "We did the San Francisco walk last year. It's a great cause."
When Hanson took the stage at San Diego State, they performed three songs and they closed it with a crowd favorite "Great Divide." (Click Here for Video) Laura Kabes, 17 is visiting San Diego to tour Point Loma Nazarene campus, was able to get Zac Hanson's signature on her sweatshirt and said it was "The biggest day in my entire life."

News Chp. 9/10

I thought that Chapter 9 was much more interesting to read then chapter 10. I enjoyed reading all of the different introductions to the stories. I found it interesting to see all the different ways to write stories.In chapter 9 the author talked about how to combine the stlyes of news and narrative writing and putting them in to one story, I thought that was very helpful.

I also thought that the auothers focus on the way of writing an article was very informative. It is sad, but it is so true that if one person dies its a terrible accident it may not be a top story. The author reminds us that, when a hundred people die it is just a number. I enjoy the fect that in this form of article writing you use examples and experiences of real people to connect the reader to whatever occurred. It does make it way more interesting to read.

What i enjoy most about reading these chapters is that it tell us why news sometimes sounds unemotional and harsh. Sometmes the world around us is unemoional and harsh and thats how we have to report it.

"Good Night, And Good Luck"

"Good Night, And Good Luck" is one of the top films I have ever scene. It was directed by George Clooney (who also co-stars), this is a film that has a powerful message and social commentary that remains relevant today. Filmed in black and white, "Good Night, And Good Luck" also brings back the old school feeling of broadcast journalism and television in the 1950s.

The film focuses around CBS journalist Edward Murrow and his attempts to take down Senator Joseph McCarthy through his news program, "See it Now." David Strathairn, playing Edward Murrow, gives a great performances, Clooney makes a big leap in the film industry. Filming in black and white, and interspersing news conferences with actual footage of McCarthy, made this movie much more realistic for me. The ending and the very last frame lets "Good Night, And Good Luck" was like the icing on the cake. It ends very abruptly, as if Clooney wants to show the failing, yet lasting effort Murrow had--how he stands as a symbol for the continuation of truth and who is willing to bring it out to the public. The end has a very honest bleak tone to it, we want to see Murrow continue to let the public know what's actually going on in the country, but one man's fight isn't good enough. Clooney chooses a perfect and powerful ending. He makes a bold statement on how public interest in television has contributed to the decay of society.

Homework

The three news outlets i went to to find my story were BBC online, CNN.com and Jerusalem Post. All the three wrote about Obama visit to China. n the BBC online article it talked about how The presidents of China and the US have agreed to work together to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems. CCN quoted Obama saying "As the two largest consumers and producers of energy, there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States," The Jerusalem post wrote "Speaking with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said that the United States and China will work together to confront the threat of an Iran that is armed with nuclear weapons. Obama said the United Nations Security Council members are unified against such a prospect." The main difference I saw between the articles was that the Jerusalem Post had a lot more of a personal opinion feel to it while the other two where just reporting the facts.

Essay 4

I really enjoyed reading this essay and I like how it start out by talking about this small town and how this Star had contributed to the community of this town. It was interesting to read how this Star become there connection to the outside world and how they depend on that information and began to learn about things in there own community. I grew up in a small town in a big city. Growing up in La Jolla, I feel you get that same small town feel but can always get away to the big city of San Diego. I dont know what it would be like for me to live in a small town that had no real connection to the outside world
I really liked this quote from the essay, it really shows the descriptive qualities of the author.” change was like water and it wears at a jagged rock called the past to smooth it out until it eventually disappears and rolls with the current. But even as it is smoothed, it shifts the direction of the water, affecting the future.”

chapters,7/8

Chapter 7 started off talking about the inverted pyramid and it was interesting to see how you lay out your information in an article. In my mind i thought you had to start with an interesting story or a attention getter, but in a news story you have to put out the facts first. If the story you are reporting is interesting I think that is what will keep your reader interested in the rest of the article.
Chapter 8 focused on how to be correct in your writing a news story. I enjoyed reading the part about how to foreshadow in a story. This a way to keep the reader engaged in the story. The author goes on to say there is more to a story than you would think the story should make you want to find out what that is. Like the book says "read on; the story gets even better."

WGIJ 3rd paper

This chapter seems to focus on NPR and its importance on Media Communications. The auother speaks highly of the radio program and how it is important for people to listen to programes like NPR that dont have any corporate sponsors. I had a question running throght my head as I was reading this article. I wonder what the authors option be on how NPR now presents the news, not only on the radio but on social networking sites.
Before I start writing this blog I did my daily cheek of my social networking sites, that includes Twitter. On Twitter I fallow NPR and get news updates from them all day. It made me think about how NPR is now trying to reach out to a younger crowd. With NPR on the soical networking sites, will this incress young peoples interest in news and the world around them? Will they look for the truth and not just answers? I wonder what the author would say.

WGIJ 2nd paper

This chapter was inspiring. It makes you proud to be in a country where you can hold you govermant accountable for its actions with out fear for you life unlike other countries around the world. This made me think of the story that was done years ago here in San Diego. This was were a report found information about a governance official that didnt quite add up. This reporter found that this person was paying other judges in the country to vote in his favor.

The report published the findings and made the government take legal action on the parties involved. This is what journalism is about. Being a 'Watch Dog' and keeping the government in line by keeping an eye on them. This chapter inspires me to not be afraid to ask the hard questions. It our job as journist to ask the question that nobody wants to ask, but need to know the answers.

Chp. 5/6

Reading chapters 5 and 6 gave me flash backs to my debating days. More so in chapter 5. In this chapter the author talks about fairness and how as a reporter you have to be able to see both sides of an argument. As a reporter you have to put your personal bias aside and report a fair and balanced story. When I was in debate, an exercise we would do was write down your own views and bias to argue for example a presidential candidate and then our teacher would say "ok you are going to have to create a argument for the other candidate.
This was really hard to do. debate teaches you to be able to argue for any side not matter what your option is. The trick now is to take that skill and be able to put it down on paper.

Summer Vacation

It wasn't much of a vacation at all. I was very busy this past Summer. I worked everyday and had summer school ever morning. I took both sections of Spanish over the summer. The only reason I passed was my teaching. He made the class entertaining (we start class everyday at 7;30am) . The one fun thing I did this summer was go to Disneyland.
I love going to Disneyland, so I was happy I found the time to go this summer. I went with my friend Anna (who is a PLNU grad). We got up at the crack of dawn to drive up to the park. We ended up getting there before the parking lots were even open. It was such a nice day to go to Disneyland. It was a bit overcast, so it wasn't super hot and it was on a Tuesday so it wasn't crowded.
I got to do all the things I love at Disney; riding rides, shopping and pineapple ice cream. Mmmm! We ended the day with Disney Fireworks. I love watching the little kids faces as the fireworks show is going on. They truly taken to another world. It was the best day of summer for me and I hope to go back next summer.

Chp. 3/4

I enjoyed reading chapters 3 and 4. I felt that they gave alot of good tips and a good over view of what you need to be a good journalist. To start off chapter 3, the author talks about the importance of gathering background on your story. Its good to be well informed about a topic before you go out researching or an interview. This reminded me of an NFL interview i saw, the reporter asked a personal question and the player said "well if you had do your research on me, you would know that answer."

Another tip the author gave was that a good interview has alot to do with a positive setting. Another NFL example that i thought of when i was reading, was the location of post game interviews. A female reporter was told she was not welcome in to the locker room after the game for a post game review. She felt that she was being cut out of the an opportunity for a perfect setting for her post game review.

Lastly, i liked how the author talked about how important its is for reporters to find the truth in a story. Even if you dont agree with the out come of the story, you need to provide the reader with the truth.

Poynter Online.
This article gives you an outline of what are some good things to write about in a professional blog. The writer give you questions that readers have as they go throw your blog. He writes "it all come down to content". Its not about how much or how often you write with your blog, its what you write about.