Do not abbreviate _________.
States
I work with professor/Professor Foley.
professor
4 main functions of news media
Report, Explain, Entertain and Lead
What is news?
A change of consequence in the status quo and what reporters and editors say it is.
News is 50 percent ____________ and 50 percent __________.
-What happened? -How does it affect the reader/me?
News Values:
Impact, Timeliness, Prominence, Proximity, Conflict, Weirdness, Currency
The Writing Process:
Conceive, Report, Plan, Draft, Revise
Time:
3:00 p.m. x 3 p.m. ✓
Everyday vs Every Day
Adjective vs Adverb saying how and when
Quote guidelines:
If a quote is more than one sentence, put the attribution after the first sentence.
Identify the speaker the first time his/her name is used.
Don't attribute direct quotes to more than one person.
In general, use past tense throughout and be consistent.
What are the ABCs of news writing?
Accuracy, Brevity, Clarity
Day vs Date
Use the day or date in the story but not both. Day: Within 7 days of event. Date: More than 7 days. There is no "tomorrow" or "yesterday," but there is a today.
What is comma splice?
Joining 2 separate and complete sentences with a comma
FANBOY fakers:
However, therefore, although
Describers:
If you have two or more adjectives that are not joined by a conjunction and both/all modify the same word, put a comma between them.
Big story topics:
-The economy/stocks. -Politics. -Health care. -Weather. -Conflict. -Crime. -Sports. -Oddities. -Whack jobs.
What is news?
-Changing relationships. -Event of community consequence. -Disruptive events.
Ages:
Do not use numbers to begin sentences: all ages otherwise are figures.
Importance to readers:
-Extensity: how big of an event is it. -Intensity: how intense is its effect on readers? -Proximity: nearby, bigger news. -Recency -Consequence: what are the effects? -Variety
______ make a story come alive.
Details
News Values Ex.
-Timeliness: anniversaries, calendar. -Proximity: local, localized. -Local angle is the lede. -Prominence: big shot visiting. -Consequence: inconvenience, cost. -Human interest: comedy, tragedy, sex, animals, good deeds, bizarre, conflict.
Enterprise Stories:
-For journalists: -Helps fill space. -For PR types: -Promote. -Know what makes a good story in order to pitch a story.
Tips on finding stories:
-Be professionally curious. -Go out of your way to see things. -Be powerfully observant. -Use your senses, especially sound and hearing.
Attribution can go ________.
At the beginning, middle or end of a sentence.
Beginning attribution:
Direct: Mullen said, "We need to win." Indirect: Mullen said the team needs to win.
End attribution:
Direct: "Winning is important," Stricklin said. Indirect: Winning is important, Stricklin said.
Middle attribution:
Direct: "Win," Stricklin said, "or you're fired." Indirect: Mullen wins, Stricklin said, or he's fired.
Put attribution where the _________ is.
Comma
Exclamation Point:
"No!" they shouted.
Question Marks:
"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Who wrote "Gone With The Wind"?
Attribution is not set off by comma if it comes before a paraphrased quote except...
When using 'according to'.
Numbers:
-Spell out numbers zero through nine unless beginning of sentence for all: -Ages -Percentages -Money -Times -Scores (minus years)
Dimensions:
"He is 8 feet 2 inches tall." "9-by-12 rug" "There were seven houses on the 7-mile strip."
Avoid vague terms such as...
"Many" "A lot" "Most"
Three ways to get info:
-Research. -Observation. -Interviewing.
Name Exception:
Children 15 and under use full name in all uses.
Earned Titles:
Dr. or Sgt. can be used with the name on first reference, but generally are not used on second reference. -Only Dr. if medical professional.
MLK
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Titles:
-Capitalize true titles, not false titles before the name. -Vice President of International Affairs Mike Foley. -Mayor Ed Foonman -Sgt. Joe Friday -Sen. Bluto Blutarsky
No _______ are used with a name and title unless an article proceeds the name.
Commas
_________ __________ usually just describe a person's work
False titles
Title in proximity to name:
-If true title and precedes the name and is not separated from the name by other words or punctuation, you capitalize the title. -If the title is somehow separated from the name, lowercase it. -If the title follows the name, always lowercase it.
College/Dept. rules:
Colleges are upper case, departments are lowercase.
Write _____ percent of what you know
10
News Values Pt 2:
-Impact. -Proximity. -Timeliness. -Prominence. -Novelty. -Conflict. -Relevance. -Usefulness. -Human interest
If the event you refer to happened or will happen within one year of the publication date, don't use the year.
-Several new laws took effect July 1. -Foley was marshal May 3. He plans to do it again May 5. -Foley was born July 6, 1946.
Days:
Days of the week are ALWAYS spelled out.
Months:
-If the month is used with a specific date and the month is one that may be abbreviated, do so. -If the month is used by itself without a date, spell it out.
Date endings:
Do not use th, nd, rd, etc. with dates.
Periods of time:
Moe's Bar is open 9:30-2.
Intro Phrases: Small
"Generally, space aliens are friendly, professor Joe said." "Moreover, he said."
Intro Phrases: Medium
"In fact, her test score was higher because the professor made an error." "On the other hand, it made him angry."
Intro Phrases: Large
Although, if, as, in order to, when "As far as I am concerned, reporting is a bit waste of time."
FANBOYS:
-For -And -Nor -But -Or -Yet -So
Sentences w/ Fanboys:
You should always have a comma before FANBOYS that join two sentence. If you do not have two subjects and two verbs separated by FANBOYS, no comma.
Comma Splice:
No FANBOYS, joining two sentences.
Oxford comma:
DON'T USE IT
Interrupters:
Information that appears within the sentence but is separate from the subject.
Fake Lede Formula:
-35 words max -No more than 1 comma. -Straightforward, declarative sentence. -Verb in simple past tense.
Guidelines:
-S-V-O construction. -Active is often better than passive, but Foley is not a purist on that. -5 W's and H
Numbers in Addresses:
Use figures for numbers in addresses
When to abbreviate: Addresses
-St, Bvld, Ave. -Only abbreviate when used with a specific address. -Similar guidelines apply to direction.
Examples of address abbreviation:
Correct: 234 SW Sixth St. (period if just E.) Correct: 10355 Paradise Blvd. Correct: He lived on Southwest 12th Street. (No number, spell out everything)
Incorrect: 3100 Redbug Rd. Incorrect: The original Hooters is on Cleveland St. in Clearwater. -Incorrect: Tampa's Bayshore Blvd. is a good place to meet women.
Do you need the state?
Not if it's well known to your readers.
Ranking numbers:
No. 1, No. 44, No. 3
Advisor or Adviser?
Adviser
Over, more than
Mean the same thing.
Afterward, backward, toward
No s
City Commission, School Board, County Commission
Always capitalized
Collision, crash
Collision: two or more moving objects.
Health care, child care
-Two words, no hyphen -Health care system
Cancel:
Canceled, canceling, cancellation
All right
Two words in all uses.
Taser, dumpster.
-Taser must be capitalized. -Dumpster no longer capitalized.
Lectern, podium.
Stage is a podium, lectern is what you think is a podium.
Flip-flop.
Hyphen it out.
Chairman, chairwoman.
-If you know the gender, then use it. -Same with spokesman or spokeswoman.
Fewer, less.
Fewer is when you can count the objects, less for what you can't count. -Less than a half of tank of gas, fewer than 10 gallons.
Flyer, flier
Handouts are now flyers.
None was
Not "none were". "Not one."
Couple were.
Considered a plural.
Compliment, complement
Nice thing to say, things that go together.
Grand jury:
Always lowercase.
Inc., Corp., Co., Cos.
Always abbreviate
OK:
OK, OK'd, OK'ing, OKs.
First-grader, first-grade student, first grade.
Noun: no hyphen.
Affect, effect.
Verb, noun verb. "Effect change"
Year-round
Need hyphen
Lady, gentleman.
Do not use
Boy, girl.
After 18, no longer use.
ATM, PIN
Not ATM machine. Not PIN number.
Farther, further.
Farther distance, further depth.
Between, among.
Between two people, among is 3 or more.
Amid, among
No 'st'.
Underway.
One word in all uses.
Judgment
No e
Fundraiser, fundraising.
One word, all uses.
internet
No longer capitalized
Graduated from high school, a couple of beers.
Use from and of
Workout, workbook, workday, workforce, workhorse, workplace, workstation, workweek.
All one word