non linear approach

I'm planning on using the template that you have provided. The two stories I plan on expanding on are one on a transfer quarterback that has visited Towson. His name is Justin Roper and he is a quarterback from the University of Oregon. I've confimed with the head coach that he has visited, though he said he may not comment just yet (in a few days he said he would when it's official). But I'm going above coach Rob Ambrose and going straight to Roper for comment, hopefully soon. I know how to get at him, just have to have him on the record. I'm waiting to hear back if he's willing. The second story I have decided on is the Mike Hermann situation. I have spoken with Dr. Spaulding and Dr. Haller on how to go about obtaining his contract status and with the help of the state's Public Information Act, I'm going to President Caret's office to obtain the records. I got redirected many times throughout the day and have confirmed that Caret has the contract on file. Once I've seen the contract, I will then go to Hermann for comment as to whether he is in negotiations to return or get a comment for Caret about his plans. Maybe both, who knows. That's the plan.

recent news story: beat

http://www.towsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21300&ATCLID=3753094

This fits in perfectly with me because I have covered the women's lacrosse team ever since I've been at Towson. I know they love hosting the event and do a great job with it. In a recent meeting I sat in on, it was disclosed that nearly thirty thousand fans attended the three games of the Final Four. That's a huge number. I know the team has high aspirations for next year and expects to be one of those final teams playing in the last few games in front of the home fans. Thhe team finished ranked in the top 15 at the end of the year, so their expectations aren't ridiculous by any stretch. Can't wait to see how they do.

slideshow

For my slideshow, I've chosen to do Eric Rhew, who works in athletic media relations at Towson. I'm also told that he's had Professor Atwater for broadcast journalism, but I have yet to hear how that turned out haha. The job of someone in media relations and being a sports information director is thankless, honestly, and a lot of what they do goes on behind the scenes. But to sports journalists me, guys like Eric are a godsend and it's best to get on their good side. Eric and I have a solid relationship and while he is usually the one publicizing the happenings of Towson sports, I'm about to return the favor and give him some well deserved recognition of his own.

video/show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sbt3Z7Alxs

This isn't the particular episode that was today. However, the editing techniques we used (or tried to, haha) and were shown can easily be seen with this clip. You can see the different angles and cutting back and forth between the panelists and this is a real skill to have. Obviously, I'm nowhere near that. But I like to think I'm at the very least getting better.

audio update: part 2

So the link is broken. Found out that I didnt save my work. Had to do it all over again, though still on Hanley. Updated link as soon as it's on the H drive forthcoming....

audio update

Ryan Hanley isn't a star, but he may be the embodiment of the new attitude head coach Rob Ambrose is trying to impart in his first season as head coach. Hanley lost 45 pounds and made a position switch from offensive guard to fullback with the help of John Donatelli, the offensive line coach for Towson. Hear why he did it and what those around him are saying by checking out the story....

http://tiger.towson.edu/~khess4/WWW/audio/hanley.wav

feature story link

http://tiger.towson.edu/~khess4/pages/yaky.html

see preceding posts for background....

Broadcast leads

Original Text: The Police Department ousted its top leadership yesterday in the Central District, a move that comes amid violent attacks in the downtown area and one day after The Baltimore Sunreported that officers had failed to properly handle the robbery of a nanny in Bolton Hill.

Maj. John Bailey, a 35-year veteran, and his second in command, Deputy Maj. Avon Mackell, a 21-year veteran, were stripped of their command positions after what sources described as a particularly heated exchange with department leadership after a woman was choked and robbed of an iPod while she walked with a baby Monday afternoon.

Broadcast: The police department has shaken up its command positions after a heated exchange with higher-ups. Two top commanders were stripped of their positions.

Original:The nation's breathtaking pace of job loss slowed significantly in May, bolstering hopes that the worst of the current recession is over, but millions of Americans and their families face continued economic pain with the unemployment rate jumping to 9.4 percent. And wages remained essentially flat, the government reported.

Broadcast: The unemployment rate has jumped to 9.4 percent, leaving millions of Americans facing economic hardships.

Original:Baltimore City police released composite sketches Friday of two suspects in the fatal shooting of Joseph Woah-Tee at a Pen Lucy community center over the weekend.

Woah-Tee, 60, was shot during an attempted robbery about 3:40 a.m. Sunday at Gaimei Nangbn Multi-Purpose Neighborhood Center in the 4300 block of York Road. The center, which Woah-Tee founded in 1990, offered GED classes and other activities.

Broadcast: Police have released sketches of two suspects they believe shot a 60-year-old man at a local community center. 

Beat: stealing?

http://www.thetowerlight.com/sports/tigers-snag-ex-top-100-recruit-from-terps-1.1752425

I hereby give myself permission to steal from...myself? Yeah, okay. Sounds good to me. This is a story that I wrote that just happened to get published. Imagine that. 

Anyway, it appears Dupree was just a little too short to play center in the ACC. Not so in the CAA, if he is able to keep his weight down. And that's a big if. Tony Durant was supposed to be good and then he turned into a blimp.

The only thing I wasn't able to do was get more quotes on this story. Just one, albeit from the head coach, but still. Nobody picks up their phones. That's my biggest pet peeve as a journalist. Whatever. I would add more quotes. I would also mention that he won't have an immediate impact. He isn't eligible to play this season. Only the season following. He doesn't just come here and play automatically, that's against NCAA rules. Should've made that clearer in the story. That's all for now.

audio story

I'm a little angry about the way this piece came about, but happy now that I can finally use it. I've had this idea in the back of my head but never really got to use it...until now. Ryan Hanley is a junior on the football team. He was an offensive lineman, until Rob Ambrose arrived. His O-line coach, John Donatelli, suggested that because of the depth on the line that he switch positions. Ryan Hanley was a 315 pound offensive lineman. Ryan Hanley is now a 270 pound fullback after intense workouts. Classic story. Can't wait to tell you more :)

Beat: Hermann on way out?

This is a pretty complex story that I'll try to condense as much as possible. Mike Hermann, the current Towson athletic director, no longer has a contract. It expired May 31. But he's still on campus and still doing his job. Well, trying. You see, when new head football coach Rob Ambrose was hired, it was not his final decision. Bob Caret did that. Bob Caret also wanted Gordy Combs fired, a move that was made so Ambrose could be brought in. Hermann wanted Combs to stay. Gordy himself will tell you that. My point is, Hermann is losing authority within the department and everyone knows it.

According to a source I spoke with within the department who did not want to be named until a final decision on Hermann was made, the fazing out of Hermann began months ago, and the search for a new AD is in full swing. The way Hermann's contract is characterized right now is "month to month", the source said. Meaning, in simpler terms, he's here until Caret hires a new one. The source even went so far as to say the new AD will be hired only on an interim basis, not a full time one. This because as he says "other coaches are on their way out" meaning the new AD will be the one firing the coaches, then himself be fired so a new, permanent AD can bring in his own coaches. 

 

The weird thing is, everyone I talked to about this (and the list is large) doesn't want to go on record about this. If Hermann gets a new contract, as small as that chance is, they don't want to be on record and then have their relationship with their own boss severed. Fair enough. But for journalists like me, it just makes my job harder. At least I have a blog like this where I can tell you guys all this. Am I right?

WSJ style

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.ravens03jun03,0,3559893.story

Here's the WSJ formula story I've selected. Good symmetry. Starts with how he's getting adjusted, ends with where he wants to go, why he wants to do well. Recap in the middle. Pretty straight forward stuff. I don't even like the Ravens, but this was a pretty good read. Hensley knows what he's talking about. It's basically a story of how Beck is becoming more accustomed to his surroundings. Ties back with a quote at the end, that's the key thing. Starts with Beck, finishes with Beck. If you don't have the same starting and ending point, it's just not WSJ style. This is, and it, to me, is a great example.

Feature ideas

I'm pretty much set on this one. Yaky Ibia, a junior defensive tackle for the football team here at TU, was born in Nigeria and lived in England before coming state side. Now, he'll be entering his third year as a starter in new head coach's Rob Ambrose's first year. It's a really good story. I lived with Yaky my freshman year in Scarborough Hall. He lived down the hall from me and we've stayed in contact throughout our time here. Super nice guy and really driven. Don't want to give too much away before the feature, but I'll think everyone will like it.

articles

http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1063872

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/jaguars/white-text.html

Summary vs. Feature leads

In a summary lead, it is what it says. You have all the information you need in the first paragraph, and if you were to stop reading the article, you'd already know what happened and what the story was about.

Feature leads are different. The goal here is to keep the reader reading. Give them something that they can relate to or find interesting. You can use the delay of imformation when appropriate. Asking a revelant question, when used in moderation, may also be key. You just need that hook in a feature. Keep the reader wanting more. Summarize later; don't give them everything at once.

Examples of these feature leads coming soon....

Beat blogging

Oh yes, it's here. The Towson sports blog has arrived. From the top of the department on down, all of the information you need regarding the entire athletic Towson program is right here. My relationships I have formed on each team gives me unparalelled insight and analysis into the latest news, injuries and happenings on every roster. As a student, I am able to better relate to the athletes on campus because we're all here for the same reason: to be educated. I know them and they know me. Forming relationships is essential when covering a beat because you will interact with the subjects on a daily basis. Because I already have established some of these relationships, I'm already a leg up on the competition and therefore am able to get the story first, another key element. Not only is my information current, it's also accurate. Accuracy and integrity are the hallmarks of solid, groundbreaking journalism and it's something I pride myself on providing to my audience. These fundamental tools as well as my knowledge and insight into the program will help my blog be all you need to have for all of your Towson sports information. 

MCOM 258: What I'm all about

Hi, I'm Kevin Hess. I'm 20 years old and about to be a junior at Towson. I'm extremely excited about taking MCOM 258, because I feel like while my fundamental journalistic skills are sharp, my multimedia knowledge and skills have much to gain. That's what I'll hope I'll learn here. I really need hands on knowledge of the internet and what it has to offer. I have the journalistic knowledge to succeed, I truly believe that. My experiences in the field are growing and I couldn't be more excited to be in the media industry. As a part of the Towerlight and PressBox, along with taking classes here at Towson, I couldn't think of a better way to set myself up for the future. But as someone who knows where I want to go, I can't settle and must continue to better myself for later on if I want to be successful.

continued....

Kevin and Mike's day out

100 word story

A 3-year-old girl was found trapped in a washer in a local laundromat after her sister closed the door when her sister climbed in.

Jennifer Childs of Rockland did not escape from the washer, that was equipt with an automatic lock, despite her aunt's attempts until five minutes later when a man got a hammer from his toolbox and smashed the glass on the machine's door. Today, Janice Childs, the aunt, can be thankful for Paul Hecker's valiant attempt at saving her neice's life.

A Rockland Hospital spokesperson said Jennifer was listed in good condition after being admitted yesterday.

editor's checklist/tipsheet

Here are just a few tips I think are important to remember when covering an event:

--Be prepared. Do your homework on the subject matter. That means know what you are getting into before you get there. Research important people, dates or facts if necessary. You will be thankful when you are more prepared than you thought, cause you never know what you are getting into until you are there. It's better to have too much info instead of not enough.

--Ask questions. Truthfully, it's the only way to get the knowledge you need to write a well thought out story. And don't just go to the main sources. Asking other media in attendance things you don't know isn't a crime. You cannot be intimidated. Remember, the event is being held to expose information, not hide things. So if you have questions, ask.

--Take notes. You most likely don't have a photographic memory, so you need to recount important things that happen during the event. And you can't do that without notes. Whether it's with a laptop or notepad, they are vital when reviewing what happened after the event has ended. You'll be glad you have them.

--Bring a tape-recorder. When conducting an interview, be it in a group setting or one-on-one, you simply cannot write as fast as people talk. I know because I've done it and with less than thrilling results. That's why having things on tape is so vital. You can go back and catch anything you may have missed. You can't misquote people and if you just write a phrase or so down, it isn't complete. Meaning, you need to stay away from that quote, however important it may turn out to be. Having a recorder fixes that. And gives you increased credibility and reliability because you are able to go back and get it right.

lede 4/5

4. With identity theft one of the leading criminal actions over the past year, a state representative is sponsoring a bill that will allow credit card holders to see if their numbers have been stolen.

5. The Maryland department of education is awarding millions of dollars to 53 school districts throughout the state to offset recent cutbacks of state funding.

Lede practice

1. Roger Datolli, 67, suffered a broken leg and several broken ribs in a Thursday afternoon crash involving two other vehicles.

2. Two city council members raised an issue at a recent meeting in an effort to form a committee to oversee changes that are potentially being made to the city's historic district.

3. The department of energy announced Monday that a plan is in place to store nuclear waste in Nevada. 

extra credit

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.

                   He thought he was on time for the meeting, yet the clock said otherwise.

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

examples: The tall, dark man walked down the street.

                   Helen Keller was blind, deaf and mute.

3. Use commas when attributing from quoted materials. Commas set off words of attribution from the words of a one-sentence quotation unless a question mark or exclamation mark is preferred.

examples: "Hello," he said.

                   "We just didn't play well," the coach said.

4. Commas follow introductory mattter.

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.

5. Commas follow the salutation of a friendly letter and the complimentary close of any letter.

examples: Dear Reese,

                   Sincerely, Kevin

6. Commas follow all items in a full address or date.

example: July 16, 1962, is his date of birth.

                 She has lived in Manteo, N.C., all her life.

7.Commas surround nonessential words or phrases.

examples: Well, we will just have to walk home.

                   See, the dog did not get the frisbee.

8. Commas surround words of direct address.

examples: Betty, please pass the butter.

                   I can see, Fred, that you are lazy.

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

examples: Talent often is inherited; genius, never.

10. Semicolons connect two complete sentences if sentences have a related thought.

examples: The mode seemed destined for quick success; it is possible that's why she was a  target.

11. Semicolons are used in a list separating items that require significant internal punctuation.

examples: He visited Richmond, Va.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Birmingham, Alabama.

12. Colons precede formal lists, illustrations, multisentence quotes, and enumerations.

examples: The following students received scholarships: Ben Williams, Mike Stevens and Allie                        Jones.

                   Do not enter under these circumstances: The door is locked or the alarm is set.

                   

Grammar Slammer Problem

According to our readings, the five most common problems are as follows:

1. Punctuation

Many rules exist for this problem, but a common mistake often involves comma usage.

"She managed the restaurant, but he did the cooking." 

2. Subject/verb agreement

The biggest problem many face involves lining up tenses ie past or present etc.

"Each has an excellent option."

3. Correct use of pronouns

They, he, she and it are not used in the most effective manner in many cases.

"Marianne said she would never color her hair."

4. Sentence structure

Fragments and run ons are common mistakes to most.

"On the way to our hotel, we saw a herd of sheep."

5. Word usage

Many words can sound the same, yet have different meanings and spellings. GET IT RIGHT.

Pour has a different meaning/connotation than poor.

Summary ledes

A good summary lead can be accomplished if the writer is able to incoporate the elements of the 5 W's and H, while also being specific, concise and avoid backing in. 

A few examples of these as follows:

Via  BaltimoreSun.com:

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon said yesterday that the city might reject a proposed slots parlor near the Inner Harbor if the bidders' plan wouldn't produce enough revenue to fund "worthwhile" property tax reduction.

Seeking to jump-start the housing market, the Senate added new tax relief for homebuyers to its $900 billion economic stimulus bill yesterday as the legislation moved toward a final vote.

Barack Obama took his place as the 44th president of the United States under a bright January sky yesterday, painting the dark national moment in unsparing terms and exhorting Americans to respond by taking greater responsibility for themselves, the country and the world.

A reason these ledes trip my trigger is for the simple fact that you don't even have to read the rest of these stories to find out what is going on. That is a subtle fact about ledes that not many pick up on. That one paragraph tells you all you need to know, save for quotes and analysis. But you really don't incorporate those factors into a lead anyway (for the most part), and therefore, they would come later in the piece. Also, I'm a big fan of "power" or "buzz" words in ledes. Revenue, legislation, national, are just a few of these words littered throughout these ledes, and they are words that most anyone will take an interest in upon reading them. You want to hook the reader, and using power words is certainly a good start.

Chapter 14

Objectivity--requires that journalists stick to observable facts and avoid injecting their opinions into news reports. Ways you can do this include not taking sides, presenting quotes to support the facts reported, and keeping your emotions out of the writing you present.

Thoroughness--requires time to track down and talk to the best sources and find the best documentary evidence. The goal is to give the audience as much information as possible. You want to be concise, but you also must give the whole story. Therefore, length is variable for individual assignments. 

Accuracy--the level of correctness of an article. Simply put, there is no substitute for getting it right. Fact checking is a must. Proper statistics and attributions are vital. Poor accuracy can lead to loss of readership and/or reliability from others in the industry. You cannot burn your bridges. Get it right.

Fairness--an attempt to make sure all bases are covered. Provide both sides of the story. Find as many reliable sources as you can, and use efficient interviewing techniques to provide more input.

Transparency--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. Link to source material. Try and show the reader what your job is really like. And let the audience form their own opinions about what you write.

What I'm all about

Hey everybody. Kevin here. Everybody calls me Kev or Kman, but it really doesn't matter to me. Whatever works. For the most part, I'm pretty laid back. I have a firm set of beliefs and I believe myself to be a morally sound individual. I pride myself on my conduct with others. That's extremely important to me. 

I'm a sophomore in college and I really love Towson. I've been given a ton of opportunities and I consider myself lucky to go to a school that fits my way of life.

I'm an aspiring sports journalist; that's where my true passion lies. I try to network with others in the industry as much as I can, because as you can see...I'm almost famous.