Video Editing during a TV program

As I was watching TLC's Kate:Her Story, a television program to set out unanswered questions by Kate Gosselin the mother in the series Jon and Kate Plus 8, I noticed how the producers used many varieties of shots to help keep the basic interview more interesting.

The various shots included ones of her and NBC's Natalie Morales (the interviewer) sitting on a gold couch, typically this was used while Kate was answering a question or Natalie was asking a question.

Close up's of Kate's face, especially during emotional moments or pauses, or shots of Kate over Natalie's shoulder so you could see who was asking the question.

There were also shots of Natalie's face from behind Kate to show when she was asking questions.

However, there was little variation from those four different shots. Producers could have showed that when she was crying she reached down for a kleenex--or views from behind the couches. However, I realize that in this case the focus was certainly for Kate to tell her story and not for fancy complicate angles.

Plans for Slideshow

I have contemplated many ideas for my slide show, Its hard because I feel like as a "college chef" who can really serve as a person of interest?

Because my blogs focus is to highlight student cooking, I've decided I would like to travel with a student from beginning to end through cooking a meal, driving to the supermarket, picking out items, and then actually making them--showing the ease of the whole process and depicting that its not complicated to make an easy meal.

plans for my audio story

Why is it that none of us college students know how to cook anyway?
For my audio story, I'd like to try to get a hold on a few parents maybe family studies or psychology professors who have a strong theory on the subject to disucss it with me. I also think it would be interesting to interview a student who doesn't know to cook and blames it fully on her parents-- just to see what the reasoning is!

Summary ledes vs. Broadcast ledes

These are three examples of Summary ledes taken from The Baltimore Sun, I took each lede and changed it into a broadcast-style lede.

1. Summary Lede:
A 14-month-old baby boy reportedly abducted early Tuesday from a house in Northeast Baltimore and found five hours later abandoned in a car was apparently taken by a child relative of the parents during a family dispute, a city police spokesman said.

Broadcast Lede:
A 14-month-old boy who was reported abducted Tuesday was apparently taken by a relative of the parents during a family dispute.

2.Summary Lede:
Carol W. Greider, who on Monday became the 33rd person associated with the Johns Hopkins University to win the Nobel Prize, is a triathlete, a mother of two and a methodical and modest genetic researcher who colleagues say shuns publicity in favor of pursuing her passion: fundamental, curiosity-driven science.

Broadcast Lede:
Carol Greider became the 33rd person associated with Johns Hopkins University to win the Nobel Prize on Monday.

3.Summary Lede:
A body spotted Friday by a Verizon worker in an underground cable vault in North Baltimore's mid-Govans neighborhood was that of a decomposed white female, and detectives are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine how she died, according to police.

Broadcast Lede:
Detectives are awaiting the autopsy results from a decomposed body that was found in a underground cable vault on Friday.

feature story

For my feature story I want to be able to speak with a person who is unable to cook, and has no previous background in cooking --this provides me with a fresh start and a clean slate!
I also hope that I can talk to a nutritionist which could help provide me with the details of what to include in a meal to ensure students are getting the meals they should when they are cooking for themselves.


I intend to pursue this story from a "how-to" angle because it will be the best way to talk about the steps necessary in making the actual meal as well as how to stay healthy!

Until next time, I'll keep on cooking!

Wall Street Journal Formula

The Wall Street Journal Formula(WSJ) is the most commonly used method of writing feature stories. This method consists of four components:

• The story opens with an anecdotal, descriptive, or narrative lead
• The nut graf follows the lead and explains what the lead is about
• The body of the story is supporting information (quotes and facts)
• The ending includes another anecdotal or description of the person featured in the story
  
  

The story "Driver texting now an issue in backseat" from the New York Times is a good example of the use of the Wall Street Journal Formula of writing a feature story.
The story opens with a strong anecdotal lede about a couple who's marital problems surround the issue of text messaging, "After decades of marriage, Terry and Debbie Buchen learned to work through various marital issues. Then something new came between them — his
cellphone."
The nut graf goes on to explain why his cellphone is causing such an issue, "Mr. Buchen, 62, couldn’t put it down while driving. The first time he sent e-mail messages from behind the wheel, he drove his BMW S.U.V. into a ditch on a deserted stretch of road..."
The body of this story starting with the statement "For all the conversations about distracted driving playing out in statehouses and on talk shows, the most heated discussions, and the ones with the most lasting impact, may be happening between family members and friends," goes on to explain how texting becomes such an impact on others when they aren't necessarily doing the texting.
The ending of the story goes on to conclude with another short anecdote about Grace Andrews, a mother who is causing the issue by texting whilst behind the wheel. Concluding that, "I could never imagine that we would get to this stage — that this is the stuff we would fight about,” she said."

I believe this article does serve as a perfect example of the Wall Street Journal Formula for feature stories.

Summary ledes vs. Feature ledes

In journalism, there are many different ways to start a story depending on what kind of information you want the reader to get out of it and what the story is about.

Summary ledes focus on the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story. Summary ledes are best used in cases of whats called "hard news" --the story is not supposed to "tip toe" around an issue, rather it gets to the point right away.

Feature ledes, however, are different in that they are used in the case of "soft news". This type of lede allows the story to unfold slower and are used to make the reader want to continue reading the story the writer wrote.

Some examples of Feature ledes are:

Story by Baltimore Sun writer Liz F. Kay "Smelly water floods Towson basement"

The problem: Smelly runoff from a nearby gas station floods a Towson home.
The back story: When it rains in Towson, it floods at Jerry Cornett's house.

Another example can be seen in another Baltimore Sun article by Arin Gencer "McDonogh School's garden yields 1st harvest"

With grunts and groans, the four kindergartners hefted the plump pumpkin, at times faltering under its weight.

mcom 258

So after a summer living in the woods; my blog is making its return.

For those who don't know me I am starting my junior year here at Towson and I'm a Long Island native. A bit klutzy and I've have an addiction to iced chai tea from Starbucks. But all around a person who loves to take pictures and write stories and is just looking for a bit of adventure.

I'm looking forward to my junior year and taking more classes for my major. I'm hoping that I'll be able to perfect my grammar skills and take my writing to a more professional level in MCOM 258!


Cross your fingers for me!

pictures without edit from our walk =]

towson men's rugby



hanging out with doc




alissa and being artsy

tip sheet

Tip Sheet on Writing Ledes, Writing Stories, and Covering Events

Writing the perfect Lede:
-Keep it to 30 words or less
-Remember past tense, but active voice
-Don't back into it
-Remember to keep it blind
-Answer the 5 W's and the 1 H
-SVO not OVS
-Where: Who did what when, source said.

Writing the perfect Story:
-Use a direct lede unless you are writing a feature story; then use a delayed lede.
-Format your story using the Inverted pyramid: Most important facts first, then get to the details
-Check your facts over and over again!
-Make sure your quotes add to the story, and make sure they're correct too!
-If you are writing a day two story, make sure you summarize the first days story and then add updated details, remember its not a rewrite but an entirely new story.

Covering an Event:
-Get as much information you can before the event takes place
-Have some starter questions ready, so you can go off of them later
-Listen carefully and take as many notes as you can
-Have a contact at the event so you can check details or have someone answer your questions

chapter 5 questions

1.What is the inverted pyramid?
-The inverted pyramid is a guide to writing; the most important facts at the start of the article; details and the extra information to follow-- this ensures readers get all the facts they need.

2.Whats a delayed lede? What other name does it go by?
-A way to draw in the reader; by placing interesting facts first readers will be intrigued to continue reading. They are also referred to as soft or feature ledes.

3.Whats a nut graf? Where does it come in the story?
-All delayed are followed by a nut graf which helps the reader understand the importance of the story. It provides an opportunity to add more pertinent information the the lede can hold. Essentially, it tells the reader what the story is all about, and helps them to understand why the story matters at all.

4. Where does the 'when' element come in?
-Unless using a delayed lede, the when always is found in the lede of the story. The right order being " who did what when, source said".

5.Whats a summary/chronology story?
-Stories are best told chronologically (in the order they happened). Chronological accounts typically follow a summary lede, and often a nut graf.

6.What special handling does a crime story require when it comes to naming suspects?
-Until a person is formally charged with a crime, its best not to report their name.

7. What is a multiple element story?
-A story that has more than one distinct idea is a multiple element story. In this type of story, the writer features each element in the lede, then elaborates on each in the order listed in the lede.

8.What is a second day story?
-Require total updates from the original story but differ from the original story in two ways. The lede first reflects the change from the initial event and secondly, the story must provide new details and summarize the original.

9.What is the difference between correlation and causation? What special handling does this require in story writing?
-Correlation is events that are happing at the same time which is not to be confused with causation which is when one event causes another. Journalists need to be careful when making assumptions about causation.

10.What kinds of facts should be double checked?
-Names, Dates, Places, Corporate names, Titles, Numbers and Graphics

11. What are the rules when working with quotes?
-Make sure the quote adds to the story.
Make sure the quoted words are the person's exact words.
Paraphrase when necessary.
Don't put words in a speaker's mouth.
Avoid inverted attribution.
Make sure it's clear who is speaking.
Choose verbs carefully.

Rockland News Story

Rockland--A game between two sisters ended in one trapped inside a washing machine.
At the Glen Rock Laundry and Dry Cleaner, 3 year old Jennifer Childs and Sister Elizabeth 7, were playing when Jennifer climbed into the washer and Elizabeth closed the door behind her. When the washer started filling with water Elizabeth ran for their Aunt Janice who was unable to help due to the automatic locks on the washing machines.
Paul Heckler had been shopping when he heard screams from the Laundromat; he quickly took a hammer to the washing machine and pulled Jennifer out. She is listed in good condition.

lede 4 and 5

4) Towson's Rate of identity theft cases at 77 victims out of 100,000 people is much higher than the national level which stands at 22 cases out of 100,000 people.

5)The state Commission on Crime and Delinquency is providing $1.2 million to the Towson school district for its program Community Helping Hands to of set the recent cutbacks to educational programs.

lede re-writes

1. Mayor Sabrina Datolli's husband Roger Datolli, 67, was injured during a three vehicle accident Thursday afternoon.

2.Council members Sandra Gandolf and Alice Cycler raise the possibility of creating a board to oversee changes in the downtown historic district.

3. A Nevada safe haven for 77,000 tons of radioactive waste was announced at a news conference at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon.

the dreaded five common grammar problems

-Punctuation: Forget the "feel good" philosophy, Don't Punctuate unless you know a rule!
comma usage: use in compound sentences, seperate elements, salutations, and introductions.
semicolons: use to connect two sentences
Example: She managed the restaurant, but he did the cooking.

-Subject & Verb agreement: Doesn't matter if its singular or plural, the subject must agree with the verb.
each, either, neither are ALWAYS singular.
Example: The Girl Scouts are a fine organization. & Neither has my vote.

-Correct Usage of Pronouns: Words like "he", "you", "they", "I", "it" stand for proper nouns.
pronouns must agree with antecedents
Example: Journalism is a popular major, and now it (journalism) prepares students for many careers.

-Sentence Structure:There are four categories
1. fragments
2. run on's
3. faulty parallelism
4. modifier placement
Example: (Wrong)- Swinging from an overhead wire, we saw a kite.
(Better)- We saw a kite swinging from an overhead wire.

-Word Usage: Correctly using words that function similarly but not identically
Example: affect/effect ( To affect is to have an effect on; effect is the noun. But effect as a verb means "bring about".)

chapter four

A summary lead is the opening sentence of a story; it is designed to summarize the story quickly. The book provides four tips helping to accomplish this:

1. be specific as possible
2. avoid backing in
3. be concise
4. use an active voice
   

"Driven schools chief has been given uncommon power to reshape Baltimore's dysfunctional schools to make them work for, not against, the children."~(Baltimore Sun)

I chose this lead because in 22 words the lead is able to provide the subject, location, and action of the story. It catches your attention because of word choice such as "uncommon power" and "dysfunctional" and therefore makes the reader want to continue reading.



"HEALESVILLE, Australia (AP) — Entire towns have been seared off the map by wildfires raging through southeastern Australia, burning people in their homes and cars in the deadliest blaze in the country's history."~(Baltimore Sun)

I found this lead to really draw you into the rest of the article, the fact that people were burned in their cars as they were trying to escape the blazing fire is compelling and heart wrenching.



"WHITTIER, Calif. - The mother of newborn octuplets says she had six embryos implanted in her fertility procedure -- far more than industry guidelines recommend under ordinary circumstances -- and was well aware that multiple births could result."(Baltimore Sun)

I decided this was another strong lead because the story of the woman who had recently had octuplets had been controversaly portrayed in the media and this story provided an update on previous news in the first sentence. By saying the woman was aware of the fact that she could have multiple births despite the fact that she already had 7 children at home.

chapter fourteen

Objectivity: stick to observable facts
-avoid injecting opinions
-point out misleading information
-avoid agendas

Thoroughness: look at all aspects of a story
-give as much information as possible so your audience understands
-understand the subject
-develop expertise and use it to sort through competing claims

Accuracy: providing truthful information
-get the facts straight
-double check the information from witnesses
-never assume things

Fairness: making sure all bases are covered-
get both sides of the story
-let people respond if they think you are wrong
-be a good listener

Transparency: being an open journalist
-be upfront about your biases
-reveal the process and your prejudice
-offer a look behind the scenes every once and a while

first blog

I never feel confidant in introducing myself, because I'm never sure what I am truly supposed to say. Should I just say “I'm Katie, sophomore at Towson, photographer, journalist wannabe”? Or is my introduction supposed to be deeper? “I wear flip flops in the snow and I try my hardest to appreciate the beautiful things around me that most people don't think about.” Perhaps it should be revealing; “I can say the alphabet backwards, I can hold my nostrils together without my hands and can move my lip like Elvis.”

Or maybe I Should just stick with a pictures worth a thousand words.