Welcome to Dead Week

We will have two more assignments this semester and they will be outlined today in class. It is important that you attend.

One of the assignments will be done in class on Wednesday. It is not a test. I prefer to call it a "Super Quiz." We will review for it today.

The final assignment will be an at-home assignment due by Monday (May 5) of finals week. Again, we will discuss that assignment in detail today.

This week should be the final week we meet in the classroom.

Craig

Class cancelled today (4.23)

No class today.

We will have two more assignments this semester and they will be outlined Monday in class. It is important that you attend.

One of the assignments will be done in class next Wednesday. We will review for that on Monday.

The final assignment will be an at-home assignment due by finals week. Again we will discuss that assignment in detail Monday.

Next week should be the final week we meet in the classroom. You will be given Dead Week to work on the final project.

Craig

Police beat reporting

Your assignment due at class time Monday is this:

Go to the Poynter Institute Web site at http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=92447

Read the story titled, "Leaving Fingerprints: Inside the Police Beat."

Give me a brief (150 words) response to the article that answers this main question:

What are the important skills every reporter should have when covering a police beat?

The writer uses a lot of examples of how a successful crime reporter operates and ways he/she builds trust and sources. Pick some of the best examples to use in your response.

Monday, we'll work on out own crime stories in class.

Today's assignment (Monday, April 14)

We will NOT meet in class today, but there IS work to be done.

Here's what I need by midnight tonight. Please e-mail both to craigs@uidaho.edu.

1. Assignment No.11 on Public Relations. I assigned this last class. Please save as a simple word document and attach or copy and paste into body of e-mail.

2. Page 544 of text: This will count as a quiz. Rewrite the news release about Sonya Clayborn. Try to cut the length in half by getting rid of puffery, extra information, etc. Be sure to correct all AP style mistakes.

We will meet again Wednesday in class. I should have assignments graded then and we can discuss Public Affairs Reporting. For Wednesday's class, please read Chapter 15.

Thanks. We'll see you all on Wednesday.

Craig

Class today (April 9)

We will have class today. I'll lecture on Public Relation (consider it PR 101) and will have an assignment for you to do at home.

See you soon.

Craig

It's Wednesday, April 2

Welcome to class, all.

Today's class will be an online variety, and consists of a quiz due by the end of the day today. You can complete the assignment during classtime, at the coffeeshop or at home. That's your choice, but the completed assignment should be sent to me by e-mail by midnight tonight. My e-mail is craigs@uidaho.edu.

Here's the quiz. It's some review, some new stuff. Use your book, blog and class notes.

Quiz No. 5

Type each answer with complete sentences.

Select the correct usage according to AP style:

1. The man’s stock rose by (eight percent / 8 percent / 8% / eight %).

2. He won ($1 million / $1 million dollars) when the clock struck (12 AM / 12 a.m. / noon).

3. The man was hit by a bus (yesterday / Sunday).

4. Which makes the best quote:
a. “Good golly, it’s Halloween,” Akey said. “Makes sense, ’cuz we’re going to be scary good this week.”
b. “We play Louisiana Tech Saturday in the Kibbie Dome,” Akey said.

5. Which quote is used/punctuated correctly:
a. University of Idaho President Tim White said his is excited about the school’s recent mention in U.S. News and World Report, commenting: “I’m super jazzed about the ranking.”
b. “I’m super jazzed about the ranking,” University of Idaho President Tim White said about the school’s recent mention in U.S. News and World Report.

Answer with complete sentences:
6. What is a nut graph and what purpose does it serve?

7. Why do newspapers and news broadcasts use brights?

8. Why would a newspaper use a round-up story? Give an example of a topic/news event that might need a round-up story.

9. What purpose does a sidebar serve?

10. Why should question or quote leads generally be avoided?

For No. 11, 12, and 13, rewrite these sloppy sentences to cut the clutter, eliminate the redundancies, make active

11. It turns out that the insulation in many, but not all, electrical wires is made and produced from a soybean derivative which squirrels find attractive.

12. While driving home, Linda Kasparov had her car’s headlights, speedometer and oil pressure gauge all quit working.

13. In Linda Kasparov’s car, there were actually even live baby squirrels still in there.

That's it. Type answers and email. See you in class on Monday.