2/1 Class

We started class by reviewing the Joy Baker story. Feedback was given and questions were answered.  Some takeaways from this are:
- Use the quotes if they are unique or uniquely said. If they are, then use the whole quote. If they are not, then paraphrase the quote. Do not change the meaning of the quote.
- Continue to refer to the AP Stylebook to assure you're writing correctly.
- Keep stories concise and relevant. Put the strange aspects of the story towards the beginning.
- Avoid factual errors.
We received multiple handouts. We discussed what makes something newsworthy. There are six core news values:
1. Unusual
2. Immediacy
3. Conflict
4. Prominence (prominent figures in the community/celebrities)
5. Impact
6. Proximity
For the second half of class, Taylor Shapiro, a writer at the Washington Post, came in and told us how he started and what he does. He started at Virginia Tech; he was a writer for the newspaper when the VA Tech shooting happened and got one of the first interviews from a survivor. He also covered the "gang-rape by fraternity at UVA" story. His advice to us was to cover both sides and to be a trustworthy reporter so that people are willing to share their stories with you when they may not be with others.

Homework for next class:
-Go through your daily life and come up with five headlines about things you see
-Write a lead for the Scott Forsythe story (handout)
-The Ali Rhami (Georgetown University student) story is due Thursday at 5:30

Have a nice rest of the week!
-Joie Graves