Class Notes 4/23/2018

About Final:

-       The final (on 5/7/18) will consist of a broadcast story and a press release.

-       Last current events quiz is next week, it will be worth double, and the second grade will replace your worst quiz grade over the semester.

-       There will be no homework in the next two weeks but Professor Piacente welcomes practice stories/press releases for review before the final.

Broadcast review:

-       Broadcast stories should start with present tense!

-       Prioritizing is the priority! Emphasize the most important thing in the lead. For example, nothing is more important than the dead kid in the Andrew Jamison story.

-       Maintain present tense throughout the story by starting some sentences or paragraphs with things like Officials say, Police say, Authorities say…

-       Quotes are not an option; people’s statements should be paraphrased.

-       All words need to be completely spelled out. Abbreviations are not allowed (it wouldn’t be Md. but Maryland instead).

-       Throwaway/feature leads catch the viewers’ attention but they don’t say much about the story. News leads are more straightforward.

-       Only use feature leads when appropriate, sometimes a joke is not the best option. You wouldn’t joke about Andrew Jamison or about the abandoned grandma. In these stories, the best appeal might be emotional.

Posted by: Claudette Soler