JOUR 61: Broadcast Style Exercise

NORTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS CUTTING ITS DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40 PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELERS.

FRANK DEWITT, CEO OF NORTHWEST AIRLINES SAID THEY CONSIDERED IT A HOLIDAY GIFT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY FRIDAY FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12 AND JANUARY 14 IN THE LOWER 48 STATES, ALASKA AND CANADA.

DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN POPULAR DAYS, INCLUDING NOVEMBER 23, NOVEMBER 26, DECEMBER 23 AND DECEMBER 26.

WITH THE DISCOUNTED, NON-REFUNDABLE FARES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR 400 -DOLLARS ON CERTAIN DAYS.

JOUR 61: Broadcast News Story

ISN’T COLLEGE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FUN, CAREFREE TIME BEFORE THE HARSH REALITIES OF THE REAL WORD SET IN?

WELL, IT SEEMS COLLEGE STUDENTS TODAY ARE A LOT MORE STRESSED OUT THAN WE THOUGHT.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND MTVU – A TELEVISION NETWORK AVAILABLE AT MOST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES – RECENTLY CONDUCTED A SURVEY INTO THE CONCERNS OF STUDENTS.

FOUR-IN-TEN STUDENTS SAID THEY ENDURED STRESS OFTEN… THE SOURCES OF STRESS VARYING FROM GRADES TO RELATIONSHIPS.

MORE WORRYINGLY ONE-IN-TEN STUDENTS SAID THEY HAD CONSIDERED SUICIDE…WHILST ONE-IN-SIX SAY THAT IN THE PAST YEAR ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS HAVE DISCUSSED COMMITTING SUICIDE.

JOUR 61: Broadcast Lead

SAN FRANCISCO HAS ORDERED NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT.

UNSOLICITED NEWSPAPER DELIVERIES THAT END UP LITTERING THE STREET AND TURNING TO MUSH IN THE RAIN ARE THE TARGET OF SUPERVISOR ROSS MIRKARIMI.

MCOM 63: iMovie Vlog Post

Here is a screen shot of the little movie I did. Click on the picture, or the text below to here a short clip of me describing one of my favorite meals.

My Dinner

JOUR 61: Real Life News Story

SAN JOSE, Calif-- A week on from the unprecedented attention surrounding the “Little Saigon issue” the San Jose City Council met for their regular Tuesday meeting in an atmosphere that was much more comfortable for members of the council, Madison Nguyen in particular.

The public involvement in the meeting was a far cry from Last Tuesday night when the Vietnamese community packed City Hall to its capacity as regular service resumed-- inside the chambers at least.

The main issue on the agenda was the proposed redevelopment of the Airport West area and the iSTAR development. Included in this was the proposal for a soccer stadium to house the freshly returned San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer franchise. The development would see the earthquakes owner … fund the building of the stadium on the proviso that the city government rezones an area of land designated for industrial development to housing instead. The decision rests on whether the council believes that enough money would be made form the soccer stadium to cover the loss in taxes from the industrial area. The presentation by SportsEconomics, LLC included data exalting the financial virtues of having the stadium. The reports were accepted unanimously by the council, however vice-Mayor Cortese urged the planners to formulate back-up plans, “It may be worthwhile to talk about fall back positions just in case we had to transition quickly and move in another direction,” cautioned Cortese.

Also on the agenda were proposals aimed at ending homelessness within 10 years. The Blue Ribbon Commission presented their final report which proposes the city of San Jose and the country of Santa Clara working together to get people off the streets. Under the proposal the city would provide housing, whilst the county would provide the social services needed to keep them there. The rationale for this move is that in the long run the city will save money by providing housing for the homeless rather than having to keep paying for all the services, such as policing and hospital care. Co-chair of the commission is Mayor Chuck Reed. He stated passionately, “what we’re doing now doesn’t work. We have homeless on a merry go round and it costs a lot more to keep them on that merry go round than it will cost us to end homelessness.”

Another matter discussed on Tuesday was procedures for forming Community Benefit and Improvement Districts. The proposal is championed by councilmember PierLuigi Oliverio. The procedures would allow businesses in a given area would impose an extra tax on themselves in order to provide extra services in the area. Oliverio explained the benefits of the scheme, “This ordinance would not require city funding and in fact this ordinance would assist San Jose because property owners take it upon themselves to raise money for their area.” The general feeling among the council was positive, understandably so with the city’s current budget deficit. However, one member of the council, Nora Campos did oppose the procedures. Campos was concerned that the scheme would only benefit already affluent areas.

JOUR 61: Soft Broadcast Lead

Local resident Mabel McCullough is waking up to the first day of her ninety sixth year today. The morning after her birthday party caused drama that a twenty one year old would have been proud of.

The First United Methodist church women’s group was the source of the drama. They put on the party for Mabel and decided to squeeze ninety five candles onto a single carrot cake. Guest Eddi Carlin said the cake then resembled more torch than cake. Mabel’s credible effort of blowing them all out caused enough smoke that the smoke alarm was alerted.

JOUR 61: Copy Edit the World (2)

From CNN Online

This is a dateline error, Berlin stands alone in datelines:

Wrong:

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German police in a Bavarian town…

Correct:

BERLIN (CNN) -- German police in a Bavarian town…

From Times of India Online

The number 10should not be spelt out.

Wrong:

the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to construct at least ten subways in different parts of the city.

Correct:

the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to construct at least 10 subways in different parts of the city.

From El Sabroso Mexican Grill Menu

There should not be a comma here before the concluding conjunction in the series.

Wrong:

Choice of meat, onions, beans, and hot sauce

Correct:

Choice of meat, onions, beans and hot sauce

From Taqueria San Jose Menu

Same error as above.

Wrong:

Three chicken enchiladas with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, and tomato

Correct:

Three chicken enchiladas with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole and tomato

From AHN News Agency

Another dateline error. New Delhi stands alone.

Wrong:

New Delhi, India (AHN) - A baby girl born in Northern India

Correct:

New Delhi (AHN) - A baby girl born in Northern India

From the Christian Science Monitor

One more dateline error. The United Nations should stand alone, without a N.Y. designation.

Wrong:

United Nations, N.Y. - The passage this week by the United Nations Security Council

Correct:

United Nations - The passage this week by the United Nations Security Council

JOUR 61: Reporting with Numbers

1.· 67% of the college’s budget comes from the state, 5% comes from student tuition and the remaining 28% from fees, grants and gifts.

· Most of the funding for the local college comes from the state. The next highest source of funding was fees, grants and gifts, followed by student tuition.

· Two-thirds of the local college budget of $120 million comes from the state. Less than a third was supplied by fees, grants and gifts, with tuition fees only providing a small percentage of the budget.

2.

· The average prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault is 22 Months.

· The median prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault is 12 months.

• The median is the most accurate description of prison terms because it removes the possibility of one extreme figure distorting the average. In this case one of the figures, 7 years, is far higher than any of the other figures and so makes the average far higher. The median is more representative.

3.

• If the State legislature made restaurant food sales exempt from sales tax then fast-food patrons who pay $5 per meal would save $18.85 in a year if they eat out once a week.
• If the State legislature made restaurant food sales exempt from sales tax then people who spend $20 per meal once a week for a year would save $75.40.

JOUR 61: AP S-Z Style Exercise

1. He thought of Smokey Bear every time he got near a smoldering fire or entered a smoky room.

2. The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues, there could be a traveler’s advisory.

3. To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, a troop of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.

4. His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt.

5. A 19-year-old man was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown.

6. When he heard the building project for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationery to write a letter of protest.

7. Ben really knows his Scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah.

JOUR 61: Top News 6

I just read a story on MSNBC online that I think is very noteworthy. The article is entitled “Bush vetoes bill banning waterboarding”. It explains that President Bush has vetoed a bill, passed by Congress that would ban the CIA from using the interrogation technique of waterboarding on suspected terrorists. This is an important story because of the large amount of controversy both in the United States and across the world surrounding the interrogation techniques used by the United States. The administration claims that this interrogation method is not torture and that they do not torture. However, the United States has come under fire from human rights organizations across the globe for this and other methods of interrogation that they employ.

This story will also be high on the news agenda because it contains conflict between the President and the Democrat-controlled Congress who voted in favor of banning waterboarding. Furthermore, the conflict is going to continue, with those who voted for the ban now working to get a two-thirds majority in Congress to overturn the President’s veto. Indeed, members of Congress have already been openly critical of Bush for his veto.

The story also has currency, as the whole issue of the methods of interrogation used by the United States has been a major discussion point for some time now. The issue has also been high on the agenda very recently doe to the votes in Congress and in the Senate. The article also features a very prominent figure in the eyes of the reading public, President Bush. People are interested in what policy decisions he is going to take and how he is leading their country. The story also has impact as the topic of how the United States interrogates suspected terrorists affects the reputation of the United States abroad and could consequently affect how American tourists are treated when they travel abroad.

JOUR 61:AP M-R Style Exercise

1. He hopes to make $1 billion by the time he’s 40. Already he figures his net worth is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock prices.

2. Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a Cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet.

3. Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual procrastination awards ceremony.

4. It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoff when his ball went out of bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands.

5. Hundreds of people attended Sunday’s race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line.

6. Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys’ pour over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama.

JOUR 61: Feature 1 (Rewrite)

One squirrel’s misadventure on Monday left 47,000 rail commuters with wrecked travel plans.
A furry-tailed creature managed to find himself among the power lines of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Unfortunately for commuters, not to mention the squirrel, it was electrocuted, causing an electrical power surge.
An overhead bracket was weakened as a result and a wire soon became loose, dangling perilously in the line of the onrushing trains below. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before said wire entangled itself onto a train and down came the entire fleet of power lines.
The loss of power meant that no trains could run out of Manhattan. Commuters were left waiting for their trains for hours, only to be disappointed, said Metro-North spokeswoman Donna Evans.
Service was eventually restored on Tuesday morning. Alas the squirrel’s demise was permanent.

JOUR 61: News Story 5

A truck ran out of control yesterday in Moeser Lane, El Cerrito, leaving a path of destruction in its wake: a snapped power pole, five damaged vehicles and several injuries.
The big asphalt truck, a 10-wheel hauler, overturned and crashed into somebody’s home, causing both to go up in flames.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene, heard cries coming from the scene and dug through the debris. He found the truck driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, which was turned over on its side. The driver’s legs were mangled and he couldn’t move.
Maples grabbed his hand and with help from Police chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, he was able to pull him to safety. Maples said, “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there.”
A Honda Sedan was left so crumpled after being hit by the truck, that the driver was left trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into it, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver.
An electrician’s truck, parked on Moeser was knocked over to the next street, Richmond. Also, a sport utility vehicle that apparently had a man and boy inside ended up stuck in some shrubbery beside the burning house.
Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the one-story home that was destroyed in the fire. He was just about to head back to work around 1:30 p.m. when the crash occurred. He said, “First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” His front yard is littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
The snapped power pole knocked out power in El Cerrito and some neighboring cities, including El Cerrito and Berkeley.
The driver, a San Jose man whose name was not released, broke both of his legs in the crash. He is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

JOUR 61: Top News 5

A news story that really attracted my attention this week concerned the debate over whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should continue with its ban on donations of blood from gay men. The story was in the San Jose Mercury News on Friday, with the headline “FDA’s blood-donation ban: Does it save or risk lives?”

This story is of particular relevance to local readers; because the debate has been sparked by San Jose State University’s banning of blood drives on their campus, due to the belief that the FDA policy discriminates against gay men. If more colleges and other organizations decide to follow suit then there could be a major strain on the supply of blood to hospitals. This has given the debate more currency.

This story is fascinating in part because of the conflict contained in it. A university has spoken out in their belief that a fundamental policy is wrong and they are making a stand against it. Readers will have differing views on which side of the argument they stand on.

The article could also influence the lives of many readers who will need blood themselves or will have family or friends in that position. Furthermore everyone will be concerned at the prospect of there not being enough blood donated. Finally the readers of the newspaper, who are gay men will also be directly affected by this story.

JOUR 61: Redefining News

I have already commented on Ryan Sholin's blog post Links that redefine news for my MCOM 63 class, but now I will address it with specific reference to one of the sites he mentions and its future to online journalism.
The site, Election Headlines, by Knox News and Publish2 paints a very exciting picture of what can be offered with online journalism. This site collects all articles, whether professionally written for a newspaper, or simply blog entries, on the subject of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. It means that readers only have to go to one page and they can easily find all the news they want on the subject. I'm sure this idea will become more and more popularized in the future, with users simply being able to select a subject and they will be presented with a database of articles and opinions on it from across the Internet.
This is something that can not be done in any other media form, thus showing why the Internet is such a thrilling prospect for journalists in the future. The potential is virtually limitless. The Internet allows the problem of the limited attention span of audiences to be overcome. The stories that reader wants can be presented to them how and when they want it.
Furthermore, this site also presents an enticing future for young budding journalists. With blog entries given as much credence as articles from the nation's major newspapers, amateur writers can have their stories and opinions given greater notoriety and have greater impact.