Blog #2

Grammatically wrong
1. Defeated in the house, the Senate now gets to debate the bill.

----Defeated, in the House, the Senate now gets to debate the bill.

Stylistically wrong
2. The 19-year-old boy got a ticket for jay-walking at 9 p.m. last night.

----At 9 p.m. last night, the 19-year-old boy got a ticket for jaywalking .

See if you can catch what's wrong.
3. Meredith ran away from home, she was so angry that night.

----Meredith ran away from home; she was so angry that night.


These should be easy:

4. Yes Brittney I can figure this one out.

----Yes Brittney, I can figure this one out.

5. Holding there flags high the veterans marched through town.

----Holding their flags high, the veterans marched through town.

6. The students said they would "skip class" if Britney made them do more exercises that had to do with grammar punctuation spelling or style.

----The students said they would skip class if Britney made them do more exercises having to do with grammar, punctuation, spelling or style.

7. I think most students in this class are apart of the class of 09.

----I think most students in this class are a part of the class of '09.

8. "I wonder if this is how you punctuate this quote?" Brittney said.

----"I wonder if this is how you punctuate this quote," Brittney said.

OK, now that's enough torture. Answer this question for a bonus point:
9. Why is it important for journalists to get these things right?

9. As a journalist, details are a crucial aspect of writing. If the story retains grammatical errors, then it may be very difficult or impossible for the reader to follow along. Wrong punctuation and misspelled words creates a lower quality article. The reader may feel discouraged to continue plowing through the story if extra effort is needed to decipher words. Also, companies and newspaper organizations will feel less inclined to hire a journalist who retains poor grammar skills. No writer wants to have an editor drone on with corrections for trivial errors in their news story. Do it right!

Blog #1 (Jour 200)

What are the steps involved in writing a story?

Step #1: Find an unexpected news event.
Step #2: Determine whether the news event is interesting to readers.
Step #3: Do research and gather background data on the topic.
Step #4: Interview primary sources that have valuable information about the event.
Step #5: Convene with an editor to discuss all the information gathered.
Step #6: Separate fact from fiction.
Step #7: Type the final product.

What could be particularly challenging?

From a journalist's viewpoint, separating fact from fiction may be the hardest aspect in news writing. One may need to travel to various sources before the truth will arise from the bloated rumors, running rampant in town.

What resources might you use to overcome these challenges?

The separation of fact from fiction is difficult. Many sources will contradict one from another; therefore, consult as many resources possible. Search the Internet or interview contacts with first-hand information. Get out in the world and begin investigating!