Newspapers

Newspapers:

          The Printing Press and the Industrial Revolution

          

          New York World and the New York Journal

                    ( Joseph Pullitzer v. William Randolph Hearst )

          Yellow Journalism

          The Spanish American War

          Sensationalism: Jack the Ripper, A Case Study

               

         

Questions:

   Based on our discussion and information you find online, answer the following questions on your blog.

1.  What makes a newspaper different from other printed media?

2.  What role did the Industrial Revolution play in expanding the readership of newspapers?

3.  What kind of relationship did Pullitzer and Hearst have with each other?  Why?

4.  What is meant by 'Yellow Journalism?'

5.  When was the Spanish-American war?  Who was involved?

5.  Including at least one picture, cartoon, or news story in your answer, explain how yellow journalism help initiate the Spanish-American war.

6.  What is meant by the term 'Sensationalism' ?

7.  Would you mind telling a small lie if it meant making a sale or a bit of extra money for yourself?

Citizen Kane implies that there are some individuals with so much influence their opinion can become fact, start or stop wars, or get a candidate elected. 

When William Randolph Hearst (multimillionaire and media tycoon) got wind of what 25-year-old Orson Welles was creating at RKO's film studio, he feared his life was the inspiration for the main character. 

In response Hearst and his newspapers employed all their influence to try and stop Citizen Kane's 1941 release.

William Randolph Hearst’s reaction to this movie demonstrated there really are people who can impose their views on the public.

Questions:

Why would William Randolph Hearst fear his life was the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane?  

What examples can you give, from the film, that show this?

Are there examples of Yellow Journalism in this film?  What are they?

Give an example of a news story that was sensationalized by Kane's paper in order to attract more readers.

What is a Bully?  What is a pulpit?  What do you think the term 'Bully-Pulpit' means?

Does media sometimes go too far?  Are there examples of this in the film?  

Can you think of any other instances when the media has gone too far?  

Consider the following quote, 

"Four hostile newspapers are to be feared more than a thousand bayonets."

                                                                                 - Napoleon Bonaparte

What is meant by this quote?

Parts of a Newspaper

Front Page:  Major Stories, Most important news, Name of Paper, Date

Sports: scores, teams, schedules

Supplemental: Travel, Wheels, Condo Living

Advertisements:  bsiness ads, classified ads

News: inofrms - local, national

Editorials: Letters to the editor - their opinion.   / Opinion

Entertainment

Columnists - Dear ' So and So'

Business Sections



Scavenger Hunt:  

You need to find:

A 'Help Wanted' classified ad.

A comic or cartoon.

The website address for a paper.

An example of a job that didn't exist 25 years ago.

An advertisement for some kind of electronic device.

The Name of a newspaper

An example of a stereotype


A story about something Canadian

A business story

A sports score

A story or picture dealing with 'entertainment'

A photograph that could be used in a Phys. Ed. Class.

A birth, graduation, marriage, anniversary, or death notice.

Allow cellphones inside classrooms: McGuinty

Premier Dalton McGuinty addresses the media during a visit to Mount Joy Public School on the first day of school in Markham, Sept. 7, 2010. McGuinty said Sept. 15 that cellphones could have a place in classrooms.

ADRIEN VECZAN/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says school boards should be open to the idea of allowing students to use cellphones in the classroom.

McGuinty, who won’t even let his ministers have cellphones during cabinet meetings, says he understands they can be a major distraction.

But the premier says there is a “right way” to use them in class.

Teachers can use cellphones to show students how to access information online, for example.

The Toronto District School Board is rethinking its ban on cellphones, saying it’s trying to find ways to make cellphones acceptable in the classroom.

News Article Analysis:

What paper did you find this in? :___Toronto Star

What is the:

Headline: ____Allow Cellphones in Classroom: McGuinty_________

Byline: ________Adrien Z______________  ( Who wrote the article. )

Placeline: ______Ontario (Implied) ___________  (The location of the story.)



Basic Facts:

Who?  McGuinty (Government of Ontario)

What?  Allowing Cellphones in class.

Where?  Ontario (TDSB first)

Why?  Practical Use in Classroom

When?  Sept. 15

Interesting Quotations: ________There is a 'right' way to use them.  _________

Also answer the following:
1.  Who would likely read this article? (What age? What type of person?)  Why do you think this?

Teachers.  Students.  Students who use cell phones regularly.

2.  How does the author establish his or her credibility on the topic (e.g.  through the use of statistics or data?  quotations from experts? etc..) ?

Pictue of McGuinty says (Hey!  I was there!! )

3.  What is author's purpose for writing the article?

Inform!

To reach the largest demographic!

4.  In your opinion, how effective is the article?  Explain.

It is effective -   Short,  covers all the basics, simple language.


5.  How does the author catch the reader's attention?

key words  :  Cell Phone, picture of Premier waving arms

6.  How do any pictures, tables, or graphs add to the article.

grabs attention, lets you know who is in charge (making the change)

* Please attach your article (paste, staple, etc - photocopy if necessary) to this page. *





Types of News: Hard News and Soft News

News can be divided into two general categories: hard news and soft news.

Hard News refers to a story in which time is a factor.  In a hard news story, the task of reporters and editors is to get the details of the event (what happened? to whom? when? where? why? and how?) into the newspaper as quickly as possible - either the same day or the following day at the latest.

Soft News is usually not time sensitive.  Nor is it necessarily related to a major event.  A daily newspaper strives for a mixture of local and national, hard and soft news, so its pages will have variety and offer something for every interest.

Exercise:
  Find two (2) examples of news of a Hard news story and two (2) examples of Soft news in your newspaper.

On the top of each, indicate weather it is 'Hard News' or 'Soft News'








The Inverted Pyramid


What is the Inverted Pyramid?

Take a look at a recent daily newspaper.  Look at the front page.


No matter how different the news is and the stories they tell, it doesn't take long to realize they all seem the same.

The structure of a news story is often referred to as the inverted pyramid. That is because the main, and most important, point is contained in the first sentence. The rest of the story contains elements of less importance as the reader nears the bottom.

The inverted pyramid arose during the era of movable lead type. It allowed editors and composers, who laid out columns of type set stories, to trim a story quickly at the last minute from the bottom up. 

It was also necessary due to the expensive nature of using the telegraph.  Only the most important information could afford be sent.

The rules of newswriting have relaxed over time and different styles are popular with various newspapers. But many reporters still use the inverted pyramid technique to organize their stories and ensure that the most important information goes at the beginning of the story.

Here's how it works:

1. The LeadThe lead is the opening sentence/paragraph which summarizes the basic facts of a story and conveys to the readers what you, the writer, found out in your reporting. But it must be more than just an opening to your story. The lead must also catch a reader's or listener's attention and make them want to read the rest of your story.

Journalists are taught a simple rule about basic news leads, called the "5-W's." They are: Who? What? Where? When? Why? 

2. Body of the Story
The rest of a news story is called the body. In a hard news story, the body supports the lead and in the classic inverted pyramid style is organized so that the facts and quotes are written in declining importance.

After the lead, a story may have a theme paragraph that spells out the theme or sub-themes in greater detail. The story then proceeds with sections that explore the theme and sub-theme in more detail, and in order.

In addition to the writer's narrative, each sub-theme is backed up with background facts and relevant quotations that you have selected. Remember that readers want to know who said something that appears in quotation marks, so identify the speaker.  That means asking permission and making sure you know how to spell a source's name correctly.

3. The Ending
Inverted pyramid stories don't need a strong ending since those hard news stories simply end when there is nothing more to say. 

Avoid preaching or lecturing at the end of the story. It is often hard to resist, but if the story is told well, the quotes and facts that a newswriter chooses will allow the reader to come to the same conclusion on their own.

An Example:  The Subway Pusher
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/861233--dimanno-court-hears-911-call-at-subway-pusher-trial

Exercise:


Divide a piece of lined paper in to 4 parts.


For each of your 4 articles (2 hard news, 2 soft news) identify the 'lead' of the story.


Remember:  

The Leadis the opening sentence/paragraph which summarizes the basic facts of a story and conveys to the readers what you, the writer, found out in your reporting. But it must be more than just an opening to your story. The lead must also catch a reader's or listener's attention and make them want to read the rest of your story.  (It is usually the first 30 or 35 words.)

BEST NEWSPAPER HEADLINES EVER

• Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
• Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
• Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
• Drunks Get Nine Months in Violin Case
• Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
• Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
• Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
• Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
• British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
• Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
• Clinton Wins Budget; More Lies Ahead
• Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
• Miners Refuse to Work After Death
• Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
• Stolen Painting Found by Tree
• Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter
• War Dims Hope for Peace
• If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
• Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
• Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
• New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
• Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Space
• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

• Typhoon Rips through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
  
  

Writing a News Report

After we have read through the first page of your handout, come up with the rough notes for the story 'Students Turn Classroom Into Film Studio.'

Students Turn Classroom Into Film Studio


Brainstorm:  Film contest, $$$$$$, no teacher - students lead the way, video cameras, compters, renovations,  lighting


The Event:  Turning Classroom into a Studio


Who?   Catholic students from Clinton.


What? Received a grant to put in a studio..  ($1, 000, 000)


Where? Clinton High School


When? Monday


How? Donations from the Pope




Why?  (Extra Details)


Names:
  George Myers, Susie Lockins, Greg Stewart, Thomas Macelroy.


Details:
  Picked the school out of the Pope's hat (the Mitre).

When you have completed the rough work, we will write our news story together, using the Inverted Pyramid technique.

Lead - 1  (30 - 35 Words)
Body -2
Conclusion-3

Students Turn Classroom into a Film Studio

1- With a $1,000,000 donation from the Pope himself, the students of Clinton Catholic High school will be starting renovations this Monday, putting in a brand new, state of the art, film studio.

---------------------------------------------

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Now it is YOUR turn!!

     

Assignment:Part A

Pick one of the pictures above, and develop some rough notes about a news story that might go with it.

 From your rough notes, write a 150 word news story to go with your picture.

(Remember to use the Inverted Pyramid - Lead, Body, Conclusion)

On your blog, post your story, put your picture with it, and make sure there is a catchy and enticing headline!!    

[ See page 9 for help on writing good headlines. ]

How to Write a Newspaper Headline

The one thing that can make or break a newspaper article is the headline. A good newspaper headline is concise, informative and, at times, entertaining. When you write a newspaper headline, your goal is to hook the reader into reading the article. Writing a headline for your article is easy, if you follow these steps.

1  Reread your article; identify the underlying theme.

2  Express the theme in an active voice using as few words as possible. 

3  Keep your headline in present tense.

4  Keep it simple. A headline is a short, direct sentence without extra adjectives or adverbs.

5 Provide enough information in the headline to give the casual reader an impression of the entire story.

News Assignment: Part B

On your blog, you are going to develop a news story of your own.  You are going to report on something you think other students will want to read.  They are your targetdemographic.  Your news may be hard or soft.  You must include at least one picture.

(Remember to develop your story using what we have learned up to this point. 
That is, braintstorm and make rough notes first, write your story using the inverted pyramid technique, then come up with a great headline!)

* Remember:  News reports often follow a 'who, what, where, when, why' format.

Begin with what happened and state who was involved.  Then indicate where the event took place, when it took place, and finally, why it was important.*

*DUE:  Thursday, September 23*

RUBRIC: News Assignment Part B

Creativity, Spelling and Grammar, Picture Relates to Story, Inverted Pyramid, Caption,  5ws, Headline is catchy/applicable, 

Knowledge and Understanding

1  2  3  4   :   Homework up to this point is complete.

Application

1  2  3  4   :   Inverted Pyramid technique applied.

1  2  3  4   :   Appropriate application of Headline suggestions.

Communication

1  2  3  4   :   Spelling, Punctuation.

1  2  3  4   :   Grammar, Sentence Structure.

Thinking and Inquiry

1  2  3  4   :  Plausible and well thought out story for picture.

1  2  3  4   :  Story is spun properly for intended demographic.


*Levels:
   1 - Minimum Requirements  
    2 - Satisfactory
    3 - Well done
    4 - Mind Blowing