Maria Burns Ortiz

Feb. 12: Structuring a story, attribution

Reading: Writing and Reporting the News: Chapter 6-7, Chapter 9-10

Assignment 1: Using the Feb. 13 edition of the NY Times, identify five great quotes. Cite the page and story. What made these quotes stand out? (One sentence.)

Assignment 2: Choose the three best quotes from your Week 4 reporting? Why did you choose these quotes? What question did you ask to get this answer?

Assignment 3: Structure Exercise.

[Assignments 1 and 2 can be turned in on the same page.]

Powerpoint:
Quotes & Attribution
Structure

Feb. 14: Generating story ideas

Reading: Writing and Reporting the News: Chapter 13
Idea Generators: Creativity Tools for Journalists

In-class: Assign topic.

Assignment: Come up with a list of 20 story ideas for your topic. Identify at least three events you could cover as hard news stories, one trend story and one service feature.

Of those 20, narrow it down to the top five. Flesh out those five ideas in two-three sentences.

Select one of those ideas as a story you will pursue for a class assignment. [Subject to my approval.] In an additional graf, explain why you chose that story. Email this assignment to me as a Word document – with the subject line Story Ideas – by noon on Wednesday, Feb. 20. (Please note: We will not be meeting the week of Feb. 18, but your assignment is still due.)

Powerpoint: Story Ideas