Word of the Week
I found the word Interpol when reading an article titled "Day care operator sought in child deaths surrenders." A woman from Houston, Texas fled to Nigeria after a fire at her child-care facility killed four children, and was the subject of an Interpol search.
The word caught my attention because it was capitalized and I had no idea what it meant. Yourdictionary.com says the origin of the word comes from inter(national) pol(ice) and defines Interpol as: an international police organization with headquarters in Paris: it coordinates the police activities of participating nations against international criminals: full name International Criminal Police Organization.
Catch of the Week
For my catch of the week, I have a little personal anecdote dating back to Sunday, Feb. 28, the night of the Oscars. Let's just say I'm an award-show enthusiasts and I especially like to see what celebrities are in attendance and what they're wearing. While I did homework, I sat and watched the entire show, from the red carpet pre-show, to the ceremony, to the after-party coverage.
After it was all over, I saw a tweet from the publication The Onion that said, "How rude — not a single character from Toy Story 3 bothered to show up. #oscars"
I immediately re-tweeted, "Wasn't Tom Hanks there?" I knew he was. He did an interview a little after he was featured on the slideshow for "Best Acceptance Speeches."
Well, I guess The Onion knew I was right too, because instead of answering my re-tweet, within minutes it merely deleted the tweet. I had a little proud moment for pointing out a fact error on twitter. The tweet can be seen on my twitter page (scroll down to Feb. 28).
Headline Challenge
"News Flash!!!! Prices Rose Last Month!" is a headline I found in Business Insider. It's an economics piece about how when studying the rate of inflation, the government needs to look at the cost of food and energy instead of considering them as transient costs. The article is boring, so maybe it's trying to get people's attention with the excess of exclamation marks? I would take them out or rewrite this whole article. I could barely get through it.
Passage of the Week
When I clicked on the article "Death toll from Japan's disasters over 8,000; more than 12,000 missing," I thought I was about to read a really heartbreaking story. On the contrary, the lead was the only thing referring to the death toll, and the article went on to describe a story of an 80-year-old grandmother and grandson who were rescued after being trapped in the rubble of their home for more than a week. In light of such seismic disaster, these tidbits of hope are extremely necessary for morale. I think that focusing on the good with the abundance of so much bad is good reporting, good writing and good editing.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Week 7
Word of the Week
Yourdictionary.com defines 'raze' as: to tear down completely; level to the ground; demolish.
I found the word 'raze' interesting because in a story about the New Zealand earthquake death toll, a sentence said that most of the buildings downtown would need to be 'razed' and rebuilt. At first glance, I thought it was either a typo, or a European way of spelling the word 'raise.' When I realized that it was an article from a publication in Orlando, I decided to look it up.
Yourdictionary.com says that 'raze comes from the Middle English word 'razen,' which means: to scrape off. Dictionary.com says that it comes from the Middle French word raser.
Catch of the Week
In "What newsrooms can learn from tech startups" from Dr. Rodgers' twitter, the article meant to say "you'll be distracted by their awesomeness for five minutes, at least" it said "give minutes" instead. I understand why the mistake was made because I even typed "give" the first time around when meaning to type "five." Better editing is what's needed.
Headline Challenge
I picked the article "8-year-old Faces Judge after 5th Arrest" because I didn't agree with the headline and the way the article was written. By the headline, you would think that the child were a very misbehaved, undisciplined person, when actually, he's a special needs student. My brother is autistic, and anyone with background knowledge on special needs students understands that some of them have violent personalities. While we never had that particular issue with my brother, it is generally understood that it is the parents' and teachers' responsibilities to iron out bad habits like violence. If this is the severe case that the article makes it out to be, then obviously the child needs special therapy, because he can't go on for rest of his life hitting people. I think the mistake was that this story was written primarily from the police report. The reporter should have sensed that this story required some deeper digging on his or her part. I would have spoken to the family and the teacher to see what was really going on. I would rewrite the whole story, but for this story, I would rewrite the headline "Special Needs Student Arrested 5th Time." The readers need to know up front that this 8-year-old is a special needs student, and not a delinquent.
Passage of the Week
Yourdictionary.com defines 'raze' as: to tear down completely; level to the ground; demolish.
I found the word 'raze' interesting because in a story about the New Zealand earthquake death toll, a sentence said that most of the buildings downtown would need to be 'razed' and rebuilt. At first glance, I thought it was either a typo, or a European way of spelling the word 'raise.' When I realized that it was an article from a publication in Orlando, I decided to look it up.
Yourdictionary.com says that 'raze comes from the Middle English word 'razen,' which means: to scrape off. Dictionary.com says that it comes from the Middle French word raser.
Catch of the Week
In "What newsrooms can learn from tech startups" from Dr. Rodgers' twitter, the article meant to say "you'll be distracted by their awesomeness for five minutes, at least" it said "give minutes" instead. I understand why the mistake was made because I even typed "give" the first time around when meaning to type "five." Better editing is what's needed.
Headline Challenge
I picked the article "8-year-old Faces Judge after 5th Arrest" because I didn't agree with the headline and the way the article was written. By the headline, you would think that the child were a very misbehaved, undisciplined person, when actually, he's a special needs student. My brother is autistic, and anyone with background knowledge on special needs students understands that some of them have violent personalities. While we never had that particular issue with my brother, it is generally understood that it is the parents' and teachers' responsibilities to iron out bad habits like violence. If this is the severe case that the article makes it out to be, then obviously the child needs special therapy, because he can't go on for rest of his life hitting people. I think the mistake was that this story was written primarily from the police report. The reporter should have sensed that this story required some deeper digging on his or her part. I would have spoken to the family and the teacher to see what was really going on. I would rewrite the whole story, but for this story, I would rewrite the headline "Special Needs Student Arrested 5th Time." The readers need to know up front that this 8-year-old is a special needs student, and not a delinquent.
Passage of the Week
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Week 6
Word of the Week
Yourdictionary.com defines the noun form of caper as: a playful jump or leap; a wild, foolish action or prank; a robbery or theft, a criminal act or plan (slang).
It was used in an article on abcnews.go.com about Lindsay Lohan's latest bit of trouble. She was being investigated for the theft of a $2,500 necklace.
"The question is the probation violation; that will only be dealt with after the necklace caper is resolved in one way or the other"
I found the word interesting because this is an example of a word that is seemingly simplistic, but I couldn't recall ever seeing it before.
Yourdictionary.com says that it comes from the Middle English word caperis and the Latin word capparis.
Catch of the Week
Right after lab the on Feb. 20 I drove to Jacksonville for my mom's 40th birthday. I had a hair appointment at 3, and right as I was getting up to pay, I saw and old Saturn get hit on the driver's side as it was making a left turn. It was bad. Traffic was backed up for a long time, and the 76-year-old driver had to be life-lighted.
The next day, I searched for a story online to follow up and found the word highway spelled "highwya" when describing what where the accident occurred.
Headline Challenge
I found the headline "Diet Soda May Lead To Stroke? Really?" on time.com to be misleading. The article is about how diet soda can lead to a stroke, but I think the "really" at the end gives the headline a sarcastic undertone. I would change the headline to a more straight-forward "Studies Say Diet Soda May Lead to Stoke."
Passage of the Week
The story I picked this week is actually a really sad on. On cnn.com, a headline that read "Abuse clues in Fla. twins case put spotlight on child services" caught my attention. Then the lead really caught my attention.
I liked it because it really drew me in. By telling me about the other options the children had and the missed opportunities that could have saved them, I really wanted to read to the end of the story. This inspired me because leads are what I find hardest of journalistic writing. I hope to write effective leads like this in the future.
Yourdictionary.com defines the noun form of caper as: a playful jump or leap; a wild, foolish action or prank; a robbery or theft, a criminal act or plan (slang).
It was used in an article on abcnews.go.com about Lindsay Lohan's latest bit of trouble. She was being investigated for the theft of a $2,500 necklace.
"The question is the probation violation; that will only be dealt with after the necklace caper is resolved in one way or the other"
I found the word interesting because this is an example of a word that is seemingly simplistic, but I couldn't recall ever seeing it before.
Yourdictionary.com says that it comes from the Middle English word caperis and the Latin word capparis.
Catch of the Week
Right after lab the on Feb. 20 I drove to Jacksonville for my mom's 40th birthday. I had a hair appointment at 3, and right as I was getting up to pay, I saw and old Saturn get hit on the driver's side as it was making a left turn. It was bad. Traffic was backed up for a long time, and the 76-year-old driver had to be life-lighted.
The next day, I searched for a story online to follow up and found the word highway spelled "highwya" when describing what where the accident occurred.
Headline Challenge
I found the headline "Diet Soda May Lead To Stroke? Really?" on time.com to be misleading. The article is about how diet soda can lead to a stroke, but I think the "really" at the end gives the headline a sarcastic undertone. I would change the headline to a more straight-forward "Studies Say Diet Soda May Lead to Stoke."
Passage of the Week
The story I picked this week is actually a really sad on. On cnn.com, a headline that read "Abuse clues in Fla. twins case put spotlight on child services" caught my attention. Then the lead really caught my attention.
"They had blood relatives in Houston who wanted to adopt them.
A guardian ad litem volunteer had concerns about the couple who had adopted them.
Child investigators were called to their home on more than one occasion.
Yet on Monday, the 10-year-old boy was found, burned and trembling, soaked with a caustic substance, and his twin sister dead in a body bag, in the back of their adoptive father's red Toyota pickup truck along a south Florida interstate."
I liked it because it really drew me in. By telling me about the other options the children had and the missed opportunities that could have saved them, I really wanted to read to the end of the story. This inspired me because leads are what I find hardest of journalistic writing. I hope to write effective leads like this in the future.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Week 5
Word of the Week
This week's word is brandishing. According to yourdictionary.com, to brandish means: to wave, shake, or exhibit in a menacing, or exultant way. It was used in the lead of an article on boston.com. A New Hampshire farmer who is serving a three-year sentence for brandishing a gun at a trespasser who would not leave his property is hoping for an early release.
I found the word interesting because when I came across the article, I wanted to know exactly what the farmer did to deserve a three-year sentence. He obviously didn't shoot the trespasser, and brandishing has a sort of whimsical sound to it.
Yourdictionary.com and dictionary.com both say that brandish comes from the Old French word brandir, from brand, sword.
Catch of the Week
In an article in jacksonville.com about a third of Jacksonville's Blockbusters closing down, I found this passage to be confusing:
"The store locations are scattered around the area, from Yulee to the Westside to East Arlington. Of those, five began the sales Friday. Those locations have ceased renting DVDs, are selling off their stock and are to close March 13. Another two began going out of business sales in January and are to be closed this month. Yet another two closed around the end of 2010."
Because the passage lists the stores that have closed down in 2011, and then goes back to the stores that closed in 2010, it was hard for me to conceptualize the sequence of events, and at first I thought it was a mistake. I would have put the fact that two stores closed at the end of 2010 at the beginning of the paragraph.
Headline Challenge
While I was scanning headlines in Google News a couple days ago, a headline on msncb.com caught my attention because it said that torture was being used on protesters in Egypt. I bookmarked it immediately to use for the headline challenge because only the first two paragraphs had to do with torturing protesters, and the rest of the story was about something completely different. Also, the little bit of information the article included seemed incomplete and vague.
When I went back to the article to write my journal entry, something funny happened. MSNBC did the work for me. Someone changed the headline to "Egypt protesters vow massive demonstrations" and completely edited out the part about torture.
Passage of the Week
There are tons of articles about the Egypt's President Murabak resigning that have been written and are being written right now. However, I found the lead in this particle article on voanews.com particularly inspiring.
"The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak electrified the tens of thousands of people in Cairo's Tahrir Square. People danced, cheered and shed tears of joy as the central demand of their 18 days of protest was met and nearly 30 years of a presidency came to an end.
"It's over. The nation ended the regime." The words were chanted by young and old, men, women and the children they brought to celebrate the profound change Egypt has undergone."
At this point, there have been so many lives affected by the turmoil in Egypt. It's just nice to see the desired outcome achieved as a result of so much determination and strife. The whole article is great, I just didn't want to copy and paste the entire thing!
This week's word is brandishing. According to yourdictionary.com, to brandish means: to wave, shake, or exhibit in a menacing, or exultant way. It was used in the lead of an article on boston.com. A New Hampshire farmer who is serving a three-year sentence for brandishing a gun at a trespasser who would not leave his property is hoping for an early release.
I found the word interesting because when I came across the article, I wanted to know exactly what the farmer did to deserve a three-year sentence. He obviously didn't shoot the trespasser, and brandishing has a sort of whimsical sound to it.
Yourdictionary.com and dictionary.com both say that brandish comes from the Old French word brandir, from brand, sword.
Catch of the Week
In an article in jacksonville.com about a third of Jacksonville's Blockbusters closing down, I found this passage to be confusing:
"The store locations are scattered around the area, from Yulee to the Westside to East Arlington. Of those, five began the sales Friday. Those locations have ceased renting DVDs, are selling off their stock and are to close March 13. Another two began going out of business sales in January and are to be closed this month. Yet another two closed around the end of 2010."
Because the passage lists the stores that have closed down in 2011, and then goes back to the stores that closed in 2010, it was hard for me to conceptualize the sequence of events, and at first I thought it was a mistake. I would have put the fact that two stores closed at the end of 2010 at the beginning of the paragraph.
Headline Challenge
While I was scanning headlines in Google News a couple days ago, a headline on msncb.com caught my attention because it said that torture was being used on protesters in Egypt. I bookmarked it immediately to use for the headline challenge because only the first two paragraphs had to do with torturing protesters, and the rest of the story was about something completely different. Also, the little bit of information the article included seemed incomplete and vague.
When I went back to the article to write my journal entry, something funny happened. MSNBC did the work for me. Someone changed the headline to "Egypt protesters vow massive demonstrations" and completely edited out the part about torture.
Passage of the Week
There are tons of articles about the Egypt's President Murabak resigning that have been written and are being written right now. However, I found the lead in this particle article on voanews.com particularly inspiring.
"The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak electrified the tens of thousands of people in Cairo's Tahrir Square. People danced, cheered and shed tears of joy as the central demand of their 18 days of protest was met and nearly 30 years of a presidency came to an end.
"It's over. The nation ended the regime." The words were chanted by young and old, men, women and the children they brought to celebrate the profound change Egypt has undergone."
At this point, there have been so many lives affected by the turmoil in Egypt. It's just nice to see the desired outcome achieved as a result of so much determination and strife. The whole article is great, I just didn't want to copy and paste the entire thing!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Week 4
Word of the Week
Yourdictionary.com defines foible as "a small weakness; slight frailty in character. I found "foibles" in the article "Why you should quit Facebook now" that professor Rodgers tweeted. It was used to describe the insecurity of Facebook members' information as a flaw of the social networking Web site. I found the word interesting because I like the way it sounds. I think it has a funnier context than the word "flaw." It also makes me think of the word "oopsie."
Catch of the Week
I found this on page 82 of the February issue of Seventeen (don't even ask me why I have an online subscription to a magazine for teenagers).
"I think trust is an important aspect to love and relationships, but you also need to be secure in yourself."
What threw me off is "to love and relationships". Shouldn't it be "to love and to relationships"? It just sounded odd to me.
Headline Challenge
I found "Little Orphan 'Annie' In Limbo" from Google News on a Web site called "Platform Nation." By the headline, you would think that an Orphan named Annie is in limbo, which be definition is an indeterminate state. The story is actually how a video game named 'Limbo' won "Best Animated Video Game" at the Annie Awards, the Oscars for animated entertainment.
I would re-name the headline something like: "'Limbo' takes over Annie Awards."
Passage of the Week
Yourdictionary.com defines foible as "a small weakness; slight frailty in character. I found "foibles" in the article "Why you should quit Facebook now" that professor Rodgers tweeted. It was used to describe the insecurity of Facebook members' information as a flaw of the social networking Web site. I found the word interesting because I like the way it sounds. I think it has a funnier context than the word "flaw." It also makes me think of the word "oopsie."
Catch of the Week
I found this on page 82 of the February issue of Seventeen (don't even ask me why I have an online subscription to a magazine for teenagers).
"I think trust is an important aspect to love and relationships, but you also need to be secure in yourself."
What threw me off is "to love and relationships". Shouldn't it be "to love and to relationships"? It just sounded odd to me.
Headline Challenge
I found "Little Orphan 'Annie' In Limbo" from Google News on a Web site called "Platform Nation." By the headline, you would think that an Orphan named Annie is in limbo, which be definition is an indeterminate state. The story is actually how a video game named 'Limbo' won "Best Animated Video Game" at the Annie Awards, the Oscars for animated entertainment.
I would re-name the headline something like: "'Limbo' takes over Annie Awards."
Passage of the Week
Monday, January 31, 2011
convictguilty
1. A California man pleaded guilty to vandalizing two churches and a synagogue in Modesto, Calif.
San Francisco Chronicle
2. An Indonesian rock star was "convicted of porn" and sentenced to three years in prison under Indonesia's new anti-pornography law set forth in 2008.
3. Dozens of taxi drivers in New York City pleaded guilty to boosting fare rates by using the suburban rate in the city, scamming thousands of people.
4. A New Hampshire farmer was convicted for brandishing a gun at a trespasser who refused to leave his property.
5. A man pleads not guilty in the death of his newlywed wife.
San Francisco Chronicle
2. An Indonesian rock star was "convicted of porn" and sentenced to three years in prison under Indonesia's new anti-pornography law set forth in 2008.
3. Dozens of taxi drivers in New York City pleaded guilty to boosting fare rates by using the suburban rate in the city, scamming thousands of people.
4. A New Hampshire farmer was convicted for brandishing a gun at a trespasser who refused to leave his property.
5. A man pleads not guilty in the death of his newlywed wife.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Week 3
Word of the Week
I found the word "catechism" when I was reading an article from the Seattle Times about the Sundance Film Festival. The comedy "The Catechism Cataclysm" was featured at the festival. Yourdictionary.com defines catechism as a handbook of questions and answers for teaching the principles of a religion, any similar handbook for teaching the fundamentals of a subject or a formal series of questions.
Catch of the Week
It's a little ironic that I found an error in a story about Weimer Hall. In "Weimer Hall to get $4.4 million newsroom addition," the last word in the nut graph is supposed to be construction, but it's spelled "contruction." By the way, can I please express how disappointed I am that I won't be able to use this fancy new newsroom?
Headline Challenge
I have a problem with the headline "Obama will go down in history as the president who lost Egypt." I don't like how American society has developed a habit of giving our presidents sole credit or blame for events that occur during their term. For example, Clinton's presidency is associated with a thriving economy even though he didn't necessarily directly cause them, and George W. Bush is blamed for the recession of 2008, even though it wasn't directly caused by him or his policies. As Americans, we have a bad habit of pointing fingers, and this headline is evidence. President Obama called for less animosity between political parties after the Arizona shooting, and placing blame isn't helping to the cause. I would rename the headline "America's alliances in the Middle East crumble after revolts in Tunisia and Egypt."
Favorite Passage of the Week
This week, I was inspired by a single line in a Cosmopolitan article titled "Can a DNA Test Help You Find Your Soul Mate?" It's about how research has shown that two genetic makeups that are the least alike are the most compatible because the resulting offspring will have the strongest possible immune system due to a complex genetic makeup.
"GenePartner.com is a straight-from-sci-fi site that analyzes couples' DNA compatibility. Simply swab your suitor's cheek, send it to a lab in Switzerland (along with $99), and wait to hear if you're a match made in genetic heaven. Why waste months wining and dining if your double helices just don't align?"
I love the last line so much because it reminded me about how important it is for writers to be well-versed in a variety of fields. It's necessary in order to draw analogies and make useful comparisons. This article was written for a women's interest magazine that seems to have a sex and fashion-driven tone, and it's full of scientific jargon. Terminology is easy, all you have to do is look it up. However, it's impossible to come up with a clever phrase on a dime unless you're already somewhat familiar with the subject matter. I have a strong feeling that the writer already knew what a double helix is before she was assigned the story.
I found the word "catechism" when I was reading an article from the Seattle Times about the Sundance Film Festival. The comedy "The Catechism Cataclysm" was featured at the festival. Yourdictionary.com defines catechism as a handbook of questions and answers for teaching the principles of a religion, any similar handbook for teaching the fundamentals of a subject or a formal series of questions.
Catch of the Week
It's a little ironic that I found an error in a story about Weimer Hall. In "Weimer Hall to get $4.4 million newsroom addition," the last word in the nut graph is supposed to be construction, but it's spelled "contruction." By the way, can I please express how disappointed I am that I won't be able to use this fancy new newsroom?
Headline Challenge
I have a problem with the headline "Obama will go down in history as the president who lost Egypt." I don't like how American society has developed a habit of giving our presidents sole credit or blame for events that occur during their term. For example, Clinton's presidency is associated with a thriving economy even though he didn't necessarily directly cause them, and George W. Bush is blamed for the recession of 2008, even though it wasn't directly caused by him or his policies. As Americans, we have a bad habit of pointing fingers, and this headline is evidence. President Obama called for less animosity between political parties after the Arizona shooting, and placing blame isn't helping to the cause. I would rename the headline "America's alliances in the Middle East crumble after revolts in Tunisia and Egypt."
Favorite Passage of the Week
This week, I was inspired by a single line in a Cosmopolitan article titled "Can a DNA Test Help You Find Your Soul Mate?" It's about how research has shown that two genetic makeups that are the least alike are the most compatible because the resulting offspring will have the strongest possible immune system due to a complex genetic makeup.
"GenePartner.com is a straight-from-sci-fi site that analyzes couples' DNA compatibility. Simply swab your suitor's cheek, send it to a lab in Switzerland (along with $99), and wait to hear if you're a match made in genetic heaven. Why waste months wining and dining if your double helices just don't align?"
I love the last line so much because it reminded me about how important it is for writers to be well-versed in a variety of fields. It's necessary in order to draw analogies and make useful comparisons. This article was written for a women's interest magazine that seems to have a sex and fashion-driven tone, and it's full of scientific jargon. Terminology is easy, all you have to do is look it up. However, it's impossible to come up with a clever phrase on a dime unless you're already somewhat familiar with the subject matter. I have a strong feeling that the writer already knew what a double helix is before she was assigned the story.
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