- Where does the term "journalism" come from?
- What are "hard" and "soft" news?
- What is meant by "event-oriented" news?
- What is the signficance of the Gannett news pyramid? What are its elements?
- In what ways did USA Today change newspapers?
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Two -- Gathering the News
- What is a beat?
- Give some examples of both anticipated news and unanticipated news?
- Give an example of made news?
- What is meant by "a nose for news?"
- What is meant by "a selective ear?"
- Give a one-or-two-sentence summary of the section on "Observation: Seeing."
- Give a one-or-two-sentence summary of the section on "Finding Things."
- Give a one-or-two-sentence summary of the section on "Verifying Things."
- List three different types of interviews.
- List four methods or techniques of reporting.
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Three -- Writing the Lead
- Define the No-News lead.
- What is the text's rule of when a time element is necessary in the lead paragraph?
- When are datelines necessary?
- how do credit lines and bylines differ?
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Four -- Style and Stylebook
- What is the authority behind AP Stylebook usage decisions?
- What are the rules in regard to use of U.S. vs. United States?
- What is meant when it is said that the AP Stylebook is conservative?
- Many beginners complain that AP Style is to restrictive for them and give up on
newswriting. What does the text have to say about dealing with this and developing your
own style?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Five -- Writing the Story
- The appropriate order for the news story is the inverted pyramid. But within that
structure what sre some other appropriate orders?
- Attribution is important, but too much attribution hurts a story. What kinds of
statements need attribution?
- List five ways we can indentify people in stories.
- When you use a past tense verb to time stamp a story, what else must you include?
- What is the main point of the section entitled "Overemphasis on Timeliness"
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter
Six -- Be Clear, Complete, Accurate
- What two factors must the news writer consider about the reading
audience?
- Give a couple of examples of explaining background or technical
terms. Read what the book says, but come up with your own examples.
- Give some examples of where facts might be verified.
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Seven -- Writing the Story II
- What is the STOP formula?
- Explain the value of localizing a story as discussed in the chapter.
- How is repetition good?
- List five possible transitions you can fall back on when writing a story?
- Why aren't parenthetical insertions used in news stories?
- Give an example of pointless variation in news writing.
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Eight -- Editing, Revising, Rewriting
- .
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Nine -- Quotation
- What is the difference between original speech and reproduced speech?
- What are the advantages of a direct quote?
- What are the advantages of an indirect quote?
- What is the best verb to use in a speech tag and why? When should you use something
else?
- What is the general rule on use of fragment quotes?
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Ten -- Legal and Ethical Considerations
- What is meant by the concept of the press as a watchdog?
- When may a reporter have access to a crime or fire scene?
- What is a sunshine law?
- What is FOI?
- What is the Buckley Amendment?
- What is a gag order?
- What is a shield law?
- What is the main gist or concept of the ASNE Code?
- Besides sexism, what other forms of discrimination in stories should be avoided?
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Eleven -- Some Hard-News Stories
- When should descriptions of suspects in a crime story be included in a story and when
should they not be?
- Explain use of the word "allegedly" in a story.
- What are the four sets of facts that obituaries are based around?
- Should negative information be included in obituaries? Explain.
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Twelve -- Second-Day Stories and other Organizing
Devices
- What is a second-day story?
- What is a tie-back?
- How does a follow-up story differ from a second-day story?
- What is a round-up?
Back to top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
