Final feature/sidebar deadline

Your final feature story and sidebar hard copies are due by noon Thursday Dec. 15. DO NOT slide your stories under my office door. You can leave your assignments in my mailbox located in DBH-105. It's your responsibility to make sure the story is given to a person in the office who will time stamp the story and put it in my box. You will not get credit for the assignment if you turn it in later than noon Thursday Dec. 15.

This is a list of what's due along with the final feature story:

1. Sidebar (hard copy)

2. Word count and semester word total broken down individually by story (hard copy)

3. List of interview sources including contact information--email and phone number (hard copy)

Link to Spartan Daily extra credit article

http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2016/73/

Extra credit Nov. 17

For 5 points extra credit, rewrite the lead from the front page article in Tuesday's Spartan Daily (Nov. 15) about the SJSU president's press conference. The current lead sounds like a topic lead. I want you to rewrite it and come up with a better lead. Post the rewritten lead on your blog and send me the link. You can do this assignment up until the end of the semester.

Write your own obituary

Jenna Suhl, a producer and director of the world's most powerful documentaries, passed away painlessly in her sleep at her San Diego beach house on Tuesday. She was 98.

The cause is unknown. 

Suhl spent more than 40 years filming worldwide documentaries, giving her the recognition as the "World's Greatest Storyteller." 

Suhl's career didn't start until after a few small, unimportant accomplishments, such as being a bathroom designer and the 49ers mascot " Sourdough Sam."

After her time as "Sourdough Sam," Suhl became a freelance children's books illustrator. 

She fell in love with storytelling and began to shoot small, local documentaries with the support of her husband. 

Suhl is known to have contributed to global music festivals for more than 10 years since her 30s and preached that a life without music is no life at all.

"She was always full of life," said Suhl's husband, Bob. "She found inspiration in almost anything around her. It was beautiful." 

Suhl met her husband at 25 and the two married when she was 28. 

Suhl's five children will host a "dance party" at the family's Santa Cruz beachhouse Saturday in lieu of a traditional memorial in keeping with Suhl's wishes that were outlined in her will.

Descriptive feature example

Their fists are held high above their bowed heads, pride and strength coursing through their veins. 

The azure mosaic statue glistens in the spring day sun. 

A breeze whispers past the iconic immortalization of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two men who took a stand against racism in the 1968 Olympics. 

Towering at 22 feet tall, the statue serves as a poignant reminder to stand up for what you believe in.

Shoes the size of a big dog sit alongside the statues.

Smith and Carlos removed their shoes to represent black poverty.

Around Carlos' neck hangs a necklace of brilliant gold, green and ruby red beads.

This was a tribute to all who had been lynched or killed and not prayed for.

A weathered bronze plaque reads, "TAKE A STAND."

Around the statues is freshly cut green grass and trees that dance in the wind.

Their blue track suits with red stripes up the side blend into the pale blue sky.

On their faces are expressions of sadness and responsibility.

Smith's right hand is raised while Carlos' left is hoisted to the heavens.

Behind this powerful memorial sits a pale moon.

Carlos and Smith will live on forever through this statue, as will the message they made so clear almost 50 years ago.

Election night extra credit

For up to 25 points extra credit, write a blog post chronicling your feelings about the media's election night coverage. Watch a cable TV channel such as CNN, MSNBC or Fox and write a short column of between 150-200 words focusing on Tuesday night's coverage of this historic election. Was the media impartial or blatantly biased? Did the media do a good job of providing perspective to the election and explaining how the winning candidate was able to prevail?

Assignment deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 9. Send me the link to your blog once you've posted the extra credit. This assignment is OPTIONAL meaning you don't have to do it. It's for extra credit only. No late posts will be considered for extra credit.

Midterm study guide

Know the differences between:

A comma-splice, sentence fragment, run-on sentence and a fused sentence.

Be able to identify a:

Parenthetical phrase, parallel structure in a sentence, subject-verb agreement.

Know how to correctly use the following words:

Affect, effect, complimented, complemented, to, with, each other, one another, advice, advise, anxious, eager.

Know the different ways that the 5 W’s of newswriting are used and the differences between a Who, what, where, when and why lead.

Be able to identify a skills-based resume versus a work-history resume and what is distinctive about each resume.

Define the “inverted pyramid” and be able to answer why it is preferred for media writing.

Be able to define “news” and the characteristics/news values that are used to classify news stories.

What considerations should you have before, during and after an interview?

Be able to define the following terms: attribution, editorializing, objective reporting, topic lead.

Know the different types of leads that should be avoided and why.

Know the differences between news and feature stories, columns and editorials.

Be able to identify the reasons a press release is issued. What should be included in a good press release and how does a public relations practioner increase the chances of getting a press release published?

Define public relations.