There's Something about Film Reviews

It seems most of you were underwhelmed by Roger Ebert's review of "A Fish Called Wanda," which I suppose it understandable since so few of you have seen that film.

So, in an attempt to bring myself up to date (a bit), I offer for your reading pleasure this excellent piece of film criticism by David Edelstein, who writes for Slate. I'm guessing most of you have seen the flick discussed in this review:

When Gross Stuff Happens to Good People

Assignment: Feature story pitches

For Thursday, June 28, come to class with two pitches for possible feature stories that you'd like to pursue for the final project.

Each story pitch should be two to four paragraphs long and must go beyond a mere mention of the topic of a potential story. Be sure to discuss the story's angle and possible sources you'd interview for the story.

We will discuss the pitches in round-table format Thursday, and hopefully by the end of the discussion you will have determined which of your two pitches to pursue.

Assignment 3: Opinion/Criticism

Not all opinions are created equal; those based on facts, experience and careful reasoning are generally more convincing than those based merely on first impressions or personal tastes. That being said, don't underestimate the potential for style, wit or emotional appeal to bolster an argument.
Choose one of the following two options:
1. Write a persuasive essay explaining and defending your position on any controversial issue in the news this week. You may write the piece in any of several journalistic styles; it may resemble a newspaper editorial, a personal column, a letter to the editor, or any other format commonly seen in the opinion pages of major newspapers (pages sometimes called "Editorial," "Commentary," "Perspectives," "Op/Ed," etc.) If the issue you choose to take on is obscure, you may wish to provide a link to (or clipping of) one or more stories about it for the professor's benefit, but the piece should stand alone so that any reasonably informed reader will be able to follow your argument. Before you start to write your piece, do some reading; see how a range of professional opinion writers craft their arguments. For example, read editorials in the Daily Gazette and The Boston Globe, read columns by George Will and Molly Ivins, read letters to the editor in The New York Times, and observe a few debates by pundits on cable TV news stations such as CNN and MSNBC.

2. Write a review (or a comparable piece of personal commentary) on any new or recent product or performance. Your subject could be a book, a film, a television program, a concert, a video game, a CD, an art exhibit, a consumer product, a play, etc. Be certain to choose a subject about which you are knowledgeable, so the opinion you offer is an informed one.
Before you start to write your piece, do some reading; see how a range of professional reviewers write about comparable subjects. For example, if you're going to review a new music CD, read some reviews of other CDs from Rolling Stone, Metroland, the Times Union, the New York Times, National Public Radio, slate.com, and other media outlets.

Whether you choose option 1 or 2, your piece should 2 or 3 typed, double-spaced pages. It is due at the start of class on Tuesday, June 26.

A look at the final six class meetings

Calendar for final six class meetings,
JRL 200z (Summer 2007)

Tuesday, June 19: Feedback on Assignment 2
Discuss Rick Bragg story from the NYT
Instructions provided for Assignment 3

Thursday, June 21: Discuss editorial, commentary and criticism
(and related readings)

Tuesday, June 26: Assignment 3 due in class
Discuss writing for radio and TV
(and related readings)

Thursday, June 28: Assignment 4 (final story pitches) due in class
Discuss questions of media ethics
(and related readings)
Discuss public relations, how it relates to journalism

Tuesday, July 3: Draft of final story due (bring three copies)
In-class peer readings and feedback

Thursday, July 5: Final draft of story due at start of class

Assignment 2: Place Profile

Your second short writing assignment is a feature story that profiles a place, preferably a small community or neighborhood with which you are already familiar.

Read the Smithsonian story on "Galena, Illinois" and observe how the writer paints a narrative portrait of the town using details of its history, geography and present-day cultural life. Note the way people's individual views and attitudes are incorporated into the story in the form of paraphrases and quotations.

You may write your place profile in the style of a travel story, gearing it toward readers who don't know the place as well as you and might someday wish to visit it. Or you may choose to gear the story toward an audience that is familiar with the place, perhaps highlighting some often-overlooked or new aspect of the community.

The story must have a combination of quotations and paraphrased comments from at least two sources (by which I mean people). Textual sources (such as Web sites, reference books, published articles about the place, etc.) are also acceptable but won't count toward the two-person minimum.

We'll discuss your progress in class on Tuesday. That means I will ask each of you to briefly describe your topic and your angle. The finished assignment is due Thursday, June 14. It should be three or four pages long (stapled together), and it should be typed, double-spaced in 12-point font, and topped with the following:

1. The name of this course (JRL200z is fine), my name, and the date you give me the story
2. Headline
3. Your byline
4. Dateline

Here's an example of how to top a story:

JRL200z
For Bill Ackerbauer
June 14, 2007

Nebraska town's hotels cater to affluent goldfish fanciers

By AMANDA HUGINKISS

BUFF BLUFF, Neb. -- This is the first sentence of this hypothetical story.

Reading for Thursday, June 7

From the course packet, please read the following for discussion on Thursday:

"Twenty Common Errors" (List)

"Even for Trees, Age Could Have its Privileges"

"Domino's Bites Back at Tax"

"Chapter 14: Writing News that's Fit For Print"

"Quotation Marks and other Problems of Quotation"

(And for next Tuesday, June 12, please read the story from Smithsonian Magazine on "Galena, Illinois," which I handed out in class tonight.)

Text for June 5 class exercise

FROM THE SMITHVILLE, N.Y., POLICE DEPARTMENT On May 5, 2007, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Smithville Police responded to several reports of gunshots being fired on Lyon Street.

Smithville Police found Kenneth Maxon, DOB Sept. 12, 1972, address 16 Park Ave., Tampa, Fla., on the corner of Madison Street and Grand Blvd. and learned he had a gunshot wound to his chest.

Maxon was transported to Smithville General Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Since that time, Smithville Police Officers, Detectives, and the New York State Police Crime Lab have been investigating the fatal shooting.

On Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Smithville Police arrested 26-year-old Gary Dennis Lang of Austin, Texas for the fatal shooting of Kenneth Eldon Maxon.

Gary Lang was arrested at the Jones County Jail, where he was being held on unrelated charges. Gary Lang was charged with Murder and remains lodged in the County Jail.The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Smithville Police Detectives at 555-7686.

Reading for Tuesday, June 5

For Tuesday, be sure to read the chapter on "The Basic News Story" by Carol Rich, which is included in the course packet available at Shipmates.

And, if you haven't turned in the first written assignment, be sure to do so on Tuesday.