Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Excerpt from Orwell's "Politics & the English Language"


A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus:

1. What am I trying to say?
2. What words will express it?
3. What image or idiom will make it clearer?
4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

And he will probably ask himself two more:
1. Could I put it more shortly?
2. Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

Probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get one's meaning as clear as one can through pictures and sensations. Afterward one can choose -- not simply accept -- the phrases that will best cover the meaning, and then switch round and decide what impressions one's words are likely to make on another person. This last effort of the mind cuts out all stale or mixed images, all prefabricated phrases, needless repetitions, and humbug and vagueness generally. But one can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails.

I think the following rules will cover most cases:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never us a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself. Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase -- some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno, or other lump of verbal refuse -- into the dustbin, where it belongs.

The Importance of Being Brief

Thank you to Jim Heynen who called attention to this in his essay, "Becoming Your Own Best Critic." Heynen's essay first appeared in Brevity. See it here: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/brevity/craft/craft_heynen1_10.htm

Here are two versions of the last paragraph of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address. The first was written by Secretary of State William Seward; the second is Lincoln’s revision.

Seward’s draft:

I close. We are not, we must not be, aliens or enemies, but fellow-countrymen and brethren. Although passion has strained our bonds of affection too hardly, they must not, I am sure they will not, be broken. The mystic chords which, proceeding from so many battle-fields and so many patriot graves, pass through all the hearts and all the hearths in this broad continent of ours, will yet again harmonize in their ancient music when breathed upon by the guardian angels of the nation. (84 words)

Lincoln’s revision:

I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. (75 words)

The two versions also appear in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book TEAM OF RIVALS and again in the January 2009 issue of The New Yorker.

Let's talk about the difference between the two versions. Let's talk depth, effect, voice. And brevity, of course.

Level Green ready for 220th birthday bash | YourPennTrafford.com

Here's a nice example of a good local news story. Notice the lede. How many of the 5Ws and 1 H are included there? Where does the first source/quote show up in the story? Notice the sentence lengths, the paragraphs lengths. How clear is the story? Easy to follow, easy to understand? Why? We'll talk about this and more during our class discussion of news writing basics and good writing.

Level Green ready for 220th birthday bash | YourPennTrafford.com

Monday, August 29, 2011

Introduction to You (and ledes)

Please answer the following questions:

Who are you? (full identifying information, including your name, your age, your year/standing in school, your major)
What are you doing in this class?
Where are you from?
When did you arrive at Pitt Greensburg?
Why did you choose Pitt-Greensburg and your major?
How did you decide college was important?

Then add one surprising (fun) fact about yourself -- something you'd think others would be interested to know. Be specific.

Now, write three paragraphs. The first paragraph should include the who, the what, the where, the when. The second paragraph should include the why and the how. The third paragraph should include the surprising fact. Pay attention to precision. Spelling and grammar count. Use short sentences and active voice.

Post your introduction to the blog in the comments section below.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Welcome

Welcome to Intro to Journalism!

Now, our first lesson: See that exclamation point? Here's the rule in journalism. Use one exclamation point once every seven years and then only when you mean it. So there goes seven years' worth of exclaiming. Still, it feels worth it. Welcome.

(BTW, There are no rules with exclamation points when it comes to e-mails and tweets and most non-news blogs, so you can always get your emoting out that way.)

Our course syllabus appears below. Please feel free to print a paper copy, though it's good to be green, even if it's not easy. Ask Kermit the Frog.

Please check this blog site regularly for schedule updates, assignment details, news and useful links and more. Register as a follower of this blog now -- you'll be posting responses to assignments and more throughout the semester.

Here's to a great semester. Note: I had to repress that exclamation point. Limits are limits.

****

Introduction to Journalism / English Writing 0550 / CRN 54843
Course Meets in 138 McKenna Hall T/H 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.

Professor Jakiela
208 Faculty Office Building
Office Extension: #7481 (724-836-7481)
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays Noon-1 p.m. and by appointment
E-Mail: lljakiela@gmail.com, loj@pitt.edu

Required Texts:
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual
The Associated Press Guide to News Writing
Hiroshima, John Hersey
Somebody Told Me, Rick Bragg
Vintage Didion, Joan Didion
Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer
Hell's Angels, Hunter S. Thompson

If you’re not already familiar with the on-line versions of major newspapers and news networks, as well as blog sites, you’ll want to start with the list under Places to Go. Please feel free to add your own favorite sites to the mix. Keeping up to date on all things news will help you with the weekly quizzes in this course.


***

When asked why he rewrote the final chapter of A Farewell to Arms 44 times, Ernest Hemingway answered: “To get the words right.”

Hemingway was a journalist before he was a great novelist. All journalists – if they’re dedicated to their craft – struggle to master the techniques and skills that became Hemingway hallmarks. The precise use of language and surprising, luminous details. Sharp, unflinching reportage. Meaningful dialogue recorded by a well-tuned ear. A clean, well-ordered story crafted by a critical and an inquisitive mind.

But how does one begin?

This class does not promise to churn out Hemingways, but it will help you to do several things you may not have been able to do before:

* You will learn the basics of journalism – the 5 Ws/1H; how to get it right, write it fast, write it well.
* You’ll learn how to use standard industry techniques – including the classic Inverted Pyramid and Associated Press Style – to shape stories.
* You’ll take a close look at the different kinds of articles that appear in newspapers and new-media sites, and you will develop critical skills that will help you both as a writer and consumer of news.
* You’ll craft basic news stories, features, and editorial pieces.
* You’ll discover how the Internet goes on changing the way we write and receive news, and how old media and new media are working together to change the information landscape.
* You’ll begin to understand the ethical and legal responsibilities of the profession, as well as the role of the media in American society.


One thing all serious writers agree on: you can’t be a writer if you don’t read. And so, as you can tell from the list of required texts, we’ll be doing a lot of reading in this class. Through our readings, I hope you’ll develop a sense of the history of the profession and begin to imagine your own place in it.

As for our primary textbook, The AP Guide to News Writing – consider it the drill instructor for the course. We’ll do quite a lot of writerly push-ups. The exercises should help you develop basic news writing and reporting skills. While all good writing has much in common, journalism is a very particular version of the virus, and it’s one that requires repeat exposures.

In addition to all of this, we’ll spend considerable time reading and critiquing the work of journalists in the local, national, and student press. And you will, of course, be writing, revising and editing your own work and offering feedback regarding your classmates’ work throughout the term.

Ideally, once you get the hang of things, your work will be passed to the UPG student newspaper, The Insider, for possible publication. Editors from The Insider will visit early in the semester to talk about the kinds of stories they’d be interested in, and about what they think makes for good campus news.

***

The Details


Deadlines
One of the primary lessons in journalism is -- a deadline is sacred. Therefore, I will not accept late work.

A Few Words About Content
You need to take your work seriously. If you’re bored with what you write, your readers will be bored, too.

Care enough to go beyond mediocrity. Caring and being curious are two hallmarks of good journalists.

An important note: When you need to interview sources for your stories, do not interview friends and family members. Do not make up quotes or facts. Be precise when you quote a source. Use a recording device if you can. In this class, you will be held to professional journalists’ ethical standards. Failure to uphold ethical standards in your work will result in failure in the course.

Technically Speaking
Be accurate. Observe proper formats. Consult the AP Stylebook, a composition handbook, and/or a dictionary each time you encounter problems with spelling, grammar, or style.

Assignments should be free of technical errors. Assignments containing grievous technical and/or factual errors will be returned to you unread. You will need to correct the errors and return the work to me by the next class period in order to receive credit for the assignment.

Quizzes

As beginning journalists, it is important that you keep up with the news (how’s that for obvious?). The Internet provides wide access to a variety of news sources. To ensure that you keep current, we will have news quizzes (sometimes disguised as News Jeopardy! -- more fun, same concept).

We will also have several quizzes based on the assigned readings. You’ll note that readings-quizzes usually come after a weighty reading assignment. The combined quizzes will account for 25 percent of your grade in the course.


Attendance and Participation
You must attend class and complete all written assignments. If you must miss class due to an emergency or an illness, it is your responsibility to contact me.

If you miss more than three classes during the semester, your grade will drop by one letter for each additional absence. Also, I expect you to come to class on time and to be prepared. Failure to do so will result in a recorded absence.

Your participation in class is essential, and 25 percent of your grade will depend upon it.

In short, please come to class, be prepared, speak up, and take an active interest in your own progress.


Academic Integrity

Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses. Cheating is defined as the attempt, successful or not, to give or obtain aid and/or information by illicit means in meeting any academic requirements, including examinations. Plagiarism is defined as the use, without proper acknowledgement, of the ideas, phrases, sentences, or larger units of discourse from another writer or speaker. If you plagiarize and/or cheat in this course, you will be in danger of failing the course.



Final Portfolios
You’ll need to save the original copies of all the stories you do this term. At the end of the semester, you’ll return these pieces to me, along with at least one dramatic revision of a piece of your choice.

(Note: I may ask you to revise any piece at any time. This revision would be mandatory, and would be included as part of your portfolio. It would not, however, replace your final revision.)

Your final portfolio, along with successful completion of your initial drafts and completed written exercises, will account for the remaining 50 percent of your grade in the course.


Conferences
We will meet in conferences once during the term. The conference will give us a chance to talk one-on-one about your work. The conferences are mandatory. Time-permitting, I will cancel our regular classes during a conference week. Failure to attend your conference will be recorded as a class absence.

Office Hours
Please stop by my office during office hours, or schedule an appointment for another time. I’m happy to meet with you to discuss your work at any time during the term.

Written Work
Once again, your written work will account for 50 percent of your grade in this course. Although the following list is subject to change at any time, here’s roughly what your workload will be:

Exercises and short assignments: 10
Analysis Piece/Short Critique: 2
Articles: One or more of each of the following (subject to change)--

Event/speech/meeting coverage
Obituary
Simple news story
Complex news story
Profile
Commentary and/or Gonzo piece

Total of seven pieces at approximately 300-800 words each


Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Lou Ann Sears in the Learning Resources Center located on the first floor of the Faculty Office Building. You should do this as early as possible in the term. The LRC will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

********************************************************


About the instructor:
Lori Jakiela is the author of the memoir Miss New York Has Everything (Warner/Hatchette), and three poetry collections -- The Mill Hunk's Daughter Meets the Queen of Sky (Finishing Line, 2011), Red Eye (Pudding House Press, 2010) and The Regulars (Liquid Paper Press, 2001). Another poetry collection -- Spot the Terrorist! -- will be published by Word Tech press in 2012. Her second memoir, The Bridge to Take When Things Gets Serious, will be published in January 2013. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Creative Nonfiction, Pittsburgh Quarterly, Pittsburgh City Paper, The Tribune Review, and elsewhere.

Her poems and essays have been widely anthologized in the U.S. and the U.K., and her work regularly appears in many literary magazines, including 5 AM, Chiron Review, KGB BarLit, River Teeth, Nerve Cowboy and elsewhere.

She has been a columnist for the Tribune Review company, and her column "Here and Now" received a 2010 Golden Quill Award for Best Column Writing from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. She's a speaker for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, an associate professor of English at Pitt-Greensburg, and on the faculty of Chatham University's low-residency MFA program.

****

Tentative Schedule of Assignments for the first month – This will change. Guaranteed.


Tuesday, Aug. 30
Course Introduction/review of syllabus

Assignments:
1. Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2/Guide to News Writing

2. Find one example of good writing (according to the guidelines in your text and according to you as a consumer of news/words) and one example of awful writing. Clip and bring to class. Be prepared to discuss. (Save examples for your portfolio.)

3. Remember to review the links under Places to Go, if you still subscribe or regularly read print news, you may bring a newspaper to class.


Thursday, Sept. 1
Review of the latest news
Lecture: What is news? What makes writing good?
Introduction to using the AP Stylebook (make sure you bring your stylebooks to class for every class meeting)
Small group work – Writing samples

Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 3/Guide to News Writing (Leads)

2. Find two examples (you guessed it). One great lead. One cruddy lead. Bring both to class and be ready to discuss. (Save examples for your portfolio.)

3. Also, practice writing a lead of your own. Choose an event from the UPG Campus Calendar as the subject for your lead. Follow the guidelines in the AP text. Try to answer as many of the 5 Ws/1 H in your lead as necessary (that’s Who, What, When, Where, Why, How/How Much). Have fun and don’t worry – you can make mistakes. Just be careful with spelling and grammatical/factual precision.

4. Post your lead to this blog by 2 p.m. Sunday. We'll review select leads in class.


Tuesday, Sept. 6
Leads
Small group work: More leads
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 4/Guide to News Writing (Periods).

2. Now, write your first news story. This story will be about an upcoming event on campus. Choose an event that interests you. You can find events and details on the campus calendar (www.pitt.edu/~upg). Before you try to write the story, be sure you have all the necessary information (5Ws/1H). Be sure to contact and interview two relevant sources. Be sure to identify the sources, quote them directly in your story, and provide contact information (phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses) for fact-checking purposes.

3. Again, you can bobble around a bit and make mistakes, but I do expect you to write in the English language. Grammar and common-sense elements count. 300- 500 words. E-mail your story to me by 2 p.m. on Sunday. Email to: lljakiela@gmail.com

Also, bring a hard copy of your story to class on Tuesday. I’ll bring in copies of select stories.


Thursday, Sept. 8
News and readings quiz
Lecture and discussion: Writing that first news story
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 5/Guide to News Writing (Journalese).

2. Continue to work on your first news story. Remember, your story is due via e-mail by 2 p.m. on Sunday. Don’t miss your deadline.


Tuesday, Sept. 13
Review first news stories/workshop
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 6 and Chapter 7/Guide to News Writing (Tone/Attributions)
2. Begin revising your first news stories based on readings and class discussions.
3. Begin reading Hiroshima


Thursday, Sept. 16
Continue discussion and workshop of first news stories
Assignments:

1. Continue reading Hiroshima
2. Finish revising your first news story. E-mail your revisions to me by 2 p.m. on Sunday. E-mail to lljakiela@gmail.com. Bring your finished draft to class on Tuesday. I’ll bring in a few select revisions for discussion.


Tuesday, Sept. 20
News story revisions
Lecture: Background on Hiroshima
Assignments:

1. Finish reading Hiroshima
2. Read Chapter 8/Guide to News Writing (Quotes: Your Words or Mine?) and be ready to discuss Hersey’s use of quotes in Hiroshima

Thursday, Sept. 22
Quiz on Hiroshima and news
Discussion of Hiroshima
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 9 and Chapter 10/Guide to News Writing (Color and Pseudo-Color)

3. Find two examples (again): one that reveals the power of vivid, luminous writing and the other that reveals the weak nature of clichés. Clip and bring to class. Be ready to discuss.

Tuesday, Sept. 27
Color vs. Pseudo-color/Lecture and Discussion
Assignments:
1. Attend an event and cover it. 500 words. E-mail your story to me by 2 p.m. next Sunday. Your focus should be on vivid quotes, color/luminous details and description (as well as the usual 5Ws/1H).

2. Begin reading selections from Somebody Told Me.

October Preview: Begin Beat Coverage. Each of you will be part of a team of reporters assigned a beat for one month. Beats will include campus events, SGA, administration, faculty, student life, sports and more.