The Future of News

It is refreshing for journalism students now to take some advice from the link specifically made for students. All the diverse skills obtained from journalism can apply to any type of job, not just one doing magazine or newspaper writing. The site did mention quite a bit about getting a reporting job. My major is health science with public relations as a minor. I picked the minor to further my communication and writing skills because I feel it will help in the long run wherever my career path takes me. There is also a plus to having a journalism class on-line because it takes independence and web skills to get through it.


After taking a look at the different links under “Getting the News Online”, I found the specific link titled, “10,000 Things Online Editors can do to Save Their Job.”. The media has become a huge part of the internet. Many magazines and newspapers have thousands of stories and articles on-line that are not printed in issues. There were questions that someone could ask themselves before posting any type of news on-line. I like the tip about taking a media class and talking with someone who knows about advertisement. Both of those are key ingredients to making a decent news-worthy web page or blog.


The future of journalism will only grow. The more resources there are out there, the higher the ceiling becomes to explore. My career will most likely be in a health care environment, however I know my journalism skills will help in any job I pursue.

News Story # 5

An enormous accident took place around 1:30 this afternoon causing a fire and injury at Moeser Lane in El Cerrito. Somehow a 10-wheel hauler had overturned and smashed against someone’s house. Along the path of destruction by the truck were a snapped power pole and five badly damaged vehicles.

Ruben Sharma, a witness whose home was destroyed by a fire from the crash, said, “I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” Sharma’s front yard is covered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, and splintered wood. Power has been lost from the crash in neighboring cities including Berkley and Richmond.

One of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene was El Cerrito detective Sgt. Shawn Maples. After hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house he started to dig through debris and spotted the driver who had been wedged between the wheels of the truck. With the help of others Maples was able to pull the man out to safety while noticing his legs were mangled.

The truck driver is currently at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek from broken legs in the crash; he is listed in serious but stable condition. Three other vehicles were tossed around during the commotion leaving a sport utility vehicle with two passengers inside stuck in some shrubbery and another car so crumpled the driver was trapped inside. The people trapped in the cars were rescued and no fatalities were reported at the scene.

AP Exercise (M-R)

1) He hopes to make a billion dollars by the time he’s forty. Already he figures his net profit is between $2 million and $3 million, depending on current stock prices. (3)

2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a Cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)

3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the 3rd annual Procrastination Awards Ceremony. (3)

4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the playoffs when his ball went out of bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)

5) Hundreds of people attended Sundays race to watch seventy-five top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)

6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to PANAMA CITY, Panama. (3)

News Story # 3

Yesterday at least 100 employees, neighborhood residents, business owners, and customers were evacuated from an area south of Market in San Francisco after a private construction crew severed a 2-inch underground gas pipe with a backhoe. The police have cordoned off the streets around Folsom and eleventh Street shutting down a four-block radius causing a back-up in traffic. One of the people affected by the gas pipe break was Carlann Lauria; a store manager at Crocker's Lockers which is a self-storage company on Folsom near tenth Street. She says her customers were pretty irate about the situation. Lauria's employees were kept busy as they went outside the police perimeter to collect payment checks from their customers.

Another business manager in the area is Samantha Feldman of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, who says her employees and patrons were forced to leave. The restaurant is located at the corner where the construction crew had been working. The shutdown caused Feldman's restaurant to lose about five-hundred dollars worth of business. After several attempts to get in touch with PG&E, a representative said the gas has been turned back on.

News Story # 4

A newlywed couple was getting a late night snack after their wedding when a 21-year-old man surprised them and carjacked their 2003 Nissan Altima with the bride in the passenger seat still. Fortunately, she escaped and he crashed the car into a sign then took off on foot. The couple was unharmed.

Sheryl Wolcott of the San Mateo County deputy district attorney’s office shared some details of the night. It happened when the groom headed toward the restaurant to pick up the food and left his bride in the car while it was running. Ticas-Soto ran across the parking lot and jumped in; then the crash took place.

Witnesses called the police and Officer Brendan Boyle called it in so Ticas-Soto was arrested. During arrest Soto claimed he had been on drugs for the past three days.

Ticas-Soto plead not guilty in court on Monday, but if convicted he could face up to nine years in state prison for carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges. He is currently being held in San Mateo County Jain on $100,000 bail.

Top News # 4

Top News # 4

California is one of the most populated states in America; but for many the budget cuts are hitting them hard. A deal was proposed to help with the 41 billion dollar budget crisis in California but it was denied. The majority vote did not pass. According to the New York Times the week of February 16 there will be 20,000 layoff notices going out. At this time there is above average unemployment, high foreclosure rates, and falling tax revenues.

In order for a vote to pass in the legislature, it needs to two-thirds majority vote. Another budget solution is in the works. The problem is having everyone agree on it. Up to this point there have been 15.1 billion in budget cuts, 14.4 billion in tax increases, and 11.4 billion in borrowing money. All of those numbers came after voter approval. These are some of the risks and consequences California is taking. Finding a way out of these budget cuts and job losses will be difficult; however, many Americans in California are hoping it won’t be too long from now.

Impact: Many Californians in all types of jobs are affected by the layoffs.

Timeliness: This is currently taking place in the state.

Proximity: Everyone in California is affected regardless of the job type.

Conflict: Getting legislature to agree on a bill to pass.

Currency: Jobs are lost every day and many people in California are concerned.

Feature Lead

Fact Set # 1

Who would have thought a small squirrel could actually cause a power outage resulting in an enormous tie-up of thousands of commuters in New York.

A squirrel climbed onto the Metro-North Commuter Railroad power lines Monday causing an electrical power surge which weakened an overhead bracket. The weakened bracket left a wire dangling down which got entangled in a train passing underneath and ended up tearing down all the lines. This caused a loss of power resulting in a delay for 47,000 rail commuters as well as the afternoon transit commute in Manhattan. There were hours of delay while the trains were out of service but crews restored the power by Tuesday morning. Donna Evans, a Metro-North spokeswoman, reports that sadly the squirrel was electrocuted while scurrying across the power lines.

AP exercise # 3 (I-L)

1)The last time she played soccer, she suffered a serious injury to her knee. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why she wants to keep playing. (2)

2) He was indicted on a charge of assault, but his attorney said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the enquiry will exonerate him. (2)

3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)

4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)

Ap style # 2

AP Style # 2 E-H

1. His new book, on elections and the Electoral College, is titled “Does your vote count?”(4)
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her. (2)
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered fulsome praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier. (3)
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation. (2)
5. The boys' stories didn’t jibe, so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth. (2)
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner. (2)

Top News #3

Top News # 3

Steroids have been a controversy for many years in professional sports and just recently in the past years there have been crack downs on the people using them. The latest man to be charged with using a performance enhancer is Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees major league baseball team. He is a key player and has a record 553 home-runs; many fans know him as A-Rod. Rodriguez had failed a steroid test in 2003 but claimed he was not aware of the substances he was taking. This is now the third Yankee in five years to come out and admit steroid use.

In an ESPN interview Rodriguez confessed to his substance use and said, “I couldn’t feel more regret and feel more sorry, because I have so much respect for this game and the people that follow us.” (NY Times, A17) Everyone has to wonder the type of message using performance enhancing drugs will send to a young audience. Not only will it affect baseball fans, but other players because there will now be major drug testing quite often. This man is considered a celebrity icon and has so there is also question if the drug use would matter much if he wasn’t in major league. Currently A-Rod holds a contract of 252 million paid through the year 2017; there is no word yet if the steroid use will effect the terms of the contract in any way.

News Values

Impact: This will impact many fans of the major league as well as young fans aspiring to play baseball.

Timeliness: This is an ongoing investigation that will lead to further steroid drug testing of major league baseball players. The charges on Rodriguez are current and the charges are still pending.

Prominence: Rodriguez is in the public eye all the time, especially now that baseball season is starting. People will care more about a major public figure having a drug scandal.

Currency: This is a public concern which many baseball fans as well as others will take notice to. Many parents do not want their little league baseball players to think it is ok to take performance enhancing drugs to improve their playing skills.

News Story #1 and # 2

News Story #1 - Firefighters

A single-story home on Annapolis Way was engulfed in flames yesterday. Homeowner Robert Kent was rescued from the burning house while unconscious in his San Jose home. Kent, who is in his 50’s and retired, suffered second and third-degree burns on 50 percent of his body. Firefighters had pulled from the kitchen in his house which was surrounded by flames.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the San Jose Police. According to San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper, there wasn’t a smoke detector in the house and it seems the fire started in the kitchen and spread to the attic. A nursing supervisor at Valley Medical Center in San Jose informed me that Robert Kent is in grave condition.

News Story #2- Cathedral Robbery

Two tourists fell victim to a robbery this morning in the parking lot of Saint Mary’s Cathedral. WeiMing Chen and his wife Li Lu were with their tour group the morning of the robbery. Around 10am the two left the group and walked to the cathedral’s parking lot where they had decided to take some snapshots for keepsakes. Chen and his wife were startled when a man approached them waving a pistol around; he was wearing a dark jacket and some sort of cap at the time.

According to Sergeant Lawrence Price of the SF police department, the assailant, whom Chen described as about 18 years old, took their money; about 100 dollars, visa card, passport, camera, and airline tickets right before taking off. At this time it is unknown if the couple will make their 1pm flight back to Taipei along with their tour group of 30 employees. Police will continue searching for the suspect as well as any witnesses who may have some more leads on the case.

Week 3

Lead # 3
An Amtrak train known as the Colonial collided today with three Conrail locomotives that had run a stop sign near Chase, Maryland. The accident took place on a switch that merges four tracks into two.

Lead #4

4a) Flight 428 from Northwest Airlines was evacuated today at the LaCrosse, Wisconsin Municipal Airport.

After a landing tower employee noticed smoke near the wheels, forty passengers were let off the flight.

4b) A seven-year-old boy was found Thursday night in Brick Township, NJ after he had gone missing for three years.

One of the neighbors recognized the child's picture, which was shown after a movie, and phoned the police. Police have taken the boys mother, Ellen Lynn Conner age 27, into custody for charges of kidnapping and interference with a warrant.

Lead #5
Fact Set #1
Immediate Identification:
Duane La Chance, 55, suffered third-degree burns yesterday and was rushed to the Springfield Hospital after accidentally touching a power line while installing new pipes on a roof with a piece of angle iron; the line carried 15,000 volts.

La Chance is a pipe fitter employed by Gross Engineers, a company based in Springfield. As of Wednesday night he is currently in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Springfield Hospital.

Delayed Identification:
A Springfield pipe fitter working for Gross Engineers suffered third-degree burns Wednesday night while installing a new roof at the Springfield Municipal Power Plant.

Duane La Chance, 55, had accidentally touched a 15,000 volt power line with a piece of angle iron and is now in the intensive care unit at Springfield Hospital.

Fact Set #2
Immediate Identification:
James W. Cunning, 20, was struck by a vehicle on U.S. 63 yesterday just north of Blue Ridge Road. According to the Lincoln Country Sheriff's Department Cunning was heading north when suddenly a car driven by Wayne Clay, 19, crossed the center line and struck his vehicle; Cunning is currently in satisfactory condition at Springfield Hospital.

Delayed Identification:
There was a two car collision just north of Blue Ridge Road yesterday on U.S. 63 including a 2005 Ford Focus and another unidentified vehicle.
Cunning, age 20, which was in the Ford Focus, was struck by Wayne Clay, 19, after he crossed the center line of the freeway. According to local Sheriff's Cunning is in satisfactory condition at Springfield Hospital.

Top News # 2

In The New York Times I enjoyed reading a piece from the health section of the paper. “Telling Food Allergies From False Alarms” makes it known that many allergy tests cause false positives. One child was only eating potatoes, fruit, and hypoallergenic formula after diagnosed with food allergies. But with studies from the past years the same child is now able to incorporate other foods into the diet. When someone’s diet becomes so restricted, malnutrition comes into play. A blood test for antibodies that signal a reaction to food seems to be the reason for the false positive results.

The tests may not work well because certain proteins are not distinguishable between different foods. Someone who is allergic to peanuts could test positive for allergies toward other foods. This then causes a diet change that is unnecessary for many children and adults. Over 10 million Americans have food allergies and may be avoiding foods in their diet because of a false result. It is also important to be retested for as some people grow out of allergies. However, with all of this said, some doctors agree the best way to find out food allergies is to not be tested by blood but to find out by eating the food itself.

News Values
Impact: Millions of Americans who are tested for food allergies could be told they are allergic to a food which is not true.

Timeliness: Studies have been going on for years and this is just breaking in the last few.

Prominence: Children usually are tested for allergies so parents should be more aware of what the results really mean.

Proximity: This affects anyone and everyone regardless of where they live.

Conflict: Some believe blood tests will tell what a person is allergic to while others say just eat the food and find out.


AP Style # 1

1) Mayor Richard Wrigley expressed confidence that the gubernatorial debate, which begins at 7:30 p.m. this evening, will have a positive affect on his candidacy. He added, “Gov. Red Davidson is a master of dirty politics, but I won’t take any of his bologna.” (4)
1. Affect should be effect

3) Persuaded of the bill’s importance, members of the Democratic and Republican Parties came together on Capitol hill to support Anti-Terrorism legislation, despite their differences on other issues. (4)
1. Hill should be capitalized
2. No caps on anti-terrorism
3. change of to by
4) ROME, Italy – All around the world, Roman catholics today listened as the Pope delivered his homily. (3)

1. ROME change to Rome
2. today listened change to listened today
3. Catholics should be capitalized