Some encouraging words for young journalists

The chief environmental correspondent for NBC News, Anne Thompson, says the next generation of journalists will be part of the "figuring it out" process of the changing landscape of journalism.

"You should be excited," Thompson said.

Read the article.

Newsday had it just right today

Friday favorite comes from Mississippi

Please note change in my office hours

I have changed my office hours a bit. The new hours are posted under "the opinion expressed here . . ."

Have a great weekend.

New feature: My favorite Page 1 each day

Thanks to the Newseum

Trouble with Sheppard software? Try this

Some smart person in Section 3 figured out that if the Africa geography game won't load for you, try the dialup version, which is right under the "Play" button. That worked for us in class on Tuesday and has been working ever since.

Go here for previous Dow Jones tests

Here is the link for the site that has previous Dow Jones tests going back to 1998. It's also a good site for studying grammar and editing in general -- lots of good information, drills and advice.

Want in the building at night? Get a code

So far, only 38 students (out of almost 300) have received their code so they can get into the locked labs in the building (those labs that have keypad locks).

Starting Friday, no rooms will be left unlocked. So if you need to get into the building after hours you MUST get your code this week from Judy, who is working in the dean's office, Monday-Thursday from 8-noon. She will not be here on Friday.

That means you have to get your code before Friday. Don't get locked out. Get a code.

When grammar went out the Windows

Here's a fun look at grammar -- or the lack thereof -- through poetry. It's also on an interesting web site that's probably worth bookmarking for those of us in the word business.

If you don't think word choice is important, read this

Thank you to Charlie Baser from Section 3 of News Editing 380 for pointing out this New York Times article on how journalists are being careful in the language they use in stories about the current financial meltdown, oops, make that upheaval . . . or rather, let's say, situation.
It's a good lesson on the importance -- and power -- of words.

Date set for Dow Jones editing test

The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund’s Editing Test will be offered at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30 in DAH 316.

The application deadline for the program’s internships in news editing, multimedia editing, sports reporting and business reporting is Nov. 1. Applicants can complete a web-based application at www.newspaperfund.org.

For more information, contact 609.452.2820 or e-mail the program at djnf@dowjones.com.

Something we missed when writing headlines -- SEO

That stands for "Search Engine Optimization," and it's something journalists these days -- especially headline writers -- need to know about. We will be going over the information on this Knight Center site on Tuesday. Please review it before then.

"An instrument we shape for our own purposes"

That's what George Orwell called language. I referred in class Thursday to his essay "Politics and the English Language." It's a good thing to read this political season and while you are in this class.

Another good column to read is this one by Leonard Pitts. It has an obvious political bias, but it also addresses the issue of words being distorted from meaning.

Have a good weekend. Read chapters 2 and 4 in "Working with Words," and I'll see you Tuesday.

Dow Jones test planned for Oct. 30

Prof. Dennis Swibold plans to give the Dow Jones editing test on Thursday, Oct. 30. By then, we will have covered grammar, AP Style and had a couple of current events quizzes under our belts. You should be ready for it.

For those of you interested, check out the web site.

A newspaper updates its standards on taste

Later in this semester we will talk in this class about standards of taste. The Los Angeles Times has just announced that it has updated its standards. Here is an interesting piece by Jamie Gold, the paper's reader representative, on those standards and the standards themselves. Worth a read.