Comments on: jou 220: freak outs

By: Emma

Emma — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:27:39 +0000

I am worried that I don’t understand how the Event draft is to be set up. My google doc will not open. Can you help me?

By: Emma W

Emma W — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:41:16 +0000

I have looked under numerals in the stylebook, and I am not able to find a definate answer. I know I am to use the same type of numbers in the same body graf, but what about the whole article? I have dollars in a previous graf but in the next graf I am adding in percentage. The statistics only come in percents because its on interest rates and it varies per account. Hope that all makes sense!

Thank you,
Emma

By: Emily Mahoney

Emily Mahoney — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:31:14 +0000

Okay. Thanks.

By: Brad King

Brad King — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:08:17 +0000

(Department of Transportation) is how you change it – parenthesis delineate that you are simply clarified something, not that you’ve changed it…

By: Emily Mahoney

Emily Mahoney — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:54:11 +0000

Great, thanks! Also, my source abbreviated the Department of Transportation in his quote as “DOT.” The AP Style Guide says that DOT is okay for second attributions, but his quote is the first time it is mentioned. Should I change his quote to spell it out instead?

By: Brad King

Brad King — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:43:26 +0000

@Emily: Absolutely!!! That is a GREAT resource. Good job!! *pats back*

By: Emily Mahoney

Emily Mahoney — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:35:28 +0000

Can I quote Rep. Oberstar from the speech he gave on the House floor about his antitrust immunity bill? The speech is on Thomas attached to the bill.

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:20:38 +0000

So my first major interview is done – that was the most painful and grueling experience I’ve had in a while. Besides that one time I had to do an in-class interview. I was completely blown away by the amount of information I got – I’d prepared my list of questions and I have no idea if I even stuck with any of them, as I kept just asking question after question that popped in my head as they came up. Amazingly enough, my interviewee was answering some of the questions I had even before I had asked them as we went along. I’d go back to make sure I was still going in the right direction with my interview and realize he just answered 4, 5, and 6 without me having to push him in that direction. I’m hoping that’s a good indication that I was on the right path with my questions. I was so worried I’d blow the interview or he wouldn’t be as knowledgeable as I’d hoped on the subject, but that was definitely not the case. He had some fantastic insights that will definitely help me get a better focus on what I’m doing with my story. A couple issues I had – I would blank out from time to time, as I was trying to scribble furiously and make sure my notes are coherent and beneficial, but I didn’t want to leave my interviewee hanging and feel uncomfortable in the ensuing silence after his answer. (Although at one point, the silence technique, though not planned, completely worked – he felt compelled to fill one silence in with a totally new insight that I hadn’t even though to focus on). I conducted my interview by phone, so I tried to record the conversation on my phone but discovered it beeps continuously throughout the conversation so I had to stop recording and rely purely on my note-taking skills. One of the hardest things to deal with is I’m so focused on my questions and trying to get everything down on my end that I begin to lose track of what they’re saying and end up feeling incredibly overwhelmed. I also stumbled through few questions – tried to ask three questions all at once, which confused my interviewee at one point. I’m hoping this gets easier as time goes on. Regardless, it was an amazing experience.

By: Brad King

Brad King — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:09:30 +0000

@Becky: That is amazing to hear. I’m starting to get more stories like that. You dig and dig and dig + good things happen! You guys are rawking the JOU 220!

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:07:47 +0000

my brain feels like goo, but after much digging and stalking, I got a hold of some interesting sources and great material for my story (or my brain has deteriorated to the point i’m filled with optimistic delusions … either one)!! + + much positive freaking out + +