Proofreading

Honestly, I really enjoy proofreading. I think it’s SO important and such a crucial part of writing. Just one word can change the entire meaning and interpretation of a statement. For example, I’ve learned that when stating my opinion, I shouldn’t use too many words and be firm in what I say. Newswriting is similar in that meaning gets lost in wordiness.

Grammar mistakes are also a problem. I can’t take anything seriously that has a grammar error like “your” or “you’re” being mixed up.

The best way for me to proofread is write something and read it the next day. At that point, I’ve forgotten most of what I’ve written and can read my work objectively. I also like to read things out loud. I’ve made so many mistakes by just scanning my papers because I only spot really obvious problems.

Helmet Laws

Doctors strongly oppose the Maryland State Legislature consideration to change motorcyclist helmet laws.

 

Many physicians in Towson are opposed to the bill. About fifty of them held a press conference Monday morning on the front lawn of Memorial Hospital. An audience of over one hundred nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers was present. The doctors unveiled a petition to legislators asking them not to pass the bill. Doctors from Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Mercy Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Center were present at the press conference.

 

The doctors have gotten nearly four hundred signatures so far on the petition and hope to have at least five hundred by the time they send it to the legislature.

 

The number of serious head injuries caused by motorcycle accidents in Maryland is over 70% less now then when the helmet law was adopted 25 years ago, said Dr. Karl Sodergreen. He said that reduction is directly related to passage of the law.

 

Dr. Hector Rivera said a study from last year about health-care costs related to motorcycle riding by the state medical society showed that emergency room costs alone could go up by more than 45 percent if the helmet law is repealed.

 

Dr. Sodergreen said the physicians plan to send their petition to the legislature on Monday. The bill is to be considered by the legislature next Wednesday.

 

Ironically, there was a motorcyclist accident during the press conference. The driver of the vehicle was not wearing his helmet, and the aftermath was available for all to see. This executed the perfect example of why so many medical professionals are against this bill change. 

Helmet Laws

Doctors strongly oppose the Maryland State Legislature consideration to change motorcyclist helmet laws.

 

Many physicians in Towson are opposed to the bill. About fifty of them held a press conference Monday morning on the front lawn of Memorial Hospital. An audience of over one hundred nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers was present. The doctors unveiled a petition to legislators asking them not to pass the bill. Doctors from Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Mercy Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Center were present at the press conference.

 

The doctors have gotten nearly four hundred signatures so far on the petition and hope to have at least five hundred by the time they send it to the legislature.

 

The number of serious head injuries caused by motorcycle accidents in Maryland is over 70% less now then when the helmet law was adopted 25 years ago, said Dr. Karl Sodergreen. He said that reduction is directly related to passage of the law.

 

Dr. Hector Rivera said a study from last year about health-care costs related to motorcycle riding by the state medical society showed that emergency room costs alone could go up by more than 45 percent if the helmet law is repealed.

 

Dr. Sodergreen said the physicians plan to send their petition to the legislature on Monday. The bill is to be considered by the legislature next Wednesday.

 

Ironically, there was a motorcyclist accident during the press conference. The driver of the vehicle was not wearing his helmet, and the aftermath was available for all to see. This executed the perfect example of why so many medical professionals are against this bill change. 

Revised Lede

Towson students say they are more willing to use credit cards on food and alcohol after they have been drinking.

Two Ledes I Liked

I really like Annie’s lede a lot. It directly relates to me, which is a big flashing light for me. I’m also really interested in what she finds out about how onecards relate to college credit card debt. I can’t wait to read her story!

I also really liked Danielle’s lede. I think the fact that she created Debt 101 was catchy and kind of funny. She made the lede really tie both topics together.

Source Ideas

I definitely have some ideas about who I’d like to talk to for my interview. I have a little bit of an advantage because of my job. My boss is actually the owner of Pizans, so I can go straight to the top and not get second hand information from a manager. We also see so many different customers, and I would like to ask a college student and an adult their opinions on my thought and direction of my newsstory.

I also want to talk to a bank representative. I think I’m going to go to a bank near my house because I’m sure a lot of people are going to talk to the people at Chevy Chase in the Union, and I’d like an opinion of someone that doesn’t work directly with students.

After reading the three feature stories and Chapter 6, I not only have a good understanding of what a feature story is, but the technical parts as well. Whenever I buy a magazine, I always go straight to the feature stories. They are typically really interesting, tell a good story and give me some insight.

Feature stories can vary in length, from fairly long to fairly short. They have a lot more descriptive words, which is something I like (I have that problem with my news writing, so this should be a little bit easier for me :))

I paid special attention to each of the leads in the stories. I especially liked the Shake, Rattle and Sell lead. The entire story was told in a really vivid way, and it all started right at the very beginning. I could picture what was going on the whole time. I don't even like baseball, but now I'm in the mood to go to a game and pig out. I also had no idea how hard these people work. It's pretty obvious that they're carrying around a bunch of food, but 20-40 pounds is a lot more than I thought. The imagery in the story allowed me to imagine myself trying to carry that much food up and down stadium stairs for hours, and it gave me an appreciation for how hard these guys work.

The bottom line of each story isn't exactly important, but that's what feature stories are all about. Feature stories are able to make a big deal out of something that could be told in a few sentences. They can be biographical, like the lemonade guy's story, or they can just tell a cute story, like the girl and her recovered wedding ring.