Recently in Analysis Category

By: Angela Wendler

The reporter used numbers to give the reader an idea of the scope of the topic. The numbers were well placed and presented in a clear and interesting manner.

The numbers enhanced the story's message by providing concrete evidence to mark the changes that the recession is responsible for.

The reporter did not use any calculations to make his point.

The sources used were embedded into the text with links. The reporter did provide a link to the study from which he pulled the data for the report.

Dunkin' Donuts story

By: Angela Wendler

The lead was written in the traditional obituary form.

The lead is simple and effective.

There were no direct sources used. There were also no direct quotes.

Obituaries are different because they do not require direct sourcing and they are designed to be both, informative and commemorative.

Bob Forsch Obituary

By: Angela Wendler

The public meeting on the proposed expansion of Juniper Ridge Landfill in Maine has not yet happened, however it is scheduled for Monday, October 24, as reported by CBS.

The purpose of the story was to inform the reader about the meeting time and location, as well as the reason for the meeting.

The story was written in advance of the meeting, but no information was provided by the writer on the source of her information.

By: Angela Wendler

The news stories about Steve Job's death started out with just the facts, but where followed days later with stories about his life and accomplishments.

The first day's news was very direct and fact-based. The goal of that news day was to disperse the news of his death.

The second day's news was more reflective and generally had a commemorative tone. The main objective was to inform readers about his life and accomplishments, as well as how much he will be missed.

There are countless first and second day stories about the death of Steve Jobs. He was an iconic character of this generation.

By: Angela Wendler

The Los Angeles Times article, "Behold the trendy Mini-Me," was written with the inverted pyramid structure. The information is well organized with clear intention.

The writer used the nut graf concept very well. She lured her reader in with a little celebrity content before turning to the real content of the story.

The writer summarized the information well and presented the "whole picture" behind the story. She made me understand why I should care through the use of additional background information; she made the article relatable.

The article could have been structured differently, but I think the author chose the best structure to present this information. By using the inverted pyramid design, the writer allows the reader to get the gist of the article very quickly; if the reader is interested in the article he/she can continue reading, but if not the reader can move on without missing the most important information.

The Star Tribune used four sources in the story about Josh Ripley, the Andover High cross-country runner. All four sources were people who witnessed the event. Three of the four sources were named, Josh Ripley, the rescuer, Mark Paulauskas, the injured boy, and Jessica Just, Mark's coach. The other source was given a blanket name of other "runners."

The attribution is spread out throughout the article and is presented in a clear and effective way. The author used a good mix of attribution placement, some of the attributions were placed within, while others were placed at the end of a paragraph.

By: Angela Wendler

The news lead works to grab the reader's attention while presenting the most important facts of the story. The lead should contain information about the five W's, who, what, where, when, and why. The lead needs to contain the most pertinent information, which generally includes the what, when, and where. In most cases, information about the who and why can be included later in a news story.

In the New York Times story about Alexis Thompson becoming the youngest L.P.G.A winner in history, the lead contains the what, who, where and when. The lead is informative, but straight to the point. This lead gives the reader a good understanding of what the article to follow will contain.