Lede 4 and 5

Lede #4

Identity theft victimizes an alarming 77 people per 100,000 in Towson, MD compared to the national average of 22 to 100,000, the Justice department has reported.

Lede #5

Towson school district is being provided with 1.2 million by the state Commission on Crime Delinquincy for their Community Helping Hands program for at risk youth.

Lede rewrite

#1
Mayor Datolli's husband, Roger Datolli, was injured in a car accident Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Warren and Davidson.




#2
City council members discussed creating a local board to oversee building changes in the historic district downtown at their monthly meeting.


#3
The Senate's approving a plan to store nuclear waste near a desert in Las Vegas, NV said the head of the Department of Energy in DC Monday afternoon.

Comma Rules

Rule one- Use commas in compound sentences when clauses are separated by a conjunction such as "and," "but," "for," "nor," or "yet."
Examples: I went to the store, but I forgot the milk
Taking out the conjuction example: I went to the store; I forgot the milk.

Rule two- Use commas to separate elements in a series. Such elements usually are adjectives, verbs, or nouns.
Examples: The crazy, loud and smelly dog jumped on the old lady; I have to pack my suitcase, put it in the trunk and drive to the airport.

Rule three- Use commas when attributing from quoted material. Commas set off words of attribution from the words of a one-sentence quotation unless a question mark or exclamation mark is preferred. Use them also in greetings.
Examples: I opened the door to a room full of people yelling, "Surprise!"; I started to laugh saying, "Oh I know you guys would do this."

Rule four- Commas follow introductory matter, such as after an introductory adverbial clause.
Examples: Taking of his shirt, Mark decided he needed to start working out; When I went to the prom in 2006, it took me two hours to get ready.

Rule five- Commas follow the salutation of a friendly letter and the complimentary close of any letter. Commas also follow capitalized elements, such as the complimentary close (e.g., Sincerely, Very truly yours), and a colon follows the salutation of a business letter.
Examples: Dear Janet,; To whom it may concern:

Rule six- Commas follow all items in a date or full address.
Examples: Today is February 16, 2009; I lived in Ottawa, Ontario for ten years.

Rule seven- Commas surround nonessential words or phrases.
Examples: Actually, I changed my mind; Janet Weissenberger, a serial dater, has not had a boyfriend for two months.

Rule eight- Commas surround words of direct address.
Examples: Mom, can you get the phone; I can tell that you are lying, Ben.

Rule nine- Commas indicate omitted verbs, usually expressed in another part of the sentence.
Examples: Your hair color is dyed; real, no way; The Ravens will not make it to the super bowl; the playoffs, definitely.

Rule ten- Semicolons connect two complete sentences if sentences have a related though. Use of a semicolon usually creates a sense of drama.
Examples: My mother packed up her bags and left for Canada; she went to start a new life with my father; I got ready for valentines day in my new, black dress, ready to take on the bars of college park; but, I drank too much and woke up in a dorm the very next day.

Rule eleven- Semicolons are used in a list separating items that require significant internal punctuation.
Examples: I lived ten years in Ottawa, Ontario; one year in Towson, Maryland; and ten years in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Rule twelve- Colons preced formal lists, illustrations, multisentence quotes, and enumerations.
Examples: The following people were invited to the dinner party: Katie, Marielle, Sarah, Kelly and Jackie; In order to get into nursing school I have to do the following: taking summer classes, apply in the fall, and finish taking the rest of the pre requisits.

5 Most Common Grammar Errors

1. Punctuation- if you don't know the punctuation rule, don't punctuate it. Example: Use commas when attributing from quoted material.
2. Subject Verb Agreement- some nouns that appear to be plural are treated as singular. Example: Girl Scouts.
3. Correct Use of Pronouns- when using singular pronouns, use singular verbs. Example: Each of the rose bushes was at its peak.
4. Sentence Structure- making sure that a serie of phrases form a parallel structure. Example: I enjoy reading and biking.
5. Correct Word Usage- writers need to be careful about their word usage error because they could l ose their credibility from the readers. Example: accept and except.

Summary Lead

A summary lead is at the beginning of a news article that is designed to summarize the whole article in a few short sentences, just like a short report.
Characterisitics of summary leads:

1. Making it as specific and to the point as possible to catch readers attention and highlight the most important part of the story.
2. Always place the subject of the article first in a summary lead to avoid backing in.
3. Be concise as possible; make sure the beginning sentences carry the most relevant information to the story and is under thirty letters and less.
4. Use active voice to make the subject come alive which will grab the readers attention.

The examples of summary leads I found:

• "A Baltimore man filed a $210 million civil lawsuit yesterday against the city Police Department, a former commissioner and several officers in connection with a 2006 incident during which he says a band of rogue cops held him at gunpoint in the street, stripped him and searched his rectum in front of about 30 onlookers."- The Baltimore Sun, Tricia Bishop, Feb. 4, 2009 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.lawsuit04feb04,0,2195237.story

I picked this story about the man suing over the police search because it caught my attention right off the bat. It is a good example of a summary lead because it is concise, right to the point, and it gives you all the relevant information right away. Also it uses active voice by saying, "A Baltimore man filed a $210.." it makes you want to keep reading because of it.

• "Standing in a locker room at Baltimore County's Kenwood High School, the teenage girl kept her cool when one of her peers passed by and hit her with a book bag."Under normal circumstances, that would have been a major fight in our building," said teacher Nancy Hanlin, recounting the incident.Instead, Hanlin said, the girl told her classmate that she would have hit back "if I wasn't working on my virtues." Arin Gencer, Feb. 4, 2009 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-te.md.co.virtues04feb04,0,6021472.story

I chose this article about the "Virtues Projetct" because right away it starts off in an active, present tense voice that makes you, the reader, want to read more. I thought it was a good example because it highlights the most important part of the story, that the girl did not fight back because she is working on her "virtues", which is what the whole article is about.

• "BEIRUT - Iran announced its first-ever successful satellite launch yesterday, a step into the space age as well as a showy demonstration of firepower amid continued concerns about Tehran's nuclear program and regional ambitions." Borzou Daragahi LA Times, Feb. 4, 2009 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/bal-te.iran04feb04,0,7579118.story

I chose this article because the title caught my attention right away to be honest; the US has been in space for years so it is exciting that Iran gets the opportunity to do so. I think it is a good example because at the very beginning it highlights the most important point, that Iran is sending its first satellite to outer space. Also, it uses an active voice to draw in the reader and make them want to read more along with carrying the most relevant information in the first sentence.

Chapter 14 Questions

1) Objectivity is basically the requirement that journalists stick strictly to the facts without voicing their opinion. One way objectivity can be implemented is by journalist making sure their facts are truthful by usng correct sources even if that means more work for them. Also, journalists should learn as much as they can about their story topic as their source, or better yet even more so they can make sense of the facts. Finally, because readers tend to read more news of journalists who share their views, I think journalists should state the truthful facts but, at the end of their column or article have a chance to state what they believe or what their opinion is.

2) Thoroughness is finding the best sources and evidence to be able to give their readers the most information as possible so they can understand what is going on and be able to make educated decisons based off the information at hand. Thoroughness can be implemented by as a journalist become a real expert on what you are writing about so you know what the truth of the matter is. Also, as a journlist you need to be able to explain what you are writing about so the readers can understand the claims that are being made. Finally, you need to pick out the most important, relevant information to the story so the readers can understand what is happening.

3) Accuracy is making sure journalists give the correct information to the public so they can make informed decisions. Accuracy can be implemented by journalists constantly making sure they check their facts as well as having others proof read to look for errors they themselves may have missed. Also, journalists need to stick to the plain truth, no falsifying or misleading stories. Finally, journalists should make sure to double check their quotes, the names of people and places, and cite their sources so they do not give any misleading material.

4) Fairness is to make sure every area is covered in a story, that each side is represented accurately and extensively. Fairness can be implemented by journalists making sure they enter into every story or interview with an open mind. Also, if a reporter gets a tip about wrongdoing they need to check out if the tip is verifiable and make sure they go to the diect source of the wrongdoing, or whoever else is apparently involved. Finally, journalists should listen to those who may oppose their viewpoints because they may receive information they had never known about.

5) Transparency is the notion that journalists be as open as possible about their biases, where they get their information and sources, why they chose to report on what they did in order to gain and maintain the publics trust. Transparency can be implemented by journalists making sure they provide the names of their sources or where they got their information from. Also, they should be able to explain the importance of what they published. Finally, they shold let the readers know if they have direct knowledge of what they wrote about.

All About Me

My name is Janet Weissenberger, I am a twenty year old student patiently awaiting my twenty-first birthday. I am a junior here at Towson University, I commute, and my major is Journalism (obviously). I was born in Ottawa, Ontario and I lived there until the age of ten then moved with my parents to the lovely Ellicott City, Maryland. My interests are reading, going out to bars with my friends, attempting to play the guitar, the beach, working out, riding horses, singing (whether it be in the shower or car), and playing Wii of course. I have two half brothers who both live in Canada, Redmond who is thirty-two and Daniel who is thirty. Redmond is married and has two babies, Finn who is two and Piper who is just about six months old. I do not get to see my brothers or my neice and nephew as much as I would like to but, when I do get to visit them in Toronto I have a blast. At the moment I am trying to convince my parents to send me on the Semester at Sea program; I really hope to go it looks like an experience of a lifetime! I am an outgoing, hardworking student who loves to learns, and I love to meet new people. That just about sums me up, so I hope this information paints a better picture of who I am.