Analyze the information provided and assemble it in an engaging manner that also demonstrates the relevancy and currency of the material.
Create an accurate and informative news story guided by a strict word limit.
Compose appropriate attribution for the information presented in the story, including the use of paraphrasing, full quotes and partial quotes.
Use the principles of the Inverted Pyramid.
Use S-V-O in the headline and where appropriate in the main body of the story.
Read through the scenario below, which provides background information, facts and quotes from a press conference. Before attempting to write your news story, determine what the most important news is. Then determine what facts and quotes you should use to provide context and supporting evidence. Note: There is a lot of information. You don’t need to use it all.
The What: What happened that you need to report on?
The Who: Who made the news?
The When: When did this news happen?
After this summary, write a 350-word story (plus or minus 25 words) using the Inverted Pyramid format. Include, among other things:
A headline, a byline and a dateline
Attributions from at least three different sources
A lede paragraph that is between 35 and 40 words
Subsequent paragraphs that are no longer than 45-50 words
The Scenario
Your Role: You are a reporter for The Daily Emerald. Your editor has assigned you to cover a news conference taking place on Thursday, February 25, 2021.
Your Job: Produce a breaking news story of 350 words on what took place at the news conference.
The Press Conference
Location: Eugene Police Department (EPD) in Eugene, Oregon
Purpose: Announcement of a program called Pet Smart. Program’s Purpose: Promote the proper care of dogs and other pets. Focus of the Program: University of Oregon students who live in Eugene rental apartments and houses and own pets (dogs, cats and other domestic animals). Program Intention: An awareness campaign and training program intended to prevent UO students from neglecting and abusing their pets. Ideally, the program will stop a recent surge in pet abuse cases involving UO students.
Primary speakers (in order of appearance at the podium):
Maria DeCaro—spokesperson, Greenhill Humane Society
Susan Lyon, deputy police commissioner, Eugene Police Department
Mark Taylor, assistant steward, University of Oregon Housing Department
Also in attendance at the news conference. In addition to the primary speakers, the news conferences drew approximately 45 people, including members of the media, local dog owners and students from the University of Oregon who are pet owners.
Highlights of the press conference:
Greenhill and EPD announced a partnership between them intended to curtail a recent rise in pet abuse cases involving UO students.
The Pet Smart initiative is the centerpiece of the partnership.
As part of Pet Smart:
Greenhill Humane Society and EPD announced they will offer free monthly training sessions to UO students on how to properly care for their pets.
Greenhill will assist students in finding temporary caregivers for their pets when students must leave town for short periods of time.
Eugene police will offer city residents a hotline they can call to report suspected pet abuse by UO students.
Eugene police will provide Pet Smart decals to UO students who are responsible pet owners.
Sample Solution
