Assignment 5 Due Sat .Sept 22.

Please read the Washington Post pig disease story.


Please evaluate the story in terms of fairness and bias, focusing on how the story is sourced.

In other words, go through the story and determine the sources of all the reported facts. Please weigh how credible each source is. Then consider whether the facts she has assembled support the conclusions she draws. Has she assembled a solid foundation of facts, or is leaving out important information or points of view? You should also consider things you know about this situation that are not reported in the story.

If you think she has a bias, please support the claim.

I am going to compile your answers and send them to the writer, so please include any questions you want to ask her.

Please complete this by Saturday evening. I am not looking for length, but quality of ideas. Please dont spend more than an hour on this assignment.

Did this story give you any ideas for your own methods of reporting?


Please note your wiki pages ready, but not quite linked up.

To find them, search for your English name in the search engine in the upper left hand corner. Or wait until Saturday afternoon when I fix it.

Your assignements before the next class are:

1) Complete the survey on your wiki page.
Due Sept 16 at noon.

2) Complete your broadcast script we worked on in class and post on your wiki page.
Due Sept. 16 at noon.

3) Write you own obituary in broadcast style. If you think that's unlucky, write a story about your 75th birthday. Please indicate visuals, interviews from other people, etc... Assume you had a long and successful life. The purpose of this exercise is partly to show off your writing ability, partly to guage your ability to write words with pictures, and partly to help focus on what you want out of your life and your career. The total length should be between 85 and 95 seconds.
Due Sept. 16 at noon.

4) Write three pitches that you and some classmates can actually produce with the time and resources available to you.

Put the pitches on your student page. To find your student page, search under your English name.

Due Sept. 16

Have a question about the assignments? Email Chris at chawke@hotmail.com