https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-riley-b0a975135/
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Editing Project
Student Media Meeting
I attended the student media meeting on Wednesday, April 11. Mike Osborne, News Director for Middle Tennessee Public Radio, sits as the chair Monday through Thursday for the meeting. Osborne as well as Perry Burton, journalism major and member of reporting staff, discuss interesting news stories on the state and local level. After they have discussed their topics, they open the floor for the students in attendance to give insight on stories they’ve seen in the past day or so that interested them.
Many students from Whitney Matheson’s editing classes were in attendance for her editing project deadline. We went around the table and talked about story ideas and gave feedback on each other’s ideas. Before the meeting ended, Mr. Osborne opened the floor for any remaining comments or feedback on the meeting. He offered to help to any student seeking a summer job, practicum opportunities and volunteer work alongside him and the WMOT team.
Copyediting
Copy editing was an intimidating experience at first, but a humbling one. It is very different to edit an entire piece of work than to edit broken up portions of a work. This forced me to really sit and break down a full body of work piece by piece. I learned that it is alright to read a piece multiple times and find errors that may not have stuck out the first time or two. I learned to focus on every word and how it affects the story, exercised the task of referencing my Stylebook quite often and fact checking even the smallest details. While it was a bit difficult starting off, I happened to enjoy copy editing more than I anticipated.
Here are three stories I copy edited.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ex6gG4ZmyAaDZpqTj9ecr5XZvVTuquiv0B4a4ZKP0c
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iZOChRLA9xJpYCX88Xl_m10zKUMsydDjdjjzfZEMlo8
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rElTgXyFKaPrPBBd9r8Ww85sk7fWswPIfrKMFjkoU3c
10 copy errors on Sidelines
“The employee said she laughed at the man, and the man then pointed a silver handgun at the employee.” I would correct this sentence by saying: The employee said she laughed at the man and he then pointed a silver handgun at her.
2. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/02/photos-alpha-chi-omega-spotlights-domestic-violence-awareness-with-puppy-photo-booth/
The photo captions should include the day of the week as the pictures were taken within two weeks of the posting of the article. They should read…on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
3. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/04/sidelines-guidelines-escape-end-of-semester-stress-with-our-top-netflix-picks/
Roundup is used as a verb in the first paragraph so it should be two separate words: round up
4. http://mtsusidelines.com/2017/01/hey-kid-cartoon-by-jake-stone/
Comic strip titles should be in quotations. Garfield, Peanuts, Doonesbury and Pearls Before Swine should both be in quotation marks.
5. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/03/crime-murfreesboro-police-respond-to-shooting-at-the-pointe-at-raiders-campus/
The quote “Oh hell nah. They got me f—- up” is an unnecessary. This quote does not help advance the story in any way.
6. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/03/mtsu-sga-members-discuss-debate-many-bills-resolutions-in-weekly-meeting/
The headline is a tad bit confusing. A better headline would be MTSU SGA discuss bills and resolutions in weekly meeting. Simpler, easier to comprehend.
7. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/04/photos-bubba-gandy-seafood-offers-murfreesboro-new-flare/
The picture captions should include the day of the week as the pictures were posted within two weeks of the article being posted. The captions should read …on Thursday, March 29.
8. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/04/in-the-florida-room-with-mtsus-so-very/
This headline is not written in “down style.” It should read In ‘The Florida Room’ with MTSU’s So Very
9. http://mtsusidelines.com/2015/04/mtsu-earns-huge-win-over-no-14-rice/
Headline is not in “down style.” It should read MTSU earns huge win over No. 14 Rice
10. http://mtsusidelines.com/2018/04/photos-what-were-you-wearing-exhibits-aim-to-end-victim-blaming-at-mtsu/
The captions on the pictures do not include the day of the week. They should read…Wednesday, April 4.
Possible Sidelines story
Former MTSU student Casey James Lawhorn shot and killed his mother and friend, then later killed himself. He also posted a recount of the murders on Facebook. This is an interesting story for Sidelines because he is a former student.
Photo Assignment
Portrait (head to toe): Dr. Christine Eschenfelder, journalism professor at MTSU, and Tracey Rogers, general manager of WKRN-TV, hold an open class discussion about women with leadership roles in media on April 3, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Detail: “Justice League” will be shown at the Student Union Theatre on March 29 and March 31. March 30, 2018 (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Skateboard: Mattie Ford, a junior majoring in film and production, skateboards to the library to tackle some homework on March 30, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Inside the library: The Tutoring Spot, located inside the James Walker library, offers tutoring sessions for students needing extra help in any subject. March 30, 2018 (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Music: Spring Fed Records is a Grammy winning recording label. The Center for Popular Music on MTSU’s campus runs and operates the label. March 30, 2018 (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Inside BAS: The POD (Provisions on Demand) inside the BAS building provides quick snacks for students and staff on-the-go on March 30, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Nature: MTSU students relax and socialize outside the BAS on March 30, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Outside the Student Union: The Student Union Building is the gathering spot for MTSU students looking for food, the campus bookstore or just a place to hang out with friends. March 30, 2018 (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Inside the CIM: MTSU students work on projects for Sidelines, MT10 and other publications inside the Center for Innovation in Media on March 30, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines/Taylor Riley)
Finding corrections
CNBC posted a story about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates for the sixth time in the past three years. They had to make a correction to the story because they originally had the years incorrect for when the Fed issued projections for the change in US GDP.
Below is a link to the story:
“Elvis Presley: The Searcher” HBO documentary event
Kary Antholis and Thom Zimny shared a quick glimpse into the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. Listening to the two talk about the process of creating the documentary and all that it took to get the story of Elvis that they wanted the world to see on screen really intrigued me. One of the major components to the film that stood out to me is that all of the interviews in the documentary are solely voices and no footage of the interviewees. When asked why that was, both men agreed that they wanted to portray a dream world to the audience. By only hearing the voices of people like Priscilla Presley and Bruce Springsteen talk about Elvis and their personal experiences with him, all while only seeing stills and clips of Elvis, it gives the audience a chance to step away from who is speaking and really listening to what they’re saying. Antholis said that if they had used footage from the interviews, it would take away from the viewer being able to take a trip back in time and visualize their words. He said seeing the now 70 plus Priscilla Presley would not capture the same feeling. While I’ve never seen a documentary without any interview footage, I appreciate why Antholis and Zimny decided not to use any. The few clips that they showed allowed me to fall into the realm of Elvis that they created using only stills and old videos of Elvis. I am definitely anticipating the airing of this documentary.
Journalist violating ethics
In 2015, NBC News anchor Brian Williams apologized to the world for claiming to have been in a military helicopter in Iraq in 2003 that was shot down by enemy fire. Williams was corrected by the helicopter’s flight engineer, Lance Reynolds, under a Facebook post. Reynolds and other military personnel aboard the helicopter recalled Williams being on a different helicopter that arrived after the shooting of their helicopter. Williams apologized for getting his facts wrong on the Facebook post then again on NBC’s Nightly News.
Link to article: https://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/business/media/brian-williamsapologizes-for-saying-he-was-shot-down-over-iraq.html?referer=https://www.google.com/
Paul Elie’s “Why Writers Lie” Article
This entire article was an eye opener for me as a young journalist. There are many different reasons why journalists choose to lie, fabricate and plagiarize. Most of the time as a way to save themselves whether it be a deadline or just needing fresh ideas that don’t particularly come from your own brain. Clifford Irving’s story resonated with me the most. This one-time event of lying and fabricating a stories about the mystery man, Howard Hughes, costed Irving his career and reputation. He saw himself as a writer and just want to see just how much he could get away with. That greediness and cockiness is all it took for this one time thing to be the end of a writing career as Irving knew it. It seems that as much backlash as journalists get from making even the smallest mistakes, plagiarizing and fabricating information would be the last thing to do. However, it’s all too common in the world of journalism. Overall, I took away from this article the importance of sticking to the rules of journalism and choosing to stick to my own thoughts and ideas. No matter what I’m up against whether it be time or simply writers block, authenticity and honesty is of most importance to sustain a long career in journalism.
To read Elie’s article, click the link below.
https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2017/03/why-writers-lie-plagiarize-fabricate-stretch-the-truth
Classmate Obit Corrections
Note: This is an edit of a fake obituary for a college journalism course. The facts are real, but the death is not.
Original obit by: Teriyana Scales
Talk show and radio talk show host Wendy Williams died Feb. 15 of a heart attack at her home. Who has confirmed this death? Family spokesperson? Husband? She was 53. “Today I feel so sad, but I’m also grateful to have known such a kind and generous soul. R.I.P.” — tweet from longtime friend Stacy Williams. We will miss her passion and her personality in the entertainment world. She was an idol to many upcoming journalist because her of successful career path. She has had an amazing journey in the world of journalism and her long career began when she was a little girl. (I would omit this entire piece, sounds more opinionated and includes the writer because of the word “we.”)
Wendy was born and raised in a Middle Class area located in Asbury Park, New Jersey. At an early age, people began to notice her big personality and her love for communication. She was born to the parents of three, Thomas and Shirley Williams. Known for her characteristic of speaking and being social skills, her parents encouraged her to do many activities that included including: playing instruments, joining swim teams, (remove serial comma) and Girl Scouts. Her personality developed a young woman who is outgoing, bold, and courageous. She knew she was meant to share her talents with the world. (Unless there’s a quote from someone you can pull this from, I think the obit will be fine without. It’s a bit redundant but also a bit opinionated as well.)
She relocated to Boston, (omit comma) where she attended Northeastern University. While in college, she Williams got involved in radio by hosting her own urban music show on the college radio station. She did many internships and studied some of her favorite radio personalities in her free time. She later graduated from college in 1986 with a a degree in communications and a minor in journalism.
After she graduated from college, she Williams started in the field on continued doing radio. After leaving her first on-air job at a station in St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, Williams went back to New York where she worked for another radio company. She was later fired for not sticking to the station’s script. After being fired, she worked in Philadelphia for three years before returning to Manhattan for a job at WBLS. During this time, she showed another approach to her audience by sharing difficult details from her personal life.
In the summer of 2008, her television journey began with a trial run of BET’s The Wendy Williams Show. The ratings motivated the network to run a full-scale of the show that following summer. In November 2008, Williams was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The Wendy Williams show went on to film nine seasons. and this is known as her most successful and latest work in entertainment world.
Overall, the obit had solid information. Some things just needed to be moved around or omitted completely for a smooth flow. To do this edit, I used a Wendy Williams search on biography.com, wendyshow.com and the AP stylebook.
President Donald Trump dead at 71
Note: This is a fictional story written for a college journalism course.
NEW YORK — Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, has died. He was 71.
Trump died on Feb. 15, 2018, in his Manhattan penthouse due to a heart attack, his wife said.
Before taking office in January 2017, Trump was best known as a real estate mogul and reality TV personality.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Trump graduated with an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1971, he took over his family’s real estate business renaming it The Trump Organization. Trump expanded the company and continued to manage and oversee the business until his 2017 inauguration.
From 2003 to 2015, Trump was the host and producer of the reality television game show “The Apprentice.” He also owned the Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants from 1996 to 2015.
In 2015, Trump turned his attention to politics announcing his candidacy for president of the United States on the Republican ticket. He became the official Republican candidate for president on July 19, 2016. In November 2016 he was elected the 45th president of the United States after defeating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
While his time in the White House was short-lived, Trump leaves behind many memories for the staff and aides he worked with daily. Many mourn the loss of the president, including former President Barack Obama.
“This is a tragic loss for our nation. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time,” said former President Barack Obama.
Trump is survived by his wife, Melania; three sons, Barron, Eric and Donald Jr.; and two daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany.
Taylor'd Thoughts 