Also, be reminded that the Media Conference will be held in class next week. You must be in class to participate in the assessment.

In preparation, Shaun has asked that I give you an article ‘Tea party Lights for rebellion on Right’ an article from The New York Times to read.

I have also set two of Shaun’s short columns for you to read. This will familiarise you with his work and writing style. I am also hoping that you will use this opportunity to ask lots of questions as he is a very experienced writer.

The readings should help inform your questions.

How you might go about researching your story

Who you plan to interview

Issues you might have in developing your story

I want you to consider the ways in which Harley may have used observation to extend the narrative of this piece.

It is also an example of a piece of long-form writing with first person narrative.

When  is it okay to hear a journalist’s voice in a story?

This week I want you to write a lead with a feature approach to the hard news story I have given you.

You’ve got some really interesting, different feature stories to reda this week. Given that you are startign to learn what feature writing is about, I want you to take notice of the writign style and approach of the articles.

One is based on an investigation–it has a hard news ‘hook’.

One is based on a ‘this is so crazy it just might work’ stunt. It also won a Pulitzer Prize.

One is an essay on the aftermath of a huge news event–it’s wokring ont he currency of a news event to take a different angle.

What is the writer’s approach in each of these stories? What writing strategies have they used to engage you as the reader? Did they work? What sort of investigation did each journalist have to do to write their story?

What do you think?

Police have saved a man from a burning car that crashed after a rock was hauled through the windscreen, knocking out the driver.

The two detectives from Frankston police were on patrol just after midnight last night when they witnessed a showdown between three men in the car and a group of four men throwing rocks and bottles on the road, causing the fiery smash.

The car occupants, in their twenties, were travelling north on Nepean Highway, in Frankston, when a bottle was thrown at their car by the group of men near the McDonalds restaurant in Wells St.

When they turned around and drove back, a rock was also thrown, smashing through the rear windscreen.

The car turned around again to be confronted by the four men in the middle of the road. One of the men through a second bluestone rock through the front windscreen of the car, striking the driver on the head and knocking him out.

The car then crashed into an embankment wall and burst into flames, just as Detective Sen-Constable Darren Paxton and Detective Sen-Constable Craig Small pulled out of a side street.

The officers dragged the driver and front passenger from the Nissan Pulsar as the rock throwers fled.

“You could see flames coming from the undercarriage of the car,” Sen-Constable Paxton said.

“Once we had them out, I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the flames out.”

The driver was taken to hospital with head injuries while one passenger was also treated with a suspected broken arm.

Police wish to speak to two Caucasian men and two men of Islander appearance who were at the scene.

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

When you have time to take a break, I would like you to consider a chapter of Barbara Ehrenreich’s book: “Nicket and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America.” I have purposely chosen this text because of the similarity of the theme with an article we read earlier by Paige Williams.

Here’s what i want you to consider:

1. Both Paige Williams’ and Barbara Ehrenreich’s texts can be considered feature stories. How do the stories tell a  different story about a similar theme?

2. What approach has Ehrenreich taken in comparison to Williams?

3. What other situations might this sort of approach be appropriate?

4. How does she tell a news story within this story?

After reading the stories, I want you to consider:

1. What are both the limitiations and advantages of the hard and soft news writing styles?

2. How might the medium you are using effect whether you use the soft or hard news style?

3. Which story uses hard or soft news style most effectively?

This allows those students who wish to write their piece as a soft news story to have the advantage of the lecture and class exercise on soft news.

The new assessment submission date is Friday April 16th.

You can submit your stories to my pigeonhole on the fourth floor of the AS building, or via email.