As Sam Donaldson entered the Dwight Bentel Hall in room 133 everyone began to clap loudly. “You don’t need to clap for me just because I entered a room” he said. Sam Donaldson is known for being outspoken. He was 1998 Broadcaster of the year and has won four Emmys and two George Peabody Awards.
The press conference which lasted almost an hour had an array of questions from many students. Donaldson said he grew up on a farm in New Mexico. His grandfather purchased land in New Mexico before New Mexico was a state. He attended the University of El Paso Texas in 1951.
A question was asked if he always knew that he wanted to be a reporter or did he know at a very young age. He did not know what he wanted to do but he knew he wanted to be a “somebody.” He was in the army but he knew he did not want to stay in the army forever, he did it because at the time did not know what to do and he was married with a family. Although when he was nine years old he does recall pretending to report the news that he was hearing on the radio about World War II, but at the time he did not know he wanted to be a reporter.
“This job can be tough on family life because it is a high pressure job.” He has been married three times but now has been married for twenty-five years. He said he would outwork his colleagues because many of them would not take an assignment because it was their son’s birthday or they were going on a ski trip or something. “Journalism was always first for me” he stated. He would always take the assignments and that is how he got to where he is today.
What is a story that really affected your life? “Since 1994 I have one story” he says. He went to Argentina to meet a man who was a captain in the SS. Volunteer committee. The man followed orders from the German army to kill many men. The whole time the man tried to make Donaldson understand why Hitler wanted him to kill these men and why it was ok. Donaldson said to him “Many people think you should be executed for what you did.” The man said “you are not a gentleman.”
What does it take to be a good journalist these days?” another student asks. “Things have to interest you” he says. “You have to be able to dig and collate all this information.” “What’s really going on it not going to be told,” he says.
At the end of the press conference after answering his last question Donaldson said “Nothing will ever be the same you should welcome change.” Those words are the words of a true reporter, Mr. Sam Donaldson.
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You start the story with action - good! But tighten it up a bit; make each quote its own paragraph and include proper attribution (he said, etc.) with each quote.
As broadcaster Sam Donaldson entered the classroom in Dwight Bentel Hall, everyone began to clap loudly.
“You don’t need to clap for me just because I entered a room,” he said.
Sam Donaldson is known for being outspoken. He was 1998 Broadcaster of the year and has won four Emmys and two George Peabody Awards.
The press conference, which lasted almost an hour, had an array of questions from students. (Put where he grew up later - doesn't belong here. Segue to a student's question instead.)
A student asked Donaldson if he always knew...
the Army, 9 years old, 25 years (AP style)
Some good quotes, details and anecdotes. Shorter paragraphs, please.
Make smooth, subtle transitions. Instead of "What is a story that really affected your life?" say something like: He said one story has always stayed with him. In 1944, he went....
Next to last paragraph: transition, quote format (see p. 81-82 in text).
Good closing if you add a couple commas. I'd make that last sentence the final graph. (B)
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