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.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
AP Style Quiz(s-z)
1) He thought of Smokey Bear every time he got near a smoldering fire or entered a smoky room.
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by 8pm. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a travelers advisory.
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.
4) His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well- being is in doubt.
5) A 19 -year -old youth was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts are unknown.
BONUS:6) The man was arrested for waving a twelve-gauge shotgun outside his home.
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by 8pm. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a travelers advisory.
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.
4) His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well- being is in doubt.
5) A 19 -year -old youth was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts are unknown.
BONUS:6) The man was arrested for waving a twelve-gauge shotgun outside his home.
Friday, September 28, 2007
News Story 5
Runaway Truck
A runaway truck caused a fire yesterday and knocked out power in El Cerrito and neighboring cities including Berkeley and Richmond. The accident was on Moeser Lane in El Cerrito. The large asphalt truck, a ten wheel hauler, was overturned and smashed against someone’s house. The truck snapped a power pole and damaged five vehicles very badly.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene. He stated that he heard cries coming from the burning truck flipped on its side and the house and he started to dig through the debris, spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck. Maples said that the driver’s legs were mangled and he couldn’t move. Maples along with help from Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc were able to pull the driver to safety. Maples said, “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him of there.”
Another witness named Ruben Sharma who lives across the street from the single story home that was destroyed by the fire, said he was about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He stated that at “First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood, palm fronds and other debris.
A Honda sedan also hit by the truck was so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers had to slice into it and peel back the roof to save the trapped driver. The other cars in the accident were also damaged. The truck driver whose name was not released broke both of his legs in the crash. He is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
A runaway truck caused a fire yesterday and knocked out power in El Cerrito and neighboring cities including Berkeley and Richmond. The accident was on Moeser Lane in El Cerrito. The large asphalt truck, a ten wheel hauler, was overturned and smashed against someone’s house. The truck snapped a power pole and damaged five vehicles very badly.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene. He stated that he heard cries coming from the burning truck flipped on its side and the house and he started to dig through the debris, spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck. Maples said that the driver’s legs were mangled and he couldn’t move. Maples along with help from Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc were able to pull the driver to safety. Maples said, “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him of there.”
Another witness named Ruben Sharma who lives across the street from the single story home that was destroyed by the fire, said he was about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He stated that at “First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood, palm fronds and other debris.
A Honda sedan also hit by the truck was so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers had to slice into it and peel back the roof to save the trapped driver. The other cars in the accident were also damaged. The truck driver whose name was not released broke both of his legs in the crash. He is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Top News Story Week 5
‘Jena 6’ teen’s case to be heard in juvenile court governor says
I first heard this story in one of my mass communication class’s and was surprised why I did not hear about this story that much in the media. It began with some white teenagers hanging nooses on an oak tree at a high school and escalated into six black teenagers beating up a white teenager. Prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy in the school yard beating. The court ruled that the students should have been tried in the juvenile court system instead of the adult since the teenagers were 16 years old. The story is very controversial because many people feel that the black students are being punished to extreme and the story has many racial controversies.
The news values that this story has are conflict and currency and impact. The conflict is obvious in the story and it shows by the march with Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton. The issue is current and the impact is very large, because depending on how the trial goes this will be a major current civil rights event.
I first heard this story in one of my mass communication class’s and was surprised why I did not hear about this story that much in the media. It began with some white teenagers hanging nooses on an oak tree at a high school and escalated into six black teenagers beating up a white teenager. Prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy in the school yard beating. The court ruled that the students should have been tried in the juvenile court system instead of the adult since the teenagers were 16 years old. The story is very controversial because many people feel that the black students are being punished to extreme and the story has many racial controversies.
The news values that this story has are conflict and currency and impact. The conflict is obvious in the story and it shows by the march with Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton. The issue is current and the impact is very large, because depending on how the trial goes this will be a major current civil rights event.
Ap Style Excercise # 3
1) The last time she played soccer, she received a serious injury to her knee. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why she wants to keep playing.
2) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment.
3) He hopes to make 1 billion dollars by the time he’s forty-years old. Already he figures his net-worth is between $2 and $3 million, depending on current stock prices.
4) Jim said he decided to pull out of the race because of painful shin- splits. However, the winner called it a pre-tense; he said Jim dropped out when he realized he couldn’t win.
5) Ever since she joined the U.S. Navy on June 15th 1998 she has been a vocal proponent of Navel practices and policies.
6) Sylvia doted on the puppies and reared them as if they were children. She was however very permissible and rarely ever reined them in, even when they chewed her shoes.
(7) Janet doesn't usually consider herself quick- witted, but when her editor described her paper as pablum, she retorted that although he may be a Pulitzer Prize- winning writer he still exemplifies the Peter Principle.
2) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment.
3) He hopes to make 1 billion dollars by the time he’s forty-years old. Already he figures his net-worth is between $2 and $3 million, depending on current stock prices.
4) Jim said he decided to pull out of the race because of painful shin- splits. However, the winner called it a pre-tense; he said Jim dropped out when he realized he couldn’t win.
5) Ever since she joined the U.S. Navy on June 15th 1998 she has been a vocal proponent of Navel practices and policies.
6) Sylvia doted on the puppies and reared them as if they were children. She was however very permissible and rarely ever reined them in, even when they chewed her shoes.
(7) Janet doesn't usually consider herself quick- witted, but when her editor described her paper as pablum, she retorted that although he may be a Pulitzer Prize- winning writer he still exemplifies the Peter Principle.
Friday, September 21, 2007
News Story 4
The Carjacker
A honeymoon night is a night to remember, especially when your car gets stolen when you are in it. This is exactly what happened on Saturday night when a 22 year old bride who was still in her wedding dress had a man jump in her car and try to steal it. 21- year old -Alan Ticas- Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges; apparently he was high on methamphetamines at the time of the carjacking. He is being held in the San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Superior Court on Monday.
The newly married couple, whose names were not released, was planning to spend their wedding night at a nearby Embassy Suites. The newlyweds had stopped off for a late night snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo for a late-night on their way to the hotel, when the groom got out of the car, a 2003 Nissan Altima, and left the engine running. His new wife stayed in the car while he headed toward the restaurant. Police said the groom hadn't even gotten inside the restaurant when Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped in the idling car. However the police said he didn't get very far. First, he hard a hard time getting the car into reverse, and had to fiddle with the gear shift a bit before getting it into gear. Ticas-Soto was distracted by the screams of the bride in the passenger seat, she was frantically trying to unbuckle her seat belt and get away from him. The groom then saw what was happening and he ran back and opened the passenger-side door, trying to help his wife get out of the car. She finally tumbled out, landing on the parking lot. She was unhurt, though shaken. Ticas-Soto put the car into a forward gear and promptly smashed into a Taco Bell sign, according to the police. He leaped out of the car and ran away. In the meantime, witnesses called the police.
Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendan Boyle noticed a man matching the suspect's description. The man was running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. Boyle called it in and patrol cars converged on the scene. They caught Ticas-Soto and arrested him without incident. Police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days.
Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney stated that the couple was not injured in the incident but, “This took them a little off-track." There is still no attorney that has yet been assigned to Ticas-Soto's case by the county private defender program. If he's found guilty, Ticas-Soto could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking. Wolcott stated that a preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for May 10.
A honeymoon night is a night to remember, especially when your car gets stolen when you are in it. This is exactly what happened on Saturday night when a 22 year old bride who was still in her wedding dress had a man jump in her car and try to steal it. 21- year old -Alan Ticas- Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges; apparently he was high on methamphetamines at the time of the carjacking. He is being held in the San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Superior Court on Monday.
The newly married couple, whose names were not released, was planning to spend their wedding night at a nearby Embassy Suites. The newlyweds had stopped off for a late night snack at the Taco Bell on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo for a late-night on their way to the hotel, when the groom got out of the car, a 2003 Nissan Altima, and left the engine running. His new wife stayed in the car while he headed toward the restaurant. Police said the groom hadn't even gotten inside the restaurant when Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped in the idling car. However the police said he didn't get very far. First, he hard a hard time getting the car into reverse, and had to fiddle with the gear shift a bit before getting it into gear. Ticas-Soto was distracted by the screams of the bride in the passenger seat, she was frantically trying to unbuckle her seat belt and get away from him. The groom then saw what was happening and he ran back and opened the passenger-side door, trying to help his wife get out of the car. She finally tumbled out, landing on the parking lot. She was unhurt, though shaken. Ticas-Soto put the car into a forward gear and promptly smashed into a Taco Bell sign, according to the police. He leaped out of the car and ran away. In the meantime, witnesses called the police.
Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendan Boyle noticed a man matching the suspect's description. The man was running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. Boyle called it in and patrol cars converged on the scene. They caught Ticas-Soto and arrested him without incident. Police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days.
Sheryl Wolcott, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney stated that the couple was not injured in the incident but, “This took them a little off-track." There is still no attorney that has yet been assigned to Ticas-Soto's case by the county private defender program. If he's found guilty, Ticas-Soto could face up to nine years in state prison for the carjacking. Wolcott stated that a preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for May 10.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
New Story 3
Gas Line Break
A high pressure gas pipe ruptured forcing about 100 people to leave the South Market area near Folsom and 11th Streets in San Francisco yesterday. PG&E workers stated that the construction crew was trying to repair sewer lines when they severed a two-inch underground gas pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30pm yesterday.
Traffic was at a complete standstill. Many people were very angry because they were forced to leave the area, like Samantha Feldman of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant. She says her employees and patrons were forced to leave. The restaurant's at the corner where the construction crew had been working. Feldman said the restaurant lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown. Carlann Lauria, a manager of Crocker's Lockers said, "Ask my customers. They were pretty irate." Crocker's Lockers is a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th Street. The employees however did keep busy, as they went outside the police perimeter to collect payment checks from their customers. PG&E did do their best and were able to get the gas turned on by 5:09pm yesterday evening.
A high pressure gas pipe ruptured forcing about 100 people to leave the South Market area near Folsom and 11th Streets in San Francisco yesterday. PG&E workers stated that the construction crew was trying to repair sewer lines when they severed a two-inch underground gas pipe with a backhoe a little before 12:30pm yesterday.
Traffic was at a complete standstill. Many people were very angry because they were forced to leave the area, like Samantha Feldman of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant. She says her employees and patrons were forced to leave. The restaurant's at the corner where the construction crew had been working. Feldman said the restaurant lost about $500 worth of business in the shutdown. Carlann Lauria, a manager of Crocker's Lockers said, "Ask my customers. They were pretty irate." Crocker's Lockers is a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th Street. The employees however did keep busy, as they went outside the police perimeter to collect payment checks from their customers. PG&E did do their best and were able to get the gas turned on by 5:09pm yesterday evening.
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