Practice exercises
(adapted from "The Broadcast News Process" Fifth Edition by Shook, Lattimore, Redmond)
for each of the following:
1. write a summary lead and nut graph,
2. write a feature lead and nut graph for the same material
3. write a stand alone headline
4. write a headline with subhead
A. The Minnesota State House passed a bill banning "any expansion of gambling in the Twin Cities." The vote was 701 to 64. Gov. Tim Plenty had urged the Legislature to vote against the Bill. The Governor has been pushing for an expansion of gaming in order to use that as a bargaining chip with the tribes, at least according to Dem. Senate Leader (name is illegible but it looks like M--t E or possibly P---t--). In Minnesota, the tribes have a negotiated compact that says that they don't have to pay any gaming revenues to the state for "in perpetuity." (they do have to pay regulatory fees). Paulenty has been trying to find ways to increase state revenues to lessen the impending budget deficit. He sees Indian casino revenues as an "easy target" given his pledge of no new taxes.
(these are the only notes you have, you're not quite sure about them as the reporter who handed them to you doesn't have a great track recorder for reliability)
B. Billy Johnson, a five year old boy, saw a squirrel in his back yard this morning around 8:30. He chased the squirrel up a large oak tree in the back yard. Billy climbed up to follow the squirrel but the squirrel jumped onto a neighboring tree and took off. Billy was too scared to climb down. Firefighters were called at 9:45 am to come rescue Billy. Billy's parents (Chippy and Dale) were both at work, but the babysitter (name withheld - an underage minor) called the fire dept. when she couldn't get Billy down.
Other related info: The Johnson's live in North Oaks, an upscale community in the northern suburbs. Their babysitter was a minority and quite possibly an illegal immigrant. Billy was so scared when he was in the tree that he actually used a profanity in yelling for help. The firefighter in charge of the scene was heard to say (and you only know this secondhand) "This is why two parent income families don't work. The kids get neglected and sometimes they get hurt." The Dales refused to be interviewed. This was the third time in the last week that firefighters had had to rescue a child from a tree in North Oaks.
C. An accident at 1453 Hamline Ave. in Roseville caused approximately $21,000 damage to a service station and two parked cars. The Super America station was damaged when Marvin Martian of 456 Shryer St. in Roseville drove away from the station's gas pumps and caught the loop of the hose on the front bumper of his car, pulling the gas pump over and rupturing the gas lines. Electrical wires were also pulled loose, causing a fire that spread to three other pumps and a nearby car (owned by station Manager Harold Mercury). Heat from the fire also caused damage to another parked vehicle (the owner wasn't identified).
Other related info: Police considered evacuating nearby homes in case the fire spread but decided against it. As it turns out, the fire did come (in the words of an eyewitness - "dangerously close") to one of the underground gas tanks. No one else can confirm this - yet. Roseville police have been criticized in the past for misjudgment when it comes to public saftey issues. The manager was visibly upset at the damage and had to be restrained from going after Mr. Martian. Mercury yelled what sounded like a racial slur at Mr. Martian, but eyewitnesses can't agree. Mr. Martian looks kinda different, but no one knows what his racial background is.
D. Hannah Olson was elected President of the Arden Hills Chamber of Commerce yesterday. She has been a member for 12 years. She is the first female president in the 47 year history of the organization. She will be be installed at the next meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 20th. Olson defeated Betty Johanson for the position. Johanson had been president for the past 7 years and was widely praised for her leadership.
Other related info: Mrs. Olsen owns a controversial nightclub (the Kit Kat Club) which has been at the center of several disputes with local police and the Arden Hills City Council. It is alleged that Olson was once an "entertainer" in Las Vegas but no one can confirm this. Olsen and her husband Rocky have three children. You've learned that Hannah is known as "Boom Boom" amongst close personal friends but this is not common knowledge. Betty Johanson, the exiting president called Olson's election "a travesty and a shame." Harry Reid, an Olsen supporter said he was "behind her all the way." The Arden Hills Police Chief and City Council members could not be reached for comment. Olson said her first order of business would be to petition the City Council to grant more liquor licenses for the community.