This was the first story I knew beforehand how it would turn out – as much as I don’t want to admit it. Prior research indicated Cyber Monday would be huge, which was then supported by the resulting data. It makes me wonder if my story was truly objective.

From what I’ve learned this semester, as a reporter you should approach a story without preconceptions. Otherwise, you could miss a crucial piece – especially when trying to hit a deadline.

Having completed this story, I’m left wondering how reporters covering specific subjects do their jobs. A reporter covering health, for example, must have biases after covering the system for so long. You can cut out obvious bias, but subconsciously there should be some effect. Journalists aren’t robots.

In my other stories, I knew nothing about the subjects being covered. This story was different, and it will stand out as this semester comes to a close. I have one story left, and I plan to lean more on my observations and interviews. Doing too much research beforehand felt harmful to the story process. Perhaps I’ll strike a better balance this time.

Surprisingly, store traffic actually increased this year. It seems people came looking for deals, but didn’t buy. If I had to guess, I’d say many shoppers are putting off until Cyber Monday’s deals.

I still feel the modern shopper is now more comfortable buying online. Considering the madness of Black Friday, shopping online is safer and less hassle. I went out shopping on Black Friday, and it was annoying dealing with the crowds.

My friend camped out at Best Buy, which is apparently only for the hardcore or completely insane. People had been there for over two days waiting in line. There were beer cases everywhere, and people passed out drunk. I don’t think the average shopper is willing to put  up with this situation.

Anyway, Cyber Monday is today and it will be interesting to see how statistics compare to Black Friday.

Source: Associated Press

Growing up, I’ve been conditioned to accept Black Friday as a sort of holiday. Until recently, I never cared how the day became such a big part of our culture. However, understanding the evolution of Black Friday requires going back to its origins.

Apparently, the term “Black Friday” was coined by the Philadelphia police department in 1966. Police used it to refer to the mobs of people and traffic jams  occurring after Thanksgiving.

In 1975 the New York Times picked up on the phrase, and the rest is history. In 2005, the National Retail Federation dubbed the term “Cyber Monday” after noting huge increases in online sales the monday after Thanksgiving.

However, the actual cause for the shopping craze goes back even further. Historically, it was an unwritten rule not to advertise Christmas sales until after Thanksgiving. Department stores such as Macy’s would sponsor parades on Thanksgiving to mark their big holiday advertising push. This is an area I want to research further for my story.

In 1939, retailers started complaining about these unofficial rules, but no one had the guts  to break with tradition. Due to the harsh economic times, President Roosevelt moved the date for Thanksgiving up a week and extended the shopping season.

That’s the story in a nutshell. Of course Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t actual holidays, they’re just terms referring to consumer habits. The extravagance only makes it seem like a holiday.

References: helium.com, national archives, kpcc radio

Many shoppers this year won’t be leaving their computer screens. For them the best deals can be found online. This trend has lead to the rise of “Cyber Monday”, when many online retailers slash prices for the holidays.

In 2009 Cyber Monday sales increased 14 percent over the previous year. Comparatively, Black Friday sales declined 1.2 percent. Black Friday sales also declined 3.4 percent from 2007 to 2008. It remains to be seen if the trend will continues in 2010.

I’m working on a news story about Black Friday, regarding the effects of the internet. It seems more and more people are flocking online during this time. It will be interesting to see what story angles emerge.

I currently have a few sources planning on “camping out” at stores for Black Friday. These stories will be important to contrast from sources doing online shopping. At this point I’m not sure what direction the story will take, but the background research is done.

I personally feel Black Friday is becoming less relevant to savvy consumers – especially ones who are proficient online buyers. To be honest, I think stories like this provide further encouragement to shop at home. I expect my interviews will uncover the sentiments of online shoppers.

Stephen Glass fabricated over half the stories he wrote during his time at The New Republic magazine. What’s worse to me, is the fact his editors never caught him. It was another publication’s investigation that thwarted Glass, not The New Republic.

People were quick to shoot down Glass and paint him as evil. Yet his behavior was fostered by a lack of responsibility among his coworkers. After doing some research, I read up on a few other crazy controversies involving The New Republic:

• Editor Michael Straight being a KGB spy
• Writer Ruth Shalit’s firing for repeated inaccuracy and plagiarism
• Associate Editor Spencer Ackerman’s dismissal
• The Scott Thomas Beauchamp controversy

The New Republic has been around for almost a century, and I know news publications are vulnerable to controversy. However, I’m surprised The New Republic hasn’t adopted a stricter culture to prevent these recurrences. You’d think one would be enough.

This magazine’s past serves as a reminder to how important honesty is in journalism. Its circulation has been in decline since 2000. Without truth, news has no value to audiences. Shattered Glass doesn’t refer strictly to Stephen Glass; it reflects the reputation of the entire news media.

One angle may be to tell the European side of the story. There are a number of European leaders denying the U.S.’s claim regarding terrorist threat. Both the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the E.U. Justice Commissioner denied charges of imminent attacks. Telling the European side of the story could add an interesting hook to the story.

Another angle may be to detail the cause of the U.S. issued alert. One report suggests information was obtained from a German national captured in Afghanistan. Sources suggest terrorists are threatening to seize Western hostages similar to the attacks in Mumbai  two years ago. Officially, the U.S. has not confirmed this plot.

A final angle may be to highlight similar alerts in countries besides the U.S. For example, recent bomb threats shut down the Eiffel Tower and train stations in Paris. There are a total of 31 travel alerts for various countries.

In any case, the sidebar should provide supplemental benefits to my story. It’s important to let students know the world’s climate if they plan on studying abroad.

At KSU, there are a number of study abroad programs. Students may be looking to travel to Europe, and I feel this could be an interesting story. There are  plenty of opportunities for testimonials and interview angles. The story could easily run as a national piece with a local twist.

The problem with this story lies in its scope. There are a broad number of sources, and a lot of research to tie in. I want to make this story relevant to students, regardless of interest in travel.

I will start my search at KSU’s Office of International Affairs. From there I’ll hopefully be able to hook up with students and faculty involved in studying abroad. My research will help prep and direct interview questions.

Finally, as I described in my last post I will try a different format. No more inverted pyramid. With all of these factors, this is shaping up to be my most challenging news story yet.

I struggle with the “rules” of news formatting – leads, nut graphs, attribution, AP style, active voice, past tense, etc. etc. I spend so much time focusing on format, the content and creativity suffer. When I look at my written stories, they seem like bullet points connected by quotes and conjunctions.

During my first – and only – news writing class in undergrad, I learned the inverted pyramid. Since then, I’ve written all my stories in the same manner:

• Identify the most important ‘W’ in the lead (Who, What, When, Where or Why)
• Follow with the remaining ‘Ws’ as the next paragraph
• Present the remaining information, in descending order of importance
• Close with a quote and/or unifying statement

I’ve gotten so used to this format, it’s robotic. In my opinion, there’s no “style” to this format. For a long time I thought this was how news was supposed to be – rigid, direct, neutral.

Lately, however, we’ve been discussing different format approaches in class. The inverted pyramid has limited my progression in news writing. I’m hoping one of these new approaches will help tell a better story.

A single quote  can send a story in a whole new direction. Every time I conduct an interview or scan my notes, new angles present themselves. The most difficult problem I’m facing is deciding the right angle.

Each story I finish leaves me wondering if I made the right choice. I’m usually pleased with the results, but there is a lingering sense of uncertainty.

My current story is Kent State University’s construction of a clock tower and performance stage. The Board of Trustees is budgeting $1.9 million for the project, which will begin construction Spring 2011.

I’m trying to decide what angle is best. There is the financial angle – and its effect on students to consider. This must be weighed against the proposed benefits. The big picture issue is the number of renovations the campus is seeing this year. Another construction project could make it even more difficult to get around campus.

I still have more interviews to conduct. Hopefully one of these sources will provide the most newsworthy angle.

Carl Kasell. Photo courtesy of NPR

I recently had a chance to listen to a speech given by Carl Kasell. For those of you who don’t know Carl, he’s the judge for NPR’s quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! He’s served radio listeners for over 50 years.

I was covering Carl’s speech for my news writing class, trying to find the perfect story angle. He’s led an interesting career, working with celebrities and covering historical events. However, one thing struck me about Carl I will remember most – he loves his job.

“That word retirement, it’s not in my vocabulary,” he said. “I’m 76 and I’m still working, and I’ll continue to work until they kick me out the door.”

How many of us can say that about our jobs? Not many, in fact only 45 percent of Americans feel satisfied with their jobs. This statistic is the lowest in over 22 years.

As I listened to Carl speak, I began to think about my own future. I graduate next May and start my career. Times are tough, my mind says take the first job I’m offered.

Carl’s words stick with me, though. You’ve got to like what you do to be successful, he said. Considering his resume,  I should heed his advice.

I don’t want to be another unhappy statistic. I want a job where I feel a sense of pride and excitement. I want to be like Carl Kasell.