Q Media Writing Story-structure 1 – Inverted Pyramid Assignment 1 Week 4 For instructors and students Part 1 – Instructions: The sentences in the following news stories have been rearranged. Put them in correct order, so they reflect the inverted-pyramid method of organizing stories. Example 1: You do not need to rewrite the sentences just write the letters of the new order you would put them in here: New order of letters for each sentence: a. Clarence Barton, 58, of 452 Johnston St., was listed in stable condition at Mercy Hospital in Omaha. b. State police said a pickup truck driven by Barton collided with a truck driven by Harry Belford, 85 Roe Ave., at State Route 45 and U.S. Highway 1. c. A collision of two trucks west of Omaha on Friday left one man hospitalized with face and chest injuries. d. Police said Belford was driving north on U.S. Highway 1. e. Belford was ticketed for failure to yield. Example 2: You do not need to rewrite the sentences just write the letters of the new order you would put them in here: New order of letters for each sentence: a. Charles Lee Bieder of 7 Kondo Lane is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to face the charges. b. Omaha police were called to the apartment after a telephone call from a resident of the building. c. About 10 minutes after arriving, police officer Fred Christopher found Bieder in the hallway with a pistol that had an empty chamber. d. A 22-year-old unemployed baker was arrested Friday night and charged with reckless conduct after he fired six shots into an apartment at 76 Tanner St., police said. e. Six people were in the apartment at the time of the incident. No one was injured from the shots, but one man broke his leg when he leaped from a second-floor window of the apartment building. f. Police gave no motive for the shooting. Part 2 -- Instructions: Some news releases are written to plan event or report on one that has already happened. News releases are written to gather an audience, garner attendees or gain reporters’ attention. They focus on information that matters most. Remember: If the story is cut from the bottom by an editor, will most of the information about this event close to the top? What would you need to know if you were considering going to this event? For this assignment, rewrite this news release in a news story using the inverted-pyramid style. Be careful to use proper AP style (errors were purposely included in what’s written below) and proper journalistic format, including a one-sentence lead, first paragraph, 30 words or less. Include the most important who, what, when, where and why and how if you can fit it in. Note that this news release is not necessarily well-written (don’t simply copy what is written) and that news stories should not include anything that sounds like an opinion or sounds exaggerated. That kind of information is never used in news stories. The paragraphs and information given to you here is not necessarily in inverted pyramid order. Assume that the news story will appear in your newspaper the Friday before the opening of the exhibit so make sure you write the time element correctly. Refer to last week’s material and reading to refresh your understanding day, date and year. Please double-space. Attribute to the correct source, which is the news release. Use “according to” for document sources. News release from Fontenelle Forest: Fontenelle Forest is proud to present the “The Great Bug Adventure” exhibit. This features 11 larger-than-life sculptures of insects – fun for adults and children of all ages. The exhibit will open at Fontenelle Forest, 1111 N. Bellevue Blvd. in Bellevue, on Saturday, August 22. Good weather is expected for the first day. “The Great Bug Adventure” will allow participants to learn about the day in an insect’s life through the insect’s eyes. The ants are 25 feet long, the spider web is 15-feet wide, the ladybug weighs 150 pounds and the dragonfly has a 17-foot wingspan! These unique creatures are fabricated entirely from wood and are part of a nationally renowned exhibit of David Rogers' “Big Bugs.” Rogers was inspired to create his wooden sculptures while visiting a cousin's farm in Vermont. Admission for this great exhibit is $7 per person, but it’s free to Fontenelle Forest members and children under two years of age. The exhibit will run through Oct. 3. Fontenelle Forest is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone wanting more information should contact Tom Smith, coordinator of the exhibit, at (402) 222-3333.