Lecture 3: Grammar and Journalism 2.0

Outline:

Review Subject-Verb Agreement
Activity
Journalism 2.0
Add to E-Portfolio
Homework

Definition:

Subject–verb agreement is “the matching of the number and person of the subject to the form of the verb. When the subject is third-person singular and the verb is in the present tense, the verb takes the –s inflection, as in: The dog barks all night. He bothers the neighbours.
With other subjects and in other tenses, verbs (with the exception of be) do not change to match the number or person of the subject: I sleep, we sleep, he slept, they slept.”

Basic Idea:

Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
My brother is a nutritionist.
My sisters are mathematicians.

Visit the Subject-Verb Agreement site: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm

After reviewing the information, try one of the quizzes at the bottom of the page. How did you do?

Activity:

1. Explore the Edmonton Journal site and read the headlines (http://www.edmontonjournal.com/)
2. Choose one or two headlines that interest you most and identify the subject and verb in each
3. Then scan the articles that accompany them, collect three or four sentences in which you also identify the subject and verb.
4. Post your two headlines with subject and verb identified as a comment to Lecture 3

Activity:

—Go to: http://jamestaylor.lyrics.info/rainydayman.html

—Read the lyrics

—

How does the song describe the Rainy Day Man? (answers on board) Is the agreement correct?

“The Reconstruction of American Journalism” (http://www.cjr.org/reconstruction/the_reconstruction_of_american.php)

"What is under threat is independent reporting that provides information, investigation, analysis, and community knowledge, particularly in the coverage of local affairs."

"Reporting is becoming more participatory and collaborative. The ranks of news gatherers now include not only newsroom staffers, but freelancers, university faculty members, students, and citizens."

"Universities, both public and private, should become ongoing sources of local, state, specialized subject, and accountability news reporting as part of their educational missions. They should operate their own news organizations, host platforms for other nonprofit news and investigative reporting organizations, provide faculty positions for active individual journalists, and be laboratories for digital innovation in the gathering and sharing of news and information."

Links mentioned in class:

http://www.edmontonsun.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/walter-cronkite/
http://darynkagan.com/index.html
http://news.google.com/
http://digg.com/
http://english.ohmynews.com/
http://www.flickr.com/
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Main_Page

Note: Image from wikinews.

Independent news is thriving, but mainstream news still dominates online:
CTV is the top choice for Canadians (41%)
CBC Television (38%)
CTV is especially popular in Atlantic Canada (61%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (60%)
Albertans are torn between Global and CTV for their top news source, with both stations selected by 42%

Stats from: http://www.angusreidstrategies.com/uploads/pages/pdfs/2007.06.06%20National%20Media%20Press%20Release.pdf

Homework:

Read “Crap Detection 101” by Howard Rheingold

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rheingold/detail?entry_id=42805

Note: Grammar cartoon from grammar café and image of Howard Rheingold from SF Gate.