CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
*OBITUARIES
Hofstra University * Professor Vaccaro * JRNL 11
Today’s roadmap AP Style Quiz
Lecture on crime and punishment reporting
Lecture on obituariesGo over Assignment No. 3
The basics Police reporters cover vast array of
newsBreaking storiesFeaturesInterpretative articlesInvestigative reporting
The basics Police reporting comes with
CrimeAccidentsFiresDepartmental activityDepartmental integrityOther law enforcement agencies
The basics Access
Police issues office press passPolice provide access to crime reports
NamesGenerally only used when someone is chargedPolice blotters list all people arrested (though not
formally charged) Wording of stories
*Innocent until proven guilty Attribution
Attribute all accusatory sentences and info
Things to think about Victims: Get all names, ages, hometowns, info,
etc. Suspects: Names, ages, addresses Cause of fatalities or injuries Location of incident Time of incident What happened- the details Arrests and charges filed Eyewitness accounts Play detective – think in their shoes
Homicide checklist Lots of questions to ask …
Victim, identificationTime, date, place of deathWeapon used, where was it obtained?Official cause of death or authoritative commentWho discovered bodyClues; any identification of slayerPolice comments, motivation for crimeComments from neighbors/friendsAny police record for victim; any connection with
criminal activityConsequences to victim’s family, others
Motor Vehicle Accidents Speed, destination, and directions of vehicles
and exact location at the time of the accident Cause of accident, arrests, citations, damages Victims’ use of required equipment, such as
seat belts and bicycle or motorcycle helmets Weather-related info Alcohol-or-drug info Rescue attempts Hospital, end location of victim(s)
Burglaries and robberies What was taken and the value of the
goods? Types of weapons used How entry was made Similar circumstances, and or odd
conditions
Fires Time fire started, time fire companies
arrived, time it took to put out fire Number of companies responding Deaths, injuries, victims Cause of the fire Who discovered the fire, extent of the
damage, insurance coverage Smoke detector condition Fire inspective record
Cautions Double check everything … you can
never be too sure. It’s sensitive material.
Juvenile records … usually are sealed and generally the press shy away from using this information for young offenders.
*Innocent until proven guilty
Other coverage notes Campus crime
Check with university relationsCheck with public safetyRemember they’re your peers
FiresFind officer/chief/fire marshal in charge for commentStand behind fire lines for your safety
Courts and trialsFollow security protocolsCheck if you’re allowed to have a phone or camera
Obituaries Before interviews: do your homework and background
checks
Make it lively, not dull and boring
Things to include … Name – full name, with initialsIdentification
○ Describe this person’s life in one brief phrase○ The lead starts with that brief summary about their life/interests/impact
AgeDate and place of deathCause of death (not always required)Address: Hometown of person when they died
Obituaries Background
Accomplishments, organizations, educational background, military background, major interests
SurvivorsNames of immediate family membersGrandchildren mentioned by number“He was survived by five grandchildren.”
ServicesSpecify time, date, location
BurialName of place and memorial info
Obituary structure 1 NAME / ANNOUNCEMENT
Full name of the deceased, including nickname, if any
Age at deathResidence (for example, the name of the
city) at deathDay and date of death (remember to
include the year)Place of deathCause of death
Obituary structure 2 LIFE
Date of birth Place of birth Names of parents Childhood: siblings, stories, schools, friends Marriage(s): date of, place, name of spouse Education: school, college, university and other Designations, awards, and other recognition Employment: jobs, activities, stories, colleagues, satisfactions,
promotions, union activities, frustrations, Places of residence Hobbies, sports, interests, activities, and other enjoyment Charitable, religious, fraternal, political, and other affiliations; positions
held Achievements Disappointments
Unusual attributes, humour, other stories
Obituary structure 3 FAMILY
Survived by (and place of residence):○ Spouse○ Children (in order of date of birth, and their spouses)○ Grandchildren○ Great-grandchildren○ Great-great-grandchildren○ Parents○ Grandparents○ Siblings (in order of date of birth)○ Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws○ Friends○ Pets (if appropriate)
Predeceased by (and date of death):○ Spouse○ Children (in order of date of birth)○ Grandchildren○ Siblings (in order of date of birth)○ Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws○ Pets (if appropriate)
Obituary structure 4 SERVICE
Day, date, time, placeName of officiant, pallbearers, honorary pallbearers,
other informationVisitation information if applicable: day, date, time, placeReception information if applicable: day, date, time,
placeOther memorial, vigil, or graveside services if
applicable: day, date, time, placePlace of intermentName of funeral home in charge of arrangementsWhere to call for more information (even if no service
planned)
Obituary structure 5 END
Memorial funds establishedMemorial donation suggestions,
including addressesThank you to people, groups, or
institutionsQuotation or poem Three words that sum up the life
Assignment No. 3 Gather info from news clips, magazines,
online sources about a celebrity or prominent person who is STILL alive.
Write an obituary of 400 words Include comments the person has made
and comments about the person Due Tuesday, Nov. 20! [Next class]
Next class Tuesday, Nov. 20
Assignment No. 3 is due
Lecture on profile/feature writing