Final Exam Questions

1. Rewrite this sentence using correct spelling, punctuation and AP Style:

Mannie Pacquiao will hold a q&a session with the New York Times tomorrow  night.

Answer: Manny Pacquiao will hold a Q-and-A session with the New York Times tomorrow night.

2. Rewrite this sentence using correct spelling, punctuation and AP Style:

“I love to go fishing”, Sylvester Stallone told The Tennessean. “It gives me a break from my rigurous shooting schedule”.

Answer: “I love to go fishing,” Sylvester Stallone told The Tennessean. “It gives me a break from my rigorous shooting schedule.”

3. What is the proper way to punctuation a obscenity, according to AP Style?

A. “f&^%”

B. “f—“

C. “f***”

D. None of the above

Correct: B

Robert Downey Jr. walks out of interview (4/23)

(Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

Here’s the EW story on the awkward Robert Downey Jr. interview that he walked out on. I personally think that the interviewer was way out of line, as the claims were old news and he was simply trying to get publicity for his program.

Remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman: Still A Master 10 Years after Capote

Original Post

Tweets:

Ten years after Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman is still remembered as a master: (Link)

A look back at Philip Seymour Hoffman’s career: (Link)

Edited story:

(Agata Marszale/ The Dissolve)

As an avid fan of film, big-budget and indie alike, I look to the actors for consistency, range and passion for the craft. It should be no surprise when Philip Seymour Hoffman is mentioned as an actor that personifies these qualities.

This September marks the 10th anniversary of his role as the great American author Truman Capote in Capote, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor. While Capote was his most acclaimed role, fans know him not for just one role, but for his wide variety of colorful characters across his career: the radical music critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous, the awkward pornographic-film crew member Scotty J. in Boogie Nights, the zealous religious leader Lancaster Dodd in The Master, rebellion leader Plutarch Heavensbee in the Hunger Games series and countless other roles that fall across the spectrum.

(Simón Prades / New Republic)

His unorthodox stature drove him to truly appreciate and perfect his craft as an actor. Often overlooked and disregarded, he proved his envied spot, time and time again by developing the ability to act in an extremely varied range of roles: the bully, the oddball, the villain, the anti-hero, etc. Unlike many of his peers, he was able to evade the typecast.

From Along Came Polly, Doubt, Mission Impossible 3, Scent of a Woman, Almost Famous, Hoffman had the gift of making the most of the unlikable, callous characters and allowing the audience to feel a sympathy for them, more so perhaps a connection. Already aware of his role as an underdog, Hoffman worked that much harder to secure the attention he deserved.


Sadly, his ascending career ended on Feb. 2, 2014, due to a drug overdose. Regarded as one the hardest working actors of his generation, the film industry regarded his death as an immense loss.

“This is a horrible day for those who worked ‎with Philip. He was a giant talent,” his Charlie Wilson’s War co-star Tom Hanks told Entertainment Weekly in the wake of his death. “Our hearts are open for his family.”

“I am genuinely shocked, saddened and speechless. A truly wonderful man, with a magical touch. My hero. Thoughts are with his family,” Hunger Games co-star Sam Claflin tweeted.

“I’m so shocked, and so sad hearing of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death,” Jeff Bridges shared in a Facebook post. I enjoyed playing with him on the Big Lebowski. He was such a wonderful guy, and so damn talented, a real treasure. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

With Hoffman gone, America has lost one of the greatest actors of our generation. While we will never see him bring life to a character like no other could, at least we have over 20 years of classic performances to laugh, cry and connect with.

What is your favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman film?
Almost Famous
Along Came Polly
The Big Lebowski
Boogie Nights
Capote
Charlie Wilson’s War
Doubt
Happiness
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire / Mockingjay
The Master
Mission: Impossible III
Moneyball
Strangers with Candy
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Other

Poll Maker

Additional source: IMDB

NYT’s Olympic runners graphic

(The New York Times)

When the New York Times’ multimedia editor Josh Williams visited campus recently, he showed us multiple projects he had worked on and examples of great multimedia storytelling.

This story comparing all the Olympic 100 winners is a prime example of using multimedia to engage the reader. There’s charts, photos and video that puts it all in context.

Three ways The Tennessean’s Jamboree story could be improved (4/7)

martymidnitejamboree.jpg

(Photo courtesy of Marty Stuart / tennessean.com)

This Tennessean story on the halt of the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree was a good article, but there’s always room for improvement.

1. They could have used more photos.

2. They could have embedded a video of one of the performances.

3. They could have done some sort of audio slideshow or video with interviews, archived sound and photos from the performances.