Washingtonians Concerned About Job Security

**In-class assignment**

News Now: 29 percent of Washington state workers are concerned about losing their job, according to last month's Washington State Workplace Confidence Survey conducted by Harris/Decima on behalf of Everest College.

Following the economic troubles of 2009, Washington residents have seen the unemployment rates rise to almost 10 percent, the highest in the state since the economic crisis of the early 1980's, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With nearly a third of the state's residents fearing joining the ranks of the unemployed, many Washington residents are considering returning to school, nearly 36 percent according to the survey. Everest College's enrollment has risen 56 percent since January 2009.

The survey found that those with incomes less than 40,000 dollars fear losing their job twice as much as those with incomes over 80,000 dollars (37 percent to 18 percent, respectively). Nearly two-thirds of Washington residents (63 percent) say they suffer from some sort of work-related stress.

This story on Jimmy Clausen was not my original profile, but it will have to do.

It focuses on Clausen's natural throwing mechanics and how his skill will translate into the NFL.

The lede paints a nice picture of how the way Clausen plays isn't something that he only shows when he's on the football field, it's more like a 24/7, 365 way of life. Even when he is sitting in his agent's conference room, he still has the quarterback presence that the NFL demands. Then it goes into his childhood, which gives you this picture of Clausen as the annoying little kid that never stopped throwing things and simulating the game-winning touchdown pass.

While the first few paragraphs are a little bulky, they paint a good picture and function well in painting a portrait of Clausen's personality.

The to-be-sure thought comes relatively early, in the fourth paragraph. I'm not sure I would have had it this high, but it does work well in ensuring the balance of the story before it glorifies the former Notre Dame quarterback too much. It's very interesting that Fleming got so many anecdotes about Clausen's childhood, including the one about him throwing the ball 55 yards across the field in the fifth grade. Showing his family pedigree just adds to the story that he has such a natural and NFL-ready throwing motion.

As previously mentioned, the body of the story is almost all paragraphs with multiple sentences, but one paragraph is a single sentence and it has a good effect. "No wonder Clausen is a quarterback obsessed."

Sourcing is also good and credible.

4/19 press conference

**This is for a class exercise (not real)

Short hed: Lantern Sports Editor Named Finalist for SNAA Award

Long hed: Lantern Sports Editor Zack Meisel Among 5 Finalists for College Sports Editor of the Year Award

Zack Meisel, sports editor of The Lantern, has been named a finalist for the Student Newspaper Association of America's College Sports Editor of the Year Award, Lantern spokesperson Dan Caterinicchia announced Monday afternoon.

The five finalists will gather at an awards banquet at the end of May, where the recipient of the award, along with the accompanying $5,000 prize, will be revealed.

"It's probably the biggest accomplishment of my life," said Meisel, a 20-year-old journalism major.

Profile

I'm going to do a profile on Alex Wimmers of the OSU baseball team.

I plan on focusing on his draft stock, his future and his goals, his relationship with Dan Burkhart and how going pro will change things, his family, last year's no-hitter, and maybe go through a specific pitch sequence in that or another game that embodies Wimmers' approach.

People to talk to:
-Alex
-Dan
-his Dad and brother
-a scout or someone in an MLB front office to get their take on him

April 7 Short, Long, Tweet, Lede

Short: Big Shoes to Fill for Inexperienced Defensive Line

Long: Despite Losing Veterans, Heyward and Co. Confident in Young, Talented Defensive Line

Tweet: Seniors Heyward and Larimore Look to Lead Inexperienced Defensive Line in 2010 Season and Continue Past Success

Re-written lede: When the Buckeyes open against Marshall on Sept. 2, Ohio State fans will be looking at many new faces clogging the middle, as well as a few familiar ones.