Unit 1 Skills Portfolio Jamie Davies

Piece 1: Radio Article, recent Dakota Access Pipeline controversy This audio article I wrote and developed was all about the recent controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline being built near Native American sacred grounds. My main idea for this article was to write about the Pipeline, but I couldn’t decide if it was going to be for people who knew about the story with more in depth dates and details, or for people with no knowledge of the situation with a brief summary. I chose for a summary of the events aimed for readers who didn’t know about the story. My aims for this article was to create a short, succinct and informative audio piece on a current topic that could be played quickly to inform people on the situation to be played online or on the radio.

Piece 1: Radio Article, recent Dakota Access Pipeline controversy The journalism skills I used in this article was the first 25 words making it clear what the article is about “Standoffs over the $3.8 billion Dakota Pipeline” and “thousands of protesters” I also used the skills of a hook with the same information on Standoffs and thousands of protesters. I used the technique of making sure I was speaking in an active voice by starting each sentence with what I was speaking about. “A petition was also launched” “Barack Obama has announced” to keep the story rolling. The article follows the professional standards as these skills are all used in professional journalism.

Piece 1: Radio Article, recent Dakota Access Pipeline controversy This audio piece was influenced by information I’ve read online on the topic and I summarized that information in a short audio article. This article was also influenced by professional articles and videos on the topic to help with structure and facts. References: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-dakota-pipeline-global- warming-20161102-story.html http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/23/us/north-dakota-pipeline-conflict/

Piece 1: Radio Article, recent Dakota Access Pipeline controversy Overall I’m pretty proud with how this article turned out as its my first audio piece, I feel the aim of it being a short informative piece worked out well and I can use these skills in the future when looking to find ways to get my journalism to be heard outside of the usual written based version. If I could change it I would go back and maybe add in more statistics and about how many people were arrested who were protesting at the site. And also go into more detail about the events up to now. My final draft matches the original idea as it contains the same topic and aims just kept as more of a summary with useless information.

Piece 2: Poem on Fear, Drowning My second piece I wrote and developed was about the fear of drowning, kept in the first person perspective about being consumed and lost in the sea. My main idea for this poem was to write for the audience that enjoys poetry based on fears and enjoys the use of imagery. I also communicate that theme of fear to the audience using the different writing skills. The main aim and choices I made with this poem was to go away from the standard rhyme scheme and make something that focused on imagery and the structure of the language to feel like the actual panic of drowning.

Piece 2: Poem on Fear, Drowning The main writing skill I used in this poem was the use of syntax and structure, and imagery in the language. I used these skills throughout my poem, it started off very slow with a small rhyme and trance like language “daze, drift, lost” but quickly escalating into a fast paced structure to link it to the process of drowning. I also used sharp alliteration like “Chilling, cold, clawing” as the C sound feels cold and dark which helps set the image in the readers mind for the poem. I decided on this due to influences from “The Fall of House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe as that short story uses many hyphens and dark tone to make you almost hold your breath while reading it. So I tried to adapt that style in my own poem.

Piece 2: Poem on Fear, Drowning Overall I feel like I achieved my aim of going away from the traditional rhyme schemes and focusing on other skills to communicate the fear of drowning well. I would go back and change some of the language and maybe extend the main drowning part of the poem as it feels too short and could go into more detail about water entering the system. I feel I’ve developed poetry skills that will help me in the future as its an interesting type of writing to use in the future if needed.

Piece 3: Review of The Purge My third piece of writing is a review of a film I’ve watched recently, The Purge, with an interesting moral premise of one night every year, there are no punishments for any crime, allowing the public to “unleash the beast” My main idea for this review was to provide people a review and critique of The Purge to see if its worth watching before the newer installments My aim and angle was to focus on the intriguing premise that was wasted in the movie, but not to completely pass it off as a bad movie because of it.

Piece 3: Review of The Purge The main skills I used in were the structure of reviews that I feel I accomplished well, by giving a synopsis of the premise and hooking the reader in by telling them this is what my main review is going to address. I also made sure I knew the angle I was taking with the review, by criticising most about the film but commending it on its interesting premise that is only made stronger with the following films. This review was influenced by professional reviews I’ve researched about the same film to give me structural tips and the style of reviews that helped me https://newrepublic.com/article/113428/purge-reviewed-david-thomson https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-purge

Piece 3: Review of The Purge Overall, as it was my first real experience in writing film reviews I think it went pretty well, my final draft matches the original idea that I had in mind for the review. And I have also developed the skills needed for a review that I feel I can apply better whenever I do any type of review in the future. If I could, I’d go more in detail in each part of the review and give my reasoning more. Since I feel I haven’t done that so much and that’s what my review is lacking.