Poll assignment instructions:

Read a recent Fox News survey on Obama's approval ratings. Also read a press release on Super Bowl advertising.

Next, answer these questions for both surveys or polls (typed up, printed out, submitted on time):

1. Who conducted and/or sponsored/funded the poll or survey?

2. Is this organization credible? Why or why not?

3. What was the sample size for the poll/survey?

4. What is the margin of error?

5. What is the confidence level?

6. Based on the answers to 2-5, is the poll or survey valid and important? In explaining, make sure your answer references credibility, sample size, margin of error and confidence level.

7. So what? What doe the numbers mean? What is the significance of the story? Tell me in layman's terms how the results or findings of this poll or survey are significant or important. Just a sentence or two.

8. How might this story be localized to matter to readers in Rome, Ga.?

For next class: LOCALIZING and WEBBIFYING. Here's what you must do:

• Read your free New York Times.
• Select a national or international story from any section.
• Consider how that story might be localized for a story in our fictitious Rome Herald, on a slow Sunday, let's say. Bring to class a rationale for localizing the story.
• Be prepared to briefly pitch your idea to your fellow editors in a budget meeting next class. This is meant to be a fun exercise.
• Also be prepared to discuss how we might present the story online. For this consider multimedia, interactive games, online chat, posting sourcing material, "how-to" sidebars . . . sky's the limit. Be creative. How will we webbify this story specifically for online?
  
  

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