Recipes & copyright

Copyright & recipes are a complicated topic. Some recipes are not considered original enough to be protected - such as mac & cheese or apple pie. Some legal theorists believe there should be protection for some dishes. Here is a blog post about it.

When in doubt, recall it out

Here is a great story by Daniela Torres about a voluntary recall at Winn-Dixie.

Salt: Consumer Food News

Here is a good example of a consumer food story that looks at the amount of salt in a dish compared to recommended guidelines.

Food writing cliches

Here is a link to list of food writing cliches to avoid. Here is another list of food words to avoid.

Student Press Law Center

Here is a link to the Student Press Law Canter's FOIA letter generator. In pairs, make a food-related FOIA request.

Finding Food Story Ideas

Spotting trends and developing story ideas can be challenging. Here is a great resource for finding new ways of writing about organic food. Here is a great resource for writing about food truck economics. Speaking of food & economics, here is a great resource for evaluating food prices. Here are some food story ideas that you may be able to localize. Food blogs are also a great resource. Food Politics is one of my favorites. Localization of national programs can lead to great stories. Here is a national program that provides free breakfasts for low-income children. Is there a Central Florida connection?

Pink Slime lawsuit

Remember the pink slime story that we were talking about in class? Here is a story about a newly filed lawsuit over the ABC story above.

Florida Food Policy Council

When you are looking for story ideas, are you checking local Florida food groups like the Florida Food Policy Council?

Food News: blog vs newspaper coverage

Compare how this newspaper covered the question of food truck food safety differently in the print edition versus the blog post

about the same topic.

Health Inspection Records and Food

Here is a link to Tampa ABC station's regular pieces on dirty restaurants. Here is a data base of restaurant health inspection records that the Sun Sentinel created based on public records. Here is an overall story on grocery store violations from the Lakeland Ledger.

Food Bank Trend?

Here is a story from yesterday's USA Today about food banks. This is the kind of trend piece that is easy to localize.

Food Business Story

Here is a food business story. This is the kind of story that can lead to a trend piece - are Orlando-area restaurants doing this?

Florida & Food Store Safety

The Division of Food Safety is housed in the Florida Department of Agriculture. Here is a link to the web page. There is helpful information about food store safety records. Another state agency oversees the inspections of restaurants. Here is a link.

Food Regulation Column

Here is a great column that examines food regulation by the government.

Farmers, the Drought & YouTube

Farmers are using YouTube to demonstrate the impact of the drought. Here is the NPR story. This could be a great localization trend story idea.

Goat Farming & the Drought

Here is another weather-related food story about goat farming. Is there a localization possibility?

Food & Social Media

Here is a Chicago Tribune story about food and the power of social media. How could you localize it to Orlando?

Food prices story

Here is a link to a food prices story from the Seattle Times. It is close to what we talked about in class on Tuesday.

Newspaper Food Photography

From the Chicago Tribune's food section.

AFJ & Ethics

On Tuesday, we will be talking about food journalism history. Part of that history is the development of what is now known at the Association of Food Journalists and that organization's Code of Ethics. It can be found here. Food critics guidelines can be found here.

Food Journalism History

On Tuesday we will talk about the history of food journalism. Culinary history is a growing area. Above is a video about the history of TV dinners and here is the story. The topic is about more than a quick-and-easy meal. It demonstrates changes in gender roles, technology and popular culture.

History of the Food Pyramid

Here is an interesting history of the food pyramid from the Huff Post. Note the changes over time.

Will Write for Food Book

This is the book that I mentioned in class on Tuesday, Will Write for Food. If you decide to order a copy - be sure to get the most recent edition which includes food blogging.

Delays in Food safety Regulation

Yesterday, Diane Rehm's program on NPR focused on delays in food safety regulation. Here is a link to the transcript. Just a warning that you may not find melons tasty for some time.

L.A. Weekly Looking for Food Writing Intern

The publication L.A. Weekly is looking for an intern for its food section. Here is the information. It has one of the best newspaper food blogs in the country.

CBS News: School Lunches Are Big Business

2011/2012 Edition of the A.P. Stylebook

In 2011, the Associated Press has announced that the new stylebook includes a new section on food writing. According to the press release: "“With all the cooking shows, blogs and magazines focusing on food, as well as growing interest in organic and locally sourced foods, our new food section feels timely and on trend,” said Colleen Newvine, product manager of the AP Stylebook. “With this new addition to the AP Stylebook, The Associated Press is proud to bring clarity to the writing that describes and informs the new food movement.”

The 2012 edition includes new sections on fashion and social media.

Welcome to Metro Reporting

Welcome to Metro Reporting!

Metro Reporting is a class with rotating topics. This semester it is about food reporting and writing – one of my research specialties. You will learn about several methods of reporting with food at the center. You will  apply the concepts of law and ethics that important for all journalists – but especially for food journalists. You will also learn more about developing story ideas and improving your reporting.

Even if you do not plan on covering food as a beat, you will learn skills and knowledge that will be helpful in covering government, education, the environment, business and health. Because journalism is a rapidly changing field, you will also be applying some multi-media skills to your assignments through this class blog.