Editing $/$ LE$$DS DOCTOR Exercise

Use the "What Goes in There" and "Common Problems" slides from the PowerPoint or use information from the $"6$ Questions on Anecdotal Leads" handout to explain what is wrong with these leads. Check the presentation and AP Stylebook on datelines and wire credits. List anything you think is wrong $-$ there may be fact errors, typos, AP style errors, spelling errors, questionable language etc. You can also suggest what could be improved. Assume the stories are for a Houston$-$area audience and for the next day's editions. At the end, you get a chance to be a bit creative $-$ provide a spiffy delayed lead for the information provided.

EXAMPLE: The Texas A&M women's golf team is ranked $6$th in the nation. The golf team will be swinging its way to an invitational tournament in Baton Rouge, La$.,$ tomorrow. The team's score in last weekend's SMU Invitational tournament was $304.$

Answer: Too long $/$ wordy; should be one sentence. The time element should be a real day of the week. $"6$ th$"$ should be "sixth." This lead doesn't miss the news $($the upcoming tournament$)$ entirely, but it fails to start with the news. Saying a women's golf team is "swinging" is highly questionable. Is a dateline needed? Maybe.

Fred W$.$ Nelson resigned as city editor of the Houston Chronicle to accept a post beginning April $1$ with the media relations office of Memorial$-$Hermann Hospital.

Memorial Hermann is not supposed to be hyphenated.