留學英國 15 (新聞接力賽)

Warning: All names appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, real places and establishments, present or past is purely coincidental.

Online Journalism 這堂課的第一個正式測驗就是 running stories, 姑且戲稱為新聞接力賽. 老師一開始給我們極為有限的資訊 (如下), 要在四十分鐘內就這些訊息寫好虛構新聞稿, 每篇必須承上啟下, 卻又各自獨立. 每篇都必須讓讀者清楚最新發展為何, 還要交待事件原委.

Siege 1 Man believed armed in farmhouse six miles west of Wareham. He claims to hold unnamed teenager under duress. Incident began at 7.45am and police now in position around the farm. Police say some officers are armed. Psychologists and trained police negotiators are also present.

Time now: 10.15 Farm Address is Hinton Hamlet, near Wareham. Owned by Mr and Mrs AAA. They have two daughters BBB and CCC, aged 24 and 18. CCC lives at home and is not at her normal workplace day, a hairdressers, ZZZ, at 17 Juniper Road, Bournemouth.

Identity of man unknown.

Police warn public to keep away. Nearby is a farm cottage with farmhand DDD as occupant, he has been moved out by police. Area cordoned off. The culprit is reported to be shouting abuse from an upstairs window. Chief Inspector EEE of Bournemouth Police comments, "The situation is highly charged. Nobody is being allowed near. The situation is extremely dangerous." End fictitious story 1

根據這些消息, 我寫出以下虛構新聞稿:

Siege 1

Tension is escalating when an unidentified man is believed to hold a teenage hostage with arms in a farmhouse west of Wareham this morning.

The culprit is reported to be shouting abuse from an upstairs window in the house owned by Mr and Mrs AAA in Hinton Hamlet. One of their daughters, CCC, 18, lives at home and is not at her normal workplace.

The police have cordoned off the area and warn the public to keep away.

“The situation is highly charged. Nobody is being allowed near. The situation is extremely dangerous,” comments Chief Inspector EEE of Bournemouth Police.

Psychologists and trained police negotiators are present and some officers are armed just in case.

接下來老師提供新的消息, 要在十五分鐘內更新虛構新聞稿:

Siege 2 Time 11.15 Police voicebanks says a man is missing from jail, FFF, convicted in 2001 of assault causing grievous bodily harm. Jail: YYY Prison. Broke out last night. Details of escape not given.

以下是我的版本:

Siege 2

The police say a criminal broke out from YYY Prison late last night and is believed to hold a teenage hostage with arms in a farmhouse west of Wareham this morning.

The culprit is reported to be shouting abuse from an upstairs window in the house owned by Mr and Mrs AAA in Hinton Hamlet. One of their daughters, CCC, 18, lives at home and is not at her normal workplace.

The police have cordoned off the area and warn the public to keep away as tension is
escalating.

“The situation is highly charged. Nobody is being allowed near. The situation is extremely dangerous,” comments Chief Inspector EEE of Bournemouth Police.

Psychologists and trained police negotiators are present and some officers are armed just in case.

FFF was convicted of assault causing grievous bodily harm in 2001.

就這樣, 每隔一段時間, 我們就要根據老師發佈的新消息更新虛構新聞稿. 兩個小時內寫了五篇稿, 以下是我第五篇的虛構新聞稿:

Siege 5

A drunken armed fugitive from YYY Prison was shot to release a teenage girl after being tied up for hours in a farmhouse west of Wareham this morning.

The criminal, FFF, 28, pointed a gun at CCC's head and after a sound of gunshot, he “returned to the window on his own still brandishing a gun and a bottle of whisky in the other hand,” says Chief Inspector EEE of Bournemouth Police.

Marksmen covered FFF on the safe conduct he demanded to Bournemouth International Airport and had no choice but to shoot him.

MP for Dorset South-West GGG, Lib Dem comments, “I will be demanding full answers on all aspects of the escape. A shooting is a serious outcome but the hostage is safe thank goodness. The police will be reviewing their actions taken in the interests of public safety and that of the hostage.”

HHH, mother of the hostage, remarks, “To think what could have happened to the girl I think we have been lucky, and CCC was almost hysterical when police went in to get her.”

FFF forced into the house at 1am this morning while they were sound
asleep.

“Suddenly there was a violent banging on a window. I went to look and as I opened the back door a bearded man rushed at me with a piece of wood. Eventually we were shoved out of the door into the back yard,” remembers AAA.

FFF was wounded in the arm, but not serious, and was taken into police custody. He was convicted in May 2001 for offences of armed robbery and assault that he committed in June in 2000.

新聞接力賽, 緊張又刺激, 不但要快還要準. 更重要的是法律面, 這是老師"再強調也不為過的了." 也因此, 我已將人名, 機構名置換為英文代號, 再三強調以上內容完全虛構, 若有雷同, 純屬巧合.