finished!
http://www.district196.org/evhs/academics/journalism/Hestness/HOMEPAGE.html
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Open the Gates!
Over half of the school was late that first day when they closed gates from the teacher lot to the student lot with no warning what-so-ever. Students were shocked to see that the usual way they get into the parking lot had been closed off with no other option than to turn around; knowing they’d be at least 5 minutes late for their first class. What is the purpose in closing the gates before and after school? For the teachers benefits and for the parents who drop their kids off at school. The start of this change started with a parent who complained about the back-up on 140th, and thought it would really help the parents out by blocking that entrance to students who actually drive themselves and other kids to school. The administration decided that by closing the gate off to students who use that way to get to the student lot, it would help the traffic; for parents. So what about the students who are driving themselves and carpooling with other students, and trying to get to school on time? Many students feel that the administration didn’t think of the students while making this decision. Yes it helps the parents who are going through the “drive thru” to drop their kids off and get to work faster; but what about the students who are now stuck in traffic five minutes longer than usual? It doesn’t seem fair to only take the parents into consideration and not the students.
By leaving the gates open in the morning, it made two different entrances into the school; one being flagstaff which is convenient for the kids who live on the other side of Apple Valley by Galaxie, and the other entrance is the upper lot leading to the student parking lot. Closing the gates has made getting to school much more difficult for students; the traffic has backed up an extra two to three minutes, which is crucial for students who don’t leave until ten minutes before they have to be at school. It isn’t fair for us to have to change our morning schedule to wake up a half hour earlier than usual just because the school decided to block the extra entrance into the school. Hopefully administration will understand this, and go back to the way things have always been.
By leaving the gates open in the morning, it made two different entrances into the school; one being flagstaff which is convenient for the kids who live on the other side of Apple Valley by Galaxie, and the other entrance is the upper lot leading to the student parking lot. Closing the gates has made getting to school much more difficult for students; the traffic has backed up an extra two to three minutes, which is crucial for students who don’t leave until ten minutes before they have to be at school. It isn’t fair for us to have to change our morning schedule to wake up a half hour earlier than usual just because the school decided to block the extra entrance into the school. Hopefully administration will understand this, and go back to the way things have always been.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?
the parking lot gates being closed in the morning and after school
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
I think it has made traffic worse, and takes much longer to get to school and leave school
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
To persuade the staff at school that it was better when the gates stayed open
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
1. Give examples of being late for class because of the gate being closed
2. How long it takes to leave school to get to work/spring sports
3.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
Every student i know thinks the gates should stay open, so by writing this, I am speaking for almost all students who want the gates open
the parking lot gates being closed in the morning and after school
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
I think it has made traffic worse, and takes much longer to get to school and leave school
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
To persuade the staff at school that it was better when the gates stayed open
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
1. Give examples of being late for class because of the gate being closed
2. How long it takes to leave school to get to work/spring sports
3.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
Every student i know thinks the gates should stay open, so by writing this, I am speaking for almost all students who want the gates open
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Military Wives
Watching the news on the war going on in Afghanistan might not have a huge impact on everyone; there are some people who turn the channel when the news is showing videos and pictures from the war, there are people who watch it just to know what’s going on, and then there are women who watch the news just to see if their husband will be in it because it will be the most they’ve seen of him in months. For Jenifer Voss from Montana, it had been 7 months since she’d seen her husband, John. When asked if she watched the news more or less when he left she said “I definitly watched the news more; not because i was worried something happened, but more to see what they were doing over there”. Even though John’s unit kept all the wives up-to-date on what was going on in Afghanistan, she admits that “the biggest reason I would watch the news, is so that maybe I would be able to just see him”; Which is the most she would be able to see of him for another four months after seeing him when he came back to Montana for a short ten days.
Amanda Brooks from Montana says she watched the news daily to see what was going on in Afghanistan where her husband, Joe was. “One Sunday; the day he would usually call me, he didn't call and I read on CNN that there was a missile attack at his base, talk about being scared!” Amanda and Joe have gone seven months without seeing each other when he was deployed to Afghanistan. “Another time he was stationed in Korea for a year without me but I went to see him for a month after 6 months. We like to joke kind of that we are apart more than together.” Imagine not being with your spouse for months at a time, you would need to find other things to keep yourself busy while they were gone. Amanda says that when she and Joe were deployed to Misawa, Japan it was “nice to be in a different country because I went and did a lot of sight seeing”. And when she was in Korea she joined a bowling league, two pool leagues and had three jobs. Military wives know how to stay busy while their husbands are gone.
What would be the hardest thing adjusting to when your husband comes home after seven months? “It is just kind of weird cause it is like you have to ask almost if they want to go or do what you want to do.” Amanda says “the fact that you have someone else to take care of, I didnt mind having a can of vegitables for dinner so little things like that.” For Jenifer Voss the hardest part was “adjusting to another person living in the house again, and sharing responsiblities. It was hard adjusting to him not being the same person as when he left. He changed a lot”. For the seven months John was gone, a lot had changed in the Voss’ household. Jen kept herself busy by visiting her sister almost every day, and helped her take care of her four kids kept her from worrying about John too much. She was pregnant most of the time that he was in Afghanistan, but baby Lucas was born only a couple weeks before his dad returned home in Montana. Watching the two run up to hug each other and seeing John hold his newborn baby son brought tears from everyone who was watching. People who didn’t even know them were clapping, and crying and taking pictures. Watching two people reunite after a long seven months of being apart was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.
When you’re husband is gone for long periods of time, you’re going to need people surrounding you that share that in common, and know what you’re going through so you can support and help each other. That’s why there are support groups for wives of military men. “It’s amazing knowing you will always have someone there to talk to that knows exactly what your going through” Jen says the FRG (Family Readiness Group) has really helped her get though everything. “The FRG helps us keep in touch with our guys and lets us know whats going on over there- good and bad; and they really prepared us for the deployment and told us pretty much exactly what we should expect.” For Amanda, she says she is not part of a support group really, but she goes to a spouses club that meets once a month. “The Security Forces Squadron (cops) is kind of like a really dysfunctional family but if I ever needed anything while Joe was gone they would help you out. Things like needing your tire changed, putting up fences and such.” Amanda also talked about the FRG/FRC; “The Airman and Family Readiness Center also did a deployed family events bingo for the family, pajama parties for the kids and free movie at the movie theater.”
When we watch the news and see that the Afghanistan people bombed a U.S air force barracks and killed seven soldiers, we automatically get angry at the Afghanistan people and blame them, which is natural for us to do. But what most of us don’t know is that if it wasn’t for a U.S news reporter going into Afghanistan territory just to take pictures, he wouldn’t have gotten captured. Then the U.S soldiers have to go in to rescue him of course, and bring him back; which lead to the Afghanistan army bombing the U.S barracks. But typically only the wives of these military men know the real reason behind things, and when you know your husband is close to that unit, and you know that it’s the reporters fault, you’d be mad at the reporter too.
Amanda Brooks from Montana says she watched the news daily to see what was going on in Afghanistan where her husband, Joe was. “One Sunday; the day he would usually call me, he didn't call and I read on CNN that there was a missile attack at his base, talk about being scared!” Amanda and Joe have gone seven months without seeing each other when he was deployed to Afghanistan. “Another time he was stationed in Korea for a year without me but I went to see him for a month after 6 months. We like to joke kind of that we are apart more than together.” Imagine not being with your spouse for months at a time, you would need to find other things to keep yourself busy while they were gone. Amanda says that when she and Joe were deployed to Misawa, Japan it was “nice to be in a different country because I went and did a lot of sight seeing”. And when she was in Korea she joined a bowling league, two pool leagues and had three jobs. Military wives know how to stay busy while their husbands are gone.
What would be the hardest thing adjusting to when your husband comes home after seven months? “It is just kind of weird cause it is like you have to ask almost if they want to go or do what you want to do.” Amanda says “the fact that you have someone else to take care of, I didnt mind having a can of vegitables for dinner so little things like that.” For Jenifer Voss the hardest part was “adjusting to another person living in the house again, and sharing responsiblities. It was hard adjusting to him not being the same person as when he left. He changed a lot”. For the seven months John was gone, a lot had changed in the Voss’ household. Jen kept herself busy by visiting her sister almost every day, and helped her take care of her four kids kept her from worrying about John too much. She was pregnant most of the time that he was in Afghanistan, but baby Lucas was born only a couple weeks before his dad returned home in Montana. Watching the two run up to hug each other and seeing John hold his newborn baby son brought tears from everyone who was watching. People who didn’t even know them were clapping, and crying and taking pictures. Watching two people reunite after a long seven months of being apart was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.
When you’re husband is gone for long periods of time, you’re going to need people surrounding you that share that in common, and know what you’re going through so you can support and help each other. That’s why there are support groups for wives of military men. “It’s amazing knowing you will always have someone there to talk to that knows exactly what your going through” Jen says the FRG (Family Readiness Group) has really helped her get though everything. “The FRG helps us keep in touch with our guys and lets us know whats going on over there- good and bad; and they really prepared us for the deployment and told us pretty much exactly what we should expect.” For Amanda, she says she is not part of a support group really, but she goes to a spouses club that meets once a month. “The Security Forces Squadron (cops) is kind of like a really dysfunctional family but if I ever needed anything while Joe was gone they would help you out. Things like needing your tire changed, putting up fences and such.” Amanda also talked about the FRG/FRC; “The Airman and Family Readiness Center also did a deployed family events bingo for the family, pajama parties for the kids and free movie at the movie theater.”
When we watch the news and see that the Afghanistan people bombed a U.S air force barracks and killed seven soldiers, we automatically get angry at the Afghanistan people and blame them, which is natural for us to do. But what most of us don’t know is that if it wasn’t for a U.S news reporter going into Afghanistan territory just to take pictures, he wouldn’t have gotten captured. Then the U.S soldiers have to go in to rescue him of course, and bring him back; which lead to the Afghanistan army bombing the U.S barracks. But typically only the wives of these military men know the real reason behind things, and when you know your husband is close to that unit, and you know that it’s the reporters fault, you’d be mad at the reporter too.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Girls Lax
The Eastview girl’s lacrosse team will be seeing a great many changes this year. For starters, they have just hired two new coaches for this season. Shannon Finis will be the assistant varsity and head JV coach, and Lauren Dezellar will be the head varsity coach. They are tough coaches who will be pushing the girls in new ways. Senior captain, Lauren Murray tells girls who are trying out this year to “Start running like 3 miles a day, eat healthy, play wall ball, and start using your non-dominate hand, you better be able to switch hands cause she’s gonna be hard on that.”
Girls lacrosse is “not a common sport; and it’s pretty fast moving.” Bridget Klingshiem says about the sport. “The atmosphere on the team is friendly, the girls are fun, it’s a great workout…and you get to wear cool uniforms.” Both Bridget and Lauren agree that their number one goal is to do more team bonding this year. Along with having a closer team, they hope to make it to state, have a better record, be in better shape and work a lot harder. With the new coach pushing them, these goals should be attainable. Bridget says that they will be “a much more together team” this year. Both girls love their sport and put a lot of time and energy into making it fun for themselves and the other girls. They know that if they have a very close team, and everyone gets along, the team can reach their goals.
Finding a new coach for a fairly new sport like lacrosse can be difficult but extremely rewarding if you know how to choose properly. Assistant Principal, Matthew Percival had the final say in who would be the girl’s new lacrosse coaches. He knew they needed someone that would take them that next step. “We were looking for someone who had a positive outlook on things, played [lacrosse] at a high level, a teacher, good communicator, and just someone who would be the best fit at Eastview; we were looking for someone who would be a long term coach.” Lauren Dezellar was the perfect fit, “once we interviewed her, it was a no brainer.”
Lauren is a 2008 graduate from the college of Wooster in Ohio, she played varsity at Eden Prairie all 4 years of high school where they won state every year. “She is extremely dedicated and passionate about lacrosse; she eats, sleeps and breathes lacrosse. If there’s a person more passionate about lacrosse than her I haven’t met them,” says Mr. Percival. The other senior captain, Bridget Klingshiem, talks about how she thinks Coach Dezellar will affect the team, “we will be so much better this year because she’s going to push us harder…she’s gonna teach us more skills, get us in shape; it’s definitely going to be more intense.” Both captains are expecting this year to be much different than past years because they know this coach takes the sport seriously. “She knows what she’s talking about, she’s intense.” Murray says about Coach Dezellar. She knows the team actually has a chance making it to state this year. “You’re going to see lots of changes…there will be new energy.” Says Mr. Percival; “Change is difficult, there will be some uneasiness, but my greatest hope is that everyone has a good experience”.
So what should the girls expect from the girls lacrosse team this year? Well, unlike past years the girls know they will be running a lot more, they’ll be in better shape and learning new skills that will help them have a chance to make it to state. Ever since the team meeting they had with Coach Dezellar, all the girls have realized this year is going to be more serious and more intense. Lauren Murray is confident this year will be different, “We’re not gonna be a joke this year, we’re for realz…we’re gonna be true laxas.”
Girls lacrosse is “not a common sport; and it’s pretty fast moving.” Bridget Klingshiem says about the sport. “The atmosphere on the team is friendly, the girls are fun, it’s a great workout…and you get to wear cool uniforms.” Both Bridget and Lauren agree that their number one goal is to do more team bonding this year. Along with having a closer team, they hope to make it to state, have a better record, be in better shape and work a lot harder. With the new coach pushing them, these goals should be attainable. Bridget says that they will be “a much more together team” this year. Both girls love their sport and put a lot of time and energy into making it fun for themselves and the other girls. They know that if they have a very close team, and everyone gets along, the team can reach their goals.
Finding a new coach for a fairly new sport like lacrosse can be difficult but extremely rewarding if you know how to choose properly. Assistant Principal, Matthew Percival had the final say in who would be the girl’s new lacrosse coaches. He knew they needed someone that would take them that next step. “We were looking for someone who had a positive outlook on things, played [lacrosse] at a high level, a teacher, good communicator, and just someone who would be the best fit at Eastview; we were looking for someone who would be a long term coach.” Lauren Dezellar was the perfect fit, “once we interviewed her, it was a no brainer.”
Lauren is a 2008 graduate from the college of Wooster in Ohio, she played varsity at Eden Prairie all 4 years of high school where they won state every year. “She is extremely dedicated and passionate about lacrosse; she eats, sleeps and breathes lacrosse. If there’s a person more passionate about lacrosse than her I haven’t met them,” says Mr. Percival. The other senior captain, Bridget Klingshiem, talks about how she thinks Coach Dezellar will affect the team, “we will be so much better this year because she’s going to push us harder…she’s gonna teach us more skills, get us in shape; it’s definitely going to be more intense.” Both captains are expecting this year to be much different than past years because they know this coach takes the sport seriously. “She knows what she’s talking about, she’s intense.” Murray says about Coach Dezellar. She knows the team actually has a chance making it to state this year. “You’re going to see lots of changes…there will be new energy.” Says Mr. Percival; “Change is difficult, there will be some uneasiness, but my greatest hope is that everyone has a good experience”.
So what should the girls expect from the girls lacrosse team this year? Well, unlike past years the girls know they will be running a lot more, they’ll be in better shape and learning new skills that will help them have a chance to make it to state. Ever since the team meeting they had with Coach Dezellar, all the girls have realized this year is going to be more serious and more intense. Lauren Murray is confident this year will be different, “We’re not gonna be a joke this year, we’re for realz…we’re gonna be true laxas.”

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Interviews
Bridget Klingshiem and Lauren Murray (Girls Lax Captains)
1.) What do you like about lacrosse? - why should other girls tryout?
2.) What is your main goal for the team this season?
3.) Do you think this year will be better or worse with the new coach?
4.) How will the new coach affect the team this season?
5.) What should girls be doing to get ready for this season?
6.) What should we expect from the girls lacrosse team this year?
Mr. Percival
1.) What were you looking for in a new coach to replace Coach Oz?
2.) What made you choose Lauren Dezellar and Shannon Finis?
3.) Were there other coaches that made it hard to decide which one you should choose?
4.) How will these new coaches affect the teams this season?
5.) What should girls playing lacrosse be expecting this year? Should girls who have never played tryout still? How do you think they will affect the teams this year?
Bridget Klingshiem and Lauren Murray (Girls Lax Captains)
1.) What do you like about lacrosse? - why should other girls tryout?
2.) What is your main goal for the team this season?
3.) Do you think this year will be better or worse with the new coach?
4.) How will the new coach affect the team this season?
5.) What should girls be doing to get ready for this season?
6.) What should we expect from the girls lacrosse team this year?
Mr. Percival
1.) What were you looking for in a new coach to replace Coach Oz?
2.) What made you choose Lauren Dezellar and Shannon Finis?
3.) Were there other coaches that made it hard to decide which one you should choose?
4.) How will these new coaches affect the teams this season?
5.) What should girls playing lacrosse be expecting this year? Should girls who have never played tryout still? How do you think they will affect the teams this year?
Friday, February 26, 2010
writing a news story...what is news?
Writing a News Story
1. What can I write about? What is news?
On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing projects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It also prints background analysis, opinions, and human interest stories.
Choosing what's news can be harder.
The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening in the world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of their importance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do NOT have to coincide in each and every story!
2. Identify what kind of a story it is
Hard news (+/- 600 words): This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom? Why? (The journalist's 5 W's). It must be kept brief and simple, because the purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.
Keep the writing clean and uncluttered. Most important, give the readers the information they need. If the federal government announced a new major youth initiative yesterday, that's today's hard news.
Soft news (+/-600 words): This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of YPP's news content is soft news.
Feature (+/-1500 words): A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of their individual lives are full of complexities which can be reflected in a longer piece.
Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas, color, lights, action and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A feature takes a certain angle (i.e. Black youth returning to church) and explores it by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information. The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through comments from people involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No personal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make up the story. You are the narrator.
Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets the writer comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the topics must still be relevant to the reader.
Young People's Press publishes two types of editorials:
Youthbeat (+/- 700 words): Youthbeat's are YPP's editorial bread and butter. It's your story, from your point of view. Tell it like it is. Youthbeats usually (but not always) combine personal experience(s) with opinion/analysis. Essentially, you establish your credibility by speaking from experience.
My Word! (+/-600 words): An opinion piece. Short, sweet and to the point. Not as likely to be a personal narrative. Christmas "spirit" bugs you? Say why. Had an encounter with a cop that left you sour? Same deal. Be strong. If you don't like something, don't beat around the bush. This is a space for you to rant and roll with as much emotive power as possible.
3. Structure for your article
The structure of a news story (hard & soft news & features) is simple: a lead and the body.
The lead
One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in (depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story - See below for the difference between these two genres of news stories).
In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism (who, what, where, when and why) as possible. (e.g. "Homeless youth marched down Yonge St. in downtown Toronto Wednesday afternoon demanding the municipal government provide emergency shelter during the winter months." - Can you identify the 5 W's in this lead?)
In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. "Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways...") Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 "W's" should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.
The body
The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution, however. In this style of writing, you are not allowed to "editorialize" (state your own opinion) in any way. (in a hard news story)
Remember:
The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. These comments make up the bulk of the story. The narrative helps to weave the comments into a coherent whole. Hint: Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You can put in different details but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. (e.g. If your story is about black youth and their relationship with the police you DO NOT want to go into details about the life of any one particular youth). (think about the 5 W's.)
As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life (this is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best). You should also try to get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.
Okay, got it? Let's look at two examples as a way of summarizing the essentials:
Youth are banding together to start an organization. You want to show why are they doing that and the changes are they trying to make in the world. You want to say who they are and the strategies they are using.
An artist is having her first show. Why? What is it that she believes about her art? Is her artistic process rational or from the soul? What does the work look like?
4. Further tips for news writing
Finding story ideas
Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.
Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines.
Think of a youth angle to a current news story.
Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to know more about.
Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Newsgathering
Begin collecting articles on your subject.
Talk to friends and associates about the subject.
Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge in the area.
Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue.
Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts
Be polite.
Explain the ground rules of the interview to people unfamiliar with how the media works - this means that you tell them the information they give you can and will be published. If they do not want any part of what they say published, they need to tell you it is "off the record."
Tape the interview (so if anyone comes back at you, you have the proof of what was said).
Build a relationship with the person being interviewed.
Start with easy questions; end with difficult questions.
Read the body language of the person you're interviewing and if they get defensive, back away from the question you are asking and return later.
Don't attack the source.
Keep control of the interview; don't let the subject ramble or stray from the subject.
On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of what the story should be colour the interview. Always remember that the person you are talking with knows more about the subject than you do.
Organizing the information
Gather your notes, interviews and research into a file.
Review your notes.
Look for a common theme.
Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts.
Develop a focus.
Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences.
Writing and editing
Remember you are the narrator, the story teller.
Don't be afraid to rewrite.
Be as clear and concise in the writing as possible.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Be direct.
Tell a good story.
Tell the reader what you think they want to know.
Always ask yourself what the story is about.
Read the story out loud; listen carefully.


Steps to a Story:
1. Find a topic
(ex: dirty dancing, boys lax...)
2. Find an Angle
(ex: what are other schools doing about dirty dancing, what do parents think about it, what do students thing...)
3. Collect Data
(ex: talk to the people; why it was cancelled last year, ask teachers from other schools about what they're doing...)
4. Gather Interviews
5. Write the story!
take those interviews and data, tie everything together to make it a whole
6. Edit
go back and revise, proof-read. Make it as good as possible
1. What can I write about? What is news?
On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing projects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It also prints background analysis, opinions, and human interest stories.
Choosing what's news can be harder.
The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening in the world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of their importance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do NOT have to coincide in each and every story!
2. Identify what kind of a story it is
Hard news (+/- 600 words): This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom? Why? (The journalist's 5 W's). It must be kept brief and simple, because the purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.
Keep the writing clean and uncluttered. Most important, give the readers the information they need. If the federal government announced a new major youth initiative yesterday, that's today's hard news.
Soft news (+/-600 words): This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of YPP's news content is soft news.
Feature (+/-1500 words): A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of their individual lives are full of complexities which can be reflected in a longer piece.
Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas, color, lights, action and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A feature takes a certain angle (i.e. Black youth returning to church) and explores it by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information. The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through comments from people involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No personal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make up the story. You are the narrator.
Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets the writer comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the topics must still be relevant to the reader.
Young People's Press publishes two types of editorials:
Youthbeat (+/- 700 words): Youthbeat's are YPP's editorial bread and butter. It's your story, from your point of view. Tell it like it is. Youthbeats usually (but not always) combine personal experience(s) with opinion/analysis. Essentially, you establish your credibility by speaking from experience.
My Word! (+/-600 words): An opinion piece. Short, sweet and to the point. Not as likely to be a personal narrative. Christmas "spirit" bugs you? Say why. Had an encounter with a cop that left you sour? Same deal. Be strong. If you don't like something, don't beat around the bush. This is a space for you to rant and roll with as much emotive power as possible.
3. Structure for your article
The structure of a news story (hard & soft news & features) is simple: a lead and the body.
The lead
One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in (depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story - See below for the difference between these two genres of news stories).
In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism (who, what, where, when and why) as possible. (e.g. "Homeless youth marched down Yonge St. in downtown Toronto Wednesday afternoon demanding the municipal government provide emergency shelter during the winter months." - Can you identify the 5 W's in this lead?)
In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. "Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways...") Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 "W's" should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.
The body
The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution, however. In this style of writing, you are not allowed to "editorialize" (state your own opinion) in any way. (in a hard news story)
Remember:
The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. These comments make up the bulk of the story. The narrative helps to weave the comments into a coherent whole. Hint: Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You can put in different details but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. (e.g. If your story is about black youth and their relationship with the police you DO NOT want to go into details about the life of any one particular youth). (think about the 5 W's.)
As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life (this is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best). You should also try to get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.
Okay, got it? Let's look at two examples as a way of summarizing the essentials:
Youth are banding together to start an organization. You want to show why are they doing that and the changes are they trying to make in the world. You want to say who they are and the strategies they are using.
An artist is having her first show. Why? What is it that she believes about her art? Is her artistic process rational or from the soul? What does the work look like?
4. Further tips for news writing
Finding story ideas
Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.
Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines.
Think of a youth angle to a current news story.
Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to know more about.
Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Newsgathering
Begin collecting articles on your subject.
Talk to friends and associates about the subject.
Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge in the area.
Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue.
Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts
Be polite.
Explain the ground rules of the interview to people unfamiliar with how the media works - this means that you tell them the information they give you can and will be published. If they do not want any part of what they say published, they need to tell you it is "off the record."
Tape the interview (so if anyone comes back at you, you have the proof of what was said).
Build a relationship with the person being interviewed.
Start with easy questions; end with difficult questions.
Read the body language of the person you're interviewing and if they get defensive, back away from the question you are asking and return later.
Don't attack the source.
Keep control of the interview; don't let the subject ramble or stray from the subject.
On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of what the story should be colour the interview. Always remember that the person you are talking with knows more about the subject than you do.
Organizing the information
Gather your notes, interviews and research into a file.
Review your notes.
Look for a common theme.
Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts.
Develop a focus.
Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences.
Writing and editing
Remember you are the narrator, the story teller.
Don't be afraid to rewrite.
Be as clear and concise in the writing as possible.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Be direct.
Tell a good story.
Tell the reader what you think they want to know.
Always ask yourself what the story is about.
Read the story out loud; listen carefully.


Steps to a Story:
1. Find a topic
(ex: dirty dancing, boys lax...)
2. Find an Angle
(ex: what are other schools doing about dirty dancing, what do parents think about it, what do students thing...)
3. Collect Data
(ex: talk to the people; why it was cancelled last year, ask teachers from other schools about what they're doing...)
4. Gather Interviews
5. Write the story!
take those interviews and data, tie everything together to make it a whole
6. Edit
go back and revise, proof-read. Make it as good as possible
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Students Rights
The first Amendment
1. Press
2. Religion
3. Assembly
4. Speech
5. Petition

The Tinker Standard
1. Press
2. Religion
3. Assembly
4. Speech
5. Petition

The Tinker Standard
- Tinker vs. Des Moines School District (1969)
- Black armbands in 1965
- Student speech cannot be censored as long as it does not "materially disrupt class work or involve substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others."
The Fraser Standard
- Bethel School District vs. Fraser (1986)
- Inappropriate speech for class president
- Because school officials have an "interest in teaching students the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior," they can censor student speech that is vulgar or indecent, even if it does not cause a "material or substantial disruption."
Hazelwood Standard
- Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier (1988)
- Censor stories in student newspaper about teen pregnancy and divorce
- Censorship of school-sponsored student expression is permissible when school officials can show that it is "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns."
The Frederick Standard
- Morse vs. Frederick (June 25, 2007)
- January 2002, Olympic torch travels through town
- Principal Morse cancels school
- Senior Frederick unveils banner on the sidewalk across street which reads "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"
- Suspended for 10 days
Elements of Libel
- A Defamatory statement
- Published to at least one other person (other than plantiff)...
- "Of and concerning" the plaintiff (identify specifically within plaintiff)
- That is a false statement of fact (opinions are not libel)...
- And made with fault. The level of fault depends on status of plaintiff
-Public Figures: celebs, gov, etc. are required to prove actual malice,meaning the defendant know statements were false
-Private individuals: must only show that the defendant was negligent
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
2-3-10 Journalism Notes
For reading time today: http://www.cnn.com
Definition:
Define “Journalism” in 1-3 sentences.
Journalism is the telling of current events that are news worthy through Internet, radio, television, newspapers, and magazines.
List and describe the six criteria of newsworthiness.
TITLE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
1. Timeliness- issues that are taking place right now,what's hot, weather, sports scores.
2. Significance- big events that have happened that have effected lots of people; hurricane Katrina, Haiti earthquake, 911 attack, etc...
3. Unusualness- we care about things that are unusual. "Man bites dog". That's unusual.
4. Prominence- people we care about, celebrities.
5. Proximity- things that are going on close to us. (the Star Tribune) We don't really care as much what's going on in another state, it doesn't affect us (ex: the weather)
6. Human Interest stories- feel-good stories that the news will end with to give you warm fuzzies.
What are the advantages of print journalism?
1. Control over when you read
2. Control over what you read
3. A lot more in depth in writing than watching video
What are the advantages of broadcast journalism?
1. Picture/video brings things to life, more engaging for the audience, and you have the visual aspect of the story
2. Much more live, up-to-date
3. More accessible, you can watch broadcast journalism almost anywhere
Why has online journalism (convergent media) become so popular?
It is the best of both worlds, you can read whatever you want when you want, you can search what you want to read or watch. You don't have to wait for a certain time to know what's going on; broadcast journalism updates things whenever they want.
Definition:
Define “Journalism” in 1-3 sentences.
Journalism is the telling of current events that are news worthy through Internet, radio, television, newspapers, and magazines.
List and describe the six criteria of newsworthiness.
TITLE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
1. Timeliness- issues that are taking place right now,what's hot, weather, sports scores.
2. Significance- big events that have happened that have effected lots of people; hurricane Katrina, Haiti earthquake, 911 attack, etc...
3. Unusualness- we care about things that are unusual. "Man bites dog". That's unusual.
4. Prominence- people we care about, celebrities.
5. Proximity- things that are going on close to us. (the Star Tribune) We don't really care as much what's going on in another state, it doesn't affect us (ex: the weather)
6. Human Interest stories- feel-good stories that the news will end with to give you warm fuzzies.
What are the advantages of print journalism?
1. Control over when you read
2. Control over what you read
3. A lot more in depth in writing than watching video
What are the advantages of broadcast journalism?
1. Picture/video brings things to life, more engaging for the audience, and you have the visual aspect of the story
2. Much more live, up-to-date
3. More accessible, you can watch broadcast journalism almost anywhere
Why has online journalism (convergent media) become so popular?
It is the best of both worlds, you can read whatever you want when you want, you can search what you want to read or watch. You don't have to wait for a certain time to know what's going on; broadcast journalism updates things whenever they want.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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