Turning in your feature story:
1. Make sure your google doc was created on your school account.2. Make sure you have the sharing done correctly - it should be set to >Anyone with the link can edit
3. Share the link with: mreeves1@austinisd.org
4. Make sure the sharing is correct.
5. Make sure you put a CLICKABLE link to the assignment on your Google Site on a new subpage called Feature Story Draft.
ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL - MAKE SURE IT IS SHARED PROPERLY AND I CAN READ IT!!
Friday is the last day to work on this in class. I will not start grading these until next week, so you have until Monday morning to finish. On Monday we will move onto the Photography unit and leave writing behind for a while. The Feature Story Draft is a MAJOR grade. When I am done reading them and give you a grade, there will be a chance for any grade under 90 to rewrite/fix to make corrections. There will not be another grade associated with this assignment. You will get a grade and you will have a chance to make corrections if necessary (if you do not get a 90+ the first try, the highest grade you can get with corrections is a 90).
Here is how you deal with names:
The first time you reference someone, use their full name (and title as appropriate): journalism teacher Michael Reeves
From then on, UNTIL you introduce someone else with the same last name, use their last name: Reeves
When you introduce someone else with the same last name the first time, use their full name and make sure you give the relationship (for that specific story): his daughter Flannery Reeves
From that point forward use their first names: Michael or Flannery
Self-editing advice:
For those of you who finish today or early on Friday and want to look through your story in an effort to do some self-editing, here are some things you can do:
Double check the following and answer the questions on your Google Site in a post titled Feature self-edit. (If you do this before Wednesday, Jan. 22, I will give you 1-5 bonus points on this story):
1. Who were the sources (you should have 3)?
2. Summarize in 1-3 sentences the story (make sure you have covered what you want your readers {me} to know about your subject/topic):
3. How many paragraphs is the story (I would expect you to have around 20-30 at least)?
4. How many words is the story (you should be between 750-1500)?
5. How many direct quotes are there in the story (remember LTQT style, every other paragraph should be a direct quote, so between 10-20)?
6. How many different people are quoted in the story (you should have 3)?
7. Which quote is the most impactful of all the ones included (where is this quote located? It should be near the top or at the end)?
8. Where is that quote located in the story (beginning, middle, end) (see above)?
9. Does the lede effectively capture the readers attention (think about if you were reading this story, would you want to keep going after you read the first few paragraphs? If not, try to do more story telling in the lead, go back and look at this link: LEADS )?
10. If their could have been one additional person interviewed for the story, who would it be (you have time, maybe you could get ahold of that person and add it in before tomorrow afternoon)?
11. Is the story objective, which means are all non-direct quotes statements of fact and NOT the opinion of the writer (and are you in third person? NO use of the words I, me, we, us, and make sure if your source referenced anything like your aunt - that should be changed to her sister)?
12. Are there any unanswered questions that you have after reading the article (if you have questions, someone else will too, ANSWER THEM)?
13. Write a headline to go with this story:
14. Sum up your opinion of the story:
15. Give yourself a self grade from 0-100
I also encourage my newspaper staff to do the following:
Spell check - and be careful with words that spell check can't fix like there, their and they're.
If there are green, blue, or red marks in google docs, there is a problem - FIX it.
There are grammar helpers in google docs that do help, but there are others you can find online - run your story through one of those.
Read every sentence out loud (to your self quietly) - does it make sense like you are talking? If not - fix it.
Have a friend who is also done read your story - ask them for advice.
Spell check again....
If you want to access more self help - here are some links:
https://ijnet.org/en/resource/self-editing-tips-journalists
https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/revision-grammar/self-editing/
https://journalistsresource.org/tip-sheets/style/copyediting-for-reporters
ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL - MAKE SURE IT IS SHARED PROPERLY AND I CAN READ IT!!
Friday is the last day to work on this in class. I will not start grading these until next week, so you have until Monday morning to finish. On Monday we will move onto the Photography unit and leave writing behind for a while. The Feature Story Draft is a MAJOR grade. When I am done reading them and give you a grade, there will be a chance for any grade under 90 to rewrite/fix to make corrections. There will not be another grade associated with this assignment. You will get a grade and you will have a chance to make corrections if necessary (if you do not get a 90+ the first try, the highest grade you can get with corrections is a 90).
Here is how you deal with names:
The first time you reference someone, use their full name (and title as appropriate): journalism teacher Michael Reeves
From then on, UNTIL you introduce someone else with the same last name, use their last name: Reeves
When you introduce someone else with the same last name the first time, use their full name and make sure you give the relationship (for that specific story): his daughter Flannery Reeves
From that point forward use their first names: Michael or Flannery
Self-editing advice:
For those of you who finish today or early on Friday and want to look through your story in an effort to do some self-editing, here are some things you can do:
Double check the following and answer the questions on your Google Site in a post titled Feature self-edit. (If you do this before Wednesday, Jan. 22, I will give you 1-5 bonus points on this story):
1. Who were the sources (you should have 3)?
2. Summarize in 1-3 sentences the story (make sure you have covered what you want your readers {me} to know about your subject/topic):
3. How many paragraphs is the story (I would expect you to have around 20-30 at least)?
4. How many words is the story (you should be between 750-1500)?
5. How many direct quotes are there in the story (remember LTQT style, every other paragraph should be a direct quote, so between 10-20)?
6. How many different people are quoted in the story (you should have 3)?
7. Which quote is the most impactful of all the ones included (where is this quote located? It should be near the top or at the end)?
8. Where is that quote located in the story (beginning, middle, end) (see above)?
9. Does the lede effectively capture the readers attention (think about if you were reading this story, would you want to keep going after you read the first few paragraphs? If not, try to do more story telling in the lead, go back and look at this link: LEADS )?
10. If their could have been one additional person interviewed for the story, who would it be (you have time, maybe you could get ahold of that person and add it in before tomorrow afternoon)?
11. Is the story objective, which means are all non-direct quotes statements of fact and NOT the opinion of the writer (and are you in third person? NO use of the words I, me, we, us, and make sure if your source referenced anything like your aunt - that should be changed to her sister)?
12. Are there any unanswered questions that you have after reading the article (if you have questions, someone else will too, ANSWER THEM)?
13. Write a headline to go with this story:
14. Sum up your opinion of the story:
15. Give yourself a self grade from 0-100
I also encourage my newspaper staff to do the following:
Spell check - and be careful with words that spell check can't fix like there, their and they're.
If there are green, blue, or red marks in google docs, there is a problem - FIX it.
There are grammar helpers in google docs that do help, but there are others you can find online - run your story through one of those.
Read every sentence out loud (to your self quietly) - does it make sense like you are talking? If not - fix it.
Have a friend who is also done read your story - ask them for advice.
Spell check again....
If you want to access more self help - here are some links:
https://ijnet.org/en/resource/self-editing-tips-journalists
https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/revision-grammar/self-editing/
https://journalistsresource.org/tip-sheets/style/copyediting-for-reporters
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