Comm 3505 News Reporting

Due Date:

Weight: This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade/40 grade points.

Submission Checklist:

1. Grading Template

2. Preface: Event/issue; rationale; newsworthiness; follow-up coverage.

3. Five-question Topic Selection Test

4. Seven-Stage Writing Process Summary.

5. Completed Peer Review: This peer review is worth 3% of your final grade/12 grade points.

6. Sample Article

7. Original Article: Headline; subheadline; byline; columns; captioned illustration; hard news lead; 700-900 story in inverted pyramid; attributed interviews; attributed background information.

Description: The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to practice basic news reporting and writing skills. You will be applying what you've learned in your text regarding leads, interviewing strategies, use of quotations, attributions, the Inverted Pyramid, and other AP style issues. Each student will select a story/event of public importance to cover by way of a standard news report (Note: sports, feature topics, and entertainment stories are not acceptable for this assignment). Some may go to a meeting of the school board, others may attend a city council or county board meeting. Still others may want to cover a trial or some other news event. Write a standard news story in the inverted pyramid style, complete with headline and subheadline. Include an illustration (photograph, chart, table, graph, pull-out quotation, or some other accompanying material) and provide a caption for that illustration. Use AP style (consult your AP manual handouts) and format the article in two columns. Accuracy is of paramount importance.

Required Elements:

1. Preface-explain what event you attended or what issue of public importance you selected for this assignment, why you chose this event/story and what made it newsworthy. Also, explain what kinds of issues you might want to follow up on in subsequent reports. This preface should be on a separate sheet of paper.

A. Include responses to the five question test for topic selection discussed in class. These reponses should be on a separate sheet of paper.

B. Include the completed 7-step template. This summary should be on a separate sheet of paper.

2. Report on a public meeting which is newsworthy.

A. Write a cogent headline for the article in 10 words or less (8 is ideal).

B. Write a descriptive subheadline.

C. Provide a byline.

D. Write an effective lead.

E. Follow the inverted pyramid style.

F. Use of interviews and other documented materials.

G. Use of appropriate ane effective attribution for sources of information incorporated into this story.

H. Use of effective transitions.

I. Formatted in columns.

J. Use of a captioned illustration.

Length: No fewer than 700 words, no more than 900 words.

Format: Use columnar form with an illustration. Make sure that your headline is in a bigger font than the subheadline, which itself must be in a bigger font than the article. The headline, subhead and byline must all be in bold. The illustration should be captioned, identifying the source of the information, if necessary.

Grading Standards:

Objective----------------------------------------------------------Subjective

Is the story accurate, factual, grammatical?----- Is the language used clear and effective?

Are all the required elements present?------------ Is the story accurate and well supported?

Are all sources of information clearly attributed?----- Does the story answer necessary questions?