A place for young journalists

2009-10-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

The beginning of a new semester in high school publications requires continued thinking smart outside the box, planning and a pledge to work toward a fair and impartial communication to readers in a modern, well-designed format.

Opening of Semester — Click here — We'll start with September, but be sure to look at changes in district boundaries, etc., that may have happened since your last issue. One question at this time from staffers may be "How can we keep the fall momentum going?" Let's think about that.

News — Your primary readership may be interested in topics which have an impact in their lives — riding buses, cafeteria price increases, scholarship deadlines. Often we give them "fluff" and call it news. Your school contains many experts. Look for those people. Your publication is the primary medium to cover these things for your readers.

Work on those leads. Readers need to be caught in the first paragraph or two - or they're gone on to something else.

Features — Hope you've moved away from writing about "popular" students just because they are "popular." Look for the unusual, the quirky, the little-known, the heroes, the colorful, the talented — stories that evoke "Gee, I didn't know that." Ask in classes about people, places and things that interest readers.
Sports — Look for behind-the-scenes stories. How did the teams prepare to improve the season record, what about stadium concession changes or interesting folks working there. Individuals in sports — skaters, dancers, marathon runners, weight lifters, boxers and the like — will take the pressure off having to cover all team sports equally. You can try to do that, but it's a tough task.
Opinion — Offer readers helpful information — the importance of applying for scholarships early, praise (when merited) for changes that benefit students, support for bond elections and constructive criticism (also where it is merited), such as parking problems, traffic or safety problems or other campus topics. Click Here for reviewing tips. See Rotten Tomatoes See Filmcritics.com
Columns — Please, only the "best" writers should step up to the plate. This may prove difficult because few want to be rejected. Maybe conduct a contest to select the "best." Let the staff vote, perhaps, to remove any hint of favoritism. Know that not all editors consider writing in this style to be their forté so they shouldn't feel this as an ego-buster. Let them do what they do best.
Design — Will your publication need a tweak or two? Look at the best-designed newspapers which may provide ways to tweak the design.
Editing — Behind every great reporter or designer is a great copy editor, someone once said. This is true. These are the people who find the creepy little errors, make a story read more coherently, move the lead from the bottom to the top and help reporters improve their work. Finally, they write the scintillating headlines that will attract readers.
Photos — See Photo Tips, you photo people, for how to capture the pictorial essence of your school. Avoid cliché stuff like groups, grip-and-grin shots, snapshots in which people are making funny faces. Photos should tell a story and capture the emotional impact of the moment. See National Press Photographers Association
Art — See Illustrator Tips for suggestions on the types of art to use in your publication. Often, an illustration allows the designer to embellish reality more than a photo would allow, and designers can combine type with illustrations more easily. Look around campus for artists with a sense of humor and an interest in current events.

Helpful handouts for the tough task ahead

Column writing / Feature writing / Editorial writing / UIL contest help / Speech story writing / Headliines / Review writing / A Reporter's Checklist / Design / What is Public Relations? / News values / Copy Editor's Help / Interviewing / Online resources for reporting / Photo Tips for photojournalists / Media law / Libel/Slander/ Media ethics Magazines / Magazine formula / The query letter / Newspapers / History of music / Public relations / Advertising / Radio / TV / Nonverbal communication / Letter to the editor / Getting a job / Sports writing / World of sports writing / Writing radio copy / Brainstorming / Managing time wisely / Media Organizations / Titles, not headlines / Infographics

Something new about sports

SPORTS WRITING MADE SIMPLE — A look at similarities in sports stories: Check out these short game stories from the fall 2010 San Antonio Express-News to see a kind of pattern to follow. Gather the information and then put it in short sentences.

Permian's Mojo a no-go at Smithson Valley by Will Wright - Special to the Express-News

Heights finds snap solution by Raul Dominguez - Special to the Express-News

Sam Houston erupts in second half against Brackenridge by David Kendrick - Special to the Express-News

All three stories have a catchy lead, but they have the score high in the story. The stories develop from quarter to quarter with high points placed in between. Quotes are spare but pointed. They are about the same length. No need to pad these stories with unnecessary information and quotes. Keep it simple!

Here is the UIL Help Session for the San Antonio College "Charting Your Course" workshop.

The Exchange

A place for young journalists

Helpful handouts for the tough task ahead

Something new about sports