Student Yearbook Guide

Student Yearbook Guide

Reporting

1.     Good Reporters

a.     Look and listen for their readers

b.     Everyone at an activity or event is a potential source

c.     Some sources offer better insights than others

d.     Information gathering starts with the five W’s and H

2.     Research

a.     Helps reporters understand their stories

b.     Previously published material is a place to start researching a story

c.     Primary sources provide background material and material that may become part of a story

3.     Interviews

a.     The better the questions, the better the answers

b.     Active listening produces the best results

c.     Good notes contain direct quotes and facts

Writing          

1.     Notes

a.     A writer uses questions to help focus the story

b.     If the notes seem incomplete, there is more reporting to do

c.     Organizing notes helps with decisions about content

2.     Stories

a.     Best feature stories put information in a human context

                                               i.     Lead – Opening sentence or paragraph introduces the story, sets the tone, angle, and piques reader interest.

                                             ii.     Quotes – Word-for-word statements from sources show a reaction to event/activity. Quotes with individual’s name adds voice and human interest to a story.

                                            iii.     Transitions – Inform readers and help them understand what sources are talking about. Prepares the reader for the next quote.

                                            iv.     Conclusion – Final sentence or paragraph ties end of a story back to the lead; gives story sense of completeness. Story should end with a strong point or quote, not with editorial comment from writer.

b.     Quick reads offer an alternative to features.

3.     Good Writing

a.     Good copy depends on an angle and substance

b.     Good copy seems tightly written and lively

c.     Good copy uses narrative elements

d.     Good copy seems fresh and original

Read the article by Mallory Summers & see all the components working together

Writing effective headlines requires creativity, effort, and attention to details

What can you take from this page to help in writing creative headlines? Make sure to have a good lead to really spark peoples interest. Also to incorporate statements made by the person being interviewed.

Describe the 3-step process to writing dynamic headlines

1.     A solid understanding of content results in better headlines

2.     Word play and brainstorming are useful strategies

3.     Guidelines lead to quality and consistency

Captions                        

1.     Content

a.     Captions should do more than state the obvious

b.     Captions answer readers’ questions about a photo

c.     Caption writing requires reporting

d.     Direct quotes from individuals in the photo add depth

2.     Describe the 3-step process to writing captions

a.     Gather information to explain the photograph. Try to attend activity or event. Interview subjects in photo as well as other participants. When interviewing people in photographs take care to answer: 

• Who? Identify the key people in the photo with correctly spelled first and last names. 
• What? Accurately describe the action in the photo. Don’t guess. Interview people in photos to get facts. 
• When? Be specific; mention the time element when important—sometimes this isn’t critical information. 
• Where? Be descriptive; capture sights and sounds. 
• Why? The reason for the action in the photo. 
• How? Details that explain the action in the photo. 
• Describe best memory at the event: By asking, it allows people in the photo to share insights in their own words. Tell something we can’t see from the photo: The people in the photo always know interesting things that aren’t obvious by looking at the photo.

b.     Create a verbal/visual connection by brainstorming a list of attention-getting impact word that come to mind when looking at the photograph. Strive for image-evoking nouns and strong, action verbs. Look for word and phases used by person in photo during interview. Select best option for the caption lead-in.

c.     After interviewing and brainstorming dynamic words, it’s time to write the caption. With the lead-in written in step two, it’s time to write the caption. For a Summary Caption, write a detailed sentence, in present tense, describing the action in photo and reporting most important five W’s and H to answer all essential questions. For Expanded Caption, write a second sentence providing details not obvious in the photo, emphasizing the “how” and “why” and often featuring a direct quote.

Photography

We will be discussing this section in class