Making Some News -- More Information
Due February 8th
First, Introduce Your Story (It Doesn't Have To Be From Behind A Desk)
Next, Provide Background Information. Explain Why You Are Covering This Information -- Why You Think It Is Important (You Should Use Footage Related To Your Story During This Portion Of Your Story -- You Do Not Have To Use Footage Of A "Reporter In The Field"). Although This Section Will Inherently Reflect Your Opinions, Your Goal Should Be For This Section To Seem As Objective (Unbiased And Evenhanded) As Possible
Then, Interview People About The Story You Are Covering. Interview More Than One Person In Order To Convey The Different Aspects And/Or Rich Nature Of The Story. This Is Where Your Story Finds Balance. It Is Important To Seek Out As Many Different Voices (Interviewees) As Possible, And Select The Most Diverse Perspectives. If Everyone You Interview Is Saying The Same Thing, Then Your Story Is Going To Be Boring
Finally, Recap Your Story. A Recap Is A Summary. In This Section You Need To Briefly Remind Your Audience Of The Importance Of The Story You Have Been Covering, And Remind Them Of Any Potential "Calls To Action"
An Example Of The Above Format Used In Recent, Local News
How Do I Do All Of That?
First, Pick A Topic
- Reading Challenge
- President's Day
- Around the World Dance
- Wellness Week
- Valentine's Day
- School Sports -- I Think We Have A School Basketball And Field Hockey Team, But There Might Be More
- Upcoming Event: Susan Kim, "Anxiety in Teens and Tweens - Identifying and Addressing Anxiety in Adolescents"
- Upcoming Event: Jean Twenge, "iGen: Why Today’s Super-connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood"
Next, Research Your Topic
You Should Know Something About The Subject Of The Story You Are Covering Before You Begin Conducting Interviews. So, Spend The Bulk Of Today Researching The Topic Of Your Story
Then, Conduct Your Interviews
If You Need Help Setting Up Your Interviews, And/Or If You Need Your Teachers To Be Informed That You Need To Leave Class To Conduct An Interview, Please Ask Mr. Richards For Help
Finally, Write And Record Your Sections Of The Story Before Editing
This Should Be The Bulk Of Your Thinking Time. Review Your Interview Footage. Think About The Different Perspectives From Those Interviews Before You Begin Writing Your Script. Remember, You Have To Provide An Introduction, Background Information, Perhaps A Call To Action, And You Have To Provide Context For Your Interviews. Also, It Is Important To Place Your Interviews In An Order That Makes Sense. The First Interview You Show Should Mostly Fit In With The Background Information You Will Be Providing. The Second Interview You Should Should Provide A Different Perspective.