Contests to enter

Folks

Here is the website for the CSPA categories. Please peruse and think about what article(s) you'd like to enter. You will need to cut out the articles, affix them to the proper paper and fill out an entry form. I have entry forms in my office and will bring them to class. Please be sure to read submission instructions as well.

You can also check out the results from this year's awards and finally know what Josh and Natasha got second for. Very cool.

Any questions, let me know.
mc

Week 36: the last week

It has finally arrived and it's time to close out the year with some awesome posts. Hope you enjoy! I have loved reading your posts more than anything else we've done in class. You all have been insightful, reflective, and responsive to each other in ways I never imagined. Thanks for making this work and thanks for partaking in this part of the class.

1. Here is an amazing story about a school that has a segregated prom. This piece appeared in the NYTimes Magazine this weekend. The topic is what intrigued me the most, but the writing is pretty solid as well.

2. An interesting piece from the radio show On The Media. This particular piece digs into the health care issues facing America, but more precisely, the misinformation that killed the last attempt to change our system. Is the media to blame? Why didn't the media do more to find out the truth in 1994? How can we learn some investigative tips from this piece? How could this inform the depth we go to (or don't go to) in our own work?

Homework for 5.21

All
Look at the MA Handbook, specifically the style section in the back, and come up with 7-10 items to add to this section. Think of mistakes you've/we've made often (maybe how to write numbers, how to cite a source) and how we can add that to the style book.

Editors
Create a tutorial for use next year. This tutorial should be easy to understand and illustrative of quality writing. Be sure to include:

1. Five musts for a successful article in your section.
2. A good example to share with the class.

Others
If you could do things differently for The Voice, what ten things would you do? Be realistic and concrete.

Week 35 — almost done ...

1. NYTimes writer Maureen Dowd made a little mistake in a recent column. Eek. What do you think of her actions. Is this something that will surely face journalist in the future as more and more bloggers get the scoop?

2. Some interesting ideas on how to save journalism. In this Washington Post column, Sanford & Brown say that the government can help. What do you think of these ideas? Is this really the way to help journalism transform?

Share your insights. Next week will be the final post of the year! NNNNNooooooooooo.

Week 34

Room for Debate is a great way to get people talking about topics in the news. How could this be utilized in The Voice? What kinds of topics would be most successful? least successful? Read a few and comment on the form and structure.

Week 33: It's May!

1. This is an informative read, but I want you to look at it more for the structure. How could we incorporate this simple idea into The Voice? We've done some pieces on advice from the seniors to juniors, but what, more serious topics could we tackle on a regular basis. Notice that this piece combines depth with breadth.

2. Here's a piece from Newsweek about the cost of beauty and how much women spend on product over the course of a lifetime. Eek! It's pretty crazy. What is so great about this piece is the graphic representation of the information. Sure it's on a website, but we have the skill and style to integrate more infographics into our pieces. Thinking of either this final edition or some other story for next year, what kinds of topics would benefit from this style of reporting?

Share your amazing ideas.