Returning staff members:
More layout practice!!! The final project of last semester was to work on a single page design. You're going to rework that design and add ONE more story to the page. So, if you had a single story page, you need two. If you went with two stories on the page, you go to three. All that you need is here.
New staff members:
The goal is to complete all of these lessons by the end of our three layout class periods.
1. First Amendment Rights
Once you have finished this module, pleas review the press rights powerpoints on the blog. After you have done that, please answer this question as a comment to this post: What press case do you think is the most important for high school journalists and why?
2. Cleaning Your Copy: Everyone's got some weaknesses in the writing department, and this module will help you focus on making your writing better. Once you have finished this lesson, please answer this question as a comment to this post: Looking back at your first article, what were three mistakes you made? And, what three mistakes do you vow to never make again?
3. The Writer's Workbench: A good supply of hot tips for writing. Sure you've heard of some of these before, but think about these tips through the lens of a journalist. Once you have finished this module, post an comment in answer to this: Looking back at your first edition with The Voice, what ten rules do you have to share with the staff? These should be writing rules, but maybe one or two can be related to other aspects of the newspaper.
4. Typography for News Design: There is lots of learn about how a page is put together. There are rules and guidelines and good practices. Hopefully this module will help you start thinking about how a newspaper is put together and why designers do what they do. After you've completed this module, you need to find an amazing example of typographic design from the real world (newspaper/magazine not website) and bring it to class. Along with the newspaper you need to write a brief paragraph explaining what is so awesome about the page and what elements of type design the page is employing.
41 comments:
I think the most important case is Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier because it upholds a student's freedom of speech and press from those who are most likely to take it away: the faculty. This case prohibits faculty from not running or taking things out of an article unless they cam show a valid educational purpose for doing so. In other words, reguardless of whether you like it or not, if it follows protocol, it can be run.
The case of Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier is probably the most important case for student journalists, because it specifically states under what circumstances the faculty can censor a student's views. The law also states that the faculty can only censor a news story if they have a sound educational reason for censoring the story, not just because it clashed with their views. Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier most clearly outlines a student journalist's freedoms.
First Amendment Rights
The Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier case is the most significant press case for high school journalists. The case involves the faculty censoring the student newspaper and prohibiting them from publishing a story. The students argued that this violates the First Amendment, saying that they had freedom of press. Courts eventually ruled that because the newspaper was "not a forum for public opinion" and therefore did not fall under freedom of the press. The results of this were that newspapers run as part of a school curriculum would be subject to censorship by the faculty as long as they have justifiable content that they wish to censor. This press case essentially limits student's freedom of press by saying that a student newspaper isn't technically "press". This leads to an opportunity for students not to have their voices heard.
I believe that the Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmier case is the most important one. It portrays the freedoms that surpass students accesability. If students express their opinions and the facts of what the current "news" is at the school, they themselves need a just reason for printing it. In this case, I believe that the students needed permission from the person they were writing the story on, and a reason this story didn't need censorship. The freedoms of press given to us in the 1st amendment give us the ability to report things, but we need to remember to not take this right past its boundaries.
In my opinion, the case Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier is the most important for student journalists. This case protects students' rights to cover the most controversial issues, and lot of times, the most interesting and intriguing stories are about issues that people disagree on. This case gives students the ability to publish work about a heated topic without fearing punishment or censorship from teachers/administrators that don't approve of the issue
1.) First Amendment Rights:
The Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier press case has the greatest impact on high school journalists. The case essentially ruled that high school reporters do not have equal rights to their adult counterparts under the First Amendment. Although this case directly applies to public schools, it impacts all student reporters because it diminishes the power of journalists to address controversial topics without fear of censorship.
First Amendment Rights
I think that the Morse v Frederick Case was the most important. I think so first because it is the most recent, and so represents what future opinions from the Court might look like. I also think that it is the broadest reduction in free speech in modern times. Previous cases either extended rights, or limited specific categories of speech in times that I think there is legitimate reason to do so. I think that Morse v Frederick is a more sweeping law, that will impact more speech, including pictures with red cups in them and parodies of drugs or above the influence campaigns.
Cleaning Your Copy
3 mistakes I made:
• I should have abbreviated "Governor" to "Gov.
• I forgot a comma before an end quotation.
• I also forgot an "'s" to make a word possessive.
I will never again misuse:
• Who/whom
• Capitalization of certain words
• Abbreviation of certain words
First Amendment Rights:
I think that the Tinker vs. Des Moines School District case is one of the most relevant cases for high school journalists/high school journalism for many reasons. First, the decision created a hefty precedent that impacted multiple mediums of expression that are not solely confined to a school newspaper, including dress and speech. Second, the precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court has played a significant influence on other important cases pertinent to the high school journalist, including the Bethel School District vs. Fraser case as well as the Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier case. Lastly, the Tinker Case addressed and clarified the rights that both school districts and school newspapers have while simultaneously developing the relationship between the two. Though the Tinker case is a relatively old one, the decision made by the Supreme Court has made an immense impact on the development of the rights that I have as a member of the MA voice.
The Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier case is the most important since it sets limitations to what high school journalists can write about in the school paper. It stated that since the paper is a representation of the school the articles need to show that and that if the faculty/staff does not think that an article fully represents the school's opinion then it can not be printed.
I think that the Hazelwwod v. Kuhlmeier case is definitely the most important for high school journalists because it directly relates to their rights as writers for a school-sponsored forum. It was interesting to see that, even though we (the MA Voice staff) do have certain restrictions, based on the school's enforcement of censorship, that MA has actually allowed the staff to express very honest and sometimes controversial topics and opinions through the school paper.
I think that the Dean v. Utica is the most relevant case to high school journalists. In the event that the administration wants to censor an article, they must be justified in doing so. This court case gives student journalists more authority to question people’s motives on the issue of censorship. If they feel that the piece was censored unjustly, they have the right to appeal that decision. This case allows for more student freedom of press in high school newspapers.
The Writer's Workbench
Here are the 10 rules (guidelines) that I would bring to the Voice:
• Word territory: give words their own space.
• Back off, or show off: using the right style of writing.
• Showing, not telling (I need more of this).
• Using dialogue (?)
• I don't leave any gold coins
• The broken line
• I also don't really write cinematically
• Saving string
• Fear not the long sentence (but I also need to go shorter sometimes)
• Strong verbs!
First Article Mistakes:
1. No half sentence quotes
2. Transitions between paragraphs
3. Don’t editoralize
Never Again Mistakes:
1. New paragraph=new quote
2. The quoted person always said
3. Check abbreviations
Whoops! I meant the Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier case for my post.
I believe the most relevant case to high school journalists was Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier as it set the bar for students to have freedom of speech in their articles. The case set the standard that faculty could not censor articles that meet the publications requirements. This was very key because it established that an administrator or teacher could not censor an article just because of the views/topics it contained.
The cover of "The Nation" is awesome!!1!
First, it uses contrast of size. The title of the publication and the headline article draw the eye more than the inferior articles (I don't know what the actual name for them is). The contrast to the space around it isn't really that well done, because title "The Nation" doesn't stand out in terms of color. However, it has good contrast of weight. The different pieces of text come in many different styles. There's good contrast of direction. In fact, that is the best thing about this cover: the main headline draws your eye because of it's shape. There is also great color contrast (except for with the publication name).
What a great cover.
Cleaning Your Copy:
3 mistakes I made:
-partial quotes
-that/which
-forgot comma at the end of a quote
Never again...
-who/whom
-misuse of hyphens
-misuse of apostrophe's (<----- like that one)
Cleaning Your Copy:
Three mistakes:
-Writing dates incorrectly
-periods at the ends of quotes instead of commas
-capitalizing grades
"Never Again" mistakes:
-repeated statements
-who/whom
-editorializing!
2.) Cleaning Your Copy:
Three mistakes I made:
1. I did not check on the exact title of Lauren Phipps, Senior GSA Leader.
2. I used the word which instead of that.
3. I had a period outside of quotation marks.
Three mistakes I will never make again:
1. I will never again capitalize a season unless it is used in a title such as “Winter Olympics,” or unless it is the first word in a sentence.
2. For single common nouns ending in s, I will still use ‘s to make the word possessive unless the following word starts with an “s”.
3. I will use a colon instead of a period between two sentences if they present contrasting ideas.
1. I think that Hazelwood v. Kehlmeier is the most important case because it shows the violation of Freedom of Speech, but also shows the possible limitations to that in society and high school life. Was censorship really necessary from the principle? In his opinion, it was, yet I believe that it could have really affected a lot of people from reading this article, and that if their morals were in the right place (and not trying to embarrass the teenagers that they interviewed), that they should have been able to publish their article. This is important because as high school students, we must make sure to remember to use our rights of free speech as long as it is OK with some sort of adult, even if some adults disagree (such as some people who are homophobic).
2. Three mistakes that I made as I wrote my first article was making sure that I kept in the same tense consistently, my who/whom usage, and my terrible use of semi colons. I also was very opinionated, but that's not really editing.
3.
-Begin sentences with subjects and verbs-hooks the reader
-USE strong verbs in sentences, which will make your paragraphs stronger, and your whole article.
-"Murder Your Darlings"(aka cut any unnecessary words. "Precise and Concise!")
-Use punctuation to control pace and space. You control how the reader reads the article. With bad pace, comes a frustrated reader.
-Place emphatic words in a sentence at the end. It's quite dramatic and makes it sound exciting.
-Be creative with word choices. Saying "people" a million times isn't very exciting.
-You can make something horrific a little lighter by playing around with word choices-lighten the mood ("Jubilant mob mauls four dead Americans")
-Develop your voice
- Go crazy and be ambitious with sizing your paragraphs differently. It's more natural and appealing to the eye. It also emphasizes certain sentences and points.
-Start with a question, end with a different one. It'll make the reader more interested for the follow up story later.
^^ To my previous post, my "never again" mistakes:
-Indent with a new quote
-Make sure the quote is WORD FOR WORD
-Who/whom
3.) The Writer's Workbench:
1. When writing a sentence, try to place both the subject and verb in the first few words.
2. Less important details can be hidden in the middle of a sentence if there is strong information at the beginning and end.
3. Use of punctuation should be determined not by rules, but by how the writer wants the reader to move through the sentence.
4. Use active verbs whenever possible to give power to a sentence.
5. Avoid repeating strong words in a sentence, especially if they are redundant.
6. A good reporter keeps his or her eyes open for a detail that could “make” a story.
7. Understate serious topics and overstate less dramatic ones.
8. Make use of a good quote at the beginning of a story.
9. Show a person’s character through their actions, not by using worn-out adjectives.
10. It is more efficient to take on big endeavors piece by piece rather than be intimidated by the project as a whole.
Writers' Workbench:
1) Branch (sentences) to the right; subject and verb early in sentences ratehr than later.
2) Use punctuation (as well as sentence length) to control pace and space.
3) Play with words and explore our language; take advantage of the open ocean that is our vernacular.
4) Stick to the simple over the elaborate.
5) Understate vs. Exaggerate; be aware of your relationship between your writing and your material.
6) Use stories to answer questions (your engine).
7) "Turn your notebook into a camera."
8) Think about what your "mission statements" are for your article; what do you want your article to be?
9) "Save string;" keep good ideas with you!
10) Limit self-criticism, especially in the initial stages in your article.
Cleaning Your Copy
First Article Mistakes:
1) Have a shorter hook
2) Add more commentary between quotes
3) Blocky paragraphs
Never Again Mistakes:
1) Try to add more “creativity” to quotes.
2) Add more commentary without editorializing
3) Single space and new quotes=new paragraph
Cleaning Your Copy
Three Mistakes I Made
1. Lay instead of Lie
2. Misused quotation marks
3. Which instead of That
Three Mistakes I Will Never Make Again
1. Confuse That with Which
2. Misuse Hyphens
3. Confuse Who with Whom
Writer's Workbench:
Ten Rules:
1. Start with a longer article, it is easier to cut down
2. Punctuate with a purpose, not just for “fun”
3. Keep the pace of the story slow (not racing through)
4. Stay simple, nobody likes crazy long words they don’t know
5. Show don’t tell!!
6. Have a “mission statement” for the story, and remember it as you write
7. Have a clear beginning, middle, and end
8. Collaborate! Ask others their opinions, take advantage of your partner
9. Don’t make the article too wordy... keep it concise (that does not always mean short)
10. Hook the reader!
I didn't write the first article I was involved with, but I know that I have problems with the abbreviation of titles (Dr., Gov., etc.), the usage of apostrophes to denote measurement (6 feet=6'), and to shorten run-on sentences. I should also find every use of the semicolon, just because I feel inexperienced with it.
First time mistakes:
1) Too many sentences per paragraph
2) Not formal language
3) Too much content in quotes
Never again mistakes:
1) Only Quoting Seniors
2) Too opinionated
3) Limited communication between partners
Cleaning Your Copy
I actually don't have my first article, Ella does, but I'll do my best to remember.
I referred to someone by their first name a few times after the first mention. I now realize I should have just used their last name. I used the numeral, "9." I now realize that I should have spelled it out. I misused a semi-colon. I now know the correct way in which to use them.
I vow never again to mix up who with whom, misspell Lyonses', or incorrectly use the name of an interstate.
The Writer's Workbench
1. Use Strong Verbs to strengthen your statements
2. Be Concrete and Specific in your writing to be more clear about what you are writing about.
3. Paragraphs should be shorter in a newspaper to break up the text.
4. Quotes and Dialogue are essential in giving the article a voice.
5. Branching to the Right is important in the structure of a sentence, allowing for the sentence to expand from the original idea.
6. A team of editors is necessary and essential in perfecting the article and preparing it for publication.
7. Let it Flow to make the article easier and more pleasurable to read.
8. Allow yourself to Learn From Criticism because it will help your writing in the long run.
9. Long Sentences can be very descriptive and interesting, but can be too long to keep the reader's attention.
10. In the lead or somewhere close by, make sure to show the big picture of the article
After doing the "Cleaning Your Copy" activity, I now know how to:
1) differentiate 'that' and 'which'
2) correctly use 'who' and 'whom'
3) incorporate semi-colons into my writing
10 Rules to Write By:
1) Go outside of your comfort zone
2) Do not let your interviewee write the story for you, lead the discussion to get quotes worth quoting, not just prepared statements
3) Read a lot of other publication to understand how they format and word their stories
4) Open with a good quote quote, end with your strongest one
5) Edit for content before you work on small details
6) Find other publication on your issue and consider addressing ideas they bring up
7) Consider your vocabulary, do not talk like you do in an english paper, or a history paper, use vocab from both
8) Proof read over and over again, then have 2 other people read it, then read it yourself again
9) Read out-loud to make sure it flows well.
10) Do not use quotes just because you have too, find ones that are honest and actually help the article
Writer's Workbench
1. Branch to the right aka begin sentences with subjects and verbs
2. Cut big then small
3. Do not repeat a distinctive word unless it is for effect
4. Be specific
5. Vary sentence length to control the pace
6. Gold Coins!
7. Write endings to lock the box
8. Let it flow
9. Have others who can give you feedback on your work
10. Limit self criticism
Typography:
http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2009/11/effective-journalistic-technique.html
This is the cover of The Onion from April 27, 2008. The way that it has the question mark is really interesting, and the fact that it did what the title said was really funny! (It did follow a statement with a question, and separated them by a colon.) It also uses color really well by making one part stand out in red and the rest in the grey/white family. The title has a good rhythm to it since there are only 1 or two words per line. The contrast between the incredibly decorative The Onion Magazine (with the fancy font) and the plain font of the feature of the magazine made me read the feature part first.
"The Writer's Workbench"...
1) Take the time to clarify a sentence or idea because if the writer struggles to clearly understand it, the readers will be even more lost
2) Make interesting and clear headlines (fun verbs!)
3) Vary sentence patterns
4) Be aware of your tone... parallel with the story
5) Use adverbs tastefully
6) Strong words go first!
7) Use 'one hand rule' in layout
8) Make sure images are interesting and relevant, not forced
9) Sometimes incorporate parallel images with words
10) "Fear not the long sentence," but don't ramble
Writer's Workbench:
-long sentences can still be effective and clear in meaning, as long as they are organized the right way (subject/verb at beginning, then "branch out to the right").
-beware of adverbs! a lot of the time, they just repeat meaning already expressed in the sentence.
-"murder your darlings": in the editing process, it's often necessary to cut out entire sections of a piece - anything that doesn't directly support the main idea
-Word territory: be aware of intended/unintended repetition, and separate repeated uses of a key work
-vary the length of paragraphs: smaller paragraphs act as a sort of mental break for the reader as he/she is processing the information in a piece of writing
-downplay the most serious news, but exaggerate the least serious
-1 = power, 2 = comparison/contrast, 3 = completeness/wholeness, 4 = list, compile
-"gold coins": reward the reader and keep them interested with little interesting tidbits throughout the article (startling facts, revealing quotes, etc.)
-break long projects into parts - write as it comes to you...eventually, the parts will add up.
-take an interest in all aspects of journalistic writing...the more involved you are in every aspect of an article (writing, copyediting, graphics, layout,etc.), the better
4.) Typography for News Design:
Contrast of Size and Proportion are the two main techniques used to make this Times page awesome. The title of the featured article, “The Truth About Tiger” Moms is in a much larger font than the brief summery below it. This technique makes it clear what the reader should see first, and what part of the text is most important. The proportion is also crucial, because the heading is the same height as the daughter, and is towered over by the Tiger Mother figure. This is a really powerful effect, because it underscores the role of the domineering parent in the article.
The most recent edition of "The New Yorker" exemplifies great typography and incorporates a plethora of vocabulary in very interesting ways. The words are creatively placed in a cityscape and their fonts parallel their meaning. It is very diverse and original and really fun to look at!
The typography in this image has some very strong messages behind it. The use of having the two different fonts sends strong ideas to the read. The more bold title on top of the quote about the very title and how it is not something to be taken lightly. The quote in the classic primitive font shows the simple roots of the idea of the speaker and tries to send an sense of innocence to the reader. And finally the image that looks like a police hat, but with bold black overwhelming the white page and the text fighting that idea. All of these factors create a strong use of typography that sends a clear simple message.
(I will bring the photo to class)
In Sunday's New York Times Magazine, I found the cover story, The Boy Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, to have striking typographic design. The first page of the article shows the title written out vertically down the side of the page in bold black letters against a mostly white page. In the center of the page surrounded by blank white, it says "Is Julian Assange the great puppet master of the news media? He would like you to think so. But the Time's dealings with him reveal a different story." This quote, providing a strong voice to the article before one even starts reading it, leads into the bottom right corner where the article starts. The simplicity of the page combined with the creative spacing of the different aspects of it made it an extremely intriguing layout that motivated me to read the story.
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