The Trojan Torch online edition
Instructional videos needed for "crash course" and "vets reboot"
Note: updated for Covid-19 school closure/self-directed online learning!
HOW TO COMPLETE THE JOURNALISM CRASH COURSE:
1. Under the heading Journalism Fundamentals, watch the video called "What is News?" and answer the quiz that follows.
2. ASSIGNMENT: Get the assignment titled "Is it News" below, and follow the directions to complete it. You can simply type on a google doc the number you chose, the news values that apply (there is more than one for each), and why those news values apply--and share it with me.
1. Under the heading Journalism Fundamentals, watch the video called "What is News?" and answer the quiz that follows.
2. ASSIGNMENT: Get the assignment titled "Is it News" below, and follow the directions to complete it. You can simply type on a google doc the number you chose, the news values that apply (there is more than one for each), and why those news values apply--and share it with me.
is_it_news_activity.docx | |
File Size: | 9 kb |
File Type: | docx |
3. Under the heading Getting Started, watch the video called "Story Ideas" and answer the quiz that follows.
4. Watch the video called "News Writing" and answer the quiz that follows.
5. ASSIGNMENT: Take a fairy tale or nursery rhyme (something that has a very simple plot) and re-tell it in inverted pyramid format, NOT chronologically as it was originally told. Remember to put the most important thing that readers need to know, or the most recent information, first in a news summary lead. Share this with me on google docs.
6. Watch the video called "Reporting & Interviewing" and answer the quiz that follows.
7. ASSIGNMENT: Choose an inanimate object, and write down 20 open-ended questions to ask that object as if it could respond. Share on google docs.
8. There are two types of stories: hard (breaking) news and soft (feature) news, and each requires a different approach. The hard news stories basically use a summary news lead like you did for your fairy tale. It is the most recent information, and if I was busy I could basically read that first sentence and get the gist of the story. If I wanted more details, I could read on. The soft or feature stories use a different approach. Because the news isn't timely and breaking, they have to get your attention somehow. It's much more like an English essay where you start with a hook that doesn't mention your topic but is related, then you eventually make that connection and get down to your thesis. Only in journalistic writing you don't have a thesis, you have a nut graph which is where you do explain the actual news or what the story is about now that you've gotten their attention. Check out the notes below for the different types of leads (note that for hard news, the main one is the summary lead, but for feature there are a lot of different choices). Then, complete this ASSIGNMENT: Think of an event that happened to you recently, or something that is going on in the world, and write two different leads for a pretend story that could be written. This could be real news; however, it doesn't have to actually have news values--it could be something silly like a recap of your lunch period. It's just to practice the skill of figuring out how to approach a story. One approach has to be a hard news summary lead, and then you could choose any other type for the second one. You'll just be writing a sentence or two, or a paragraph or two, depending on the type of lead. You don't actually have to write the rest of the article. OK, now do the same thing again. Total of four leads for two events. Share this with me on google docs.
4. Watch the video called "News Writing" and answer the quiz that follows.
5. ASSIGNMENT: Take a fairy tale or nursery rhyme (something that has a very simple plot) and re-tell it in inverted pyramid format, NOT chronologically as it was originally told. Remember to put the most important thing that readers need to know, or the most recent information, first in a news summary lead. Share this with me on google docs.
6. Watch the video called "Reporting & Interviewing" and answer the quiz that follows.
7. ASSIGNMENT: Choose an inanimate object, and write down 20 open-ended questions to ask that object as if it could respond. Share on google docs.
8. There are two types of stories: hard (breaking) news and soft (feature) news, and each requires a different approach. The hard news stories basically use a summary news lead like you did for your fairy tale. It is the most recent information, and if I was busy I could basically read that first sentence and get the gist of the story. If I wanted more details, I could read on. The soft or feature stories use a different approach. Because the news isn't timely and breaking, they have to get your attention somehow. It's much more like an English essay where you start with a hook that doesn't mention your topic but is related, then you eventually make that connection and get down to your thesis. Only in journalistic writing you don't have a thesis, you have a nut graph which is where you do explain the actual news or what the story is about now that you've gotten their attention. Check out the notes below for the different types of leads (note that for hard news, the main one is the summary lead, but for feature there are a lot of different choices). Then, complete this ASSIGNMENT: Think of an event that happened to you recently, or something that is going on in the world, and write two different leads for a pretend story that could be written. This could be real news; however, it doesn't have to actually have news values--it could be something silly like a recap of your lunch period. It's just to practice the skill of figuring out how to approach a story. One approach has to be a hard news summary lead, and then you could choose any other type for the second one. You'll just be writing a sentence or two, or a paragraph or two, depending on the type of lead. You don't actually have to write the rest of the article. OK, now do the same thing again. Total of four leads for two events. Share this with me on google docs.
leads_explanation.pdf | |
File Size: | 40 kb |
File Type: |
9. Journalists use something called AP style, which addresses spelling, capitalization, and usage, so that all media outlets are consistent. This accomplishes clarity, so there's no confusion, and avoids bias because everyone is using the same rules (it would be showing bias, for instance, if we capitalized the word "senior" in The Torch, but no other grade level). So that's why we worry about a seemingly inconsequential thing as capitalization and punctuation and other other issues addressed in AP style. Here is an online condensed version of the AP stylebook:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/journalism_and_journalistic_writing/ap_style.html
Note that after the introduction, it is divided alphabetically into different topics. You'll need to look up different things in order to complete this ASSIGNMENT: a worksheet of sentences for you to correct (see link below). Note that each sentence will have at least two errors to fix. It will be pretty clear that you'll have to look up dates, or times, or titles, or names, etc. Just re-write the sentences and share them with me on a google doc.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/journalism_and_journalistic_writing/ap_style.html
Note that after the introduction, it is divided alphabetically into different topics. You'll need to look up different things in order to complete this ASSIGNMENT: a worksheet of sentences for you to correct (see link below). Note that each sentence will have at least two errors to fix. It will be pretty clear that you'll have to look up dates, or times, or titles, or names, etc. Just re-write the sentences and share them with me on a google doc.
following_the_ap_stylebook.doc | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: | doc |
HOW TO COMPLETE THE VETS REBOOT (only for students taking the class for the second time)
1. Under the heading Specialized Writing, watch the video "Feature Writing." Before starting, get the slotting notes from Mrs. Hess so you can fill them in.
2. Assignment: Turn in your slotting notes once they are complete.
3. Look at the handout below that summarizes concepts of feature writing.
essential_questions-feature_writing.pdf | |
File Size: | 417 kb |
File Type: |
4. Assignment: Write out a fake example of the quote-transition-quote format in a pretend article. You just need to include (make up) a chunk of the story that demonstrates you can do the Q-T-Q format. Share with me on google docs.
5. Read the notes below on passive voice (there are two pages) and do the Assignment that is contained therein.
5. Read the notes below on passive voice (there are two pages) and do the Assignment that is contained therein.
active_vs_passive_voice.pdf | |
File Size: | 914 kb |
File Type: |
6. Read the notes below on showing, not telling (one file and one link).
showing_not_telling.pdf | |
File Size: | 444 kb |
File Type: |
http://bobbyhawthorne.blogspot.com/2010/03/johnny-weeks.html
Read this great example of showing, not telling: Note these things: 1) By starting with the great scene-setter lead, it instantly makes this a STORY about people who are affected by the threat of gun violence--not a REPORT about gun violence. 2) Rather than TELLING how teachers are affected by the recent wave of gun violence, this SHOWS me. 3) It still gets the facts/data/stats in, but they are subordinate to the STORY.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/As-Campus-Gun-Violence/233727
Read this great example of showing, not telling: Note these things: 1) By starting with the great scene-setter lead, it instantly makes this a STORY about people who are affected by the threat of gun violence--not a REPORT about gun violence. 2) Rather than TELLING how teachers are affected by the recent wave of gun violence, this SHOWS me. 3) It still gets the facts/data/stats in, but they are subordinate to the STORY.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/As-Campus-Gun-Violence/233727
7. Conciseness and Preciseness
Being concise--not wordy, overloaded, or redundant--helps with clarity. Journalistic writing isn't formal academic writing, so there's no need for puffed-up writing. Cut to the chase. Besides making it more clear, being concise will perk up your writing with more action and make your readers feel engaged rather than lectured to. It's also a concern with journalistic writing because space may be limited, either in print or on the web.
Assignment: On a separate sheet of paper, rewrite these 8 sentences to make them as concise as possible (it's okay to change verb forms--and remember, making sentences active also makes them more concise):
1. The protester was taken to jail and locked up.
2. He broke his arm on one occasion.
3. The criminal was able to make good on his escape.
4. He went on to say that he wasn't sorry the team lost.
5. The house was completely destroyed by fire.
6. The couple was united in holy matrimony.
7. Mrs. Hatton made an investigation of the missing computers.
8. After the loss, Coach Buckley tendered his resignation.
One way to achieve conciseness is to be more precise. Using one perfect word to describe a concept can help with length but also improve writing with more accurate description.
Assignment: On a separate sheet of paper, provide a more precise word for each of the following words (there are several possible answers):
1. pants/slacks
2. motorcycle
3. restaurant
4. laugh
5. drank
6. complain
7. look
8. dog
8. Be prepared to take a quiz with the rest of the class on quotes formatting and AP style. Hess has review materials if you would like them.