Syllabus | Assignments
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Reporting 1 and 2: Assignments
Assignment 1:Make that pitch!Assignment 2: Pitch from Research (Midterm Exam)
Assignment 3:Write a Preliminary Outline
Assignment
1: Make that Pitch!
Your pitch ideas need to be posted to our class bulletin board (click on "bulletin
board" on the left) so that other people can read them before our next
meeting. At minimum, your pitch should include:
1. A hook that gets us interested in the story
2. An answer to the question, "Why this story?"
3. An answer to the question, "Why are we good people to cover it?"
4. An answer to the question, "Why do this story now?"
5. An answer to the question, "How do you plan to research the story?"
6. A preliminary answer to the question, "In which media would you like to see this story done (e.g. newspaper, a radio show, etc.)?"
Looking for more thoughts and guidelines on writing a pitch? All these links
have great insights:
For newspaper stories
in general
For magazine
stories (specific instructions on how to pitch for Book Magazine)
Example of
what's on MediaBistro.com (a site of choice for working writers in
New York)
For radio stories
From the other
side of the fence: Public Relations advice about how to pitch to editors and
reporters
Assigment 2: Pitch
from Research (Midterm Exam)
After re-reading your classmates’ interviews of workers, tourists and managers on Black Board, draft three-four paragraphs in which you pitch an idea for a print story to an editor, using research already gathered by the class.Your pitch will be graded on the basis of clarity of thought, grammar and spelling. It must include the following elements:
You have ONE HOUR to complete this assignment. You need to write it in Microsoft Word and then at 12:00 p.m., you will post it on Black Board in the area called “Your Midterm Pitch.” If you find yourself struggling to remember interview material or want more ideas about pitching, you can check anything we’ve posted on Black Board in the past.
1. A hook that gets us interested in your story
2. A clear and detailed explanation of the QUESTION that drives your story
3. A statement of your original hypothesis before beginning to research the story.
4. An explanation of the type of research you (the class) have conducted already, focusing on the issues of who was interviewed, what was asked, when interviews were conducted, where these interviews took place and how you recorded their responses (e.g. video, writing, etc.).
5. A clear statement of your findings (in connection with your question) you arrived at after you conducted your research
6. An answer to the question, "What further research will you (personally) need to do to write this story?”
Assignment 3: Give
a Preliminary Outline for your Story
You’ve made your pitch and your editor is interested in buying your
story, but only after she sees a detailed preliminary outline. In the next
hour, write up a full-sentence outline to show your editor. Your outline will
be graded on the basis of clarity of thought, grammar and spelling. You need
to write it in Microsoft Word and then post it on Black Board in the area
called “Your Midterm Outline.”
To help you with your outline, you can use this template.
I. The Hook (where you get your reader interested.)
To write a good hook, use either/or
II. The Lead (one, two or three sentences where you let your reader know what your story is about.) If your reader stops reading after two minutes, what would you like her to remember about your article? A good lead answers who/what/when/where/why/how:A. a juicy quote
B. a description of a particularly interesting interview dynamicC. a complex observation offered by an interviewer
A. What is the question driving your article?
B. What are three answers to the question driving your article?
1. List answer 1 here (you elaborate in item III)
2. List answer 2 here (you elaborate in item IV)
3. List answer 3 here (you elaborate in item V)
C. How did you go about researching the story?
D. To whom did you speak for this article?
E. When did your research transpire?
F. Where did you go to get answers to your questions?
G. Why is this story significant?
III. Answer 1
A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 1.IV.Answer 2
B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.
C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.
V. Answer 3A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 2.
B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.
C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.
A. Re-state and elaborate Answer 3.
B. Use an observation to serve as evidence for your answer.
C. Use a quote to serve as evidence for your answer.
VI. What are some ways to improve whatever condition you are describing in your article? (For example, if you are claiming that tourists don’t have enough opportunities to sample local culture in the VI, what are your ideas for improving that situation?)
A. Your idea for improvement 1
B. Your idea for improvement 2
C. Your idea for improvement 3
VII. What do the Experts Say? (Which experts in what specific fields should you interview in order to get their “take” on your ideas for improvement?)
A. Who should be the first expert you interview?VIII. Conclusion
1. First question you’ll askB. Who should be the second expert you interview?
2. Second question you’ll ask
3. Third question you’ll ask.
1. First question you’ll askC. How will you find out names of experts for your interview, and when will you schedule a time to speak with them?
2. Second question you’ll ask
3. Third question you’ll ask.
1. Finding first expert:
2. Finding second expert:
A. Restatement of your original question in snappier language than you used at the beginning of your article.
B. Restatement of your answers (again in snappier language)
C. Recap of the best possible solutions to the problem, based on interviews with experts.
IX. Parting Shot:
End your article in a memorable way. To do it, use a quote, scenario or observation you hope lingers in the mind of the reader.
Assignment 4: Write a Radio Script
Your print editor has a friend at National Public Radio, and now she is interested in hiring you to write a radio piece covering some element of the longer article you are doing for print. Write a radio script that uses quotes the group has already gathered to make a 90-second spot. If you want an example of what we mean, download this. Be sure to include:
1. Description of opening sounds, music etc.
2. Intro voiceover script, written as if someone were reading it for production.
3. Segue to first interview speaker. Remember, for each person you want to use besides yourself, you’ll need to write a voiceover for yourself that tells the audience who is speaking. Then you can copy and paste quotation material right into the script from the original interviews.
4. Segue to second interview speaker. Same process as first.
5. Outro voiceover script.
6. Description of any closing sounds, music, etc.
Assignment 5: Meet Your Deadlines (Final)
Download your production schedule, which details the dates by which you must turn in second, third and final drafts of your print piece and radio spot for your final grade.