Name ______Date ______
Directions: These are notes on various stories. For each letter, write a well-organized news story using all the given information. Your producer can cut the story to size later. Use a suspended interest lead if necessary or possible. /News Writing
Story Organization
You: A reporter for the pre-recorded Newark Valley Weekend Update.
Audience: Mostly Newark Valley students
Remember: These are notes with missing words. Rewrite these notes into a story that follows the inverted pyramid of news. Remember, notes have misspellings, lack capitalizations sometimes, leave out words and are what they are: JUST NOTES.
______
Masquers Players Tackle Steinbeck Classic
A. The Newark Valley High School drama club, Masquers, is going to stage a play. The play will be performed Mar. 21 and Mar. 22 in the Main Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The play will be "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. Brent Snow, a senior, has been chosen to play Lenny, an unintelligent, but big-hearted large man who constantly gets into trouble. Lenny is one of the most comedic characters in the play. Lenny’s pal, George, the smart guy of the duo, will be played by junior Steve Johnson. George is known for his temper. Rehearsal starts Monday, Jan. 12. Both drama classes will help stage the show. Director of the play will be Mrs. Jasmine Healter, head of the drama club. Also starring in the drama will be seniors Alice Hoffman, Kevin Holbert, Ryan Brigham, Gerald Hovancik and sophomore Todd Lamphere. George and Lenny, two ranch workers, seek a shot at the American dream. The screenplay is based on Steinbeck’s novella of the same title. “It’s the funniest and saddest play I’ve ever read,” Johnson said. “It’s just a great drama.” This is Healter’s second year as the head of Masquers. Except for the quotations, you got this information from Healter
School Board Approves Milkshake Machine for High School
B. It won’t be delivered until early May, but the cafeteria is getting a milkshake machine. Chocolate and Vanilla milkshakes will be available for $1.50 for a 12 ounce dessert treat. Although the cafeteria is it’s own business within the school and operates separately from the high school, it still requires board of education approval. Last Monday the board approved the purchase of the milkshake machine on several conditions: (1) Milkshakes be made with lowfat ice cream and skim milk, (2) that the treats be offered just three days a week, (3) that 10 percent of the revenue earned from the sale of the treats go to local charity to be named by the board, (4) and that students not be able to purchase shakes on credit. You got the information above from BOE minutes from last Monday and from board member George Shalander.
It’s unclear at this point if the machine will be fully operational by the time the school year is complete. Cafeteria lady Joann Smart, who is in charge of cafeteria operations at the high school, said it depends if a work order can be filled as soon as the new machine arrives. The machine needs to be put together and tested. “We’re completely excited about this. We haven’t been this excited about offering a new treat since we started serving slushies.” Smart said that. The cafeteria started serving frozen fruit juice treats last March, charging $1.00 for the 8 ounce concoctions.
Senior A Finalist in Contest That Hits Close to Home
C. A Newark Valley High School student has been selected as a finalist in a national contest to design a poster for the Drunk Driving Awareness Campaign. His name is Jim Bishop, and he is a senior. Bishop plans to attend SUNY Oswego in the fall and major in graphic design. Asked about his reactions to being chosen, Bishop said, "I am thrilled, delighted, happy. This is a real honor for me and the school." His poster previously had been declared the regional winner. The national first place winner will get a $5,000 scholarship for college. Bishop worked three long months on the poster. Art teacher Chris Negus helped Bishop get the poster off the ground. “I didn’t have to provide much assistance. He’s a really bright kid, and he knows his design principles,” Negus said. “He really helped me organize my thoughts in the beginning,” Bishop said. Bishop made two prints of the poster, one for his room, and one for the high school lobby. About the one in his room, Bishop, 17, said he looks at it each night he goes to bed, hoping it will bring him sweet dreams of cost-free college books over his four years at Oswego. Bishop’s older brother, James, was killed eight years ago when a drunk driver hit him as he rode his bike along Rt. 38 in Richford. James was 12 at the time of his death. According to the Drunk Driving Awareness Campaign web site, the winning finalist will be named April 5.
Quotes from Bishop on his brother: “James always used to draw. I always thought he was pretty good at it and our mom used to put his drawings on the fridge. I guess I followed in his footsteps. I mean, I was always doing whatever he was doing, always competing to draw just as good as he did. It didn’t start out that way, but he was my inspiration for this project. Once I got full into it, I realized that I needed to win this. I guess for him.”
Math Homework Help Now Just a Phone Call Away
D. Newark Valley Principal Diane Arbes announced a new plan this week in conjunction with the math department. She said a special telephone number was now available to all Math A and Math B students for homework help. She called it the "Dial a Math Teacher Program." With this number, 555-8513, students will be able to reach a teacher who can help with a homework problem. The line will be answered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Arbes encouraged all math students to use the line "as often as necessary." She said that whoever is answering calls will also soon be able to help with problems using Instant Messenger. He said that a few technological glitches needed to be worked out first, though. Nobody from the technology department was available for comment on the glitches before the press deadline. The program will officially begin next Thursday, April 14. After stopping in Mrs. Arbes’ office to interview her about the program, you only came a way with this recorded quote before the batteries ran dry: “The program aims to improve students’ scores in math and we couldn’t think of a better way than to offer immediate homework help from someone who knows math better than…..” (batteries dead — Ouch!).
According to math teacher Mr. Mertsen, the program was developed through a grant which pays for a cellular phone to be utilized to receive phone calls and stipend for math teachers manning the two-day-a-week post. The math department wanted to apply for the grant two years ago, but with the lack of good cellular service in the school then it was impossible. According to Mertsen, math teachers are receiving training on using several different private messenger programs. Although the phones will work for now, Mertsen is looking forward using messaging instead of the phone. “It’s math. It’s visual. And using instant messenger will make it much easier to show the work to those who need it shown to them. Who doesn’t’ need to see math?” Messaging also allows teachers to block those abusing the program. Prank phone calls can’t necessarily be stopped.
Name ______Week ______
My Best News Story: ______
Why? ______
What Part of News Writing Am I Best At? ______
______
What Part of News Writing Do I Have the Most Trouble With? ______
______
News Writing Rubric
Newsworthiness
The extend to which the story meets standards for newsworthiness and is directed at the interests of the intended audience: 1 2 3 4
Lead
The extend to which the lead clearly captures the most newsworthy elements and question words, is short, tight, makes the listener want to hear more, and uses a suspended interest lead where applicable: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Story Organization / Development
The extent to which organization follows the inverted pyramid of news writing, That is, it follows the line of what is most important / interesting to what is least without sacrificing necessary explanations for listeners. Moreover, the story moves well from paragraph to paragraph through the use of transitions.1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Concision, Objectivity & Quotations
The extent to which sentences are tight, word and phrase choice are appropriate level for listeners, paraphrases and quotations are well handled and attributed, and the writer tells an objective news story: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Paperwork
Give 5 points if this rubric was turned in with a print copy of the recorded news story and 0 points if it was not turned in with a print copy of the recorded news story: 0 5 /
News Producing Rubric
Clarity / Volume / Rate
The extend to which the broadcaster speaks with an appropriate news voice that is at an appropriate level of volume, clarity and a rate of speed, including pauses: 1 2 3 4 5
Professionalism / Tone
The extend to which the broadcaster’s tone of voice invokes confidence and serious broadcasting professionalism: 1 2 3 4 5Enthusiasm / Emphasis
The extent to which the broadcaster speaks with enthusiasm, appropriately adding emphasis to words important to listener’s story comprehension and attention: 1 2 3 4 5Noises / Distractions
The extent to which the news recording can be listened to without distractions caused by the recorder, mostly from shifting, including that of the microphone: 1 2 3 4 5File Management
The extent to which the file was exported from Audacity as an mp3 file to the appropriate folder on the S: Drive: 0 1 2 3 4 5Assignment’s File Path:
Production
The extent to which the recording was mixed together using the appropriate transitional noise (electrocuted) at the start of the news story:0 1 2 3 4 5
Total: _____ x2 = ______/120