Newspaper Article

Due: ______

For this assignment, will be choosing a current event and reporting on it for a fictional newspaper. The current event you choose may be something that has happened locally, nationally, or globally, but it must be fictional. The focus of this writing is tone, content, and how well it captivates an audience. You must provide adequate information in the form of facts, interviews with witnesses, details, and background information. You must captivate your audience with vivid word choice and active voice. These are the elements that you will be assessed on.

  1. Choose a topic. You must imagine an event that is plausible, but has not yet happened. It can be something many predict will happen or something that no one would expect. Be mindful and sensitive about reporting on things relating to gun violence, sexual harassment, or any other sensitive topics currently appearing in the news.
  1. Practice the skills. Use the graphic organizer to answer some basic questions concerning your current event. Decide who would be appropriate to interview on the event and practice using a tone that is appropriate for a news report. Decide your own opinion on the event and whether or not you will reveal this to your audience.
  1. Flash Draft. A flash draft is exactly what it sounds like. You sit and write. You don’t worry about spelling, grammar, editing, etc. You write from start to finish based on any prewriting you’ve done.
  1. Rough Draft. This should be written after you’ve received feedback on your flashback with more consideration of spelling/ grammar/ editing/ rereading, etc.
  1. Feedback/Revising: Revise in groups, with a partner, with Mrs. Hepler, with whoever will read your work. Have specific skills you’d like feedback on and specific questions you’d like answered… and USE THE FEEDBACK.
  1. Final Draft. Should be read, reread, and perfect.

Newspaper Article Rubric

Content/ Development of Ideas / Article contains little to no facts, no interview, and no background on the current event or the current event is not fictional. / Article contains a few facts, one interview, and minimal background information. / Article contains a variety of facts, at least one interview, and adequate background information. / Article contains a variety of relevant facts, multiple appropriate interviews, and adequate background information, clearly describing previous events.
Tone/ Point of View / Article includes no attempt to create an appropriate tone. / Article includes an attempt to create an appropriate tone. / Writer utilizes word choice, sentence structure, and content to create an appropriate tone. / Write utilizes word choice, sentence structure, and content to create an appropriate tone and control point of view.
Is it captivating? / Article is dull, simple, and includes no attempt to captivate an audience. / Article includes some attempts to captivate an audience. / Article includes vivid word choice, varied sentence structure, and interesting content. / Article uses vivid word choice, varied sentence structure, interesting content, and an appropriate tone to captivate.
Spelling/ Grammar/ Overall Presentation / Spelling and grammar errors inhibit understanding frequently. / Spelling and grammar errors occasionally inhibit understanding. / Spelling and grammar errors rarely inhibit understanding. / Writing contains little to no spelling and grammar errors.

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