Notes for Stinger Students

Interviewing: A) Introduce yourself, your story and why you need to talk to the person.
B) Be interested. Ask questions calmly and clearly. Look them in the eye.
C) Brevity: Dont hurry through the interview, but be brief.
D) If you need more time, ask when you can meet them-be clear.
E) Write down exactly what they say or record it with a voice recorder.

Writing: Follow the inverted pyramid style. Answer Who, What, Where, When, How and
Why in your piece and answer it within the first two paragraphs. Important information
first, details to follow. When we edit stories for length, we edit from the bottom up.
Basic Writing information:
Numbers: one through nine are spelled out, 10 and above are written as numbers.
The school is referred to as Cam High in our stories. Names of faculty or staff
should start with Mr. or Mrs. Followed by first and last name. After that, use last name
only to describe them. Students should be introduced by first name and last name, then
last name only after that.
In news or feature stories, do not insert your opinion. In sports stories, for
example, never write, we all hope that the team does well or anything like that. Never
insert first person (I, we, etc,). Stories need to maintain some objectivity and as a
reporter, your job is to share observation, not judgment.
Sentence structure needs to be clear, cogent, simple and efficient. Subject-verb
agreement, no fragments, sentence flow, varying length of sentences-are all hallmarks of
good writing. Read the Ventura County Star or the L.A. Times. Better still, go online and
read different papers from around the nationsee how they do it. Emulate that.

Avoid First person altogether unless writing an opinion piece where it is a part of
the writing.
Do not use contractions unless they are direct quotes. The exception to this is the
word its, as in, its common to see the seagulls flying over the quad at lunchtime.
Do not start any story with a date or time.
Avoid use of second person (you) for most stories.
Proper punctuation is necessary. Proofread your stories before you turn them in.
Present tense is almost always a bad idea in a newspaper story of any kind.
Compel your readers attention with an interesting opening.
Each story for news, life or sports must have at least two sources. More is better.
The more voices in your piece, the more authentic it will sound.
Play the game so what with your articles. Why should students want to read about
the story?
Important information first, followed by details.
Sample Story-News

Rise and Shine Preschool to Close in Camarillo

By Mark Storer

Rise and Shine Preschool, operated by the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, will close at the end of the
month, officials said.

"To be honest, I'm devastated that it's closing," said Shelly Woore of Camarillo, whose son Joseph, 4, was to
attend the school. "I have no idea where I'm going to send him, and I don't have the heart to tell him yet until I
find another place."

About 15 students had enrolled for the fall term. Parents were informed last week that the school would close
Sept. 30 because of budget constraints.

"We wanted the school to be self-sustaining and thought that tuition would do that," said Dan LaBrado, general
manager for the park district. The preschool was slated for closure in 2009, but parents' efforts, including
fundraisers and classroom involvement, persuaded the district to keep the school open.

2009 and 2010 were successful, LaBrado said.

"Enrollment was up and we did OK. But a lot of those parents moved on and the fact is, enrollment was down for the
summer and fall enrollment wasn't what we expected," he said.

LaBrado said park district officials told parents in July there were budget concerns but they would revisit the
issue.

"That's what we did," he said. "We started looking at the upcoming school year and saw that we would probably just
break even if it all went perfect."

Margot Stewart, whose son Persy, 3, was to attend the preschool this fall,said she and the other parents received
an email from district recreation supervisor Jeri Armstrong on Aug. 10 that suggested if enough students enrolled,
the school would stay open or at least be re-evaluated by the district.

"We had only 12 students enrolled by Aug. 10, but by Aug. 15, there were 15 students enrolled and we thought we
had enough to keep it open," Stewart said.

On Sept. 2, parents received an email from Armstrong that Rise and Shine would close. The email cited a financial
loss at the end of the 2010 school year and weak enrollment.
As of Tuesday, five students were enrolled. The majority of the parents had found other placements for their
children and started them at new schools, Armstrong said.

Stewart said the preschool was affordable and a good educational opportunity for children.

"It was a wonderful environment, and for parents who have to both work full time, it wasn't a day care center that
showed videos all afternoon. Our kids thrived there," she said.

Corrinne Abbott, whose children Liv, 5, and Senna, 7, attended Rise and Shine before entering kindergarten, said
the closing process was not communicated effectively to parents.

"The last meeting we had with the PVRPD was a positive one," Abbott said. "We were talking about ordering new
playground equipment."

Abbott said the district has kept other programs that lose money.

"Rise and Shine is worth keeping. It does a lot of good," she said.

LaBrado said the district never presented Rise and Shine as a program it would have to support at a financial
loss.\"We presented it to the board as self-sustaining and when it stopped doing that, we had to make the
decision," he said.

The 18 (*15-Storer) Essential Rules Of

Journalism
Distilled and adapted from a Guest Post: Alex J. Coyne from
https://writerswrite.co.za/the-18-essential-rules-of-journalism/

You have my permission to print these out and keep them nearby (or, in true
commandment style, keep them on your tablet).

#1: Ask questions.

One of a journalists greatest assets is their natural curiosity. Start with the famed
five Ws (and one H), then ask some more. Asking why? is what gets you the
good stuff.

#2: Dig for the story.

If you think youve got the whole story, dig around some more. The most
fascinating parts of the story are often just under the surface.

#3: Master the language.

As a journalist, language is your main tool. Read as much as you can and as often
as you can, research odd words and archaic sayings, look at whats behind
etymology. Learn the patterns behind language and how to use them.

#4: Spelling matters.

Double-check if you arent sure about spelling or style (especially in the case of
names), and read through messages and articles thoroughly before sending
either.
#5: Know thy publication.
Before you pitch, know a publications style, editorial staff and content.
Publications are usually more than happy to provide back-issues. If you cant find
writers guidelines, send a short introductory email requesting them.

#6: Contacts are your career (and your grade.*Storer)

Contacts (and your reputation with said contacts) are your entire career. Editors,
sources and interviewees are all vital parts of the journalistic process. Without
them, youre not really practicing journalism.
#7: Once its off the record, keep it that way.
Trusted sources will tell you all sorts of juicy, fascinating, scandalous and
personal things in your career as a journalist, often off the record. Shut up about
it.
#8: Three is a golden number.
Mind the rule of threes: Have at least three reliable, corroborating sources for
every fact; three interviewees for every article; and read through a piece at least
three times before you sit down to change a comma thats at least.
#9: Editors are teachers.
You can learn a lot from the experience of your editors, and when given the
chance you should. They braved the journalistic battlefield before you, so you
can trust their edits and advice. Usually, theyre right.
#10: Mind the word count.
Yes, you can do that in the assigned word count, and the editor will either make
you add or cut if you dont. Here, they always know better. (Remember this piece
of key-advice from The Elements of Style and repeat it as your daily editing
mantra: Omit unnecessary words.)
#11: Deadlines are holy.
Deadlines exist for a reason: Never skip out on a deadline unless you are
incapacitated or dead. If you have to, let your editor know beforehand and have
a *good reason. Then, dont do it again.
#12: Know the law.
Journalism can take you to some strange places. Make sure you know the law and
what side of it youre standing on at all times. see me if you need refreshers
on Tinker v. Desmoines, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, et. Al.
#13: Always do your research.
Make sure that your research is flawless and that you can always match which
source gave which fact. Cross-reference, find first-hand information and do your
background research before requesting, planning or conducting an interview.
#14: Have it outlined.
Have the skeleton of your idea outlined and ready by the time you pitch the idea.
That way you have all the information ready, and it makes your job and theirs
easier. Your outline should include the articles proposed headline, the articles
sub-headers and sections (you can write down facts as key-words here) and who
you will interview.

#15: Keep and file everything.

Keep prior notes, interviews, sources, tapes, the lot: You never know when youll
need it, and you probably will.

https://undisputedlegal.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/10-most-important-u-s-
supreme-court-cases-for-journalists/