Capitol Journal: Getting an A in overcoming the odds - latimes.com

Capitol Journal: Getting an A in overcoming the odds - latimes.com

THOSE WERE THE DAYS: Linotype, afternoon deadlines & no Twitter - trentonian.com

Last night, Mr. Hayes came by the room and said to Kevin, "Aren't you glad you don't have to set type?" This reminded me of this story and YouTube video that Mr. Fitzpatrick sent to me months ago. I've been meaning to show it to you. Take a look.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS: Linotype, afternoon deadlines & no Twitter - trentonian.com

Best Beat Reporting Award...

goes to Afsana and Monica, both of whom have had a story in the last issue and the upcoming issue on their respective beats. Afsana has a story on MET's interdisciplinary projects that combine English, history and technology. Monica has a story on JROTC taking part in a Veteran's Day ceremony. These stories exemplify good beat reporting. Once you get to know your sources, it gets easier to find stories on your beat.

Making better teachers: the fight over "value-added" evaluations

KPCC's Airtalk program devoted an hour to this topic. Check it out.

Making better teachers: the fight over "value-added" evaluations

LA Times Articles

During the week off, please read the following articles: Who's Teaching LA's Kids?, Leaders in Learning and No Gold Stars.
They can be found in the class assignments folder above.
Write a reflection on your thoughts on how the Times covered the story. Was it fair? Was it responsible? Should the rating system be expanded to cover middle school and high school teachers?
Share your reflection with me in Google Docs. My address is kcusolit@lausd.net

Google Docs

Hopefully, everyone is able to log on to their MyMail.lausd account (see link at right) and explore Google Docs. I know it was frustrating not being able to log on in the library and start using it. Thanks for your patience. Don't lose your password because I don't have it. Also, don't change your password because apparently that causes problems in logging on. Write it in your reporter's notebook or on a scrap of paper in your wallet.

I asked Sam to update the computers in Room 125 and he said he would do so today. The update may erase whatever is on them, but I told him it was OK because anything that was on those computers has been published already. Hopefully, if you had anything you wanted to save, you have saved it on a flash drive.

He will not update the G5 (the one Breigh uses) because that has to be treated separately. Mr. Morales has given him the OK to order more memory.

Friday meet in Room 125 to discuss story ideas for the next issue.

Congratulations on the First Issue

I received lots of compliments on the paper on Thursday. We still have a lot to learn, but I think the first issue looks interesting and is fun to read. Please bring an annotated copy of the paper to class on Monday for a critique. Then we will begin planning our December issue. Start thinking of story ideas.

Editors: Please see this page from the printer

http://gvnoffset.com/faqs/

Towards the end, there is a discussion of how to set the photos so that they print properly.

The Need for Attribution (Who Said?)

I read a few stories today that I had not read before and noticed a dire need for attribution. The amount of attribution depends on how controversial the statement is. The more controversial, the more attribution is needed. Anything having to do with money or value judgements needs attribution.

Where to put the attribution: at the end, or in the middle of a quote. Here are some examples from our Journalism Today textbook:

America's poor need free legal advice or they will lose their rights, Professor Pat Braintower told a group of law students Thursday.

"Our students are mature," Kuzinski said Tuesday, "but they do not always act like it."

Use said instead of says. Use said instead of replied, exclaimed, claimed, or nearly anything else. You want the quote to stand out, not the verb. Said doesn't call attention to itself.

Keep Up the Good Work

I am very impressed by all the hard work I have seen in the past few weeks. Everyone seems to be taking their work seriously and trying their best. Although I gave everyone a slash on their progress report, I would have to say you all deserve an A. The only reason I gave a slash is because I have so few assignments on which to base your grade. Also, your grade is based mostly on whether you have a story published in the paper and whether you met your deadline. Remember, deadline is tomorrow! I'm hoping this will be another great issue of which you can be proud.

Report from CSUN High School Journalism Day

On Saturday, Ana, Karen, Karina, Stephanie and I attended High School Journalism Day at Cal State Northridge. We found it very useful and they will tell you what they learned on Monday. As for me, I came away with some great ideas. At the advisers workshop, one adviser told us about an online writing lab at Colorado State University where you can submit your story (or essay for English class) and within five days a tutor will respond with feedback. As soon as I create an account, I will show you how to use it.

Keynote Speaker: David Cuillier, University of Arizona professor

Cuillier warned about the erosion of democracy and urged journalism students to take a stand. He railed against principals and administrators who "are teaching a generation of students to toe the line...and I'm outraged."
When people in power refuse to release information or attempt to censor student newspapers, democracy suffers, he said. "These folks are ruining this country, one classroom at a time, one student at a time."
Cuillier's tips for student journalist include:
1. Read, read, read.
2. Travel and see the world. (He said Mexico's new freedom of information law is better than the U.S. law.)
3. Challenge authority. "It's our moral, ethical duty," he said.
4. Care about your community. Don't become detached.
5. Hold the line on democracy. "It's up to you to educate your fellow students, your principal, on the First Amendment."

Weekend Homework, Guest Speakers next week

Your homework is to complete the page Writing and Rewriting Leads II and to write a lead for an imaginary story on today's pep rally. If you did not complete Writing the Summary Lead I and II and Writing and Rewriting Leads I in class, please do so.

Next week: The first drafts of your stories are due.
Also, I forgot to mention this in class, but a guest speaker from the group GetLit.org will be here Monday to talk to the staff about contributing to their newspaper We will also be visited by a USC grad student in journalism who will be on campus for an assignment and who has agreed to stop by and talk to the staff. Finally, Shalls Jacome, one of the JV football coaches who graduated from HHS in 2009, will stop by if Kevin or Tara want to interview him for their stories.

Copy Editor

Our new copy editor is Afsana Afsal. Maybe she can figure out the answer to what everyone wants to know: are band names singular or plural?

CSUN Journalism Day Saturday Oct. 16

All students are invited to attend the following event. If there are more than four people interested, you will have to find your own ride, as my Honda will only hold four passengers. I've copied the text of the email below:

Dear Student Media Adviser:
On behalf of our faculty, I'm pleased to invite you and the editors/staff of your school newspaper to our annual half-day high school journalism day on Saturday, October 16, 2010 on the CSUN campus. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Workshop presenter and featured speaker will be David Cuillier, SPJ national FOI committee chair. An assistant professor at University of Arizona’s journalism school, Cuillier is co-author of a new book, “The Art of Access.” Other workshops and panels will focus on multimedia storytelling, broadcast news, sports writing, photojournalism and more.
This year’s co-sponsors include the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, as well as the student chapters of SPJ and the Radio-Television Digital News Association.
In addition to panel and hands-on workshops, students will also have the opportunity to compete in news, features, opinion and sports writing competitions and the photojournalism contest. If your students are planning to enter the photojournalism contest, please have them bring digital cameras.
All of the presentations are designed to enhance the skills and ideas students will need to produce solid, interesting school newspapers and other campus media.

Copy Editor Position

Karla and Afsana have both expressed interest in the position of copy editor. We can have two copy editors; however, I would still like them to take a copy editing test based on the AP stylebook. We have two copies of the stylebook that can be taken home for review. It would be impossible to memorize the stylebook, but copy editors need to know what they expect to find in it and how it is organized. Then, there are AP style quizzes online at newsroom 101 (click on link at right and click on AP stylebook exercises). On Tuesday, the two of them can sit down and take one or more of the quizzes.

Interviewing Practice

On Friday we will finish our interviewing exercise. Next week you can work on your story assignments and begin your interviews. Opinion pieces don't need interviews, since it is your opinion. You will have to check any facts, however, to make sure they are correct.

Reflect on the Meet and Greet

I thought Friday's get-together went very well. Assistant Principal Dr. Burns was out of town due to a death in the family. I'm curious as to how you perceived the event. Please write a reflection of at least a paragraph detailing your thoughts on what went well and what could be improved. Include anything you consider important, interesting, or funny.

On Monday, we will discuss story ideas. Each reporter must come up with one story idea for his or her beat by Wednesday.

Also, if you have not read the files above, please do so. I've added two new ones: interviewing/notetaking and story ideas.

Meet and Greet on Friday

Today we decided we would dress business-like for our meet-and-greet with the faculty on Friday. Guys don't have to wear a tie, but don't wear your ratty t-shirt and sneakers. Girls don't need to wear heels, but don't wear anything revealing. This is your chance to get to know people you may soon be interviewing. You will need to introduce yourself as in "Hi, I'm Joe, and I'm a reporter." Or, "Hi, I'm Maria. I'm the news editor." They will probably tell you their names and their job. If they don't tell you their job, ask them. If you don't know what their job entails, ask them, "What does you job entail?" Most people are happy to talk about themselves. If you can't think of anything to talk about, tell them about the personality matrix and what animal you are.

Video Camera on the Way

Great news! I wrote a proposal on a website called Donors Choose in which teachers ask for things and the public can decide which projects to donate their money. I asked for a Sony camcorder, so we can start experimenting with online videos to go with our stories, and it got funded. It should arrive any day.

Maybe we can videotape some of our interviews, and when we publish the paper we will add a line saying, "View the entire interview online at (insert address)."

Ethics for High School Media

From Start the Press! How to Start a High School Newspaper
By Lauren Branas, Auburn University
Ethics are principles. In the field of journalism, ethics are vital not only to avoid lawsuits, but to maintain the credibility that will allow a paper to flourish. Readers must trust the paper. Therefore, the staff must adhere to a code of ethics in order to make the purpose of the paper clear.
The Society of Professional Journalists outlines a code of ethics at spj.org/ethics-code.asp.
Here is a brief outline from SPJ:
1. Seek truth and report it.
The truth is the most important aspect of a newspaper. Do everything in your
power to verify facts and report in a straightforward manner.
2. Minimize harm.
Be fair and cautious about what you print. If printing something will cause the
subject harm or pain, make sure printing the story is essential to the public. An
example is publishing a photograph portraying someone in emotional pain.
3. Act independently.
Don't give favors and don't take bribes. Try not to get in situations where there is
a conflict of interest. For example, if a reporter is personally involved with a
story, don't assign him/her to it.
4. Be accountable.
Take responsibility for any mistakes. For example, if a reporter gets a name of
fact wrong, run a correction as soon as the mistake is discovered.
Be clear to all staff members about what is expected ethically. Use common sense
and think things through before printing.

Your Teacher Is A Rock Star

Not only did I get you a beautiful, new, close-up lens for free, I convinced Samy's camera to fix our broken lens in exchange for a half-page ad. They are supposed to send us the ad by Monday. I picked up the lens yesterday afternoon.

We also need someone to write a paragraph thanking the people involved in getting us the new lens. I will get the guy's name from my husband and we can put something on the editorial page.

Another Easter Miracle*

Samy's Camera called yesterday and said the cost of fixing the broken lens is $87.50 including shipping. I told them to go ahead and asked if they would be willing to accept an advertisement in lieu of payment. I spoke to the manager of the repair department and he was very interested. He said the repair order would go out on Monday, and with any luck, it may be ready by Friday. He said he has Monday off, but that he will call me Tuesday to discuss the ad and suggested he may want to advertise in the future.


*Apologies to any of the devout I may have offended

March Issue Looks Great

Thanks to all for doing an outstanding job. Of course, it wasn't perfect. Here are some reminders.

Editors: Make sure you are working with the latest version of a story. A couple of you were using an early version when a revised version was available.

Also, I'd like to see more subheads. Not every story, but at least the top story on each page should have a subhead.

Photo Editor: Make sure there is a caption for every photo. If not, get enough info to write one.

Also, check each photo to see if it could be improved by cropping.

Editors: Some direction for your pages

I looked at your pages after all of you left today, and it wasn't pretty. Here are some suggestions:
Adam: Let's put Breigh's story and the Save the Peak photo on the front page. I'd also like to have Kathy's story on the drive to place Hollywood High on National Register of Historic Places on the front page. She is struggling with it, but I think she can finish it on Monday. We only need about 3-4 paragraphs. You can decide if you want to use the teachers picketing photo or not.
Kiara: Start by leaving space for the half page Robek's ad on the bottom of page 5. Then think of what artwork you have. There is a photo of Diandra Beckles and a photo from the Getty field trip in the emailbox. There's also some good photos on the school website of Teaching Academy students tutoring little kids. Go to Media Gallery and click on TCA. Put one good-sized photo and one story at the top of each page. You still need to place the Academic Decathlon story and I thought Sree took photos to go with that also. Kevin wrote a news brief on a bridge-building competition which is on the desktop of the computer next to Adam's computer.
If you don't have room for everything you can: A)hold the Teaching Academy story for the next issue; or, B)ask if anyone if they will take the half page ad (there is still a quarter page ad that needs placement).
Elizabeth: I know you can't do much until you get some more photos, but Ana's article needs more info on the Italian class field trip witnessing the Bocelli star. As for Kevin and Maria's articles, I think they should be combined into one story. Go to the W website and get a photo. We are trying to get more photos including one of the sign that says Trader Joe's Coming Soon and one of the loft building at Hollywood and Vine.
Breigh: Change the byline to Compiled by the Crimson Chronicle staff. When you place Josh's story, you will need the photos as a separate file. At the end of the horoscopes, write for entertainment purposes only. Has Chris and Fester been scanned?
Lissette:Your pages should be done on Monday, since they are the least time-sensitive. Remember to use the letter in the emailbox titled Congrats. Double-check the spelling on everything in Man on the Street. I saw three mistakes in the one on the right.

March 18 Hollywood Issue

A week from today, all eyes will be on Hollywood for the Academy Awards. Thousands of people will be camped out a block from our school, hoping to glimpse their favorite actor. Television news crews and print journalists from around the world will be covering the Oscars.

This is the perfect time to take a good look at the neighborhood in which we live, work, and attend school. What does it mean to attend "the world famous" Hollywood High School? What is it like walking down the Walk of Fame on a daily basis?

How is Hollywood changing? Not only do people pay $200-$500 a night to stay at the new W Hotel, they pay up to $2 million to buy a condo there. The Lofts at Hollywood and Vine go for a half million to a million each. There's a Trader Joes and a Whole Foods Market coming to that neighborhood.

The changes add a shot of glamor to Hollywood, but what is the downside of gentrification (look up the word)? Will families still be able to afford to live in Hollywood? If they move elsewhere, what will happen to the student population of Hollywood High School? Will HHS survive? For how long? These are questions we should be asking.

Maria and Kevin: go to the W Hotel website and click on neighborhood and also press releases. Read the articles from USA Today and other publications posted there.
Ana: Go to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and read about the Walk of Fame. Find out what it takes to get a star. How many fans are needed? How much does it cost? Who pays for it? What are the next scheduled stars to be cemented?
Adam:Do you want to come up with a timeline for significant events in Hollywood history?
Breigh:Who is Josh Arguelles and why does it sound like the owner wrote the article? Would our students go to this restaurant?
Also, when you contact Councilmember La Bonge, you may want to attach the February issue pdf, so he can see our paper. Mention that we interviewed School Boardmember Steven Zimmer and now we would like to interview him about saving the peak.

Thanks Malina for sending the photos. I've attached one in the box.

Student Writing from near and far

Check out this blog from Wilson High

http://thehitchingpost.wordpress.com/

and this school newspaper from Illinois

http://www.lanewarrior.com/Lane_Warrior/Print_Archives.html

Summer Journalism Workshop

The 59th Annual California Scholastic Press Association Journalism Workshop will be held July 18-30 at Cal Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. It is limited to 25 high school juniors and seniors.

Students will attend several press conferences, publish their own newspaper, publish blogs, report on a simulated major disaster, learn how to cover a simulated breaking crime story, tour a daily newpaper office and television station.

Tuition is $1,025 which includes meals and lodging. There are a limited number of partial scholarships. Deadline for applying is Friday, April 16, 2010.

For more information, go to wwww.cspaworkshop.org

Technology is Good

I was impressed with how well everyone worked together today. Thanks to Adam for jumping in and teaching half the class how to use InDesign. I was so excited that I added some files (see box above) on using design. Thanks to Mr. Benainous for setting up the Box.net account so that I can post those (I've been carrying them around on a CD since July). For how to crop in InDesign, see the tutorial link at right.

The rest of the editors are also to be commended for making good use of a shortened day, as are the staffers who expressed interest in ad sales.

Keep up the good work!

Newspaper Exchange Critique, Story Ideas

Your critique is due Monday. This is a good way to see what other schools are doing, to practice reading critically and to get ideas for future issues.

Be sure to introduce yourself to your beat contacts. Tell them your name and that you will be covering the assigned beat and that you will be checking with them weekly about possible stories. Encourage them to contact you if they have a story tip.

MET: contact George Benainous, lead teacher, Room 123 and Antonio Manriquez, video teacher, Room 120
Teaching Academy: contact Kelly Bender, lead teacher, Room 315
Social Justice: contact Susan Von Manske, lead teacher, 310

Congratulations on the February Issue

I'm really proud of this issue. There is something interesting and worth reading on every page. There are also some firsts: our first commissioned comic on the editorial page, our first Q and A with a school board member on the news page, and our first advice column on the features page.

Now we need to work on our distribution. Next time, I will need a couple students to meet me at say, 7 a.m., and stuff the teachers mailboxes before they go to their classrooms in the morning. I think this is easier and simpler than having people run around and deliver copies of the paper.

Feb. 12 edition

Class meets next on Thursday. On Friday, we have two hours for our final. I expect to see the opinion (2-3), features (8-9) and entertainment pages (10-11) done by Friday. The news pages (4-5) should be well on their way. The front page will be a big Hollywood Idol photo, so we need to be sure we get a cover worthy photo. Feel free to bring your own cameras in addition to the staff cameras.

That leaves the sports page (12) and the Valentine's Day color spread (6-7) for next week. Maybe we can sell some Valentine's messages during advisory. Each of you can ask people in your own advisory and maybe a few people could go to other advisories as well.

Also, I've cleaned up the AOL mail. The only items in the inbox are what we are currently working on. Old stuff has been deleted or put into folders. If you can't find something, look in the folders.

Wear Your T-Shirts Tomorrow

Yearbook is coming to take our photo. The following owe me for a sweatshirt: Adrienne, Elizabeth, Kiara. The following owe me for a Tshirt: Jafet and Kevin.

Remember to Pay for Your "We've Got Issues" Shirts

The following people owe $28.95 for their sweatshirt: Adrienne, Elizabeth, Lisette, Kiara, Cecilia, Malina and Maria.
The following owe $11.95 for their T shirt: Ana, Sree, Karla, Antonio, Kevin, Jessica and Jafet (the last two - your shirts are in my file cabinet in room 421)

Tips for the New Year

Before throwing away my notebook from the High School Journalism Institute at the University of Texas, Austin this summer I thought I would pass along these tips from reporters at the Austin American Statesman daily newspaper:

Print out your story and do a line check.
Read your story aloud.
Include a detail, a piece of description about the person or the room
Pretend you are a foreign correspondent: why is this story important?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. If it's not in your notebook, you can't write about it.
If using a tape recorder, don't listen to the whole thing. Write down where on the tape something important is.
Ask for a phone number, so you can double check your information later.

And finally, from Jeff Cohen, the editor of the Houston Chronicle:
"At the end of the day, you can change the world with a newspaper; you can change the world with a high school newspaper."

Cheers to finding and reporting more great stories in 2010!