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.