Letter to the Editor

Greetings Everyone,

We are going to take a brief respite from our broadcast projects to complete our next Letter to the Editor for this latest edition of The Blazer. This will be due on Wednesday, November 24th, and must be e-mailed to Ms. Sackstein and myself.

Ms. Sackstein's e-mail address is ssackstein@wjps.org. Please put the title of the e-mail as Letter to the Editor. All letters must be sent as either a google doc or MS Word document. Below is a format to follow for how to write an opinion piece.

Script Deadline Postponed

Greetings Everyone:

I hope you are all enjoying your day off!

It has come to my attention that some, if not many of you, have not completed your broadcast scripts that are due tomorrow. I am therefore postponing the due date until this Monday, November 15th. Failure to have completed your script by this point will result in a failing grade for this project.

Let's review what is required for the assignment:

1. A description of your settings: locations, people you will interview, who will be speaking in front of the camera, and anything else that is relevant to the set-up and design of your broadcast.

2. Your script: Each script should include your narratives (this is what the narrator, anchor person or field reporter says in front of the camera when they are not interviewing a subject), your interview questions, and directions for the camera people as to where and when they should be filming.

3. Interview Questions: interview questions should reflect the research you have done regarding your topic. If you are conducting an interview on bullying you should ask your subject a question that reflects your knowledge of bullying. For example a very poor interview question would be "What do you think about bullying here at WJPS?" That shows a lack of hard work on your part. A better question would be something like this, "According to the New York City Department of Education, bullying in New York City High Schools has increased by 75% since 2005. Do you feel that bullying has increased since you've been at WJPS?" A follow-up question might then be, "How would you define bullying?" And depending on the person's answer you could then ask them if they thought bullying matched with the definitions that you have come across in your research.

You have to control the interview. This does not mean that you censor what the interviewee says, but your knowledge and research of the subject allows you to ask questions which guide the direction of the interview.

All scripts must be submitted by Monday. We will spend tomorrow writing and editing. If certain group members are not contributing, I need to know this for grading purposes. I am not asking anyone to "snitch" on their fellow group members, but if I find that one person has done all the work, then that one person will receive the good grade and the rest of the group will not.

These are the basics that all broadcast scripts must have in order for the broadcast to function successfully. Some of you are doing a good job with this and others seem lost. What I have not received, and have asked for repeatedly, is feedback from all of you. No one has submitted a script before the deadline that I could provide constructive criticism for, nor have I received any e-mails from any groups asking for help. This is your responsibility.

Therefore instead of a tutorial on how to use the flip cameras, I will work with each group during class to see what progress you have made with your scripts. Please have something resembling a script with you tomorrow. If it's not typed then it has to be legible.

Below are some links for conducting interviews. Please, please, please read them. The second link should be especially helpful since it is an archive of broadcast news videos from high schools all across the country!

http://www.ehow.com/how_4577240_conduct-newspaper-interview.html

http://hsbj.org/videos/index.php

See all of you in class tomorrow.

Broadcast Project

Hi Everyone,

After speaking with many of you during class, I feel that some of you are ready to start filming and others are not even close. Let's go over what you should be dong and how to get there.

1. By now you should have a clear angle. This means that you have a topic and you know what you want to write and say about it. What is it about bullying that you want us to know? What is it about music that you want us to know? By answering this question you will focus the direction of your broadcast.

2. You should have your settings mapped out. Where will you film? Who will you film? How will you use data and visuals? What soundtrack music, if any, will you use? We worked on this last week and it should be completed by now.

Let me make this clear? All story angles and settings should be completed! You should now be working on and completing your script.

Which brings me to my next point: The Script.

I am posting a link of script writing basics which I hope you will use. They are simple and should steer you in the right direction.

Script writing for a broadcast should be more conversational than literal. You are telling a story, not reciting facts and figures. The way you effectively tell a story is by getting straight to the point. Don't hesitate and don't waste time. Think how boring it is to read a book or listen to a teacher that never gets to the point. You don't want your broadcast to sound or look that way.

Read the handout I am posting and watch these video samples.

http://www.mashell.com/~parr5/news_writing.htm

http://www.school-video-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=738:the-mini-documentary&catid=32:student-fare&Itemid=48

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml

Broadcast Journalism Assignment

Hi Everyone,

I will be out of school on Thursday and Friday so here is what we should be working on:

1. Finishing the setting of your script. Make sure that you have thought through your locations, lighting, wardrobe, weather, and all the other nine points that we discussed in class yesterday. It is important that every member of your group is "on the same page" with this.

2. I you have completed this then it is time to start your scripts. I will discuss script writing on Monday, but for now here a a few guidelines you should follow. I have also included three links that should be helpful. Please study them while you are writing your scripts.

a) Make sure your script is conversational but uses does not drag. You need to get to the point of your story quickly and in a way that everyone can understand. Practice reading aloud what you write to to the rest of your group members.

b)For now, write your scrip chronologically. This means start at the beginning of your story and work through to the middle and then the end in that order. Don't start skipping around just yet. That will come later

c) Don't focus on interview questions just yet. Concentrate on writing your story and your angle. what is sit that you want to say about your topic. That is your first task.

OK, have a great week and a great weekend and I will see you all on Monday. E-mail me if you have any questions.

http://www.cybercollege.com/tvp006.htm

http://www.cybercollege.com/fire.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/writing-for-news-radio-a62727