News Writing (Fall 2011)

Participate substantially and helpfully in the forum (which will close during class Friday); email me your revised pitch.

Part 1 (complete in Moodle, by 11:15am Friday)

• Scan all the story pitches
• Read and comment in detail (with helpful suggestions and specific reference to the four-point story pitch rubric) on 2-4 peer pitches that you feel are most closely connected to your own pitches. (I am most interested in how your first-choice pitch connects to a classmate’s first-choice pitch, but this assignment also invites you to consider second-choice pitches.)

Part 2 (submit your revised pitch; responding to my email, by 11:15am Friday)

• Summarize the most valuable advice you gave when you commented on the peer pitches you selected.
• Revise your pitch, paying special attention to the four-point story pitch rubric; taking into account the pitches you’ve read in the forum. Use the following numbered sections:

1. description of your story
2. names of sources
3. news hook (why is this newsworthy, for a special issue devoted to SHU homecoming)
4. quotes/details/events/facts (convince a busy editor that your story idea will bear publishable fruit)

• Revised Homecoming Pitch Rubric:
  1. An A pitch will describe a specific, catchy story idea (“President of the Seton Hill’s College Republicans and president of St. Vincent’s Young Democrats are cast as husband and wife in community theater play”); a C pitch has a workable but still somewhat vague story idea (“Examining student politics at Seton Hill and St. Vincent”)
  2. An A pitch will name at least three sources, showing a variety of perspectives (ideally at least one “pro,” one “con,” and at least one outside expert or decision-maker); a C pitch will name sources from at least two different perspetives.
  3. An A pitch will feature a news hook showing a thoughtful awareness of newsworthiness (listen to this 9-min mini lecture: What Is Newsworthy?), convincingly demonstrating that a member of the SHU student body or somebody visiting campus on homecoming weekend would want to pick up the paper and read your story; a C pitch has a general news hook that is helpful, but may miss the opportunity to connect to recent news, local interest, etc.
  4. An A pitch will feature direct quotes from more than one source, as well as relevant facts and details that demonstrate you could start writing the advance story right away; a C pitch may feature a quote from just one source, or no quotes but good “questions to be asked” for upcoming interviews you’ve scheduled with named sources.
  5. An A pitch will include the four required components, in clearly numbered and labeled sections; a C pitch may contain all the necessary information, but without being clearly marked.