Newsletter: Day 2

Last class we chose a partner and began to create a newsletter (2 sided) where you completed the following:

• 1. Decide on the kind of newsletter/magazine you would like to work on with your partner. 
• 2. Brainstorm some names for the magazine/newsletter. Titles usually help a prospective reader find and identify the kind of magazine he/she would like to read.
• 3. Brainstorm some potential article ideas. 
• 4. Create headlines for your article ideas. These should be short and intriguing titles. Be creative!
• 5. If you have brainstormed at least 5 story ideas and titles, you may begin writing the articles. Make up details or conduct research as you see fit, but above all: be detailed and creative! 

Most newspaper articles interview or have short quotes from participants. Newspaper articles answer: who, what, where, when, how, and why? about a particular event.

Now it's time to start writing your articles. You will need to complete 2-pages of articles (you may include pictures or fake advertisements in your "magazine". Each partner should write enough articles on topics you brainstormed with your partner to fill 2-pages (a back and a front). Taken together, you will be creating a 4-page magazine. You may choose, if you'd like (for extra credit) to write a 6-page newsletter--some of you are capable of this kind of length. Decide on your length as a team.

Learn this JOURNALISM vocabulary:

Headlines: the attention grabbing title of an article
Masthead: the name of the newspaper/magazine (usually designed, but doesn't change); Also includes the publishing staff information (who is on staff, who the editor is, etc.); usually appears on the first page of the magazine/newspaper or editorial page.

Article: a specific story/narrative/non-fiction writing about a specific topic
Body: refers to the text of an article
Hook: Every article starts off with an attention grabbing sentence.

Some ideas for articles:

• Interview a parent, neighbor, or student and write out the interview as if you were a reporter. See this link for ideas how to set up and conduct an interview.
• Film/Book/Theater Review: watch a film, read a book, go see a theater or musical production and review the event. Review a book you read this year either for pleasure or for English class. 
• How-to articles: many magazines have articles that focus on how to do something. Usually these articles have good advice.

Please check out these links: 

WEBSITES to gain more ideas for writing projects:

http://www.layouth.com

http://www.reporter.org

A variety of journalism websites: basic-journalism-websites

HELP/ADVICE WRITING ARTICLES:

If you need HELP writing journalism articles, check this website out for advice!

To add or delete pages, select add or remove pages from the INSERT menu. 

HOMEWORK: Choose one link from the journalism website(s) posted above. Read and research this site. Be prepared to share this link with the class.