1. News Brief
- Does not sacrifice accuracy for the sake of timeliness
- Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscores news story importance
- Uses inverted pyramid
- Emphasizes news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact, and prominence
- Avoids opinion unless properly attributed
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person
2. Breaking News Coverage
- Reports as much of the who, what, where, when, why, and how as possible
- Story is in the form of a short report to get out essential facts as soon as possible
- Does not sacrifice accuracy for the sake of timeliness
- Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscores news story importance
- Uses inverted pyramid
- Emphasizes news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact, and prominence
- Avoids opinion unless properly attributed
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person
3. Follow-Up News Coverage
- Expands upon breaking news coverage when more facts are available or a whole proper story can be written
- Clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact and prominence
- Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news
- Develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources
- Avoids personal opinion unless properly attributed
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length, written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person
4. Blog
- Clearly takes the form of an analysis or opinion blog
- Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand topic
- Presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence
- Deals with specific issue: avoids preaching, rhetoric, and cliches
- Shows sufficient thought and research
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely, and vividly
- Proper diction/grammar
5. Enhanced Story Package
- Helps tell a traditional story using unique, interactive elements
- Serves as a supplement to allow readers to explore data sets or other primary information in creative ways
- While the enhanced elements do not tell the whole story on their own, readers can still understand them independently
6. Podcast (Audio)
Content:
- Is there original content?
- Is there a clear message or purpose?
- Are there common production elements used for continuity?
- Is the delivery and presentation professional and appropriate for the context?
- Is there evidence of creativity in the script or production design?
Production / Audio Quality:
- Is audio clear?
- Does the voiceover compete with ambient sound or music?
- Is the music appropriate for the subject matter?
- Is the volume consistent?
7. Podcast (Video)
Content:
- Is there original content?
- Is there a clear message or purpose?
- Are there common production elements used for continuity?
- Is the delivery and presentation professional and appropriate for the context?
- Is there evidence of creativity in the script or production design?
Production / Video Quality:
- Is there obvious use of a tripod or is the video shaky? If no tripod was used, was it appropriate to shoot handheld?
- Is the color consistent? Have the shots been white-balanced?
- Are there different angles for a variety of shots? Are the shots framed well without cutting out important information?
- Do the shots have good lighting?
- Do shots “cross the line/axis”?
8. Photo Slideshow
- Is there original content?
- Is there a clear message or purpose?
- Does the package stand on its own or add something relevant to a related story?
- Is the delivery and presentation professional and appropriate for the context?
- Are the slides presented in a creative way?
9. Photo Slideshow w/ Audio
Content:
- Is there original content?
- Is there a clear message or purpose?
- Is there a strong relationship between the slides and audio?
- Does the package stand on its own or add something relevant to a related story?
- Is the delivery and presentation professional and appropriate for the context?
- Are the slides presented in a creative way?
Production / Audio Quality:
- Is audio clear?
- Does the voiceover compete with ambient sound or music?
- Is the music appropriate for the subject matter?
- Is the volume consistent?
10. Interactive Graphic
- Helps tell a traditional story using interactive graphics
- Serves as a supplement to allow readers to explore data sets or other primary information in creative ways
- The enhanced graphic may or may not tell the whole story on its own, and readers can still understand it independently