Required stories

As you are aware, you are expected to submit a story nearly every week during the semester. Those stories should be at least 600 words long. There is no upper limit. Use whatever space you need to tell your story. But don’t ramble. Don't be dull.

Beginning with the next stories, to be handed in at the beginning of our next class, I will expect five specific sources cited in your stories. There will be actual quotes or paraphrases from at least three of those sources, with full attribution. That means they need to be from actual living human beings with whom you actually spoke, hopefully in person or by telephone and not by email. If it is an email source, then it should be acknowledged as such.

I also expect that now that you know how to use the Stylebook you will check carefully and edit for AP style, spelling and grammar.

In the coming weeks we’ll be discussing stories in a variety of categories. Among the stories in your portfolio will be at least one example of:

• A speech story. Just what it sounds like -- you cover a speech by someone who has something important to say, and you write a story about it.

• A meeting story. Only gatherings of elected or appointed bodies, such as town planning boards, boards of selectmen, councils, etc., or Student Senate will count. The meeting must be of a legislative body, i.e., one that sets public policy and takes votes.

• A local issue story. Also just what it sounds like – a story about an issue on which there are at least two clearly delineated sides. What are people riled up about?

• A profile.

Remember, you can do more than one story in any category, but each of the categories must be represented at least once in your portfolio.

Again, we’ll be talking in class about each kind of story at some point. If you want to do one of them before we discuss it, you will find an explanation in the textbook.

And don’t forget to publish a story in TNH!