Breaker, breaker...Can you hear me now?

We need to get our system of communication in order.  So, this week we'll be talking about our Editor's Communication Hierarchy.  This should help keep everyone informed and responsive to the demands of publication. 

We will also be assigning new stories today while also wrapping up those left over from last cycle.  Remember, everyone should complete a Pre-write TONIGHT. 

You'll need to start thinking about your favorite beat you've covered so far.  After Winter Break we'll be assigning beats to be covered for an extended time period.  

Our new media server is in!  Once we've got it all set up we'll need to start thinking about our multimedia projects and how we can make the best use of the resources we have.  Time to start thinking outside the box people!

Speaking of resources and multimedia, we need to spend more time looking at other sites and talking about how we want to develop what we have.

Take a Break Week

Okay, so we've been go, go, going for weeks now.  With the holiday week coming up, I think it's time we slowed it down a bit and looked more closely at our craft and tied up some loose ends from our last publication.  Let's all get back on the same page.

• Monday: 
• Status Report - Where is everybody on their latest piece?  Pre-publication? Post-publication?
• Damage Control - Appropriate commentary on other schools' sites
• Tuesday:
• Lead, Nutgraph, Intro Exercises
• Wednesday:
• Photo Day - Is your picture worth 1,000 words?
• Thursday:
• Lead, Nutgraph, Intro Exercises continued
• Friday:
• Team building day - prepare one of three things to bring to class with you: a favorite family holiday recipe, memory or activity
• Story assignments - Pre-writing will be due by Monday at 8pm on the day we return from break

Working the System - Week 2

Monday

• Any pre-writing that hasn't been done for whatever reason needs to be submitted today
• Should be shared to me and Section Editors

Tuesday

• Rough Drafts due by 8pm - shared to Miss Edwards

Wednesday

• Photo due by 8pm - shared to Photo Editors

Thursday

• Final Draft due by 8pm - shared to Copy Editor and Editor-in-Chief
• Upload to site - see directions as necessary
• Submit any story requests by 8pm

Friday

• Publish pieces
• Assign new stories

This Week We Follow the Plan

We've been through one sort-of cycle and now we'll be going from the top all the way through.
Monday - Pre-writing will be due by 8pm. Remember to fill it out completely including your path of choice plan.  Get your interviews lined up TODAY!
Tuesday - Rough Draft is due by 8pm. Even if you don't have quotes, you should have a basic outline of what you will be writing about.  Remember that you can consider sources outside of interviews.  Get online and see what you can find and use to flesh out your article.
Wednesday - Photo for your piece is due by 8pm.  Even if it's not the photo.  It's a photo so your piece won't be held up for not having a photo.  Remember to consider what makes a great photo: background, lighting, engage with your subject!  Be creative.  Think outside the box when necessary.
Thursday - Final Draft is due by 8pm which means uploaded to the site.  You can still make changes once it's uploaded so don't freak out.  Ideally though, it would be your best work so it wouldn't need much.
Friday - Publication day!

Remember, if you don't follow this schedule this week, you'd follow it next week.  If you publish by the end of this week, you have more time between pieces, which might be nice.  :)  Refer to the Publication Cycle form available on the blog under Class Tools for more info on who to share to when.  Keep up the great work!
Mrs. Sine