Online Journalism Guide
2009 – 2010
Curie Metropolitan High School
Instructors: Mr. Lewan and Mr. Ramirez
Media Center, Monday through Thursday from 2:45 to 4:45
Welcome to Online Journalism, the program that lets you be the voice that you want to hear and be the change that you want to see. Our goal is to bring compelling, vital stories to the school community through the Talon, Curie’s first online newspaper.
Texts
- On Writing Well, by William Zinsser
- The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White
- Orwell Rolls in His Grave, film
- Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, film
Policies and Expectations
- Students who are staff writers must make a two day a week commitment to the Talon.
- Follow school rules. Wear your ID cards. Keep cell phones, coats, non-school approved book bags, baseball caps, mp3 players, etc. in your lockers.
- As a journalist, you must meet your deadlines. Staff writers who fail to do so will be replaced by consistent contributors.
- Academic honesty is expected. Plagiarism is the act of calling someone else’s work your own. Plagiarism is grounds for dismissal from Online Journalism.
- You must turn in a staff writer profile and a media release form before you may submit articles for publication on the Talon.
Journalistic Roles
Upon joining the Talon, each writer must commit to one of the three roles listed below. Consider your personal strengths before you commit to a responsibility.
Staff writer: Staff writers do the journalistic grunt work; they conduct the interviews and crank out the articles. You might consider being a staff writer if you would like to produce a monthly column about a specific topic (sports, entertainment, current events, etc.). Or, perhaps you like writing in general and have the versatility to write about a variety of topics. Staff writers have the following responsibilities:
- Writers must propose a topic for their article by the 1st of each month. The story must receive approval from either Mr. Lewan or Mr. Ramirez.
- Writers must produce a draft of their article for review by the editors by the 15th of each month. The draft must be between 300 and 500 words in length.
Editor: Editors take the work submitted by staff writers and proofread it for grammar, conciseness, and clarity. If you are a grammar buff, this role is for you! Editors have the following responsibilities.
- Upon receiving an article, the editors have one week to proofread it and make necessary adjustments prior to publication.
- Editors must have a follow up meeting with the writer prior to submitting the final copy to the publishers. This is to facilitate professional discussion concerning the final product. Editors must submit articles to the publishers by the 22nd or each month.
Publisher: Publishers post the final product on the Talon. They are responsible for the layout and design of the blog. If you are into web design and technology then this is the role for you. Publishers have the following responsibilities:
- Upon receiving an article publishers must upload it to the Talon. Publishers must also upload corresponding materials (photos, sound bytes, video clips, etc.) to the Talon.
- Publishers must meet with the writer and editor before publishing the article in order to facilitate professional discussion concerning the final product. Publishers must upload the content by the 30th of each month.
Materials
You must always bring the following items to meetings:
- A composition book for taking notes
- A blue or black ink pen
- A flash drive (recommended)
A final note
If you don’t understand something, or need help with your responsibilities don’t hesitate to ask. If you or your parents have any questions or concerns I can be reached by email at mjlewan@cps.edu or by phone at (773) 535-2138 during school hours.
