Describes how small high schools can use service journalism (action-oriented, reader-oriented articles) in their publications by using product/service comparison articles and indepth investigations about various groups and organizations associated with value building. (MM)

Provides suggestions for building a reputation for service journalism, including (1) how to get started; (2) how to build service journalism once it is started; and (3) how to maintain service journalism. (MM)

The study found that, in a representative sample of large-city newspapers, three issues were most frequently featured in coverage of persons with disabilities. They were: (1) budget, expenditures, or taxes, (2) housing or normalization, and (3) treatment in institutions. (Author/DB)

Outlines several steps to follow to write exciting and lively news or feature stories. (SR)

Examines format effects on the comprehension of television news. Finds that comprehension of television news is enhanced by the use of film and by mixing up formats. Finds also that comprehension is lowest for "talking head" items in programs with unvaried format and best for film items in mixed format newscasts. (PRA)

Reports on a study of early writing development in a population of 50-55 children in the first 3 years of schooling. The "morning news genre" was found to be one of several examples of curriculum genres that could be identified in early childhood education where "genre" is defined as a staged goal-oriented purposeful activity. (25 references) (JL)

Presents three short articles dealing with ethical issues facing the Thornton High School (Oregon) newspaper staff as they dealt with the aftermath of an incident in which an armed student allegedly entered the school cafeteria and began shooting. Discusses how the local newspaper covered the tragedy, and policies on dealing with reporting of…

Analyzes 1200 news pamphlets published in England from 1513 to 1640. Describes factors (subject matter, sales methods, and newsgathering techniques) that news pamphlets may share with modern news formats, and examines their characteristic tone. Suggests that news pamphlets may help media historians examine what is universal about the news and what…

Discusses pet peeves and suggestions for improving yearbook sports coverage from six high school yearbook experts. (SR)

Argues that cliches make writing stale and flat, and that getting rid of them is a necessity. Lists the "top 14" cliches gathered by a Columbia Scholastic Press Association judge. Uses examples to show how cleansing a passage of its superlatives and cliches improves the writing, adding clarity, fairness, and objectivity as well as freshness and…

Notes an often-ignored important step in opinion writing: gathering facts and data to use in supporting arguments. Presents specific 50-60 minute classroom activities to help create a unit for students. Includes a lesson plan for three days, tips for writing a good editorial, and an article by Cat Kasko entitled "Forgiveness is a beautiful thing."…

Suggests strategies for computer-assisted reporting which students and professionals can apply to a database that they want to analyze. Identifies 13 such strategies, giving an example of each, pointing out some keys to selecting each strategy, and suggesting software most appropriate for carrying out each strategy. (SR)

Examines journalism students' responses to a news story containing multiple sources where one side is presented in direct quotation form and the other side is presented in paraphrased form. Shows that advanced journalism students evaluated the story as significantly less balanced and significantly less fair than did beginning journalism students.…

Discusses the experience of a journalism professor in Canada who taught a class on September 11, 2001. She decided, after careful thought, to use the events of that day, and stories from her own journalistic experience, to teach her students about how to report on a tragic event under a deadline. (CAK)

New-media writing exerts pressure in ways that writing instruction typically has not. In this article, we map the infrastructural dynamics that support--or disrupt--new-media writing instruction, drawing from a multimedia writing course taught at our institution. An infrastructural framework provides a robust tool for writing teachers to navigate…