Readings and Resources for English 621, Newswriting 
- Top ten things I learned in 621, by a student
- And speaking of 10, the Ten Commandments of 621 (includes sample of how to write multiple leads for one story).
- How 621 stories are graded (agreed to by all 621 teachers)
- Policy on plagiarism and fabrication
- Where to find STORY IDEAS
- Boston Globe college subscription site
- ETHICS CODE from the Society of Professional Journalists
Top Ten Things I Learned from English 621
(written by a student at the end of one semester)
10. Do not begin a story with a quote unless it is an extreme exception.
9. Show the reader the meaning of the story. (Some people are lazy and don't want to have to figure it out.)
8. The way I wrote essays does not apply to newswriting. The most compelling parts come first, not last.
7. I can't invent more interesting stories than the unbelievable things that occur on this earth every day.
6. Ask people lots of questions to get to how they really feel and think, and to get them to give specific examples.
5. Ask people to spell out their names. Double check all facts for accuracy.
4. Research, research, research. (Use the Internet, read previous stories, learn as much as you can about the topic so you'll know what's different now.)
3. Ask multiple sources for their point of view, so that the story sees the subject from all angles. Every story has way more than two sides.
2. Passive writing is boring, and stories weren't meant to be boring. (I wrote this passive to prove the point.)
1. People doing things; people doing things; people doing things.
The Ten Commandments of English 621
and five sample leads for one story
1. Come to class and conference. Hand in a story, a reading log, and a clip for your "inspiration file" in each class. Talk in class about your experiences, good and bad. You can learn a lot from one another.
2. Read newspapers, both to get the news and to study the writing style. Notice which stories you read all the way through. How did the writer grab you and pull you along?
3. Thou shalt not write about friends, relatives, employers, or any group of which you are a member. That means that if you're a member of a sorority or fraternity, you can't write stories involving the Greek system. If you're not sure whether a particular connection creates a conflict of interest, ask me. If you know of a good story you can't do because you're involved in it, give it to a classmate or to The New Hampshire (or both).
4. Try to interview people in person as often as you can; you'll get much better stuff than you can by phone or e-mail. Always identify yourself before interviewing anyone. "I'm Jane Harrigan, and I'm doing a story on X for my newswriting class. I've heard you know a lot about X. May I talk to you about it for a minute?"
5. If you're planning to publish the story, tell the person before he or she starts talking. If you decide only later that you want to publish the story, check back with the people you interviewed and tell them before you submit the story to the editor. How would you feel if you talked to someone just for a class, then saw your comments published in the newspaper?
All humans have names. All humans in your story must have names. Their REAL names.
6. Use at least three sources for each story. No story should have only one kind of source (for instance, only students). Aim for several levels of sources, from the people who make decisions through the people affected by decisions; from Durham outward to the world; from the past to the present to the anticipated future.
7. Thou shalt not write reviews -- of movies, plays, concerts, art exhibits, anything. An occasional sports-related story is O.K. if it contains real news (if it could run on the news pages of the paper, vs. the sports page) and involves interviewing at least three people. Play-by-play game stories are not accepted in this course. Also, you cannot write a news story about something you saw on TV - unless it's a major issue on which you can find a LOCAL angle.
8. Use the dictionary and The AP Stylebook. Check and double-check all names and titles. Avoid jargon. Do not use any word or phrase, even in a quote, whose meaning you do not understand. Write in the third person (he, she, it, they) except in quotes.
9. Use active verbs. News is people doing things, not things mysteriously happening.
Active: The trustees raised tuition.
Passive: Tuition was raised.
Active: The students marched on T Hall.
Passive: A march was held.
10. Write five possible leads before you start writing each story. (See example below.) Include those leads, on a separate page, when you hand in your story. A lead, the beginning of your story, is supposed to draw readers in, to make them want more. A lead that lists the time and place of an event ("Joe Blow spoke at 7 last night in the Strafford Room") won't grab anyone. Do not write that kind of lead. We'll talk at length about the thousands of good leads you can write.
THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Use this class as an excuse to do things and talk to people you wouldn't have encountered otherwise. As long as you're here, why not seek adventure?
Writing FIVE leads
These leads, written by a former 621 student who's now the editor of a newspaper, show what I mean when I ask for five leads that come at a story from different angles. They aren't all perfect, polished leads; yours needn't be either. The idea is to experiment, to try different ways of looking at your story until you discover what you're trying to say.
You will be tempted to write the story first and the five leads later, but DON'T. If you do, you'll find that your third lead is much better than the one you based your whole story on, and then you'll either have to start over or start kicking yourself. Please write the five leads FIRST, on a separate piece of paper, and pass them in with your story.
1. A UNH professor is concerned that the high kill rate of young female bears by hunters and disease may affect the state's overall bear population.
2. When the New Hampshire Bear Hunters Association donates money to a study aimed at increasing the lifespan of New Hampshire bears, something strange is happening.
3. Once a day, graduate students Kathleen Meddleton and Douglass Kane dial a few numbers on their hand held receivers and wait for an answer. They aren't waiting to hear from a professor or friend; they are waiting to hear from a bear.
4. In the old days, at least in the movies, woodsmen found bears by following the animals' tracks or their scent. Times have changed.
5. New Hampshire's bear population is in trouble, according to a UNH professor and his two graduate assistants.
Grading of stories for English 621, Newswriting
(Note: All 621 teachers have agreed to this outline.)
An A story: A newspaper would be eager to publish the story. It's newsworthy, well-written, and thoroughly reported; all necessary sources are cited. The story is free of errors in grammar, spelling and AP style. All names and other facts are accurate. The lead is clear, concise and interesting. The lead emphasizes the news -- the latest and most important information, with the most impact on readers. The body of the story is well-organized, with effective transitions and good use of quotes. The story answers all of the reader's questions, including these crucial ones: "Why should I read this? Who cares?"
A B story: A newspaper could publish this story after some editing. The story is newsworthy and clearly written. It includes a variety of sources and answers most of the reader's questions, though it may still need an additional source or more information to be considered complete. The lead is appropriate. The body of the story is organized well, though the story could be more thorough or cohesive. The story is free of most errors of grammar, spelling and AP style. All names and other facts in the story are accurate. The story shows readers why they should care.
A C story: The story may be newsworthy, but it omits important information. It could be published only after further reporting and extensive editing. The lead may be too wordy or fail to emphasize the news. The reporting has not included some important sources, and thus the story leaves readers' questions unanswered. Quotes are not effective and/or not used properly. The story may need reorganization. The writing suffers from errors of grammar, spelling or style; some sentences are awkward, wordy or confusing. The story does not show readers why it matters or why they should read.
A D story: The story does not meet length requirements, is of questionable newsworthiness, and requires extensive rewriting. The reporting is superficial or confusing; important sources are not represented. The story leaves many reader questions unanswered. It contains an unacceptable number of errors in grammar, spelling or style. The story needs extensive rewriting and additional reporting.
An F story: The story is so poorly organized, reported or written that it cannot be revised for publication. It is confusing, incomplete and/or inaccurate.
In deciding an overall grade for 621, instructors also consider creativity and originality of story ideas, as well as the degree of difficulty (in form or in choice of subject) of each story. Final grades for the course also comprise class participation, attendance, conference participation, deadline adherence and other requirements as outlined on your course syllabus.