MIDTERM CAMPUS INTERVIEW

Due March 15

Aim for 400-500 words, and try not to go any longer. Make your emphasis quality, not quantity.

Please turn in a computer printout, double-spaced in 12-point type, to save these aging eyes.

We’ve done leads, we’ve done leads-plus; this should be a complete story, roughly following the outline on page 43 in the textbook: lead; nut graph if needed; lead quote if available; supporting facts; more quotes and comments; additional information; ending (kicker).

If you want to write it as a press release, that’s fine. We haven’t talked much about broadcast writing yet, but there are samples in the book and you can ask me for pointers if you prefer to go in that direction. As we’ve discussed, though, it’s different, but not that much different, from print journalism.

Pick a subject for your interview from the campus. It can be a professor, a student, an athlete or a staff member, someone in the health department, security, food services, athletics, bookstore, financial aid, building maintenance or any other area you can think of.

You will have the class period on March 3 to do the interview; there will be no class thatday. That doesn’t mean you have to do it at that time; I just want to give you time to spend awhile with your subject. Your fourth Writing Project and a found article are due that day. Please put them in my mailbox in the Communications office or email them. Spelling will count a lot more here because you will have spell-checking capability and the entire Internet at your disposal. If you have the slightest doubt about the spelling of a word or a name, look it up. And remember that spell-checking might not catch it if the misspelling results in a different word (affect-effect, foreword-forward, it’s-its, etc.).

Remember the basic questions—who, what, where, when, why and how—which will play into the story in varying degrees. Remember the time elements: past, present and future. Also think of ways to draw out your subject, including the methods we will talk about in class: where do you plan to be in five years; what would you be doing if not this; fantasy job/living situation; wish for himself/herself; what three things would you take to a desert island.

Try to capture a sense of the person in capsule, meaning briefly. Look for a mannerism, style of dress, a way of talking that reflects the person. I said “try.” It may not be possible in a story of this length or for every interview subject.

Overall, remember what we’ve talked about in terms of effective leads (delayed with nut graph or summary), tight writing, vigorous verbs, good detail and sentence structure (not too long or complex, not all sentences the same length, sometimes repeating words for effect, etc.).

Questions? Just ask.