First Articles A look at what we need to do.

It’s vs. its  It’s is always it is.  Ex. It’s a bone.  Its is possessive.  Ex. The dog forgot its bone.

Colons and semicolons  If you are using a colon, you are introducing a list. What is on the right side of the colon can’t stand alone; it is dependent. What is on the left side of the colon is independent, and it has to be able to stand on its own.  Semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses that are connected to each other. When you use a semicolon, you want to emphasize this connection.

“Sez who?!?”  Teenagers are trying to develop their independence.  Families are important to people.  Everyone wants to have a good job. All of these are “sez who” statements. If someone says these things, then quote them. But often, these broad statements are being used at the beginning or end of the articles.

Said/Says  Pick one or the other – not both.  I saw a lot of articles that would start out in the past tense and move to present, or start in present and move to the past.

Attributions  You need to attribute the quotes. Every single one of them! Break up quotes and put attributions in between lines. (See sheet from class.)  Example:  “I’m here because I really feel that every major social movement in this country has come when people get together,” said Carol Sutton of Norwalk, Conn., the president of a teachers’ union. “It begins in the streets.” (NYTimes, “A Climate March in New York”)  “The number of natural disasters has increased and science is so much more clear,” Barratt said.

Direct quotes  Direct quotes should be powerful lines that only your subject could say. They should be lines that make you think, that give insight, that reveal character, etc.,  Don’t put everything as a direct quote. Be picky and only pick the best stuff.

Names  You have to spell names right. If you can’t get the name right, your reader won’t trust your reporting.  You have to always spell names right; sometimes there were multiple spellings of the same name.  Use first and last names the first time someone is mentioned. In subsequent references, use only the last name.

There, their, they’re  There – There is a place. Just like here.  Their – possessive. Their place is around the corner.  They’re – they are. They’re no place to be found.

Overwriting  Careful not to overwrite. Sometimes there were perfect endings, and then people added on paragraphs that “summed it all up”, but really added nothing to the article. Everything that is in your article should add to it.

Telling the story  Sometimes there is so much to tell. The trick with reporting is that you have to figure out what the story is, and how you can best tell it. This means that you have to get rid of the things that don’t add to your story – even if they are interesting.  Always keep your story in mind. You should be able to say what the story is about in one sentence. It should be that clear to you.

Very and really  I know this is a really small detail, but it is very important to me.  I know this is a small detail, but it is important to me.  The words very and really really don’t mean very much.

Cut  Go in an edit every article you write. Cut it down. Go through and ask yourself if every word, every sentence is necessary. If it isn’t, let it go.

AP Style  Let’s look at the reference guide on oneclassroom.weebly.com together.  Numbers, dates, times, etc., Learn these rules and love them.

Talk to the right source and write for the right medium  You have to make sure that you are talking to the informed source.  Kerrytown is a great example. If you want to find out why students aren’t allowed in Kerrytown talk to Eric Satori, the grounds manager. When you talk to students or store employees, you aren’t getting accurate information because they don’t know the whole picture.  If you are writing about something timely, like Kerrytown, you should be writing it for web; the only exception would be if you have an in-depth feature you are doing.