{"id":164,"date":"2016-01-18T15:24:39","date_gmt":"2016-01-18T15:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/?page_id=164"},"modified":"2026-03-26T15:08:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T15:08:05","slug":"grading-standards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/grading-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"Standards for news reporting and writing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>The ideal news article<\/strong> is an original, ethically reported description of a significant public event or issue explained in terms that are understandable to the average reader.\u00a0 Ethics is the the starting point and the basic guideline is: <em>Seek the truth,\u00a0 act independently, minimize harm, be accountable.\u00a0 (<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spj.org\/ethicscode.asp\">SPJ code of ethics<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Articles that are based on secondary sources rather than original reporting are not acceptable in a news reporting class. All reporting and writing must be original. You are expected to pick local, accessible topics; to research information about the topic; to find experts to interview in person about the topic; and then to write about the topic.\u00a0 If a star or an expert can&#8217;t be interviewed in person &#8212; if you have to rely on second-hand sources or piggyback on the work of other journalists &#8212; then you don&#8217;t have an original ethically reported article.<\/p>\n<h3>Ethics in reporting and writing<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Private people<\/span>: In interviewing\u00a0and reporting, you need to respect the privacy of non-public, unelected figures. \u00a0Private people who have been victims of an accident or crime should be given\u00a0full respect for their privacy. In some cases (especially sexual assault) victims are almost never identified.\u00a0\u00a0Children should never be interviewed without parental consent. Generally, private people you interview should be in a position to give\u00a0 informed consent to being interviewed.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Public officials and public figures:<\/span> In dealing with public people, respect is a two-way street. If authorities do not respect you, then you are obliged to stand up to them, enlisting other reporters and editors if need be. For example, if any government official demands to see your notebook or the draft article in advance of publication, or otherwise\u00a0 attempts to control the news, you must refuse to cooperate since<em> you are ethically\u00a0 obliged to act independently<\/em>.\u00a0 (Remember the 2025-26 Pentagon reporting fiasco).\u00a0 If the lack of professional respect persists, \u00a0is not ethical to ignore the problem. \u00a0This is a particular issue for student journalists and university publications (and it has happened at RU). Advice is one thing; strong suggestions and\/or demands are inappropriate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Writing a news or Feature article<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Reporting:\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0All writing for credit in this class requires <em>\u00a0direct primary sourcing. <\/em>If you want to write about famous people or big events, you have to be in direct first-person contact with the people or events. You cannot rely on other writers&#8217; work.\u00a0 Example:\u00a0 An article about a nationally famous person or a national event requires that you interview the people involved and be present at the event.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Writing:<\/span> In writing your articles, originality is a professional minimum, and plagiarism is strictly forbidden. It is highly \u00a0unethical to copy any information from any other report or article without attributing it, e<em>ven if you are paraphrasing in your own words.<\/em> A similar ethical issue exists if a reporter relies on the work of other reporters or\u00a0 \u00a0artificial intelligence bots, or any other channel that\u00a0 produces information from secondary sources.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Direct quotes: <\/span>\u00a0 You need direct quotes in your copy. Paraphrasing is used to simplify complex ideas or numbers.\u00a0 Direct quotes give the color and feel and reaction to events. They let the subjects of a news article speak directly to the reader.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Be Professional: <\/span>Meet the deadline; Turn your work in on time and in the appropriate formats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Beginning news writing (COMS 104) \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><strong>1.1 Appropriate formats\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>MS Word or Plain Text for all text. Not embedded in a PDF or other hard to edit formats.<\/li>\n<li>File label &#8212; Word file is labelled using your name and assignment. Example:\u00a0 StudentName.CityCouncilFeb12.docx\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0NOT\u00a0 \u00a0myassignment.docx or assnment1.docx<\/li>\n<li>Byline &#8212; Above the lead, at the top of the first page, your name, assignment, and date.<\/li>\n<li>Photo format &#8212; All photos are submitted separately as attachments, usually JPGs or PNGs for web.\u00a0 (The standard for print production is CMYK \/ TIFF)<\/li>\n<li>Photo cutline &#8212; All photos have cutlines using AP guidelines or others as appropriate.\u00a0 Cutlines should have:\u00a0 1) Full names of people in photo; 2) Context of photo; 3) Date of photo; 4) name of photographer; 5) affiliation of photographer; 6) Copyright status (CC for Creative Commons or \u00a9 for copyrighted.<\/li>\n<li>Public domain images from before\u00a0 than 1923 should be labelled with agency &#8212; eg:\u00a0 NASA photo; Brady Collection, Library of Congress; etc).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>News Reporting (204)\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p2\">Accurate description of public issue or event<\/li>\n<li>Uses regular news lead and sticks to main facts\n<ul>\n<li>Example:\u00a0 City Council voted yesterday to approve a new ordinance that would\u00a0 &#8230;<\/li>\n<li>But not:\u00a0 After the pledge of allegiance and a greeting from our wonderful mayor, city council tackled a couple of important things on their agenda that I thought were very interesting &#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Contains at least two or three direct quotes from experts or authorities that you have talked with or heard directly &#8211; and not from any other news article.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p2\">Sticks to facts \u2014 doesn\u2019t make things up<\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Avoids editorial opinion <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u2014 <\/span><strong><span class=\"s2\">Be neutral \u2013 avoid editorial comments\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">Avoid personal references &#8212; <strong>\u00a0never (or almost never)\u00a0 use the words \u201cI\u201d or \u201cme\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\">Basic<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"color: #444444;\">grammar\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p3\">Use complete sentences<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Full names and titles on first reference, last name only on second and subsequent references.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\">Correct use of definite \/ indefinite articles <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"color: #444444;\">(\u201ca\u201d on first reference \u201cthe\u201d on second and subsequent references)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Correct pronouns and verbs (<span style=\"color: #444444;\">Their, there, they\u2019re ;<\/span><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"color: #444444;\">your, you\u2019re; sight, site; etc)\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\">Use consistent, appropriate verb tenses<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\" style=\"color: #444444;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Use equivalent parallel structures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><b>\u00a0Style <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p4\">Associated Press style for dates, numbers, capitalization, etc.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p4\">SVO construction \/ Active Voice verbs <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s3\">Attribution &#8211; <\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0Let readers know where information comes from. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s2\"> Attribution structure \u2014 \u00a0&#8220;Quote,&#8221; said Mayor Firstname W. Lastname.\u00a0 \u00a0 &#8220;Quote. Quote and quote.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s2\">Not full name on first reference. Then last name only on second and subsequent references. \u00a0 No honorifics (Mr, Ms) despite the NY Times style.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>News style \u2014 Usually begin with WHAT element, not Who or When.<\/li>\n<li>Terse &amp; concise \u2014 not wordy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><b>Concept \/ News judgment\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Most recent facts in lead<\/li>\n<li>State action or outcome \u2014 Avoid label leads and \u201cto be\u201d verbs<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>(\u201cThere was an election<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u2026\u201d )<\/li>\n<li>Identification of people appropriate, blind lead if name is unfamiliar<\/li>\n<li>Avoid cliches<\/li>\n<li>Avoid alleging crime &#8211; stick to facts<\/li>\n<li>Keep similar elements together in the structure of the story<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>advanced journalism (304 -404)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Effort<\/strong> &#8212; How difficult was it to report and write this article?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Layer 1 &#8212; Press releases, pre-planned events, public speakers, panels,\u00a0 etc.<\/li>\n<li>Layer 2 &#8212; Reporter initiative, public service issues<\/li>\n<li>Layer 3 &#8212; Investigative reporting, FOIA-d article<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Concept<\/strong> \u2013<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Public interest \u2013 Is this something the affects everyone?<\/li>\n<li>Reader interest \u2013 Is it important to, or interesting to, your readers?<\/li>\n<li>Balance &#8212; Are all parties and interests given a chance to speak? Does the reporter avoid bias?\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>More specifically, are ethical issues considered in formulating and reporting the story? Is the reporter\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aware of media issues such as \u201cmean world syndrome,\u201d women\u00a0 \u00a0and minority issues?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Significance &#8212; Does the story involve important questions, not things that are trivial or transitory or superfluous? (EG Impact of budget cuts on students as opposed to coverage of beauty pageants).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>\u00a0Reporting\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>Effective translation of concept into reporting plan<\/li>\n<li>Accuracy in all names, dates, events; avoids major factual errors<\/li>\n<li>Thorough reporting, all relevant questions asked\u00a0 &#8212; Reporter doesn&#8217;t just repeat a press release<\/li>\n<li>Effective and ethical interviews<\/li>\n<li>Reporting is inclusive, showing\u00a0 an effort to include people who are sometimes overlooked.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Writing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li><strong>All work must be<\/strong> <strong>entirely<\/strong> <strong>original.<\/strong> No copying from, or use of quotes from, other news articles.<\/li>\n<li>The lead should be short, compelling and very much to the point.<\/li>\n<li>Personal examples from sources familiar with the story \/ event help make news relevant to the reader.<\/li>\n<li>Quotes should highlight color and opinion. Use appropriate forms of attribution.<\/li>\n<li>Well organized structure, Good writing style \u2013 smooth transitions, keyword repetitions, S-V-O construction, uses active voice verbs<\/li>\n<li>Avoids editorial comment and boosterism.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Media \/ sidebars \/ infographics\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Sidebars for breaking out factual data<\/li>\n<li>Photos taken, subjects identified<\/li>\n<li>Video or audio included in story<\/li>\n<li>Maps, charts and infographics<\/li>\n<li>Posting on appropriate blog or web site Other effective use of media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Extra credit <\/strong>for publication in professional media &#8212; 10+<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ideal news article is an original, ethically reported description of a significant public event or issue explained in terms that are understandable to the average reader.\u00a0 Ethics is the the starting point and the basic guideline is: Seek the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/grading-standards\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full-width-page.php","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-164","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2325,"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/164\/revisions\/2325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/journalism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}