5-20-09 Feature Story Pre-Production

For reading time today, here are some possible feature story topic ideas: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=114419

Your assignment by tomorrow is to provide a theme statement which states exactly what your feature story will focus on. Your theme statement should clearly answer the “so what” question. Why is this important (or interesting) to your audience? You should also include five of the best questions that you would need to ask to report it, and five of the best sources you would contact. These sources should be named, not general groups of people.

Sample:
Theme Statement: The Flu is causing a rise in absenteeism at Central. This impacts students and teachers as it disrupts lesson plans and class time must be made up.

Sources: Ms. Steffner, principal; Mrs. Miller, school nurse; Mr. Rossi, Athletic Director; Victor Smith, student who had the flu; Mrs. O’Hara, teacher

Questions: How severely has HC been hit by the flu? What is the schools policy in dealing with this? What is the best way to avoid contacting the disease? How has this affected classroom activities? How has this affected extracurricular activities?

Copy and paste this to your blog:

1. Theme Statement:

Sources:
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Questions:
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