It's important to me that stories you submit have a consistent format. It can help you, too. If staring at a blank screen gives you writer's block, start every story by typing in your slugline, headline and byline. It gets the ball rolling.
Here's a run-through of the format I'd like you to use. I'll go over this in class Wednesday.
All stories should contain:
* A slugline (flush right) – LastName.StoryWord.DateCode (Eg.White/Format/82708)
* A headline (flush left)
* Your byline (flush left)
The datecode is just the month, date and year all run together: 82708. Aug. 27, 2008.
Spacing and margins
All stories should be double spaced with one-inch margins. That gives me room to write comments if I’m handling the print version.
Email or web posting stories
All stories that are submitted as email should use the slug in the subject line, eg. White/Format/82708. That tells me who is submitting the story and what the story is.
Posting a story, or the top of a story, as a comment on MizzooNews should look the same as a printed version.
Font and type size
Find a happy place between saving paper and taxing my eyes. Times New Roman, 10- or 11-point works.
Putting it all together
So the top of every story you file for this class should look like this:
White/Format/82708
Prof requires consistent formatting
By NADIA WHITE
Consistent story formatting helps keep stories straight. Prof. Nadia White told her Public Affairs Reporting class on Wednesday adherence to formatting guidelines would be taken into account when she is grading stories this semester.
Emails and stories that carry the correct formatting are easier to sort. “It prevents me from getting 16 stories all slugged ‘CopBrief,’” she said. This format identifies the reporter, subject and submission date. All this makes it less likely the story will get lost and more likely it will be accurately recorded in the grade book. (Except these lines would be double spaced.)
Thanks to Doug Savage for the chickens.
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