Journalism 133: Prof. Craig: Final Project

Final Project

This semester, the final project assignment will be somewhat different than in previous editions of this class.  This time, everyone writes and everyone edits -- you will write a story and also edit someone else's story as part of the complete project.  The final project is 25 percent of your semester grade, but this total will now be divided into two parts: 10 percent for Part 1; 15 percent for Part 2.

You will begin developing ideas for the project today in class, according to the parameters below. 

Part 1: 

You will write a 1000-word (or more) main story and 500-word (or more) sidebar story about the general topic you have been assigned below.  It's up to you to narrow the subject down to story and sidebar topics that will be effective.  That story/sidebar will be due and submitted to me as a Word document on Thursday, May 7 at class time, and you will briefly discuss the project with the group during that day's class meeting.  Also at that time, your story will be assigned to an editor, and you will be assigned as an editor for someone else's story.  This will be the last class meeting of the semester.

You will need a minimum of four interviews across the two stories.  Each story requires a minimum of three interviews, but you can use the same people across both -- try not to use the same quotes in both, however.  Also, as noted in the syllabus, you may not use AI to write any part of your story.  

Part 2: 

Having turned in the story you wrote, you will now edit another student's story.  Please use the Track Changes function of Microsoft Word to show what you have changed.  You will have complete latitude in editing this story, meaning you will be allowed/expected to:

• Check all names and facts, and correct them if needed
• Fix all style, grammar or spelling errors
• Rewrite and/or reorganize material as you deem necessary
• Add background information as you see fit
• Do more interviews if you think they would help improve the story

As this is an editing class, any errors introduced into the story during editing will severely harm your grade.   

The finished edit of the story and sidebar will be due at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 11, the last day of instruction for the semester.  You will email the finished edit to me as a Word document, as required in the syllabus.  The class will not meet that day -- you will just email me the document. 

You have been randomly assigned a general topic for the story/sidebar writing portion of the project.  You may use the next few minutes to determine what subject you want to write about and possible subtopics for the sidebar story.  We will reconvene later and everyone can pitch their ideas, and you can all get to work moving forward.

General topics for final project: