1st Place, Breaking News Coverage
2021-22, Division 4, News Writing
By Reagan Masek & Emmy Chung
The Communicator Online
Ann Arbor Community HS
On Oct. 21, the Ann Arbor Public Schools [AAPS] sent out an email to Huron High School, Skyline High School and Forsythe Middle School students announcing an emergency asynchronous learning plan for Friday, Oct. 22. The sudden measure is due to unfilled positions district-wide from COVID-19 cases among staff.
AAPS Superintendent, Jeanice Swift, sent a short-notice announcement through email around 9:00 p.m., saying the decisions made by the district are in an attempt to continue in-person learning for the remainder of the school year.
Taking this step allows the AAPS to better utilize substitutes in other schools and who are to continue with in-person learning, Swift said. Staff at Huron, Skyline and Forsythe will be allowed to work remotely from the location of their choice.
All Schoology assignments and classwork must be posted by 9:00 a.m. by teachers and “engage students in meaningful learning activities”, said an email sent to staff.
Dual-enrollment students will continue with CHS classes; these students are responsible for completing their asynchronous assignments as well.
For CHS students, school will remain in-person as usual on Friday, Oct. 22.
NW-01. Breaking News Coverage
Coverage of an unplanned breaking or developing news event, published within 48 hours of the originating news event. Report should contain as much information as possible without editorializing or relying on assumptions. Online reports may reflect updates as the news event unfolds, but it should be noted in the story when this has occurred.
Judging Criteria
- Reports as much of the who, what, where, when, why and how as possible
- Story is in the form of a short report to get out essential facts as soon as possible
- Does not sacrifice accuracy for the sake of timeliness
- Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscores news story importance
- The most important, relevant and timely information is near the beginning of the story
- Emphasizes news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact, and prominence
- Avoids opinion unless properly attributed
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person