1st Place, Feature Presentation – Individual Spread
2023-24, Division 2, Yearbook Visual and Verbal
By Brennan Ford, Gunnar Gresens, Eva Kuiper & Abby Minnick
Ceniad
East Lansing HS
Y-26. Feature Presentation – Individual Spread
Entries may include unusual feature spreads from any section and Wow/Show Stopper/Interrupter spreads that explore a topic; typically non-traditional coverage
Judging Criteria
Writing
- Copy (if traditional copy is used) has engaging angle, solid lead and meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing
- Captions begin with strong lead and contain at least two sentences that answer all reader’s questions and clearly identifies all people
- Copy and captions show evidence of adequate research
- Clever, engaging primary/secondary headline combination draws reader into the story and establishes visual/verbal connection between photos and copy
- The primary/secondary headline combination clarifies the content of the spread
- Primary headline is short and grabs the reader’s attention
- Secondary headline is sentence-like and summarizes the story
Adheres to rules of good journalism including:
- Use of active voice
- Freedom from editorial comment
- Careful editing and proofreading
- Correct use of grammar
- *For more details, see complete criteria for these categories: Feature Writing – Student Life, Headline Writing, Caption Writing and Student Life Spread.
Design
- Designed as a visual unit; arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto pages and show careful planning
- Special treatments are used sparingly and effectively
- Graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design
- Primary/secondary headline combination has contemporary design
- While designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic standards
Photography
- Photos have strong storytelling content and are effectively cropped
- Photos are technically strong and show evidence of composition rules
- Attracts, holds reader’s attention; posed photos are avoided
- Avoids distracting back/foreground