1st Place, Feature Presentation – Mini-Mag, Special Section or Supplement
2023-24, Divison 1-3, Yearbook Visual and Verbal
By Staff
Ceniad
East Lansing HS
Y-25. Feature Presentation – Mini-Mag, Special Section or Supplement
Mini-mags, special sections and special supplements should be entered in this category. Entries must include multiple spreads designed as a unit to 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 - Spreads appear sequentially
- 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