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ODYSSEY 2017-18 Staff manual

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

ODYSSEY

S TA F F M A N U A L

2017-2018

The ODYSSEY Staff Manual provides instruction and explanation of the staff ’s procedures -- it breaks down everything from the production of the magazine and website to the standard protocol of Room 231. Each staff member is expected to thoroughly read and understand the content of this guide and must keep their copy of the manual with them at all times during class. Every publication has a specific style for its writing, design and process of production – this booklet is your guide to the ODYSSEY’s style. To maintain consistency in our magazine and online publication and understanding among our staff members, we use this as a foundation for our work. This 80-page guide is a helpful tool for both newcomers and veterans alike and will be referred to many times throughout the year. Included in this manual: tips to improve writing, interviewing and designing; major AP style laws to abide by; descriptions and duties of the Editorial Board positions; classroom procedures outside of the website and magazine production; and in-depth guides to the five sections -- Viewpoints, News, Variety and Sports. Highlighting and annotating this guide’s pages is highly recommended.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

ODYSSEY The ODYSSEY is a student-produced newsmagazine, published with the intent to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to educate student journalists. Established in 2003, the ODYSSEY is published multiple times a year, and each issue is an open public forum for student expression under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Student journalists are provided with opportunities to investigate, inform, interpret and to evaluate: all traditionally accepted functions of the press in America. Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the staff. The ODYSSEY staff is committed to reflect the mission statement set forth by Clarke Central High School. The goals of the staff are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens’ community. Advertising must conform to the guidelines set forth for editorials. Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CCHS or the ODYSSEY staff. Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any ODYSSEY staff member. The ODYSSEY is a member of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Corrections of errors and omissions will appear in the next issue. Editor-in-Chief: Lucia Bermudez & Aneesa Conine-Nakano Managing Editor: Delia Adamons Senior Copy Editor: Jordan Rhym Senior Visuals Editor: Julie Alpaugh Viewpoints Editor: Valeria Garcia-Pozo News Editor: Jurnee Louder Variety Editor: Connor McCage Sports Editor: Hannah Gale Junior Copy Editor: Ana Aldridge Business Staff: Business Manager: Gabriel Mantione-Holmes Director of Audience Engagement: Olivia Ripps Broadcast Editor Kelly Fulford

Staff Writers: Owen Churchwell, Emma Ramsay, Alexander Robinson, Emerson Meyer, Elena Gilbertson-Hall, Everett Vereen, Emma Crane, Olivia Ngu, Madeleine Ingle, Katherine Grace Upchurch, Mackenzie Caudill,

Adviser: David A. Ragsdale ODYSSEY NEWSMAGAZINE Clarke Central High School 350 S. Milledge Avenue Athens, Georgia 30605 Phone: (706) 357-5200, Ext. 17370

Masthead

masthead is a list, usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper or magazine, of the members of the newspaper’s editorial board. If no editorial board exists, the masthead will often feature a list of top news staff members. Some mastheads also include information such as the publication’s founding date, slogan, logo and contact information. A borrowed term, a masthead in the shipping industry is a brass plate that would be affixed to the main mast of a commercial sailing vessel.

Editorial Policy

he ODYSSEY is a student produced newsmagazine and online publication, published with the intent to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to educate student journalists. The website and each issue is a public forum for student expression under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Student journalists are provided with opportunities to investigate, inform, interpret and evaluate: all traditionally accepted functions of the press in America. Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the staff. The ODYSSEY staff is committed to adhere to the mission statement set forth by CCHS. The goals of the staff are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens community. Advertising must conform to the guidelines set forth for editorials. Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CCHS or by the ODYSSEY staff. Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any ODYSSEY staff member. The ODYSSEY is a member of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Corrections of errors will appear in the next issue.

Mission Statement The ODYSSEY Media Group is a student produced news source for Clarke Central High School that strives to inform, entertain and give voice to CCHS students through fair and accurate news and commentary. Additionally, the ODYSSEY educates student journalists, providing them with opportunities for growth as communicators, leaders and advocates for justice. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Table of contents

Media Group Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief

Editorial Board..........................................................................................5-8

The Editor-In-Chief is virtually responsible for every aspect of the newsmagazine, website and Media Group as a whole. There are several key tasks that the Senior Editor performs:

Dictionary................................................................................................8-13 ODYSSEY Basics.................................................................................14-21 AP Style...............................................................................................22-29

Aneesa Conine-Nakano

Menu Items..........................................................................................30-31 Writing and interviewing.......................................................................32-36 Online...................................................................................................37-41 Broadcast............................................................................................42-48 Photography.............................................................................................49 Design..................................................................................................50-57 Viewpoints...........................................................................................58-61

Lucia Bermudez

Managing Editor The Managing Editor acts as the right hand to the Editor-in-Chief and is a part of Leadership Team. They’re responsible for the upkeep of deadlines as well as the workroom environment. Tasks that the PME is in charge of are: - Enforces deadlines dictated by EIC - holds frequent deadline check-ins, posts reminders online, provides printed and electronic calendar of semester events. - Takes minutes at editors’ meetings. - Must edit and proofread each article after it is placed on its page. - Must fully master the AP and ODYSSEY stylebooks and have access to each at all times. - Facilitates peer evaluations and conducts peer evaluation conferences. - Must handle sensitive issues among staff with the guidance of the adviser. - Must be available for staffers at all times. - Must write the boiling point for each magazine issue. - Works with the EIC and other Edboard members to go through pitches and assign stories. - Must conduct staff-bonding among staff members.

News...................................................................................................62-65

The Senior Copy Editor is a direct consultant to the Editor-in-Chiefs when it comes to copy for the ODYSSEY Media Group. They’re responsible for the quality, coherence and factuality of every story that is produced, as well as ensuring that each article meets both AP and ODYSSEY standards. Particular tasks that the SCE is in charge of are,

Variety...................................................................................................70-73

- Heads the Copy Editing Team (Writing Coach and Junior Copy Editor). - Must fully master the AP and ODYSSEY style books and have access to each at all times. - Must discuss and update ODYSSEY style to reflect changes in journalistic writing. - Checks in with section editors on progress and viability of staff stories after the rough draft submission. - Ensures captions, headlines and decks meet ODYSSEY standards. - Responsible for editing and conferencing with staff writers for Middle and Final Drafts and section editors for First Drafts. - Delegates certain Menu Items and drafts to the JCE for editing. - Responsible for planning/editing/enforcing all Menu Items.

Sports..................................................................................................74-78

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Delia Adamson

Senior Copy Editor

Features...............................................................................................66-69

- Set up bi-weekly editors’ meetings. - Oversees upkeep of website and handles the daily functioning of the magazine. - Serves as head of the Media Group and facilitate staff meetings. - Ensures that the website is updated daily. - Ensures that the Media Group’s social media accounts stay active. - Establish deadlines for cycles. - Represent the “collective voice” of ODYSSEY Media group in all public arenas. - Provide leadership of and responsibility for the website and magazine and its staff - Display knowledge and share experience in all areas of the site and magazine. - Assist adviser in the interviewing and recommendation of individuals for staff positions for following year. - Reviews and edits all final drafts. - Decides what content is posted on the website and/or fit for the magazine. - Sits in during firing/hiring sessions, some peer evaluations. - Compile master files from section editors, etc., into “Master Master” document - Send off magazine to printing company, directs proofing process - Write the “Letter from the Editor” column - Establish the ODYSSEY work schedule for the year - Establish deadlines for articles, ad copy (with Business Staff ) - Represent the ODYSSEY at Board of Education meetings - Direct critical review following each issue publication

Jordan Rhym

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Media Group Visuals Coordinator

Business Manager

The Senior Visuals Coordinator must ensure that all artwork–photos, cartoons and graphics– published in the ODYSSEY Media Group meets ODYSSEY standards. They must actively communicate and update EICs on the status of art for the magazine and website. They’re also responsible for:

Works with the EIC and business staff in order to maintain current and create new public relations while upkeeping the ODYSSEY Media group's finances. They’re also responsible for:

- Manages Visuals Staff. - Schedules, plans and delegates all photo shoots. - Actively communicates and updates EICs on the status of visuals for the magazine and website. - Plans weekly galleries to be posted on the website. - Responsible for upkeep and maintenance of photo equipment and supplies -- including recorders. - Creates some and plans all illustration content for both magazine and website - Leads staffers in creating infographics for appropriate stories - Goes on weekly photo shoots for stories

Suncana Pavlic

- Enforcing thank you note writing and delivery. - Keeping up with the do not interview list - Coordinates The marketing project(subscriptions sales) - Responsible for distributing and collecting permission slips - Organizing issue awards/deadline pride - The daily accounting and process of finances - Managing filing cabinet - Organizing a team to distribute magazines throughout school - Responsible for hyping the magazine before distribution Gabriel Mantione-Holmes

Junior Copy Editor

Director of Audience Engagement

The Junior Copy Editor works with the Lead Copy Editor to increase the quality, coherence and factuality of every story run in both the ODYSSEY Online and ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, as well as ensuring that stories meet AP and ODYSSEY standards.

Works in conjunction with other members of the Business/PR Staff in order to ensure positive public relations for the media group. They’re also responsible for:

- Fully master the AP and ODYSSEY stylebooks and have access to each at all times. - Discuss and update ODYSSEY style to reflect changes in journalistic writing. - Ensure the captions, headlines and decks accompanying stories meet ODYSSEY standards. - Edit and conference with staff writers on Middle Drafts and section editors on First Drafts with the LCE. - Help plan, edit and enforce all Menu items by conferencing with all of staff individually. - Communicate with editors about viable menu items.

Ana Aldridge Olivia Ripps

- Creates posters advertising the website and upcoming issue around the school. - Responsible for the delegation of the “street team” and the distribution of the magazine within the school when it is first printed. - Responsible for Thank You Card seminars and delivery - Organizing Issue awards/deadline pride. - Responsible for organizing and keeping track of permission slips. - Responsible for ensuring the “Do Not Interview” list is up to date. - Coordinate Marketing Project I and II in conjunction with the Business Team. - Ensures that each folder includes an issue of the magazine, an updated open rate sheet, advertising contracts, attempt forms and instructions.

Broadcast Editor The Broadcast Editor is virtually responsible for every aspect of the broadcast program, however, there are a few key tasks that the editor performs:

Viewpoints Editor The Viewpoints Editor is one of the magazine’s section editors. They’re in charge of the Viewpoints staff and layout. They’re also responsible for:

- Establishes a production calendar for the Broadcast staff. - Trains all personnel in technical aspects of Broadcast - Coaches staffers on proper news and script writing. - Monitors staff workflow. - Leads weekly staff meetings with adviser. - Vets and assigns all stories. - Ensures that there is a balance of news, sports, community interest and personal stories in any given cycle. - Edits all video scripts. - Evaluates all work with adviser. - Assists staffers with the technical and visual aspects of production. - Makes sure that all equipment is properly stowed and accounted for. Kelly Fulford

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

- Expressing the views of Clarke Central High School students and faculty. - Ensures article topics range from school related to personal issues. - Responsible for the “Question of the Month,” “Letters to the Editor” and “Fresh Voice” columns as well as any extras that appear in this section. - Writes a column each issue and writes articles for the website. - Must work with the News Editor when publishing sister articles. - Selects articles for publication on both the online and print website. - Ensures that monthly columns are published on the website. - Must make sure that story assignments reflect the diversity of interests at CCHS. - Edits their staff ’s drafts after the First Draft Deadline. - Conferences with staff after the First Draft Deadline. - Coaches writers on subjective writing.

Valeria Garcia-Pozo

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

News Editor

Jurnee Louder

The News Editor is one of the ODYSSEY Media Group’s section editors. They’re in charge of the News staff and producing regular content for the magazine and website. They’re also responsible for: - Responsible for updates on the activities of Clarke Central High School clubs, events, and departmental issues. - Responsible for an article each cycle - Edits their staff ’s drafts after the First Draft Deadline. - Conferences with staff after the First Draft Deadline. - Coaches writers on news writing. - Responsible for the “News Briefs” section, and must make sure they are complete by deadline and organizes the extras. - Ensures that international and local issues are also included in the News section. -Designs layout for magazine and makes sure there is constant news being posted online. -Attends every school board meeting and PTSO meetings and covers breaking news stories.

Variety Editor The variety editor will work with his own staff and layout designers to create fun, frequent, and varied content for the print and web publications. - Work to design layouts for print and multimedia/infographics for web. - Facilitate and create frequent and current reviews of popular items,movies,music, etc for cultural buzz and the variety portion of the website. - Produce in-depth portfolios and profiles of local Clarke Central High School students, businesses, and members of the community. - Continue or help continue recent Odyssey stories such as Quest for Athens best and create new ones. - Deliver content from myself and my staffers that is posted in a timely and relevant manner. - Facilitate editorials about current events that maintain factual relevancy. - Help create layouts and a wide variety of stories. - Provide timely edits and advice to anyone writing a variety story regardless of what staff they are, with priority set on my own staff ’s pieces. - Produce content that works on both print and web publications.

Connor McCage

Sports Editor The Sports Editor is one of the Media Group's section editors. They’re in charge of the Sports staff, layout and producing regular content for the magazine and website. They’re also responsible for:

Hannah Gale

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

- Responsible for assigning and gathering all sports-related news and sports feature material. - Write sports articles—features, game coverage and sports news. - Designs the mock-up of sports layouts. Completes or assigns “Sports Briefs” (The Box Score) and “Star Players” to appear in the sports section, and is responsible for the season previews. - Granted a monthly column in the sports section. - Must be in communication with coaches, have some knowledge of sports and have the ability to use a camera and do graphics. - Dynamically covers live sporting events with staff (Using Twitter, Steller, Periscope and other social media) - Writes game coverage same night. - Responsible for an article each cycle. - Edits their staff ’s drafts after the First Draft Deadline. - Conferences with staff after the First Draft Deadline. - Coaches writers on sports writing. - Schedules press conferences with coaches and Athletic Director - Teaches staffers about sports writing through meetings with athletes, coaches, sports writers etc and attending sporting events.

Dictionary 5 Things to Know: A segment in the Sports Section of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine that showcases a sport that is not being represented in the current issue. A sports staff writer will be given the job of interviewing an athlete that can speak on five unique things people should know about a sport that the student body may find interesting. Abbreviations: In most cases, do not abbreviate words unless you have previously spelled them out in your article. (Ex: Clarke Central High School becomes CCHS and Advanced Placement becomes AP.) • Do abbreviate state names when introduced with a city and the United States when used as an adjective. • Do not abbreviate: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah • Do not abbreviate states in the body of a text • Do abbreviate months when followed by a specified date. • Do not abbreviate March, April, May, June or July • Do not abbreviate the days of the week

5 things to know - Captitalization hyperlinks, staffers need to submit audio from their interviews along with transcriptions, a photo that is relevant to their piece and a caption. Beats can contribute to brief sections in the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine or be published on ODYSSEY Online. Bleeds: When using InDesign, to ensure that your visuals meet the edges of a magazine page when printed, you must drag the visual so that it expands onto the red line that outlines the page’s limit on the InDesign file. Blurbs: Much like a brief, blurbs are small articles ranging from 100 to 300 words. Blurbs are usually used in the Cultural Buzz segment of the newsmagazine's Variety Section in the forms of small reviews or as reviews for the website. Boiling Point: In each issue of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, the Print Managing Editor is allotted space for a 300 to 400 word editorial. Brief: Small articles that normally range from 150 to 300 words. Briefs supply content for the website and provide readers with updates on school developments that have occurred between each issue.

Address: When sending a letter, you need to label the envelope with an address. The address should be ordered with the recipient’s name on the top line, followed by a second line containing the street Byline: A line of text that names the writer of an address and a bottom line with the city, state and article. We use bylines for articles, visuals and zip code. designs in both the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine and ODYSSEY Online. AP STYLE: The ODYSSEY Media Group uses AP Style to obtain consistency, clarity and conciseness Capitalization: throughout our copy. • We do capitalize: proper nouns, official class courses, athletic teams, Freshman Academy, Beats: Each staffer is assigned a club, department Advanced Placement, JV and college degrees or school occurrence each semester that they will when abbreviated. ODYSSEY is always written report on every three weeks with a brief that is in all capital letters. no more than 300 words in length. Along with • We do not capitalize: a.m./p.m., freshman, a final draft containing at least two sources and sophomore, junior, senior, seasons, sports, a

Caption - Illustrator player’s position or a team’s competitive level. • Departments: We only capitalize the English, Spanish, French and Latin departments, but we never capitalize the word “department” itself. Caption: Text that accompanies visuals to give them a stronger connection to the article or piece that they are attached to. Captions are formatted as three sentences: the first sentence tells what is currently happening in the visual, the second gives background or past information for structure and the final sentence should be a quote from someone related to the visual who can supply further context. Copy: The main body text found in an article. Corrections and Omissions: A piece that can be found in the Viewpoints Section of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine where the Newsmagazine staff recognizes and corrects copy and content errors made in the previously released issue. Cultural Buzz: A segment in the Variety Section that compiles a diverse collection of reviews on the latest music, movies, shows, apps and more in the style of blurbs that range from 100 to 300 words in length. Deck: A brief preview of an article located beneath the headline. The deck introduces the general idea of a piece in two to three sentences without giving away all of the five W's and H. Drafts: During each production cycle for both the web and print classes, writers need to turn in a rough draft, a middle draft and a final draft to their respective editors. All three drafts will have their own deadline date assigned at the beginning of the production cycle. Writers can submit one deadline extension form per semester. Editorial: An opinionated article about a specific subject. Editorials are not emotionally driven rants,

InDesign - Numbers just like any other article, they must be supported with facts and information. Feature: An in-depth piece that combines the hard facts of a news article with the human interest values of a variety article to make a captivating 800 to 1500 word story. Fresh Voice: A segment in the newsmagazine's Viewpoint Section where either freshman staffers or guest writers write a personal blog to be featured in the Newsmagazine. Blogs are a personal type of piece that cover a topic that the writer is opinionated about or can speak on with personal experience. F-Stop/Aperture: This setting controls the size of the opening that light can pass through to your camera. The higher the F-stop, the smaller the hole which results in a darker image. Ghosts: The ODYSSEY Newsmagazine uses a small graphic of a gladiator helmet as a ghost for the end of their articles. Ghosts signify when an article has come to an end. Graphics: A computer-generated visual. Headline: An article title should be short and sweet while also giving the reader a hint to what the article is about. A common format used for headlines is “blanking the blank”; puns and alliteration can also be captivating headlines for a story.

InDesign: An Adobe program that staffers mainly use to design layouts and spreads for the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine.

that hook the reader into the story and introduce them to the subject of the article. It should be 30 words at most and quick to the point.

In Focus: A recurring segment in the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine where photographers from both ODYSSEY staffs can showcase a community-related photograph that has no tie to an article in the magazine itself.

Letter from the Editor: In each issue of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, the Print Editor-in-Chief is allotted a page for a 500 to 700 word editorial.

Infographics: A graphic with facts and information attached. Interviews: Interviews should feel like a natural conversation between two people. The interviewer needs to come prepared with a list of questions that will help guide them throughout their interview. If your subject can not meet in person, try to schedule a phone interview before resorting to email interviews. You always need to transcribe your interviews word for word. • Always ask to record before you begin conducting the interview • Ask who, what, when, where, why and how related questions • TAKE NOTES!! • Be attentive and ready to stray away from your questions. ISO: This setting controls how sensitively one’s camera reacts to light. A lower ISO setting works better for bright environments while higher ISO settings work better for darker environments.

Headshot: A close-up portrait of a staff members' face will commonly accompany pieces found in the Viewpoints Section to further identify writers and guests in the Question of the Month or Thumbs segments.

Kerning: The spacing between letters when it comes to design.

Illustrator: An Adobe program that allows staffers to create illustrations and art that can be used as visuals for both ODYSSEY publications.

Leading: The spacing between lines when it comes to design.

Layout: The full design of an article including all of the copy, visuals and attributions.

Leads: The first two to three sentences of an article

Letter to the Editor: In each issue of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, the Viewpoints staff compiles letters from members of the Clarke Central High School community. The Letters to the Editor page contains five letters that express opinions on an article from each section of the previously published magazine. Masthead: A list of a newspaper or magazine’s editorial board, staffers, mission statements and policies. Menu items: On the last Thursday of every month, staffers must turn in a 300 word story, a blog, a review or a scene. Over the course of a semester, each staffer will have completed one of each. • 300 word story: A stylized profile that does not have to conform to the transition-quote format of a news article. It must focus on a particular aspect of a Clarke Central High School community member that would interest readers. • Blog: A personal type of piece, covering a topic that you’re opinionated about or a story about your own life. • Critical Review: An opinionated review that covers a new book, show, movie, music, app, store, restaurant, etc. • Scene: a photograph of a CCHS community member and a caption that contains an interesting quote from that person Numbers: For the most part, when using ODYSSEY style, spell out any numbers below 10. Use numerals when using numbers 10 and higher. The same ruling goes for ordinal numbers. Always spell out numbers when they are at the beginning of a ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Nut Graph - Quotes sentence. • Age and money: Numerals • Time: Use numerals except when referring to “noon” and “midnight” and use a colon to separate hours and minutes. • Scores/ Team Records: numerals (EX: CCHS beat Martinsburg High School 11-7) Nut Graph: Following the lead of a feature article is a small transition paragraph that displays the news value of a piece after the appeal factor has been introduced Our Take: An editorial located in the Viewpoints Section of the Newsmagazine that displays the staff ’s opinion on a subject matter that will be mentioned in an accompanying sister article later in the issue. Photoshop: An Adobe program that allows staffers to edit visuals before placing them in layout or coding them. Pitches: Each time a new production cycle begins in class, all staffers need to complete fully formatted pitches for two original brainstorm ideas they believe can become viable articles. A pitch specifies the who, what, when, where, why, how, angle, stakeholders and visuals the writer intends for an article to have. Staffers’ editors will decide which pitches writers should pursue. Pull Quote: A quote from the copy of an article that has been enlarged to break up text and draw the reader’s attention. Punctuation • Apostrophe: Used in place of omitted letters or in conjunctions to signify possession.The only section allowed to use contractions is Viewpoints. For proper nouns ending in “s,” no additional “s” is needed after the apostrophe. Boys/Girls soccer team, not Boy’s/Girl’s soccer team. 12

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Reviews - Visuals • Brackets: DO NOT DO IT • Colon: The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists. Try to avoid using colons. Dramatic Emphasis: The colon often can be effective in giving emphasis. • Comma: Use commas to separate items in a series but do not use a comma before the conjunction at the end of a series. Also use commas to separate equal adjectives. When a conjunction such as “and”, “but” or “for” links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction in most cases. Use commas to set off information such as an age or hometown when being placed in apposition to a name. • Dashes: Use dashes to make abrupt changes in a sentence. • Hyphen: Use hyphens to connect two or more words so that they can act as an adjective to another word. • Semi-Colon: Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when the items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off by commas. To link independent clauses: Use a semicolon when a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and,’ ‘but’ or ‘for’ is not present. Unless a particular literary effect is desired, however, the better approach in these circumstances is to break the independent clauses into separate sentences. Question of the Month: Each issue, the Viewpoints staff is responsible for making a question that relates to the season, theme or current events happening when the issue is expected to be released. The staff then collects answers from the Clarke Central High School community. Quotes: After an interview, writers are responsible for transcribing the interview word for word. The interviewee’s statements can be used as quotes in the writer’s article unless the source asked to go off the record before their statements were given. If in a quote, the source refers to someone with a pro-

noun, the writer may need to replace that pronoun • When you first introduce a source in an article, with a title and a name to clarify who the source is you need to introduce them with a full title and speaking about. Ex: “He likes pickles,” Smith said. their first and last name. Titles are placed beBECOMES “(Clarke Central High School junior fore a person’s name (EX: Clarke Central High John Spark) likes pickles,” Smith said. School junior Shana Pierce). • Format one: “transcribed word-for-word • If a title is extremely long, list the source’s quote,” source said. name, follow it with a comma and the long title • Format two: “transcribed word-for-word and then end it with another comma along quote,” source said. “transcribed word-for-word with the rest of the sentence (Ex: Shana Pierce, quote.” social studies department chair and nationally acclaimed puppet enthusiast ranked fifth in the Reviews: A 100 to 300 word blurb that critiques nation, said.) relevant music, restaurants, apps and other pieces • If a title is formal, it must be capitalized. If a of pop culture. title is informal or does not have a name attached, then it should not be capitalized. Shutter Speed: This setting controls how long the camera’s shutter is open for. Tombstoning: The placing of a headline on the center of a page Spread: A story layout that is spread over two pages side-by-side. Tracking: The spacing between words when it comes to design. Star Players: A segment in the Sports Section that showcases two Clarke Central High School star Transition: Text that guides readers from one athletes each issue. These athletes are decided by quote to another in an article. Never restate what their performance in their respective sports and was said in the previous quote or what is going to G.P.A. be in the next quote. Transitions need to fill in the information that sources do not explicitly give in Stroke: An InDesign tool that allows you to change their quotes and be no longer than 70 words. the weight of lines, text boxes and shapes. Typeface: The font style used throughout a publiText Wrap: An InDesign tool that allows users to cation. wrap text around an embedded object such as a photo or shape. Visuals: Photographs, graphics, infographics, cartoons, drawings or art. Do not use them for the Thumbs: A segment in the Viewpoints Section purpose of filling in space. Visuals are meant to of the newsmagazine where the ODYSSEY staff give further context to an article. compiles a list of positive news going into the issue and a list of negative news going into the issue. The Viewpoints staff then creates a new catchy headline and deck to give the readers an idea of what the articles are about. Titles: An introduction to a new source being cited within an article. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Staff Email The ODYSSEY staff ’s main source of contact is through a private server on Gmail. To access your account, login at: mail.google.com/a/odysseynewsmagazine.net or simply go to gmail. com and type in your complete address. editors@odysseynewsmagazine.net: Print Editor-in-Chief, Print Managing Editor, Lead Copy Editor, Senior Visuals Coordinator production@odysseynewsmagazine.net: the 4th period production class j1@odysseynewsmagazine.net: the 5th period introduction class seniors@odysseynewsmagazine.net: All seniors in the ODYSSEY Media Group edboard@odysseynewsmagazine.net: All editors visuals@odysseynewsmagazine.net: Media Visuals Coordinator and photographers business@odysseynewsmagazine.net: Business Manager, PR Manager and Business staff

To email the entire ODYSSEY Media Group staff, email “staff@ odysseynewsmagazine.net” (this includes both 4th and 5th period) Make sure that peer evaluations and other personal and/or confidential emails are not sent to the staff email. Remember emails sent to this address go out to EVERYONE.

To email an entire section, simply put the name of that section, followed by “@odysseynewsmagazine.” For example, to email the Variety section, email “variety@odysseynewsmagazine.net.”

Teamwork:

Communication:

Staying late:

Staff member communication:

Deadline Pride:

Adviser communication:

Prior to send-off or staff rotations for the Online staff, the ODYSSEY staff participates in Deadline Pride. For Deadline Pride, all members of the staff are expected to participate and dress in the assigned color, prepared to represent their staff. Don’t be afraid to get crazy.

Do not text message Mr. Ragsdale at any time. If you need to get in touch with him for guidance or support, feel free to e-mail him during normal business hours.

Your work for the ODYSSEY will often require you to log hours outside of the allotted class time. Section editors and the advisor will be committed to staying after school when necessary for a pre-determined time. When we stay as a team, we leave as a team.

Communication among staff members is imperative to success and should always be handled professionally. Email, text or call staff members. There is also a Google Chat function on the e-mail to instantly chat whoever you need to talk to as long as they are online.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Classroom Procedures

Formats

Dress Code:

Materials:

Thank you notes

As a part of the ODYSSEY staff, you have an image to uphold. On days in which you have an ODYSSEY function, including interviews, press conferences, guest speakers, etc., you are expected to dress appropriately, as you will be representing the ODYSSEY staff and brand name. It is appropriate that all staff members dress in professional attire daily. This also includes presentation, i.e. the way you act, speak, etc.

Each staff member is expected to have a notebook in class every day. This notebook should be organized and include all drafts, notes, conference papers, interviews, etc.

Follow CCHS dress code and â€œDress for successâ€? ABSOLUTELY NO athletic shorts, wrinkled clothes or sweatpants.

Georgia game days: ODYSSEY members work a concession stand at UGA football home games as a way of fundraising for the program. All staff members who are working the stand at UGA games are required to dress in uniform. Uniform includes khaki shorts or pants, hats (not another college team), closed toed shoes and a plain white T-shirt. 16

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Each staff member is expected and required to wear their press pass at ALL TIMES.

CHECKLIST FOR CLASS

__ Press pass __ Stylebook __ Binder __ Notebook paper __ Pockets for handouts, drafts, etc. __ All of your drafts, notes and past peer evaluations __ Headphones __ Pens

All ODYSSEY Media Group staff members are expected and required to write thank you notes to anyone interviewed during the course of the year. The notes are to be hand-written and delivered within a month of the interview. Below is an example of a proper thank you note:

Documents ALL draft documents that staff members create in class are setup in a particular way, consisting of ones name, position, name of teacher and period, date, draft type, word count and who has edited the piece. Ex: Andrew Caldwell Junior Copy Editor Ragsdale, 4th 7 Aug. 2016 Rough draft Word count: 300 Edited by: Jordan Rhym, Delia Adamson Along with a proper heading, all draft documents should contain a story headline in bold, an italicized deck, copy text, a signature at the end and a visual with a caption (if applicable).

Interview requests Dear Ms. Perez, Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to have an interview with me last week. Hearing your insight on the effects of too much homework on high school students was interesting and added greatly to my story. I appreciate your openness to speak on the subject and your cooperation and enthusiasm were extremely helpful. I enjoyed meeting with you, and I thank you for helping me uncover the truth as a journalist and CCHS student. The article will go online within the next month, and I will send you a link as soon as it is posted. Thank you again, Karla Dougan

Staff members will regularly hold interviews with teachers, administrators, students and community members through the school year and must request those interviews in a professional and timely manner. Below is an example of an email interview request:

Hello Mr. Hicks, This is Lucia Bermudez. I am the Editor-in-Chief for the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine and I am writing a piece for the ODYSSEY on dyslexia and its effects on CCHS students. I was hoping to get your voice on this topic and ask about observations you may have made about some of these students or any knowledge you may have on the subject. Let me know if you are available for an interview, and if so, what time and date works best for you. Thank you for your time, Lucia Bermudez ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

ODYSSEY Policies As a Media Group, the ODYSSEY has several policies that we always adhere to. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the following statements so you can uphold the program's integrity and consistency. ODYSSEY Email Policy:

Your class-assigned ODYSSEY email accounts should be used for nothing but ODYSSEY business. You can email your sources to set up interviews or for followup questions in a professional manner. Don’t take advantage of it for your personal use. Any school-related emails should be sent from your Clarke County account.

Interviewing policy:

All interviews should be conducted face to face in order to get the best quality interview. If your source is not available to talk in person, you should schedule an over the phone interview. Avoid interviewing over email or text messages at all costs. Many times quotes get lost in translation over a back and forth typed conversation. Before any interview the writer should have at least ten questions that have been approved by the section editor.

Interrupting class:

Since the ODYSSEY is a school publication, many interviews are conducted during the school day with students and teachers. Do not pull your source out of a class to interview them unless it is the last resort, especially not if it’s a core class. Attempt to schedule interviews during the student’s lunch time or after school. If you have to pull a student out of class, be 18

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respectful of the teacher and their right to not allow the student to leave.

Transcriptions:

All interviews should be transcribed in their entirety as soon after the interview is conducted as possible. These are a good way to look back at the quotes you are planning on using and to make sure all of your quotes are correct. Your transcriptions function as insurance against misquoting your source. In addition to the typed transcriptions, all interview recordings should be uploaded to the issue archive on the server. Recordings should be labeled your last name_ subject’s name_date.

Deadline policy:

There are separate deadlines for assignments such as brainstorms, time logs and written articles -- rough, middle and final drafts. Deadlines will be negotiated between the writer and the section editor. Typically, deadlines will occur at a specific time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Failure to meet deadlines will result in a meeting with first your section editor, then the Print Managing Editor and, if the problem persists, Mr. Ragsdale. Meeting deadlines is a crucial part of your grade; missed deadlines will affect your grade negatively.

Prior Review Policy: The ODYSSEY Media Group seeks to maintain courteous professional relationships with sources and community members. Staffers are expected to treat sources with respect and attempt to accommodate their wishes. If a source asks to see an article before publication, the writer will meet with the Editor-in-Chief, section editor and Managing Editor to assess the validity of their request. The ODYSSEY Newsmagazine does not allow sources to censor articles or retract on record statements unless it is an issue of accuracy.

Retraction Policy: The ODYSSEY Media Group strives to provide accurate and unbiased news for the CCHS community. All published information should be double checked for accuracy before publication. However, if incorrect information is published or an error is made, then the error will be acknowledged and corrected at the beginning of the next issue's Corrections and Omissions section. Larger errors will be dealt with on a case by case basis and the ODYSSEY will publicly correct the errors either on the website or in the magazine.

Press Pass Policy: The ODYSSEY Press Pass can be used to leave class or campus to conduct ODYSSEY business during school hours. The Press Pass is used to conduct ODYSSEY business, such as adruns or interviews. This is a privilege and abuse will result in an appropriate disciplinary action.

Byline Policy: Though all stories and projects completed in the ODYSSEY Media Group take a group effort,

there is specific protocol in terms of credit and bylines. If a story or work is created solely by one person, aside from copy edits and revisions, they recieve a byline and credit for their work. If a story is worked on by multiple people, the authors are given co-bylines. If a story takes major reworking or a significant effort in writing/ rewriting, the original author and the secondary author are each given a co-byline. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Legal advice What is libel? Libel is any published communication that falsely harms a person’s reputation. There are four elements, all of which must be proven in court: 1. Publication. Plaintiff must prove the statement was communicated to someone other than the person it was about. 2. Identification. If the statement in question doesn’t mention the person’s name, the plaintiff must prove that people who read it believed the plaintiff was the one identified. 3. Harm or Defamation. Plaintiff must prove the statement harmed his reputation in the eyes of the community. 4. Fault. Plaintiff must prove that fault has occurred either because of negligence (failure to exercise ordinary care) or actual malice (knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth).

How can I avoid libel? -- Confirm and verify all defamatory material. -- Make sure the questionable material can be proven true. -- Be especially careful of arrest reports, damage suits and criminal court proceedings. -- Watch out for charges, assertions and claims – it doesn’t matter whether we’re saying it or we’re quoting someone else directly. If we print it, we’re responsible for it. -- Libel can be found not only in news stories, but in letters to the editor, cartoons, and ads. Again, if we print it, we’re responsible for it. -- Words such as alleged and reported do not serve as protection from libel. -- Be careful of unofficial statements made by police or court officials outside the courtroom. -- Truth is a defense. Good intentions are not. Regardless of how you intended something to be perceived, the courts will look at how it was perceived. -- Running a correction (legally, a retraction) is not a defense, but doing so can reduce punitive damages if you’re sued for libel and lose. -- Under the “fair comment rule,” a student is free to express an opinion on matters of public interest. The material should be labeled, for example, as an editorial, commentary, column, review or the like. How can I use copyrighted material? (Copyright does not protect titles, short phrases, slogans, ideas or procedures. It also doesn’t protect facts.) 1. Consent: getting written permission from the copyright holder. When in doubt, do this. 20

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

2. Fair use: the Copyright Act gives four facts to determine what can be used without the copyright holder’s permission. -- The purpose. Are you making a profit off the material you’re using? If so, you’ll be held to closer scrutiny. -- The nature of the copyrighted work. Some works are closer than others to the core of what the law was intended to protect. A unique work of fiction, for example, will receive greater protection than a news story covered by many reporters. -- How much of the work, in relation to the whole, that you are using. 10 percent of the total work has been the general rule for what is acceptable, but remember to attribute it. -- The effect of the use on the potential market for the copyright holder. Did your use of the material make it harder for him to sell the original? If so, it probably was not fair use.

The best way to protect yourself against invasion of privacy laws is to obtain consent from your subject. What is obscenity? Under the Supreme Court’s 1973 Miller v. California decision, a three part test must be applied to determine whether material is obscene. 1. Whether “a reasonable person applying contemporary community standards” would find that work, taken as a whole, appeals to a prurient (lustful) interest. 2. Whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined as obscene by the applicable state law. 3. Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific values. What about indecency? While it is technically not illegal there are still some things to consider concerning indecency: -- When dealing with vulgar language, decide if its use is necessary in order to convey the message of the story or if it will divert attention from the story’s primary focus. Make sure the author isn’t using certain words just for shock value without journalistic justification. Determine if there is less offensive language that would communicate the same thing. -- It is not illegal to publish nudity in photos or drawings (unless the photo would be deemed obscene; see above). It is, however not advisable in most situations.

What is invasion of privacy?

Tips from the SPLC

Privacy is an individual’s right to be left alone. A person can claim invasion of privacy based on any of these four violations: 1. Public disclosure of private or embarrassing facts. This is subject to a three part test. The material must have been -- Sufficiently private – known only to a small circle of family or friends. Note: if something appears in court records or is said in open court testimony, it is not considered private anymore. -- Sufficiently intimate – personal habits, details or history that the person doesn’t ordinarily reveal. -- Highly offensive – the information must be such that it would humiliate or seriously offend the average person. 2. False light. You have portrayed, in words or pictures, a person as something he or she is not. 3. Intrusion. This deals with how the information is gathered – through trespassing, eavesdropping, or misrepresentation of oneself to gain access to a place or person. A reporter doing this can be sued even if the story is never published. 4. Misappropriation. Unauthorized use of a person’s name, photo, likeness, voice or endorsement to promote the sale of a commercial product or service.

1. Yes, you can legally print the names of minors as long as your information is accurate, newsworthy and lawfully obtained. 2. No, giving a copyright owner credit (for example, “Courtesy of Newsweek) is no substitute for actually getting the copyright owner’s permission to use the material. 3. Including the phrase “In my opinion” (for example, “In my opinion the principal illegally used school buses for a family vacation”) does not create an automatic shield to libel. Neither does simply reprinting what someone else has said. (For example, “’The principal used school buses for a family vacation,’ said John Doe.”) 4. Nothing in the law requires schools to prohibit the publication of student names or photos in student-edited media on the Internet. Indeed such a rule, when applied to online student media, can easily result in the inaccurate identification of individuals, which is not just bad journalism but legally quite risky. 5. Despite what they might think, public school officials do not have an unlimited license to censor high school student media. The First Amendment still offers all students some - and in many cases, a great deal of - legal protection. 6. Material that does not have a copyright notice on it (for example, Copyright © 2006 Student Press Law Center) is often still protected by copyright law. 7. You are almost always legally safe shooting and publishing photos taken in a public setting. 8. Journalists do not have a special license to violate the law, even when investigating important news stories. For example, underage reporters that participate in a “sting” operation to see if local stores sell alcohol/cigarettes to minors or photographers who trespass on private property to take a photo run the risk of being prosecuted for breaking the law. 9. Students are legally responsible for everything they publish. Being a minor is no automatic shield from liability. 10. Public school officials cannot ban in-school distribution of all underground or independent student publications. Such publications are entitled to significant First Amendment protection. 11. Material on the Internet is not free for the taking. The same copyright rules that protect printed material also protect images, graphics, sounds and text published online. 12. There is no church/state conflict when students alone create and make the decision to publish stories about religious activities or beliefs in the student media.

How can I avoid invasion of privacy? The best way to protect yourself against invasion of privacy laws is to obtain consent from your subject. If you intend to rely on that consent as defense in a privacy claim, get it in writing from the subject. It is always a good idea to include parents in particularly sensitive stories. Nine areas of unprotected speech 1. invasion of privacy 2. false advertising 3. fighting words 4. copyright violation 5. disruption to the school day 6. obscenity 7. defamation 8. expression likely to incite unlawful action 9. threats to national security

Freedom of Information Act The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law ensuring public access to U.S. government records. FOIA carries a presumption of disclosure; the burden is on the government - not the public - to substantiate why information may not be released. Upon written request, agencies of the United States government are required to disclose those records, unless they can be lawfully withheld from disclosure under one of nine specific exemptions in the FOIA. This right of access is ultimately enforceable in federal court.

Despite what they might think, public school officials do not have an unlimited license to censor high school student media. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

ODYSSEY and AP Style

Titles

Acronyms

• All acronyms must be spelled out upon first reference. Example: The first time our school is mentioned in a story, spell out the entire title, “Clarke Central High School.” For the rest of the story, simply write “CCHS.” Another example is referring to AP classes as “Advanced Placement” upon first reference, but using “AP” for the rest of the story. • Unless it’s not obvious what school you are talking about, once introduced you don’t need to continue using CCHS (ex. If you’re writing about the football team, you don’t need to keep writing CCHS football team.)

Departments Neither the subject nor the word “department” is capitalized, unless the subject is English, French, Latin or Spanish. However, you do not capitalize “foreign language department” - English department - foreign language department - math department - science department - social studies department - counseling department - fine arts department - special education department - JROTC department (Always use acronym when referencing JROTC because it is commonly known) - Curriculum Assistance Program for Students department (CAPS) - physical education department - Career Technical and Agricultural Education department (CTAE) - English to Speakers of Other Languages department (ESOL) • Place department in front of a teacher’s name as their title.

Example: “Ok, I have an awesome story to tell you guys," social studies department teacher Stephen Hinson said. 22

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Address Clarke Central High School 350 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30605

Enrollment is 1500, always.

Titles should always be used in articles. When a new person is introduced, it is imperative that they have a title written by their name to identify who they are. Otherwise, they have no credibility and their purpose in the article is vague.

Capitalization • Capitalize formal titles. Formal titles generally denote authority, professional or academic activity. Example: President Obama, Principal Marie Yuran • Titles are not capitalized when they are not used with an individual’s name. Example: The principal did all she could to prevent the new dress code from being passed. • Do not capitalize informal titles. Informal titles are generally occupational descriptions. Example: government official Duke Peabody

For military titles and other specific titles, refer to the AP Stylebook.

Structure **For any other title or name in question relative to the Clarke County School District, visit the CCSD website. This also includes a link to pages for CCHS where you can find the spellings of teacher names and other programs.**

AP Classes • First refer to them as Advanced Placement courses. Then simply write AP.

ODYSSEY • When referring to the magazine, always write it as “the ODYSSEY.” • This is in the font AlbertusMT Light (sized to fit the rest of the copy) and in all caps

• Titles should be placed before the person’s name. Example: “It really doesn’t matter what she says here,” Principal Marie Yuran said. • If the title is extremely long, list the name and then a comma followed by the title and another comma, followed by the rest of the sentence. Example: “These shows are in many ways constructed and edited,” Horace Newcomb, Director of the George Foster Peabody Awards and professor in the department of Telecommunications at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication of Georgia, said.

Specifics • CCHS administrators are written as Principal Marie Yuran, Assistant Principal Reginald Thomas and Assistant Principal Dr. Sheila Dunham. Students outside of the ODYSSEY Media Group are always referred to with their grade level, and oftentimes whatever makes them relevant to the story. Example: “I like running,” freshman and track runner Tom Smith said. • Freshman, sophomore, junior and senior are only capitalized at the beginning of sentences. Otherwise, they are lowercase. • For congressmen, never fully write their title. Write... “Sen.” or “Rep.” Then, say their party (and county if they are a state congressman.) Ex. “Georgia state Sen. Frank Ginn, R - Danielsville.” If national, “U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D - Ga.” • For military titles and other specific titles, refer to the AP Stylebook. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Quotes

Punctuation

When quoting people interviewed in articles: • The first time a source is quoted, write the title of the person, their full name and “said.” (TITLE PERSON SAID) Example: “Quote,” senior Sophie Fernandes said. • The second time the person is quoted, they are referred to only by their last name. Never “he or “she.” Example: “Quote,” Fernandes said.

Punctuation with quotes The comma comes before the end quote (,”) A period is never used if the person quoted is written after the quote. Quotes are always in their own paragraphs. This helps break up the text and gives the speaker their own space in the article.

What to do with long quotes • When a quote is long (more than 30 words), you can break it up by attributing the person in the middle. Include the break between sentences, not phrases. Example: “To say that all of the Department of Homeland Security is incompetent because Federal Emergency Management Agency didn’t handle the Katrina response as well as we would have liked to is not fair and doesn’t do the country service,” Lee said. “There are also people who don’t like this particular administration and distrust anything that it wants to do.”

When people don't talk quite right... • If someone is referring to something using a pronoun and it is unclear in the text what they are referring to, replace the pronoun with the thing in parentheses. Example: “He is an extremely hard worker,” Branch said. BECOMES “(Henderson) is an extremely hard worker,” Branch said. • If someone uses an acronym when referring to something not yet mentioned in the story, replace the acronym with its full spelling in parentheses. Example: “I love being an ESOL teacher,” Smith said. BECOMES “I love being an (English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher,” Smith said. • If they speak using contractions, LEAVE THEM. They said it. Quotes are always in their own paragraphs. This helps break up the text and gives the speaker their own space in the article.

Important: Double check the spelling of every name you quote. It is embarrassing to misspell someone’s name, and the person with the misspelled name will not be happy. 24

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Apostrophe ( ’ ) • Used in place of omitted letters or in conjunctions to signify possession. • The only section allowed to use contractions is Viewpoints. If you are in another section, spell the two words out. • For proper nouns ending in “s,” no additional “s” is needed after the apostrophe. Boys/Girls soccer team, not Boy’s/ Girl’s soccer team. • When referring to something that belongs to the school, use CCHS’

Colon ( : ) • The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists. • Try to avoid using colons in an article. • Dramatic Emphasis: The colon often can be effective in giving emphasis. Ex: Katy had only one hobby: listening to Hamilton.

Semicolon ( ; ) • In general, use the semicolon to indicate a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey,but less than the separation that a period implies.

To clarify a series:

• Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when the items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off by commas. He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith, of Wichita, Kan., Mary Smith of Denver, and Susan, of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Neb. • Note that the semicolon is used before the final ‘and’ in such a series.

To link independent clauses:

• Use a semicolon when a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and,’ ‘but’ or ‘for’ is not present. Ex: Everett Vereen's plane was scheduled to arrive yesterday; she arrived today. • If a coordinating conjunction is present, use a semicolon before it only if extensive punctuation also is required in one or more of the individual clauses. Ex: They pulled their boats from the water, sandbagged the retaining walls, and boarded up the windows; but even with these precautions, the island was hard hit by the hurri- cane. • Unless a particular literary effect is desired, however, the better approach in these circumstances is to break the independent clauses into separate sentences.

Placement with quotes:

• Place semicolons outside quotations. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Comma rules

In a series:

WITH HOMETOWNS AND AGES (AND PARTY AFFILIATION, ACADEMIC DEGREES, RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS):

• Use commas to separate elements in a series, but DO NOT put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. David Ragsdale wears red, pink and green pants. (‘and’ is the conjunction, so no comma is necessary) • Use a comma also before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases. The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training and whether they have the proper mental attitude.

With equal adjectives: • Use commas to separate a series of adjectives. • If the commas could be replaced by the word and without changing the sense, the adjectives are equal. a thoughtful, precise manner; a dark, dangerous street • Use no comma when the last adjective before a noun outranks its predecessors because it is an integral element of a noun phrase, which is the equivalent of a single noun. a cheap fur coat (the noun phrase is fur coat); the old oaken bucket; a new, blue spring bonnet.

With introductory clauses and phrases: • A comma is used to separate an introductory clause or phrase from the main clause. When Johanna entered the lab, she decided to play rap music. • Use the comma if its omission would slow comprehension. In room 231, the curious staffers gathered.

With conjunctions: • When a conjunction such as “and”, “but” or “for” links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction in most cases. Zoe was glad she had made an A on her final, for the end of the semester was only days away. • As a rule of thumb, use a comma if the subject of each clause is expressly stated. We are visiting Spain, and we are also planning a side trip to Madrid. We visited Barcelona, where our guide greeted us. • But no comma when the subject of the two clauses is the same and is not repeated in the second. We are visiting Burgos and plan to see the statue of El Cid. • Do not use a comma at the start of an indirect or partial quotation. The class said that the trip “opened their eyes to the world of Spanish culture.”

Before attribution:

• Use a comma to set off an individual’s hometown when it is placed in apposition to a name (whether of is used or not). David Ragsdale, Panama City Beach, Fla., and Adrienne Lumpkin, Athens, were there. • If an individual’s age is used, set it off by commas. Olivia Ripps, 16, was present.

NAMES OF STATES AND NATIONS WITH CITY NAMES: Suncana's journey will take her from Krk, Croatia, to Madison, WI., and back. • We do not use Ga. in conjunction with Athens or Atlanta because it is assumed that our readership is local.

SEPARATING SIMILAR WORDS: • Use a comma to separate duplicated words that otherwise would be confusing. • Use a comma for most figures greater than 999. The major exceptions are street addresses (1234 Broad St.), broadcast frequencies (1460 kilohertz), room numbers, serial numbers, telephone numbers and years (1991).

HYPHENS VS. DASHES • HYPHENS are joiners. They are used to connect two or more words to modify another and avoid confusion. Ex: Hannah was happy -- overjoyed -- to finish school. • DASHES are used to signify abrupt changes in a sentence. Try to avoid using them unless you feel comfortable and know exactly where and why they should be used. Ex: We will fly to Paris in May -- if Claire gets a pay raise.

• Use a comma instead of a period at the end of a quote that is followed by attribution. “Having a musical dad is fun,” Sophie Fernandes said. • Do not use a comma, however, if the quoted statement ends with a question mark or exclamation point. “Why are you putting me in the stylebook?” Fernandes said. 26

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Numbers and time

Copy editing tips

Numbers

Capitalization

• Numbers smaller than 10 are spelled out. (One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine) Numbers 10 and larger are simply written as numerals. (10, 11, 12, etc.) • However, if a number is at the beginning of a sentence, then it is ALWAYS spelled out.

Proper nouns:

Age • Figures are always used for people and animals. Example: Hannah Gale is 16 years old. Lucia Bermudez was 9 years old in 2009. (This is an exception to the numbers < 10 being spelled out.) • However, for inanimates, numbers < 10 are spelled out. Example: The law is eight years old. • Hyphens are used for ages if the age functions as an adjective before a noun or functions as a noun. Example: I was taller than my 15-year-old brother. Example: Along with the typical insecurities of most 13-year-olds, I grew to hate my height.

• Capitalize nouns that constitute the unique identification for a specific person, place or thing. Georgia, Clarke Central High School, John, Mary • Some common nouns receive proper noun status when they are used as the name of a particular entity. Jittery Joes, Taco Stand

Proper names: • Capitalize common nouns such as party, river, street and west when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place or thing. Democratic Party, Oconee River, Broad Street, West Side. • Lowercase these common nouns when they stand alone in subsequent references. the party, the river, the street, to the west • Lowercase the common noun elements of names in all plural uses. the Democratic and Republican parties, Broad and Baxter streets, lakes Lanier and Hartwell

Months

Times

• Always capitalize. • Spell the months out when they are used alone or only with a year. • Abbreviate the months when used with a specific date. Only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. are abbreviated. March, April, May, June, and July are spelled out.

• Use numerical figures except for “noon” and “midnight.” • Use a colon to separate hours from minutes. • Distinguish between morning and afternoon by using “a.m.” and “p.m.” • The use of “o'clock” is acceptable, but not preferred.

Everyday vs. every day

Example: The Student Government Association set up the annual event, which took place on Oct. 13.

Example: The event took place from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• “Everyday” is written as one word only when functioning as an adjective. Example: Everyday troubles prevented her from doing other things. (“Everyday” is describing “troubles.”)

Example: “At 6 feet even, I am not your average girl.” Example: “I entered CCHS a scared freshman, knowing that I would stand out in comparison to my 5-foot-2-inch friends.” 28

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OK is always “OK,” never “O.K.,” “ok,” or “o.k.”

Days of the week Do not abbreviate. Capitalize.

Seasons Lowercase all seasons unless they are part of a formal title.

• “Every day” is used for all other times and is always two words. Example: “Every day I would go to the field and try to play my best.”

Dimensions • Use numerical figures • Spell out the dimensions (inches, feet, yards, etc.) • Only use hyphens when the dimension is functioning as an adjective before a noun • Only use apostrophes to indicate inches in very technical contexts

• Always use the dollar symbol when writing out amounts of money. Use decimals for change. ($11.43) • Spell out “percent.” Never use the symbol.

Notes:

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

MEnu items

n the last Thursday of every month, staffers will have the opportunity to complete a 300 word story, blog, critical review or scene for a grade. Each piece needs to be 300 words in length, except for the scene which should have an absolute maximum of 300 words. These stylistic pieces can be completed in whatever order pleases the staffer, but all four menu item options must be completed each semester over the course of four deadlines. By the end of the school year, staffers should have completed two of each menu item choices (eight menu items total). Unlike draft deadlines, only final draft submissions will be accepted for menu items. After turning in their draft, staffers will receive edits to revise, but staffers will not be able to turn in edited drafts for extra credit, but completing edits will further staffers’ chances of getting published. Any Menu Item turned in after deadline will not be accepted seeing as though staffers have a month to complete each piece. Menu Items are meant to be not only an opportunity for writers to expand their portfolio and try out new styles of writing, but they should also be a challenge. It is expected that Menu Items be as engaging and informative as any other story published within the ODYSSEY Media Group. Each option should cover the 5Ws and H and have a purpose.

300 Word Story 300 Word Stories are stylized profiles that do not conform to the transition-quote format of a news article or traditional profile. With a limit of a 300 word count, writers don’t have the ability to tell the life story of their subject, so instead, they must focus on one aspect or one story of their life. To stylize a profile, one needs to tell the story in their own words without using the voice of God. To do this, writers need to submerge themselves into the subject’s story by getting good quotes that detail the 5ws and H. From there, you need to not necessarily dramatize their story, but tell it in a way that is digestible for the reader, but still has the essence and raw emotion that the subject felt. Sometimes, writers can’t possess the ability to truly capture the emotions that their subject felt during the interview, or maybe the subject said it in such a moving and explicit way, that a quote is absolutely vital t the story. It’s OK to incorporate a quote in the 300 Word Story. As long as the format only gives way to two quotes MAXIMUM, it can still be stylized.

Blog/ Vlog There are two forms of blogs that writers can choose to for their Menu Item selection. Their is the personal blog, which usually comes to mind when you think of a blog, but then there is also the social commentary blog which takes a more op/ed stance. Personal blogs tell a story from a first-person point of view. They are simply a writer telling a story from their life and usually written with the purpose of entertaining the audience. When writing these pieces, writers need to fully articulate their experiences. Much like a news story, the 5Ws and H must be incorporated and fleshed out enough so that the writer can fully share their experience with the audience. The blog selection gives space for different voices. Writers can incorporate satire, poetic style or any other stylized feeling one can think of. Social commentary blogs have an idea or problem that is investigated and tied into a personal story that the audience can easily follow along with your argument or ideas that you will most likely be explaining with statistics in the beginning of the opinionated piece. Subjects talked about may include social issues or a personal view/ take on a piece of entertainment and the problems or correctness of that show, album, movie, etc.

Review Critical reviews should clearly strike readers with a sense of fear for a crappy product, warn them to avoid a unbelievably mediocre waste of time or excite them to look for the happiness they’ve always searched for in a piece of entertainment. Your point of view should be obvious from the get go. Like news articles have nutgraphs or explicitly clear ledes that give the reader a sense of what they’re getting themselves into, reviews need to be punchy have a side choosed from the beginning. Reviews need to give readers a full understanding for the writer’s reasoning behind the opinion of their piece. So if you're reviewing a restaurant, explain the atmosphere, pricing, food quality, service, etc. If an album is in question, speak on the album’s overall sound, the message of the overall album, or just particular songs, how the album differs from that artist’s previous works, etc. Critical reviews, like the rest of the menu items, not including scenes, need to be 300 words in length. Sometimes this rule may seem questionable seeing as though some menu items may be used as blurbs for the magazine’s Cultural Buzz section, but for a critical review to be given an acceptable grade for a menu item, it must be 300 words. So it will be necessary that the writer create two final drafts of their review, one for the magazine, another for their menu item, which can be posted in length online.

SCENE Scenes at Central are in-depth captions that are paired with high-quality photos that can be posted on the ODYSSEY’s instagram account (@odyssseynewsmag). Scenes should be like miniature stories that can engage the student body that is scrolling through social media. The ODYSSEY Media Group bases their Scenes at Central idea off of the instagram account @humansofny. Make sure that you as an ODYSSEY writer subscribe to their content and really study their style. For the most part, they are formatted like a regular caption that is tagged with an extremely intimate or revealing quote. Captions are formatted with three sentences. The first should be a sentence that is written in the present tense and gives full context to what is currently occurring in the photo provided. The second sentence should be written in the past tense and give context for the photo: why is this being captured? Who is this person and why do they care about blank? How long have they been blank? Make sure that this second sentence finishes providing the reader with the 5Ws and H. The caption should end with a quote that not only substantiates the information you provided, but also give emotion and true personality to your caption. The quote for a Scene beyond that of a quote in a magazine or online caption. Since Scenes stand as their own story, they need to be able to give reader the same amount of information and heart as a 300 Word Story or news article. So give the quote the room and ability to complete the story you are telling.

Basic writing tips Steps of journalistic writing:

Overview:

1. Brainstorming 2. Pitches 3. Establish an angle 4. Arrange interviews and gathe more information on topic 5. Interview 6. Write 7. Show drafts to editors and receive feedback 8. Make edits 9, Rewrite 10. Final edit

This section will give you the basic knowledge of the ODYSSEY Media Group writing process and ways in which to better organized with your writing. It will also help you better understand the idea of pitches, angles, the interviewing process and the five W’s and H. It will also discuss the importance of gathering information about your topic and ways to help implement that when interviewing and writing interview questions. Everything you will learn, you will be expected to understand and implement while on the ODYSSEY Media Group staff.

WHO

WHO are going to be those that are involved in the event. Who was the leader? Who was the first to act? Who was responsible for the event? Who was affected by the event? Who was helped most? Who was harmed most?

WHAT

WHAT is the story about? This is your time to tell what the story is going to be about.

WHEN

WHEN is this happening? This can depend if the story is time sensitive or you are unsure about the time of events. If you’re unsure, ask a source.

WHERE

WHERE is all about location. For the most part, stories are going to take place at CCHS, but if they aren’t, location is very important. How does setting mold the story?

HOW

HOW do you intend to write this story? What is your vision for the direction of the story?

WHY

WHY is this important? Why should you write about this? Why is relevant? Why does the public need to be informed? Why did the sequence of event occur?

VISUALS

Visuals are important to give the Visuals Team an idea of the kinds of photos to take. Graphs and charts are also important elements to stories, so incorporate all that you are going to need to help get your story across.

STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are those people whose voices you need. These can be vague in the sense that you just need a student voice or these can be specific people whose voices are critical to your story.

CROSSPLATFORM

Cross-platform is how you plan to make this story viable for both print and web. Whether this be shorter versions or making a spread in InDesign.

ANGLE

Angle is the most important part of your story. The angle is basically what the story is going to focus on. For example, if you are writing about construction in the school building an angle might be: how is the construction affecting students’ learning? You are taking a big picture idea and tailoring it to a specific cause or effect.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Pitches

Example

Pitches are simply fully articulated brainstorms. They are important for organizing information about a potential writing topic and allow you to get a grasp of where your writing is headed. When writing a pitch, you are to follow the style of the who, what, when, where, why, how, stakeholders and visuals organization method. Pitches will be submitted to the Editorial Board and looked over to make sure the stories are viable and then assigned to staffers. Here is the format that your pitches should look like:

Conducting research Gathering facts can involve just researching your topic using the “journalistic 5” questions. Keep in mind that you should use different kinds of sources to make sure you have accurate information. Don’t use only library or internet sources or rely just on personal accounts.

Resources 1. People – Through face-to-face interviews or by telephone or letter (see “Conducting Interviews” in a later part of this stylebook). Human sources can be broken down into two categories: 1. Experts - These are the people that will be most knowledgeable about your subject. University professors and doctors are good examples of reliable sources. KEEP UP WITH THESE PEOPLE. Stay in contact 2. Support people - The people who may not have a degree in the subject you’re writing about, but have enough experience in the subject to provide useful information. They also may be indirectly involved or impacted by your topic and can provide a smaller but different perspective. 2. Internet – Where you can surf the Web using search engines to find information about almost anything, Internet sources should be a last resort. It is the responsibility of the writer to make sure the site is credible (no Wikipedia or untrustworthy blogs). 3. Observation – Your own take on a particular situation 1. Be aware of how your own background, experience and emotions affect what you observe and how you see it. 2. Test what you’ve observed by examining other evidence. Compare your observations with those of others. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Advanced story writing tips

Interviewing tips

Checklist for choosing an article:

Conducting a personal interview

__ Does the issue relate to campus, regional or national news issues? __ Are there local authorities who can be interviewed on the issue? __ Can a poll be taken to determine how area residents or students feel about the issue? __ Is the issue an ongoing one that will last the duration of the issue’s production? __ Does the issue lend itself to illustration with photographs or drawings? __ Are enough people concerned about the issue to make it “front page news”? __ Can at least five different types of stories be used to cover the issue? __ Will the issue lend itself to at least two editorials in which different sides of the issue are examined? __ Will the article be informative and educational for you and other students/staff members or does it serve as “fluff ”?

Most articles in the magazine require some sort of interview. How do you conduct a successful interview? Keep these tips in mind as you prepare for such assignments.

Writing style factors:

Reader appeal factors:

Before the interview

During the interview

• Descriptive words which show, don’t tell • Direct and to the point • Snappy leads • Logical effective organization • Has feeling, voice • Use humor when appropriate • Beware of adverbs • Use logical/emotional appeal • Active voice • Try different angles to make mature issues accessible • Avoid clichés – explain using your own voice

• Topic should be one to which the audience can relate • Human interest • Writing should be true to life • Should have some angle to make it different

1. Contact the person, introduce yourself properly, state the reason for the request, and arrange a convenient time (for him or her, not you) to meet for the interview. 2. Do some background research on your subject before you go into the interview. 3. Get your list of questions ready for the interview. 4. Sign out a tape recorder or use the microphone on your cellphone, but make sure you ask your subject before the interview if you have their permission to tape the interview. 5. Make sure you have pen and paper – tape recorders are NOT reliable.

1. Greet your subject cordially. Reintroduce yourself and the nature of your meeting. BE POLITE at all times. 2. Allow for some flexibility in the interviewing process. You may ask your subject a question, and in the process of their answer, they may answer another one of your questions, so don’t be redundant – skip the other question. Also, if they interject additional, interesting information, take down those notes. Obviously your subject feels that the information they has shared about themselves is important. 3. Remember it is still your responsibility to keep the interview focused. 4. Thank the person for his or her time when the interview is concluded. 5. Ask the person if you may contact him/her if you have any follow-up questions as you begin to write the story.

Phone interview:

Organization • Before you begin writing, organize your quotes into broad categories. Example: If you’re writing a profile on head football coach David Perno, you might organize your quotes into categories such as “childhood,” “beginning to coach,” “challenges he has faced” and “student reactions.” • Tell a story. Your article should generally flow in the order you would tell the story verbally. • Explain to yourself why each paragraph falls naturally in the order it does. If you can’t think of a reason, you probably need to reorganize. 34

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Tips for brainstorming interview questions: 1. Start with the basics -- What is the person’s title? What makes him/her qualified to speak on this matter? How long has he/she worked in his/her field? How do you spell his or her name? 2. Have a wide variety of questions prepared -- Even if you think you know where you want your story to go, have a wide variety of questions covering several different angles; you might be surprised with the answers you get. 3. Don’t be predictable -- Obviously, you need the basic information, but don’t ask predictable questions. Think of unique angles you could take and formulate questions accordingly. A bland interview will result in a bland article. As they answer your questions, consider follow-ups that might benefit your story. 4. Throw in a couple of hypothetical questions -- These questions should be related to the topic you are covering, but they may evoke the best responses you get in the interview. Also, ask questions you may already know the answer to. Your interviewee may provide a different perspective.

Read your entire draft aloud. Self-edit as you go and make sure the story flows. If a transition or paragraph doesn’t sound right, rewrite it.

1. Condense your questions -- phone interviews are generally shorter, so you will probably want to narrow your list to the 10 most important questions. 2. Be personable -- It’s harder to convey courtesy over the phone, so be sure you are audibly polite and engaged. Thank your subject before and after the interview. 3. Use speaker phone -- If possible, use a speaker phone so you can record your interview. As always, record your notes by hand for back up. 4. Get his/her address -- At the end of the interview, get the subject’s address and send him/her a thank you note.

After the interview 1. Transcribe (type up) the entire interview word-forword, immediately. 2. Write them a thank you note. Take these seriously. 3. If you agree to let them see the article before publication, YOU MUST FOLLOW THROUGH. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Phone interviewing 101

Online presence

Many times, sources will not be able to meet with you in person for an interview. When this is the case, over the phone interviews are the best option.

WordPress

Setting up the interview - Set up an interview at a time that is convenient for your source. - Find out how much time your source has to be interviewed. - When you call your source, make sure to introduce yourself and remind them what you are writing about. Questions - Make sure to have an idea of what you want to write before you call your source and write questions that tailor to that specific subject. - Write questions like you would for an in person interview, but be aware of how many you have. - People do not usually want to talk to you on the phone answering questions for you for three hours. Condense your questions enough to where you are getting the information you need, but are not taking up too much time. - Avoid repetitive questions - Speak clearly - Write down quotes that jump out to you - Feel free to ask follow up questions during the interview or at a later date. - Do not forget to give your source time after each question to make sure they are done speaking. Wait a few seconds to let your source gather his or her thoughts. Beating the nerves - Look over your questions enough so you are comfortable with asking them out loud. - Rehearse what you’re going to say before you dial the number. - Make sure you’re in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted. Recording - Always ask your source if it’s OK to record the interview, especially if it’s over the phone. - Dial on a landline/school phone on speaker phone and then use your phone or a recorder to record the interview.

The ODYSSEY Media Group's website is hosted through Word Press, a blog and web-hosting site. Through our website we are able to publish articles from each issue as well as exclusive and more timely content. There are several types of user accounts on WordPress, as explained below. Administrator- Complete control of the site. This account type is reserved for the Web Master, Managing Editor, Editor(s)-in-Chief and Adviser to edit, add and remove content on the site. Admin accounts can also remove or add users on the site as well as edit the appearance and visuals/plugins used on the website’s interface. Editor- Editors can publish posts and edit existing posts on the site. Author- Can publish posts, but cannot edit content published by other users. Contributor- Submits posts, but does not have the ability to publish them. An admin, editor or author must first edit the piece before publishing them. Subscriber- No control of the site. Subscribers can only read posts and view the content of the site.

Facebook Facebook creates a fast connection between the ODYSSEY and our audience, namely the students of Clarke Central High School. Through the website we are able to post news about our staff, publication and school. Often times, it will be requested that all staff members post a specific status to their respective Facebooks to help support the ODYSSEY. In addition, be sure to “like” the ODYSSEY on Facebook!

Twitter Twitter is the fastest way for the ODYSSEY staff to spread breaking news and updates about our magazine and even sports scores throughout the ODYSSEY’s fan base. It is expected that all staff members follow the ODYSSEY’s Twitter account (OdysseyNewsmag). All staffers will create a professional Twitter handle for ODYSSEY and work to build their individual brand as a writer.

Instagram Instagram serves as the ODYSSEY’s way of connecting directly with students through images. Images posted are primarily of students in the form of SCENE’s. It is imperative for staff members to obtain quality photos and Instagram handles from students when taking SCENE’s. Other Instagram postings include photos of ODYSSEY staff members interacting, the announcement of major articles published and community events coverage. It is expected that ODYSSEY staff members follow the account and interact with it. 36

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Coding

Multimedia

BASIC CODE (FOR ALL ARTICLES)

The changing digital media landscape requires a new skill set in multimedia content production. A multimedia story is some combination of text, still photographs, video clips, audio, graphics and interactivity.

<h6><strong> text </h6></strong> <h5><strong>By <a href="http://www.odysseynewsmagazine.net/author/ email">FIRST LAST</a> - Staff Writer</strong></h5> <strong><span style="color: #C13F4C;">DECK</span> </strong>

How to post: http://bit.ly/1iy0I59 Posting codes: http://bit.ly/1O2j4Ip

BODY TEXT <a href=”http://www.odysseynewsmagazine.net/author/emailadress">More from First Last</a>

Extra codes: Pull Quote: <p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #c13f4b;"><strong>QUOTE</strong> </span></em></p> Side Photo: <div class="alignleft" style="width: 330px; height: 250px; border: none;"> [singlepic id=ID w=320 h=240 float=left] <h6 style="text-align: left; padding: 0 0 0 3px;"><strong>CAPTION</ strong></h6> </div> Featured item caption code: <h6><strong>TEXT</h6></strong> Author Top Byline: <h5><strong>By <a href="http://www.odysseynewsmagazine.net/author/ emailadress">FIRST LAST</a> - Staff Writer</strong></h5> DECK Code: <strong><span style="color: #C13F4C;">DECK</span> </strong> Author Bottom Byline: <a href=”http://www.odysseynewsmagazine.net/author/emailadress">More from First Last</a> Photo at the top of the page (ONLY USE FOR PAGE). NOT FOR MOST ARTICLES!: <img class="size-full wp-image-5157 aligncenter" style="font-size: 13px;" alt=”STORIES NAME" src="IMAGE URL" width="606" height="385" />

Posting checklist: __ Pasted in body text, deck and caption

The best multimedia stories are:

SoundCloud and Thinglink

• •

• • • • •

•

Questions to ask yourself while making multimedia: • • • • •

__ Entered excerpt and title

__ Pasted in any embed codes needed __ Entered in relevant tags __ Uploaded featured photo __ Preview the post before publishing

What will convey the story? Is there another perspective that can be show through multimedia? How can you connect the article to social media? What will make the article more attractive to readers? What will increase the story's accessibility?

•

Interviews can be more interesting and can be moreinteractive than pull-quotes. SoundCloud can be used in other platforms. Thinglink is being used in multiple ways. Static photos can become interactive. Both platforms are free and easy to use. They are appealing and easy to understand..

Timelines • • • •

A quick synopsis of the article. Try and be creative when making a timeline. Other types of multimedia can be embedded withinthe timeline. Timeline JS, Dipity, read write think, timetoast are all free timeline generators.

How to make a Google Map: http://bit.ly/1NqDMSn How to use Storify: http://bit.ly/1JV4vAp How to use SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/1ixZas2 ThingLink: http://bit.ly/1UCvuLt How to use Timeline JS: http://bit.ly/1QpmiEb How to make a infographic: http://bit.ly/1QpmhAk

__ Changed bylines to correct author __ Clicked on all correct categories

Multi-dimensional and keeps readers engaged in the article. Visuals help break up text. It is important to add different perspective on the content of the article.

Steller

Steller is a new way of storytelling. It’s more dynamic with video and pictures. The only downside is it is not fully integrated for the web and is primarily a mobile application.

Infographics:

Google Maps

A combination of graphics, pictures, interactive maps, charts, etc. in order to make an interesting and helpful visual.

• •

Infogr.am

•

The reader should be able to place the event or story in relation to a landmark. They are quick and easy to make. Maps are compatible with most articles

Storify • • • • • •

Users are able to create stories and timelines using social media. The process can be time consuming if a hashtag is not used. It brings in aspects of social media to an article. There is more perspective than polls. It can be used as an alternative method of covering a story. This option works well with controversial topics and large community events.

• •

The site offers free templates that are sleek and easy to use. No previous experience is needed.

Piktochart • • •

Very customizable Easy to use However, a downside is that it is time consuming

Apps

Timeliness & breaking news

These are apps each ODYSSEY member should consider downloading to stay informed with current events, social media and to remain a well-rounded Journalist.

Multimedia Apps:

These can be used for easy access to create multimedia for articles, beats and menus: Steller (iPhone only)

News Publication Apps:

At least once a month, staffers will take a current events quiz. These will help each staffer stay up to date on current events and help ace each quiz!!

SoundCloud

New York Times

CNN

Social Media Apps:

Each ODYSSEY staffer is required to have a Facebook and Twitter to establish a presence as a journalist within our community and to promote the ODYSSEY Media Group’s publications and posts, as well as engage with content posted on our Instagram. Twitter

Facebook

Bit.ly

Other apps: 40

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Google Docs

Instagram

Google Drive

Timeliness:

The purpose of ODYSSEY Online is to deliver news much faster than the magazine can. It is therefore crucial that all articles posted are current and fresh. If the article is deemed in any way outdated by the Leadership Team, it is subject to rewrite or cancellation altogether.

Breaking news:

If a staff member is assigned a breaking news story, it is expected that the story, with multimedia, will be done within 24 hours of the article being assigned. It is imperative breaking news stories be completed within the given timeframe in order to maintain timeliness. More readers will come to the website the faster and more consistently the ODYSSEY breaks news stories pertinent to the Athens area.

Social Media General info: • You have to be on your social media daily and post often. • You are the only one in charge of your account. • Check analytics when possible. • Set goals for yourself. (For example: increase followers, increase RTs, Reblogs, Likes, comments, etc...) • Develop an online personality (like @weatherbird or @rembert) Find good people and mimic what they do. • Be interested in others, and be interesting to others. • Be kind; never act acidly or unprofessionally on your ODYSSEY twitter account. • Be an expert on all things ODYSSEY. Posts • Write multiple posts a day including original posts, responding to people, and pursuing conversations with others and retweeting others. • When people tweet at us, tweet back at them within hours. • Engage with our followers, be part of conversations and engage with people on Twitter. • Need to get push notifications sent to your phone, so you know when someone has said something to us. • Be an expert on ODYSSEY Online and be able to answer questions. Posting on Twitter • Post links to content on odysseynewsmagazine.net daily, but not exclusively. • Posts should be conversational. • When possible, tag a person in the post. This could be the person who wrote it, or it could be the person the story or article is about. It is easy to Google someone’s name plus the word Twitter to quickly find out a user handle. • Post a variety of photos, videos, and written articles. • Post in a timely manner. People don’t really care about an article

that is 5 days old. • Post at high traffic times. Usually in the morning and in the evening. • All posts should follow AP and grammar guidelines. Double check before sending. Followers and Following • Find 10 new people a week to follow. If they don’t follow back by the end of the week then consider unfollowing them. We want to keep our ratio of following and followers as even as possible. • When someone follows, make sure to follow them back. Style and tips for posting • Posting on any form of social media is still publishing. You would not send the paper to print without editing it first, so why would you post without editing? All rules that apply to the magazine or a story for the web, apply to social media. • Make sure AP style is followed. • Wording should be clear/grammatically correct. • Dates need to be correct. • Link when you can. • Tag others in posts when you can. • Be conversational in your posts. Stay away from saying things like “Check out this article...” People don’t like to be told what to do. • Example of being conversational: Prom Fashion Show features 35 juniors and seniors as well as Darlene Jones and other surprise guests: goo.gl/vfDX1 • If you could time travel to any event, where would you go? That’s the question 93 students will answer tomorrow night: goo.gl/TvvPf • Remember, you represent the ODYSSEY when you are posting online. Whether it is from our account or your own personal account. What you put out there can’t be taken back. • Always double check posts before sending. Make sure you are sending from the correct account, make sure grammar is correct, and make sure facts are correct. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Broadcast

Types of stories

Broadcast 101

Video basics

Stories must be filmed, edited and uploaded in a very timely manner. News and sports coverage become irrelevant to the audience if they are not posted within 1 to 3 days (max) of an event. Feature stories are less time sensitive, but all types of stories are more relevant if they're posted as soon as possible. (However, never let the quality of the package suffer.)

• Shots must be at least 720P; preferably 1080P • Generally speaking, use all shots to create balance • Have a plan before you go shoot • Get plenty of B roll • Script • Interview questions • Film several interviews, as well as anything and everything that is visually pleasing • Be prepared with external microphone, tripod, extra SD card and full camera battery

Video Components:

Video components play a more than significant role in convergence media. There are many ways to include video components in a package, some of which include video clips of the interview embedded in the text, a standard 1:30 a-roll*/b-roll* video and a more lengthy feature video (no longer than 3:00).

Style:

All videos must abide by their domain qualifications to be approved. Professional environmental wrap arounds* are preferable, but not required for all videos. Each video must include the OMG intro and sign off* from the reporter. Credits are not part of OMG style and will not be used regularly. All videos must be approved by Mr. Ragsdale, the Broadcast Editor and the Editor in Chief before being published.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

News: All news videos should stick to the standard 1:30 time rule. They will follow the a-roll/b-roll/a-roll/broll….formula strictly. The video must include at least three sources, but no more than four (expert, pro, con, possibly an idk voice). Issues News: (1:30 mins) Just News: (1:30 mins) News that is urgent and serious Hard News: (1:30 mins) Just normal little everyday • An alleged rape within the This is breaking news. stories school district • Break in’s • College fair comes to Athens • When covering stories like • Fire at local Department • Library holds tech week this, it is important to tackle the issue not the person.

Sports: All sports videos must abide by the 1:30 time rule, but are allowed to go under 1:30. No matter the

circumstances, all sports videos must include a professional environmental wrap around. Depending on the nature of the sports video, it will need to include three sources, but no more than four (expert/coach, player, spectator).

Human interest: Human interest videos include features, man on the street* and vlogs/short stories.

These are the videos (with the exception of man on the street) that require more care and attention. These videos are allotted a maximum 3:00 time rule. They must prove what they tell (say it, show it rule*). They are not tightly held to the a-roll/b-roll/a-roll/b-roll….formula, though it is preferable.

Videos on the fly: As journalists, we have to be prepared for all situations. When it comes to broadcast,

there are many sticky situations to get into, but a lack of fancy equipment is not one of those sticky situations to worry about.

iPhone recovery: You can always use your iPhone to recover from an equipment mishap or a short notice

assignment. Features like the built in stabilization and iMovie make this a simple task. Tips: Hold the iPhone horizontally (never shoot vertical video!) Brace yourself against an object or use the t rex stance* to ensure stable footage Use the AE/AF Lock on your camera screen to help with focus and lighting Be patient with iMovie - it will be a tedious process on an iPhone screen if you choose to edit this way

Terminology

a-roll: the interview portion of the video (the subject voice) b-roll: the footage located between a-roll, showing what the source is talking about environmental wrap arounds: the reporter introducing the video on camera and closing the video on camera (located at the setting where the video takes place) sign off: this term is used only when the video does not include a wrap around, the sign off will take place over voice over (ex: Kelly Fulford reporting for ODTV) man on the street: a video made through the process of a traveling camera crew/set asking a variety of people the same/similar questions. say it, show it rule: when the interviewee mentions something or the reporter is transitioning, b-roll of what is being talked about must be shown. t rex stance: posture for camera person not using a tripod (arms bent and holding the camera/phone at chest level using the abdomen/ torso to steady the equipment) ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Equipment CAMERAS 1. Consumer Video Cameras for the most part record in full HD and most have external audio inputs. The majority of these camcorders record on SD cards, which makes it easy to upload and edit footage. Make sure any camera that you consider purchasing has a microphone input. Built-in microphones will not record anywhere close to the high-quality audio that is required for ODYSSEY content. If you must use a camera without a microphone input, an external handheld microphone (see audio equipment below) provides a high quality solution. 2. DSLRs are optimal for recording in the highest quality HD video. The difference in quality comes with large light sensors to capture greater colors, the ability to change lenses, and the highly dynamic aperture. These cameras are very affordable compared to professional video equipment, but are certainly still an expensive option. AUDIO 1. Digital Recorders like the Zoom H4N and Zoom H1 are great for anything audio related. They record very clear sound through built-in stereo microphones and they have stereo inputs for 2 XLR microphones and 1 ⅛” input. It records to an SD card and can also be used as an audio interface for computers. 2. Lavalier Microphones that plug directly into stereo inputs (digital recorders or a camera input) are a must have for staffs. These mics should be used while recording voices in interviews. The subject should have the mic clipped to the collar of their shirt, and the cord of the mic should be run under their shirt so it is not visible. 3. Handheld Microphones can be plugged directly into a stereo input on a DSLR camera with an adapter. Most handheld microphones have an XLR output cable that needs to be converted to a ⅛ inch input. These microphones often reduce the background noise and also come in more expensive wireless versions. 44

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Camera basics These work great for a “Man on the Street” type interview where the reporter and the subject are both in the shot. 4. Shotgun Microphones can be attached to cameras or digital recorders and record sound in an area. Shotgun microphones are good for interviews on the fly and whenever you do not have the ability to get a microphone on your source. These microphones are often mounted on top of a DSLR (hot shoe mount). LIGHTING Studio lighting and remote lighting can differ in size and portability. If you are looking for on-location interview lighting then consider on-camera LED kits with battery power. Cheap “work lights” can be found at places like Home Depot, and can be used to enhance your shot. EXTRA 1. SD cards are the flash memory cards used to store and provide a high-capacity memory for cameras, audio recorders, computers, phones and other digital devices. SD cards, depending on the size, can easily and quickly fill with too many files. Before going on a shoot, make sure the SD card has enough space and if possible, bring an extra. 2. Tripods provide stability to a shot, whether a photograph or a video recording. Tripods are essential in filming as it makes the shot flow smoothly and more professionally.

Focusing Manual mode You focus the camera by moving the rings around the front of the lense. This mode is ideal when filming, but with photography automatic mode is more convenient (usually). Automatic mode The camera determines the focus point for you

Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO- the “Exposure Triangle” ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to the light coming through the lens. It is typically measured in numbers. A lower number represents lower sensitivity to available light, while higher numbers mean more sensitivity. As the ISO increases, so does the grain/noise in the images. So typically, the lower the ISO, the better. Aperture is a hole in the lens of your camera which determines how much light passes to the camera sensor. Aperture controls the depth of field, which is the portion of a scene that appears to be sharp. In simpler words, it is what makes the point of focus either super in-focus compared to the very blurry background, or just as focused as the rest of the frame. If the aperture is small, the depth of field is large (more appears to be in focus), while if the aperture is large (less appears to be in focus), the depth of field is small. Aperture is expressed in “f ” numbers, which explains why aperture is commonly referred to as f-stop. Shutter speed is “the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light into the camera sensor.” Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. Slow shutter speeds allow more light into the camera sensor and are used for low-light and night settings because they allow more light into the picture. The ideal camera setting for filming would be low ISO and a higher shutter speed to allow more light. This is different in photography. Fast shutter speeds help to freeze motion (which is what is used for action photography). Photo under Fair Use guidelines.

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Audio basics Recording audio can often be the most difficult part to getting great video stories. Here are 5 simple tips to get the most out of your audio. 1. Absolutely never rely on the onboard microphone of your camera. Most DSLR and camcorders have a small area that looks like three to four pinhole dots for the onboard microphone. This stock microphone will produce nearly inaudible audio, and render even the most elegant shots useless.

Filming and editing process 5. Double check your equipment Always check your battery before you leave the room for an interview. Never ever use a worn-down battery either, due to the fact that as the battery gets lower on power, a cracking or dropping out of the sound could interfere with the level you want to achieve.

2. Find a quiet space.

Additionally: Watch your level, not your volume. When recording you should be concerned with the level of audio and when you are listening you are concerned with the volume level. They are two different readings. Your recording level should always be between -12 and -24 dB.

Even if you have a great microphone, background noise will forever be picked up. Unless you want the interview to feel like a busy scene, quiet settings always make for better quality audio.

Script writing

3. Know your audio equipment, and when and where to use it. If you are trying to do a run and gun interview, you need to use a handheld microphone that you can hold close to the subjects face. The handheld reduces background noise and lets the reporter control where the microphone is pointing. A great option for this scenario is the Zoom H1 or Zoom H4n. 4. Be mindful of Mother Nature If you are outside, there are a number of natural elements that can interfere with the quality of your recording. If it is windy look for something to block the wind – standing next to a building or a wall could do just the trick.

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1. Scripts are not articles We should remember that we are not writing a piece of written literature. You should be natural and use words that are a part of your spoken vocabulary. 2. We are speaking to our viewers, not reading to them. Writing for radio and television must be informal. You should sound educated, but use language you would normally use to speak every day. Leave out superfluous information. The idea in each paragraph should be simple and easy to grasp. 3. Be clear Do not use vague or ambiguous language in script writing. 4. Explain 5W’s and H Your voice over and your script is what offers the facts. Get straight to the point.

The interview

Filming

Good interviews are crucial in a good video package. You don’t have the luxury of correcting your sources mistakes through parentheses.

B-roll stands for background roll, or the footage your video shows over the voice over. Your B-roll should relate directly to what is being said by the reporter or by the source.

• Make your source feels comfortable-- the interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation. • Film several interviews with several sources. For example, if you are doing a story on a restaurant, make sure to talk to customers and employees about the restaurant. Even if the interview is unplanned, you need their voice in your story, not just your expert sources. • Always take the microphone/recorder. If you don’t have access to this, use your phone. You never know when the audio on your camera will fail you and in general, camera microphones are worse than separate ones. • Most importantly: TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED TO SET UP THE CAMERA FOR THE INTERVIEW. Never feel rushed. Make conversation while you are setting up the camera. Ask your source to please excuse you, or if you can get to the location early. • Use the rule of thirds in all interviews to create balance.

• Know your camera. Know how to adjust the settings on your camera. Use aperture, ISO and shutter speed to make your shot look as good as it can. • Just like when going on interviews, you need to have a plan when you go shoot B-roll. Go back to the location as many times as you need. • Like in photography, don’t be afraid to get cool and unique angles: use what you learned with photojournalism and apply it to filming. • GET PLENTY OF B-ROLL NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE: MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED. • Film in sequences: tight shots, medium shots and wide shots • Every action has a reaction. For every action shot, you have to have a reaction shot: no exceptions. The REACTION evokes the emotion.

Types of shots • Action Wide- WS- establish the scene • Action Medium- MS -zoom with your feet to introduce your character • Action Tight- T or CU -show what the character is doing • Reaction Wide • Reaction Medium • Reaction Tight • Edit these shots together in sequences to help tell the story.

series of shots one after another that help tell the story and show what they subject is doing. Typically, these shots are edited together in a WIDE-MEDIUM-TIGHT sequence. However, you can always change those shots around (tight, medium, wide, etc.) • Begin with natural sound and end with natural sound.

Middle & end

Editing Beginning • Set the location of the story before you dive into it. This allows for the viewer to mentally visualize “where they are” -ex. [panorama of front of CCHS] VO: “Although many efforts are trying to be made to keep Clarke Central safe, students feel otherwise.” Use a wide shot to set the scene: establishing shot. • Informally introduce your subject. This allows for a smoother transition. -ex. [wide shot of tiny boy walking through the hallway using telekinesis] [cut to interview of boy] LITTLE TIMMY: “I’ve always felt left out because I’m... different.”

• DON’T reveal the most important information or the “golden nuggets” immediately; reveal them at the point when they will be the most effective. • Introduce your characters but “tease” your audience and tell them the important info later. This will keep them engaged. • If you say it, show it. If your source is talking about eating some soup, show the audience the character eating soup. • Your audience won’t necessarily remember what you tell them but they’ll remember what they felt. • Use natural sound and reaction shots to evoke emotion.

Photography Steps to requesting a photo:

Photography for Writers

1. Brainstorm photo/graphic/cartoon ideas and discuss with section editor. 2. Fill out a visual request form, answering the questions with as much detail as possible. 3. Turn in the photo request form to the photographer. 4. Meet with the photographer and discuss what the angle of your article will be to give them a better idea of what kind of pictures to take. 5. Check in on the status of your photos periodically, but don’t harass the photographer. Your story is not their only responsibility.

• Every article needs its own visual element. (The majority are photos.) • Turn in your visual request form with your rough drafts to your Section Editor. From there, you and your editor should be in constant communication with the Visual Staff. • Use good pictures. Above the visual request form, talk to the photographer about your article. Discuss and brainstorm what kind of photo it needs. If you have time, go with the photographer and help them out. • Photographers won’t always be available. If you check out a camera to take pictures, refer to the photographers section. By all means do this. Learn how to use the camera.

Photography for photographers • Know the story you’re taking pictures for. Discuss the story with the author or your editor before shooting. • Bring the writer along with you whenever possible. •Take both vertical and horizontal photos always. • Fill the frame of the camera. • Control the background.

• Edit in sequencing. Sequencing is a 48

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Style Palette

Magazine Design

Helvetica Neue LT Com (37 Thin Condensed) has replaced Georgia as the secondary font in the magazine. This means decks, captions, bylines, photo credits, drop caps, pull quotes, etc.

Body text -- 9 pt. Apple Garamond. HEADLINES Viewpoints -- 16 pt. Basic Title Font News -- 32 pt. Helvetica Bold Variety/Sports -- 24 pt. Bebas Neue DECKS Half page -- 14 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed Oblique) Full page -- 18 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed Oblique) BYLINES (90% tint) Name (ALL CAPS) -- 7 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) Position -- 6 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) CAPTIONS/PHOTO CREDITS Captions -- 7 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) Photo Credits -- 6 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) PULL QUOTES Editorial -- 18 pt Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) News story -- 16 pt. Helvetica Neue Lt. Com (37 Thin Condensed) 12 pt. attribution PHOTOS Grayscale, adjust curves (typically lighten), 300 resolution, RESIZE (approximate in proportion to size in inches on page), save as TIFF file. 50

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

MISC. Bolding on Helvetica Neue Lt Com: 0.05 pt. stroke Stroke on photos: 0.25 pt. stroke Keep folios on all pages except for full-page bleeds or photos where it’s distracting.

DOCUMENT SETUP W: 8.25in H: 10.75in Columns: 6 Bleeds: .125in

ournalistic design is just as important as writing. The design of a page is what draws readers in. Without an eye-catching design, readers might overlook your story. To improve your design skills, study professional magazine layouts. Don’t be afraid to steal layout ideas from them. Often times, professional magazines have eye-catching yet easily recreatable elements. Make sure you sketch out your design before ever getting on a computer. A well-planned layout will make the process much easier and leaves you with a solid page. Design, like any other field, comes with a whole new basket of terms, techniques and concepts. This section should give you a basic understanding of the programs we use, as well as the terminology.

Design terminology: Layout: The design of an article’s page(s). What is finally printed, a page of text (copy, byline, deck, headline, caption, credits, pull quotes) and visual elements (graphics, photos, cartoons, infographics). Spread: There is a difference between a spread and a layout. A spread is a story over two pages lying next to each other, such as p. 24 and 25. It’s important to package the spread and make sure the pages feed off of each other. Copy: Another word used for the main text of your article. Headline: The title of an article. A good headline draws readers in while providing information about the article. The headline should avoid sensationalizing or exaggerating the story. Deck: This is a sub-headline. All articles have them, and they’re generally two sentences. They should be catchy and explain the article. Be sure to place your deck in the upper left hand corner of the copy when your draft is going through the editing gauntlet. Byline: The name and staff position of the writer. Caption: The text that accompanies visual elements. Captions are generally next to the photo. Make sure they aren’t craptions (terrible, horribly awful captions) and that they are at least two sentences long. Captions must include a quote that is not already in the article. Ghost: An image that is placed at the end of an article, letting the reader know that the article has ended. For the ODYSSEY, it’s a little gladiator head we stole from the Gwinnett Gladiators hockey team. Headshot: We use these in the ODYSSEY for Question of the Month and Viewpoints articles. They’re a picture of the article’s author. Pull quote: A visual element that enlarges one quote from the copy for emphasis. Should draw attention to an important voice from the article.

Masthead: The list of editor and staff positions at the start of the magazine.

Typeface: The font style used consistently throughout a publication

Tombstoning: Where the headline is centered on the page; never do this. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Terminology contd. Kerning: Spacing between letters Tracking: Spacing between words Leading: Spacing between lines Baseline: The blue baseline grid lines in InDesign. Stand-off/Spacing: The spacing between all elements. It should always be at least 1/6 of an inch or one pica

Design concepts:

You don’t need to worry about kerning, tracking or leading too much. They are already included in the ODYSSEY style palettes in InDesign. However, do not track or kern to fill up leftover space, or to make it all fit on a page. It is noticeable, tacky and obvious you didn’t meet your word count.

Readers look at pages and read them in certain ways. We read from left to right, starting at the top of the page. The three terms below should help explain how people view pages. Mechanical center: Reflects the actual center of the page (middle of the page) Optical Center: Where the readers eyes go first (top right-hand corner of the page) Lazy S: The invisible line people follow when they scan a page. Imagine a backwards S spread across the page starting in the top left-hand corner.

Dominant Element:

The dominant element is the largest visual element on the page. You want each page to have only one dominant element. It should be at least 1/3 bigger than any other visual element on the page. If you make two or three similar sized photos, none of them are dominant. A page of similar sized photos isn’t pleasing to the eye, so choose the best one and blow it “A pull quote can be easily used to up to add some flair to your draw your reader in, add to layout appage. peal or break up big blocks of text. Be

careful when choosing the quote.”

This is an orphan. When a single word jumps to the next line and is isolated alone on a line, it distracts the readers eye and is a negative effect for your page. Kill all orphans by changing the size and location of text boxes or removing useless words in the text. BALANCE Where we choose to put the heaviest elements 1. Horizontal – balance on a center axis 2. Vertical – balances on a center axis avoid because it creates tombstoning 3. Diagonal – balances on a center axis best because it follows eye patterns 52

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White space is actually a part of the elements of design. Professional designers know how to use white space to clean up a messy page and allow the reader to breathe. It’s not always best to cram as much as possible onto trapped white space.

Designing for reader friendliness: Standardize the number of columns. The more columns the better. Whenever setting up a page layout, start with 6 columns. • Place the most important stories on the right pages (eyes "catch" right pages first). • Don't crowd pages with stories. Leave ample white space. White space is your friend and can be a powerful design element. • Make sure headlines catch readers' attention and are directly tied to the story's lead. • The fire principle: If someone set a fire on the center of your page, every element should have a way to escape. You don’t want to trap any elements on your page and have it be too busy.

Do's and Don'ts DON’T make pages look like jig-saw puzzles. DON’T use over-complicated charts or graphs, or confusing graphics. DON’T create a page that is overwhelmingly textheavy. DON’T reinvent the wheel. Sometimes a simple layout is best. DO use “readable” graphs such as bar or pie charts. DO use sharp, colorful graphics. DO break up big sections of text with such items as pull quotes. DO have a dominant element on a page and preferably 2-3 graphical elements. DO design for eye appeal.

Working with Text:

• Paragraph indentations should be 0.125 inches. • Do not stretch copy across too wide a space (across more than three columns of a five-column, tabloid-sized page). Try to keep it to two or three columns of text per page. • Avoid crowding type against column rules or text/graphic boxes. • When carrying text over to the next column, be certain not to duplicate lines, or chop off the very end of a story (especially if it spills over onto another page). • Every graphical element and text box should be at least one line in InDesign, or one pica (1/6 of an inch), away from other elements on the page. Pull quotes are the only exception.

Creating Text Boxes:

• Allow sufficient contrast when reversing type to white against a dark background or black over a shaded or colored background. • Text wrap may create gaps and awkward spaces. Be careful using this tool, and watch out for orphans (single words left on their own line at the end of a paragraph). ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Working with Images:

• All images must be properly sized in Photoshop so as to not increase the size of the master once they are placed into layout. Check the dimensions of your photo in layout and then apply the size under image>image size. • Don't s t r e t c h a photo in InDesign. It will be pixilated in print. When resizing a frame in InDesign, hold down shift, as this will keep the frame proportional. • Remember to group (right click > group) multiple graphical elements to make it easier to move them around a page. The more you work with the program, the better you’ll be.

Visual Elements

Resizing Photos or Other Artwork:

Photograph -- Taken by a camera, and then uploaded to the computer. Graphic -- Something created in Photoshop or Illustrator, usually using another photo. Infographic -- A graphic displaying information. Art -- Anything that isn’t a photo, graphic or infographic, drawings, cartoons, etc.

• When you scan or resize a photo, always be sure to set the resolution at 300 dpi. Any less than this and the photo tends to be pixilated when it prints. • Adjust the photo or graphic in PhotoShop, not in InDesign.

FAST-FACT BOX A type of infographic in the form of a box with facts. These are useful for topics that are hard to explain in an article without listing them. Q & A We use these mostly in sports. It takes quotes and presents them with a large visual element. Example: recurring “5 Things” spreads.

INFOGRAPHICS When you are first assigned your article, consider using an infographic for your page. Sometimes, it might be a better option than a photo. Types of infographics are explained here. Remember: infographics do not use captions.

PUBLIC OPINION POLL A graphic made from information compiled in a survey of at least 300 students. Student opinion has a good deal of weight behind it. Typically designed in Photoshop. TIMELINE These can be great representations of a complicated life or story map. Example: Changing roles, Chloe Hargrave, Issue 3, Volume 10. GLOSSARY These are great for articles on the more scientific side. Example: Breaking away from block, Hannah Dunn-Grandpre, Issue 6, Volume 10. QUOTE COLLECTION A list of quotes, usually accompanied by headshots of sources, that display a wide range of views on a given topic. Example: Conflicting opinions, Aaron Holmes, Issue 3, Volume 10. DIAGRAM Explains how something works, or it can even just be a way to give quick facts. Example: Codeine county, Robert Walker, Issue 4, Volume 11. MAP Maps help people figure out where places in the article are located and gives the article more appeal because they give a better sense of the subject with a location. Example: Mixed emotions, Tierra Hayes, Issue 4, Volume 11.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Design programs The ODYSSEY uses Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe InDesign CS5 and Adobe Illustrator CS5 in the production of the magazine.

Adobe InDesign This is used to put the magazine together and is where you’ll spend the vast majority of your time when designing your layout. Selection tool: It’s the first tool in the tool palette (on the left side of the screen) and is a black arrow. Use this whenever you need to move something on the page.

Text Tool: This is also in the tool palette and is

the fourth tool from the top. It’s the “T” for text. Use this to create a new text box, which then functions similar to a word document. Also, click this if you want to edit text already on the page, or modify it in any way. Note that when you have this selected, the palette at the top of the page changes where you can modify the text (make it italicized, underline it, change the font, etc.)

To place a photo in InDesign, hit Ctrl + D and it will open a menu. Find your photo in the drop box and select it. How to switch from Pica’s to Inches in InDesign: A pica is 1/6 of an inch, and in InDesign it is your default unit of measurement. To change your standard default unit of measurement: • Edit --> Preferences --> Units and Increments --> Pull the drop bar down on the vertical and horizontal selections and click inches. Bleeds: Bleeds are used when a photo runs off the page (in the corners or on the sides). This means your photo must reach the pink line that sits off the page to ensure that there won’t be any white lining around the photo after printing. Check your bleeds! How to set up Bleeds: • File --> Document Setup --> More Options --> Adjust your bleed to .125 inches and make sure it’s linked (look at the small box on the lower left-hand side of the window. If a small chain link is intact, the image has been linked successfully).

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Linking Text Boxes: If you have too much text for a text box to display, a small red plus sign will appear at the bottom of the text. If this is the case you will need to link this text box with another to make the text fit. At the bottom right-hand corner of every text box is a linking tab. It’s a small blue box that’s about twice as big as the box that marks the dimensions of the box. To link a text box to another, simply click the box and click anywhere on the text box you’d like to link it to. The missing text will appear inside the newly linked text box.

InDesign Shortcuts

InDesign rules!

Place: Cmd + D Undo: Cmd + Z Select tool: V Hide/Show grids and guides: W Lock an object in place on the page: Cmd + L Group multiple selected objects: Cmd + G Select multiple objects on a page by using the mouse: Shift + Left Click Show Baseline Grid: Cmd + Alt + ‘ Text Wrap: Cmd + Alt + W Add a page: Cmd + Shift + P Text frame options: Cmd + B

Adobe Photoshop This is where all the photos get edited, as well as where the majority of graphics are created. You can either open an existing photo or a new document. For non-color newsmagazine photos, these are the following steps to take for images: 1. Place desired image into Photoshop 2. Grayscale the image Image > Mode > Grayscale 3. Resize the image Image > Size > Resolution: 300 + height and width should be the actual size in inches of your photo (ie. 5in by 8in) 4. Save photo File > Save as > title document properly, save to proper folder, always save as TIFF To find and open a file you start out by opening the “File” tab at the top of the screen. File --> Open --> Find the file in the drop boxes --> click open Then, a trick to make the image crisper, Image --> Mode --> Adjustments --> Auto Contrast Lasso Tool: These tools are located on the tool palette which, like InDesign, is on the left side of the screen. It is the second tool from the top on the far left column. If you hold down with your mouse over the icon, you will see there are three types of lasso tools. The magnetic lasso is the one you will be using the most since it recognizes different shades of color on a photo. To add more to your selection after you’ve already gone over it once, hold down “shift” and this will allow you to add more of the picture to your selected area. By holding down “Alt” you can take away areas of your selection. After you select the area you want, right click inside the are with the lasso tool still selected and hit “select inverse”. This selects every area on the picture except the area you used the lasso tool on. Then hit either “backspace” or “delete” and it’ll cut out the area you selected.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Viewpoints

Corrections and omissions

The Viewpoints section is responsible for expressing the views of Clarke Central High School students and faculty. Viewpoints topics range from school-related issues to personal issues to national issues. The Viewpoints section of the magazine consists of the Question of the Month, Fresh Voice, Thumbs, Letters to the Editor, Our Take, Corrections and Omissions, and articles written by the Viewpoints staff in addition to guest articles by non-ODYSSEY CCHS students and faculty. On the website, the Viewpoints section consists of blogs, columns, and opinions/editorial pieces.

Thumbs is the section of the magazine where the ODYSSEY staff gives their opinion on articles from each section. Thumbs should give a brief explanation of what the article is about and should be witty and catchy.

Fresh Voice

Letters to the editor

The Fresh Voice section is a monthly column where ninth graders on and off the ODYSSEY Media Group can express their opinions in the magazine and on the website. Fresh Voice articles are generally short editorials of about 300 words that take up a half-page in the magazine.

Letters to the Editor is the section in the magazine where the student body is able to express their opinions on the articles written in the last issue. However, hundreds of Letters to the Editor do not magically appear in the ODYSSEY mail box, so here are some tips.

Our take Our Take is a monthly column in both the magazine and the website wherein an editor or staff writer writes an editorial intended to display the opinions of the entire staff. An editorial cartoon is usually placed with this column.

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Steps to getting Letters to the Editor: • Bring copies of the issue. Try and get an article from each section of the magazine so all of the sections are covered. • Hand out the articles to classes and students and ask them to read the article and write a letter. Make sure to ask a variety of students to write letters in order to add diversity. Each issue must include eight letters to the editor -again, from a group of students from different grade levels, of different genders, and of different cultural backgrounds.

Corrections and omissions is a facet of the print publication where the ODYSSEY Media Group corrects the mistakes that it made in the last magazine, like incorrect spellings of names, no photo captions for pictures or graphics, etc. Corrections and omissions are found by the Viewpoints staff and are documented in the Corrections and omissions box on the Letters to the Editor page.

When you're out and about: Question of the month The Viewpoints staff will need to leave the classroom to get quotes, letters and pictures for Thumbs, Letters to the Editor and Fresh Voice. When you do this, make sure to always remain polite and courteous. • Always present yourself in a professional manner. • Do not freak out at people who tell you no. • Be on time. No excuses. • Don’t leave assignments for the last minute! It will only bring unneeded stress and will put the Viewpoints section behind schedule.

Editorials are based on facts, just like the rest of the magazine.

Question of the month is the section in the magazine where students and teachers at CCHS respond to a question that is asked. The Viewpoints staff is responsible for coming up with the question and finding people to answer the question. The Viewpoints staff must also get a headshot of each person answering the question. Question of the month needs to represent the diversity of the student body. Question of the month must include at least one teacher and four to five students from different backgrounds, at least one from each grade level. This should not be left for the last minute and everyone on the Viewpoints staff is responsible for compiling the questions and answers for this section. Be sure to have a variety of answers and a variety of people asked so you can choose from the best.

Tips for writing a viewpoints article • Base all of your editorials in facts using quotes, news, etc. No baseless accusations or libelous statements. • Cover all the issues, use specific examples and always double-check your facts. • Always make sure that you attack the issue, not the person. • Be subtle, logical, reasonable and restrained when writing your article. • Think of all the angles to your article, especially the opposing view. • Be fair – you must give the opposing point of view along with your own view. • Have fun. Enjoy what you’re writing about.

About editorials Editorials are based on facts, just like the rest of the magazine. An editorial is not an excuse to rant with no factual base. Do not write your article in first person unless the article is about you. The article should not be a rewritten news story, either. Use facts that you collect or are presented with from different sources to form an opinion on the topic, then construct an argument based on the knowledge that you gained. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Viewpoints layouts

Editorial Template: Here's the basic structure of a good persuasive viewpoints.

Half page

Lead (hook): Your piece’s introduction should be catchy, short (no more than 30 words) and grab the reader’s attention.

Keep your text short and to the point in order to fit a photo caption, a photo credit, a headline, a photo, a deck and a byline. Make half of the page one column the other half two columns to break up the text. If there is room, a pull quote is also a good way to break up the text, so your readers aren’t overwhelmed by the amount of text. If there is an imbalance of ink, try giving your half page layout a 20% grey background, as pictured to the right.

Thesis statements: The main idea of your piece should be a clear and concise description of your position. Supporting details: These are very important -- the backbone of your editorial, these are what will give your words credibility. You should have evidence, anecdotal and numerical, to support your point. Opposing view: To balance out your point and strengthen your piece overall, acknowledge the other side’s arguments and disprove them with more…. Supporting details: Appeal to your readers’ pathos, ethos, and logos -- their emotions, their sense of credibility, and their logic. Proposal: If you discuss a problem, ALWAYS propose a solution. Don’t be the person who vetoes everybody’s restaurant picks and doesn’t give any options. Conclusion: Finish strong. Leave your readers going “whoa” and thinking so hard they walk into doors and chairs.

Full page Find one dominant photo and use it. Using two or three columns helps break up the text. If you have room, add a pull quote, a graphic or one or two small photos, but do not force it if there is no space for it.

Blog Template: Blogs are a little bit different. Unlike persuasive editorials, blogs are usually from a first-person perspective and recount a personal experience. Here's the basic structure of a good blog. Lead (hook): Like a persuasive editorial, the lead to a blog should be short and catchy, and it serves as a reader’s first introduction into the story you're telling them about your life or an experience you've had. Thesis: Here's where you introduce the “big idea” of your blog. You zoom out from your personal experience and explain why this is important to you and why it matters. Supporting details: Make the reader feel as if he or she is there with you. Explain how you felt during the experience, what you saw, who was there, what affected you, etc.

NOTE: Most Viewpoints layouts will require a cartoon or photo illustration. It is imperative that the Viewpoints Editor make sure cartoonists are notified by MIDDLE DRAFT DEADLINE. Articles with no plans for acquiring art by middle draft deadline are unlikely to be published. 60

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Conclusion: Bring home your blog by explaining what you took away from the experience.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

News News is characterized by its objective telling of events. It has no subjectivity. It is straightforward and balances what the reader wants to know and that the reader needs to know. If it is not new, it cannot be news. News also has to be significant. If people need to know about it, then the article needs to be written. Writers think about these things to help them determine what events are news article material.

Must-have's Time: News needs to be written quickly and efficiently, especially if the article is set to go online and not in print. If it is not new, it cannot be news. Proximity: Our readership consists of students and people within the Athens community. We do not write news stories about national and international events since our readers care more about what is directly around them. Consequence: People want to know in what ways events, policies, etc. are going to affect them. Within news articles, the effects need to be covered. Conflict: People also want to know about issues and debate within their community. Conflict encourages writers to cover all sides of a story.

Subjective: In an emotional goodbye to the school year, the Clarke Central High School orchestra will perform a beautiful set for their final concert of the year. • The sentence above is subjective and should only be used in the features or viewpoints section. • It is the writer’s opinion that it is “an emotional goodbye” or a “beautiful set.” Objective: The Clarke Central High School orchestra will be performing in Mell Auditorium on May 15 at 7 p.m. for its final concert of the year. • It is simply stated and it does not bring in the writer’s opinion

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Writing a news story Whether the story will be featured on the website, in the magazine or both, these tips are true for all news stories. Keep in mind that stories that go online will need to be written much quicker than those that go in the magazine. Getting Started • Before you start writing, make sure you know what the focus of your article will be. This does NOT mean what your take on the subject is. The focus or angle should be what interests the readers the most and informs them the most. • When writing a lead, try to find a way to grab the reader’s attention without slanting the article. Remember that in news writing you shouldn’t be stating an opinion. People will read the article to get the entire story, not just your side of it. • Leads should be around 30 words. • You should have an interesting and informative quote directly following the lead to draw the reader in and to get the point of your article across. Body • Go in an order that makes sense for your article. Chronological order is a good example of an acceptable sequence. It confuses the reader if the information skips around a lot. The inverted pyramid style of writing helps a lot with organization. • Again, stay objective. Avoid clichés and cutesy phrases. They do not belong in News. • Choose quotes that show ALL sides of an issue. To only choose quotes from one side is editorializing. Get sources that showcase a variety of ages, ethnicities, genders, opinions, etc. Conclusion • Sum everything up in your second to last paragraph. Your last paragraph should be a quote that captures the main idea of the article. Your quote should be every bit as interesting as your leading quote. • Do not slip opinions into your conclusion. You have to stay distanced from the topic through to the end. Avoiding Fake News The ODYSSEY Media Group does not tolerate fake news. We do not publish sensational stories or stories without merit. We do not write click-bait. Given our current political climate, reporting real and honest news is VERY important. To avoid reporting fake news, double-check everything. Interview multiple people to confirm information. Research on your own. Never report something based on hearsay. If you have any doubts on what is true and what’s not, talk with your editor.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Packaging a news story Your headline should attract people's attention. Do not restate your headline or your lead in the deck. Your deck just needs to be basic—state what the article is about and nothing else. The reader needs to get an idea of what the article is about while also being enticed to read it. AVOID BEING SUBJECTIVE.

News visuals

You want to relate the brief to the students as much as possible in order to get more student names in the publication. List the names of students by grade level and then in alphabetical order of their last name. For teachers, list them first by department and then by their full name. Do NOT use “Ms., Mr., Mrs, etc.”

When doing layouts for News Briefs, it’s always best to stay consistent.

What goes in News Briefs? News Briefs includes the following elements: • 6 Briefs, two of which are 300-word “grey boxes” and four of which are 200 words maximum • 3 Photos of timely news events, which may or may not correspond to briefs • A poll of students or infographic (interchangeable with one of the three photos) • 4 “I head that”s: relevant soundbytes from students, teachers, administrators or community members that pertain to News

News platforms

- Breaking news: Important news that was released at most 24 hours before the article was written and published.

A news brief is a short summary of an event that relates to the school in some way. Preferably, students should be involved in the activity.

News briefs are typically around 100 words. They are used to get students into the magazine that aren’t usually represented. You should always have a quote in them, preferably from a student, but a teacher is okay, too. If the brief contains your name or that of another ODYSSEY staff member, use the middle name if possible instead of the first name.

News layouts do not have to be fancy, but they do need to work well with the story. Avoid fonts that are flowery for an article that is more serious and vice versa. The layout, the font, the visuals etc should reflect the story. However, you can still have fun moving all of the elements around and pulling a few subtle tricks here and there to create eye appeal.

What news articles go online:

Writing a News Brief

All names should be bolded the first time they are used. The next time a name is used (after having already been stated), refer to that person by last name only. This goes for writing articles as well.

Consider including infographics with photos and captions. They are a great trick for capturing people’s attention and work well for the website and the magazine. Make sure that they still provide crucial information. For them to work effectively, they need to be neat, appealing to they eye and actually informational.

Where your article is published is just as important as the packaging of the story itself. The publication that the article is on affects who will read the article, when the article will be read, how the article will be designed, and more.

News briefs

- Time sensitive articles: Articles that are not timeless and need to go up as soon as possible to be fully understood.

What news articles go in print:

- Timeless pieces: Articles about events with consequences that will affect people for a long time and/or articles that people can read at any point in time and still understand, enjoy, get information from, etc.

Common Mistakes in a News Brief Misspellings—double check the spellings of all the names. Once all of the news briefs are in the order they will appear in the layout, make sure Clarke Central High School is spelled out in the first news brief and after that, it should be CCHS. This same holds true for all other acronyms. News briefs are indented like paragraphs. Times are always written using figures. Morning and afternoon are distinguished by a.m. and p.m., respectively. Noon and midnight are referred to as noon and midnight. Days are always spelled out. Months are abbreviated except for March, April, May, June and July. Only include the year if it is not implied. Principal Dr. Robbie Hooker is referred to by full name in the first news brief and after that is referred to as Hooker. Same with other names. They are not bolded a second time. ODYSSEY is always written in AlbertusMT font and in all caps. Be sure to include “—Compiled by the News staff ” at the bottom of the page.

Welcoming new faces English department teacher Ginger Lehmann is the newest teacher on the Clarke Central High School staff. Lehmann came to the Clarke County School District after working at Chattahoochee High School in Atlanta, Ga. Before receiving her permanent position at CCHS, Lehmann worked as a substitute teacher for elementary schools in the CCSD. Lehmann is now employed by the CCSD as a full time teacher. She teaches 10th grade Literature Composition and 12th grade British Literature. “My goal as a new teacher would be that I would like to refresh my old teaching methods and learn new teaching methods from other teachers. For my students, I would like my students to gain confidence because high school students are creative and interesting to teach,” Lehmann said. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Features

Features organization

Interviewing:

eatures articles are the longest in the magazine and focus on in-depth stories around Clarke Central High School and Athens Clarke County. The issues are usually timeless accompanied by a profile of a student or community figure. Every magazine will have a Feature and a Focus.

A feature is... • • • • • • •

A mix between news and variety Objective and informative, yet creative Often controversial or dramatic, covering sensitive issues The most in-depth to write Requires a lot of time and effort Allows you to get to know your personal writing style better Involves hard editing

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Immediately after you get your article assignment, RESEARCH whatever you can about your topic. This will give you informed, detailed questions that will lead to better quotes.

Interview as many people as possible. A features story should have a variety of diverse voices offering different perspectives and opinions. Get all sides to the story.

Questions: You need to have A LOT of questions, beyond 20 or 25. Each new topic brought up should have filter questions and follow-ups. Freestyle follow-ups if you can. Once you’ve asked all your questions, ask “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” -- Always send a Thank You card and a copy of the magazine when your article comes out!

Preperation: Because features articles are longer than others, being very organized and following the specific features deadlines that are set in place is imperative. It is important not to procrastinate.

Be very professional and sensitive in interviews. Make sure to explain what your article is about briefly to your source. If a person still has questions, offer to send them a couple of your interview questions to prepare them. Set up a time and location that’s convenient for your source.

Because of their length and sensitivity, Features will require many in-depth interviews. Often times, you will find that many follow-up interviews with a central source are necessary.

Outline Once your interviewing and transcribing is done, create an outline to help you structure your article. The model of an outline can be modified to fit whatever is most useful for individual writers, however, the basic structure is a flowchart with the topics of paragraphs, and quotes that support the topics. These should be detailed as possible an turned in on middle draft deadline.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Structure of writing

Features layouts

Headline: Your headline should be intriguing and short and should include an action verb and relate directly to a theme or topic in your article. This can often the hardest part, but thinking of possible headlines ahead of time will help.

Layouts need to be interesting to keep the reader involved throughout the pages of your article. A dominant photo on the first page with little to no text is a popular design idea. Interesting pullquotes keep the reader engaged.

Deck: Every article has one; briefly describe the article without giving too much away. Lead: Often, the lead is the most important aspect in a features article due to the article’s length. A lead should pull the reader in and make them want to know more about your topic. There are different leads for different types of articles.

1. Illusion lead -- “The door to the SOAR Academy has no handle. A buzzer on the wall near eye-level is the only way into the alternative school. A muffled voice crackles from the speaker, asking for a statement of business. A moment later a secretary slowly makes her way down the stairwell to allow entrance into the school. The SOAR Academy is cold and dimly lit, and the school’s one long hallway is filled with stagnant air. The old H.T. Edwards Center for Alternative Education was renamed the SOAR Academy in an attempt to rid the school of its negative label -- a school for disruptive students, a warehouse for juvenile offenders.” 2. Profile lead -- “As Georgia superdelegate and Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, Jane Kidd voted to support Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries. However, she has been surrounded by politics for her whole life, even before she was aware of her own."

Angle: An angle is an objective view to focus your article around. Often your angle will change with the more interviews and information you get, but it should be in your mind.

GO AP STYLE!

Consider the following questions when coming up with an angle: What is the most relatable side of this story? What are people really pointing towards in interviews? Is there an issue that could be confusing? How could you focus your story to clear all confusion for the reader? Conclusion: The conclusion should be built up throughout the article and have your second most powerful quote. These should not be too open-ended or vague.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Photos Profiles: Should have many pictures of the person and what they do that you are focusing on (a club, family, job, etc.). Many times people will have pictures they can give you what would greatly enhance the way a reader relates to that person. Issue-based stories: Often staged, dramatic pictures that play off shadows, darkness or a portrayed emotion. Must be tasteful and effective in your article or else they will not work. Captions are hard for these.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Variety

Styling Cultural Buzz

What is variety?

AP Style for blurbs and other reviews:

Variety is the section made up of Cultural Buzz, reviews and more alternative news stories. These stories must appeal to a wide range of the student body.

Titles of blurbs are in BEBAS.

Cultural Buzz

All blurb copy is 9pt Apple Garamond.

- The first element in the Variety section. - Two page spread made up of “blurbs” and pictures - Should cover diverse restaurants, movies, video games, apps and music along with other events that go on around Athens.

What is a blurb?

Reviewers name and staff position is one line below the blurb and is italicized.

Movies, computer games, restaurants, plays, poems, albums, songs, TV shows and works of art: • Capitalize the principle words. • Capitalize the articles ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ if they are the first or last words in the title. Put quotations around the titles of books, plays, TV shows, movies, magazines, newspapers, gallery/museum exhibitions, albums and songs.

Blurbs are miniature reviews that make up the Cultural Buzz section. They should be about 250 words long. Make them as condensed and creative as possible. They should just be factual accountings of what you are reviewing along with your opinion.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Reviews

Variety Design Important tips to remember about design:

How to write a review:

Review must have's

Lead: Should be 30 words or less. Needs to attract your reader and set the tone for the rest of your review.

• Background and overall information of the entire product whether it be an app, movie, tv show, video game, album, etc.

Intro: Give basic information about what you’re reviewing; should be about 45 to 60 words. Just because a review consists of your opinion, doesn’t mean that this part is not vital. Review: This is the base of your article. Pick the positives and negatives of what you are reviewing and write at least two or three solid paragraphs about it. The length of this part depends on whether your review is a deeper cut or a short blurb. Conclusion: Should be 30 words or less, like the lead. Needs to summarize briefly your entire review and hit key points that the reader should have picked up. Avoid directly re-stating what was said in the review, but make sure the reader knows where your opinion lies.

• A review should have general information about a product without giving away super specific details (pertinent to movies, tv shows, books, etc.) This information should not be more than a paragraph or two long.

Tips for getting layout ideas:

Multimedia:

Multimedia tips:

• Pros and cons about the product, with an equal amount of each. Offer a counter for each positive statement so the overall assessment is fair.

Multimedia plays an important role in the success of an article. If you want people to read it and enjoy it, it is important to make the packaging of an article appealing and accessible across both print and online publications. Here are a few ideas for multimedia for Variety articles:

• Think about what articles will benefit from the online platform. • Interactive maps would work for an article that is reviewing a restaurant, store etc. or that is about an event. • When reviewing an album or an artist, including a Spotify playlist or soundbites would be a cool addition to the story. • Think about how an article online might be different, in a good way, from how it's covered in the magazine. For example, Quest for Athens’ Best is one-dimensional in the magazine but might be in video form online.

• If the product features no pros, instead of trashing it offer solutions and things that would have made it better. • If the product features no cons, give reasons that justify your claim about why the product is so great. Never state an opinion that is not justified.

For Variety, design is very important. Layouts need to draw readers in -- creativity is key. Keep layouts new and don’t recycle old layouts from previous issues. The Variety section should be edgy. You need: • A cohesive spread that flows • Creative text that matches the theme of the article • A large, dominant photo or design element that draws the reader’s attention

Look at professional magazines and see what new designs they use. They can give you good layout ideas that are appealing to readers.

• Spotify playlist of the album you’re reviewing • Link to the trailer of movie you’re reviewing • Google Map of business you’re highlighting • Timeline of important events of the subject you’re profiling • Steller (digital storybook) • Soundcloud byte(s) of interview

Your goal in writing a review is to inform and entertain readers who might want to try what you’re reviewing. This could be a movie, restaurant, event or anything. Make your explanation entertaining to keep the reader engaged and give interesting details that most wouldn’t usually think of. It is okay to write a negative review, but don’t rant. Reviews should be helpful tools for readers. Opinions are good, but an overbearing opinion can set off your reader. 72

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Sports There are three types of sports stories: profile, game coverage and news-based. Profile stories highlight a specific person in the local sports community. Game coverage shows results and key plays of games. News stories cover all aspects of the sports realm. Throughout this process, an angle should arise on its own. If it does not, then after collecting every piece of information, reread it all. Try to put together the story in your head as if you were the reader. Share your research and findings with the other writers on your staff, and ask their opinion. Talk to your editor/Ragsdale.

Photography Unlike a photographer that’s shooting an inanimate figure, a sports photographer is constantly monitoring his or her surroundings to capture any “moments.” A moment is described as any significant event related to the subject being photographed (a goal being scored, a fight breaking out, fan interaction, etc.) Game shots are always preferred over photos taken during practice.

How to write a sports story The Lead -- Don’t bury the lede: The lead can be one of the most difficult things to write because it must capture the readers’ attention. Unless you have already thought of a lead, it is easier to write your lead after most, if not all, of your story is written. Sports Illustrated writers have strong leads; look at their feature articles for good examples. Your lead should be 30 words or less. Most important quote -- Find the emotion: The most important quote should be placed directly after the lead. It should hint on the issue at hand, and give readers a taste of what the article is about. Be sure to tie the quote into the story in a relevant manner. You can say the facts yourself, but let the emotion come directly from the source. Introducing the issue -- Be a fan: After the most important quote, explain the issue. If you confuse readers or you are not clear, you will lose them. Use a quote from a professional if it adequately describes the situation. Readers are more likely to trust a professional’s word than yours. Don’t root for your team, but root for a good story. If you like what you are writing, people will more likely enjoy reading it. Voice each side -- Let them talk:

Regardless of how well a sports story is written, a reader will pass it by if the layout isn’t appealing. Also, the lead of a story can either hook the reader or allow them to float away. Make sure you have some interest to keep the reader attached. However, even the most beautiful aesthetics and an engaging hook won’t guarantee your story is read all the way through; the entire story must be engaging. 74

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

At this point in the article, you will need strong transitions to go from explaining what happened to getting into each sides’ opinion on the issue. Smooth transitions are key. Make sure to quote the most important people involved on each side. Be as clear and concise as possible. It will be much easier for your readers to figure out what’s going on in your story if you pay very careful attention to your use of pronouns. Get quotes from all sides of the story. These people have something to say. The conclusion -- End strong: The conclusion of your article has to give the reader a sense of closure on the issue. Using the second best quote to end the article is the most effective method. ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Sports story writing tips 1. Find your angle -- the standpoint of your article. 2. Always interview Athletic Director, head coach and athletes. 3. Check all statistics that are included in the article. 4. Use strong action verbs. 5. Keep “discussion” of the sub-points of the article to a minimum. There is a clear distinction between reporting and editorializing. 6. Don’t use cliché phrases. 7. Refrain from any kind of “analysis” of the team, game or season. 8. A good sports article should read like the game is actually being played.

Interview questions If you were the reader, what would you want to know? Ask detailed and specific questions pertaining to the issue. The coaches and administrators at CCHS are very easy to work with, and as long as you are flexible with them, they will be happy to do an interview with you, but you do want to stay in good standings with them. If you do, they will give you more than enough information. Oftentimes, getting meaningful quotes from players is the hardest part of interviewing. You may have to ask the same question you have already asked to get a better response. After transcribing all of your interviews completely, look through the quotes and highlight the most important parts of each interview. Have your Thank You cards prewritten before the interview, so that you can give them to your interviewees at the end of the interview. The people you interview are much more likely to help you again if you present them with a note expressing your gratitude.

Fact check: Make certain all facts and statistics in the story are 100% correct. Make sure you don’t have contradicting facts from different sources. Interview all parties involved: Administrators Athletic Director Students Teachers Athletes Coaches Parents Doctors Trainers

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

WORDS THAT ARE CAPITALIZED: - JV team (an abbreviation) - 1A Central State Championship, or 1A Central Conference (proper names) - Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward WORDS THAT ARE NOT CAPITALIZED: - varsity team, or junior varsity team - state meet, state tournament, state competition, or state champion - coach, or captain - freshman, sophomore, junior, senior ABBREVIATIONS: We do not use abbreviations for schools unless the name has been spelled out first in the beginning of the article. Abbreviated second references are acceptable for familiar schools. CCHS, NEVER refer to it as “Central”, “Clarke Central” or “CC”. APOSTROPHES: In AP style there is no apostrophe in the word BOYS or the word GIRLS. Write “the St. Gregory girls team” or “the St. Gregory boys team.”

Live Tweeting! Sporting events of all kinds are often Live Tweeted by the ODYSSEY Mddia Group. From games and scrimmages to signings, the Media Group strives to cover events on Twitter. The person live tweeting will tweet from the @ODYSSEY_Sports Twitter and log on with a tweet saying “Hi this is (username) logging on to cover the (sporting event) at (location of the event). Stay tuned for live updates!” and when finished, log off by saying “This has been (username) covering the (sporting event).” Key games to cover are senior nights, Cedar v Central games, special games (Eve Carson, Teacher Appreciation Night) playoff games and region games.

Sports style guide

SERVE up some information

TO WRITE A TEAM RECORD: 11 – 6 (state # of wins first, # of losses second), and always specify if it’s total or only conference play TO WRITE SCORES: Scottsdale Christian over Greenfields 81 – 73. State the winning team first.

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Sports style guide USE A LOT OF QUOTES IN SPORTS ARTICLES! ABSOLUTELY NO: 1. Editorializing sports articles 2. Never use “best” or “worst”. 3. Avoid phrases like “looks like they will be”. 4. Do not express Congratulations” or “Good Luck” sentiments. 5. Never refer to a CCHS team as “our team”. NAMES IN PRINT: Position, First name, Last Name: head varsity tennis coach Stephen Hinson. In your first quote, use full name. After that, use only last name. —> example: first usage - Dr. John Menke —> subsequent usage – Menke NO: Judy or Jay (first names only), or Ms. Weller (use of titles) unless more than one source has the same last name or you’re writing a human interest story.

Sports briefs Make sure to use timely or timeless news for briefs. Examples of briefs are awards won, records set, future camps/games etc. Here are the rules for setting up sports briefs. - Bold and center all titles. - Include captions and credits for all graphics and photos. - Photo captions should be off the picture, not inset. - Names of athletes and teachers should be bolded and listed in alphabetical order in each brief. - Drop caps for the two mini stories should be two lines. 78

ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

Extras Star players

To be a star player, an athlete has to have at least a 3.0 GPA so you have to keep that in mind when choosing star players. Make sure to have at least one girl and one boy from different sports, one varsity and one JV/Cteam.

Audibles

There are a total of five sports briefs in the layout. Two of which are around 270 words and the other three are around 180. They should be about different sports or things going on in the sports community. Each brief should have at least two sources, a student and an adult. Remember that these need to preview, not review. These are news stories, not profiles.

Sports briefs

These are quotes from athletes or coaches that are put on the Sports Brief page with context about the quote. Great places to find them are in unpublished sports briefs (talk to the Writing Coach about that) as well as just talking to athletes asking them “what are some things that your coach says a lot”.

Coaching directory Fall Sports

Swimming/ Diving (boys and girls): Emily Hulse hulsee@clarke.k12.ga.us

Football: David Perno pernod@clarke.k12.ga.us

Basketball Cheerleading: Tracy McIntyre mcintyret@clarke.k12.ga.us

Volleyball: Stacey Scott scottst@clarke.k12.ga.us

Spring Sports

Cross Country (boys): Eric McCullough mcculloughe@clarke.k12.ga.us

Track/ Field (boys): Justin Jones jonesju@clarke.k12.ga.us

Cross Country (girls): Quincy Wilkins wilkinsq@clarke.k12.ga.us

Track/ Field (girls): Quincy Wilkins wilkinsq@clarke.k12.ga.us

Softball: April Croft crofta@clarke.k12.ga.us

Soccer (girls): Chris Hulse hulsec@clarke.k12.ga.us

Football Cheerleading: Brooke Craft craftb@clarke.k12.ga.us

Soccer (boys): Chris Aiken aikenc@clarke.k12.ga.us

Winter Sports

Baseball: James Osbourne osbourneja@clarke.k12.ga.us

Basketball (girls): Carla Johnson johnsoncar@clarke.k12.ga.us

Tennis (boys and girls): Stephen Hinson hinsons@clarke.k12.ga.us

Basketball (boys): Andre McIntyre mcintyrea@clarke.k12.ga.us

Golf (boys): Brian Ash ashb@clarke.k12.ga.us

Wrestling: Tim Stoudenmire stoudenmiret@clarke.k12.ga.us

Golf (girls): Matthew Snow snowm@clarke.k12.ga.us ODYSSEY Media Group Stylebook

2017-2018 ODYSSEY Staff Contract Name _________________________________________________

Date ________________

Participation in the ODYSSEY requires students to take responsibility and exhibit a high degree of maturity and good judgement. As members of a group that produces a concrete product that will be distributed to and read both by students and adults, those named to the staff can expect to be held to accepted journalistic standards and ethical practices. As individuals, they are recognized by many as representatives of the magazine, whether actually on assignment or not. Signing this document shows that you agree to the rules listed below: 1. I will not take advantage of the freedom given to staff members to leave class in order to cover assignments and do other work for the paper. I will not use journalistic duties as an excuse for doing assignments for other classes, playing around outside of class, disturbing other classes or leaving campus. 2. I will meet deadlines for assignments, rewrites and other newspaper projects. If I find that it may be difficult or impossible to meet a deadline, I will inform the editor and/or adviser at the earliest possible moment, realizing that there will be consequences in the form of my grade for my inability to meet said deadline or produce said article for the paper. 3. I agree to show loyalty to the staff and the newspaper. I will not “put down” the publication or staff decisions, nor make use of any privileged information I may have gained in an unethical, unkind or “gossiping” way outside of Room 114. I will respect the integrity of my publication, the team excellence, ethic of my fellow staffers and will work to promote unity rather than division within the team. I agree to provide coverage within the publication that is at all times fair, objective, complete, honest and not in any way libelous, contemptuous, obscene or in questionable taste. 4. As a representative of the newspaper staff, I agree to abide by standards of good behavior, avoiding rudeness and disrespect to both students, faculty, guest and those we interview. I realize the ability of a student press to cover sensitive issues may be questioned if individual staff members are observed acting in a childish or irresponsible manner. 5. I understand that as a staff member, I will need to accept story and work assignments which require out-of-school time to complete. I agree to spend the time necessary, at the time it is necessary, for optimum production progress and to meet the deadlines of the class and the printer, Greater Georgia Printers. I further agree that if I am ill or unavoidably absent when my assignments are due, I will notify the editor and adviser as soon as possible and make the necessary arrangements to complete the work. 6. I will wear my staff press pass every day to class and bring my staff stylebook each day. I will maintain the cleanliness of my lab station and my section table. I understand that failure to abide by the terms of this pledge will result in negative consequences in my grade for this class and could lead to my dismissal from the staff or other disciplinary action. Signed _____________________________________________ Date_________________________ (student) Signed_____________________________________________ Date_________________________

(faculty adviser)

ODYSSEY Media Group Staff Manual 2017-18