The In-Depth Feature Project: An In-Depth Report

Move Over, Geraldo

This is My Big Project

As you prepare to write your proposal for your big story by looking through your logs, think about yourself and the world. Look at the following phrases. How would you fill them in? Refer to your question log.

· ____________ is really important to me. Other people feel and think ______________ about it.

· People really ought to do something about ______________.

· People need to know that ________________ is happening all around us.

· At Schreiber, _______________needs attention.

· In my community (neighborhood, Schreiber, Port, etc.), ________ needs to change.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE. Your mission is to find a topic of importance to you and expose it to the rest of us. Look at your question log for ideas, observe your world, think about something you’re curious about or annoyed by, or develop a feature or opinion piece you wrote for this class.

You will expose the truth to us by writing a long feature story in which you will reveal the truth. Your goal is to make us feel something by unveiling these truths. What will we do? Change? (For example, your exposé might reveal Schreiber’s student alcohol abuse problem. Will your readers think twice about their own drinking? Will another student join SADD? Will a parent speak to their child? Or, if your exposé is about the crisis in the Middle East, will your readership be more sensitive towards Muslims?)

You are writing an exposé that will be put together to look like a magazine or newspaper insert. Please note that you will be expected, over the course of the rest of the semester, to pull together a project that centers around your theme and contains all of the following elements:

q Feature Proposal. Using the “Planning Feature” worksheet, type up a proposal that addresses the questions asked. Your proposal should be neatly typed and demonstrate detailed thoughts and genuine effort.

q Layout. Your final product will include of the elements in a desktop publishing software.

q Research Component: Mini-Paper. Find out the background on your topic.

q Survey. Create a survey that is 10-20 questions and no more than 2 pages. These surveys will be distributed to 75 Schreiber students (by you) to aid you in your research. You will be graded in three parts within this: the survey, the tally, and your charts/graphs.

q Extended feature story. (minimum 1000 words) This long feature will include (at minimum) two local authority interviews, background research mini-paper findings, five local quotes/interviews from students, and analysis of survey results.

q Visuals! There must be at least ONE graphic per page with a caption of explanation. Visuals will your charts or graphs you created from the survey with caption, original artwork with caption or 1 digital photo with caption, 1 artwork or photo with caption (found on Internet is OK), and appropriate graphics filler for white space (even relevant clipart is OK)

q Mini-Profile. (500 or less words) Focus on a person who is relevant to your topic.

q Review of outside media. (500 or less words) Review a book or relevant movie to your topic.

q Hard News Story (No more than 300 words). Write a news story that addresses a relevant event that actually happened.

q Opinion/Editorial. Write a 350-500 word opinion piece on your topic.

q Interest Box. This can be a box with contact information or a 10 step “How To” or anything else that would be relevant and of interest to you topic

In your proposal. Please consider the following questions after you have decided that your topic can fulfill all of the above elements.

Planning and Proposing My Exposé Feature Story

1. A) My story idea is (explain in detail):

B) This story will appeal to _____ because ______:

2. To write this story, I need to talk with or interview the following people (explain why for each). I am required to interview AT LEAST ____ people for this assignment.

____ Primary sources:

____ Authority sources:

3. To write this story, I need to research the following facts/statistics: [In other words, what information do you need to make your story complete beside interviews?]. For each, explain where you will be able to find this information.

4. I expect to generate the following emotions with my story. Please explain how/why you will achieve this.