Description

Remember to apply what you have learned from the unit about news values of a story and the basic elements of a news story and its design and presentation. Focus on the story itself but examine all related links, content, graphics, and other information on the page (ads too if you want). Examine the page layout and all the story’s graphic elements (headline, etc.) on that page. The visual presentation of the story, as well as its content, form the basis for your analysis.  Here are elements to include in your analysis: Write a summary of the assigned story in your own words. Take time to come up with a brief summary that really targets the story’s main focus. Make this brief, one to two shorts paragraphs.  Indicate why the story is news. Several news values may apply. Keep in mind the list of news value brought up in the unit content.

3. Consider the sources of information used in the story, including people (interviews), description and any other background material referred to by the writer. Basically, how was the story reported and the information in it obtained? Discuss these sources and describe how they contribute to the overall quality of the article. Are there any sources or pieces of information you feel are missing from the story?

4. Examine the quotes used in the article. Do any quotes stand out? Why? What about how the story was written? Look at the structure of how it was written and you can comment on that. You can also comment on language choices or writing style used in the report. Discuss the visual entry points to the story, including any use of headlines, summary blurbs, links, photographs or any other graphic information. How do all these elements contribute to the telling of the story?

Analyze graphic elements used to tell the story if they are presented, including photographs and multimedia elements such as video. If you were going to add graphics or any other components to the story, what would they be? Where on the site is the story placed on the web site and can you discuss the significance of the story’s placement?

Take a look at at any other content, including a comments section, that you want to analyze. Then, analyze whether the producers of this site took advantage of the online format. Could they have added other features to better help the reader understand the story? You may want to look at other online news sites to see how they use the online format to tell stories and how they compare to this story.