Publication Schedule/Article Deadlines
Currently, the planned publication schedule is freeform. Each contributor is given a monthly quota of two articles without any restriction or due date, save for events whose coverage would be extremely urgent (major news stories, topical issues, etc.). The contributor is free to work at his or her own pace, so long as both articles are submitted by the end of the month. However, in order to prevent procrastination and backlogged work, there is also a weekly quota calculated by the total monthly output of the entire contributor base divided by four (the average number of weeks in a month). Obviously, this weekly quota varies depending on the size of the active contributor base.
Article Formatting & Standards
Any standard submission under 400 words will not be published but will be sent back to the submitter for reevaluation and editing. Each submission should be at least 400-500 words in length, excepting the following:
-Editorials should be at least 600 words (or a roughly one page, typed in size 11 font)
-Sports articles covering specific games, player highlights, Athletes of the Month, sports updates, etc., have word count requirements depending on context
-Interviews are dependent on number of questions/responses rather than strict word count (there should still be at least five questions and answers)
-Certain school features, such as teacher spotlights, are also exempt from word counts based on context
-Any "non-article" submissions (surveys, cartoons, lists, miscellaneous factoids, etc.)
-Editorials should be at least 600 words (or a roughly one page, typed in size 11 font)
-Sports articles covering specific games, player highlights, Athletes of the Month, sports updates, etc., have word count requirements depending on context
-Interviews are dependent on number of questions/responses rather than strict word count (there should still be at least five questions and answers)
-Certain school features, such as teacher spotlights, are also exempt from word counts based on context
-Any "non-article" submissions (surveys, cartoons, lists, miscellaneous factoids, etc.)
Monthly Publications & Article Types
There are certain topics that will always be covered through the course of a month, although there will certainly be some variation in content depending on the availability of topics. The primary concern of this publication is to cover school events, publish feature articles about school activities, and highlight community events. Articles covering world news, popular culture, science and technology, or any topic outside of school or local happenings should remain a secondary concern. Please note that not all items submitted are necessarily considered articles. Surveys, cartoons, lists, miscellaneous factoids, etc., are not articles.
For publication, the types of articles required throughout a typical month are as follows:
-School features or news articles (covering notable school happenings or just student life), including but not limited to the following subcategories:
-School sports articles: play-by-plays of specific games, highlights/interviews on individual players, Athletes of the Month (interviews/bios/pictures),
summaries and reviews of sports seasons, etc.
and schedules of past or upcoming seasons
-School features: written about a certain group, club, sport, etc., at Bolsa, describing in detail how group operates, what it does, how experience is, etc.;
could also be about a notable student on campus, such as Matador of the Month
-Teacher/department features: same as above, but dealing with a school department/introducing a new teacher/describing an old teacher; could be
written as a third-person bio or as a direct interview with the individual(s)
-School news: any major events occurring on campus or nearby in the community, any major events with some link to Bolsa Grande or the student
population (i.e. changes to educational policy, college news, financial aid, etc.)
-News articles covering a current controversy or major event
-May be about a specific event or feature article (latter kind preferable, since they are not as urgent deadlines, more flexible in terms of publication)
-Important events receive “Priority” tag to ensure rapid publication, usually assigned in advance or immediately after event, due two to three days after
-Review articles (technology/music/film reviews, etc.)
-Editorials (these are handled by the editors-in-chief, but more are welcome)
For publication, the types of articles required throughout a typical month are as follows:
-School features or news articles (covering notable school happenings or just student life), including but not limited to the following subcategories:
-School sports articles: play-by-plays of specific games, highlights/interviews on individual players, Athletes of the Month (interviews/bios/pictures),
summaries and reviews of sports seasons, etc.
and schedules of past or upcoming seasons
-School features: written about a certain group, club, sport, etc., at Bolsa, describing in detail how group operates, what it does, how experience is, etc.;
could also be about a notable student on campus, such as Matador of the Month
-Teacher/department features: same as above, but dealing with a school department/introducing a new teacher/describing an old teacher; could be
written as a third-person bio or as a direct interview with the individual(s)
-School news: any major events occurring on campus or nearby in the community, any major events with some link to Bolsa Grande or the student
population (i.e. changes to educational policy, college news, financial aid, etc.)
-News articles covering a current controversy or major event
-May be about a specific event or feature article (latter kind preferable, since they are not as urgent deadlines, more flexible in terms of publication)
-Important events receive “Priority” tag to ensure rapid publication, usually assigned in advance or immediately after event, due two to three days after
-Review articles (technology/music/film reviews, etc.)
-Editorials (these are handled by the editors-in-chief, but more are welcome)
Article Assignment and Claims
Article submission is mandatory for all those enrolled in Journalism/Yearbook. Individuals not on the official roster of contributors (i.e., people not enrolled in either class) are also obligated to submit articles. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from Journalism/Yearbook class activities and events; serial negligence will result in expulsion from unofficial contributor status. Furthermore, a failure to claim, write, and submit articles will result in deductions from your class grade. Articles may either be requested from or assigned by the editors-in-chief. If there is a topic that you want to write about specifically, you only need to approach one of the editors-in-chief with the topic and obtain clearance. A broad range of article topics is acceptable, with the only stipulation being that the topic is not especially obscene or vulgar (what this entails is subject to the specific case). If there are insufficient numbers of requested articles to sustain a publication, they will be assigned accordingly, with priority given to subjects lacking in articles and to those who have not been active contributors.
Note: Certain important events will have "priority status"; articles assigned to these events will not be published on the standard schedule as other articles
are. They are assigned either in advance or the same day of the event in question, and are due two to three days afterward.
Note: It is possible to permanently claim a topic (e.g. popular culture, reviews, current events, etc.). If you elect to do this, you will receive the same topic
assignment for every publication. Others may claim the topic as well. It is preferable for everyone to claim their own topics so that we may have specific
individuals working each column, making the article assignment process far smoother.
Note: Certain important events will have "priority status"; articles assigned to these events will not be published on the standard schedule as other articles
are. They are assigned either in advance or the same day of the event in question, and are due two to three days afterward.
Note: It is possible to permanently claim a topic (e.g. popular culture, reviews, current events, etc.). If you elect to do this, you will receive the same topic
assignment for every publication. Others may claim the topic as well. It is preferable for everyone to claim their own topics so that we may have specific
individuals working each column, making the article assignment process far smoother.
Article Submission
All articles are no longer to be submitted to the personal emails of the editors-in-chief but to [email protected].
Freelance Article Submission
For Non-members: Individuals wishing to have an article published on this website may contact Journalism through Ms. Jaspard, the editors-in-chief, or through the official email address listed above. An in-person request is preferable, but an online correspondence is acceptable. All stipulations that apply to articles submitted by members of Journalism/Yearbook also apply to articles submitted by non-members (see above), save for deadline requirements. Non-member submissions may be submitted at any time; however, please keep in mind that they will be published alongside members' articles with the next submission deadline. Anonymous submissions will not be reviewed. All non-member articles submitted must have the author's name, grade, and student ID number.
Note: In order to be credited as a "contributor" or "columnist" through freelance work, one must have made at least three article submissions to the newspaper.
Note: In order to be credited as a "contributor" or "columnist" through freelance work, one must have made at least three article submissions to the newspaper.
All articles, works, and photographs published on this site remain the property of Bolsa Grande High School Journalism/Yearbook.
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