Submit 3 entertainment news recaps. (1 article for 1 unit) Submit 1 entertainment feature article. Submit 1 entertainment commentary (blog). Submit 3 critiques of professional online entertainment articles/features/blogs. (1 article for 1 unit). Procedure: Read and complete each workbook steps before going on to further steps. Course philosophy: Entertainment Reporting is an important tool for a dynamic industry. Developing skills for online writing in this area will enhance the portfolio of the Entertainment Reporter. Communicating effectively in new media such as Facebook, Twitter, and web pages is essential to reaching professionals and followers in an extremely competitive environment. Getting Started on this course-- This course is divided into 9 steps: There will be five “tip” sections and four writing assignment sections. Two of the writing assignments require additional submissions if you are taking the course for 2 units. Step 1: Work Book Readings Here are four recent writings about entertainment journalism. All lament the difficult and misunderstood process. These writings will paint a picture of the current state of the industry and help you know what to look for when you’re searching for a great entertainment reporting style. http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/09/11/journalists-discuss-entertainment-reporting-and-its-future/ http://www.allyourtv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=346:sadstatecelebrityjournalism&catid=78:featurescoveringmedia http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5778148/what_happened_to_entertainment_journalism_pg2.html?cat=33 http://www.examiner.com/screenwriting-in-madison/is-entertainment-journalism-destroying-the-movie-industry Step 2: Work Book Tips on Entertainment Reporting Entertainment reporting, or “entertainment journalism” gets no love from the more traditional professionals of news coverage. Yet, without reporting the happenings of the music, TV, screen, and stage worlds, it is doubtful there would be much interest in contemporary events at all. Sadly, people are just not into politics, international affairs, and domestic issues. The reality is that people use media to gaze upon the “stars” they love to hate and emulate. A scandal in Hollywood will garner much more attention than whether or not the utility commission has okayed a rate hike on your electric bill. Entertainment reporting is “sexy” and it attracts audiences to other types of news. Here are 8 tips for constructing a good entertainment report, story, or recap. These tips basically require the writer to keep in mind the limited time and attention of the average viewer/reader/listener. 1. Write 3-5 second sentences. Forget word count. It’s all about time. Charlie Sheen was arrested again. This time over a domestic argument. 2. Write simple sentences. Subject/verb/director object. Lindsay Lohan remains in a Southern California rehab center. 3. Write for the ears, not the eyes. Readers don’t want to re-read your story. They want info to pop into their heads through their ears. Simple short sentences help them retain information as they are surrounded by other stimuli competing for their attention. 4. Paint a picture. Make your words come to life. Recreate what actually happened. Someone was arrested after a nightclub brawl. An aged but optimistic star gave his first interview after the accident. Someone is excited about his new movie coming out. 5. Tell the truth. Your responsibility as a reporter is to re-live the moments in an honest manner. 6. Provide balance. Record what both sides say or said about an issue. The reporter/writer/columnist should be above the spin and emotion of an entertainment event. . 7. Refer your writing to stories common to the audience. It’s fun and entertaining if you can use an appropriate metaphor. 8. Hit the highlights. Answer the “what of the story” first. Then, build on the other “W’s”, with why being the last thing you discuss. Step 3: FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT - 3 Entertainment Story Recaps (1 for 1 unit) Read or watch 3 entertainment reports from start to finish. Using the 8 tips from above, write up a 20 second recap for each story. Remember, this should be suitable for posting to a website or Facebook page, or used in a radio or TV news update. Step 4: Work Book Tips on Writing the Entertainment Feature Article A feature in entertainment journalism usually focuses upon a celebrity. Our society is “star struck”. Many in our culture are addicted to following the lives of famous people. In fact, psychologists have given the extreme fan adulation an official disorder. Nevertheless, the feature article about an entertainer should capture the essence of that performer. The key ingredient to writing the entertainment feature is the effective interview. Here are 8 tips on putting together a readable, intriguing feature. Interview the celebrity at his/her own site. You want him or her to be comfortable enough to open up to you in a trusting, intimidation free environment. Have 5 or 6 questions you know you’re going to ask. And, don’t be afraid to ask more on the spot. The interviewee may actually raise more questions as he warms up to you. Always “undersell” the amount of time it will take to interview a person. Tell him “I only need 3 minutes of your time.” Celebs think they are very busy, and value their free time. However, once they start talking about themselves, they’ll actually give you more time, (it’s human nature to enjoy talking about yourself). Be nice. Once you establish that you didn’t come with a pitchfork, ask if you can record the conversation. If he says “no”, be prepared to write very precise notes, especially if you’re trying to get good quotes to use in your stories. Be cognizant of the surroundings. Photos on the walls or plaques can prompt more great stories from the interviewee. Again, people love talking about themselves. When writing the feature article, build a rhythm. A typical beat is “narrative, quote, narrative, quote”. All the rules for writing a recap still apply. 3-5 second sentences. Simple sentence structure. Lead by answering the “What” of the story, although in a feature, you can suspend your lead of “what” a few sentences by a painting a dramatic picture of the feature’s subject. For new media, don’t make a story last longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds. If you write 3-5 second sentences, it becomes easy to time your stories. If your story has to last longer, make it a 2-part story. If you are too long with a topic, your audience may turn you off to some other story. In reality, you can say a lot in 90 seconds of good story writing. Step 5: SECOND WRITING ASSIGNMENT - The Feature story Your task is to interview an entertainer, an entertainment journalist, a scholar on pop culture, or a fan of a particular entertainment venue (person, place, thing). Then, write up a clever feature story about that person being interviewed. The feature story should be no longer than a 1 and ½ minutes in length. When you are finished with your feature story, upload it to Submit Your Story. Step 6: Work Book Tips on Entertainment Commentary. Entertainment Columnists (historically called “gossip columnists”) are becoming as well known as the people they cover. From Michael Musto to Perez Hilton, these celebrity journalists come with a definable attitude and a flair for both the comedic and dramatic. While they can express a definite opinion, they also realize there is a need for balanced information and allowing both sides of an argument. The following seven tips on entertainment commentary can help you develop your own writing style for commenting on the entertainment industries. Research, research, research. Before you go making accusations that a celeb is a criminal, unethical, selfish, or mean, investigate to make sure. Check sources, read histories, ask other opinions. State your case. As you write your commentary, have an order about your story. Build your case in a chronological or spatial order to gain credibility. Provide solid reasons, not emotional off the cuff remarks. Know the boundaries of libel and privacy. To libel someone is to defame his character to strangers (your readers) with untruths or misinformation. A public person, such as a movie or music star, must prove you did it on purpose, but as a commentator with an ax to grind, it may be not as hard to convince a jury that you were at fault. To invade someone’s privacy is to share private information without consent, or to share photos taken on private property. If you are unsure, ask for legal help. Otherwise, commentary can lead to serious ramifications. Be witty. A commentary should entertain, by amusing or being dramatic. A great commentator is a picture painter, or a storyteller. Use quotes to back up what you’re pontificating. A good quote is like a footnote in an academic paper. It gives the writer credibility. Keep it simple. A column should be longer than a recap, but not long enough that the reader will put it down and come back to it later. Chances are they won’t. They want to read it in one sitting. Time wise, a good column will take 2-3 minutes for readers to finish. Remember, they have other things to do that day. All the other journalism rules apply. See the tips on the 2 previous types of entertainment writing – recaps and features. Step 7: THIRD WRITING ASSIGNMENT - The Entertainment Commentary You should submit a 2-3 minute entertainment commentary that you have a passion about. After reading the above tips on entertainment commentaries, you should be able to construct an orderly, thoughtful, and witty discussion of your topic. Step 8: Work Book Tips on Critiquing other entertainment writers – The business of entertainment writing, although not as well developed as other types of news coverage, is a significant component of the average person’s news day. A well written, honest, and accurate story can allow the public to survey the world of music, movies, and television. Critique of any type of entertainment writing should include the following 5 questions as criteria for good entertainment coverage. Does the report paint a vivid, yet accurate portrayal of an event or personality? Is the writing organized in a simple, yet orderly fashion that enables reader comprehension? Does the report provide a balanced view of the topic, even in commentary? Is the writing readable? In other words, do you have to re-read it for clarity and meaning? Is the reporting newsworthy? Does it contain the necessary elements of a good story? Does is have elements of either conflict, disaster, eminence, or novelty? Step 9: FOURTH WRITING ASSIGNMENT - Three Critiques (1 for 1 unit) As a final assignment, you must submit 3 thirty second critiques of 3 entertainment articles. They can include a news story recap, a feature, and/or a commentary. Answer the 5 questions from the previous section to formulate brief reviews of the 3 stories. FINAL WORDs : Now that you have written your 4-8 articles, you can use them as a nice portfolio of your work. If you are serious about entertainment reporting, you will be asked by a potential employer for writing samples. The best way to get better at writing is to write. And, the more you perfect these types of writing samples, the better chance you’ll have of getting noticed. I only need you to do the following: First Assignment - 3 Entertainment Story... Second Assignment - The Feature story Third Assignment - The Entertainment Commentary Fourth Assignment - Three Critiques only those 4 assignments above

Submit 3 entertainment news recaps. (1 article for 1 unit) Submit 1 entertainment feature article. Submit 1 entertainment commentary (blog). Submit 3 critiques of professional online entertainment articles/features/blogs. (1 article for 1 unit). Procedure: Read and complete each workbook steps before going on to further steps. Course philosophy: Entertainment Reporting is an important tool for a dynamic industry. Developing skills for online writing in this area will enhance the portfolio of the Entertainment Reporter. Communicating effectively in new media such as Facebook, Twitter, and web pages is essential to reaching professionals and followers in an extremely competitive environment. Getting Started on this course-- This course is divided into 9 steps: There will be five “tip” sections and four writing assignment sections. Two of the writing assignments require additional submissions if you are taking the course for 2 units. Step 1: Work Book Readings Here are four recent writings about entertainment journalism. All lament the difficult and misunderstood process. These writings will paint a picture of the current state of the industry and help you know what to look for when you’re searching for a great entertainment reporting style. http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/09/11/journalists-discuss-entertainment-reporting-and-its-future/ http://www.allyourtv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=346:sadstatecelebrityjournalism&catid=78:featurescoveringmedia http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5778148/what_happened_to_entertainment_journalism_pg2.html?cat=33 http://www.examiner.com/screenwriting-in-madison/is-entertainment-journalism-destroying-the-movie-industry Step 2: Work Book Tips on Entertainment Reporting Entertainment reporting, or “entertainment journalism” gets no love from the more traditional professionals of news coverage. Yet, without reporting the happenings of the music, TV, screen, and stage worlds, it is doubtful there would be much interest in contemporary events at all. Sadly, people are just not into politics, international affairs, and domestic issues. The reality is that people use media to gaze upon the “stars” they love to hate and emulate. A scandal in Hollywood will garner much more attention than whether or not the utility commission has okayed a rate hike on your electric bill. Entertainment reporting is “sexy” and it attracts audiences to other types of news. Here are 8 tips for constructing a good entertainment report, story, or recap. These tips basically require the writer to keep in mind the limited time and attention of the average viewer/reader/listener. 1. Write 3-5 second sentences. Forget word count. It’s all about time. Charlie Sheen was arrested again. This time over a domestic argument. 2. Write simple sentences. Subject/verb/director object. Lindsay Lohan remains in a Southern California rehab center. 3. Write for the ears, not the eyes. Readers don’t want to re-read your story. They want info to pop into their heads through their ears. Simple short sentences help them retain information as they are surrounded by other stimuli competing for their attention. 4. Paint a picture. Make your words come to life. Recreate what actually happened. Someone was arrested after a nightclub brawl. An aged but optimistic star gave his first interview after the accident. Someone is excited about his new movie coming out. 5. Tell the truth. Your responsibility as a reporter is to re-live the moments in an honest manner. 6. Provide balance. Record what both sides say or said about an issue. The reporter/writer/columnist should be above the spin and emotion of an entertainment event. . 7. Refer your writing to stories common to the audience. It’s fun and entertaining if you can use an appropriate metaphor. 8. Hit the highlights. Answer the “what of the story” first. Then, build on the other “W’s”, with why being the last thing you discuss. Step 3: FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT - 3 Entertainment Story Recaps (1 for 1 unit) Read or watch 3 entertainment reports from start to finish. Using the 8 tips from above, write up a 20 second recap for each story. Remember, this should be suitable for posting to a website or Facebook page, or used in a radio or TV news update. Step 4: Work Book Tips on Writing the Entertainment Feature Article A feature in entertainment journalism usually focuses upon a celebrity. Our society is “star struck”. Many in our culture are addicted to following the lives of famous people. In fact, psychologists have given the extreme fan adulation an official disorder. Nevertheless, the feature article about an entertainer should capture the essence of that performer. The key ingredient to writing the entertainment feature is the effective interview. Here are 8 tips on putting together a readable, intriguing feature. Interview the celebrity at his/her own site. You want him or her to be comfortable enough to open up to you in a trusting, intimidation free environment. Have 5 or 6 questions you know you’re going to ask. And, don’t be afraid to ask more on the spot. The interviewee may actually raise more questions as he warms up to you. Always “undersell” the amount of time it will take to interview a person. Tell him “I only need 3 minutes of your time.” Celebs think they are very busy, and value their free time. However, once they start talking about themselves, they’ll actually give you more time, (it’s human nature to enjoy talking about yourself). Be nice. Once you establish that you didn’t come with a pitchfork, ask if you can record the conversation. If he says “no”, be prepared to write very precise notes, especially if you’re trying to get good quotes to use in your stories. Be cognizant of the surroundings. Photos on the walls or plaques can prompt more great stories from the interviewee. Again, people love talking about themselves. When writing the feature article, build a rhythm. A typical beat is “narrative, quote, narrative, quote”. All the rules for writing a recap still apply. 3-5 second sentences. Simple sentence structure. Lead by answering the “What” of the story, although in a feature, you can suspend your lead of “what” a few sentences by a painting a dramatic picture of the feature’s subject. For new media, don’t make a story last longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds. If you write 3-5 second sentences, it becomes easy to time your stories. If your story has to last longer, make it a 2-part story. If you are too long with a topic, your audience may turn you off to some other story. In reality, you can say a lot in 90 seconds of good story writing. Step 5: SECOND WRITING ASSIGNMENT - The Feature story Your task is to interview an entertainer, an entertainment journalist, a scholar on pop culture, or a fan of a particular entertainment venue (person, place, thing). Then, write up a clever feature story about that person being interviewed. The feature story should be no longer than a 1 and ½ minutes in length. When you are finished with your feature story, upload it to Submit Your Story. Step 6: Work Book Tips on Entertainment Commentary. Entertainment Columnists (historically called “gossip columnists”) are becoming as well known as the people they cover. From Michael Musto to Perez Hilton, these celebrity journalists come with a definable attitude and a flair for both the comedic and dramatic. While they can express a definite opinion, they also realize there is a need for balanced information and allowing both sides of an argument. The following seven tips on entertainment commentary can help you develop your own writing style for commenting on the entertainment industries. Research, research, research. Before you go making accusations that a celeb is a criminal, unethical, selfish, or mean, investigate to make sure. Check sources, read histories, ask other opinions. State your case. As you write your commentary, have an order about your story. Build your case in a chronological or spatial order to gain credibility. Provide solid reasons, not emotional off the cuff remarks. Know the boundaries of libel and privacy. To libel someone is to defame his character to strangers (your readers) with untruths or misinformation. A public person, such as a movie or music star, must prove you did it on purpose, but as a commentator with an ax to grind, it may be not as hard to convince a jury that you were at fault. To invade someone’s privacy is to share private information without consent, or to share photos taken on private property. If you are unsure, ask for legal help. Otherwise, commentary can lead to serious ramifications. Be witty. A commentary should entertain, by amusing or being dramatic. A great commentator is a picture painter, or a storyteller. Use quotes to back up what you’re pontificating. A good quote is like a footnote in an academic paper. It gives the writer credibility. Keep it simple. A column should be longer than a recap, but not long enough that the reader will put it down and come back to it later. Chances are they won’t. They want to read it in one sitting. Time wise, a good column will take 2-3 minutes for readers to finish. Remember, they have other things to do that day. All the other journalism rules apply. See the tips on the 2 previous types of entertainment writing – recaps and features. Step 7: THIRD WRITING ASSIGNMENT - The Entertainment Commentary You should submit a 2-3 minute entertainment commentary that you have a passion about. After reading the above tips on entertainment commentaries, you should be able to construct an orderly, thoughtful, and witty discussion of your topic. Step 8: Work Book Tips on Critiquing other entertainment writers – The business of entertainment writing, although not as well developed as other types of news coverage, is a significant component of the average person’s news day. A well written, honest, and accurate story can allow the public to survey the world of music, movies, and television. Critique of any type of entertainment writing should include the following 5 questions as criteria for good entertainment coverage. Does the report paint a vivid, yet accurate portrayal of an event or personality? Is the writing organized in a simple, yet orderly fashion that enables reader comprehension? Does the report provide a balanced view of the topic, even in commentary? Is the writing readable? In other words, do you have to re-read it for clarity and meaning? Is the reporting newsworthy? Does it contain the necessary elements of a good story? Does is have elements of either conflict, disaster, eminence, or novelty? Step 9: FOURTH WRITING ASSIGNMENT - Three Critiques (1 for 1 unit) As a final assignment, you must submit 3 thirty second critiques of 3 entertainment articles. They can include a news story recap, a feature, and/or a commentary. Answer the 5 questions from the previous section to formulate brief reviews of the 3 stories. FINAL WORDs : Now that you have written your 4-8 articles, you can use them as a nice portfolio of your work. If you are serious about entertainment reporting, you will be asked by a potential employer for writing samples. The best way to get better at writing is to write. And, the more you perfect these types of writing samples, the better chance you’ll have of getting noticed. I only need you to do the following: First Assignment - 3 Entertainment Story... Second Assignment - The Feature story Third Assignment - The Entertainment Commentary Fourth Assignment - Three Critiques only those 4 assignments above