Reporters provide the backbone of Student Publications. Because Student Publications provide a learning experience for anyone interested in newspaper/yearbook publication at UAM, no prerequisite exists for enrollment in the Journalism Lab which serves as the primary class used to produce publications.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Submit all assignments by the deadline (5 p.m. on Friday prior to publication unless otherwise established by the editor-in-chief and/or managing editor).
 
2. Proofread all assignments for errors. This goes for both factual and style mistakes.
 
3. Attend all weekly staff meetings and any mandatory functions.
 
4. Check your beat at least once a week and turn in a news tip to the editor-in-chief, managing editor and your section editor every Friday.
 
5. Personnel files will be kept on each staff member. You are encouraged to place a copy of every completed story you do in your file.
 
6. Failure to turn in an assignment or missing a deadline may result in failing the lab, unless the reporter/photographer has been excused by the adviser, editor-in-chief and managing editor. Meeting deadlines is the key to producing an award winning publication.
 
7. Disciplinary action will be determined by the adviser if it is needed.
 
8. Conduct yourself in a professional manner while representing student publications.
 
9. Contribute to the quality of student publications by offering news tips and critical commentary, and by improving your writing, editing, photography, graphics, design and other areas pertinent to journalism.
 
10. Write and submit articles in Rich Text Format (RTF) to alleviate problems caused by moving text across different platforms.
 
11. Send a copy of your completed article via Sharepoint with slug information in the subject line. In addition, a hard copy should be left in the student publications' office in your staff file.
 
12. If a story is returned for improvements from an editor, make every effort to correct the errors and return the new story to the editor by the next day. 

13. As detailed in the syllabus, you must write a minimum of seven publishable news stories of sufficient length as well as cover a beat.
 

NOTES

Reporters must keep copies of their notes throughout the semester. In circumstances where your legitimacy or intent is questioned, it's advisable to have a copy of your notes to prove the authenticity of factual matters and quotes.

TAPE RECORDERS

All reporters who are writing in-depth or sensitive stories are encouraged to use a tape recorder.  If you are covering a speech at which a prominent person is speaking, asking permission to place your tape recorder on the podium may be a good idea. 

In general, however, it is never a good idea to rely totally on a tape recorder. Transcribing the tape increases the time required to write a story, and tape recorders have been known to fall prey to mechanical malfunctions. 

Always ask permission to tape an interview. In person, once you have asked permission and begun taping, ask again so the person’s answer is on tape. On the telephone, begin the conversation by asking permission so the question, and the answer, is one tape. 

ATTRIBUTION

Reporters should make every effort to persuade sources to allow names to be used in news stories. Only when there is a compelling reason not to use the name should exceptions be made. In any case, the decision to use an unnamed source must be made in consultation with the adviser, editor-in-chief and managing editor. 

Reporters should be extremely leery of accepting information “off the record,” especially information directly associated with official university business.  In general, do not allow sources to go “off the record.”  It is, in the hands of skilled sources, an effective method of immobilizing the reporter while giving the illusion of cooperating with the press.  The best response, in most cases, is to say “I’m sorry.  I believe that is an important story, but if you can not give me information on the record, I’d prefer you did not tell me at all.”  In many cases, perhaps most, the source will ultimately go on the record, and the reporter should encourage him/her to do so.  Keep in mind, it is a rare piece of information that is known to only one source. 

Incidentally, reporters should be a source can only give information “off the record” if he/she does so before that information is communicated to the reporter.  If the source tells you something after telling you, “Oh, by the way, that’s off the record,” you are in no way bound not to print the information you have been given.  Simply inform your source communications can not be placed off the record after the fact. 

Stories that do not name the source should indicate as much as possible about the source – occupation, department, membership on a relevant committee, etc. 

1. Always use the correct verb of attribution — "said" functions better than most. It is neutral, i.e. it does not carry the point-of-view connotations other verbs (see below), and unobtrusive, meaning the reader doesn't notice if it is used over and over.
2. Join direct quotations to the speaker. Don't make the reader guess about the source.
   • WRONG: Bush gave a warning. "Iraq's time is up."
   • RIGHT: "Iraq's time is up," Bush said.
3. Attribution can be overdone.
   • WRONG: "We have heard Bin Laden's voice," Powell said. "We know he is linked with Iraq," he continued. "We will defeat them both," he added.
   • RIGHT: "We have heard Bin Laden's voice," Powell said. "We know he is linked with Iraq. We will defeat them both."
4. Start the paragraph with the direct quotation; do not bury it within the paragraph. Quotations have their own paragraph as a rule.
5. Do not stutter-quote:
   • WRONG: Powell said Bin Laden is linked with Iraq, but the United States would defeat both enemies. "We have heard Bin Laden's voice," Powell said. "We know he is linked with Iraq. We will defeat them both."
   • RIGHT: "We have heard Bin Laden's voice," Powell said. "We know he is linked with Iraq. We will defeat them both."
6. Generally, attribution should follow a subject-verb sequence [the governor said, rather than said the governor].
   • Exception: use the reverse order if you use a clause to describe the speaker [said the governor, who is not running for re- election].
7. Generally, put attribution at the end of the sentence, rather than at the beginning. The idea is that the news should come first, then the source. There are a couple of exceptions:
   • If a quote [direct or paraphrase] is more than one sentence long, the attribution should follow the first sentence of the quote.
     Quote blocks shouldn't run more than two paragraphs and should be separated by a transition. However, don't repeat the information of the quote.
   • Put the attribution at the beginning of the sentence if it is necessary for clarity. If, for example, you are writing a story with multiple sources, you may want to put the attribution at the beginning of the sentence to signal to the reader that someone new is being quoted.
   • On rare occasions, it is the speaker that is the news and it's permissible to use attribution first [The president said he is glad to be in Ohio.]
8. Quotation marks indicate to the reader that you are using the exact words that were spoken or written. So make sure the exact words are used. Use direct quotes when the speaker says something especially well, uses colorful language or expresses an opinion. Also use direct quotes in any other instance where it is important to tell the reader that the words are exactly as spoken or written.
9. Use indirect quotes [paraphrase] for clarity and brevity and to pass on routine information.
10. News is always written in PAST tense (e.g. attribution is said, not says). It's tempting as a starting writer to want to use verbs of attribution besides said. DON'T! The following explain why.

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