The Stinger: Rubric for News and Feature Stories

NOTE: Give this to your Section Editor after the assignment has been placed
as a PENDING draft on the Stinger. Each quarter, you must have three stories
of some kind completed.
Content/coverage
___ Quality journalistic writing: accuracy, balance, clarity/conciseness, objectivity
and timeliness
___ Effectively incorporates source material: background information and speaker quotes
___ Specific detail and description rather than generalizations
Organization/lede/transitions/quotes
___ Skillful lede that informs and captures the reader, is captivating and invites reader to
click story.
___ Skillfully transitions between ideas
___ Uses quotations liberally without stating the obvious or repetitive information; attributes
information correctly
Word Choice
___ Uses precise language. Does not use clichs
___ Eliminates unnecessary wordiness
___ Uses dynamic, specific verbs; avoids passive verbs
(No: Balloons were popping. Yes: Balloons popped)
Sentence Fluency
___ Variety of sentence beginnings
___ Natural rhythm, cadence and flow
Voice
___ Tone is objective and fair
___ Writer captures the voice of those interviewed
Workflow
___ Writer used SNO and Google Docs to communicate assignment with editor ___
One point for each box-possible 14 points. Total_____________
Writers name and date:_____________________________Editors Name and Date:
____________________________