Localizing important stories How to personalize national and international events to make your coverage more meaningful to your readers By Laura Schaub
Lifetouch International Yearbook Education Specialist
Stories that matter Every story that matters affects almost all of us
September 11, 2001 – Attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the airplane crash in Pennsylvania
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Stories that matter Stories that matter often touch us deeply. April 20, 1999 – Columbine High School attack
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Stories that matter A story that happens far over the horizon is often more important than the one that happens next door. February 2018 – Students protested after the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL
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Stories that matter Localization is the thread that helps connect us to a story we might otherwise ignore. Spring, 2018 – Teachers across the country went on strike
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Stories that matter Let’s think about some stories that made the news this year and ended up affecting your life. Spring, 2020 – Schools closed due to Covid-19.
How do we localize a story? Let’s chat! Brainstorm all aspects and respond via ‘chat’ Who was affected by it?
How were you affected by it?
When did it first appear in the world?
When did it first appear in your area?
What happened because of it?
What positive things resulted from it? Plan topic, angle, method of coverage and secondary modules
What were your first thoughts about it?
Covid-19 story ideas & how to cover them The following are ideas to use in brainstorming with your students:
Emptiness everywhere
Go for a walk and take pictures of the empty school grounds. Interview students via email and include their comments on how the isolation from their friends felt.
Our ‘new norm’ with Mom and Dad
Interview students and parents on what it was like “hanging out” with Mom and Dad
Going to school at home every day
How was that “home sweet home” school?
New fashion fads
How masks became the new fad, and how students pitched in to make masks, face shields and other PPE equipment
Virtual prom in the pandemic
Did your school have a virtual prom?
Virtual graduation
How did virtual graduation work?
Brother/sister schools around the world
How did they cope in different countries?
What was it like to be on lockdown?
How did students deal with this situation?
Playoffs cancelled
Add photos from previous games; include a scoreboard.
Your last game
Add photos from previous games; include a scoreboard, if some games were played. If not, include the cancelled schedule.
End-of-year events cancelled
Add photos from previous games; include a scoreboard.
Graduation cancelled
Add photos from previous games; include a scoreboard.
Quaran-’teen’-ed
Add photos from previous games; include a scoreboard.
How did students deal with extra time at home?
Cutouts and quotes
How did students feel about virtual learning?
Interview students, teachers and parents via email
Add places to personalize readers’ feelings
Add fill-in-the-blank opportunities
How did students feel about the ’new norm?’
Lifetouch generic spread
How did our schools cover it?
James Clemens High School
How did our schools cover it?
James Clemens High School
How did our schools cover it?
James Clemens High School
How did our schools cover it?
James Clemens High School
How did our schools cover it?
Xaverian Brothers High School
How did our schools cover it?
Xaverian Brothers High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
Eastview High School
How did our schools cover it?
George Washington High School
How did our schools cover it?
The Heritage Academy
How did our schools cover it?
The Heritage Academy
How did our schools cover it?
George Washington High School
How did our schools cover it?
Cherokee High School
How did our schools cover it?
Southdale Elementary
How did our schools cover it?
Wildfire Elementary
How did our schools cover it?
Wildfire Elementary
How did our schools cover it?
Glen Harmon Elementary
How did our schools cover it?
George Washington High School
How did our schools cover it?
Bishop Grimes Catholic High School
Points to remember •
Almost every major news story has a ripple effect – How is the story affecting your community? Your school? Your students?
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Study your local newspapers and television newscasts to see how they are covering the event
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Take notes to gather ideas for your yearbook coverage of the major story and look for “enteprising” ideas.
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Locate local authoritative sources to interview
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Think about the smallest aspect of the story and how it affects one or two people in your school and tell that story through their eyes
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Be sure to obtain emails and phone numbers for all students, parents and teachers so you are able to contact them in case schools are forced to close again.
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Good things often come from bad events in our lives. Look for a silver lining. There’s one in every cloud.
Plan topic, angle, method of coverage and secondary modules