assignment news

The Assignment with Audie Cornish

Each week on the assignment, host audie cornish pulls listeners out of their digital echo chambers to hear from the people whose lives intersect with the news cycle. from the sex work economy to the battle over what’s taught in classrooms, no topic is off the table. listen to the assignment every monday and thursday..

• Apple Podcasts

Daily News Lessons

• Civics & Social Studies
• Arts & Culture

Search Daily News Lessons for Topics or Keywords

A Brief But Spectacular take on the miracle of flight

Hear from one poet who brings his passion to work as a flight attendant

A Brief But Spectacular take on inspiring a love of learning

Hear from one teacher on how she inspires her students to love reading

Tennessee Volkswagen plant unionizes in breakthrough for United Auto Workers

Learn why one plant in Tennessee voting to unionize represents a change in the power of labor in the U.S.

Brooks and Capehart on if Democrats will save Johnson’s speakership

Democrats help Speaker Johnson get a foreign aid package through the House as he faces backlash from members of his own party

New report reveals high turnover within local election offices

Learn about threats to poll workers and the response of volunteers around the country

Zelenskyy shares Ukaine's challenges on multiple fronts in war against Russia

Hear from the president of Ukraine on what future the country is facing, and what he hopes from the U.S. and other partners

Supreme Court questions obstruction charges in Jan. 6 cases

Discuss a case before the Supreme Court about whether or not defendants can be charged with obstructing the business of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021

Allies urge restraint as Iran strikes Israel in response to killing of top officials in Syria

Learn why the U.S. and others are cautioning Israel to limit response after a missile attack from Iran

Brooks and Marcus on how abortion restrictions could affect the 2024 election

Analyze the Biden campaign's strategy to keep the abortion issue in the spotlight and pin Donald Trump as the architect of state abortion restrictions

Rwanda marks 30 years of reconciliation after genocide

Learn about the path Rwanda has taken after a devastating civil war and genocide decades ago

SNAP food assistance for people in need unevenly distributed across U.S.

Learn why food benefits are unevenly distributed and the history of food stamps and SNAP

Biden announces new plan to forgive student loan debt

Find out who will be helped by Biden's new loan forgiveness program and how his administration is enacting it

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

Copyright © 2023 NewsHour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

for Education

• Google Classroom
• Google Workspace Admin
• Google Cloud

Easily distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Assignments for your LMS

Assignments is an application for your learning management system (LMS). It helps educators save time grading and guides students to turn in their best work with originality reports — all through the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education.

• Get started
• Explore originality reports

Bring your favorite tools together within your LMS

Make Google Docs and Google Drive compatible with your LMS

Simplify assignment management with user-friendly Google Workspace productivity tools

Built with the latest Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards for robust security and easy installation in your LMS

Save time distributing and grading classwork

Distribute personalized copies of Google Drive templates and worksheets to students

Grade consistently and transparently with rubrics integrated into student work

Add rich feedback faster using the customizable comment bank

Examine student work to ensure authenticity

Compare student work against hundreds of billions of web pages and over 40 million books with originality reports

Make student-to-student comparisons on your domain-owned repository of past submissions when you sign up for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Google Workspace for Education Plus

Allow students to scan their own work for recommended citations up to three times

Trust in high security standards

Protect student privacy — data is owned and managed solely by you and your students

Provide an ad-free experience for all your users

Compatible with LTI version 1.1 or higher and meets rigorous compliance standards

Product demos

Experience google workspace for education in action. explore premium features in detail via step-by-step demos to get a feel for how they work in the classroom..

“Assignments enable faculty to save time on the mundane parts of grading and...spend more time on providing more personalized and relevant feedback to students.” Benjamin Hommerding , Technology Innovationist, St. Norbert College

Classroom users get the best of Assignments built-in

Find all of the same features of Assignments in your existing Classroom environment

• Learn more about Classroom

Explore resources to get up and running

Discover helpful resources to get up to speed on using Assignments and find answers to commonly asked questions.

• Visit Help Center

Get a quick overview of Assignments to help Educators learn how they can use it in their classrooms.

• Download overview

Get started guide

Start using Assignments in your courses with this step-by-step guide for instructors.

• Download guide

Teacher Center Assignments resources

Find educator tools and resources to get started with Assignments.

• Visit Teacher Center

How to use Assignments within your LMS

Watch this brief video on how Educators can use Assignments.

• Watch video

Turn on Assignments in your LMS

Contact your institution’s administrator to turn on Assignments within your LMS.

• Admin setup

Explore a suite of tools for your classroom with Google Workspace for Education

You're now viewing content for a different region..

For content more relevant to your region, we suggest:

Sign up here for updates, insights, resources, and more.

Assignment Abroad Times : Gulf job vacancy

URGENT REQURMENT – DUBAI NASSER ELSAYED TECHNICAL SERVICES CO. L.L.C DUBAI

HYDRAULIC / HEAVY DIESEL MECHANIC FOR KSA

Urgently Required for Saudi Arabia

urgently required for ministry of interior project Saudi Arabia

UPVC / PVC Pipes Factory, KSA

Urgently Required Storekeepers for QATAR

Urgently Required for QATAR

Urgently Required for UAE

Urgent Required for Qatar 11 Months’ Tekfen Engineering Company Qatar

FREE REQUIREMENT FOR KUWAIT KIPIC COMPANY KUWAIT

Prestigious Oil & Gas Company Jobs Abu Dhabi

URGENT REQUIREMENT FOR A LEADING CATERING COMPANY

Free Recruitment For Saudi Arabia-Technician

Free Recruitment For Saudi Arabia-Gardener

Quakes links.

• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Criminal Justice
• Environment
• Politics & Government
• Race & Gender

Expert Commentary

Basic newswriting: Learn how to originate, research and write breaking-news stories

Syllabus for semester-long course on the fundamentals of covering and writing the news, including how identify a story, gather information efficiently and place it in a meaningful context.

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by The Journalist's Resource, The Journalist's Resource January 22, 2010

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/home/syllabus-covering-the-news/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

This course introduces tomorrow’s journalists to the fundamentals of covering and writing news. Mastering these skills is no simple task. In an Internet age of instantaneous access, demand for high-quality accounts of fast-breaking news has never been greater. Nor has the temptation to cut corners and deliver something less.

To resist this temptation, reporters must acquire skills to identify a story and its essential elements, gather information efficiently, place it in a meaningful context, and write concise and compelling accounts, sometimes at breathtaking speed. The readings, discussions, exercises and assignments of this course are designed to help students acquire such skills and understand how to exercise them wisely.

Photo: Memorial to four slain Lakewood, Wash., police officers. The Seattle Times earned the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of the crime.

Course objective

To give students the background and skills needed to originate, research, focus and craft clear, compelling and contextual accounts of breaking news in a deadline environment.

Learning objectives

• Build an understanding of the role news plays in American democracy.
• Discuss basic journalistic principles such as accuracy, integrity and fairness.
• Evaluate how practices such as rooting and stereotyping can undermine them.
• Analyze what kinds of information make news and why.
• Evaluate the elements of news by deconstructing award-winning stories.
• Evaluate the sources and resources from which news content is drawn.
• Analyze how information is attributed, quoted and paraphrased in news.
• Gain competence in focusing a story’s dominant theme in a single sentence.
• Introduce the structure, style and language of basic news writing.
• Gain competence in building basic news stories, from lead through their close.
• Gain confidence and competence in writing under deadline pressure.
• Practice how to identify, background and contact appropriate sources.
• Discuss and apply the skills needed to interview effectively.
• Analyze data and how it is used and abused in news coverage.
• Review basic math skills needed to evaluate and use statistics in news.
• Report and write basic stories about news events on deadline.

Suggested reading

• A standard textbook of the instructor’s choosing.
• America ‘s Best Newspaper Writing , Roy Peter Clark and Christopher Scanlan, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006
• The Elements of Journalism , Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, Three Rivers Press, 2001.
• Talk Straight, Listen Carefully: The Art of Interviewing , M.L. Stein and Susan E. Paterno, Iowa State University Press, 2001
• Math Tools for Journalists , Kathleen Woodruff Wickham, Marion Street Press, Inc., 2002
• On Writing Well: 30th Anniversary Edition , William Zinsser, Collins, 2006
• Associated Press Stylebook 2009 , Associated Press, Basic Books, 2009

Weekly schedule and exercises (13-week course)

We encourage faculty to assign students to read on their own Kovach and Rosentiel’s The Elements of Journalism in its entirety during the early phase of the course. Only a few chapters of their book are explicitly assigned for the class sessions listed below.

The assumption for this syllabus is that the class meets twice weekly.

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Weeks 13/14

Week 1: Why journalism matters

Previous week | Next week | Back to top

Class 1: The role of journalism in society

The word journalism elicits considerable confusion in contemporary American society. Citizens often confuse the role of reporting with that of advocacy. They mistake those who promote opinions or push their personal agendas on cable news or in the blogosphere for those who report. But reporters play a different role: that of gatherer of evidence, unbiased and unvarnished, placed in a context of past events that gives current events weight beyond the ways opinion leaders or propagandists might misinterpret or exploit them.

This session’s discussion will focus on the traditional role of journalism eloquently summarized by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in The Elements of Journalism . The class will then examine whether they believe that the journalist’s role has changed or needs to change in today’s news environment. What is the reporter’s role in contemporary society? Is objectivity, sometimes called fairness, an antiquated concept or an essential one, as the authors argue, for maintaining a democratic society? How has the term been subverted? What are the reporter’s fundamental responsibilities? This discussion will touch on such fundamental issues as journalists’ obligation to the truth, their loyalty to the citizens who are their audience and the demands of their discipline to verify information, act independently, provide a forum for public discourse and seek not only competing viewpoints but carefully vetted facts that help establish which viewpoints are grounded in evidence.

Reading: Kovach and Rosenstiel, Chapter 1, and relevant pages of the course text

Assignments:

• Students should compare the news reporting on a breaking political story in The Wall Street Journal , considered editorially conservative, and The New York Times , considered editorially liberal. They should write a two-page memo that considers the following questions: Do the stories emphasize the same information? Does either story appear to slant the news toward a particular perspective? How? Do the stories support the notion of fact-based journalism and unbiased reporting or do they appear to infuse opinion into news? Students should provide specific examples that support their conclusions.
• Students should look for an example of reporting in any medium in which reporters appear have compromised the notion of fairness to intentionally or inadvertently espouse a point of view. What impact did the incorporation of such material have on the story? Did its inclusion have any effect on the reader’s perception of the story?

Class 2: Objectivity, fairness and contemporary confusion about both

In his book Discovering the News , Michael Schudson traced the roots of objectivity to the era following World War I and a desire by journalists to guard against the rapid growth of public relations practitioners intent on spinning the news. Objectivity was, and remains, an ideal, a method for guarding against spin and personal bias by examining all sides of a story and testing claims through a process of evidentiary verification. Practiced well, it attempts to find where something approaching truth lies in a sea of conflicting views. Today, objectivity often is mistaken for tit-for-tat journalism, in which the reporters only responsibility is to give equal weight to the conflicting views of different parties without regard for which, if any, are saying something approximating truth. This definition cedes the journalist’s responsibility to seek and verify evidence that informs the citizenry.

Focusing on the “Journalism of Verification” chapter in The Elements of Journalism , this class will review the evolution and transformation of concepts of objectivity and fairness and, using the homework assignment, consider how objectivity is being practiced and sometimes skewed in the contemporary new media.

Reading: Kovach and Rosenstiel, Chapter 4, and relevant pages of the course text.

Assignment: Students should evaluate stories on the front page and metro front of their daily newspaper. In a two-page memo, they should describe what elements of news judgment made the stories worthy of significant coverage and play. Finally, they should analyze whether, based on what else is in the paper, they believe the editors reached the right decision.

Week 2: Where news comes from

Class 1: News judgment

When editors sit down together to choose the top stories, they use experience and intuition. The beginner journalist, however, can acquire a sense of news judgment by evaluating news decisions through the filter of a variety of factors that influence news play. These factors range from traditional measures such as when the story took place and how close it was to the local readership area to more contemporary ones, such as the story’s educational value.

Using the assignment and the reading, students should evaluate what kinds of information make for interesting news stories and why.

In this session, instructors might consider discussing the layers of news from the simplest breaking news event to the purely enterprise investigative story.

Assignment: Students should read and deconstruct coverage of a major news event. One excellent source for quality examples is the site of the Pulitzer Prizes , which has a category for breaking news reporting. All students should read the same article (assigned by the instructor), and write a two- or three-page memo that describes how the story is organized, what information it contains and what sources of information it uses, both human and digital. Among the questions they should ask are:

• Does the first (or lead) paragraph summarize the dominant point?
• What specific information does the lead include?
• What does it leave out?
• How do the second and third paragraphs relate to the first paragraph and the information it contains? Do they give unrelated information, information that provides further details about what’s established in the lead paragraph or both?
• Does the story at any time place the news into a broader context of similar events or past events? If so, when and how?
• What information in the story is attributed , specifically tied to an individual or to documentary information from which it was taken? What information is not attributed? Where does the information appear in the sentence? Give examples of some of the ways the sources of information are identified? Give examples of the verbs of attribution that are chosen.
• Where and how often in the story are people quoted, their exact words placed in quotation marks? What kind of information tends to be quoted — basic facts or more colorful commentary? What information that’s attributed is paraphrased , summing up what someone said but not in their exact words.
• How is the story organized — by theme, by geography, by chronology (time) or by some other means?
• What human sources are used in the story? Are some authorities? Are some experts? Are some ordinary people affected by the event? Who are some of the people in each category? What do they contribute to the story? Does the reporter (or reporters) rely on a single source or a wide range? Why do you think that’s the case?
• What specific facts and details make the story more vivid to you? How do you think the reporter was able to gather those details?
• What documents (paper or digital) are detailed in the story? Do they lend authority to the story? Why or why not?
• Is any specific data (numbers, statistics) used in the story? What does it lend to the story? Would you be satisfied substituting words such as “many” or “few” for the specific numbers and statistics used? Why or why not?

Class 2: Deconstructing the story

By carefully deconstructing major news stories, students will begin to internalize some of the major principles of this course, from crafting and supporting the lead of a story to spreading a wide and authoritative net for information. This class will focus on the lessons of a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Reading: Clark/Scanlan, Pages 287-294

Assignment: Writers typically draft a focus statement after conceiving an idea and conducting preliminary research or reporting. This focus statement helps to set the direction of reporting and writing. Sometimes reporting dictates a change of direction. But the statement itself keeps the reporter from getting off course. Focus statements typically are 50 words or less and summarize the story’s central point. They work best when driven by a strong, active verb and written after preliminary reporting.

• Students should write a focus statement that encapsulates the news of the Pulitzer Prize winning reporting the class critiqued.

Week 3: Finding the focus, building the lead

Class 1: News writing as a process

Student reporters often conceive of writing as something that begins only after all their reporting is finished. Such an approach often leaves gaps in information and leads the reporter to search broadly instead of with targeted depth. The best reporters begin thinking about story the minute they get an assignment. The approach they envision for telling the story informs their choice of whom they seek interviews with and what information they gather. This class will introduce students to writing as a process that begins with story concept and continues through initial research, focus, reporting, organizing and outlining, drafting and revising.

During this session, the class will review the focus statements written for homework in small breakout groups and then as a class. Professors are encouraged to draft and hand out a mock or real press release or hold a mock press conference from which students can draft a focus statement.

Reading: Zinsser, pages 1-45, Clark/Scanlan, pages 294-302, and relevant pages of the course text

Class 2: The language of news

Newswriting has its own sentence structure and syntax. Most sentences branch rightward, following a pattern of subject/active verb/object. Reporters choose simple, familiar words. They write spare, concise sentences. They try to make a single point in each. But journalistic writing is specific and concrete. While reporters generally avoid formal or fancy word choices and complex sentence structures, they do not write in generalities. They convey information. Each sentence builds on what came before. This class will center on the language of news, evaluating the language in selections from America’s Best Newspaper Writing , local newspapers or the Pulitzers.

Reading: Relevant pages of the course text

Assignment: Students should choose a traditional news lead they like and one they do not like from a local or national newspaper. In a one- or two-page memo, they should print the leads, summarize the stories and evaluate why they believe the leads were effective or not.

Week 4: Crafting the first sentence

Class 1: The lead

No sentence counts more than a story’s first sentence. In most direct news stories, it stands alone as the story’s lead. It must summarize the news, establish the storyline, convey specific information and do all this simply and succinctly. Readers confused or bored by the lead read no further. It takes practice to craft clear, concise and conversational leads. This week will be devoted to that practice.

Students should discuss the assigned leads in groups of three or four, with each group choosing one lead to read to the entire class. The class should then discuss the elements of effective leads (active voice; active verb; single, dominant theme; simple sentences) and write leads in practice exercises.

Assignment: Have students revise the leads they wrote in class and craft a second lead from fact patterns.

Class 2: The lead continued

Some leads snap or entice instead of summarize. When the news is neither urgent nor earnest, these can work well. Though this class will introduce students to other kinds of leads, instructors should continue to emphasize traditional leads, typically found atop breaking news stories.

Class time should largely be devoted to writing traditional news leads under a 15-minute deadline pressure. Students should then be encouraged to read their own leads aloud and critique classmates’ leads. At least one such exercise might focus on students writing a traditional lead and a less traditional lead from the same information.

Assignment: Students should find a political or international story that includes various types (direct and indirect) and levels (on-the-record, not for attribution and deep background) of attribution. They should write a one- or two-page memo describing and evaluating the attribution. Did the reporter make clear the affiliation of those who expressed opinions? Is information attributed to specific people by name? Are anonymous figures given the opportunity to criticize others by name? Is that fair?

Week 5: Establishing the credibility of news

Class 1: Attribution

All news is based on information, painstakingly gathered, verified and checked again. Even so, “truth” is an elusive concept. What reporters cobble together instead are facts and assertions drawn from interviews and documentary evidence.

To lend authority to this information and tell readers from where it comes, reporters attribute all information that is not established fact. It is neither necessary, for example, to attribute that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was first elected president in 1932 nor that he was elected four times. On the other hand, it would be necessary to attribute, at least indirectly, the claim that he was one of America’s best presidents. Why? Because that assertion is a matter of opinion.

In this session, students should learn about different levels of attribution, where attribution is best placed in a sentence, and why it can be crucial for the protection of the accused, the credibility of reporters and the authoritativeness of the story.

Assignment: Working from a fact pattern, students should write a lead that demands attribution.

Class 2: Quoting and paraphrasing

“Great quote,” ranks closely behind “great lead” in the pecking order of journalistic praise. Reporters listen for great quotes as intensely as piano tuners listen for the perfect pitch of middle C. But what makes a great quote? And when should reporters paraphrase instead?

This class should cover a range of issues surrounding the quoted word from what it is used to convey (color and emotion, not basic information) to how frequently quotes should be used and how long they should run on. Other issues include the use and abuse of partial quotes, when a quote is not a quote, and how to deal with rambling and ungrammatical subjects.

As an exercise, students might either interview the instructor or a classmate about an exciting personal experience. After their interviews, they should review their notes choose what they consider the three best quotes to include a story on the subject. They should then discuss why they chose them.

Assignment: After completing the reading, students should analyze a summary news story no more than 15 paragraphs long. In a two- or three-page memo, they should reprint the story and then evaluate whether the lead summarizes the news, whether the subsequent paragraphs elaborate on or “support” the lead, whether the story has a lead quote, whether it attributes effectively, whether it provides any context for the news and whether and how it incorporates secondary themes.

Week 6: The building blocks of basic stories

Class 1: Supporting the lead

Unlike stories told around a campfire or dinner table, news stories front load information. Such a structure delivers the most important information first and the least important last. If a news lead summarizes, the subsequent few paragraphs support or elaborate by providing details the lead may have merely suggested. So, for example, a story might lead with news that a 27-year-old unemployed chef has been arrested on charges of robbing the desk clerk of an upscale hotel near closing time. The second paragraph would “support” this lead with detail. It would name the arrested chef, identify the hotel and its address, elaborate on the charges and, perhaps, say exactly when the robbery took place and how. (It would not immediately name the desk clerk; too many specifics at once clutter the story.)

Wire service stories use a standard structure in building their stories. First comes the lead sentence. Then comes a sentence or two of lead support. Then comes a lead quote — spoken words that reinforce the story’s direction, emphasize the main theme and add color. During this class students should practice writing the lead through the lead quote on deadline. They should then read assignments aloud for critique by classmates and the professor.

Assignment: Using a fact pattern assigned by the instructor or taken from a text, students should write a story from the lead through the lead quote. They should determine whether the story needs context to support the lead and, if so, include it.

Class 2: When context matters

Sometimes a story’s importance rests on what came before. If one fancy restaurant closes its doors in the face of the faltering economy, it may warrant a few paragraphs mention. If it’s the fourth restaurant to close on the same block in the last two weeks, that’s likely front-page news. If two other restaurants closed last year, that might be worth noting in the story’s last sentence. It is far less important. Patterns provide context and, when significant, generally are mentioned either as part of the lead or in the support paragraph that immediately follows. This class will look at the difference between context — information needed near the top of a story to establish its significance as part of a broader pattern, and background — information that gives historical perspective but doesn’t define the news at hand.

Assignment: The course to this point has focused on writing the news. But reporters, of course, usually can’t write until they’ve reported. This typically starts with background research to establish what has come before, what hasn’t been covered well and who speaks with authority on an issue. Using databases such as Lexis/Nexis, students should background or read specific articles about an issue in science or policy that either is highlighted in the Policy Areas section of Journalist’s Resource website or is currently being researched on your campus. They should engage in this assignment knowing that a new development on the topic will be brought to light when they arrive at the next class.

Week 7: The reporter at work

Class 1: Research

Discuss the homework assignment. Where do reporters look to background an issue? How do they find documents, sources and resources that enable them to gather good information or identify key people who can help provide it? After the discussion, students should be given a study from the Policy Areas section of Journalist’s Resource website related to the subject they’ve been asked to explore.

The instructor should use this study to evaluate the nature structure of government/scientific reports. After giving students 15 minutes to scan the report, ask students to identify its most newsworthy point. Discuss what context might be needed to write a story about the study or report. Discuss what concepts or language students are having difficulty understanding.

Reading: Clark, Scanlan, pages 305-313, and relevant pages of the course text

Assignment: Students should (a) write a lead for a story based exclusively on the report (b) do additional background work related to the study in preparation for writing a full story on deadline. (c) translate at least one term used in the study that is not familiar to a lay audience.

Class 2: Writing the basic story on deadline

This class should begin with a discussion of the challenges of translating jargon and the importance of such translation in news reporting. Reporters translate by substituting a simple definition or, generally with the help of experts, comparing the unfamiliar to the familiar through use of analogy.

The remainder of the class should be devoted to writing a 15- to 20-line news report, based on the study, background research and, if one is available, a press release.

Reading: Pages 1-47 of Stein/Paterno, and relevant pages of the course text

Assignment: Prepare a list of questions that you would ask either the lead author of the study you wrote about on deadline or an expert who might offer an outside perspective.

Week 8: Effective interviewing

Class 1: Preparing and getting the interview

Successful interviews build from strong preparation. Reporters need to identify the right interview subjects, know what they’ve said before, interview them in a setting that makes them comfortable and ask questions that elicit interesting answers. Each step requires thought.

The professor should begin this class by critiquing some of the questions students drew up for homework. Are they open-ended or close-ended? Do they push beyond the obvious? Do they seek specific examples that explain the importance of the research or its applications? Do they probe the study’s potential weaknesses? Do they explore what directions the researcher might take next?

Discuss the readings and what steps reporters can take to background for an interview, track down a subject and prepare and rehearse questions in advance.

Reading: Stein/Paterno, pages 47-146, and relevant pages of the course text

Assignment: Students should prepare to interview their professor about his or her approach to and philosophy of teaching. Before crafting their questions, the students should background the instructor’s syllabi, public course evaluations and any pertinent writings.

Class 2: The interview and its aftermath

The interview, says Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jacqui Banaszynski, is a dance which the reporter leads but does so to music the interview subject chooses. Though reporters prepare and rehearse their interviews, they should never read the questions they’ve considered in advance and always be prepared to change directions. To hear the subject’s music, reporters must be more focused on the answers than their next question. Good listeners make good interviewers — good listeners, that is, who don’t forget that it is also their responsibility to also lead.

Divide the class. As a team, five students should interview the professor about his/her approach to teaching. Each of these five should build on the focus and question of the previous questioner. The rest of the class should critique the questions, their clarity and their focus. Are the questioners listening? Are they maintaining control? Are they following up? The class also should discuss the reading, paying particularly close attention to the dynamics of an interview, the pace of questions, the nature of questions, its close and the reporter’s responsibility once an interview ends.

Assignment: Students should be assigned to small groups and asked to critique the news stories classmates wrote on deadline during the previous class.

Week 9: Building the story

Class 1: Critiquing the story

The instructor should separate students into groups of two or three and tell them to read their news stories to one another aloud. After each reading, the listeners should discuss what they liked and struggled with as the story audience. The reader in each case should reflect on what he or she learned from the process of reading the story aloud.

The instructor then should distribute one or two of the class stories that provide good and bad examples of story structure, information selection, content, organization and writing. These should be critiqued as a class.

Assignment: Students, working in teams, should develop an angle for a news follow to the study or report they covered on deadline. Each team should write a focus statement for the story it is proposing.

Class 2: Following the news

The instructor should lead a discussion about how reporters “enterprise,” or find original angles or approaches, by looking to the corners of news, identifying patterns of news, establishing who is affected by news, investigating the “why” of news, and examining what comes next.

Students should be asked to discuss the ideas they’ve developed to follow the news story. These can be assigned as longer-term team final projects for the semester. As part of this discussion, the instructor can help students map their next steps.

Reading: Wickham, Chapters 1-4 and 7, and relevant pages of the course text

Assignment: Students should find a news report that uses data to support or develop its main point. They should consider what and how much data is used, whether it is clear, whether it’s cluttered and whether it answers their questions. They should bring the article and a brief memo analyzing it to class.

Week 10: Making sense of data and statistics

Class 1: Basic math and the journalist’s job

Many reporters don’t like math. But in their jobs, it is everywhere. Reporters must interpret political polls, calculate percentage change in everything from property taxes to real estate values, make sense of municipal bids and municipal budgets, and divine data in government reports.

First discuss some of the examples of good and bad use of data that students found in their homework. Then, using examples from Journalist’s Resource website, discuss good and poor use of data in news reporting. (Reporters, for example, should not overwhelm readers with paragraphs stuffed with statistics.) Finally lead students through some of the basic skills sets outlined in Wickham’s book, using her exercises to practice everything from calculating percentage change to interpreting polls.

Assignment: Give students a report or study linked to the Journalist’s Resource website that requires some degree of statistical evaluation or interpretation. Have students read the report and compile a list of questions they would ask to help them understand and interpret this data.

Class 2: The use and abuse of statistics

Discuss the students’ questions. Then evaluate one or more articles drawn from the report they’ve analyzed that attempt to make sense of the data in the study. Discuss what these articles do well and what they do poorly.

Reading: Zinsser, Chapter 13, “Macabre Reminder: The Corpse on Union Street,” Dan Barry, The New York Times

Week 11: The reporter as observer

Class 1: Using the senses

Veteran reporters covering an event don’t only return with facts, quotes and documents that support them. They fill their notebooks with details that capture what they’ve witnessed. They use all their senses, listening for telling snippets of conversation and dialogue, watching for images, details and actions that help bring readers to the scene. Details that develop character and place breathe vitality into news. But description for description’s sake merely clutters and obscures the news. Using the senses takes practice.

The class should deconstruct “Macabre Reminder: The Corpse on Union Street,” a remarkable journey around New Orleans a few days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. The story starts with one corpse, left to rot on a once-busy street and then pans the city as a camera might. The dead body serves as a metaphor for the rotting city, largely abandoned and without order.

Assignment: This is an exercise in observation. Students may not ask questions. Their task is to observe, listen and describe a short scene, a serendipitous vignette of day-to-day life. They should take up a perch in a lively location of their choosing — a student dining hall or gym, a street corner, a pool hall or bus stop or beauty salon, to name a few — wait and watch. When a small scene unfolds, one with beginning, middle and end, students should record it. They then should write a brief story describing the scene that unfolded, taking care to leave themselves and their opinions out of the story. This is pure observation, designed to build the tools of observation and description. These stories should be no longer than 200 words.

Class 2: Sharpening the story

Students should read their observation pieces aloud to a classmate. Both students should consider these questions: Do the words describe or characterize? Which words show and which words tell? What words are extraneous? Does the piece convey character through action? Does it have a clear beginning, middle and end? Students then should revise, shortening the original scene to no longer than 150 words. After the revision, the instructor should critique some of the students’ efforts.

Assignment: Using campus, governmental or media calendars, students should identify, background and prepare to cover a speech, press conference or other news event, preferably on a topic related to one of the research-based areas covered in the Policy Areas section of Journalist’s Resource website. Students should write a focus statement (50 words or less) for their story and draw up a list of some of the questions they intend to ask.

Week 12: Reporting on deadline

Class 1: Coaching the story

Meetings, press conferences and speeches serve as a staple for much news reporting. Reporters should arrive at such events knowledgeable about the key players, their past positions or research, and the issues these sources are likely discuss. Reporters can discover this information in various ways. They can research topic and speaker online and in journalistic databases, peruse past correspondence sent to public offices, and review the writings and statements of key speakers with the help of their assistants or secretaries.

In this class, the instructor should discuss the nature of event coverage, review students’ focus statements and questions, and offer suggestions about how they cover the events.

Assignment: Cover the event proposed in the class above and draft a 600-word story, double-spaced, based on its news and any context needed to understand it.

Class 2: Critiquing and revising the story

Students should exchange story drafts and suggest changes. After students revise, the instructor should lead a discussion about the challenges of reporting and writing live on deadline. These likely will include issues of access and understanding and challenges of writing around and through gaps of information.

Weeks 13/14: Coaching the final project

Previous week | Back to top

The final week or two of the class is reserved for drill in areas needing further development and for coaching students through the final reporting, drafting and revision of the enterprise stories off the study or report they covered in class.

Tags: training

About The Author

The Journalist's Resource

The Assignment Editor 2.0: More Collaboration, Newer Tools

Back in the late 1990s and early ’00s, when Cater Lee was a reporter for the likes of KNBC and KCAL in Los Angeles, the assignment desk was centrally located in the newsroom. Its editor likely spent extensive time across their day scrolling through police scanners, reading press releases and fielding tipster calls to identify news stories. From it emerged a dictation of Lee’s day.

Purveyors of the newsroom’s assignment desk today, however, are typically less head coach and more quarterback, fronting colorful offenses filled with audibles, option plays and other collaborative trickery that’s designed to always push the ball forward. In other words, story dispersal in a newsroom has increasingly become a team effort, with reporters and producers having more of a say in what makes it to broadcast. Digital technology has also chipped away at the relevance of many dinosaur-era tools assignment editors used to rely on so heavily.

But as the job changes, assignment editors remain a dedicated folk, dug into the frontlines of journalism’s war with mis- and disinformation, while doing their best to help generate broadcasts with wider-reaching community impact. Always, they’re relegated to behind-the-scenes grunt work, and rarely do they get their due.

Julie Wolfe

The capable assignment editor, she observes, will “know all the information”: facts to support a package’s viability, sources that a reporter can contact to round it out, and whether a story is worth any airtime to begin with.

A presence like that in a newsroom matches the significance of an engine in a car, as one assignment editor puts it. Wolfe says assignment editors are like “orchestral conductors,” while additional metaphors that float through interviews stem from human biology. One editor calls the assignment desk the newsroom’s brain; others liken the role’s import to that of the heart or central nervous system, for it’s the assignment editor who pumps data to the farthest reaches of the newsroom, which of course now stretches well beyond the walls of an office building.

Social’s Key Role

Along with an innate sense of what makes for a quality newscast, to effectively manage the assignment desk, editors need top-flight organizational and communication skills, just as they have for decades. These days, familiarity with the social media universe is of equal consequence.

“Twitter’s huge,” he says. “When it comes to breaking news, often we’ll see it on Twitter now before we hear it on police scanners, which is just incredible.”

Darren Whitehead, digital desk lead at another Tegna NBC affiliate, KUSA Denver, says Colorado police scanners are encrypted, but monitoring Twitter helps him pick up the slack.

“Most of the ways that the police departments and fire departments are communicating with us is they’re putting out [updates] on social media, and usually it’s not immediate, it’s well after something has happened,” Whitehead says. “We get calls from people in the community being, like, ‘What the hell is going on down the block from me?’ Then we have to call [the responsible agency], and then they tweet out to everyone — without calling us back — all the information.”

Assignment editors set up Tweet Deck channels, or Social News Desk dashboards, where they follow various government agencies, other news sources like the Associated Press and additional relevant accounts where prospective stories may pop up. Dataminr alerts help inform assignment editors, too; neighborhood-focused Reddit forums and community-based apps like Nextdoor can sometimes supply story ideas as well.

Then, there are community-related Facebook groups, which one assignment editor says she joins using a public profile associated with their news team position. Another longtime story assigner says she taps younger newsroom colleagues to examine Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms they might be more comfortable navigating through.

Scrutiny’s Imperative

Like in the past with press releases — though assignment editors still lift stories from those on occasion — they can’t take what’s written online at face value. The same can be said for what citizen tipsters tell the assignment editor over the phone or in emails, as well as what public information officers say.

“People ask me what the hell I do, and I always tell them, ‘Well, the assignment desk is usually ‘first response,’” Whitehead says. “You gotta sift through the bullshit.”

While they may have always prioritized backing up facts, with sources, data and other means, assignment editors in 2022 say there is an added emphasis on getting story facts unquestionably correct.

Jamila Elder

“There are some stations that report solely off of what they hear on the scanners. We are not that station,” says Jamila Elder, assignment editor at WRAL, Capitol Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate in Raleigh, N.C. “You dig deep, you reach out to your contacts and you wait until you get [your information] confirmed, even though your competition station may be reporting it. As an assignment editor that’s very frustrating because we’re very competitive; you want to get the information and you want to get it first, [but] we would rather wait and get it right, than to report it first and get it wrong.”

Experience Matters

In many cases, as one assignment editor puts it, newsies “fall into” their positions at the assignment desk. The experience they bring with them, often as a reporter or anchor, serves them well in the role.

WXIN-WTTV Indianapolis assignment desk personnel (l-r): Adam Bartels, Ruthanne Gordon, Tim O’Brien and Sabrina Adams. (Greg Wilkerson photo)

Prior to Ruthanne Gordon becoming senior planning manager for Nexstar’s WXIN (Fox)-WTTV (CBS) Indianapolis, she was an assignment editor for 33 years. Before that, she was a reporter and anchor for more than five years, bringing with her to the assignment desk an assortment of connections from her front-of-the-camera days that she continues to call upon. Her phone book has only ballooned bigger throughout her 45 years in news.

“I have quite a Rolodex,” Gordon says, “I think that’s what they wanted when I came to this position as senior planning manager.” Cops she first met doing stand-ups, she says, “are now the commanders here in town, so I’ve kept those cell numbers, and that’s where I have an advantage.”

Working as a journalist before manning the assignment desk also helps cultivate that vital instinct of what makes for a compelling newscast. However, the assignment desk is also a prime location for industry newbies to break in and learn — a lot — on the fly.

“You gotta pay your dues by working the weekends,” Elder says. “That was where I learned the most because you don’t have a lot of managers, so you have to make those on-the-spot decisions. So, I was able to make those mistakes on that weekend shift, but I was also able to learn from those mistakes and learn how to make good news decisions.”

“This is a great way of starting and learning,” Gordon says of the assignment desk gig. Calling it a way to “fast-track” those new to the industry, she adds: “You can jump off of this and go produce a show [or] jump in a truck and go do an interview.”

Kendra Gilbert, senior assignment editor at KING, had no experience in a TV newsroom before hopping into the assignment desk chair at a station in her home market of Fresno, Calif. Fresh out of college, she struggled to find work in print journalism, her focus of study in school. But that degree still meant she could sniff out a good story and, combining that sense with strong organizational and communication skills, she was confident she could fill the seat just fine.

Kendra Gilbert

She’s held an assignment editor position at one West Coast station or another for nine years running. She says to excel in the role one has to be comfortable working in “a fast-paced environment,” and have the ability to “turn on a dime” and “focus on one thing and switch to another.”

Collaboration Grows

Elder statesman Gordon says of the assignment editor job demands: “It keeps me young.” Both she and the more youthful Gilbert say the position has also become more collaborative in recent years.

“We do sort of have that gatekeeper role,” Gilbert says. Still, she continues, “there’s always this two-way exchange of information between the desk and the reporters.”

Assignment editors consider reporter strengths, areas of interest and experience when deciding in whose hands a story will be entrusted. But they also field pitches from reporters and engage in broad conversations about the day’s items of interest with various members of the team.

“Nobody runs on their own in here; we have a tight-knit group [and] we back each other up,” Gordon says of the group at her Nexstar stations. “If we have spot news … we all jump in, and that’s the key to a really good assignment desk. You give and take, and you have that flexibility that at the end of the day, we’ve covered it, we’ve got it, we’ve got angles that nobody else has thought of.”

Not only does the team effort behind story assignment potentially add layers and depth to an eventual package, but it reinforces the integrity of the news it delivers across an entire broadcast, day in, day out.

In the constant struggle to identify mis- and disinformation, while also presenting stories in appropriate context, “that is where a collective, collaborative culture of a newsroom saves you,” KING’s Wolfe says. “If you are, as a team, having editorial checks, conversations, diverse viewpoints, bringing different people in, then you can catch those things and catch yourself and find the right story.

“That’s why I think having a diverse newsroom is so key, because different people are going to see different things and think about different questions and weigh that story against their own experience …. Whether it’s a big newsroom or a small newsroom, getting people together to talk about stories is just really, really important.” she says.

Decentralized Approach

One would be hard-pressed to find a more profound example of the increasingly collaborative nature the assignment editor’s job has assumed over the past handful of years than the organizational structure at Lee’s Southern California Spectrum News channel.

In an effort to cover the market’s five counties, across a sprawling megalopolis, her channel employs an assignment editor manager and four individual assignment editors, each of whom are primarily stationed in different parts of the region: north, south, east and west. They report to the station’s office in El Segundo once per week on a rotating basis, but otherwise they’re out in the field, working closely with reporters as they scour for stories and continually develop relationships with sources.

Lee says the more decentralized arrangement allows for her newsroom to be less “reactive” — as others have been historically — and more “proactive,” engaging in “enterprise storytelling.”

“Of course, we still react, because there’s breaking news,” Lee says, “but when there is real enterprise storytelling, you’re working in advance, working your sources and your community and really becoming experts on the ground, and it’s been an amazing collaboration.

“That’s what has gotten lost, is the idea that, really, journalists should have their ears on the ground, they should be developing beats and sources, and they should be working with assignment editors — story planners — to figure out the best way to tell those stories together,” she says. “It’s been a really exciting team approach to newsgathering.”

Seeking Deeper Impact

Whether they’ve been part of an experiment in cutting-edge structural invention or traditionally clock into the newsroom and sit at a stationary desk throughout their shift, assignment editors bear the brunt of the responsibility to shuttle broadcasts away from coverage of police blotter-discovered stories, such as shootings, robberies, and fires. Today’s consumers are craving more from their TV news, and stories with farther-reaching impact have to be sought out by those tasked with assigning them to reporters.

“We definitely are trying to be mindful of stories that are affecting more people in our community,” says WRAL’s Elder. “Gone are the days of ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’ That was old school.”

Still, it’s not entirely true that crime and property destruction should completely be dismissed. “When it comes to your family’s safety, the safety of your business, being able to walk down the sidewalk in your city, that is super-relevant to our viewers,” Wolfe says. “The idea that crime is not relevant is the wrong approach. The right approach is: How do we add information and context? How do we stand for truth and hold people accountable? What does the data tell us about that crime? That’s where the impactful stories are.”

Weighing all these factors in choosing stories, maintaining a constantly updated contact database with identifying tags, ensuring that reports are factually concrete and so many other responsibilities, the assignment editor job is certainly not for everybody. But those who do it well can honorably take tremendous pride in their work, which, if nothing else, is undeniably relentless.

“You should never be bored on the assignment desk,” KING’s Gilbert says. “It’s not a place where you can complete one task and then kick back and say, ‘I’ve done it for the day.’ You should always be busy.”

Comments (2)

Leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Corrie Harding says:

March 8, 2022 at 9:11 am

Great write up. I would add one piece of perspective on the ‘parts of the body’ metaphor. In my experience, the Assignment Desk can be the hands reaching out in the dark, or the ears listening for the important ‘sounds’ or the ‘eyes’ looking toward the horizon. All in addition to being part of ‘the brain.’ Ruthanne nailed it. The key is that a video based, broadcast/digital newsroom must have a desk, producers, reporters, and managers that act in a symbiotic relationship. Each must be able to quickly shift based on the news department’s overall vision, and always support each other.

LeCouteur says:

June 13, 2022 at 9:24 am

I never knew how to write beautifully when I needed it, I spent Sleepless nights to write At least a more or less beautiful text, but as a result, I began to turn to similar writing services and my life became much easier and the texts are much better, because on such services the text professionals write, you just have to learn the text

Stay Connected

• Newsletters & Alerts
• Become a Member
• Join TVN Plus

Streaming Revenue Strategies for Local TV 16 May 2024

Collaboration and news production in 2024 23 may 2024.

• View more events

Digital Platform Specialist

• Illinois Public Media - WILL

Account Executive – Trainee/New Business Development

• Houston, TX
• KPRC - Graham Media Group Houston

Director of Sales

• Hampton Roads, Virginia

Sales Manager, Senior Newscast Producer and Digital Video Producer

Executive Producer, Meteorologist and Weekend Anchor/Senior MMJ

• LaCrosse, WI
• Morgan Murphy Media

NewsTECHForum 2023 Keynote Panel —Democracy, Technology, TV Journalism and the 2024 Election

NewsTECHForum 2023 - Chasing AI: Threatening or Enhancing the News?

NewsTECHForum 2023 - Adapting to a Culture of Continuous Crisis

TV2025 2023 - Collaboration and the Future of Content Creation

TV2025 2023 - Building a Breakout Hit in a Multiplatform World

Webinar: Tech Leaders on Trends in 2024

Talking TV: Emily Barr on Sinclair's Shuttered Newsrooms

TV2025 2023 - Station Group Leaders on the State of the Industry

TVN Webinars

All TVN Videos

Sponsored content.

Generate more ad revenue with sponsored UGC segments

Drive audience engagement with streaming weather

Navigating the AI revolution in media sales: challenges, trust and harnessing custom AI solutions

Megaphone TV launches new interactive sponsorship platform

Elevate your media sales game: embracing data for a competitive advantage

The 4 walls of television interactive sponsorship sales

The future of cyber insurance: Navigating the complex digital landscape

Why an alerting strategy will help win customers in a multi-platform world

Future-proof compliance with AI speech-to-text technology

Applied AI: An unseen revolution in local TV advertising

Real-time news polls have never been this easy

The year of getting everything connected

Local stations continue to see interactive sponsorship success

What the latest AI breakthroughs mean for live and archive content

How top broadcasters expand compliance logging to embrace OTT monitoring

Delivering creativity on budget and without technological constraints

Byron Allen: Too much talk, not enough action on advertising equity

Market share.

WLBT CSD’s Balancing Act For Commercial Production And Station Promotion

Apr 24, 2024

WJZ’s First Hours Responding To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Apr 22, 2024

Jobs Posted To TVNewsCheck

Apr 21, 2024

Special Reports

Newstechforum: the complete videos, in 2024, spot tv is all about political, updated top 30 station groups: nexstar retains top spot, gray now no. 2 as fcc-rejected standard general drops off.

Overseas Assignments Today

India's gulf job newspaper, 25 years of excellence.

India's Exclusive Bi-Weekly Newspaper

No.1 Bi-Weekly E-Paper

Published Every Thursday's and Sunday's

10,000+ Jobs Available

Reach Your Target Jobs in Middle East easily

Overseas Assignment Today 25-April-2024

Overseas Assignment Today 21-April-2024

Overseas assignment today 18-april-2024.

Overseas Assignment Today 19-June-2022

Overseas assignment today 16-june-2022, overseas assignment today 09-june-2022, choose plan, 3 months plan, recurring payment.

• Access Overseas Jobs E-paper for 3 months on Thursdays and Sundays.

6 Months Plan

• Access Overseas Jobs E-paper for 6 months on Thursdays and Sundays.

12 Months Plan

• Access Overseas Jobs E-paper for 12 months on Thursdays and Sundays.

Most frequent questions and answers

Subscription to Overseas Assignment gives you access to the E-Newspaper experience for 3 months to One year depends on your subscription.

Yes. You will need to have an account with either Overseas Assignment Today to be able to buy an E-Paper membership. You can easily create a new account to get a membership. 

To view the latest price of the subscription please visit https://overseasassignments.net/subscription-plan /

You can subscribe to E-Paper using VISA/MasterCard credit cards, debit cards, or Paypal.

A paid membership cannot be cancelled before the subscription period runs out. However to cancel your membership towards the end of your subscription period and not pay renewal charges please write to us at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you at the earliest.

7 Nashville police employees placed on leave as department probes school shooter's leaked writings

Nashville, Tennessee, police said they have placed seven employees on "administrative assignment" days after writings from a shooter who killed six people at The Covenant School were posted online .

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department is continuing its investigation into who released the writings, it confirmed Wednesday. A spokesperson for the department said it is placing the seven people on leave to "protect the integrity of the active, progressing investigation."

All seven employees have full police power, the spokesperson said.

The move to put the group on administrative assignment was "absolutely non-punitive," the spokesperson added. Out of fairness to those seven people, the police department is not identifying any of them by name, the statement said.

On Monday, three images purported to be the writings of the Covenant School shooter, Audrey Hale, 28, were posted online by a conservative podcast and YouTube show host. The images appeared to show writings about conducting a school shooting on a specific date.

NBC News has not confirmed whether the documents are authentic.

Hale was killed by police after opening fire March 27 at the private Christian school in Nashville, killing three children and three adults. The shooter had once been a student at the school.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell called Monday for a full investigation into the images, telling Metro Nashville Law Director Wally Dietz “to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released.”

“I am deeply concerned with the safety, security, and well-being of the Covenant families and all Nashvillians who are grieving,” O’Connell said in a statement.

Parents whose kids were at The Covenant School at the time of the shooting filed a motion seeking to keep the writings secret .

A spokesperson for the parents on Monday called the person who publicly released the images of the writings "a viper" and said the person "released evidence that was gathered in our most vulnerable moment."

“You have now allowed [the shooter], who terrorized our family with bullets, to be able to now terrorize us with words from the grave,” said the spokesperson, Brent Leatherwood, whose three children were at the school and survived.

David Raybin, an attorney for Hale's parents, said he could not speak about the shared images, citing legal proceedings.

“We’ve never seen any manifesto,” Raybin said. “Nor are we in a position to authenticate these pieces of paper.”

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

• Assignment Abroad Times pdf today - 24 April 2024
• Hiring for Saudi Arabia, Client interview on Monday
• Urgent requirement for Qatar and Oman jobs
• Gulf jobs vacancies today, overseas employment want, 23 April 2024
• Overseas employments newspaper jobs vacancies, multiple jobs want

• Assignment Abroad Times Today

Category: Assignment Abroad Times Today

Assignment Abroad Times Today for the Latest Overseas assignment employment weekly paper download free pdf the latest Overseas Assignment Abroad times paper vacancies for all types of jobs for Dubai, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, etc

Gulf jobs Newspaper – 1000+ jobs vacancies  

Gulf Jobs Newspaper in Mumbai – Daily jobs updates

Gulf jobs vacancies in Delhi – 500+ Daily jobs updates

Gulf jobs Vacancies in Chennai – 1000 + Daily jobs updates

Assignment Abroad Times Today – Overseas Employment Newspaper

Assignment abroad times pdf today – 24 april 2024.

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 20 April 2024   View PDF Looking for lucrative overseas employment opportunities with high-paying jobs? Look no further than Assignments Abroad Times, the premier weekly newspaper specializing in job updates for international assignments. With over 10,000 job vacancies updated every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Assignments Abroad Times is your go-to source for the latest career opportunities abroad. Established since February 27, 1993, Assignments Abroad Times has been a trusted name in the industry. Founded by Dr. N Radhakrishna Pillai (NRK Pillai), who serves…

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 20 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 17 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 17 April 2024   View PDF Looking for lucrative overseas employment opportunities with high-paying jobs? Look no further than Assignments Abroad Times, the premier weekly newspaper specializing in job updates for international assignments. With over 10,000 job vacancies updated every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Assignments Abroad Times is your go-to source for the latest career opportunities abroad. Established since February 27, 1993, Assignments Abroad Times has been a trusted name in the industry. Founded by Dr. N Radhakrishna Pillai (NRK Pillai), who serves…

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 13 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 13 April 2024   Looking for lucrative overseas employment opportunities with high-paying jobs? Look no further than Assignments Abroad Times, the premier weekly newspaper specializing in job updates for international assignments. With over 10,000 job vacancies updated every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Assignments Abroad Times is your go-to source for the latest career opportunities abroad. Established since February 27, 1993, Assignments Abroad Times has been a trusted name in the industry. Founded by Dr. N Radhakrishna Pillai (NRK Pillai), who serves as the…

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 10 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 10 April 2024   Looking for lucrative overseas employment opportunities with high-paying jobs? Look no further than Assignments Abroad Times, the premier weekly newspaper specializing in job updates for international assignments. With over 10,000 job vacancies updated every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Assignments Abroad Times is your go-to source for the latest career opportunities abroad. Established since February 27, 1993, Assignments Abroad Times has been a trusted name in the industry. Founded by Dr. N Radhakrishna Pillai (NRK Pillai), who serves as the…

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 6 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times pdf today – 6 April 2024   Looking for lucrative overseas employment opportunities with high-paying jobs? Look no further than Assignments Abroad Times, the premier weekly newspaper specializing in job updates for international assignments. With over 10,000 job vacancies updated every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Assignments Abroad Times is your go-to source for the latest career opportunities abroad. Established since February 27, 1993, Assignments Abroad Times has been a trusted name in the industry. Founded by Dr. N Radhakrishna Pillai (NRK Pillai), who serves as the…

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free PDF Download, 3 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free newspaper PDF epaper Download, 3 April 2024     Assignment Abroad Times Today Newspaper pdf free, 3 April 2024, Download and get gulf jobs vacancies for the Middle East and European countries Download PDF Now Assignments abroad time newspaper 3 April 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 30 March 2024 Assignment Abroad Times Video – All Agencies’ details information Genuine or fake   Assignment Abroad Times (AAT) is a good resource for overseas jobs because it offers several advantages “Assignments Abroad Times” is a popular newspaper or magazine…

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free PDF Download, 30 March 2024

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free newspaper PDF epaper Download, 30 March 2024     Assignment Abroad Times Today Newspaper pdf free, 30 March 2024, Download and get gulf jobs vacancies for the Middle East and European countries Download PDF Now Assignments abroad time newspaper 30 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 27 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 23 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 20 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 16 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 13 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 9 March 2024 Assignments abroad…

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free PDF Download, 27 March 2024

Assignment Abroad Times Today, Free newspaper PDF epaper Download, 27 March 2024     Assignment Abroad Times Today Newspaper pdf free, 27 March 2024, Download and get gulf jobs vacancies for the Middle East and European countries Download PDF Now Assignments abroad time newspaper 27 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 23 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 20 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 16 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 13 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 9 March 2024 Assignments abroad time newspaper 6 March 2024 Assignments abroad…

Assignments Abroad times pdf Today

Latest Gulf jobs & Overseas Vacancies Updates

Assignments Abroad Times

Every dails, weekly, month, more than 10000+ Gulf jobs Vacancies Today, Abroad times Newspaper pdf paper wants daily updates at Assignmentabroadtime.com

Assignment Abroad times Newspaper Vacancies Daily

Latest gulf jobs newspaper vacancies for today.

Here's available 1000+ Recent Overseas Employments Newspaper Vacancies & Best jobs consultancies in India. Assignment abroad times pdf today newspaper epaper 2022 Pdf free download, , overseas assignments, gulf job paper today, Mumbai want paper, assignment abroad times Mumbai,

Assignment Abroad Times Today PDF, 24 April 2024

Assignment abroad times today pdf, 20 april 2024, assignment abroad times today pdf, 17 april 2024.

• Request new password
• Create a new account

Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing: Foundational Skills for a Digital Age

Student resources, newswriting assignments.

Assignment 1: What grabs you?

Description of Assignment: Basic news writing focuses on figuring out what is important and then giving that information to your readers. It sounds simple and, with a lot of practice, it can be. Problems tend to crop up when writers try to do too much, ignore some basic tenets of journalism, and generally don’t think about the audience before writing.

Here's your chance to rate your local newspaper or online news site. Find today’s edition, set aside 40 min, and read it. Just read. Then, make a list of stories, then rank them from the story that interests you the most to that which interests you the least.

Consider what it is about each story that caught your fancy. Was it the writing style? Was it the subject matter? Did the story tell you something you didn’t know? Did it answer your questions?

And consider each story that you didn’t like. Was it poorly written or organized? Did it contain errors? Was it useless to you? Did it leave you with more questions than when you started reading it? Could you even get through it?

Be prepared to discuss these findings in class. Understanding what you value in a story will make it easier for you to write and report your own stories.

Public Domain Source Material: Your daily newspaper.

Assignment 2: Spoiler alert! Learning the inverted pyramid

Description of Assignment: This drill will ask students to think of their three favorite movies or novels, and report them as news stories using summary leads and an inverted pyramid style. Please write at least four paragraphs per film or book. Don’t worry about giving away the ending! News stories generally require the writer to give up the goods at the start of the story. That way, the reader doesn’t get bored and miss the point of the story before moving on to the next one.

Ideas to try:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , by Roald Dahl
• State of Wonder , by Ann Patchett
• Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope

For example:

Charlotte A. Cavatica, a barn spider who helped save Wilbur the pig from slaughter by extolling him with English words spun into her web at Zuckerman’s farm, died Friday at the county fair. She was 1.

Charlotte is survived by Wilbur, who rose to regional fame thanks to his dear friend’s cunning, and dozens of babies who emerged from her egg sac thereafter and departed before Wilbur could name them. The spiderlings who stayed with Wilbur were named Joy, Nellie and Aranea.

Assignment 3: Birthday assignment

Description of Assignment: You may not remember it, but the day of your birth was very special for your parents. Interview your mother or father (or both) and ask them to recall what they experienced on the day you came into the world. At what time did your mother go into labor? Was it a natural birth, or did she have a C-section?

Shape their answers into the 5 Ws and 1 H format, and write a story reporting the events of your own birthday, using the inverted pyramid structure, as if it had been published in a family newsletter the day after your birth.

Assignment 4: Take note

Description of Assignment: Note-taking is an essential skill in reporting. There is no such thing (yet) as real-time transcription of every conversation. Even if there were, it would only be a record of what was said. It would not tell you anything about the way it was said. It would not remind you of the insights you had during the conversation.

Your notes represent your understanding of the material you are covering. Yes, it is important to get some colorful quotes, but it’s also important to make a record of the surroundings, what you see, feel, hear, and understand.

Every writer must develop their own note-taking style. Try writing as concisely--and as fast--as you can while still capturing information you will understand later. Take time after an interview or event to review your notes and improve them while the memories are fresh in your mind.

Your assignment: Watch tonight’s evening news and take notes. Watch the first 15 min of the broadcast, just once through, without pausing.

Then recreate the broadcast from your notes--with direct quotes, nuance, and your own writing style. Describe the clips in as vivid detail as you can muster. Remember to get accurate spellings of names.

Public Domain Source Material: Watch live on TV or choose a past newscast: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/nightly-news-full-broadcast-november-8th-804149315681  

Measurable gains for students

ESSA Tier II studies show users of Newsela products saw 3 additional months of literacy growth in ELA and 10 additional months of social studies instruction.

Instructional resources that connect and deliver

Premium products

Newsela premium products are a win for everyone. Teachers get to pick content and activities that level up their lessons. Schools and districts get rich data across classrooms. Plus, every student is supported.

Get a preview

Newsela Lite and Formative Bronze provide a taste of our premium content, activities, and real-time data. Sign up for free.

Keep up with Newsela

Stay connected with Newsela to explore what's new for this school year.

Monthly Content Calendar

Timely Newsela resources for each weekday of the month.

What your peers are saying

“A lot of teachers are finding Formative is a time-saver... That flexibility and simplicity in collaborating has been really useful.” Ann Professional Development Coach South Carolina

“We chose Newsela because of the complexity of the texts, and accompanying quiz questions. It provides the rigor and consistency students need to answer higher-level questions." Bianca Professional Development Administrator California

“Through using Newsela Social Studies, we were able to provide upper-grade level teachers with content resources that were appropriate for their grade, but scaffolded to address lower reading levels.” Michelle Professional Development Administrator California

"Newsela brings the world inside of a classroom in a way that is accessible for students! It's easy for a teacher to tell students, but showing is much harder. Authentic texts that bring science to life are invaluable." Elizabeth 7th Grade Science Atlanta, Georgia

"The accessibility of the text at five different levels was by far the most meaningful for us! Students could choose articles at five different reading levels, which wasn't always offered for Social Studies texts. They could engage with the text at a level that allowed them to grow as independent readers comfortable and actively participate in class discussions and writing experiences." Rachel Middle School New Jersey

Inspire the desire to learn today.

Ready to engage, support, and grow every learner.

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School
• Horse Racing 

Men's Brackets

Women's Brackets

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy football, football pick'em, college pick'em, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Tour on CBS
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

With the First Pick

NFL Draft is coming up!

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• Beyond the Arc
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

Orioles' Cionel Perez: Starting rehab assignment

Share video.

Perez (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Brent Maguire of MLB.com reports.

Perez has been out since the opening weekend of the season with a right oblique strain but has trended in a good direction recently and is ready to test things out in a game setting. He figures to need at least a couple rehab appearances before rejoining the Orioles ' bullpen.

Orioles' Cionel Perez: Throwing off mound

Orioles' cionel perez: hoping to throw again soon, orioles' cionel perez: placed on 15-day il, orioles' cionel perez: nursing lower-back discomfort, orioles' cionel perez: exits with injury, orioles' cionel perez: ugly numbers early in spring, our latest fantasy baseball stories.

Rankings Movers: Naylor a stud

Scott white • 10 min read.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Chris towers • 14 min read.

Don't sell low on these stars

Chris towers • 6 min read.

Do not drop these players

Scott white • 5 min read.

Bullpen Report: Adam, Neris next up

Scott white • 6 min read, monday's waiver wire targets.

What Does an Assignment Editor Do?

Learn About the Salary, Required Skills, & More

The Balance / Ellen Lindner

• Technology Careers
• Sports Careers
• Project Management
• Professional Writer
• Music Careers
• Legal Careers
• US Military Careers
• Government Careers
• Finance Careers
• Fiction Writing Careers
• Entertainment Careers
• Criminology Careers
• Book Publishing
• Animal Careers
• Advertising
• Assignment Editor Duties & Responsibilities

Assignment Editor Salary

• Education, Training, & Certification
• Assignment Editor Skills & Competencies

Job Outlook

Work environment, work schedule, comparing similar jobs.

• Mercer University

An assignment editor works at the assignment desk, which is the nerve center of any newsroom. This is where newsroom staff members monitor multiple sources for breaking news, including police and fire scanners. When possible news arises, the assignment editor works with reporters, photographers, producers, and other staff members to assign and develop story ideas.

Small companies sometimes have one assignment editor who is responsible for organizing the assignment desk to operate around the clock. In larger newsrooms, there may be a team of assignment editors that take turns staffing the desk.

Assignment Editor Duties & Responsibilities

The job generally requires the ability to perform the following duties:

• Monitor multiple sources for possible news stories
• Develop and propose a daily news coverage plan
• Lead newsroom staff meetings to review possible stories and assignments
• Help choose which journalists, photographers, and other staff members are assigned to cover stories
• Stay on top of all stories to ensure they're developing as planned and determine which ones are not coming together
• Be the main point of communication between reporters, production teams, and executive staff on developing stories

It's up to the assignment editor to assign people to investigate and report on news stories. The assignment editor's day is sometimes spent shifting people and equipment around so that as many stories get covered as possible, with an eye out on how to handle breaking news coverage at any moment.

When working in television, an assignment editor may also work with the tv producer to decide which crews will take live trucks or a helicopter to broadcast live during a newscast. Also, a TV news anchor who is reviewing scripts just before airtime will often turn to the assignment editor to confirm facts.

An assignment editor's salary can vary depending on location, experience, and employer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers salary data for the broader editor category, but it doesn't offer separate data on the assignment editor subcategory:

• Median Annual Salary: $59,480 
• Top 10% Annual Salary: $114,460 
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: $30,830  

Education, Training, & Certification

Most assignment editors have the same types of degrees as other editors and journalists in a newsroom.

• Education: Most employers prefer candidates that have at least a bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or English. 
• Experience: This is often key to getting this type of job, because experience is key to building a list of contacts and learning how to operate smoothly. Employers usually prefer candidates with a background in the type of media in which they specialize, whether it's television, digital, or print news.
• Training: Most training happens on the job. Aspiring assignment editors may want to find an internship position at a newsroom assignment desk.

Assignment Editor Skills & Competencies

To be successful in this role, you’ll generally need the following skills and qualities: 

• Editorial judgment: Assignment editors need to be able to quickly decide whether a story is newsworthy. And although they aren't usually writing the stories themselves, they need to know all of the components of a good news story to guide reporters on coverage.
• Interpersonal skills: Successful assignment editors form relationships with many contacts that can help bring a story together. For example, someone in this role at a local TV news station may have all the county sheriffs' home telephone numbers on speed-dial and be on a first-name basis with the current and previous mayors.
• Organizational skills: An assignment editor must be able to organize the logistics and track the details of several stories at a time and keep everything on schedule.
• Communication skills: An assignment editor must skillfully communicate with all of the staff involved in making news stories come together, including reporters, photographers, production teams, and executive staff.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in this field will grow 6 percent through 2026, which is slightly slower than the overall employment growth of 7 percent for all occupations in the country. The BLS it doesn't offer separate data on the assignment editor subcategory.

Most of this job is done in an office working under several tight deadlines at once. Those who thrive on pressure and get an adrenaline rush when something unexpected happens may be best suited for this occupation.

An assignment editor usually arrives in the newsroom earlier than the other managers to get a handle on what's happening that day to brief the newsroom. Most assignment editors work full time, and many work long hours, which include evenings and weekends.

People who are interested in becoming assignment editors may also consider other careers with these median salaries: 

• Writers and authors: $61,820
• Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts: $40,910
• Desktop publishers: $42,350

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2017

How to Get the Job

Build a Contact List

Making a list of contacts is the best place to start for a budding assignment editor. That involves making personal connections with people so that you can turn to them when you need information.

Join a Professional Association

The American Media Institute offers  a list of professional associations you can join. Which one you choose may depend on your specialty or medium (websites or television, for instance). This will help you build your contact list and stay up to date on the latest tools and techniques in the industry.

Search job sites that specialize in media careers, such as MediaBistro and iHire Broadcasting .

Explore Best Assignment Abroad Times Today 2024

Best Assignment Abroad Times Today- Urgent requirement for a leading car manufacturing company in croatia Position:  Production line operator Email your CV to [email protected] Whatsapp +91 7045867778 Job opportunities in Europe Positions: Double drum roller operator Finisher operator Albaret operator Stamper compactor operator Backhoe loader Bulldozer loadewr Wheel loader operator       Apply Process:- Send … Read more

Jobs in Qatar – Assignment Abroad Times Today

Jobs in Qatar – Assignment Abroad Times Today Apply Process:- Send your updated CV along with a valid contact or Whatsapp number, experience certificates, and passport copy photo. Also don’t forget to mention the job subject line and your Skype or Zoom ID in your CV for an easy online interview. आवेदन प्रक्रिया:- एक वैध … Read more

Assignment Abroad Times Vacancy Today 2024

Assignment Abroad Times Vacancy Today- Opportunity at Iraq Tunnel construction project  Geotechnical engineer Structural engineer  Email: [email protected] Whatsapp: 7304494835 opportunity at Saudi Arabia Walk in for shortlisting on 23rd ,24th & 25th April Shuttering carpenter Steel fixer Mason concrete Rigger Arc welder Shuttering carpenter foreman Steel fixer foreman Mason foreman Email: [email protected] Whatsapp: 993033047   … Read more

Best Gulf Jobs: Assignment Abroad Times pdf Today 2024

Access the latest issue of Assignment Abroad Times pdf Today in PDF format today. Stay updated with valuable insights for your career. INTERNATIONAL-UAE WE’ARE  HERING LEADING CANADIAN QSR MANAGEMENT COMPANY – SAUDI ARABIA – KUWAIT & QATAR  IMMEDIATE FLIGHT   MALE/FEMALE SERVICE CREW  Qualification :10th Or 12th • Minimum 2-3 Years Service Crew or Cashier Experience … Read more

Free assignment abroad times pdf download 17-04-2024

Discover how to access the latest issue of assignment abroad times pdf download format. Download now for valuable insights!  Click here for Download assignment of abroad pdf today  FOR LEADING OPERATION MAINTENANCE COMPANY MINISTRY OF HEALTH PROJECT — KSA Client interview on 25th April 2024 In MUMBAI  HVAC Technician Electrical Generator Technician AC Technician Elevator … Read more

Urgent Requirement in abroad assignment for Dubai 2024

Embark on a transformative journey with our abroad assignment packages. Immerse yourself in new cultures, forge global connections, and elevate your career to new heights. Discover the world and unlock endless opportunities for personal and professional growth. RECRUITING FOR – SAUDI ARABIA  For a Leading Facilities Management Company  ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN HVAC TECHNICIAN FIRE FIGHTING TECHNICIAN … Read more

Best assignment abroad times Mumbai pdf today 2024

Explore lucrative job openings worldwide with assignment abroad times Mumbai pdf today. Stay updated with real-time insights and seamlessly navigate the recruitment process for career success. URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR FOR RUSSIA CLIENT INTERVIEW 22 & 23 APRIL 2024 BRICK LAYER      100 NOS PLASTER MASON    20 NOS TILE FIXER          … Read more

Urgent Vacancy in assignment abroad times today 2024

Stay informed with the latest news and updates on Assignment Abroad Times today. Discover opportunities and insights for international job assignments. Client Interview for esteemed company in -Qatar & Dubai   INTERVIEW ON 18th APRIL 2024  STRUCTURAL FITTER / FABRICATOR  STRUCTURAL FOREMAN / CHARGEHAND  TANK FITTER / FABRICATOR TANK FOREMAN / CHARGEHAND 6G ARC WELDER (SMAW) … Read more

Best Overseas Jobs Assignment Abroad Times pdf today 2024

Discover a world of career possibilities with our comprehensive guide to Overseas Jobs openings. Find your dream job abroad today Leading Company For Oil Gas Aramco Project, Saudi Arabia  (OPEN POSITIONS) • QUANTITY SURVEYOR (MECHANICAL)  MINS YEARS EXPERIENCE two QUANTITY SURVEYOR MECHANICAL BACKGROUND BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING  JUNIOR QUANTITY SURVEYOR DESIGNERS  MIN 3 YEARS … Read more

Lucrative Abroad Times Today Jobs Apply Now

Abroad Times Today- Urgent requirement for Uzbekistan Final client interview on 14th April 2024 CNC plate plasma operator CNC plate plasma programmer Turning machine & VMC programmer CNC self threading machine operator CNC wire cutting machine operator Hydraullic 3 roll thread rolling machine operator     Apply Process:- Send your updated CV along with a … Read more

Gulf Jobs Today – Assignment Abroad Times 2024

Gulf Jobs Today- Urgent requirement for CNC division in Uzbekistan Client interview in Mumbai in 17th April 2024 Send CV to [email protected] / [email protected]   Apply Process:- Send your updated CV along with a valid contact or Whatsapp number, experience certificates, and passport copy photo. Also don’t forget to mention the job subject line and … Read more

Assignment Abroad Times Pdf Today 13 April 2024

Assignment Abroad Times Pdf Today Urgently required for their oil & gas / construction project – Abu Dhabi Client interview on 17th April 2024 Structural foreman Piping foreman Scaffolding foreman Welding foreman Rigging foreman Pipe fabricaors Pipe fitters Structural fitters / fabricators Interested candidates send CV to [email protected]   Apply Process:- Send your updated CV … Read more

Download Free Assignment Abroad Times PDF Today 13-04-2024

What is Assignment Abroad Times PDF? Assignment Abroad Times Pdf is a Pdf paper contains gulf jobs openings for Saudi, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Dubai, Oman. How to download Assignment Abroad Times PDF? Click the download now button available on the top of the page. How to Apply for the Job Paper you have found? In … Read more

High-Priority Gulf Jobs Paper Today

Gulf Jobs Paper Today- Long term requirement for Saudi Arabia Client interview on 15th April 2024 Mechanical technicians Instrument technician Electrical technicians Planners Email [email protected] For Kuwait Client interview on 18th April 2024 at seagull office Erection engineers Testing & commissioning engineers Safety officers Electrical supervisor Electricians Email [email protected]     Join us on Social … Read more

Saudi Jobs: Urgent Requirement for Saudi

Saudi Jobs: Urgent Requirement for Saudi Client interview at Mumbai on 23rd April 2024 Foreman – electrical Tray fitter Charge hand – electrical Cable puller Industrial electrician Electrician – general Electromechanical fitter Kindly send updated CV on jobs#abm-international.co.in Apply Process:- Send your updated CV along with a valid contact or Whatsapp number, experience certificates, and … Read more

• FanNation FanNation FanNation
• SI.COM SI.COM SI.COM
• SI Swimsuit SI Swimsuit SI Swimsuit
• SI Sportsbook SI Sportsbook SI Sportsbook
• SI Tickets SI Tickets SI Tickets
• SI Showcase SI Showcase SI Showcase
• SI Resorts SI Resorts SI Resorts

Report: Twins' Justin Topa could begin rehab assignment this week

Topa started the season oon the injured list due to left knee tendinitis.

• Author: Nolan O'Hara

In this story:

Twins reliever Justin Topa threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice on Tuesday and told reporters he expects to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, according to the Pioneer Press’ Betsy Helfand. 

The Twins acquired Topa from the Seattle Mariners this offseason in the Jorge Polanco trade, but Topa started the season on the injured list due to left knee tendinitis. Topa, 33, has had stints in the majors since 2020, playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and Mariners.

Topa only played in 17 games for the Brewers from 2020-22, but pitched in 75 games for the Mariners last season, posting a 5-4 record with a 2.61 earned-run average across 69 innings. 

If Topa is nearing a return soon, he’ll further bolster an already strong Twins bullpen. 

Latest Inside the Twins News

Twins' Anthony DeSclafani to undergo further testing for injury

Jose Miranda among three Twins spring cuts Monday

Minnesota Twins Dealing with Multiple Serious Injuries, Including to Star Closer

Three Twins pitchers, including Jhoan Duran, to start season on injured list

Byron Buxton scratched from lineup with back tightness

Diamondbacks updates: Sewald set for rehab assignment, Alexander out of lineup

Amid a brutal spate of injuries, there is finally some positive news for the Diamondbacks. Closer Paul Sewald is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. He will throw one inning and up to 25 pitches.

Manager Torey Lovullo said he is expecting Sewald to need multiple outings with Reno, although that could change.

“I don't think it'll be later, if anything it would be sooner,” Lovullo said. “But we're gonna let Paul determine how he feels.”

Sewald suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain just before Opening Day and has been rehabbing at Salt River Fields. His return should provide a boost to a bullpen that has been plagued by inconsistency despite solid overall numbers.

Last year, his arrival at the trade deadline helped the bullpen improve drastically in the second half. He finished the year with a 3.12 ERA and 34 saves in 39 opportunities.

Blaze Alexander out of lineup but hamstring feeling better

Shortstop Blaze Alexander was out of the lineup Monday night and likely only available in an emergency situation against the Cardinals. He exited Sunday’s game against the Giants with a cramp in his right hamstring, though he appears to have avoided further injury.

“Definitely a lot better than it was yesterday,” Alexander said. “I'm in a better head space with it, knowing it's not anything too serious.”

Alexander has not undergone any imaging on the hamstring. Lovullo sounded confident he will avoid a trip to the injured list, though it seemed as if the Diamondbacks will want to use him off the bench before returning him to the starting lineup.

“I feel really good about him needing some time down and not starting,” Lovullo said. “Maybe coming into games at the very back end and preserving him the best way we can and saving some gas in his tank and he's gonna heal up just fine.”

Alexander first felt something in his hamstring after running out a ground ball in the second inning Sunday. He remained in the game and tried to work out the discomfort with trainers between innings before being removed after another groundout in his second at-bat.

With shortstop Geraldo Perdomo on the injured list, Alexander has been a boon for the Diamondbacks. He’s struggled defensively, with three errors, but is slashing .321/.379/.566 in 58 plate appearances.

Merrill Kelly undergoing second MRI

The Diamondbacks have not yet placed right-hander Merrill Kelly on the injured list. An initial MRI in San Francisco revealed a right teres major strain for Kelly, which caused shoulder soreness, but he is undergoing a second MRI in Phoenix on Monday.

“We just wanted to get our hands on him with our group,” Lovullo said. “We feel more comfortable doing that before we make a decision.”

If the second MRI confirms the results of the first, it would almost certainly require an injured list stint for Kelly, though the length of that stint is uncertain.

Left-hander Tommy Henry is with the Diamondbacks in St. Louis, but he has not yet been activated. If Kelly does need to head to the injured list, Henry would likely be officially recalled and start Tuesday’s game. Because he was optioned to Triple-A less than 10 days ago, Henry cannot be recalled without a player being placed on the injured list in the corresponding move.

The Diamondbacks will have another open spot in the rotation later this week, because of the injuries to Kelly and Ryne Nelson, who has a right elbow contusion. That spot — which will come up on Saturday — is likely to be filled by Slade Cecconi, who allowed two runs in six innings in an emergency start against the Giants after Kelly’s injury surfaced.

“Slade did everything for us to strongly consider him,” Lovullo said. “(Pitching coach Brent Strom) came in here this afternoon and we talked over Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. I think a lot of it has to do with A) What happens to Merrill, B) What happens tonight in our game and who do we have to use to get through the game. And then once we get through the next 24 hours, we'll be able to lay down what the plan is and the road map is for the next couple turns.”

Injury updates on Alek Thomas, Geraldo Perdomo, Eduardo Rodriguez

Center fielder Alek Thomas ran “10-yard bursts” at Salt River Fields on Monday, Lovullo said. He is working his way back from a hamstring strain and has also been taking live at-bats without running the bases.

Perdomo, who is recovering from a torn meniscus, has begun some light activity. He is taking ground balls from a seated position and doing work in the pool as his knee heals from surgery.

Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez appears to be the furthest Diamondback from a return. He has yet to begin baseball activities after suffering a setback in his recovery from a left lat strain during a bullpen session on April 9. Rodriguez sustained the initial injury on March 19. He remains symptomatic, Lovullo said.

Monday's game: Diamondbacks at Cardinals, 4:45 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 5.32) vs. Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (1-0, 2.18).

Pfaadt is coming off his best start of the year, in which he gave up three runs (two earned) in seven innings against the Cubs. He took a no-decision in a 5-3 loss. … He had a rough go when he faced the Cardinals in the start before that, allowing six runs in six innings. All six runs came in the first three innings, after which Pfaadt put up three scoreless innings. … Pfaadt is getting whiffs on 37 percent of the time on his slider, up from 33 percent last year. He also has given up three homers on the pitch, the same number he allowed all of last season. … Lynn, who signed with the Cardinals in the offseason, has seven walks and 19 strikeouts through 20 2/3 innings this season. … The Diamondbacks last saw him in the division series, when they homered in four consecutive at-bats off him while he was a pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. … Lynn mostly relies on hard stuff, a 91.9 mph fastball, 87.8 mph cutter and 90.9 mph sinker.

Diamondbacks LHP Tommy Henry (0-1, 6.87) vs. Cardinals LHP Steven Matz (1-1, 3.60), 4:45 p.m.

Henry has not officially been named the Diamondbacks starter on Tuesday, but he is with the club in St. Louis and ready to take the place of right-hander Merrill Kelly, should Kelly need a stint on the injured list. Kelly is undergoing an MRI in Phoenix on Monday to determine the extent of the damage to his right teres major. … If the Diamondbacks do not turn to Henry, left-hander Logan Allen could be an option after he pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief on Thursday. … Henry has struggled this year, never pitching more than five innings or allowing fewer than two earned runs in his four starts. … He was optioned to Triple-A last week, but is likely set to get another opportunity following injuries to Ryne Nelson and Merrill Kelly. … Matz has solid numbers in the third year of a four-year deal with the Cardinals but he only has 12 strikeouts in 20 innings. He allowed four runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix earlier this month. … Matz’s best pitch is a sinker that he throws over half the time.

Wednesday:  At St. Louis, 10:15 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 1.50) vs. Cardinals RHP Kyle Gibson (1-2, 5.04).

Thursday:  Off.

Friday:  At Seattle, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (1-0, 1.50) vs. Mariners TBA.

Saturday: At Seattle, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Slade Cecconi (1-0, 3.00) vs. Mariners TBA