Joining in the Discussion

Joining in the Discussion

Following a Columnist

There is an old cliché that goes “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

During this quarter you are to identify a columnist that you would like to follow.

The purpose of this assignment is twofold. You are to study the stylistic and rhetorical choices the journalist made to create the piece and to produce a loose imitation of the style on a subject of your choice.

Columns appear in more than just one section of the newspaper or weekly magazine (Time/Newsweek/Sports Illustrated/People). Once you have identified a columnist you think you would like to follow, write me a MEMO. In your memo you must request permission to follow the columnist. You must tell me who they are, what their area of interest, and their intended audience.

YOUR MEMO IS DUE AT THE NEXT CLASS.

PART ONE: Then, visit the site/newspaper/magazine weekly for four weeks. Print and then read a column a week for four weeks. (Either look for a printer friendly button at the site or copy and paste the column (with headline and date) into a word document.

Then, write a Précis and attach the précis to the column and turn it in for credit.

You will get credit as follows:

Four columns with précis 100

Three columns with précis 90

Two columns with précis 80

One column with précis 70

If your Précis is incomplete, two points will be deducted from the total score for incomplete, hastily written, or incorrect précis. (Be sure every verb is strong and in present tense.)

• If you would like extra credit, you will receive one 2 pt. coupon for each additional column with précis attached. I won’t take more than 6 columns total.

PART TWO: Write your column. It can be about anything as long as the style and format mirror your chosen columnist (350-500 words)

Resources for Locating a Columnist:

Magazines/newspapers read by your family. Generally the columnist has their photo included. Often the back page has a regular columnist featured.

You can find 700 columnists linked at http://blueagle.com/