NEWSLETTER WRITING

Fall 2 2017 10/27/2017

Syllabus & Course Outline

Class Time: 10AM 12:45PM

Room C06 (Downstairs on the left side!)

Make-up Classes
11/20/2017 Monday from 2 or 2:30pm

12/7/2017 Thursday from 2 or 2:30pm

Class website is the same!

The Purpose of a Newsletter

Newspaper vs. Newsletter?

Newspaper: often more extensive and wide variety of
subjects
Newsletter: articles are brief and is for a specific group
Very specific focus

WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE?

Their
location?
What to they do? How do they spend their time?
What age group?
What are they interested in reading?
Different Types of Contents
Column/Feature cover (current news/issues)
Reviews of products/books/places
Commentary/Editorial on Issues/News/subject
Interviews/stories of people
Educational Articles
Case Studies/Relevant Research
Seasonal Advice/Tips/Info
Cultural Notes
Survey/Poll results
Statistics/Infographics/Numbers
Recipes or Instructions
Upcoming Events

and many more possibilities!

Group Article Topics
Topic 1: Thanksgiving (+Black Friday)
Content Type: Cultural Note Article

Topic 2: Restaurants Near School

Survey/Statistic/Info Graphics
1st PART:
1) Selecting some restaurants near school
2) Collecting information about those restaurants
2nd PART
1) What about the topic are you going to ask about in your survey?
2) Thinking about what questions to ask on the survey (3-5 questions,
related)
Individual Article Topics
Maryam
Topic 1: Arabic Coffee
Content Type: Recipe + Cultural Note
Topic 2: A Review of a place
Syndicated BK? NYC Transit Museum? Joe Coffee? Etc.?
Yousef
Topic 1: (____) Bus Tour
Content Type: A Review
Topic 2: My Writing Class Teacher
Content Type: Interview/Stories of People
Collecting Info on the Topics
Newsletter articles = only a few paragraphs (or
less)
Important:
Takingout only what you need
Organizing info
HOW???

Strategy: Make a questions list!

Youwill answer the questions in your article(s)
Why?
To know what information you need for your article
To organize info
Making a Questions List for Topics
Strategy:
Thinkabout: What information would our audience
need/want on the specific topic?

Start with question words:

What/when/where/who/which/why/how

General questions to specific questions

Put the questions in order = For organization in your

article!!
After you finish the Q list
- Review and take out what you dont need,
change/combine/add in questions

- Also, after you collect information, you might need

to make changes to your questions list.

- Order your questions to organize your writing

Points of View
1st person
I, We
Not very common in academic writing
2nd person
You
Not very common in academic writing
3rd person
It, they, the students, people,,
More common in academic writing

Keep the point of view consistent!!

Mixing 1st + 3rd or 2nd+3rd = OK, but NOT 1st+2nd !!
Simple, Compound, and Complex ST
1) Mary and Chris are going to wash the dishes and clean the
bathroom.
Simple ST
2) I think I was studying for my test when I heard the sound from
outside.
Complex ST
3) The player ran to the first base, but he did not do it quickly
enough.
Compound ST

Simple ST
Compound ST
Complex ST
Three Common ST Errors
Sentence Fragment
No subject or Verb
Dependent clause by itself

Run-On
Two sentence (two independent clauses) combined
incorrectly
Comma Splice
A type of run-on ST
Two ST combine ONLY WITH A COMMA