A week of critique…

A funny thing happened on the way to last week’s critiques…  Um, truth is, I just got too busy. Sorry about that!  But I’m making up for it today! These are my critiques for the week of Nov. 10-14. Hope it was worth the wait…

You oughta be in pictures for…

… double-threat Heidi Staggs! She writes AND she shoots photos! Her Miss International pageant photos (Nov. 10) were very strong. They were up-close and in-focus and action-oriented. Heidi’s story (Nov. 12) on the Sudanese child soldier was also very nicely written, with many compelling details from the speech. She lets a powerful story unfold on its own. Excellent job, Heidi!

… stories by Greta and Lana and Robin on reaction of black community leaders to Obama election! Very good approach to this topic. Also, great to do two separate stories, rather than blending them into one. The featured people in these stories are from different generations, with different historical positions. Wonderful stories, nicely planned and executed. Deserved page 1 placement.

… a nicely-reported obituary of Prof. Sarah Hawkins from Lana. Very sensitive and extensively reported. Great job, Lana.

… a wonderfully written piece by Cinnamon on the cancer fundraiser (Nov. 12).

… solid reporting by Nick on the mayoral nullification! It’s a complex story (and a wacky one, at that!) but Nick’s writing is clear and concise. His reporting is forward-looking and thorough. Great job, Nick!

… Michelle and Lana’s coverage of Bradley’s installation! Strong photos by Bethany accompany the story of Bradley’s installation as president. Michelle and Lana find great quotes and make this otherwise process-oriented story into a very human and readable piece. Excellent job!

… strong inside reporting by Greta and Abby (Nov. 14)! The ISU Miss USA contestant and the nurse practitioners story, respectively, are people-oriented and fun to read! Both stories capture cool details of the lives and work of the women they feature. Great job!

… nice basketball tab by Ben! The photo-heavy tab is very browse-able and the back cover, especially, has a clear and helpful design. Good work.

Watch out for…

… missing a cool story.  I like the story on the naming of John Wooden court. But I wanted a more feature approach, with more story-telling. Many of our students are unaware of John Wooden, who has a fascinating story as the winningest college basketball coach of all time. This story lends itself to color, detail and storytelling. I think it was a missed opportunity.

… bad photo placement.  Our lead shot of the veteran’s event on Nov. 12 is very weak. People sitting in chairs is NOT lead photo material. But Bethany’s shot of John Bal (Bul?) Dao (we had it two ways) was beautiful on page 5. But the page 5 shot is run much too small.  We have to coordinate among editors to be sure the strongest photos receive the best placement and biggest play.

… mug shots. Our obit for Prof. Hawkins really needed a mug. Anytime we do a profile or obituary, we need to do everything possible to get a mug with it.

(See What if… in the Nov. 17 critique.)