Criteria
Rating
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1. Writing
The major point of each story is found in the first paragraph.
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The majority of sentences are short and simple.
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Stories are written in the active, not passive, voice. (Example: "The picnic was held Thursday" as opposed to "We held our picnic on Thursday.")
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Lots of names used.
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Direct quotes are used.
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Writing uses correct grammar.
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Newsletter is typo-free.
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Bulleted lists, checklists, and numbers are used.
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Writing is clear, concise and consistent.
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All headlines contain a subject and an action verb.
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Headlines grab attention.
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Sentence/paragraph structure is varied.
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2.
Photographs/Illustrations
Photos are technically good - in focus, good contrast.
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Art is appropriate for thesubject of the newsletter.
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Newsletter uses action photos as well as posed shots.
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Photos are carefully cropped.
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In a group of photos, one is larger to serve as a focal point.
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All photos have captions.
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3.
Design
Masthead (title of newsletter) is distinct & readily recognizable.
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Stories that run from one page to another are readily linked with "continued." Page one pushes the reader to the inside.
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There is adequate white space in the layout.
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Does the newsletter pass the "dollar bill" test, i.e. a dollar bill laid anywhere on page should touch some graphic element?
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Appropriate use of color.
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4.
Typography
Italics and boldface used sparingly strictly for emphasis.
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Headlines are capitalized consistently.
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Headlines are consistently aligned (all centered or all flush left).
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Headlines & subheads are set in a font different than body type like sans serif if body copy is serif (ex: Helvetica).
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Type is the right size for the length of the lines.
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If body copy is justified, word spacing is even with no gaps or rivers of white space.
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Body copy size & spacing appears consistent.
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5.
Paper
Paper is white or a very light color.
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Paper is coated, smooth or a very light texture that doesn't interfere with readability or photo reproduction.
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