Producing a story for The Shakerite is a process that involves far more than writing paragraphs. Before any word is published, student journalists move through six stages to ensure each story meets the publication’s standards of accuracy and integrity.
Each piece results from hours, even weeks of coordination between reporters, editors and an adviser, all working toward one goal: delivering trustworthy journalism that informs the Shaker community.
Step One: The Story Pitch
Every story begins with a pitch. Reporters create pitches based on current events, school issues or trends within the community. Some ideas emerge from breaking news, such as district policy changes or, most recently, BOE elections; others develop from ongoing conversations about student life and education.
During meetings, reporters present their ideas to editors, who help refine the angle and determine the story’s scope. The goal of each pitch is to answer six key questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? News values such as timeliness, conflict, proximity, human interest and impact play a crucial role in determining which stories capture public attention. The editors will decide which pitches they will use in the print edition and assign them to reporters. The pitch then moves into the research phase.
Step Two: Research and Preparation
Research is the foundation of accurate reporting. Writers begin by reviewing past Shakerite coverage, checking district records and reading related local or national stories. Reporters gather context, data and background information to ensure they understand the topic before reaching out to sources.
This stage often includes examining Board of Education documents, school policy statements and public data. Solid research allows reporters to approach interviews with informed, focused questions and receive meaningful answers.
Step Three: Interviewing and Reporting
The reporting stage is where the story comes to life. Reporters chase after administrators, teachers, students and community members, repeatedly calling, texting and emailing to get an interview. Every conversation adds another layer to the story, revealing viewpoints and facts that can’t be found through documents alone.
Active listening is an essential part of journalism. Reporters take careful notes, verify information during conversations and follow up when necessary. Because The Shakerite prioritizes accuracy and fairness, reporters double-, triple- and quadruple check details and ensure all sources are represented truthfully. This stage can take days, depending on the length of the story and how quickly a source can be reached.
Step Four: Writing the Draft
Once all the information is gathered, reporters transition to the writing stage. This is where structure, clarity and tone matter most. Stories typically begin with a strong lede; the first sentence of the story that typically delivers the most important information and answers the key questions.
Writers must also adhere to The Shakerite’s stylistic guidelines, including Associated Press style and consistent formatting. The format followed by hard news stories is the inverted pyramid format, which puts the most important information at the top and additional, related items at the bottom. The first draft is rarely final; instead, it serves as a foundation for later revisions. Strong stories combine factual accuracy with clear and concise writing, allowing readers to stay informed and connected to their community.
Step Five: Editing and Revising
Editing is an essential and collaborative part of the process. After submitting a first draft, reporters work with section editors and other reporters to refine structure, improve transitions and strengthen focus to make sure the piece is straightforward and informative and does not resemble an essay. Editors and reporters review the content line by line, checking grammar, punctuation, factual consistency, balance and for any word or phrase that can be mitigated from the story.
Rounds of revisions are common. Each edit improves clarity and flow, ensuring the story is fair, accurate, and complete. This step involves heaps of feedback from editors, fellow reporters and the Editor in Chief, who review the story before the adviser offers advice.
Step Six: Fact-Checking and Publishing
Before publication, every fact — from names and titles to dates and statistics— is verified. This stage prevents misinformation and maintains readers’ trust. Photos, graphics and headlines are finalized by the design editor and, once it is all put together, the story is placed onto the pages for final formatting. Only after thorough checks does the story move to publication on The Shakerit’s website or in print.
Once published, stories are formatted for digital presentation and shared through The Shakerite’s social media accounts. The piece becomes part of the publication’s ongoing record of school and community news.
For every story, this process repeats itself monthly and is even completed daily for web stories. This process ensures that The Shakerite continues to provide timely, reliable reporting for its readers.
