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Guardian Express Boot-camp Unit II
- 3. There are moments in life when upon hearing truth, you know it; because a certain quality of information will resonate deep within one’s rational inner being, overcoming all reasonable and unreasonable doubt. For me, that moment arrived when I first listened to the Mandela audio witness we now possess. DiMarkco Chandler Page 5Page 4 Guardian Express
- 4. Wetellthetruthabouteverythingthataffectsyou,evenif thattruthmaysometimesbeuncomfortabletohear.‘ ’ T he Las Vegas Guardian Express is ushering in a new era in journalism. In fact, we’re redefining what a newspaper is and embracing today’s technology to benefit the public. The days of advertiser-dictated news delivery are over and the internet has made this possible. Through the unique power of citizen journalism, we’ve escaped the muzzle of corporate America. You see, huge news- paper brands strive to bring you balanced coverage of newsworthy events and information, but they have an Achilles Heel, and that heel is pierced not by the arrow of a fictional deity but by advertising dollars, corporate interests and governmental concerns. The Las Vegas Guardian Express is different: We’re not teth- ered to any corporate or governmental interests as we deliver information to you because we’re powered exclusively by content from you, the citizens of the United States, as well as citizens of other countries that contribute to our publication. Our journalists are just regular folks who happen to have a tal- ent for writing and research. They come to us from all walks of life. Our writers’ opinions run the gamut from one end of the political spectrum to the other and everywhere in between. There is no overseeing entity telling us what we can and cannot say. In a regular newsroom, much attention is given to the concerns of advertisers. In fact, one of our journalists was told, in her previous position, that a restau- rant review she wrote was “too nega- tive.” Why? Because that restaurant was an advertiser with the paper, and that fact wasn’t hidden from the reporter; rather, it was freely dis- closed to her as a matter of status quo. Now take that one example and apply it to the major networks. By doing this, a clear picture of ex- treme censorship begins to unfold. Censorship from corporate spon- sors or political interest is of no concern to the team at the Las Ve- gas Guardian Express because we’re funded by technology and reader- ship. We answer to no one but you, the people, because we, too, are the people. We bring you citizen-run news and information, and we bring it to you from every outlook and philosophy under the sun. We are not intimidated by advertisers or worried about who might be offended at the political level. We bring you the truth as seen by an incredibly diverse set of intel- lects; unsullied by outside interests. We represent all angles, all view- points, all narratives, all stories. When you dive into our paper you dive into a world of complex and varied insights you simply can’t get anywhere else. But it’s not simply opinions that we deliver, although we certainly publish plenty of op-eds. We de- liver real facts based on supported research. Our hard news stories are reviewed by a team of senior editors to ensure an unbiased approach. Our opinion writers are required to back up their state- ments with verified and respected research: peer reviewed studies, expert testimony, published quo- tations and statistics provided by reputable sources. Our key concern is quality. We don’t accept just any writer; we demand excellence from our staff members. While we are citizen journalists, we are also gifted wordsmiths. Our elite team of editors is comprised of professionals who have training and experience in a variety of fields, including journalism. The Las Vegas Guardian Express is committed to bringing you the truth, even if that truth may at times be un- comfortable to hear. The influence of the mainstream media has decided elections, made careers – or ruined them – and brought down powerful figures; sometimes with justi- fication and, sometimes, without. We, at the Las Vegas Guardian Express have no special affinity with the political structure of the United States. We have no wish to bring down the innocent, but neither will we ignore the crimes of the guilty. We pledge to bring you the facts, as well as researched analysis and reasoned opinion. We are one of the few publica- tions in America that offers views from every sociological and political angle. Our readers will find breaking news, entertainment and sports stories; they will find political news as well as analysis and opinion – from both Right and Left – and each side presented with equal passion; they will discover science, technology and health features, both mainstream and alternative; they will be provided with coverage of developing stories from around the world. The Las Vegas Guardian Express will continue to grow and to expand its reach, introducing new sections and features while re- maining true to its founding princi- ples. We value our readers and their opinions. We encourage feedback Guardian Express Guardian ExpressLas Vegas About Us Page 7Page 6 Guardian Express
- 5. and comment, so long as it obeys the general rules of civilized dis- course. We will never censor or re- fuse a comment unless it is obscene or is intended to deliberately incite hatred or violence. Technology has given us the power to make our voices heard, but as the old saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.” It is our pledge to you, our readers, that we will honor that responsibility to bring you objective, fact-based news as well as editorials that span a wide spectrum of viewpoints. We welcome everyone into the dialogue, from all points on the spectrum – the left, the right, the moderate, the religious, the non-re- ligious, the liberal, the conservative, and everyone in between. The U.S. was founded on a similar platform. While America’s forefathers may have engaged in passionate shout- ing at each other when trying to give birth to the United States, one thing they all agreed upon was that everyone had the right to speak. This is an exciting time for us. We have come a long way in a short period of time and we are about to challenge the ‘establishment’ pub- lications for a place at the apex of news and opinion journalism. We sincerely hope that you will join us on this journey. You will not be disappointed. The truth about the things that affect you is about to be available in one place: Las Vegas Guardian Express. Publisher This website was first conceived as a print newspaper to be distributed in and around the Las Vegas, Nevada area. While originally founded by Di- Markco Chandler, the company began to emerge as a real media player when Bonito Sahagun decided to provide his professional expertise to complete the partnership now known as Frackle Media Group. The Las Vegas Guardian Express news- paper, led by Frackle Media, moved away from printing newspapers after 22 consecutive publication weeks and began to focus their efforts online. Since its February 2012 launch, the Guardian Express has turned the cor- ner from start-up to a legitimate online newspaper. Guardian Express’ publisher has been quoted as saying: I spent 10 years working on a BA, MA and PhD before I saw any real fruit from my labor, but during that period I gained knowledge and experience. Thus, what we offer is a real opportu- nity for writers and reporters to grow their talent and skills in a profession- al journalistic environment. No time clocks, no pressure, just peer accountability. Your work will be subjected to 2,500,000 verifiable readers per month. Do you have that many verifiable viewers on your blog? If you do, you definitely don’t need us. That said, The Guardian Express is a Las Vegas based newspaper with a broad scope that includes national and world news. They offer their readers relevant news, commen- taries and amusement to inform, inspire and enhance the quality of life for members of a culturally di- verse world community. Their news stories aim to expose injustice and corruption, which can undermine the liberties and freedoms cher- ished by all. Ultimately, The Guard- ian Express seeks to provide a safe platform from which to sound the diverse voices of the wonderful world community, encouraged always by today’s successes and tomorrow’s possibilities. Articles vary in number and in- clude such category topics as science, business, health, religion, politics, entertainment, technology, sports etc. The Guardian Express strives to be original and to provide fresh breaking news stories and opinions around the clock, 7 days a week. I nclusivity is perhaps the single most important human need to facilitate and demonstrate fairness for all members in an open and free society. When this princi- ple need is compromised by appearances of unscrupulous self-interested privileged elites to perpetuate a systemic widening disparity between social-economic classes favoring exclusivity, it is eminently imperative to galvanize public opposition to mitigate this threat. A society that is governed by its collective citizenry should never be margin- alized by its institutions or the people that run them. No institution should be more esteemed than its human beings. Thus, this analysis seeks to provide a historic back- drop to help trigger a new wave of global interaction and imagination. We must make an effort to level the playing field so that all voices are invited to participate in our global conversation. I for my part offer this short analytical portrait into “The Historical Model” as a starting point towards gaining greater understanding and inspiration to further our global debate. Editor’s Notes-Editorial Privilege When you receive corrections from an editor, the proper response is “thank you, I will make the corrections right away.” If an editor is taking the time out PUBLISHER’S NOTE:BoldlyInclusive to correct your article, they are doing it for your benefit, not their own. It is not acceptable to argue back, explain why you can’t make the corrections or make excuses. Check your ego at the front page, please. Sources If posting an article, particularly in the science or health section, you must use sources and those sources should be reputable. We should not be making claims based on nothing with no sources to back up what we are saying. Please make sure all news articles contain at least three sources. Page 8 Page 9 Guardian Express
- 6. JournalisticINTEGRITY “A poor original is better than a good imitation.” Ella Wheeler Wilcox The basis of this quote is to always apply your best into every article as true writers want nothing less. True journalism fundamentals cannot be taught in a classroom. They come with characteristics that include: -Sacrificing sleep for a good story -Researching and locating strong references -Providing more than one reliable source and protecting sources as requested. -Delivering a spin that is unique or varying that demands a reader to click. -Writing is a desire, a need to be fueled, an anticipation to share with the public. In doing so a writer will deliver nothing less than original and intriguing work. Guardian Express provides exceptional tools not found commonly in the trade. Use them as a foundation for originality. While the topic may not be original - the spin of the article should always be original. When an article performs well by attracting a sizable audience, it is inspirational. On the other hand, copying another author’s work and passing it off as one’s own can anger the author of the original piece. Artist are sensitive people, invested in the work they produce. When someone comes along and steals their ideas it is necessary for someone to take mitigating ac- tion. This offence is made worse when the thief is a colleague of the offended. The community of writers at the Guardian Express have outlawed this practice in its entirety. While there is nothing wrong with several authors writing on the same keyword topic, it is impera- tive that each writer fashion their own original thesis, clear and distinct from one another. The Guardian Express, boldly inclusive; not bold and in- trusive. Where journalistic integrity is priority number one Contact Us Publisher Publisher@guardianlv.com Senior Managing Editor Rebecca Savastio bsavastio@gmail.com Deputy Mangaing Editor Entertainment Michael Smith Michaeleuk@guardianlv.com Deputy Mangaing Editor Technology Angelina Bouc A.Bouc@guardianlv.com Deputy Mangaing Editor World News & Politics Grham Noble G.Noble@guardianlv.com Deputy Mangaing Editor Health Stacia Bliss S.Bliss@guardianlv.com Deputy Mangaing Editor Science James Fenner J.Fenner@guardianlv.com Deputy Mangaing Editor Sports Charlie Gille C.Gille@guardianlv.com Senior Review Editor Douglas Cobb d.cobb@guardianlv.com Senior Health & Science Editor Iam Bloom I.Bloom@guardianlv.com Junior Entertainment Editor Brucella Newman B.Newman@guardianlv.com Junior Health Editor Janet Grace Ortigas janetgraceortigas@gmail.com Managing Editor MarsScocial Kelly Knox Kwknox5o@yahoo.com PR Online@guardianlv.com Senior Graphic Director Gricelda Vicario Design@guardianlv.com Senior Copy Editor / Chief Arts Correspondent Cynthia Collins stories.ccollins@cynthia-col- lins.com Page 10 Page 11 Guardian Express
- 7. As a writer for the Guardian Express, there are many key elements to keep in mind. Before even composing the body of the article, the writer must be familiar with and know how to use several important tools. The following websites should be added as favorites on your computer to allow for easy access: www.titlecase.com www.titlecase.com does exactly what it says. It checks your title for accurate Upper and lower case words. Usually prepositions less than five letters are not capital- ized, however www.titlecase.com will verify that for you. Some small words are important and may need capital- ization in the title. www.bottlenose.com This is a most exciting site for the writer who is looking to break into headline news! This site accepts specific details about your keyword and zooms in to help find a new angle to the story. There are many options to use with your search and it gives the writer a bird’s eye view of what the world is talking and reading about. www.googlenews.com (Google News Nomenclature) You have to start with Google News! This is where to find the keyword your article will be about. Topics are cho- sen from the first layer of news which is easy to remem- ber by using: WUBTESSH. This stands for World, U.S., Business, Technology, En- tertainment, Sports, Science, and Health. Each of the eight categories have sub-topics you can find by clicking the main keyword. For example: If you click on En- tertainment, eight more topics come up such as Miley Cyrus, Breaking Bad, Michael Douglas, etc.... In total, there are 80 topics to choose from when looking for a keyword for your article. www.copyscape.com This is the most important tool in the writing industry, It will help you avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is the direct reproduction of another writer’s work. It can result in fines, loss of business, sales. and reputation. It is taken very seriously at The Guardian Express. After complet- ing and editing your article, copy and paste it into www. copyscape.com for results. The article is written around the chosen keyword topic. By reading a few of the already published stories in the news, you can get an idea of the proper direction to go. The keyword must be the first word or phrase of your title. The title needs to be used as a seamless sen- tence in the first paragraph, the middle of the story and in the last paragraph. The article must contain at least 500 words. More is even better, but you do not have to write a book! Proper spelling, grammar and punctu- ation is expected, so don’t rush to submit your article with out checking everything! A picture is worth 1,000 words, so select an image with care and one that reflects the theme of the article. Google Images contains a huge variety to choose from! Watch for watermarks and words on the image as those pictures can not be used. Also images from AP, Reuters and Getty can not be used. Adding the image and sizing details will be taught in boot camp. At the bottom of your draft page, you must set the featured image. Vid- eos can be added with the guidelines explained in class. Give your self credit and add your byline. Also add your name to categories, along with checking the correct category your keyword is from. Make sure you uncheck Headlines!Sources must be listed and linked. This will be taught in class. Wikipedia can be helpful, but is not to be listed as a source. Saving each edit and addition to your story is import- ant to avoid sending the wrong draft for review. Reread your article at least two times and check that everything is accurate and included. Happy Writing!! Roanne H. FitzGibbon As a writer for the Guardian Express Page 13Page 12 Guardian Express
- 8. Guardian Express Royalty Active Minimum: 2 article per month: Writers are deemed active and receive a 10% commission on article submissions Contributor: 8 articles per month: Produce 2 articles of choice and 6 assigned by Senior Editor – 20% commission Part time: 16 articles per month: Produce 8 articles of choice and 8 assigned by Senior Editor – 25% commission Basic: 29 articles per month: Produce 25 articles of choice and 4 assigned by Senior Editor – 30% commission Silver: 45 articles per month: Produce 41 articles of choice and 4 assigned by Senior Editor – 35% commission Gold: 64 articles per month: Produce 60 articles of choice and 4 assigned by Senior Editor – 40% commission Platinum: 94 articles per month: Produce 90 articles of choice and 4 assigned by Senior Editor – 45% commission (Small Stipends between $125 and $200 per month) Expenses paid, Equity Ownership potential All writers that remain under membership contracts for at least 7 months will be giving an opportunity to earn equity shares of the Guardian Ex- press from our employee equity pool. As company income increased stipend minimums will also increase. Monthly Compensation StructureEnterprise: Member: 112 articles per month: Produce 108 articles of choice and 4 assigned by Publisher – 50% commission (Stipends ranging from $200 to $300 per month) Ex- penses paid, Equity Ownership Guaranteed upon 7 months of satisfactory conduct and work performance. Potential Late Stage Co-founder. Page 15Page 14 Guardian Express
- 9. What Is Associated Press Style? One of the first things a student in a beginning journal- ism course learns about is Associated Press style, or AP style for short. AP style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. AP style was developed and is maintained by The Associated Press, the world’s oldest news service. Why Do I Have To Learn AP Style? Learning AP style is certainly not the most exciting or glamorous aspect of a career in journalism, but getting a handle on it is absolutely necessary. Why? Because AP style is the gold standard for print journalism. It’s used by the vast majority of newspapers in the U.S. A reporter who never bothers to learn even the basics of AP style, who gets into the habit of submitting stories filled with AP style errors, is likely to find himself covering the sew- age treatment board beat for a long, long time. How Do I Learn AP Style? To learn AP style you must get your hands on an AP Stylebook. It can be purchased at most bookstores or on- line. The stylebook is a comprehensive catalog of proper style usage and has literally thousands of entries. As such, it can be intimidating to the first-time user. But the AP Stylebook is designed to be used by reporters and editors working on tight deadlines, so generally it’s pretty easy to use. There’s no point in trying to memorize the AP Stylebook. The important thing is to get into the habit of using it whenever you write a news story to make sure your arti- cle follows proper AP style. The more you use the book, the more you’ll start to memorize certain points of AP style. Eventually you won’t have to refer to the stylebook nearly as much. On the other hand, don’t get cocky and toss out your AP Stylebook once you’ve memorized the basics. Master- ing AP style is a lifelong, or at least career-long, pursuit, and even expert copy editors with decades of experience find they must refer to it regularly. Indeed, walk into any newsroom, anywhere in the country and you’re likely to find an AP Stylebook on every desk. It’s the Bible of print journalism. The AP Stylebook is also an excellent reference work. It includes in-depth sections on libel law, business writing, sports, crime and firearms – all topics that any good re- porter should have a grasp of. For instance, what’s the difference between a burglary and a robbery? There’s a big difference, and a novice police reporter who makes the mistake of thinking they are one and the same thing is likely to get hammered by a tough editor. So before you write that the mugger burgled the little old lady’s purse, check your stylebook. Here are some of the most basic and commonly used AP style points. But remember, these represent only a tiny fraction of what’s in the AP Stylebook, so don’t use this page as a substitute for getting your own stylebook. Numbers One through nine are generally spelled out, while 10 and above are generally written as numerals. Example: He carried five books for 12 blocks. Percentages Percentages are always expressed as numerals, followed by the word “percent.” Example: The price of gas rose 5 percent. Ages Ages are always expressed as numerals. Example: He is 5 years old. Dollar Amounts Dollar amounts are always expressed as numerals, and the “$” sign is used. Example: $5, $15, $150, $150,000, $15 million, $15 bil- lion, $15.5 billion Street Addresses Numerals are used for numbered addresses. Street, Av- enue and Boulevard are abbreviated when used with a numbered address, but otherwise are spelled out. Route and Road are never abbreviated. Example: He lives at 123 Main St. His house is on Main Street. Her house in on 234 Elm Road. Dates Dates are expressed as numerals. The months August Page 16 Page 17 Guardian Express
- 10. Guardian Express through February are abbreviated when used with num- bered dates. March through July are never abbreviated. Months without dates are not abbreviated. “Th” is not used. Example: The meeting is on Oct. 15. She was born on July 12. I love the weather in November. Job Titles Job titles are generally capitalized when they appear be- fore a person’s name, but lowercase after the name. Example: President George Bush. George Bush is the president. Film, Book & Song Titles Generally these are capitalized and placed in quotation marks. Do not use quote marks with reference books or the names of newspapers or magazines. Example: He rented “Star Wars” on DVD. She read “War and Peace.” Journalism Journalism isn’t fiction writing - you can’t create stories from your imagination. You have to find newsworthy topics worth writing about. You can get started by check- ing out the places where news often happens - your local city hall, police precinct or courthouse. Attend a city council or school board meeting. Want to cover sports? High school football and basketball games can be very exciting and provide great experience for the aspiring sportswriter. Or interview local merchants for their take on the state of the economy. The Police Precinct If you want to cover the local crime beat, visit your local police precinct or station house (it’s good to call ahead first.) If you’re in a small town, get to know the police chief, detective and beat cops if you can. Ask them about any interesting cases or crimes they’ve handled recent- ly, or ask to see the arrest log for a day-by-day listing of incidents. The Courthouse The local courthouse can be a treasure trove of stories. Your local district court will typically be where less-seri- ous cases are dealt with – everything from traffic tickets to misdemeanor offenses – while a superior courthouse will be where felony trials are held. Check with the court clerk’s office to see what cases are due to be heard on any given day. Town Hall The city council, county commission, town board or village committee – whatever you call it, local govern- ment can be a rich source of stories for any reporter. Start by finding the website for your local town government. It will probably list times and even agendas for upcoming meetings. See what issues are being discussed, do some background research, then head to the meeting, pen and notebook in hand. The School Board School board meetings can also produce great stories. Again, school districts typically have websites that list school board meeting times and agendas. Such sites will probably list the members of the school board along with contact information, which can be useful for doing pre-meeting research or for doing interviews after the meeting. High School Sports Events Aspiring sportswriters need look no further than their lo- cal high schools for games to cover. Many top sportswrit- ers – those who cover the NFL, NBA and MKB – got their start covering high school football, basketball and baseball games, among other sports. Check your high school’s web- site for schedules. Community Centers, Local Libraries Places like these often have bulletin boards listing up- coming events in your area. Such facilities also often host events like lectures from visiting speakers or authors, or community forums. Art Galleries, Performing Arts Venues Is there a new exhibit by an up-and-coming artist at your local gallery? Review the exhibit or interview the artist. Is a community theater group performing a new play? Again, write a review or interview the actors or director. Local Colleges Colleges and universities typically host to a wide range of lectures, concerts and forums that are often free and open to the public. Check the college’s website for listings of such events. Businesses Want to become a business writer? Interview local mer- chants for their thoughts on the state of the economy. DiMarkco CHandler Page 18 Page 19
- 11. Style and Submission GuidelinesReputation is everything. We stand or fall on our reputation; our reputation as a media organization, as well as our individual reputa- tions. In order to bolster both of these, it is absolutely vital that we create total consistency in style and for- matting, throughout the site; this tells the reader that we are professionals and it speaks to the integrity of the articles they find on the Guardian Express website. Although different websites - and print publications - develop their own guidelines for style and formatting, they all base these guidelines upon the AP Stylebook. It is strongly recommended that every one of our writ- ers obtain a copy of this book, or take out an online subscription. Be warned, however; the AP Stylebook is very extensive and extremely daunting! Do not expect that you will be able to study and memorize it. If you can, I want to become your publicist, because, together, we will make a huge amount of money! The following rules lay the groundwork for the Guardian Express style guide. Over time, we will add to - and expand upon - these guidelines. They must be followed by every Guardian Express writer. Certainly, everyone should have this file open, or readily available for reference, when writing an article. After a time, the style guidelines will become second nature. We shall begin with some basics. If you do not have the AP Stylebook and you have a specific question on formatting, you may email me at g.noble@guardianlv.com and, although I do not guarantee you an instant reply, I will get back to you with the answer to your question, as soon as I am able. Plagiarism Plagiarism, basically, means copying someone else’s work (or even their ideas). A famous person once said “there is nothing new under the sun,” meaning that nothing is completely original; anything and everything that is created today was influenced - to a greater or lesser extent - by something that has gone before. Regardless of legal definitions, it is difficult to precisely define plagiarism. The Guardian Express has a very simple rule, regard- ing plagiarism: ALL ARTICLES MUST BE ORIGINAL WORK! There are no exceptions, unless we were in a situation where - for whatever reason - we had been given permission to reproduce someone else’s work. What plagiarism means for us: If you copy someone else’s writings and try to pass it off as your own, you will destroy your own reputation - not to mention possibly finding yourself in legal trouble. Other than never again writing for the Guardian Express, which is a certainty, you will probably never again be employed, as a writer, by anyone. By publishing an article that is not original work, the Guardian Express risks - other than a potential lawsuit - being completely ostracized by Google; which could de- stroy the business overnight. If that were not bad enough, our reputation would be shredded. Many journalists write articles based on other articles; unless a publication is breaking a story from its own sources, everybody is reporting the same news. Howev- er; it is not acceptable to copy someone else’s article and neither is it acceptable to re-word someone else’s article. When researching a story idea, a writer should be read- ing at least three different sources; either news articles or other sources of related information. Having done this, the writer can recount the event in their own words, us- ing the information they have gathered. Ideally, the writer should be tracing the story back to the original source: If you want to write an article about the George Zimmer- man trial, for example, you can find video coverage of the trial itself, the transcripts of telephone calls, previous interviews with defense or prosecution attorneys, etc. Having studied these, it is then possible for you to create an original article. The Final word on this is that any writer found plagia- rizing someone else’s work will be permanently banned from writing for the Guardian Express and will, in addi- tion, forfeit all rights to royalties from their articles. Article Titles The first letter of all words in headlines must be capital- ized, other than certain conjunctives, such as “and”, “the”, “to”, “at”, etc. The Easiest Way to Ensure Correct Capital- ization is to Use the Conversion Tool at www.titlecase. com. Simply paste your title into the left-hand box and hit the ‘convert’ button; your correctly capitalized title will appear in the right-hand box, for you to copy and paste. Try - as much as possible - to keep your title as short as you can. Make one point with your title; do not ramble or try to make multiple statements, so that the reader knows, at a glance, what the focus of the article is. Use as little punctuation in article titles as you can. Craft your titles to make sense without punctuation, if you can. If your title requires punctuation, however, then use it! Nothing looks worse than a title that is grammatically incorrect. Acceptable: Justin Bieber’s Monkey Seeks Asylum Not acceptable: Justin Biebers Monkey Seeks Asylum You’ll find plenty of articles that are ranked highly on Google News that contain question marks, colons, semi-colons, apostrophes and commas. Use when neces- sary, but try to avoid using punctuation in article titles if you can. Justin Bieber Surprised as Monkey Seeks Asylum Numbers When writing numbers, spell out one through nine. Numbers greater than nine should be represented by numerals; You may be able to come up with nine reasons why you think Justin Bieber is fabulous, but I can give you 10 reasons why I do not agree. When referring to positions or ranks (mainly for sports writers), use No. 1, No. 2, No. 50, etc. Do not write Number 1, or #1. Money Page 20 Page 21 Guardian Express
- 12. Monetary figures should be represented as numbers, preceded by the symbol that represents the currency: $10, $100, $500, $10,000. An amount of $1 million or above should be written as shown: $5 million, $787 Billion, etc. Do not write “$500 million dollars”; this is redundant, as you have used the dollar symbol and there is no need to include the word “dollars.” Dates When writing a date that includes the day, month and year, abbreviate the month, write the day as a number and separate the year with a comma. Always capitalize the month: The Declaration of Independence was signed on Jul. 4, 1776. Correct abbreviations for months: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. If writing only the month and year, spell out the month, with no comma before the year: July 1776, September 2001. Centuries should be represented as follows: 20th century, 18th century, 21st century. As with regular numbers, any- thing less than 10 should be written; first century, ninth century. Names and Titles Obviously, names of people and places are capitalized. Official titles are also capitalized, as in President Barack Obama. Less formal titles are not capitalized. Sports writ- ers, in particular, should keep that in mind; Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts; Hernandez, a former tight end with the New England Patriots. All country and city names should be capitalized: Bo- tswana, Los Angeles, Syria, Edinburgh. When writing the titles of books, articles, movies, tele- vision programs or songs, do not use quotation marks; simply italicize the quoted title. Recording artists and bands, however, are not emphasized: Acceptable: Watching the movie Blazing Saddles, whilst trying to read John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and listening to the Misfits - all at the same time - is extreme- ly confusing. Not acceptable: Although Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is one of their most well known works, The Final Cut is, argu- ably, a more creative album.. Emphasis When emphasizing a word or phrase in an article, you should italicize. Do not use bold type or UPPERCASE letters to emphasize; this is neither professional, nor correct. Abbreviations .Avoid abbreviating altogether; it is simply not accepted as a formal, professional way of writing. Acceptable: She is scheduled to appear on The View next week; They are calling for Justin Bieber’s monkey to be imprisoned. Not acceptable: He’s anti-gun, but he has armed body- guards; It’s going to be a great contest. Third Person On occasion, it is acceptable to write in the first or second person; if reporting an incident in which you, the writer, were directly involved, for instance. Normally, however, all news articles, op-eds and analysis pieces are written in the third person. First Person: Me, I, my, mine. Second Person: You, your, yours. Third Person: He, she, they, their Itemized Lists Professional news articles do not contain lists. Do not use bullet-point or numbered lists in your articles. If you wish to make a number of separate points, simply list them as separate paragraphs. Sub-headings should be avoided, but if you really feel that your article needs to be divided into sections, then separate the sections with a double space and then put your sub-heading for that section in bold - in the same way that the sections of this guide are formatted. Embedded, or In-text, Links Do not embed links to other sites within your article. This may encourage the reader to navigate away from our site, in order to read the information to which you have linked. The only links you should be placing within the body of your text - if at all - should be links to related articles on the Guardian Express website. Links to Wiki- pedia articles are not acceptable; whilst Wikipedia is an acceptable source of basic, background information on a specific person or event, it should not be considered a definitive source of accurate information. Certainly, the Guardian Express should not be publicizing the fact that Wikipedia has been used in the research of any article. Editorial Standard The Guardian Express occupies a unique position in the media world. Our willingness to publish opinion that spans the entire political spectrum sets us apart from all others: The mainstream, Liberal media refuses to provide a Right-wing viewpoint; The Conservative media (mainly online) does not put forward the Liberal perspective. In boldly choosing to publish both, we assume an enormous moral, ethical and professional responsibility; to educate, inform and then allow the reader to choose, analyze and decide where they stand, on a given issue. In the interests of preserving this unparalleled position, we do not wish to impose too many restrictions on what we are - and are not - prepared to publish. However; we should always keep in mind that each of us has a duty to present our respective argument in an informed, logical and civil fashion. There already exist countless political blogs, both Right- and Left-wing, that express hate, intolerance, bigotry and extremism, with little or no credible source for their views. We shall leave the ranting and raving to them. Our political articles will meet the following standards: 1. They will contain substance. The most respected and widely-read political analysts and pundits on the internet, be they Liberal or Conservative, cite quotes, polls, statistics, studies and accounts of actual events, in order to justify their views, analysis and predictions. It is not acceptable to write an article title that expresses an opinion and then provide - within the article - no cred- ible information that substantiates that opinion. If the article merely opines, but does not inform and educate, it does not belong on our site. 2. They will not contain extreme statements. One could argue that the definition of ‘extreme’ is subjective, Page 222 Page 23
- 13. depending on one’s beliefs. Therefore, we are obliged to define the word for our purposes. Extremist language will be deemed to include the following: a. Personal insults. Whilst we may express the opinion that a certain individual is clueless, ill-informed, uneducated, ignorant (and point out why they are so), we shall not insult a person’s physique, family, gender, skin-color, sexual preference, race or religion. b. Incitement of hatred or violence. We may de- scribe an individual as deserving of arrest, impeachment, imprisonment, investigation, termination from whatever position or occupation they hold, etc., but we will not wish physical harm or death upon them, merely because we do not agree with their politics. c. The word “hate” should be avoided: It is impossi- ble to prove that any individual or group “hates” another unless you can cite an actual quote or speech in which the word, or some derivative of it, is used. To say that one person, one political party or one ethnic or religious group hates another is almost always purely subjective. As an example: One could say that Republicans “hate” wom- en, because they are opposed to abortion, but one could also argue that Democrats “hate” children, since they so enthusiastically promote abortion; both statements are merely extreme assertions and entirely un-provable. Writers would be well-advised to avoid using the word; it is, simply, unprofessional to make such an accusation unless you can provide unquestionable evidence to cor- roborate it. 3. They will contain honest information. It is unac- ceptable to make statements that can be proven false, to recount an incident that did not happen or to accredit a statement to someone who did not make it. 4. Health and Science articles should be corroborat- ed by legitimate, peer-reviewed research and/or studies. Any article that promotes a theory, speculative conclu- sions, or metaphysical beliefs and practices must always be clearly labelled as such and should be written in a manner that states, honestly, that the subject-matter is not verified by conclusive scientific or medical research. Science-related articles should be labelled as ‘metaphysi- cal’. This is a category under science, in the list of catego- ries. Health-related articles should be labelled ‘alternative’, which is under the ‘health’ category. The Guardian Express, truly, has the potential to become the most read and cited political opinion site on the in- ternet. We should all aspire to the very highest standards of integrity, respectability, professionalism and insight, whilst promoting our respective views with passion and fearless commitment. Graham J Noble Capitalization, Grammar, and Editing GUIDE 1. Title case – Prepositions less than five letters, definite, and indefinite articles should not be capitalized, unless it is the first word of a title. Examples: a) Heat Wave in July b) For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway c) Hiking Through the Rockies 2. Subject and verb agreement – Make sure a single subject has a single verb, and a plural subject has a plural verb. Examples: a) A common problem in many hospitals is… “Problem” is singular and the subject. The verb referring to it should also be singular – “is.” b) According to the ambassador, the issues are worldwide. “Issues” is the plural subject and “are” is the plural verb. 3. Punctuation and quotes – Periods, commas, etc., go before the closing quote, not after. Examples: a) “Look at that,” she said. b) This was the professor’s “undoing.” 4. Spelling – When two or more words are pro- nounced the same but have different spellings, make sure you select the correct spelling for the sentence context. Examples: TO COMMON a) I want to give you a present. b) I have a present for you, too. c) There are two books on the table. d) This is their favorite restaurant. Listing sources is covered on the next page. 5. Listing sources – If the source is from another website, do not list the url. You can type in the name of the article from that website and link it, or, you can list “source” and link it that way. You will get a feel of when to list “source” and when to list the actual article/website name (not the url) on your own the more you do this. Examples: a) Incorrect -- http://guardianlv.com/guardian-ex- press-team/ Correct -- Guardian Express Team b) Incorrect – Source 1 (without a link) Correct – Source 1 When referencing a specific article or page within a larger website – Incorrect – Las Vegas Guardian Express Correct – Las Vegas Guardian Express editorial – The Historical Model Also Correct – Source 1 When referencing the website of a subject of your article Incorrect -- https://disneyland.disney.go.com/ Correct – Disneyland Cynthia Collins Page 24 Page 25 Guardian Express
- 14. Howto linkBy: Cynthia Collins At the end of your article, type in “Source 1” (as an example).å 1. Highlight the url you want to attach and copy it. 2. Highlight entire word “source” or phrase you’ve listed in your new article. 3. You’ll get the insert/edit link box. 4. Guardian Express Las Vegas Boldly Inclusive ™ Page 27Page 26 Guardian Express
- 15. 7. 5. 8. 6. Paste the copied url into the space that says URL. Check the box that says open to new window/tab. Click add link button. Screen returns to the posting page. If done correctly, anyone who views that pub- lished page should be able to put their cursor on the highlighted link, hover over it, and see the name of what you linked. Type or paste name of specific article or name (not url) of website Page 29Page 28 Guardian Express
- 16. HOWTo Insert IMAGES 1. 2. 3. Placing your cursor Click the Add Media button Add or Select Your Image In order to add an image to your page or post, you must first insert your cursor in the place in the text where you want the image to appear. By placing your cursor within your text, you can add images inline with your content. You can also place your cursor on a blank line if you want the image to appear by itself instead. Once you’ve placed your cursor on the line where you want your image to appear, click on the Add Media button to launch the media uploader interface, and then select the Insert Media op- tion from the list of actions in the left side of the media uploader window. You can add or select the image you want to add to your page or post by choosing from either of the following options in the center of the media uploader window: Upload Files: Upload the image you want to use from your computer by dragging it into the upload area. Media Library: Select from any previously uploaded images in the media library by clicking on the one you wish to add to your page or post. Page 31Page 30 Guardian Express
- 17. 4. 5. Attachment Details Attachment Display Settings Image Alignment The Attachment Details pane displays a small un- cropped thumbnail of the image, as well as import- ant information such as the filename, date upload- ed, and image dimensions in pixels. There are also action links that allow you to Edit Image, which takes you to the Edit Image page, or to Delete Permanently to remove the image from your site In addition, you can edit the following media information: Title: The title of this media. Caption: The caption for this image. The text you enter here will be displayed below the image. Alternate Text: Enter the Alt text for the image, e.g. “The Mona Lisa” to describe the media. Description: A description for this particular me- dia. The Attachment Display Settings pane controls how the image is dis- played when viewed on the site. You have options to set how you would like the image aligned on the page (in relation to the text and margins) and what the link behavior of the image will be, In addition you can set what size image you would like to display on your page. The Alignment setting allows you to determine where you would like the image to appear in your content area and how it interacts with any text on the page. You have the following image alignment options to choose from: Left: Aligns the image on the left hand margin, and any text that is on the page wraps (or flows) around the image to the available space on the right. Right: Aligns the image on the right hand margin, and any text that is on the page wraps (or flows) around the image to the available space on the left. Center: Aligns the image to the center of the page, with no text displayed around it. None: Inserts the image in to the page with no alignment Page 33Page 32 Guardian Express
- 18. COMBINING G oogle only has a certain number of topics trending at a time. If everyone at Guardian Express wrote about the same trends, life would become repetitive and boring, no matter how well the article is written. Here are some tips I learned just by trial and error to help combine the best of both Google trends and Bottlenose. Keep in mind that these will not always work, but will help more often than not. I’ll use the generic topic of “museum” as an example. First, I’ll check Google trends to see what topics interest me. Science has a trending subject about the precision of atomic clocks. I’m not a science person, but this subject has lots of possibilities. This is where Bottlenose comes in. I type in “clock museum” in the Bottlenose search bar to see if anything related comes up. I’m in luck. Something pops up about an exhibit open- ing in Massachusetts in October about chiming or musical clocks from the 1700s. I’ll write about that house museum and the upcoming clock exhibit but, somehow, will try to tie it in with how clocks have evolved. Here’s another example, this time using a trending topic under Business – United Parcel Service (UPS). The lead story is about UPS and Wells Fargo layoffs and eliminat- ing healthcare benefits for spouses. I type in “Wells Fargo museum” in the Bottlenose search bar because I think it will have more pos- sibilities than UPS. Several results come up. I could write about the Wells Fargo museums and tie in their significance with present day. You can reverse the process by starting with any subject in Bottlenose and see if it hits on Google trends. I hope this helps illustrate how a limited number of subjects can become limitless. Cynthia Collins Page 35Page 34 Guardian Express Trendswith
- 19. Unit 1.) 3 days of topics selected from Google News by Training Candidate (Unit 2.) 3 to 6 days of training: 1. Company Orientation 2. Google News Layers 4. Categories 5. At least one of the following eight categories must be selected. (World, U.S., Business, Technology, Enter- tainment, Sports, Science, Health.) Now there are subcat- egories underneath these primary categories. It does not however suffice for one to select a subcategory and leave one of the primary categories unchecked. An editor must always make sure one of these 8 primary categories are checked. Once more, they are “WORLD, U.S., BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY, ENTER- TAINMENT, SPORTS, SCIENCE, AND HEALTH. 6. Titles must have searchable key words that make up the trending element. 7. Titles should not be in the content as a title, but must be at the very top of the editing dashboard title location. Once a title is placed in its proper location, it should not also be included as a title separated from the content again. 8. Titles must however, be integrated into an article as a sentence. It does not have to be word for word, but the best practice is to make sure all the words of a title are included in the article and in context as a sentence within the report. 9. Do you have at least 500 words? Unless you are breaking a story, in other words trying to get it out before anyone else, an article should have at least 500, words or close to 500 as possible. 10. With all the work it takes to write a long article, it does not make since for an author’s piece to receive under 100 views. If you don’t care if someone reads your arti- cle or not, then you are not only hurting yourself, you’re hurting the team and should consider a different organi- zation to share your talent with. a. news.google.com b. www.google.com/analytics/web/?hl=en&pli=1#real- time/rt-overview/a31758845w58618456p59852263/ c. twitter.com/BreakingNews d. guardianlv.com/wp-admin e. www.alexa.com/ f. www.alexa.com/toolbar g. bottlenose.com/ h. www.worthofweb.com/ i. thesaurus.com/ j. images.google.com/ k. adwords.google.com/o/Targeting/Explorer?__ c=1000000000&__u=1000000000&ideaRequestType=KEY- WORD_IDEAS l. www.google.com/help/features.html m. support.google.com/websearch/an- swer/142143?hl=en n. www.googleguide.com/category/search-tools/ o. www.googlekeywordtool.com/ p. www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&tab=3w&authus- er=0 q. www.google.com/intl/en/about/products/ r. accounts.google.com/login s. Finally, everyone must have or open up a twitter account and NYTimes registration 3. Helpful links 11. Only News Stories should be placed in the large feature area of the Guardian’s front page. 12. Did you use a spell check and did you check your grammar. It is best that writers read their articles out loud before submitting them to the publisher. 13. Is your image centered and have you included a feature image 14. Have you identified your sources 15. Change all the meta data in an image 16. Remember to put your name at the bottom of your post. Remember that post need to be at least 500 words. And remember to save as draft if the post is not ready for publishing. If you save as pending it is telling the publisher, you are ready for your submission to be published. Continue to choose topics from Google News but can- didates should be using Google Analytics to experiment with. Candidates should begin to produce one article a day during training using Bottlenose application Candidates begin to receive assignment articles from the editor Education covering Google’s Regular Browser Trends Verbal Test ßDay of Reckoning: Candidate must produce a viral arti- cle that hits at least the second layer of Google News. This consist of using Google Analytics, Bottlenose, Google News in conjunction with article submission. A candidate must set aside at least 8 consecutive hours to complete this task. Once this task is successfully passed a candidate will receive a certification certificate of achievement. Training Checklist Page 37Page 36 Guardian Express
- 20. Googlenews Nomenclature Google News has what we call 4 layers. 1) First Layer – 1 page – If your article appears on Google’s first layer news – 5,000 to 100,000 reads the first day that google places it there. (they put your article under the ‘first layer’ section www.new.google.com 2) Second Layer – 8 pages - If your article appears on Google’s second layer news – 1,000 to 5,000 reads the first day that google places it there. (they put your article in front of their audience) - WUBTESSH 3) Third Layer – 80 pages - If your article appears on Google’s third layer news – 100 to 1000 reads the first day that google places it there. (they put your article in front of their audience) Keyword Topic Subjects 4) Fourth Layer – Unlimited – not very profitable WUBTESSH WORLD U.S BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY ENTERTAINMENT SCIENCE SPORTS HEALTHPage 39Page 38 Guardian Express
- 21. Guardian Express Las Vegas Boldly Inclusive ™ Article Performance 1. Title, Title, Title……..In order to deliberately fashion an article that can attract a viral audience, it is extremely important for a writer to construct a provocative headline title. In other words, you need use your imagination to give your report an an- gle that is uniquely different from similar stories that are tied to your primary keyword. (a primary keyword can be found under- neath a second layer category name). All titles must have in them the primary keyword chosen from Google news. 2. There are 8 second layer categories located at https:// news.google.com. They are: World, US, Business, Technolo- gy, Entertainment, Sports, Science, and Health. Underneath each category, writers will find 10 primary keyword topics. When submitting your article to the publisher for review, a writer must select at least one of the eight catego- ry choices. Make sure the correct category is checked 3. Ideally, you want to start your title with the primary keyword topic you have chosen to write about. 4. Title Sentence: all writers should place a seamless sentence in the first paragraph, made up of the primary keyword, nouns, verbs and adjectives used to create the headline title of your article. The sentence must however be seamlessly integrated into the first paragraph. 5. Relative to Google page ranking – it is important that your submission is made up of at least 500 or more words. 1) Keyword probability check 2) Topic Keyword – Needs to start your title 3) Title - http://titlecase.com/ 4) Copyscape - http://www.copyscape.com/ username = guardian. Password: mchand2303 5) Read your article out-loud 6) Check spelling 7) Word count at least 500 8) Make sure you have the correct category selected – don’t check everything 9) Center images – Make sure the image is at least 300px tall 10) Grammar check 11) Follow number 6 from the article performance checklist 12) Search for images with your title: this will help make sure you’ve spelled your title correctly. 13) By line – your name, select your name from among the category list. 14) Sources Page 41Page 40 Guardian Express 6. In order to maximize your article’s performance, it is important for writers to include three separate instances of your primary keyword topic sentence. a. One in the first paragraph b. Place a second one somewhere around the middle of your article c. Place a third keyword topic sentence as you close your report. 7. Try to avoid using punctuation marks in your headline title. Question marks are fine, but commas, colons and semicolons tend to hinder perfor- mance. 8. Never use all capital letters in a headline title 3) Title: titlecase.com/ 9. Periods and commas must always be placed inside quotation marks when peri- ods or commas are necessary (body of your text). 10. Remember, always remember to place your name at the end of your article. 11. Put embedded videos on the text side of the WordPress editor; and use 640 width. 12. Be aware that your topic of choice may have a short life in Google News, so choose your topics wisely, and get them to the publisher so he/she may preview as soon as possible. Ignoring this advice could cause a good article to perform poorly. This checklist is the copyright material of CCMA and Frackle Media Group. Any disclosure or unauthorized use by anyone other than certified members of the Guardian Express or New Yorker Times is violation of U.S. Copyright Law
- 22. CERTIFICATION SUNDAY Intensified Authorial Creative Immersion a. Article Types from which a candidate can choose from I. Breaking News – word count rule is relaxed for break- ing news stories (Limit of 2). Candidate should use Bottlenose. Anything older than an hour will not count as breaking new. II. News – remember that when writing a news story, stick to the facts. Hint – for those of you that find it difficult to write 5 articles or more article in one day, remember that Breaking News and News stories that stick to the facts are not time consuming endeavors. Moreover, news stories and breaking news do not necessarily have to be original; in other words, you can paraphrase. III. Opinion – your opinion on a primary keyword topic IV. Other – if your idea of an article type falls outside of this list, only your team leaders will have the authority to pro- vide approval. Therefore, make sure you have a way to reach them. (via phone or email) V. Each candidate will receive one article assignment from the publisher. Once you are in receipt of your assign- ment, you must give it your immediate attention, and com- plete it before continuing any other certification task. Beginning at 12:01 AM – 11:59 PM 1. Candidates that expect to graduate and receive certification must set aside this entire day, which begins soon after the aspirant arises from sleep (candidate are trusted to choose an appropri- ate hour) to partake in the day’s planned activities. 2. All candidate must write at least 5 articles chosen from any one of the 8 WUBTESSH second layer categories and one article assigned to them by the publisher. If any of these article go viral, (at least 30 -40 online readers concurrently access your article) a candidate has successfully completed this most important task. However, submissions that do not pass the Article Perfor- mance Checklist will be voided and will not count as a qualifying news story. In total, 6 articles must be submitted for publication. 3. If a candidate fails to complete their writing tasks, they can either start from scratch on Sun- day, spend another week in Bootcamp or simply forfeit candidacy. Note: candidate can go in front of a review board to request membership entry. 4. All candidates must create and submit to the publisher, in their own words, an article review checklist. This requirement must be met before a certification certificate can be issued. 5. All candidate must submit to the publisher a testimony describing their Bootcamp experi- ence. 6. Once a candidate has completed these task, a 5-10 minute oral exam will be administered over Skype. This process is simple: Upon completion, a candidate must connect to Skype username – t4rge1 and take their oral exam. 7. Candidates are to leave their Skype on upon completion of oral exam so that they can receive their personal test results. 8. The final task involves image sizing (eliminated). Once the candidate passes their oral exam, an image sizing test will be observed by the administrator. Once a candidate completes this final chal- lenge they will be immediately certified and receive an email copy of their certification certificates along with a company Press Pass. GOODLUCK Guardian Express Las Vegas Boldly Inclusive ™ Page 43Page 42
- 23. Guardian Express Writer’s Bootcamp Testimonial Nancy Schimelpfening The Guardian Express’s Boot Camp, hosted by DiMarkco Chandler, is simply the best training experience that I have been through in my career as a writer. DiMark- co really knows his stuff and he has a way of inspiring writers of all levels of ability to work hard and do better. You really feel like you are a safe environment in this class, where there are no mistakes, only lessons. I can’t say enough about how much I have benefited from this experience. If DiMarkco will have me, I would thoroughly enjoy working for this organization. My ideal outcome would be to work at a Platinum or Enterprise level, although I think I would be better able to deliver at the Platinum level due to the fact that I have a small child. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Guardian Express Boot- camp experience and have found it to be extremely helpful to me as a writer in polishing not only my writing and editing skills, but in working as a team, in finding attractive and timely articles to write and to become an over-all better and more effective story-creator. I am very grateful to DiMarkco Chandler who owns and heads up this operation. His insights and techniques are very in- sightful and effective. He has been kind, supportive and available any time for questions, feedback and unending information on how to perform better, write better and feel more confident as a journalist. I highly recommend this program and would suggest it to anyone looking to dive into journalism and have an enjoyable, educational and productive time - professionally and for the mere pleasure of writing a good story. It is an honor to be asso- ciated with such a reputable individual and organization. I am truly blessed. ~ Stasia Bliss Laura Oneale - Guardian Express - My testimonial I am Laura Oneale from Johannesburg. South Africa. This is my testimonial about my experience I have received over the last three weeks from the Guardian Express Boot camp training course. Toward the end of last year, I joined the New Yorker Times. A social network site currently in beta stage and it is where I met interesting people and had instant access to great articles. One of my new contacts from that site recommended I join the Guard- ian Express Boot camp SEO Training program. I completed the application form, and within a day, my training began. The first part of the course was relatively easy and I had to submit four articles for review. To my delight, I advanced to the second stage of the training program. This is where I had learnt so much about article writing, SEO importance, and much more. Every day, for three weeks, I was guided and taught the correct way to write articles. During the course, I learned about the importance of choosing a strong title for an article. The focus on submitting perfect images and videos for an article was intense yet invaluable. The time difference between my country and the home of the Guardian Express became a problem and almost caused me not to carry on with the course, but the Editor Mr. DiMarko Chandler, allowed me to continue with the course at a convenient time. The experienced staff of the Guardian Express guided the students through this training course with expertise, patience and per- fection. Their drive for perfection, their dedication, and pleasant manner made the course an adventure and challenge for all. I believe the most important lesson I gained under the guidance of a talented leader, is that determination to succeed is possible and if you fail the first time, fail better the next time. Thank you to all the Guardian Express Editors and staff, I am forever grateful to you. I entered into the writer’s boot camp with a sense of dread. I usually take my time writing, and completing six articles in a row seemed daunting. However, I am a writer on the upswing. So I kept listening to the news and checking what the latest was. I’m kind of a news junkie anyway. I didn’t get to sleep until late the night before, and woke up early the next morning. I hummed through the first few articles. I checked Google News, saw what was trending and what sparked my interest and off I went. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Before I knew it half the day was gone and I was already through three. I paced myself after that. I started feeling fatigue but my lovely wife bought Indian food. We watched an episode of Spaced and I was re- newed. Articles four, five and six came in dips and drabs, with long intervals between. I am not used to writing like this but accepted the challenge and kept moving forward. I enjoyed each topic, found great pictures, the photos were put in easy and I was ready to go. Practice definitely helped. In the end, even though I dreaded it at first I really appre- ciated this exercise. It proved to me that I’m a great writ- er, that I can really pull it out when push comes to shove, without sacrificing the quality of my writing. By: Philip Perry Bootcamp was a bit intimidating at times but reminded me a lot of college, an environment that I have just left and apparently already miss. It was comforting to know that mistakes could be made and feedback given. The writing profession sometimes feels a bit isolating when opportunity after opportunity presents complete silence on the other end of toil and sweat from the writer. Each step of the way was met by me with both excitment and trepidation. Dare I hope that something I write could be read by more than just my closest friends? I have had this dream to find my voice, be heard and make a difference. There are a lot of conversations going on in our society and I like to think that I have something meaningful to contribute, but will this perception prove to be vanity? Then, a few days into training something wonderful hap- pened. I wrote an article that thousands of people have read. For better or worse, some have even reacted. I was surprised to receive such validation so quickly. Over the course of the rest of the week, I have been cited and quot- ed in other people’s articles. My voice has been heard, my contributions have begun and I’m still in bootcamp. I attribute this largely to the fact that DiMarkco put so much of himself into teaching me and my fellow boot- campers how to get our voices out into the world. Learn- ing new things, looking forward toward the future and hoping for success can be overwhelming for me, but DiMarkco’s enthusiasm was comforting. It was like a compass in the muddy waters of uncertainty. This was a pretty valuable part of training for me, personally, be- cause I take my writing very seriously and things I take seriously I tend to freeze and struggle to accomplish anything with. Needless to say, I felt a lot of anxiety about “Hell Day.” The sheer volume of writing required for the day was both scary and very motivating. After the article I wrote while in training and all the excitment I felt in that suc- cess, I wanted this next challenge to prove to myself that I was capable of even more. It took me over 12 hours to finish and I got yelled at for a mistake I should have known better than to make, but I wrote six articles that I feel represent me rising to the challenge. Vanessa Blanchard Page 45Page 44 Guardian Express Boot camp is one of the smartest most immersive training programs I have ever been through. The stacked classes and repetition go a long way towards making sure everyone who pays attention will get all the information they need to perform well and become a member of GLV. Having previously written for AssociatedContent.com, now Yahoo! Voices. I am pleased to see a site that recognizes the hard work of authors and content providers. Instead of receiving a mere pittance, we are given every opportunity to go as far as we wish, depending on just how much we can or will do as far to contributing to the site content. I still have about 45 articles on Yahoo!Voices, which I am not being paid for. I attempted to contact someone on the matter and was simply told there was nothing that could be done because I had failed to log in within the time frame to maintain my active status. That page had nearly 100k views last time I looked at it. I am so disappointed and disheartened I can no longer bear to read my own work. I am excited to be working at GLV, because I look forward to sharing my experiences and learning new and better ways to do this writing thing. I have always always dreamed of writing for a living and making enough money so that writing could be my job. I cannot thank GLV enough for allowing me to realize my life dream. Dimarcko has given me something I couldn’t find anywhere else. I will move mountains for this company. Thank you, G Jordan
- 24. Testimony To: DiMarko Chandler, Ph.D., Las Vegas Guardian Express Re: Support for Writing Boot Camp September 29, 2013 Writing Boot Camp is like nothing I have ever experi- enced before. It has been intense, and a great learning experience for someone like me who has loved to write all her life. Yes I am sure most people say that, but for me it comes from the heart. I have kept journals of my life since I was 8 years old because I wanted to write so much. It has been my one true passion, and only real talent in life. Boot camp was a place I got to be where I was able to do it as much as I wanted. Only other writers understand what it feels like to be able to express yourself with the written word. We are artists just the same as painters, musicians, singers, yet we have only our hands to be able to express what our brains are so desperate to say. Boot camp allowed me to be able to use my mind in different ways I had not thought of before, new directions in which I could let my thoughts soar in a totally different directions. I felt as free as a bird. The two week period is the correct time period length, in my opinion as well, although I would not mind if the classes lasted longer each day. The more instruction I could have absorbed through the past two weeks the bet- ter. I have enjoyed this learning experience. I always like learning new things and this has expanded my horizon. I have learned more about the online newspaper business here in half a month than I even knew existed before. It is rather fascinating and sounds like a company I really want to be a part of. I was so impressed by everything I learned in Writing Boot Camp. If I become certified, I would like to be either a Platinum or Enterprise member if you would so allow me. Thank you. Sincerely yours, Kimberly Ruble Brucella Newman’s Writer’s Boot camp Testimonial When I first came across the Guardian Express Writer’s Boot Camp, I thought at first that it seemed too good to be true. I mean, free training? Anyway, I saved the page and let the idea marinate for a while. I continued to write creatively with my screenwriting partner and on my own novel, but then a voice in my head made me come back to the website and I am really glad I did. I cannot begin to describe what an educational and exciting journey I have just been on by taking up the Guardian Express Writer’s Boot Camp challenge. I say challenge, because it really is. But it was so worth it. Di- Markco Chandler is truly a generous and patient teacher as well as an excellent manager and publisher. It was also great being able to connect with other like-minded individuals and to go on the journey with my graduating class. The Guardian Express Boot Camp has really helped me hone my skills as a writer and to think about my writing from a different perspective. I still have much to learn – it is a huge learning curve – but one that I really enjoy and for which I am keen to do the best that I can. I was also encouraged to enter a writing competition for the paper and nearly fell off my chair when DiMarkco informed me that I had won! I’ve never won a writing competition in my life! I would like to thank DiMarkco from the bottom of my heart for his generosity with his time, knowledge and patience as well as for giving me the opportunity to work with the Guardian Express. I really look forward to see- ing this paper go from strength to strength. “Members of The Guardian Express serve mankind by contributing to and helping create the grander vision of collaborating with one another and by staying focused on the positive impact each and every one of our published words produce. Notably, Members of The Guardian Express are character- ized by excellence and distinction. We, therefore, are neither employ- ees nor are we mere spectators; we neither marginalize nor do we exclude others from the opportunity to honestly express themselves; we seek and guard the truth and shall encourage our fellow Members to do the same. It is, therefore, the belief of all Members that everyone is entitled to their well-informed and edu- cated opinion and it is the duty of the Members of The Guardian Express to make their best efforts in making such voices heard. Though we may have our own disagreements with or disapprovals of certain opinions expressed, we nevertheless have come to the agreement that it is our responsibility as Members to be the guardian of mankind’s right to express it. It is with great hon- or that I join in this covenant with my fellow Guardians.” Guardian Express Bootcamp Testimonial by Michael Blain Despite having an English degree from a well-re- spected university, I can honestly say that I learned more about modern journalism during this writing boot camp than I had ever thought possible. Tapping into the pulse of current news in order to inject my writing within has been both a humbling and exhilarating experience. The final certification day has been by far the most intense, even armed with tricks and proven methods to succeed on the journalistic battlegrounds it takes a calming routine and steady hand to navigate. No matter what happens beyond the boot camp experience, I know for certain that both my world view and writing abilities have both been expanded. Page 47Page46