Seeing the effect of an assignment on a grade may offer the staffer a better understanding of the criteria for upcoming work. The change in grade may also encourage the staffer to talk to his editor or adviser about why his percentage in the class changed. This also establishes a precedent for a stronger line of communication between the editor and staffers. Four Heads Are Better Than One. Four-person work teams are a great way to divide the effort and complete a spread.
Teams consist of a caption writer, a copywriter, a designer and a photographer.
Have work groups conduct a mandatory five-minute session at the beginning of each class to check in and determine what needs to be done. Problems, or any other situations or concerns, must be communicated to the editor. When writers complete their tasks, they enter the finished captions and stories into the computer. If the photographer does not actually take all the pictures for the spread, she must insure that the required photographs are assigned and completed. The photographer also helps the designer choose the pictures for the pages.