a publication that tells the story of one school year in a responsible and creative way
often journalistic, a yearbook is really several books in one:
educational book
picture book
history book
reference book
public relations book
fun book
headline
the large type designed to attract readers to stories and draw them into pages.
a well-written headline summarizes a story or highlights its focus
headline components include primary and secondary
story
the main text, story or article, also called copy
stories come in a variety of formats; include facts, figures, and quotes
action photos
capture the important moments when they ‘re happening
these photos show an activity or event in progress
captions
text blocks accompanying photos that add information
captions answer reader’s questions about the people, the action and or the reaction in the photograph
can range from identifying and supplying minimal information for people in photos to serving as mini-stories telling the 5 Ws and H and including quotes.
also called cutlines
primary audience
students make up the primary audience of a school’s yearbook
content should be developed with this in mind
ideally, every student should be included in the yearbook at least three times
secondary audience
the faculty and staff, parents, community members, and advertisers who may read and see the yearbook
Scholastic press association judges and other yearbook staffs might be considered part of the secondary audience by some staffs
reader survey
a measurement of reader opinion, generally gained by asking questions in person or in writing.
a representative segment of readers should be surveyed
Teamwork
attitude
a positive attitude stimulates creativity
a positive attitude promotes a positive work environment
a positive attitude encourage open-mindedness
a positive attitude inspires action and teamwork
feedback
information that evaluates or provides observations
feedback includes an honest, specific and detailed critique of a situation, issue, or project outcome
constructive criticism should focus on the work, not the person
leader
a person who inspires and guides others to follow
effective leaders recognize:
their own strengths and weaknesses
try to always be learning
developing their own talents and taking risks
they understand that a positive self-image is contagious
vision
an overall picture of what is to be accomplished, the ideal
something to strive for
Responsibility
libel
a type of speech not protected under the Constitution of the United States
libel is a false printed statement (words or pictures) damaging a person’s reputation
slander is spoken statement damaging a person’s reputation
copyright
exclusive right to use and distribute original literary, artistic, or photographic materials
copyright law protects the rights of individuals to control the use of their intellectual property
Song lyrics, poetry, quotes, titles of books, movies, stamps, cartoon characters, photos of famous people, movie and television characters, games, currency, websites, website screenshots, computer software and corporate logos all may have very strict reproduction rights
using copyright material without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder is illegal
intellectual property
creations of the mind that are given the legal rights often associated with real personal property (copyright, trademark, patent)
the way ideas and facts are expressed can be copyrighted, although the actual ideas and facts cannot be
accuracy
exactness, correctness of information
all names, quotes, and information, including anything submitted by non-staffers, should be checked carefully
fairness
balanced, objective, and honest
all reporting must be fair and unbiased
the yearbook should not be used as a platform for personal views
good taste
thoughtful decisions and high standard ensure that the yearbook is free of questionable material such as racist or sexist remarks, ethnic slurs, crude humor, inside jokes, cruel remarks, or glamorizing illegal activities
statement of policy
clear guidelines for what is acceptable in the yearbook
this helps establish high standards for the yearbook
guidelines should be stated in a formal, written editorial policy, approved by appropriate school decision-makers and communicated to all yearbook staff members
Anatomy of the Yearbook and the Yearbook Spread
closing – final pages of the yearbook
contents – listing of the pages containing the sections, opening, closing, and index
cover – outside of the yearbook which protects the contents
divider – a spread used to separate each of the sections of the yearbook
endsheet – heavier sheets of paper which hold the pages of the yearbook to the cover
flat – eight pages on one side of the signature (also called multiple)
folio tabs – the page number and the topic of a spread typically placed as a unit at the bottom left and bottom right of the spread
four colors – printing in magenta, cyan, yellow, and black
graphics – elements such as rule lines, gray screens, large initial letters and special type treatments which enhance the book’s design
index – a complete alphabetical listing of all students, teachers, advertisers, topics (faculty, organizations), and events covered in the yearbook
ladder – a page-by-age listing of the yearbook’s contents
opening – the first two to four pages of the yearbook which introduce the theme
parting page – the final page to bid farewell
section – a yearbook is typically broken up into six groups; people, organizations/clubs, sports, academic, student life, advertising, and index
signature – a 16-page grouping made up of two 8-page flats
spine – area of the yearbook connecting the front and back covers
spot color – printing in at least one additional color besides black
spread – two facing or side-by-side pages in the yearbook
title page – page one of the yearbook; includes vital information regarding the school
eyeline – a horizontal break on the spread that is exactly one pica, but not in the middle of the layout
leading lines – real or imaginary lines that direct the reader to the center of interest in a photo
pica – a unit of measurement equal to 1/6 of an inch and 12 points
white space – blank area where no elements are placed
internal margins – spacing between items within the spread
external margins – spacing around perimeter (outer edge) of entire spread
colophon – detailed listing of technical printing information (at end of the book) and staff listing
gutter – vertical area where two pages meet in the middle
bleed – when any image or element touches the edge of the page extending beyond the trim page
kerning – adjusting space between the certain combination of type characters to improve the appearance
leading – the vertical distance between lines of type measured in points from the baseline of one line of type to the baseline of the next line
Writing for the Yearbook
angle – a writer’s specific perspective on a broader topic
attribution – to identify the person who said the words being quoted
copy – the main story on a yearbook spread
coverage – refers both to topic features on individual spreads and how the topics are highlighted
editorializing – when a reporter provides his or her opinion to the reader
interview – a conversation between a reporter and a source
lead – an attention-grabbing introduction that sets the tone of the story
quotation – a direct statement a reporter obtains through an interview
source – the person whom a reporter interview
spin-off – a “mini-theme” used as a section title
style sheet – a list of guidelines a writer uses to maintain consistent punctuation and capitalization
subhead – a secondary headline
theme – a verbal statement and a visual look which tie all parts of the yearbook together
transition – a factual sentence a writer uses to link one quotation to another in a piece of copy
serif – typestyle with tiny “feet” at the end of each letter stroke
Photographing for the Yearbook
rule of thirds – division of a photo, horizontally and vertically, so the subject falls into one of the interesting optical hot spots
dominant photo – a photo that is 2 to 2.5 times larger than other photos on the spread
cut-out background – editing, or cutting away, of unwanted content areas of a photo
candid – an unposed photo that documents the action or story