M&C The Newsroom Report AUGUST MAIN

Assignment 2 (10%)
Group work can be one of the most challenging aspects of being a university
student. This task is an opportunity for you to not only learn more about the
practices of journalism and increase your media literacy, but also to sharpen
your teamwork skills and learn about your own strengths and weaknesses.

Grade: This assignment is worth 10% of your final M&C grade. This grade
consists of your report (complete this document) and your tutors
observations. It is NOT a journalistic assessment of your final news
story, but rather an evaluation of the process you underwent to produce
it and the final outcome.

You will receive a group mark (5%) for your participation and
collaboration in producing an article for Meld Magazine and an
individual mark (5%) for your report. You will find the marking criteria
on the final page of this document.

Due: WEEK 9th DEC. 2016

Submit: Penalties apply for late submission. Early submissions are welcome.
Please SUBMIT this report as a PDF to TURNITIN with your name
e.g. Priscilla Chan Newsroom Report. As this was an in-class task, you
do NOT need a signed and dated cover sheet.

You must copy and paste your news story, as submitted to Meld
Magazine (i.e. in the template form), on the next page. You do not need
to include photographs/graphics.

Your name:Vicky (Xumin Chen)

Others in your team:Jennifer Tsang, Denise Tam.

Title of your news story: Ways to outsmart Melbourne weather

The Newsroom AUGUST Main 2016

NEWS STORY AS SUBMITTED TO MELD MAGAZINE

Place your story here. (Photos not required)

Jennifer, Vicky and Denise

Newsroom Draft

Topic: Ways to outsmart Melbourne weather

Melbourne is known for many things. Besides being dubbed the Most Livable City for several
years, Melbourne is also known for its erratic weather changes. Summer heats during the day to
freezing temperatures at night, its a no brainer why international students get dumbfounded by the
weather when they first step foot into the city.

So, exactly how can we prepare ourselves for Melbourne weather?

To shed some light on the topic, we interviewed current TCFS students alongside faculty members
on what to expect when in Melbourne. We also asked them for their own tips and tricks on how to
outsmart the changing weather.

WEAR LAYERS

Layer your clothing especially during the spring and autumn seasons where temperatures can
drastically change. Believe it or not, during the spring season, the temperature can rise to a peak of
30 degrees during daytime and drop to a shocking 12 degrees at night so keeping warm is
essential. Bulky layering is unnecessary but a cardigan or light jacket could just do the trick. Wear
clothing that can be easily carried as well so it wouldnt disrupt you throughout the day.
ALWAYS BRING AN UMBRELLA

With crazy weathers like Melbournes, you can expect the rain to be just as erratic. The thing with
Melbourne weather is that rain showers can just suddenly happen with no forewarning
whatsoever. For a second the days completely clear and the suns shining then next thing you
know, a rain shower randomly occurs. Because of this, it is best to always carry a compact
umbrella with you wherever you go. If carrying an umbrella daily is too much of a hassle, take the
initiative to check the weather forecast for the day and how high the chances of rainfall are. Its
always better to be safe than sorry.

STOCK UP ON THE VITAMINS

Since Melbournes weather is never stable, people become more susceptible to colds and flu.
During the spring season, hayfever in Melbourne gets crazy especially since the strong winds
blow pollen everywhere resulting to endless sneezing and coughing. With this in mind, it is best
to take precautionary measures by taking vitamins for that extra immune system boost. Eat on
orange for the extra vitamin C action or stock up on the greens for vitamin B6. The last thing
youd want to trouble yourself with is a runny nose while studying for that exam youve been
procrastinating.

STAY HYDRATED

It is important to stay hydrated. Keeping the body hydrated is basic information for maintaining a
healthy diet. Drinking water helps in alleviating wastes from the body and keeps the body system
moving. This is necessary especially in Melbourne since the changing weather weakens the
system and the heat during peak temperatures really suck the moisture out of your body. Despite
this knowledge, we oftentimes forget to drink the recommended amount of water a day therefore it
would be wise to carry a water bottle around with you. There are water fountains around the city
that make refilling convenient (and theyre all free which is always a plus).

Your Melbourne life does not have to be casted by gloomy experiences. Follow these tips and
adapting to Melbourne would be a breeze.
COMPLETE EACH SECTION OF THIS REPORT

Part A: Attendance

Obviously attendance is a key part of being in a team. If youre not there, youre not
contributing. Please put Y next to lectures and tutorials you attended, and N for
those you did not. If you have a medical certificate or other such document, put N
but scan and attach it to this submission. If you have already given me your medical
certificate, you do not need to resend it.

Lectures Tutorials
(Journalism & the Newsroom) Y (Newsroom with Meld) N
(Journalism skills & Copyright) Y (Newsroom) N
(The Newsroom/Websites) Y (Newsroom with Meld) N
(Newsroom with Meld) N

Part B: Participation

Note down here what you did in each of the following tutorial sessions. Keep this
brief, i.e. a few sentences per session.

14th 18th Nov

We discussed our article of the report and prepared the questions of
interviews.

21st 25th Nov

I have made appointment with four teachers from Trinity College on November
21. On account of my illness,I remitted the interviews to Thursday and the next
week which were planned to be on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I have interviewed Karen and Katherine on November 24 and interviewed
Tamara by Phuong's help on November 25.

28th 2nd Dec

I have interviewed Michaela on November 29 and I arrange the previous
interviews with Jennifer from sound recording to word documents.

5th 9th Dec

Finishing the last edition and correction and preparing for submission.
List days and times when you worked on this task outside of class and what you
achieved:

November 21
22:00~23:30
I sent emails to some teachers from Trinity College to ask them a fever to be
my interviewers and make appointments with them.

November 24
13:00~13:30
I met Katherine at Lincoln Square and interviewed her.
13:30~14:00
I interviewed Karen at Lincoln Square.

November 25
16:15~16:25
I interviewed Tamara at Victoria 200.

November 29
11:00~11:30
I interviewed Michaela at 715 Swanston Street.

November 30
18:00~19:00
I arranged the previous interviews from sound recording to word documents.

December 1
20:00~21:00
I arranged the previous interviews from sound recording to word documents.

December 2
10:00~12:00
I checked the word documents and sent it to my group members by wechat.
Part C: Your contribution and reflection

Write no more than 300 words in total reflecting on:

1) the process of working in a group to meet the goal of creating a news story. What
strengths and weaknesses did this bring out in you? (one paragraph); and

2) the practice of journalism. What did you learn about being a journalist and
journalism through your Meld Magazine experience? (one paragraph).

Use 1.5 spacing, 12 point font, Arial or Times New Roman.

At the first stage of group work, we discussed the topics we should choose and focus on. There
were three topics:comparing facilities between different universities,how to choose suitable
accomodation and getting along with your roommates and the ways to outsmart Melbourne
weather. Comparing the feasibility and practicability among those three topics, we chose the last
one eventually because the weather of Melbourne is exactly a serious issue which annoying
students from Trinity College who come from other countries with completely different weather.
We started working on our topic immediately after dividing the work definitely. My individual
work is interviewing the teachers and taking photos. Taking photos and interviewing are two
techniques that I am good at so that I have confidence to complete my work well.

Honestly, being a journalist is always my dream job since I was a little girl. This experience taught
me the importance of arranging my time because I have caught a badly cold which made me
change the interview time and missed an appointment.Another tip I learned from this experience is
always being relaxing and full of courage. During these interviews, I overcomed my intension
through practicing several times before interview. The practice of journalism is precious for me
and helped me to get closer to my dream of being a journalist.
 Meld Magazine Newsroom Assessment Task 10%
Marking Criteria Sheet

Name: Vicky (Xumin Chen).

Tutorial Day/Time: Friday 16:00.. Intake August Main

Meld News Story Title: Ways to outsmart Melbourne weather.

Group Members: Jennifer Tsang, Denise Tam. Vicky( Xumin Chen)

CRITERIA

PART A: GROUP MARK: WRITING THE STORY

Adherence to Meld writing, photo and layout style including use of

submission template 2 marks

Complexity and completeness of the news package 2 marks

Time-management including working to external and

internal deadlines 1 mark

PART B: INDIVIDUAL MARK: REFLECTION

Attendance and participation (lectures and tutorials) 1 mark

Insightful reflection on group work, including personal

strengths and weaknesses 2 marks
Depth of reflection on the practice of journalism 2 marks

Comments: Mark: / 10