EastLondonLine Feature competition guidelines – please read carefully
Are there any criteria?
- You must be 16-19 years old
- You need to live and/or study in boroughs of Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Southwark, Greenwich or Tower Hamlets;
- You must submit a feature and all your details to us by Wed 6th April
Important: You will also need to give us the name of your teacher and their contact details so you will need to let them know first if you want to enter.
What is a feature and how do I go about it?
A feature is a story about a place, a person, a group of people or an event.
Your story must be true.
You must talk to other people and record what they say – rather than just what you think.
It must concern at least one of the four East London Line boroughs: Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Croydon or Lewisham.
Your story could be an example of a bigger theme or idea.
For example:
- An interview with a shopkeeper who can no longer afford to pay rent would be a good way to talk about the problem of rising rents.
- Interviews with parents and children who have not been able to get into a local school because of the shortage of places. What affect has it had on their lives?
- Interviews with people who will have to move because of benefit cuts. Where will they go? How do they feel?
Your story could be an interview with a person who has done something special.
For example:
- Someone from your school who has become a star.
- Someone from the ELL area with an exciting job that other people would find interesting.
- Someone from the ELL area who has managed to survive a tragedy of some kind and come out of it stronger.
How to structure your feature.
Introduce the story by telling us why it matters. Something like:
Example 1
Josiah and Sam have been friends for five years but from next year their paths will separate. Sam has been unable to get into any of the local schools and will have to travel five miles every day to get an education.
Then talk to Sam and talk to Jo.
Then write something to make an ending like:
Sam and Jo will still stay in touch on Facebook but it won’t be the same as kicking a ball around together.
Example 2
Adele’s new album is out today. Here at the Brit School she isn’t just a star she is an old pupil. We talked to geography teacher Lorna Green who remembers her from the old days.
Now interview her teacher.
How Long?
Your feature should not be longer than 500 words.
Pictures
You don’t have to submit a photo but if we use it we will need one so always ask if people mind being photographed. If your subjects are under 18 you will need parental permission too.
Closing date?
All entries need to be with us by 5pm on Wed 6th April 2011. If you are having any difficulty uploading your feature please email us on competitions@eastlondonlines.co.uk.
Summer School
If you want to find out more about the journalism summer school at Goldsmiths, University of London, click here. You do not have to enter the competition to apply to the summer school.
What to do Next?
Make sure we have your name and contact details on your feature incase we want to use it. If we do use it we will need photographs and will have to fact check it so be prepared.
Then fill in the application form and attach your entry via the following link https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/ell-feature-comp-form/, direct to the following email address competitions@eastlondonlines.co.uk, or hand it to your teacher to send to us.
Any problems or queries just call Laura Cattell on 02079197114 or email on l.cattell@gold.ac.uk
