Spartan News Now - January 2025 - ID# 550

Glenbrook North
News Program
Entry Description

Glenbrook North Broadcasting presents: Spartan News Now. SNN is made for students by students. In this episode, we cover GBN's Hurricane Relief Fundraiser, the twentieth anniversary of the GBN Boys Basketball state championship, and a new coffee shop in Northbrook.

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

  • 4/19 7:59 am - The news video shows a lot of strengths, especially in presentation and content variety. The anchors are well-dressed, giving a polished and professional appearance, and they engage with each other naturally on camera, which creates a comfortable and confident tone for the broadcast. The intro segment sets the tone nicely, and the pacing between stories is smooth, keeping the viewer engaged throughout. The coverage of the hurricane was especially strong—a unique and well-executed piece that stood out. It’s also great to see the team making an effort to get into the community and tell local stories. Technically, the audio is clear and consistent, which is a huge plus. One note for improvement: be sure to maintain consistent font styles throughout. For instance, the label “SNN ANCHOR” was styled differently between segments. Also, if outside footage—like clips from NC or basketball games—is used, remember to include proper attribution. Looking good!
  • 3/3 7:14 am - Watch consistency with fonts. “SNN ANCHOR” is different between Sean and Alexa. Anchors are nicely dressed, interact nicely, and look good reacting to each other. Did you get the NC and basketball footage from somewhere? You should attribute the video. Audio is good. Nice mix of stories and pacing of them.
  • 3/1 10:22 pm - nice intro segment. I appreciate the wardrobe of your anchors, clean look with the nicer clothes. Nice hurricane pack, good unique story. I also like that you get out into the community. If you are going to shoot an interview with black jackets on black, make sure to backlight the jackets to separate them from the background so they aren't just floating on the BG. Audio sounds great all the way through.
Judge 1

Positives: I appreciate the variety of news techniques included in the program, including news delivered by anchors, news packages from reporters and one-on-one interviews. This demonstrated skills in a variety of news gathering techniques, and the segments were well produced. This was a solid production. The anchors and reporters were professional and credible, the packages included a commendable amount of b-roll and the newscast was technically sound.

Improvements: While the newscast has a solid foundation, it’s time to take the production values to the next level. Injecting more creativity with a dynamic graphics package and more music will make the newscast more cohesive and engaging. Each news segment gave a good overview of its subject but try focusing on a unique angle to tell more of the story. The story of Jon Scheyer’s journey from Glenbrook North student to Duke head coach was an excellent start. For the orchesis segment, perhaps focus on one dancer and one member of the production team and tell why the performance is special to them. This would be more engaging.

Judge 2

Positives: Loved everything about this. Great open, the pacing was good, the hurricane fundraising story was very well done, and the story on Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer was excellent (and I'm not a Duke fan). Very high production values.

Improvements: Very minor points: would have like to have heard sound earlier in the fundraising story. and on dance, it's a story that begs for natural sound (i'm guessing that music was playing while they were dancing). and if the anchor introduces the sports anchor, there's no need for him to hem introduce himself. BUT these are minor things that don;t detract from a very strong show.

Judge 3

Positives: Anchors — Sean and Alexa Great energy and chemistry between Sean and Alexa; they seem to be having fun, which adds a positive dynamic to the show. Olivia Dunn’s Package Good story content with a strong foundation. The message about helping those impacted by Hurricane Helene comes through. Orchesis Story (if Alexa did it) Wonderful variety of b-roll—very dynamic and visually engaging. Deputy Superintendent Story Push to the full interview works well, so keep using it to give viewers additional context. A typical newsroom practice as a teaser. Eli Mittleman’s Story Great feature piece, fun and informative. Props for actually getting to sit down with Eli and sharing the fun fact! Bean Bar Coffee Shop Good use of b-roll to help develop the story and provide context.

Improvements: Anchors — Sean and Alexa Watch pacing: Slow down a bit to ensure the viewers can follow along more easily. Around 2:45, Sean thanks Alexa after Olivia’s package, but he isn’t looking at her, which feels awkward. Make small interactions more natural for a smoother flow. There’s no need to thank each other for handing stories off when you're sitting right next to each other. It feels unnecessary and isn’t typical news practice. Olivia Dunn’s Package Eliminate the 'thank you' to the anchors since it’s not a live production. Jump straight into the content for a more seamless transition. Mix in Avery’s interview earlier in the package to engage viewers right from the start. This will help break up the monotony and give a quicker introduction to the people involved. Consider starting the package with Avery’s sound, which would flow directly into how their efforts are helping those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Add the final fundraising number on screen to emphasize the story's impact and give it more significance. Orchesis Story (if Alexa did it) Include sound bites from one of the interviewees earlier in the package to keep the viewer engaged throughout. The interviews feel a bit delayed towards the end of the package. Deputy Superintendent Story Add depth to the interview—consider introducing lighting or changing locations to avoid the interviewee blending into the background. If you're showing yourself sitting down with the Deputy Superintendent, add a quick question or chit-chat between the two of you to make it feel more conversational. Bean Bar Coffee Shop Slow down your personal audio track—the pacing is a bit too fast at times, which can make it difficult to follow. Improve Serah’s interview composition: Angle her a little closer to the camera or adjust your position as the interviewer to make it feel more intimate.

Judge 4

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Judge 5

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