A cut above the rest

Sunday September 18, 2011

A cut above the rest
Compelling content and design see 75 entries take home the coveted Merit Awards.

AN eye-catching cover, creative content, a pleasing layout and an exceptional display of writing skills. These are some of the requirements for a magazine to win a reader’s attention, and likewise, for entries of the Mag Inc 2011 contest, to make the cut.

Close to 55,000 entries were submitted for the annual Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) contest organised by The Star and Pizza Hut.

The contest, launched in March this year, was opened to primary and secondary schools nationwide. Entries highlighted topics such as health, environment, safety, social values and relationships, in line with the theme “Speak Out!”

The Star deputy group chief editor (II) Leanne Goh said that students this year were able to effectively vocalise the issues they face in print. However, she said that it was important for students to remember the serious consequences of plagiarism.

“We really discourage plagiarism. But many have learnt to cite their sources this year, which shows that they have been attentive at the nationwide workshops conducted in March and have made use of the tips uploaded onto the contest website,” she said.

The Star NiE editorial manager Sharon Ovinis noted that many entries delved into “grey” subject matters such as homosexuality and homeschooling.

“Not only were the students’ perspectives on these issues unique, they also produced many exciting covers to complement their topics,” she said.

While covers were eye-catching, she felt that students tended to go over the top with the centrespread.

“A poor choice of text font and size, as well as background colours chosen for the feature article were a hindrance to reading.”

She advises students to consider the hundreds of entries that the panel of judges had to read in a limited time.

“It’s important to make the feature article easy on the eyes. If your reader has to squint and decipher text which are printed in red against a green background, you aren’t going to capture your reader’s interest for long,“ Ovinis said.

“A strong lead (introduction) for your story is also important. If you can’t keep your reader glued to your story then, chances are, your reader is not going to complete reading what you have to ‘say’.”

This year’s contest challenged students to not only discuss issues close to their hearts but to provide solutions from their perspectives.

“This is where we saw the creative, analytical entries stand apart from the rest. It’s encouraging to see that we do have many young people who feel passionately about issues deemed important to their well-being,” she said.

So, has your entry made the cut? Read the list of merit award winners below to find out!

MAG INC 2011 MERIT AWARD WINNERS

Penang

1. SJK (C) KONG MIN CAWANGAN 2
Team Smart School Savers (Health Corner)

2. SMJK PEREMPUAN CHINA PULAU PINANG
Team The SeQuel (The SeQuel)

3. SMK CONVENT GREEN LANE
Team TEENducate (TEENducate)

4.

SMK ST. XAVIER

Team Bliss (LOUD – The Silent Killer)

5. SMK TINGGI BUKIT MERTAJAM
Team Eh!Motions (EH!motions)

http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/9/18/education/9482657&sec=education