Caption : Same-sex marriage issue page by Rachelhiggi
Photographer : ActNow |
What is an issue page?
The aim of an issue page is to provide a basic, objective overview of an issue. It covers things like:
- what the issue is
- who it affects
- where it’s happening.
An issue is an event or situation that is of concern to young Australians. It is not simply information but rather something that can be supported or changed and evokes a personal response.
An issue can be something that only affects your local community, or can be far-reaching and globally important. As a general rule, issues are specific and deal with only one major event or situation eg salinity instead of environmental degradation.
Issue pages have to be requested.
What happens after I request an issue page?
If you request an issue, the ActNow Website Manager will be in contact. They’ll check to make sure that the issue page you requested isn’t already under development, and if it isn’t, she’ll ask you if you want to write it. If you’re keen, the process goes something like this:
- you submit an issue page outline—the headings you'd use and a skeleton of the content that would go under each heading
- feedback given
- you write the issue page and a thing to do and submit them to the Website Manager
- feedback given (if necessary)
- content amended (if necessary)
- content edited
- content uploaded to ActNow with related images.
If you’re not keen to write the issue page, the website manager will ask someone else to write it (usually an ActNow Intern or another member who’s expressed interest in writing issue pages), so please keep requesting!
Heading guidelines
As stated, these headings are just guidelines—they may not be appropriate for your issue. The key thing to remember is to ask yourself what you (and your friends) would like to know about the issue.
What is the issue?
Definitions, current events, testimony and legal things.
Who does it affect?
Who is involved? For example, if the issue was logging then trees, animals [habitat], loggers/workers, companies, people who use paper etc. are all affected). Is this a local or national issue, or does it have global reach?
Where is it happening?
This may include a summary of local, national and/or global issues.
Why is it happening?
This may include the history/ background of the issue, relevant law, other things contributing to it happening (e.g. cultural beliefs), motivation (why are people doing it?). Be careful here, especially if you have a sensitive issue.
Arguments for
What are the reasons for some people supporting a particular idea, view etc?
Arguments against
What are the reasons for some people being opposed to a particular idea, view etc?
What’s being done? What’s being suggested?
This could include information about what governments are doing about the issue or what actions particular groups are suggesting need to take place. Remember you need to be objective, so try to represent the views of all key stakeholders.
How do I know this?
This where you include the list of references you consulted. More about this further on.
Research
Don’t become a victim of ‘paralysis by analysis’—there comes a time when you just have to start writing! You need to find the happy medium that balances researching a number of reputable sources and beginning the writing process.
A lot of information can be found on the internet. Don't just rely on one search engine. Google
http://www.google.com) is great, but it doesn't always have the results. There are plenty of search engines around, e.g. Yahoo, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves. Another useful one is Dogpile
http://www.dogpile.com) which runs your search through several engines at once. Make the search as specific as you can. If your search starts off too broad, then you have to sift through a lot of crap until you get decent material.
The internet isn't the only place to find information. Books, libraries, people, chats and phone calls all continue to be useful!
Remember your issue page has to be objective. So you’ll need to research both sides of an issue (if there is one).
As you research, start a dot point plan that relates to the ‘heading guidelines’. This is what you will email to the ActNow Website Manager for the first round of feedback.
Style and tone
Language needs to be direct and simple so as to make complex issues digestible.
Try to think about what the audiences experience of this issue would be—what would appeal to them?
It’s also important to remain neutral in relating information. The aim is to inform people about an issue so they can make up their own mind, not to try and convince them that they should or shouldn’t do something because that’s what you believe is right.
That being said, it is also good to put a bit of you into it as well—seeing a bit of the writer’s personal flair makes for interesting and compelling writing.
If you think it is appropriate, make it fun. Serious issues don’t always have to be solemn. Just make sure you are always respectful.
The nuts and bolts of writing
How long? Aim for one page (two pages absolute maximum). Remember all those clichés like ‘less is more’. Keep it to 700 words maximum, excluding references.
Include a description. This is where you hook the reader. The language here may be emotive, as the introduction is designed to evoke a reaction and a call to action.
Work on the assumption that people will most likely only read the first couple of
paragraphs, so make them count, make them interesting.
What’s your point? Stay on target—don’t stray from your point. It helps if you try to keep to one idea per paragraph.
Go broad not deep. Issue pages should cover the breadth of the issue, not get bogged down in its depth.
Define acronyms—even if it is obvious to you, make sure you spell it out.
Jargon (evil friend of the acronym)—if you’re writing something you’re familiar with you may fall into the jargon trap. Keep asking ‘would everyone understand this?’
Dates and times—only refer backwards in date, do not reference things in the present or future. Assume someone might read this in two years time. For example do not write “the current changes in industrial relations laws…”
Editing and checking
All issue pages will be edited. Some may be edited twice. A feedback and deadline system will be arranged between you and the ActNow Website Manager.
The editor is your friend:-) Think of your relationship as collaboration rather than a process of approval/disapproval. It is the editors’ role to challenge you and to be critical of your ideas. So, the more red pen you get the better (really!). It can be pretty scary to get edits back, just don’t get too precious about your work and you’ll be right!
The editor will do their best to respect your voice i.e. no unnecessary style changes will be made.
The kind of changes that might be made include:
- changes to grammar and spelling
- replacing jargon or complicated language
- taking out non-inclusive language
- simplifying sentences and paragraphs so they’re easier to read
- small style modifications so that the issue page adheres to the style of other issue pages.
Feedback might include comments like
- “I don't understand what you meant”
- “I think your issue page focuses too much on the pro-side”
- “Interesting claim, how can this be backed up?”
- “That number seems a little large. Can you check to make sure it’s correct?”
Remember that the whole process writing and editing process is about communication. If you think the editor misunderstood what you meant let them know.
Pictures/visuals
A picture tells a thousand words. A cliché—but true. Think of images, comics or graphs that might bring your issue page to life.
Be careful with the images you select. There may be some quite confronting visuals that you could associate with your issue that might not be suitable for the ActNow audience.
At ActNow we’re really cautious about copyright, so make sure you have permission to put up the images you choose. If you are not creating the images yourself then a good place to start is to register at Flickr and do a creative commons search
http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/)—you can use any photos found using these search parameters, so long as you give the artist credit (their name can be found at the top of their profile page).
How do I know this?
The reader of your issue page will want to know where you got your information from. It might be from a website, a leaflet, a book, or a conversation with your mate Bob. When a reader has an understanding of the author and the sources of their information it gives material more respect and credibility.
It is equally important that you don’t steal other people’s ideas and claim them as your own (aka plagiarism). If you take a whole paragraph of someone else’s work, make sure you give them credit at the bottom of your issue page. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, if someone else has said something well, by all means use it—just don’t steal it—credit where credit is due!
Some simple rules…
- If you have used a book include: the author's name; the title of the book; and the year it was published
- If you have used an article in a magazine, journal or newspaper include: the author's name; the article's name; the year the article was published; and the name of the newspaper, magazine, journal
- If you have used a website include: the author's name (if one is acknowledged); the article or pages name (it there is one); the website's name; and the URL
