Other [Issue 47] What makes a Good Reporter Application?

[Fen-Harel 1,176]

Hello from the other side, readers. Many of you may have noticed that the reporter applications are permanently open. It's been like this for a while now and we've been getting a lot of applications. However, most of you haven't sent a good enough application to be accepted into the team. That's understandable, not many people have experience doing this sort of stuff and no one ever showed you how an application should look like. Well, I think it's time I gave you some proper advice on writing your application. Let's get straight into it!



Introduction
It's mostly recommended by a lot of staff groups to fill in certain information about yourself when applying. We don't require you to do that. If you want, you can fill in your name, country and age. This general information can be helpful to get the broad idea of a person's application. Still, I personally just cross over that part when reading applications. I look for people who can produce quality content and me knowing who they are doesn't really change what they're writing. Of course, if you're applying to be a forum moderator, this advice doesn't apply. So, make sure you read exactly what the requirements for a specific job are before submitting your application.

Layout
Now we get to the more important part. Writing for the newspaper takes more than just content. I've been monitoring which articles get more views and what kind of reputation they get, as well as analyzing the comments on them for a while now. It's a distinct pattern that pieces that are better presented get more recognition, including more views, likes and more thought out replies. So, you not only need to write well, you need to show your stuff in the best possible light. It's sort of like how TV programs need to consistently provide entertainment for you not to switch the channel. That's needed in your article, you need to hook in the reader (in this case the people judging your application) on their very first glance. It's difficult, but even the best product will lose out to another if it's not advertised well enough.

How do you make your article look appealing? You get there with experience, but chances are you don't have any (at least Tanki-wise), so it's important to plan ahead. You want your piece structured into topics. It's a good idea to separate different topics with either a distinct font of a different colour, or with a picture. You might want to switch from the default font, but don't pick something Courier New or Comic Sans. Most people appreciate simpler fonts such as Trebuchet MS and Tahoma. Good use of fonts can make your article look more dynamic, but don't over-do it.

Having a sort of intro or header that's written in a bigger and brighter font is a great way to get a person interested in what you have to say. It should include a short explanation of what you'll be covering in your article, along with a small engagement at the reader, mostly in a form of a question or motivation. After they've read that, it's their decision on whether or not they'll continue reading - you've done your part in giving them a small summary of what they're getting into.


Headers are the first thing your viewers will read, make sure they understand what they're going into. Be positive and make them want to hear what you have to say.

Another thing to consider is where the emphasis is in your article. If you write the important points in bold or colour them, they'll attract attention and it's more likely the reader will read what they're about. Even if someone is just skimming through the piece, it helps to show them exactly what you want them to see. That way, it encourages the reader to follow through the whole thing instead of reading only the first line of each paragraph. I'm not a fan of painting an entire sentence in a dark colour or underlining an entire paragraph. The strength of an emphasis is in how much or little you use it. Also, brighter colours work better for attracting viewers, however you don't want your article to look like a rainbow, keep it leveled and consistent. A good example is Night-Sisters' The Pathological Drugger, where she, using a different font and colour, moves the guide along by asking questions the reader might have.

Introducing pictures to an article can be tricky sometimes. When you add pictures, they're a great way to increase the quality of your application. Even a quality title picture goes a long way to show you're actually putting some effort into writing. However, it's important you take good pictures. If it's a gameplay aspect of Tanki, raise your graphics for the picture and don't make it look too staged (if it's staged at all). A bit of basic editing can also be very effective depending on the content of your work. In my Top Ten Tanki: Thuglife article, I used the popular meme of black and white photos with dark glasses to increase the article's humor. If, for example, you're talking about good camping spots, add a picture of them in the article. I also like putting a small line of text below the picture, whether it's to explain the content of the picture, or just to add a touch of humor in. Visuals will make your piece really stand out as a quality piece of writing and it'll it more memorable for the reader.


Good use of visuals can transform an article from a wall of text, to a complete hit!

I'd also recommend you to send a personal message to your alt with a draft of your work. This is what I do, it keeps me organized and allows me to edit my work at any time on the forum. Makes it so much easier to just copy-paste everything directly to the forum, too.

Content
Now that you've planned out a way to structure your points, it's time to start typing them out. This is what determines if you're accepted or denied the position in the team, so pay attention. There's no rush to send in an application, so make sure it's well written and has as few grammar mistakes as possible. Run a spell check after you've finished writing the article and do it again before you send it in. Trust me, it really doesn't look good if every two sentences you have a misspelled word or a term used in completely the wrong context. We don't require you to be an English professor, but there's still a standard. Another thing to be careful about is the article length. You don't want to submit something that's shorter than I am. Also, don't drag it on too far, people lose interest if they see a large wall of text. The ideal article length in my opinion is about 2000-3000 words. However, that can vary drastically is you have a proper layout set up. Keeping your readers attention is key.

Generally you want to write something Tanki related. If you submit an essay you wrote for your school's writing competition, it's likely that you'll get a reply telling you to send in another piece about the game. It's just the way it is - this is the Tanki Online Newspaper. You'll have the highest chance of getting accepted if you write a guide to some particular game aspect. This isn't without reason. Guides are pretty difficult to make and demand that you add pictures and sometimes even videos to your piece. They also require a detailed knowledge of the game, specially if you're writing for the players who already know most of the games ins and outs.

Don't let this discourage you though, guides aren't the only thing that can get you a high probability of joining the team. I'm personally a big fan of originality. I like pieces that are Tanki related, but aren't specifically designed for its game aspect. Valletta's Tunes To Your Battle piece is a good example. I've also enjoyed Remaine's What makes a i3rilliant username? You'll get most recognition if you're original, people like to see new stuff. Be bold and try to be the first one to do something. You're applying to raise the standards, not pass the minimum.

Also, if you get accepted, keep in mind you'll have to keep providing the readers with original content. Your job is to consistently provide new and original articles. This is incredibly difficult and creativity is a huge requirement. Reporters often have trouble thinking of new stuff to write, too. What I want to say here is, basically, don't apply if you don't think you're up for it. If you don't think you can write up something new every month, this really won't be easy for you and you'll struggle all the way. This isn't our goal. We want this to be pleasant for the team members, because positive environments tend to produce a much better product. This job is different from other Tanki jobs and exactly for that reason isn't suitable for everyone.

Reporters' opinions
Since we look at applications together, I thought it would be useful to see what other reporters think about the whole process. Here's some of their own advice to aspiring writers, I'm sure you'll find it useful.

What is, in your view, a good and successful reporter application?

@Lhamster, reporter administrator: A good application has a little bit of information about yourself, and an article(s) of a decent length, preferably about Tanki. It will have good grammar and punctuation, and will flow with good sentence structure, making me want to read all of it. It is also well laid out and formatted, with consistent fonts, text size and colour.

@conanthedestroyer, reporter administrator: I look for attention to detail, entertaining content, proper grammar and spelling. After that, during the interview, I try to get a feel for the person’s character/personality as best as I can.

@Vikingsrallentando: In my view, the article you submit for an application to join the team should be thorough, concise, and thoughtful. To be thorough is to be aware of different sides or angles. Concise in your phrasing, along with grammar; your style. Thoughtful, the one that weighs the biggest. This paper has seen a lot of diversity in writer's style and what they chose to write about. Each piece has its purpose. Each piece has creativity within. Generally, I don't offer much insight during review of applications as I don't think its part of my agenda to decide who joins. My colleagues that do pick out the good apps are already fine tuned to what is paper worthy. I think they would agree that a culmination of the three things I pointed out are concepts which go into writing a successful article.

 

@Phoenix-Warbird: Something creative, easy to read, informative and organized. Anything that draws the reader in and is worthwhile. Here's advice: no matter what kind of article you write, keep in mind that you’re not writing for yourself, but for your audience. Add anything you can to help readers understand you, such as helpful examples, descriptions and sometimes short anecdotes that you think readers can relate to. Always put quality over quantity by giving lots of information while keeping it brief. Finally, humour is always nice as long as it’s not overdone.

@Remaine: ok

 

@Contradiction: A good application should demonstrate both great English skills and commitment from the applicant. It should include at least one good article, that is of a length and quality that would fit into the newspaper. The content of this article should, naturally, be related to Tanki. It would be good to include multiple articles to prove that you are a committed candidate that has many ideas. But, be wary of falling into the "quantity vs quality" trap. If you are applying to join, it is always, always better to include a single piece of very high quality than several writings of a mediocre standard. Make sure that everything you send in your PM is something that you could envision being officially published into the newspaper. Obviously, a near perfect understanding of the English language is a necessity for a potential reporter, and any kind of mistake in your writing (even if an accident) will not make your application look good.
Other than proficiency in the art of writing, an applicant should make an effort to appear a mature, capable individual who would be an asset to the newspaper team. Before applying, be sure that you have thought through the entire process of becoming a reporter, rather than focusing on the application. Spent some time to brainstorm good ideas for articles.
Yea, I know... I told him to keep the answer in a few lines, but he went and wrote his own article.

@TriNitroToIuene: In my view, a good and successful reporter application is not the spitting out of fancy words onto the PM; it is something more complex. Firstly, even if your article is something game-related, it should be relevant in today's scenario. An article about getting crystal boxes today is of no use. Secondly, keep your article simplistic and make sure to divide it into paragraphs wherever possible - otherwise nobody's gonna make it till the end. Good English is a necessity for conveying your thoughts - that's what a writer's job is! And the most important thing? Target the audience. Don't use language too complex or too simple; keep it at such a level which is enough to prove your point and drive it home. And also, I feel that a touch of personality throughout the article will be nice. Remember, your submission, if successful, will soon metamorphose into something read by lots of people, therefore, instead of trying to impress the 'judges', make sure that the public can empathize with you. Finally, make sure you put everything into your application - there is no room for slack or error. Hard work pays off, a not-so-hard effort will not. That's all from me. All the best with your application!

Conclusion
This is mostly what I look for in an application. Even though it's not my decision alone on who gets accepted, each reporter has his say. Most of us also agree on certain points about what should and shouldn't be considered quality. There's no point in trying to please any specific reporter either. Like I said, we value originality. All I can pretty much do now is wish you luck in applying. Hope to see some talented faces join the team in the future.

Last thing I can recommend you is to check out the archives for some good pieces. Hogree also picked through the archives before and wrote a list with some of the best articles we've published, I really recommend reading it. Treasures of the Archives: The Top 20



That's all there is to applying for the reporter position. I really do wish this guide helps you people out. The idea behind it is basically what I would've liked to know if I applied to the team. I've also found my work improving substantially after employing this advice, so from experience I predict we'll get some better article submitted. Don't give up, keep improving and good luck from the reporter team!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Hexed

[Quarks 2,255]

Well done fen, I will blame you if my next reporter app fails. BTW, contra ALWAYS writes too much, that was your fault for choosing him :D.

[Flexoo 6,980]

Well, at least Rem goes straight to the point...

[Rico_Viking_9000 942]

omg. Adele has taken over our lives! Her famous words in the song hello are everywhere. Gosh.

NIce story.

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

I'll definitely remember this article if I apply for Reporter - nice job!

[Hex 11,520]

Many reporters have like forced, well not forced, me to join the Reporters Team.

For long, I have been excited...

Edited January 23, 2016 by Hexed

[KillerGnat 3,135]

Now we know Rem's secret to writing fabulous articles.

[Superlative 500]

Enlightening...

[greyat 2,972]

Do not: use sketchy font.

[TheGoldenTanker 4,951]

Wow wow wow such pro opinion from @Remaine so amazing..

[The.Skilled.Legend 1,459]

Lool Remult

[LaserShark 2,095]

I shall write my own guide on this topic.

 

1. Make sure to always use funky text. 

Your text coloring skills will always impress your readers, and make them want to read more. Use random, bright, and annoying font colors to grab attention and awareness. Randomly whitening some of your article will also work.

 

2. Use magnitudenous words of which you are not fully aware of the linguistic functionality.
Your readers will always be impressed at the large words, even though they do not understand them. This will work especially well with users who actually understand these words because they will appreciate all the hard work you put in to typing them.

 

3. CAPS LOCK IS A WRITERS FRIEND!!!!!!

Caps lock, also combined with excessive punctuation, is an awesome way to drive your point home. Readers will focus intently on anything written in caps, and will learn more efficiently.

 

4. splling is not necessary.

Spelling and proper punctuation are a waste of time. Readers will get the point anyways, so there is no need to spend the extra time it takes to fully make sure your article is spelled properly.

[MandolinMarc 874]

I've been mulling over sending in a reporter application since I do a lot of writing, especially non-fiction writing, and I often get engaged in banter in the comments section of reporter posts. Maybe you'll hear from me sometime soon...

[KillerGnat 3,135]

I've been mulling over sending in a reporter application since I do a lot of writing, especially non-fiction writing, and I often get engaged in banter in the comments section of reporter posts. Maybe you'll hear from me sometime soon...

Imo, you'd make a good reporter.

 

 

Congrats on your full acceptance as a FB mod btw.

[Flexoo 6,980]

I've been mulling over sending in a reporter application since I do a lot of writing, especially non-fiction writing, and I often get engaged in banter in the comments section of reporter posts. Maybe you'll hear from me sometime soon...

That is quite a challenge to take on more than one helper job, but if you have enough time and great writing skills, why not? 

[awsmeplayer 59]

1 clap nice if you read it all

[Laser50000 516]

Ayee, English class time ;)

[LOLKILLERTOTHEDEATH 1,921]

I ammna try to apply and probably (I am pesimistic, deal with it ok?) fail, like the last... hmmmm 5ish times?

[r_GaIaxy2 8,611]

Hello from the other side

...

 

@Remaine: ok

Why am I not surprised?

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

Great Article! But why post it AFTER most people applied? LOL, jk! :)

+1

[The_Best_Tank_9000 47]

Fen-Harel, on 13 Jan 2016 - 07:00, said:

Hello from the other side

 

 

Edited January 31, 2016 by The_Best_Tank_9000

[Flexoo 6,980]

Maybe I will give it another shot ^_^. 

[Regency 2,099]

This text say all what has to know it nor there is nothing to add :) Nice job !

[sagima10 0]

I want to become a moderator!!!! please!!

how???!!!
 

Edited February 29, 2016 by sagima10

[Flexoo 6,980]

Check this page: Becoming a helper. Choose the helper position you want to apply for and look at the requirements and rules.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Flexoo