Intro

If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’ve visited the Mclean Mirror at least once at some point in the past. (If not, hello! Read this article or else.) It might leave you wondering what the process of making these articles involves. Well, allow me to let you take a gander at what really goes on behind the scenes.

Topic Selection

This part of the process is arguably the most important, being the first step in creating an article for the website’s visitors (like you) to read! However, it’s also a very simple one.

Topics are either chosen from a list of article ideas (seen above) made during the beginning of the school year, or just out of a sudden idea a writer has. From what I’ve seen, the latter is the more common method of making articles. Typically, the thoughts leading to articles are provoked by trending things. For example, around September, Birdie Bucks were introduced as a currency that students could earn and use as an incentive to behave in a more mature manner. If you take a look at what articles were published around that time period, several are dedicated to (or at the very least mention) Birdie Bucks!

Beginning Development

Writers begin to get their creative juices flowing after topic selection. Articles typically utilize one of two formats: a list of things, or a set of body paragraphs. Both of these formats can be seen in multiple different articles. An example of each type is showcased below. (Note that articles aren’t exclusive to these formats, and may have a different structure entirely!)

List Format

Body Paragraph Format

Putting The Pieces Into Place

Now that the topic and format of the article are chosen, students begin crafting an evocative and compelling story for viewers of the website to behold.

In “Headline,” the newspaper staff will… well… obviously put your headline! For an article like this, the headline would be “How Articles For The Mclean Mirror Are Made!” You could also implement a secondary headline, and credit yourself for work well done in the “Writer’s Name” tab. The actual creation of the story begins in the “Story Body” tab located from the middle of the screenshot to the bottom of it. Students can run wild with creativity, creating bold letters, italic letters, underlining words, and so much more! Students can truly let their creativity run wild in the Mclean Mirror’s article builder.

Approval

Articles, once finished, are published by you. But hold your horses, it isn’t on the home page of the Mclean Mirror just yet! Your article needs to be approved by Mr. Torres or our editor and chief. Once an article is reviewed (and sometimes edited to the liking of the staff) sufficiently, it can officially be displayed for the world to see. It’s a good feeling to see it pop up on the home page, believe me!

Outro

There you have it! That’s how the staff can create articles for the newspaper in just 4 easy steps. I hope you’ve received the answers you sought out. Don’t forget to check out some of our other articles here on the Mclean Mirror. Have a great day, Cardinals!