Service journalism, how to grade with hope, search for a good scoop, and appreciate fictional journalism: this week’s Fresh Powder Report

What to do when you’re both excited and question something:

The exclamation point and question mark merged together to form one of the most unique methods of punctuation– but where did it come from? Here’s the very brief history of the interrobang that you never knew you wanted.

The importance of service journalism:

Dow Jones News Fund 2015 Teacher of the Year Mitch Eden delivered a speech at the National High School Journalism Convention in Orlando this year– for those who missed it live, the full text is available online. Eden discusses the value of service journalism in student media.

Is our current system of grading students as effective as we hope?

Probably not, according to this article. With so many external factors contributing to the “why” of passing out grades (sports eligibility, deducting points for late work as punishment, etc.) the real purposes behind those grades can easily get diluted, or lost entirely. Is there a balance between being fair, while still giving students hope that what they’re doing is worth it? Fortunately, the author provides some resources on equitable grading practices, so you can make sure you’re not accidentally diminishing any academic aspirations in the process of giving out grades.

Have journalists come to fear America’s most wealthy?

For years, the 1% has been largely shielded from major media scrutiny– but why? There are constant reports on the middle class, the impoverished, and, occasionally, the upper class. But what about Wall Street’s elite? This article takes an in-depth look at what may be causing this lack of coverage.

On an endless search for stories?

Your hunt ends now. Even with the innumerable newsworthy events happening right now, coming up with an original story can be a daunting task. This article from BBC Academy walks you through where to look to find the best new scoops.

Sometimes fake journalism is the more exciting journalism:

It’s no secret that all of us at SNO headquarters enjoy a good fictional journalist, but we will also be the first to admit that journalism-related films and tv series are usually willing to put “entertainment” before “accuracy.” Here’s an article that lists what the latest movies about journalism get wrong (and right) about the lives of fictional reporters.

These things also happened this week:

As the Hunger Games franchise wraps up its final film, let’s reflect on why we’re thankful for the series and its movie adaptations.
Not looking forward to awkward family conversation at Thanksgiving this year? Just listen to Adele.

A week later and the solidarity in Minneapolis is still going strong; with a trending tag on Twitter and a large amount of support from the community, the peaceful protesters aren’t giving up.