Long story short: I submitted a couple of pieces I’ve published to a larger, more visible publisher that is also, you know, actively looking for new writers. They reviewed my work; had me take a standard test to make sure I have a firm grip on things like spelling & grammar, sourcing; bias, etc. (I scored 90%); and then gave me an assignment. Here’s the assignment, word-for-word:
“<snip> We were very impressed by your test results and would like to see how you write trending news. Please send a 350-400 word news post focused on any keyword you find in the Yahoo top ten trends.”
What I’m confused about is what my potential editor means by “news post focused on any keyword” bit. Is he asking me to re-write one of the news stories trending on the Yahoo keyword search in my own words (so, for example, my own story about the Mexico Earthquake)? Is he asking me to research deeper into the topic and write a piece about what I come up with (so, for example, dig up a history of police abuse in the town where the 93 Year Old Woman was Shot by Police)? Or is he asking me to just use one of those keywords and use it as a jumping off point (so, for example, come up with something entirely new about Unemployment Extension)?
Just a WAG here, I’m going to guess they want to see at least a modicum of research on your part, or gathering and synthesizing existing information from several sources, along with good citation habits. Think of it as sort of a mini college term paper assignment.
I read it that they want you to write a an original piece on a trending topic found in the “trending now” category on the Yahoo.com splash page. For example you could write on any aspect of the unemployment extension.
My read on it is similar - pick one of the trending topics (I’d also take a screenshot of those 10, so it shows that you actually picked something that was trending when you start this) and write something original, with your own research and citations, about that topic.
That seems the safest interpretation, anyway.
Doing an extension or a refutation of an existing article invites readers to click onto that article (which may not help and might compete directly with your own company’s writings). Doing a re-write of an existing article doesn’t show creativity and might get you in minor trouble for churning.
One of my clients is a major newspaper and a huge amount of the skill base required by their editorial team is actually SEO, of which the ability to write around a keyword topic is key. The editor is likely wanting to see that you can write a well researched, well written piece which is optimised for search. Your writing will not only need to draw them in (to the piece) but also to the website. I assume that is what they are trying to test with this commission.
OK, I think I’ve landed on what I’m going to do. The keyword I’ve chosen is Jenny McCarthy.
My piece will essentially give Jenny’s side of the story (whilst avoiding my own personal biases for & against vaccines). I’ll talk about how and why she came to her conclusions, why others in the anti-vax crowd are the way they are, etc.
I don’t know you or your writing, and I don’t know who you are auditioning to write for.
That said, if it were me, I would not choose something quite so controversial for my audition piece. I tend to like going the safe route until I feel like I’ve got my feet under me. However, that’s just me, and I know that I have missed some opportuties by being conservative (not politically, but in the ‘not living dangerously’ sense). On the other hand, I know that I have gotten at least one position because I was the ‘safe choice’ out of a group.
Look at your audience, and pick what you think THEY want to read about, and write it to your best ability.
Typical Yahoo articles just vary the topic line a few times without making any point. They don’t care if it’s worth reading. They just hope the topic is “trendy” enough to get hits.
I like that idea actually. She is an idiot of course and her beliefs are dangerous. But most people don’t hear her side. They just hear the bashing she gets.
How much space do you have? This could be an interesting piece, but to attempt to do it justice and really understand it’s a feature story, not just a 300 word article.
ETA: they want a 300-400 word news story - I take this to mean reporting, not opinion based or a personal profile. I think you need another topic, you just don’t have the space.
If you could clarify the type of publication, it would help people give you better advice. Is it a newspaper? If so, a daily or a weekly local? A magazine? Web or print? Something else entirely?
Were you given a deadline for completing this assignment?