This Weekly Recap Template is designed specifically for journalists, investigative reporters, and editors to efficiently summarize their weekly progress. It helps track interview transcripts, press conference highlights, and story development, ensuring all critical information is organized and easily accessible for deadline-driven workflows.
Weekly Story Progress
Investigating local government corruption in city council funding.
Identify the main story or investigation you focused on this week.Uncovered discrepancies in budget allocations; interviewed two whistleblowers.
Summarize significant breakthroughs or important information gathered.Difficulty securing on-the-record quotes from city officials; FOIA requests delayed.
Note any obstacles or roadblocks that impacted progress.Follow up on FOIA requests; schedule interview with Mayor's Chief of Staff.
Outline concrete actions planned for the upcoming week.Interview & Source Tracking
Dr. Sarah Chen (Medical Expert, COVID-19 impact); John Smith (Community Activist, housing crisis).
List all individuals interviewed, including their affiliation/relevance.Dr. Chen: 'The vaccine rollout has been uneven, impacting vulnerable populations disproportionately.'
Extract vital quotes or statements for potential use in reporting.Dr. Chen's data confirmed by CDC report (page 12); John Smith's claims cross-referenced with local police records.
Document steps taken to verify information provided by sources.Request additional data from Dr. Chen; confirm meeting with Councilwoman Davis.
Identify any follow-up actions required with sources.Press Conferences & Events
Governor's Weekly Briefing on State Budget; Local Police Press Conference on Recent Crime Surge.
Record the name and main topic of any press conferences or events attended.Governor announced new infrastructure spending; Police Chief detailed new community policing initiatives.
Summarize the most important information or announcements.Asked about funding sources for infrastructure; inquired about timeline for new police initiatives.
Note any questions you posed and potential follow-up actions.Editorial & Research Notes
Pitched story on local school board controversies; provided update on corruption investigation.
Document your input and discussions during editorial meetings.Reviewed historical city council minutes; analyzed voter registration data for District 4.
List specific research tasks completed and key findings.Confirmed two key statistics from last week's article; awaiting response from city clerk on funding figures.
Detail the status of fact-checking for ongoing or upcoming stories.Admin & Logistics
Interviews: 8 hrs; Writing: 12 hrs; Research: 10 hrs; Meetings: 5 hrs.
Estimate time allocation across different journalistic activities.Draft for 'Corruption' story due Friday; Feature on 'Housing Crisis' due next Tuesday.
List all immediate and upcoming submission deadlines.Attended journalism workshop on data visualization; ordered new recording equipment.
Include any other relevant administrative or logistical details.How to Use This Template
- Open the Weekly Recap Template in CraftNote to begin a new entry.
- Fill in the 'Weekly Story Progress' section with updates on your main assignments, detailing developments and challenges.
- Utilize the 'Interview & Source Tracking' section to log all interviews, key quotes, and source verification notes.
- Document highlights from press conferences and editorial meetings in their respective sections, noting important announcements and your contributions.
- Review your 'Admin & Logistics' entries to keep track of deadlines and plan for the upcoming week, then save your recap for easy reference.
Customization Tips
- Add a 'Multimedia Assets' section to track photos, videos, or audio recordings gathered for specific stories, including their status (e.g., 'edited', 'needs review').
- Tailor the 'Interview & Source Tracking' fields to include specific details like 'interview type' (e.g., 'on-the-record', 'background') or 'contact method'.
- Create a 'Beat-Specific Updates' section for specialized reporters (e.g., 'Crime Beat Updates', 'Education Policy Changes') to track nuanced developments relevant to their beat.