JRN
200: News Writing and Reporting 1
FALL
2015, SECTION 2, 3-4:50 P.M. MONDAY/WEDNESDAY, CAS 242
Instructor: Omar
Sofradzija (so-FRAD-zee-uh)
Office: CAS 360
Office
hours: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to noon and 3
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
Email: omars@msu.edu
Cell Phone: (702)
271-7983
On Facebook:
facebook.com/omars81
On Twitter: @omars81
On LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in.omars81
A NOTE: While the
syllabus accurately describes the content that will be discussed and acted upon
this semester, the sequence and dates are subject – and likely – to change.
This is a departmental syllabus that will be tweaked to best fit the needs of
this class section while adhering to class goals and grade outlines. Please
carefully take note of assignments and due dates as these are announced during
the course of the semester, and PLEASE READ THIS SYLLABUS CAREFULLY AND IN
ITS ENTIRETY. You will be responsible for knowing the content and course
structure from the time the semester begins. “I didn’t know we had to do that”
will NOT be an acceptable excuse, if the subject matter is contained within
this syllabus.
OUR GOALS
Journalism matters. In their greatest times of joy or need, Americans
have turned to reporters for illumination and explanation. You should be proud
you have chosen this path. Journalism is an honorable profession and gives you
the opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Journalists are storytellers and learn to tell stories through visual
images and the written word. Journalists create stories that make people want
to read, watch, communicate or listen. The goal is to provide accurate information,
compelling images, sound bites and quotes from the best possible sources. This
is an exciting time to be a journalist because the way we report news and
convey information is changing every minute.
Besides reporting, there are so many professions you can be successful in
with this degree. Many possible professions include public relations, law,
copyediting, producing, magazines, investigative reporting, social media,
publishing, multimedia, blogging, graphic design, documentary filmmaking,
travel, photography, environmental journalism, or foreign correspondence. Just
to name a few….
There is a high value on individuals who:
- have critical thinking skills;
- write well;
- know what THE news is;
- can determine the audience;
- gather the most pertinent information from the most credible sources;
- convey information in a way that people want to read, hear or view it;
- perform all these tasks on deadline.
We want you to
be the kind of journalists whose professional work matters because of your
credibility. Perfection is the standard
that we strive for. The goal is that when your name or image is attached to a
story or information – your readers or viewers know that information is the
best and most accurate it can possibly be.
We’ll start
with basics. JRN 200 first focuses on
reporting in text because the thinking and organization skills required by good
writing are the foundation to all good communication. You will learn to assess
the needs and interests of audiences for stories; to use basic reporting
methods such as observation, interviewing and documentary records to do those
stories. You’ll also learn to shape
print stories for online and video.
Always, you will learn to write stories accurately, concisely and clearly,
in vigorous, grammatically correct English on deadline.
OBJECTIVES
Congratulations
as you begin the transition from journalism major to journalist! Think of this
course as your first job in the news business. JRN 200 will help you to begin
to develop professional habits and skills.
Specific
objectives include helping you to:
·
develop
news judgment by recognizing essential news values;
·
gather
information through observation, interviewing and documents;
·
organize
information effectively;
·
write
stories on deadline that are accurate, clear and in AP style;
·
produce
stories for the appropriate media;
·
attribute
information fully and accurately in stories;
·
use
grammatically correct attribution for direct and indirect quotations;
·
revise
print stories for electronic platforms and video;
·
understand
legal and ethical issues in reporting;
·
incorporate
appropriate diversity in stories;
·
report
controversy with fairness and balance;
·
understand
the journalism business and industry changes.
As in most
jobs, your work ethic affects how well you master these objectives. Showing up
punctually, meeting deadlines unfailingly and following instructions
competently maximize your success.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Textbooks and Readings:
•
Daily reading of news is essential. Read at least one newspaper and online news
sites a day, as directedby the instructor.
• Reporting for the Media, 10th ed. Bender, Davenport,
Drager, and Fedler (Oxford University Press, 2012).
• The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel
Manual, 2011 or later ed.
(NY: The AP).
Recommended Reading:
•
The Elements of Journalism.
Rosentiel and Kovach. (NY: Three Rivers Press, 2007).
•
The Elements of Style.
Strunk and White. Current edition (also
available online).
COURSE ORGANIZATION
JRN 200 will
have you thinking about good news writing and reporting each day! During class, you write stories on deadline,
take quizzes, discuss journalistic issues and current events, review course
readings and other assignments. Between classes, you report stories, prepare
news tips and complete assigned readings.
Central to
learning this course will be the class
blog, located at http://jrn200isfunblog.blogspot.com/
online. Through the class blog we will get assignments and homework, discuss
work, review readings and past assignments, go over strategies on reporting and
writing well, and do other activities. YOU
WILL NEED TO CHECK THE CLASS BLOG ON A DAILY BASIS IN ORDER TO KEEP CURRENT ON
ASSIGNMENTS AND READINGS, so please make this a daily habit every weekday,
Mondays through Fridays.
Much is
expected in this class, but I do not expect you to do this alone. With this
being an online class, communication is critical. If you have any questions or
concerns, DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME
by email, phone or in-person during the hours listed above. Contact information
is provided above. You cannot contact me too much, so please take advantage of
that offer as you feel is needed.
Feedback is
also critical to this class. Almost all graded written assignments will include
considerable comments from the instructor on what you did well and why, and
what you can do better and how. In addition, we will review the work of
individuals (with names removed) as a class, via the blog, so we can get an
idea of how others are doing similar assignments, and learn from their mistakes
and/or successes. PLEASE PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO FEEDBACK VIA INSTRUCTOR’S COMMENTS AND THE BLOG, as such
feedback is central to how we learn in this class. In journalism, we learn by
doing, then reviewing, then learning lessons from the review, and then applying
those lessons going forward.
For the vast
majority of assignments, you will turn in your work via email to omars@msu.edu. Please make sure that you get that
address correct – omar with an s at the end – as there is an omar@msu.edu address that’s incorrect but active. If
your work is not correctly sent to omars@msu.edu, it will not be graded.
For such
assignments, please write your work in a Word document, and put the following
in the upper left-hand corner:
Your name (for example, Joe Schmo)
The assignment date (Sept. 1, 2015)
The assignment title, as indicated in
the blog (writing exercise)
Assignment pages, numbers from the text
(p. 230-31, #1-2)
Here are the types of exercises we’ll be doing over the session:
Lede and
Story Exercises: These acquaint you with the professional style, structure
and conventions of news writing and reporting. They are “skill building”
exercises designed to prepare you for out-of-class stories by honing your
ability to write under deadline and to interview sources.
Quizzes:
These focus on AP style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, quotations,
accuracy, reading assignments and current events.
Out-of-Class
Stories: Four out-of-class
stories culminate your learning experience in JRN 200. They integrate the
writing and reporting skills you acquired earlier in the course. Your fourth story will only count if it helps
your grade. The research (interviewing, etc.) for each story takes about 10
hours. Note, however, that interviews
usually are conducted during the Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work
period of your sources. So make sure you
have enough time during this period available in your schedules.
You generate
your own ideas for these stories on assigned topics, submitting and getting
approval from your instructor for each story using the course news tip
form--before beginning the reporting process. The best way to get ideas for
stories is the read and watch as much news from as many different mediums as
possible.
These
out-of-class stories include localizations, public affairs, profiles or
features. The final story is a story
that you choose with the permission of your professor.
The stories
include at least three interviewed sources each, but the more credible sources
you have, the better the grade. You may
not use secondary sources from the Internet or news releases. If you
believe such sources are helpful or necessary, get approval to use them from
your instructor. You also MAY NOT use anonymous sources.
Stories should
be at least two pages in length (700-800 words). Stories should use AP Style –
double-spaced with indented paragraphs and quotes that stand alone.
You should
attach a source list where you identify by name, title and telephone number or
email address…the interview sources you’ve used.
Interested in raising
your grade? You may revise your out-of-class stories. To earn credit for a
revision, you must do additional reporting involving additional sources or
information, as suggested by your instructor and provide a new source list. The
grades from the original and rewrite are averaged, although instructors may
increase the grade even further if they believe the student went the extra mile
to produce a much improved story, thanks to continued reporting. Deadlines for
each rewrite are no later than one week after your instructor returns the
original story.
Online Stories: At least two of your out-of-class stories will be revised
and posted online. Online stories are 200-400 words in length and incorporate
at least two hyperlinks to sources appropriate for the story. Additional
“points of entry,” such as photos, videos and slideshows, are encouraged and
positively impact your grade.
A print version
may be submitted, but the posting and links must also be accessible on-line at
an electronic address you provide or at the site your instructor specifies.
Multimedia: Two assignments are videos or audio
slideshows. These stories also will be revisions of the out-of-class story
assignments.
A script is
written and submitted for each story if you are doing a video stand-up; the
whole video itself is no more than two minutes in length. The script and the
video must follow special stylistic conventions appropriate for broadcast or
Web casts.
Job Shadows:
Within the first weeks of class, seek out a professional who is working
in a journalism occupation you believe you might wish to pursue. Spend half of
a day on the job with that person. Interview that professional about keys to
success. (Especially what they wish they knew in college!) You will write a 600-word report on your
findings and may even present those findings in class to help other students be
successful.
GRADING
Lead and Story Exercises 25 percent
News Tips 10
percent
Quizzes 5 percent
Out-of-Class Stories 40
percent
Online Stories 5 percent
Multimedia Stories 10
percent
Job Shadow 5 percent
Several opportunities exist to raise grades in
JRN 200:
Allowable out-of-class story
revisions can help your grade.
Meet with your professor
to discuss extra credit opportunities.
BUT: grade reductions result from absences,
tardiness and unprofessionalism.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Course material
and readings build from one topic to another. Homework is due the week in which
it appears.
Weeks 1-2: Introduction to JRN 200
Journalism
today; the basics; format, copy editing and AP Style; grammar and spelling;
newswriting style; the language of news
Homework: Course Syllabus; Bender:
Chapters 1-4
Weeks 3-4: Audience Orientation, News
Values and Story Ledes
Lede
Construction and Audience Orientation; Citing News Sources: quotation and
paraphrase; AP style and copy editing
Homework:
Bender: Ch. 5, 8-12, 16-17
Weeks 5-7: Story Organization
Story Organization; Body of a News
Story; Specialized Stories
Homework:
Bender: Ch. 15, 18-19
Weeks 8-10: Putting It All Together
Story
organization types; Public Affairs Reporting; Advanced Reporting; First
Out-of-Class Story Due
Homework: Bender: Ch. 13-14
Weeks 11-13: Online and Multimedia Story Telling
Writing for Online Platforms; Video;
Second Out-Of-Class Story Due
Week 14-15: Libel and Ethics
Covering Conflict; Fairness and Balance;
Advocacy and Partisanship’ Legal Issues in News Coverage; Moral and Ethical
Issues in Journalism; Third Out-of-Class Story Due, Extra Credit Out-of-Class
Story Due
Homework:
Bender: Text Ch. 6-7
Out-of-Class Story Schedule
Deadlines for
news tips and out-of-class stories may be altered by instructors depending on
the semester and university holidays.
The stories
based on approved news tips will be on a date specified by your instructor. Revisions of the print stories are also due at
a day and time specified by the instructor. Online and/or video versions of these stories
are also due by deadlines specified by instructors
Instructors may
specify particular types of stories to be completed. The 4th optional story will only
be counted if it helps improve a student’s grade. In that case, the student’s
grade will be the average of the four – rather than three stories.
The story types
and deadlines noted below are meant to provide examples of how the deadline
scheduling may occur. Assignments may be
turned in earlier than the specified deadline but a missed deadline will result
in an assignment grade of zero.
Story Type Tip Story Revision
Localization Sept.
30 Oct.
9 Oct. 21
Public Affairs Oct.
14 Oct.
28 Nov. 6
Profile or
feature Oct. 30 Nov.
18 Nov. 25
You Pick Story Nov. 11 Nov. 25 Dec.
4
YOUR INSTRUCTOR WILL SET YOUR DEADLINES REGARDING YOUR MULTIMEDIA
STORIES AND ONLINE STORIES.
SYLLABUS APPENDIX
SYLLABUS APPENDIX
GRADING SCALE
All work is
evaluated on the 4.0 grading system. Listed below are the criteria for
evaluating assignments and computing a final grade.
Evaluation: Instructors assign a subjective grade
based on the general guidelines below. Your instructor may give subjective
grades between those specified (e.g., 2.75) to make finer distinctions among
stories.
4.0: Story could be published virtually as
is. It shows superior command of the facts, news judgment, story organization,
reporting and writing.
3.5: Story could be published with very
minor revisions. Generally well-written, accurate copy containing all relevant
material, but requires minor editing for maximum precision and clarity.
3.0: Better-than-average story. The story
was handled well. Copy needs some rewriting and polishing before it could be
published.
2.5: Story is a little above average. The
story might have a significant problem with reporting, organization,
completeness, etc. Certainly needs rewriting.
2.0: Average story. Not a story most
readers would read unless they really needed the information. The story may
have reporting, organization or writing problems.
1.5: A weak story. The story may have a
buried lead; problems in news interpretation; problems in story organization;
omission of some important fact or source.
The story needs substantial revision.
1.0: A non-story. The story lacks news
judgment; displays major flaws in reporting and writing; omits important facts.
The story needs substantial rethinking.
0.0: Story is late or failed to receive
instructor’s approval. Story is misleading or unethical. Organization or
writing flaws make the story incoherent.
Fact errors: Inaccurate information, misspelling a
proper name, a misquotation or an error that changes the meaning of a story
automatically drops a grade to a maximum of 1.0 (e.g., President “Barack
Obamma” or “Department of Transport”).
Each error in spelling, grammar, style or punctuation will reduce the
assignment grade by .25 up to a full 1.0 off for that assignment.
Help: Students who need help with fundamental writing problems
may contact the MSU Writing Center, 300 Bessey Hall (phone 432-3610).
Grading
Example: Your lab
instructor evaluates of your story, determining that with a little rewriting it
could be published and assigns a grade of 3.0.
Further review, however, reveals an instance of subject-verb
disagreement (-.25), a misspelled word (-.25) and a typo (-.25). So the story earned a final grade of 2.25.
Extra Credit: Your
professor will offer opportunities for extra credit. Some of those
opportunities may include writing extra stories or attending events on campus
or in the Comm Arts building. Please meet with your professor if interested in
doing approved extra credit.
COURSE POLICIES
Deadlines: Your stories
must be turned in at the start of class on the date specified by your
professor. They may not be emailed in. Late
stories earn a 0.0 grade. Editors, online producers and news directors do not
make exceptions for late stories. Your
professor serves as your first boss and editor.
Attendance. Your enthusiastic
participation in class helps you and your classmates to learn! Conversely, absences seriously degrade that
opportunity to learn. Two absences are
acceptable, but a third unexcused absence drops your final grade by .5, a
fourth absence by 1.0. A fifth absence means you missed 15 hours of class–and
you fail the course. If you fail the class because of absences, you will be
dropped from the major. Missed assignments, quizzes or deadlines on a day you
are absent earn a 0.0.
Tardiness:
Coming late to class or
leaving early is unprofessional. If you
are continually disrupting class by coming late, your professor may count two
tardy arrivals as an unexcused absence.
Other: Inattention in class for any reason
(e.g., a ringing cell phone, email use, web surfing, sleeping, etc.) is
unprofessional. Two such instances will equal
one absence. It is really awful and unacceptable when these things happen when
we have class speakers.
Etiquette:
Make sure when you are
communicating with faculty or sources, that you use proper etiquette in your
emails or in person. Address your source by their proper title.
PLAGIARISM, CHEATING,
FABRICATION AND STUDENT CONDUCT
Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as your own. Cheating is
also stealing another person’s work. Fabrication is making up a source, putting
words in a source’s mouth and/or other sorts of faking.
Student
Integrity: Students who cheat, fabricate or plagiarize
may fail this course. Falsification,
fabrication or plagiarism results in a 0.0 for the offending assignment as a minimum
consequence. Follow the J-School Code of Ethics and Standards.
The School of
Journalism also adheres to the policies on academic honesty specified in
General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades, and in
the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades, which are
included in current Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide
and on the MSU Web site. If you engage in academic dishonesty, IT WILL BE
REPORTED.
Professionalism: Professional behavior is the invariable
standard for personnel in any of the communication fields when they interact
with one another or with others.
In class,
professionalism means alertness and attention to the task at hand and unfailing
respectfulness in word and behavior. Such professionalism is among the core
requirements for success in this class and in any communication field.
Out of class,
professionalism means courteous, respectful and honest interaction with
sources. Address your professors or sources by the proper title. Introduce
yourself to sources as a journalism student, but emphasize that you are
gathering information for stories you expect to publish. It is not professional to tell sources that
their information is “just for a class.”
Disability
Accommodations: If you need or want to request an
accommodation for a disability, call the Resource Center for Persons With
Disabilities at 517-884-7273. You will
be required to provide instruction from RCPD to your course instructor.
Dropping the
Course: For information,
visit the MSU Registrar’s Web.
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