Michigan State
University
School of Journalism
JRN 200: News Writing
and Reporting 1
Fall 2017 Semester
Section 004
Class: Wednesdays and Fridays
8 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
Classroom: CAS 242
Instructor: Omar
Sofradzija (so-FRAD-zee-uh)
Office: State
News Building, 435 E. Grand River, 2nd floor
Email: omars@msu.edu
Phone: cell: 702-271-7983
Office hours: By appointment
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.
Why JOURNALISM matters
Think of the world we live in.
Self-driving cars. Hurricane season. North Korea. The District Detroit.
Senator Kid Rock? Scary times in Venezuela. Domestic terrorism. Big Ten
football season kicks off. President Donald Trump. Meteor showers throughout
2017. Russian collusion investigation. Ocean offshore wind farms. Terrorist
attacks here and overseas. A 10-year-old donates 1,000 backpacks to Flint kids.
The U.S. opioid crisis. Will there be cell towers on the moon? Los Angeles will
host the 2028 Olympics. American embassy workers expelled from Moscow. Miles
Bridges starts his sophomore year at MSU. Star Wars Episode Eight hits theaters
Dec. 15.
These are all examples of the world we live in. A world filled with news,
in a non-stop news cycle, with an important need for ethical and skilled
reporters to make sense of everything for the public.
Journalism matters. Journalists matter. In the world’s greatest times of
need, people look to journalists for the answers. Congratulations on choosing a
career where you can make a difference in the world.
Welcome to your first steps into the world of journalism, and becoming a
journalist, in JRN 200.
Journalists are storytellers, using every medium possible. Journalists
create stories that make people want to read, watch, retweet and react. A
strong journalist provides accurate information, compelling images, video,
sound and quotes from the best possible sources.
This is one of the most exciting – and challenging – times to be a
journalist because of the changing technology, our ability to provide real-time
news and the demands of global audiences.
The skill set of a journalist provides many career paths: public
relations, law, screenwriting, editing, magazines, television, social media,
newspapers, investigative reporting, social media, public relations, teaching,
government, business, publishing, multimedia, blogging, graphic design,
documentary filmmaking, travel, photography…and many more!
Journalism is a mirror of our lives: sports, arts, environment, science
and medicine, entertainment, war, crime, weather, government, politics,
fashion, social issues and international opportunities.
The best journalists in the world, many of which proudly are MSU J-School
graduates, know how to skillfully and ethically report, write, broadcast, and
understand how to put information together for the public.
We will be using a real-world approach, drawing from current media and
events happening around us. We
want you to be the kind of journalist 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, all formulated in flowing, grammatically correct
English on deadline.
OBJECTIVES
Welcome to your
transition from journalism major to journalist! This course is essentially your
first job in a newsroom, and you must approach it with the same level of professionalism
and respect as you would in the real world. The work habits and skills you
develop JRN 200 will serve you well as you progress in the MSU J-School and the
outside world.
What you can
expect to learn in JRN 200:
·
developing
news judgment by recognizing essential news values
·
gathering
information through observation, interviewing and documents
·
organizing
information effectively
·
writing
clear and accurate stories on deadline in AP style
·
producing
stories for the appropriate media
·
attributing
information fully, clearly and accurately in stories
·
using
correct quotation attribution
·
revising
written stories for multimedia platforms
·
understanding
legal and ethical issues in reporting
·
incorporating
diversity in stories
·
reporting
on controversy with fairness and balance
·
understanding
the journalism business and how it’s evolving.
As in the real
world, your work ethic directly affects how well you master these objectives.
Showing up on time and prepared, meeting deadlines every time and following
instructions competently will maximize your success.
As in the real
world, these are non-negotiable. We want you to be the next great journalist
from Michigan State. We will teach you how. But it takes work and commitment.
What we do here in class is real.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Readings:
•
Daily consumption of local, national and international news is essential.
Please read news from credible news sites and publications such as the Lansing
State Journal, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, New York Times, Washington
Post, etc. Get in the habit of following the news wherever you are. Listen to
NPR. Watch ABC News, etc. Follow CNN, Associated Press etc. on your phone. Get
apps that may help you report. Know what is going on in the world, because it
matters.
A good journalist knows what is going on
in the world. Period. There may be current events quizzes.
Textbooks:
•
Reporting for the Media,
11th ed. Bender, Davenport, Drager, and Fedler (Oxford University
Press, 2015). DO NOT USE earlier editions, as chapters and assignments have
been reorganized and/or deleted.
• The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel
Manual, 2016 ed. It is
also available as an app.
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 athttp://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. The blog is
formatted for both desktop and mobile, giving you greater options in how to
engage it.
WE WILL NOT BE USING D2L FOR THIS CLASS; PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK
THE CLASS BLOG.
Much is expected in this class, but I do not expect you to do
this alone. If you have any questions or concerns, DO NOT HESITATE TO
CONTACT ME by email, phone or in-person. 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, 2017)
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:
Writing and
Reporting 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.
Career
Development: It is important to learn how to market yourself in the best
possible fashion. You will be producing a resume and cover letter. You will
research internships that you might be interested in. You will also learn email
and interview etiquette as well as the proper use of social media.
Localization/Public
Affairs/Feature Practice Stories: Before attempting localization, public
affairs or the feature stories which comprise 10 percent of your grade…students
will first do a practice story. The story will be graded regarding AP style,
grammar, spelling, punctuation, and quotations. As well as the quality of the
lead, story organization, lead/lede, ending and selection of quotes.
Out-of-Class
Stories: Three out-of-class stories culminate your learning
experience in JRN 200. These stories comprise 45 percent of your grade. They
integrate the writing and reporting skills you acquired earlier in the course. The
research (background, interviewing, etc.) for each story takes about 10 hours.
Understand that interviews usually are conducted during the Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday of your sources. So make sure you have enough
time during this period available in your schedules. Not being able to reach a
source, because you tried last minute or did not leave enough time to make
multiple attempts, can sink your story – and grade.
You generate
your own ideas for these stories on assigned topics, submitting and getting
approval from your instructor for each story using the mandatory course news
tip form before beginning the
reporting process. The best way to get ideas for stories: read and watch as
much news from as many different media as possible.
These
out-of-class stories include localizations, public affairs and features.
The stories each
include at least three interviewed
sources, with the more credible sources you have, the better the grade. You
may not use secondary sources from the Internet or news releases. You may not
use information reported by other news organizations. YOU MAY NOT use
anonymous sources. Wikipedia is not
considered to be a credible source.
Out of class story format:
Mandatory elements –
failure to follow format will significantly hurt your grade. READ THIS BEFORE
YOU TURN IN ANY OF YOUR STORIES!!!
• Stories must
be at least 700 words.
• Stories must double-spaced,
with indented paragraphs and quotes that stand alone.
• Stories must
use AP Style, proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.
• Your byline
and assignment name should be at top left of first page.
• You must
attach an interview source list (sources identified by first and last name,
title and phone number/e-mail address).
• Stories MUST
be turned in on time. No late stories accepted. Like the real world.
(Style
hint: look at newspapers! They have
stories with the types of quote/paragraph/byline/dateline formats we will be
using in class. So there is a ton of stuff to check out if you are stumped.)
Interested in raising your
grade?
You should
revise your out-of-class stories -- once. If you simply fix my edits, your
grade will rise by 0.25. If you do extensive rewrite and additional reporting,
your rewrite grade will reflect that. If you do not improve the stories, either
through fixing of edits or extensive rewrites, you will not automatically get
extra credit for another try. The grades from the original and rewrite are
averaged. Deadlines for each rewrite are no later than one week after I return
the original story.
Job Shadows: Within the first weeks of class, seek
out a journalism professional who is working in a journalism occupation (not
marketing or public relations) you believe you might wish to pursue. DO NOT
LEAVE THIS UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER. If you need help finding someone, ask
Professor Dickerson at the start of the semester.
Spend time on
the job with that person. Interview that professional about keys to success. You will write a two-page first person
report. That will be due at the start of the final week of class.
GRADING
Writing, reporting and online exercises 25
percent
Online Stories 5 percent
News Pitches 10
percent
Quizzes 5 percent
Out-of-Class Stories 45
percent
Career Development 5 percent
Job Shadow 5 percent
Opportunities
exist to raise grades in JRN 200:
Extra credit by be approved
by your professor.
Grade reductions result
from absences and tardiness. See attendance policy.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Course material
and readings build from one topic to another.
Due to breaking
news events, and class guests, this class schedule is fluid and flexible. This
class will frequently examine current events, how they are covered, and ask you
to react to how the media is operating. Again, please be prepared to understand
what is going on in the world.
We will have fun,
keep things interesting and current. Go with the flow and you will be rewarded.
Homework
deadlines and assignments will be updated regularly on the class blog. It is
your responsibility to look at the links and lists of assignments as the course
develops. Please be aware of what is required. If you have any questions – ASK.
There students
will find:
·
additional
exercises to improve reporting skills.
·
A
list of suggested readings
·
Web
links to additional resources on such topics as grammar basics, writing tips
and careers
·
Handy
PDF guides that students can reference when writing and reporting their news
stories
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, 3-4
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.
2, 7-11, 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. 12-14
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. 5-6
Out-of-Class Story Schedule
·
Please follow the
class blog for specific deadlines as they are posted through the fall session.
·
Deadlines for news
pitches and out-of-class stories may be altered by instructors depending on the
semester and university holidays.
·
Instructors may
specify particular types of stories to be completed, but one must be on a
public affairs topic. The fourth 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.
·
Assignments may be
turned in earlier than the specified deadline but a missed deadline will result
in an assignment grade of zero.
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,
and/or includes a fact error. 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 0.25 up to a full 1.0 off for that assignment.
Grading
Example: Your 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 (-0.25), a misspelled word (-0.25) and a
typo (-0.25). So the story earned a final grade of 2.25.
Extra Credit: I offer opportunities for extra credit.
Some of those opportunities may include writing extra stories or attending
events on campus. Please meet with me if interested in doing approved extra
credit.
Need extra help: The MSU Writing Center, 300 Bessey Hall,
can offer assistance to students who have proper sentence structure,
punctuation, grammar etc.
COURSE POLICIES
Deadlines: Your stories
and pitches must be turned in at the start of class on the date specified by
your professor. 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.
You are
expected to be in class, and on time for class. Like a professional journalist
at work. Attendance, being prepared, and being respectful matters in real life.
Develop good habits, starting here.
Two absences are allowed.
Third unexcused absence = final grade
drops by 0.5. (Example: from 3.5 to 3.0)
Fourth unexcused absence = final grade
drops by 1.0. (Ex: 3.5 to 2.5)
Fifth unexcused absence = final grade is
0.0. You have failed 200.
Missed
assignments, quizzes or deadlines on a day you are absent earn a 0.0, and
cannot be made up. Same with any assignment for which you are tardy.
Tardiness:
Coming late to class or
leaving early is unprofessional. Tardiness in 200 is defined as arriving after
8 a.m. sharp, as noted by the instructor’s clock. Two tardies count as an
unexcused absence, and fall into the attendance chart above.
Other: Inattention in class for any reason,
such as a ringing cell phone, e-mail use, web surfing, sleeping, texting, etc.,
is unprofessional. Out of respect for others and the class, TURN OFF your
phone. Two such instances of class
inattention will equal one absence. There is a zero tolerance policy for
inappropriate class behavior.
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.
You will be
required to attach a source list to the end of your stories. Professors will be
checking sources and using online tools to ensure students are not fabricating
or plagiarizing stories.
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 needed, please call the Resource
Center for Persons With Disabilities at (517) 884-7273. You will be required to
provide information from RCPD to your course instructor.
Note: Journalism
is a living, breathing thing. All material will be covered but class
discussions may change at a moment’s notice based on breaking news or impromptu
class visitors. In the real world, journalists MUST have the ability to change
gears within seconds. We will also seek out every opportunity including
possible class trips.
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