Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (2/14)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Subject
RadioTelevisionJournalism
Course # (i.e. ANTY
455) or sequence
JRNL 352
Course(s) Title
Intermediate video reoporting and producing
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course.
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Ray Fanning
Phone / Email
243-4747
ray.fanning@
umt.edu
Program Chair
Denise
Dowling
Dean
Larry
Abramson
Date
III. Type of request
New
Renew
Reason for new course, change
or deletion
One-time Only
Change
Remove
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
JRNL 352 is an intensive intermediate reporting, writing and producing course.
Students write in the role of reporters and critique and re-write stories as producers.
Elements include:
 Researching and identifying various issues and angles in potential news
stories and synthesizing that information for an audience
 Writing strong leads, bodies and conclusions to television news stories
 Writing with active voice using clear, concise language.
 Interviewing skills including research and writing questions
 Identifying quality in their own writing and the writing of others.
 Producing newscast with strong leads, writing for story flow, writing for pace
and creating an overall look and feel of a program through writing and
production values
Understanding of journalism ethics, codes and the law covering journalistic
endeavors
V Learning Outcomes: Provide examples of how the course will support students in
achieving each learning outcome.
Identify and pursue
sophisticated questions for
academic inquiry
Find, evaluate, analyze, and
synthesize information
effectively and ethically from
diverse sources (see:
http://www.lib.umt.edu/libraryinformation-literacytables#Table2) Subject liaison
librarians are available to
assist you embed information
literacy into your course:
http://www.lib.umt.edu/node/115
#instructors
Manage multiple perspectives
as appropriate
Recognize the purposes and
needs of discipline-specific
audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for
the chosen discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision,
and editing in conducting
inquiry and preparing written
work
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students must research and develop story pitches that have a news
value for the audience. Then, they must find the focus and develop
questions to use in interviews for the story, with an eye toward
synthesizing and translating information for a general audience.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
In the course of reporting news stories, the students must do
background research to provide context for the audience. This includes
identifying the diverse stakeholders, and then analyzing and
synthesizing the information that’s pertinent for the story. The goal is
to make the information complete, but simple and understandable.
Students must find appropriate information sources and then document
their research, organize it and make a plan before they begin to write.
Students also learn about the ethical dilemmas reporters face and how
to report information while minimizing harm.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
News stories are almost always built around a conflict between two or
more parties. As reporters, the students learn to understand all sides of
an issue and to be fair and balanced in their writing.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Part of the work students do is analyzing and knowing the audience
they are writing for. This guides them in their choice of subject matter
and in the way they present information in their stories. News is most
often written for a general audience. But that audience has different
demographics depending on the time of day. The demographics for an
early-morning newscast, for instance, is different than the
demographics for a late evening newscast.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students receive feedback on their original drafts from both the
instructor and from student producers. They then rewrite before the
story goes into a newscast.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
Follow the conventions of
citation, documentation, and
formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students must learn to write in a specific broadcast style that dictates
sentence length and word use. The goal is to write for the ear because
the story will be read aloud. Students also must learn to write to a
specific time length.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25
students.
If not, list maximum course
enrollment. Explain how
outcomes will be adequately
met for this number of
students. Justify the request
for variance.
Briefly explain how students
are provided with tools and
strategies for effective writing
and editing in the major.
Which written assignment(s)
includes revision in response
to instructor’s feedback?
Our national accreditation caps our writing courses at 20
students.
Students begin by learning the basic writing style for broadcast
news stories. This includes an emphasis on short, simple
sentences. They also learn the conventions for choosing and
writing to sound bites from interviews. The class has some
lecture and demonstration early on, but we quickly move to a
hands-on approach, where students work in a simulated
newsroom. They pitch news stories to producers who supply
feedback along with the instructor. We have discipline-specific
software that also helps students with timing and rewriting their
stories.
The instructor reviews all scripts for feedback and revision.
Later in the processes, students also give feedback on their
classmates’ work. The students rewrite before the stories are
included in a newscast.
VII. Writing Assignments:
Please describe course assignments. Students should be required
to individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Quality of content and writing are
integral parts of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
Students are responsible for reporting and writing three news
packages (stories) as well as producing and writing three
newscasts.
Grading Breakdown:
Newscasts (Producing and writing): 50%
8:00 News 10%
12:00 News 15%
16:00 News 25%
News Packages (3) / reporting and writing: 50%
Court package
ASUM package
Diversity package
Informal Ungraded
Assignments
Paste or attach a sample writing assignment, including instructions for students.
JRNL 352
Spring 2014
Newscast packages
Each reporter will research, report, write and edit three news packages during the course of the
semester.
You must include:
o one story focusing on a court case
o one story focusing on ASUM
o one story focusing on a diverse group either on campus or in the Missoula
community
Sources:
Each story must include at least three sources
Story length
Stories must be at least 1:20 in length, but no longer than 2:00.
Check the syllabus for due dates for each script. You will get feedback and have a chance to
rewrite before your edited video is due.
Story one is for an early morning newscast
Stories two and three are for a 5 p.m. newscast
Keep the newscast demographics in mind and you develop and research each story.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
The University of Montana
School of Journalism
Missoula, MT 59812
JRNL 352-01 – Intermediate Video Reporting and
Producing
Syllabus – Spring 2014 (subject to change)
Scope:
JRNL 352 is an intensive intermediate reporting and producing course
concentrating on video reporting, newscast producing and anchoring.
Students will advance their video photography, editing, script writing and
rundown building skills. All assignments will be based on journalistic
writing and ethical decision-making. Students will learn teamwork skills by
working with their counterparts in JRNL 351 to produce newscasts from
beginning to end.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, successful JRNL 352 students will demonstrate:
 Strong news judgment
 Ability to identify various issues and angles in potential news stories
 Ability to write strong leads, bodies and conclusions to television news
stories
 Strong writing skills including the use of active voice, writing to video,
clear and concise use of language
 Television anchoring skills
 Interviewing skills including research and writing questions,
interpersonal communication, proper questioning and listening
 Development of performance skills including newscast anchoring,
weather, sports and field reporting
 Ability to identify quality in their own and other’s work self and make
newscast choices that reflect that ability
 Television newscast producing skills including building strong leads,
writing for story flow, writing for pace and creating an overall look and
feel of a program through writing and production values
 Proficiency in the technical requirements of television work including
shooting and editing video, script writing using iNews, rundown
building in iNews and use of the server to store and playback stories
 Understanding of journalism ethics, codes and the law covering
journalistic endeavors
Pre-requisite: JRNL 350
Class meets:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:10 to 4:00 in DAH 101, 114 and the
television studio.
Instructor: Ray Fanning, Associate Professor, School of Journalism,
Radio-Television Department.
Office: Don Anderson Hall 405
Office hours: 8:30-10:30 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m also available at
other times by appointment.
Office phone: 243-4747.
My regular e-mail: ray.fanning@umontana.edu.
Grading:
Grades will be based on:
Ideas and research
Class attendance and participation
Writing
Reporting, writing and producing assignments
Contribution to the overall success of the class
Ability to work with your classmates
Class attendance is mandatory. You can’t succeed if you miss critique
sessions, lectures and labs. University business and documented illness
are the only acceptable excuses. You must notify me in advance if you
will be absent.
Two unexcused absences will lower your final grade by one
letter. You will fail the class if you have a third unexcused
absence.
Grading Breakdown:
Newscasts (Producing and writing): 50%
8:00 News 10%
12:00 News 15%
16:00 News 25%
News Packages (3) / reporting and writing: 50%
Court package
ASUM package
Diversity package
(You will receive no credit for packages that are not completed by
deadline.)
Required Materials:
You will need a hard drive compatible with the Radio-Television
Department’s system to store video.
Same Work for Multiple Classes in J-School
You may not submit for this course any assignment that has previously or
will be concurrently submitted for another class unless you receive prior
approval from the professor for this course. You may not submit work
you’ve done for any television station in an internship or paid position. To
do so without permission will result in an “F” for the assignment and could
result in an “F” for the course.
Diversity Initiative
The School of Journalism has undertaken an initiative to create opportunities
for students to tell stories of more varied and diverse groups of people. You will
need to integrate one of these groups into an assignment. We will discuss this
during the preparation for the assignment.
Moodle
I will use Moodle for this course your grades will be available there, along with some
handouts
Academic Honesty
I expect your honesty in presenting your own work for this course.
Academic misconduct at The University of Montana is subject to an
academic penalty ranging from failing the assignment to expulsion from
the university. Students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct
Code. http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/page/1321
Plagiarism
As defined by “The University of Montana Student Conduct Code”
plagiarism is: “Representing another person's words, ideas, data, or
materials as one's own.” This is strictly prohibited in this class and any
case of plagiarism in this course will be subject to the penalties outlined in
the student code of conduct.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
This course is accessible to and usable by otherwise qualified students
with disabilities. To request reasonable program modifications, please
consult with the instructor. Disability Services for Students will assist the
instructor and student in the accommodation process. For more
information, visit the Disability Services website at www.umt.edu/dss/.
Access
For after-hours access to Don Anderson Hall, you will be able to enter the
building and DAH 101 using the Griz Card swipe. You will also be given a
key code for the door to DAH 114 and the radio studios in DAH 307-311.
Class-by-Class Topics and Assignments
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Week Date
1
1/28
1/30
2
2/4
2/6
3
2/11
2/13
4
2/18
5
2/20
2/25
2/27
6
3/4
Lab Days- class meets until 4pm
Class
Introduction and Broadcast Writing Review
ASUM Assignment
District Court field trip
Be outside the District Court office in the old
Court House by 1:20pm
Story meeting- research and package ideas
Court terms and info
Building blocks of TV News
Using iNews
Reporting for television
Interviews
Sound bites
Leads
Building a package
3pm- Crew training
Producing a Newscast
Working with a director
Camera diagrams
Graphics
Anchoring
Produce 2:30 Newscast
Anchor 2:30 Newscast
Review package 1-Individual meetings
Write vos and vosots
Review reporting
Building the 8:00 rundown
3/6
Show Review- individual meetings
7
3/11
8:00 newscasts DAH 101
8
3/13
3/18
8:00 newscasts II DAH 101
Sports and Wx Producing
3/20
Review Package 2
Write Vo and Vosot
12:00 rundown template
Building 12:00 rundown
9
3/25
Assignments
ASUM
assignment
Due- ASUM
News Memos
Due- Package 1
Vos and vosots
due
All video cuts
due in Thunder
Due: 8:00
newscast scripts
and rundowns.
Group 1 Director
meeting
Group 2 Director
meeting
Due- Package 2
Write vos and
vosots
Vos and vosots
3/27
Rundown review- individual meetings
due
All video cuts
due in Thunder
Due: 12:00
newscast scripts
and rundowns.
Director
meetings
10
Spring Break- NO CLASS
11
4/1
4/3
4/8
12
4/10
4/15
12-Minute newscasts DAH 101
Review newscast and package problems
and fixes
High School Journalism Day
Breaking News Day
Review Package 3- individual meetings
Write Vo and Vosot
4/17
13
4/22
12-Minute newscasts DAH 101
4/24
Build 16:00 rundowns
14
4/29
Review 16:00 rundowns
15
5/1
5/6
5/8
16-Minute newscasts DAH 101
16-Minute newscasts DAH 101
Review 16:00 newscasts DAH 114
Course evaluation
Finals Week
16
Due- Package 3
Vos and vosots
due in iNews
Due-16:00
rundowns and
scripts
Director
meetings
All video cuts
due in Thunder