Professor Pearlie Strother-Adams
Course: Journalism 231: Media Writing and Reporting I: Sec. 22
Fall 2014 Syllabus
Time and Location: TTH: 12:30-1:45: SI 309
Office: SI 226 J: Ph. 309-2981425
Home Ph. 309-836-5616
email: p-strother-dams@wiu.edu
Office Hours: TTH: 3:30-4:30 and W: 11-2:00
ADA Compliance: WIU mandates that all faculty are concerned with the academic success and achievement of
all students. In essence, we are to create an environments that makes it possible for you to achieve. If you have
problems and are in need of special assistance, seating changes, etc., please make me aware of it. You may
either come to my office or see me after class.
Required Reading and etc.:
Texts: News Reporting and Writing, 12th edition. Melvin Mencher (Union book Store).
The Text selected for this course covers the skills required for a beginning journalist. Workbook activities will
provide the practice needed to assist you in putting these skills into action. The Index of this text makes it easy
for conscientious students to further engage themselves in improving their writing skills.
Supplemental materials may be provided by instructor as handouts: Readings relevant to class work...
Library: Use of data bases (at least one library session will be scheduled for the class). After this you are
expected to go in on your own and use the library.
Prerequisites: It is expected that you have taken both English Comp., 180, 280 or
equivalents and Mass Comm. 121, the Journalism division’s required introduction to mass
comm. course. These will give you the basics that you will need to do well in this course. If
you have followed a different path, please let me know.
Course Description/ Overview:
This is a course in news writing and reporting. You will
write daily. Much of your time will be spent writing on the computer. You will be expected
to complete actual news stories that you will gather from local meetings, as well as speeches
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and forums presented on campus. You will also write or rearrange stories taken from a
workbook.
We will also take stories from the AP wire service. You will be asked to do
research before completing many stories.
Course Objectives: This course covers the basics in news writing. It is actually an
introduction to news writing and reporting and thus should provide you with introductory
knowledge required to begin your development as a journalist. You will learn how to
recognize and analyze as well as write leads and inevitably well developed news stories. In
order to reach our objectives, re-writing is essential in J-231. You will not get better if you
do not make adjustments in your writing. Analysis of graded work requires reading and
understanding of teacher’s comments and re-writing your work so that the second draft shows
improvement and reflects understanding of the problems pointed out in the first draft.
As
your instructor, I will serve in the capacity of both audience and editor. There will be
tremendous opportunity to improve your work and have it analyzed in a friendly, cordial, yet
structured environment. The following are expected:
1. You will be able to write good direct leads
2. You will be able to write objective news stories using the 5- w’s and 1-h
3. You will be able to recognize gather and report news accurately.
4. You will be able to use a style book effectively.
Procedures and Policy:
Attendance Policy: You are excused two absences to this class--no questions asked--no
explanation needed. Three absences will cause a deduction of half of your Attendance/
Participation. For each absence beyond three, I will deduct the remaining Attendance/
Participation points as well as an additional one half grade point for each absence from your
final grade. No further explanation will be provided. There will be no excused absences
beyond the two. “You are advised to use your two days as you would sick days on a job-’wisely.’ ”
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Participation and Absence: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate
and find out what you have missed and what you will need in order to be prepared for the
next class. You will be expected to follow through as usual. Absence is no excuse for
falling behind. If you are absent, to avoid a late grade on an assignment, you should either
give the work to another student to turn in or email the assignment to me. Do not place
these in my mailbox. Do not place assignments under my office door. Do not give them to
the secretary. This creates confusion. If an assignment is emailed, it is required that you
indicate at the top of the page why you are emailing the assignment.
Late Assignments: Late work will be penalized one whole grade per class period that it is
late. In essence, a paper due on Tuesday, but turned in on Thursday will be lowered by one
whole grade point. The same paper turned in the following Tuesdasy will be lowered two
whole grade points. Past the third day, do not bother to turn the work in, you get a zero.
You are a reporter. Deadlines are important.
All late assignments should contain both the due date and the “actual submitted date.” I
will not accept any that are not documented as such.
Punctuality: Class begins on the assigned hour. If you cannot get to this class on time,
you need to drop and find one more conducive to your schedule. Lateness to class will
have a negative effect on your grade since being late to class has the same effect as
absence. Two times late is equal to an absence.
Required Conferences: Conferences are required. Since these conferences will most often
take the place of class, you will be marked absent if you do not attend. You will always
bring two copies of the article to be discussed to the conference. One copy should have your
edits and changes.
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Course Requirements:
Computers: All stories are to be typed and saved.
Hard copies are to be double spaced
and submitted in a fourteen point font. **Note: Also, this is not a computer class. You are
expected to use the computers in the 309 lab in conjunction with the computers in the
various labs located campus wide (Stipes, Morgan, and more). I will assist you in this class;
however, please do not expect me to be a computer expert. Ask questions when you are in
the labs. Play with the computer when time permits. This is the best way to learn the
system and help each other.
Proofing and editing is essential. This will be your responsibility. Your goal is to make your
work as precise and accurate as possible. Keep in mind you want to publish.
Lectures (beyond the first three weeks of class) will be kept to a minimum; however, it will
be necessary to discuss some of the readings from the text. Due to time constraints not all
readings will merit a lecture. If you do not understand said material, feel free to ask
questions. Assigned reading material is required to be read before class.
Class Work: Expect to write daily. Class work involves several activities generated from a
workbook, AP wire service, computer data bases, as well as other sources.
Midterm: The Midterm exam will focus on work covered up to that point. This will include
lecture, readings and / or any material that is primarily skill oriented, such as exercises and
discussions on style, mechanics and form. The exam will be a combination of objective
questions and short answer questions on style, leads and story composition.
Final Exam: You will compose a story in class at your computer. The primary facts will be
provided.
Major Articles: All major articles will be done in the field. This means you will actually
gather the news, making sure that you have newsworthy subject matter. You will receive
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detailed written assignments for each of these articles. However, it will be important that you
use all of the skills that you acquire as you complete class and homework, which will include
short stories that will serve as examples to help you complete these larger assignments. The
stories will be as follows: (a first and second draft is required).
Story 1, Meeting Story: 400 words. Cover a town meeting. City Council preferred.
Chapters 15 and 16 of the text cover interviews and meeting stories, respectively.
Story 2, Activity Story:
400 words. Cover a campus event, a speech, a guest speaker,
event, etc.
Chapter 16 of the text also covers speech stories.
Story 3, Investigative Story:
700 words. To be discussed. This is your final story.
Chapter 8 looks at the longer story including the investigative story.
Chapter 11 covers the Investigative story also as well as how to research for
information
Grading: All work will be assigned points and a letter grade.
Your Final Grade Will be determined in the Following Manner:
Three Major Articles:
1 Meeting
15 %
1 Activity
15%
1 Investigative
25% (should be best work; show cumulative skills and
knowledge).*
Daily exercises (average)
20% (to be assigned as we go) -- includes quizzes**
Final Exam
15%
Attendance/ Participation:
10%
Extra Credit: 10 points. SPJ or NABJ Membership as well as “J-Day” participation.
.”**************************************************************************
****
Grading Scale:
5

95-100 percent: the work is excellent.
A

90-94 percent work is very good, but needs minor adjustment.

89-87 percent work is good, but needs work.

86-85 percent work is good , but needs work.

84-80 percent the work is above average. Needs work.
B-

79-77 percent work is average.
C+

76-75 percent work is average.
C

74-70 percent work is average.
C-

69-67 below average/ poor
AB+
B
D+

66-65
D

64-60
D-

Below
Failure
Class Schedule
J-231
Strother-Adams
Workbook assignments will be given daily as needed. Tests and quizzes will be
announced). Expect some changes in the class schedule due to time constraints.
Such changes will be announced. The nature and quantity of our work calls for and
must allow such adjustments.
Week of:
Aug. 25
Week-1
Sep. 1
Week-2
Introductions: Syllabus and Objectives
Labor Day Holiday/ Class Resume on Tuesday
News Defined: Ch. 1: On Job; Ch. 2: Components /Story; Ch. 3: What is
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News?
Sep. 8
Week-3
Identifying and Writing Good Leads
Ch. 5: The Lead
Sep. 15
Week-4
Proofreading and Editing Copy for Accuracy and Style
Ch. 6: Story Structure Ch. 7: The Writer’s Art; Stylebook, p. Appendix:
579.
Sep. 22/29
Week-5/6
Reporters and Research
Ch. 4: The Internet and other Tools of the Trade; Ch. 8: Longer Stories/
Feature Length and Ch. 11: Digging for Information
Oct. 6
Week 7:
Ch. 12: Making Sound Observation; Ch. 13: Building and using Background
and Ch. 14: Finding, Cultivating and Using Sources
Daily Activity / Homework
Oct. 13
Week-8
Covering and Writing Meetings and Speeches
Ch. 15: Interviewing
Ch. 16: Speeches and Meetings and News
Class Activity
Oct. 20
Week-9
#1- Meeting Story First Draft due!--2 Copies
Conferences: 226-J: Sign-up
Oct. 27
Meeting Story-Final Draft due
Week-10
Ch. 17: Hunches, Feelings and Stereotypes
Ch. 26: Taste; Ch. 27: Morality
Nov. 3
#2--Activity Story First Draft due in conference)--2 Copies
Week-11
Covering the Investigative Story (Story Assigned)
Investigative Reporting: Review Ch. 8, 11 and other materials
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Video: Food Lions and Veronica Guerrin Story
Nov. 10
Week-12
Activity Story-final Draft Due
Covering Crime, the Courts, Accidents and Disasters
Ch. 18: Accidents and disasters; Ch. 20: The Police Beat; Ch. 21: The
Courts
Nov. 17
Reporters--The Law (Libel); Press Morality; and TasteWeek-12
The Law;
Week 13
#3-First Draft of Investigative Story Due in Conference
Nov. 24
Fall Break!!!
Dec. 1
Final Conference Week
Week 14
Draft of Final Paper to be shared
Dec. 8
Final Draft of Investigative Story Due
Week 15
Dec. 15
Week 16
Final Exam Week
Tuesday @ 1:00 pm: All finals are one hour and fifty minutes.
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Ch. 25: