Fall, 2014
Linco 2940; Monday, Wednesday 9:40-11:35 am
An overview and practical application of the fundamental skills of news gathering, writing and reporting.
This course is designed to familiarize students with the requisites of reporting for traditional and new media and will emphasize student participation, interaction, and practical writing and reporting exercises.
Access to online materials required throughout course
 Assigned Readings
 Associated Press Stylebook
 USB Drive/Memory Stick
 A portion of your grade will be based on classroom participation, so consistent attendance is necessary. Excessive absence and/or tardiness will negatively impact your evaluation.
 Students will be expected to be attentive and engaged in classroom activities; web-surfing, text-messaging and other distractions are prohibited.
 A score of 80 percent or better on the Grammar Test is required to pass.
Grades will be based on performance on tests and quizzes, classroom participation and exercises and completion of a final project, the following proportion:
 Tests and Quizzes: 30 percent (A Final Quiz will receive greater weighting toward final grade)
 Classroom Participation and Exercise Completion: 30 percent
 Final Project: 40 percent
 ADA Accommodation: The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you need accommodation in this class, reasonable prior notice must be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union
Bldg, 801-581-5020 (V/TDD), http://disability.utah.edu/. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course

can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for
Disability Services.
 Content Accommodation: The University recognizes that students’ sincerely-held core beliefs might make it difficult for students to fulfill some requirements of some courses or majors. It is the student’s obligation to determine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with the student’s sincerely-held core beliefs. http://admin.utah.edu/facdev/pdf/accommodations-policy-background.pdf
 Integrity: Academic dishonesty of any kind, including plagiarism and cheating, will result in failure in the class.
August 25: Introduction and Orientation. Writing exercise
August 27: What is News? News Judgment Exercise-Assignments
Sept 1: No Class (Labor Day)
Sept. 3 : Basics of News Writing
Sept. 8: Review; Sourcing
Sept. 10: Intro to “News Style;” QUIZ ONE
Sept 15: Quiz Results/Discussion of Style
Sept. 22: Guest Lecture TBA
Sept 24: Final Project Introduction
Sept. 29: Investigative Reporting and Special Project Reporting
Oct 1: Final Project Introduction/Discussion; Review of Assignments
Oct. 6: Ethics in Journalism; Assignment
Oct 8: Journalism and the Law
Oct. 13: NO CLASS (Fall Break)
Oct. 15: NO CLASS (Fall Break)
Oct. 20: QUIZ 2
Oct 22: Multi-Media Journalism; assigned readings
Oct 27: Page One, the documentary

Oct. 29: Final Project Outline; Class Lab Work
Nov. 3: New Age of Media; readings; assignments
Nov. 5: Final Project Outline due; QUIZ 3
Nov 10: Class Lab on Final Projects
Nov. 11: Review; “manufactured news. Class Exercise
Nov. 17: Guest Speaker TBA
Nov. 19: Public Relations I
Nov. 24: First draft, final project due
Nov. 26: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
Dec. 1: Public Relations II
Dec. 3: Vocational Opportunities
Dec. 8: Final Project Due: QUIZ 4 (Final)