Dear Degree Completion Student,
Greetings! I am excited about our time together in Media and Feature Writing. In the next five weeks, you will learn how to write and structure a message for all types of media.
This seminar course is a practical communications course, specifically designed to teach the how-to of media writing. The weekly sessions are designed to focus your learning upon the techniques and skills of communicating effectively as a professional in the media world. My goal for this course is to make it as interesting, substantive, and engaging as communication is itself. We will look at writing for print, broadcast/electronic, advertising, and public relations.
The syllabus that follows is your guide to this course, but the success of this course is largely dependent on you. In order for you to receive the full benefit from Media and
Feature Writing, your active participation will be required. The course discussion and exercises are structured around foundational basics of media writing. Together, we will learn and exchange ideas that will make everyone participating a stronger writer and communicator.
I encourage you to keep up with the reading and outside assignments. Information obtained in your personal study will assist you in participation, as you and your colleagues learn from each other. My part in your learning is to help you with skills development that energizes and motivates; to highlight current communication theory that makes practical sense; and, to continue your growth in critical thinking, specifically as it relates to media ethics.
Be prepared for the next five weeks to be filled with the wonderment of communication.
I am looking forward to meeting you and sharing in your experiences of completing your degree.
Best Regards,
Nancy Pace-Miller
Assistant Professor
( pace-millern@evangel.edu
)

by
Mrs. Nancy Pace-Miller
865-2815 Ext. 8414
3 Credit hours -- 5 Weeks

Welcome to the Media and Feature Writing course. This seminar will provide practical media writing skills. This seminar is a required course toward attainment of your Communication Studies degree.
This course is designed to focus your learning upon the techniques and skills of communicating effectively as a professional in any media environment.
Learners demonstrate their abilities to write and edit for all forms of media, including print, electronic media, and advertising/public relations. This course includes practical experience in information gathering, organizing, and writing with emphasis on style, structure, and techniques appropriate to the various media formats.
The following performance objectives are provided as a focus for learning in Media and
Feature Writing. You may wish to further refine or expand upon them for personal growth or work responsibilities. If so, please discuss your personal needs with the instructor prior to the first class meeting or on the first night of class.
1.
Review and put to memory basic editing symbols.
2.
Examine and review the guidelines for AP style, using the Associated Press style manual.
3.
Analyze different newspaper writing techniques, specifically the Wall Street
Journal and their local paper.
4.
Analyze newspaper stories, looking specifically for inverted pyramid technique.
5.
Analyze newspaper Web sites.
6.
Examine award-winning print writing.
1.

1.
Show comprehension of newspaper writing, structure, and style through assessment.
2.
Uncover and record a community news tip, reporting findings in class.
3.
Analyze and explain the difference between hard news and soft news.
4.
Analyze and review an award-winning feature article.
5.
Read and edit a magazine article.
6.
Identify and examine the genres of feature writing.
1.
Show comprehension of feature writing, structure, and style through assessment.
2.
Share with the cohort a feature article that they have written.
3.
Edit and critique a cohort member’s story.
4.
Analyze three, television newscasts, examining structure and story content.
5.
Analyze three Web sites created by television stations, answering the question,
“How is the electronic site different than the broadcast event?”
6.
Explore the differences in broadcast writing versus print.
7.
Identify the differences in radio and television by audio taping three radio newscasts and preparing those to share with class.
2.

1.
Show comprehension of electronic media through assessment.
2.
Discover advertising and public relations techniques through additional reading.
3.
Show competence in formulating a copy platform and in copywriting.
4.
Analyze effective direct mail copywriting techniques.
1. Show comprehension of advertising and public relations through assessment.
2. Review basic Business Communication guidelines for writing, including letters
and reports.
3. Identify basic media law issues, specifically defamation.
4. Review copy editing and copy proof reading symbols.
Stovall, J.G. (2000). Writing for the mass media (5 th
Ed). Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, Inc.
Brooks, B.S., Pinson, J.L., and Wilson, J.G. (2000). Working with words . New York:
St. Martin’s Press.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual , (2000 Ed.)
Grades will be determined according to the following point distribution:
Weekly assessments (Weeks 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Informal writings and homework activities
100 points ea.
25 points ea.
Formal writing and editing assignments 50 points ea.
Grades are based on a plus/minus grading scale. 100 – 95% = A; 94 –90% = A-
89 – 86% = B+; 85 – 80% = B; 79 – 76% = C+; 75 – 70% = C; 69 –66% = D+; 65 – 60%
= D; Below 60% = Failing

Please note: Late work is not an option. Due to the nature of this program, timeliness of work is of utmost importance. Homework and activities assigned must be completed according to the overview schedule in this syllabus
.
Please use the grid provided to track your grades.
Assignment Week Points Possible Points Earned
Editing and AP worksheets (3)
Front page Wall Street Journal
(Read, analyze, attach to written report)
Front page Local Newspaper
(Read, analyze, attach to written report)
Find 5 inverted pyramid stories
(Any paper, mark for 5w’s and the h)
1
1
1
1
75 pts. (25 ea.)
50 pts.
50 pts.
125 pts.
Web surfing – Newspapers
(Record web addresses and summary on findings)
Read Pulitzer Prize News Story
(Watch for structure; write personal response)
1
1
Written News Story Assignment 2
Community News Tip
(Write it down, developing idea)
One page summary report
(Hard verus soft news)
2
2
Read Pulitzer Prize Feature Story 2
(Watch for structure; write personal response)
Read and edit a magazine article 2
50 pts.
50 pts.
50 pts.
25 pts.
25 pts.
50 pts.
Assessment on Newspapers
Written Feature Story Assignment
Practice text for broadcast writing
2
3
3
50 pts.
100 pts.
50 pts.
50 pts.
75 pts. Three Television Newscasts
(Analyze for structure and content; write response)
3
Audio tape three radio newscasts 3
(Bring to class, prepared to discuss)
Analyze three, television Web sites 3
(Record sites, discussing content and how they reinforce the station.)
Broadcast rules – list of do’s and don’ts 3
75 pts.
75 pts.
Assessment on Feature Writing 3
Write an in-house announcement 4
Write a press release 4
25 pts.
100 pts.
50 pts.
50 pts.
50 pts. Personal research on Defamation 4
(Research defamation and write a formal report on what you learned.)
Assessment on Electronic Journalism 4 100 pts
Write a print advertisement 5 50 pts.
Review copy editing and symbols 5 Participation
Assessment on Advertising and PR 5 100 pts.
Total Points 1550 pts.

The assignments for this module are designed to enable you to apply text theory with practical application to continue your personal professional development. Please be prepared to share assignments with your colleagues during class time. During the next five weeks you will be discovering the world of Media Writing. Enjoy your new learning experiences. With mindful application and focused attention, you will develop a new skill with just this module.
IMPORTANT – Please Note:
All written homework should be presented in a formal, professional manner. Work should be well-written, proofed, and edited; however, reflective writing can be written in first person (informal). Please use the following format guidelines for written papers other than specific media assignments (use media specific format and structure for those).
Formal writing should be 12-point font (preferably Times or New Times Roman), 1” margins, single sided, and double-spaced. Minimal corrections can be made on your paper, please use a black pen. Please include an appropriate heading to your papers.
Make sure you put your name in the upper right hand margin of the papers.
Homework for each week should be placed in a pocket folder with your name clearly visible on the front of the folder and on all the work included in the folder. I will collect homework at some point during the class. You will need two pocket folders for rotation of homework assignments.
Remember, late work is unacceptable.
Again, please be prepared to discuss the text information contained in the assigned readings and any other readings given as handouts. You may call or e-mail me with any questions you may have while completing the assignments. Please know that I will need at least a 24 hour response time to get back to you. You may call my home with questions, but you MUST CALL BEFORE 8:30 a.m.
My home phone number is 742-0197.
5.

Week 1 To be completed prior to and submitted on the first night of class.
READ
Stovall, Chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-68)
AP Style Manual (Skim; get familiar with how it works)
1.
After reading your text material, you will have a better understanding of the basic tools for print writing. All journalists adhere to the journalistic convention discussed in your reading. After this introduction, please complete the three exercise sheets given to you last week. Follow the directions given on each exercise sheet. These are skill-building exercises that will help you get use to using copy-editing symbols, the AP style manual, and print style. Have these sheets completed when you get to class. Put them in your pocket folder as homework. Editing symbols are found on page 323, Stovall text.
READ
Stovall, Chapters 4-5 (pp. 83-144)
AP Style Manual (Skim; get familiar with how it works)
2.
The material presented in your text on inverted pyramid style is to be studied and read as many times as you need to read it to make this information become
“second nature” to you. All newspaper writing that you do for this class is to be done in this structure. Ask yourself these questions: What is a lead? Why do you need a lead? What’s in a lead? How long is a lead? What is a nut graph? Why is a nut graph important? What goes into the body of a news story? Do I understand hard and soft news? What’s a quote? How do I do a quote? What is a speech tag? What is the most used speech tag? Why? What is attribution?
How do I construct a good quote, using attribution and a speech tag? How do I conclude a story? These questions, when answered, will give you a head start on studying for your first assessment as well as help you complete the following assignments.
3.
Please read a newspaper of your choice. I want you to find 5 stories that demonstrate the inverted pyramid style. For each story, indicate the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Put your name on the paper(s). Put these inside your folder for class. Be prepared to discuss your findings.
4.
To become a good writer, you must first become an avid reader. This assignment is to get you reading. Please get a copy of the Wall Street Journal. You must read the front page, examine the content, look at the structure, and write a one-page summary report on what you observed. Be specific with your observations.
Attach the written summary page to your front page and put it in your folder.
Remember to follow the written guidelines as indicated on the front page of this assignment sheet.
6.

5.
To continue reading, you will need to get a copy of your local paper. You must read the front page, examine the content, look at the structure, and write a one page summary report on what you observed. Be specific with your observations.
Attach the written summary page to your front page and put it in your folder.
Remember to follow the written guidelines as indicated on the front page of this assignment sheet.
6.
The newest medium is the WEB. To get a full understanding on where the industry is going, you must study it. For this class, please surf the Web for three online papers of your choice. Examine how they structure their Web sites and how they dispense the information. Discuss your findings in one report (no more than two pages). What are these on-line papers doing? Are they confusing? Are they informative? Do they use the inverted pyramid structure for stories? Tell me what sites you examined (addresses), the names of the online papers, and then weave a one to two page report discussing the questions above and any other component that you saw during your online search. Put your written paper in your folder for grading.
7.
Please read the Pulitzer Prize winning News Story given to you. Please read it, looking at structure. What do you see? Write a one-page personal response, showing me that you read the content and understand what was happening in the lead. What was the nut graph? Be prepared to discuss this in class. Put your response paper in your folder.
7.

Week 2 To be completed prior to and submitted on the second night of class.
READ
Working With Words
Chapters 1-12 (Skim; technical how-to material)
Chapters 13-14 (pp. 274-323)
1.
Now that you’ve examined newspaper stories, it is time to write one. Please use the scenario that was given to you as a handout last week (MURDER). Review the information on the handout. Write an inverted pyramid story that would appear on the front page of a local newspaper, using these facts. Do not add anything to the story; do not editorialize nor sermonize. Write a headline and the story. Format: Inverted pyramid structure. Word Process: 1” margins, 12-point type, New Times Roman or Times Roman, doubles-space, and indent paragraphs.
Remember, just double-space; do not put four spaces between paragraphs. Put your completed paper in your folder.
2.
Finding your own story is often a requirement for print writing. I want you to find a community news tip. What’s news worthy? Do you know the news judgments? Please find a community tip and tell me how you could develop a story from this tip. This should be no longer than a one-page response paper. Put the completed assignment in your folder.
3.
The print mediums are fascinating in their functions. After having read your text from last week and the new material in Working with Words, please explain to me in your own words the difference between hard news and soft news. Give me examples. Put the completed assignment in your folder.
4.
To continue your practice using the AP style manual and copy-editing symbols, you will need to find a magazine article and edit it. You may say, “But it’s already edited and published.” That may be true, but a good editor can always sharpen an article. Try your hand at this. Find an article (any magazine article you want); edit it for clarity and flow. Put your name on the edited article and put it in your folder.
5.
Please read the Pulitzer Prize winning Feature Story given to you. Please read it, looking at structure. What do you see? Write a one page personal response, showing me that you read the content and understand what was happening in the structure. How did they do the lead? What was the nut graph or the compelling reason for doing the story? Be prepared to discuss this in class. Put your response paper in your folder.
6.
Prepare for assessment.
8.

Week 3 To be completed prior to and submitted on the third night of class.
READ
Stovall, Chapters 6-7 (pp. 171-218)
Working with Words, Chapters 15-16
1.
Now that you’ve examined feature stories, it is time to write one. The feature story can be any “kind” of feature format that you want. It can be a how-to story, a seasonal story, a personal experience story, a profile story – whatever you want.
BUT, you must have a reason for writing this story. SIGNIFICANCE! The reader of your feature story must not say to him/herself, “Who cares…so what!”
If this happens, you missed the purpose of writing the article. Write a headline and the story. Format: Any “kind/style” that you want. Word Process: 1” margins, 12-point type, New Times Roman or Times Roman, doubles-space, and indent paragraphs. Remember, just double-space; do not put four spaces between paragraphs. Put your completed paper in your folder.
2.
Watching the nightly news is easier than examining the nightly news. That’s what you will need to do for this assignment. Please watch three television newscasts (national or local, it doesn’t matter). After you watch a broadcast, please prepare a one page response of your analyzes and content cover. NOT
JUST CONTENT. Examine the structure and how the content was covered.
Watch for lead-ins and wrap-ups. How many sentences per story? Was it information or explanation? Do three broadcasts and three separate stories on three different pieces of paper, titling each response paper: TV Response #1, TV
Response #2, and TV Response #3.
3.
Listening to a radio newscast is easier than examining one. That’s what you will need to do for this assignment. This time, you will need to audiotape three radio newscasts. (Doesn’t matter what station or what time.) Bring the tapes to class with you, along with three separate analyses of the radio newscasts. Prepare as you did the TV responses above: RADIO Response #1, RADIO Response #2, and RADIO Response #3.
4.
Reading a Web page is easier than examining one. That’s what you will need to do for this assignment. For this exercise, you will need to examine three, television Web sites. Look at what they present. How is the image and content in comparison to the station and its broadcast? Analyze and write a one-page paper for each one. Prepare as you did TV and Radio: WEB Response #1, WEB
Response #2, and Web Response #3.
9.

5. After all the watching, listening, and reading, it is now time for you to try your skill at producing a broadcast script. Using broadcast style (refer to your list of does and don’ts), prepare a television newscast with the information given to you. Follow broadcast style and format. Example of format in the back of your main text, page
360 and 461, Stovall text.
6. After reading Working with Words, chapter 15, and your main text, you will need to prepare your own list of broadcast does and don’ts. The physical aspect of making this list out for yourself will help you remember the rules better. It will also prepare you for assessment next week on broadcast and electronic media.
7.
Prepare for feature writing assessment.
10.

Week 4 To be completed prior to and submitted on the fourth night of class.
READ
Stovall, Chapters 8-10 (pp. 231-367)
AP Style Manual (Skim Libel section)
1.
To demonstrate your understanding of public relations, please write a press release using the format of one of the handouts given to you. The information that you will need is found on page 295, entitled YMCA. Please use the handouts distributed to help you prepare a professional press release. Do you understand the difference between FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE and EMBARGO?
2.
Another aspect of public relations is corporate event planning. Please prepare an in-house announcement regarding the annual company picnic. This kind of event and announcement would come from the company’s public relations office.
Actually make an announcement (you determine content / remember 5w’s and h) about the picnic that will hang on bulletin boards and in elevators.
3.
Defamation is one of the biggest issues facing the journalist today. What does the
First Amendment cover? How can we protect ourselves as journalist and media experts? Please read the chapter on Media Law in your text. Also skim the AP
Style Manual’s chapter on libel. After completing your initial reading, please consult three other sources (one of which can be a Web address, if you like) regarding defamation –libel and slander. You will need to write a formal report on what you have learned. Remember to document your findings, giving attribution to where you found the information. A bibliography is expected with your sited works.
4.
Prepare for the assessment on broadcasting and electronic media.
11.

Week 5 To be completed prior to and submitted on the fifth night of class.
Stovall, Review Chapters 8-10
Review Copy-editing symbols and proof readers marks
AP Style Manual review
1. The last section of the module deals with advertising and public relations. Please read through the section on how to write advertising copy (copywriting). Follow the advertising copy example that was placed in your mail box or given to you. You will pick a slogan or theme for a brand image advertising campaign for your place of employment. You will write the copy platform first, formulating your ideas. You will then write the advertisement. You do not have to desktop publish the ad (unless you want), but you must follow the copywriting form that will be placed in your box or given to you. You will write a headline, opening paragraph that “hooks” the reader, the body, and close with the call-to-action.
2. Prepare for the final assessment on advertising and public relations.
3. Review AP style, copy editing symbols and all copy proof reading marks for a quick review and practice session.
12.