Specialized Reporting--- Sports Reporting JAMS 602
Spring, 2016
Fridays 12:30-3:10
Instructor: Jessie Garcia (Marble)
414-379-2329
Office hours: after class and by appointment
Goal: to prepare you to work in television, print and radio sports. This class is
completely hands-on and we will be attending multiple sporting events and
practices. After learning the different types of sports reporting, we’ll put them to
use almost weekly in print, radio and TV. We will also do podcasts and work on
tweeting and other forms of social media. You will leave with a strong ability to
craft a compelling story in many different mediums. This class will include writing,
reading, interviewing, attending events and listening to guest speakers. There will
be a fair amount of off-campus time required as we cover athletes and sports
ranging from high school to professionals.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Write a sports story that is interesting and catchy to the reader, viewer or
listener
2. Shoot video and edit
3. Make decisions about how to organize a sports story quickly
4. Interview all types of athletes and coaches
5. Write great bumps, teases and web content
6. Be comfortable talking on camera and on radio
Good writing is the basis of everything we will do and there will be a lot of writing
in this class. Your work will be critiqued by me and sometimes by your peers.
Attendance is critical especially as how we only meet once/week. You need to be
dedicated and professional, just as you will be expected to be in a business. Much
of our work is hands on and you need to be here. If you have a real problem in
your life that requires you to be gone, talk to me. This syllabus is akin to a
contract and I expect you to honor your part of the deal or drop the class. Let me
know by UWM email if you will not be in attendance and why.
Late assignments will be a zero unless clear proof of emergency has been made.
In newsrooms around the country you cannot be late with a deadline or
assignment. There will be only a few chances for extra credit in this course.
ABSOLUTELY NO TEXTING, FACEBOOKING, PHONE CALLS OR SURFING THE
INTERNET DURING CLASS. You will automatically lose points for participation if I
catch you doing anything other than focusing on class. This is your warning. I will
deduct the points the first time I catch you and every time thereafter. I want you
to get as much out of this class as possible.
GRADING
Your Grade will be based on a total of 500 points.
--10 points for every class attended (14 classes). You will only hurt yourself on
days you are absent by missing out on those points. Poor attention/attitude in
class will result in me deducting some of those points
-- On guest speaker days you will receive an additional 5 points for coming up
with a list of questions and asking them. These days are the most critical for
attendance.
--Each assignment counts between 10-30 points except for the final which is 40.
You will have a chance early in the semester to take my critiques and re-submit
assignments to bolster your points. This is exactly how it works in the real world.
Someone will usually be editing or looking at your story before it goes on the air
or in print.
--I save a final 20 points for how I feel you performed and the effort you gave all
semester. This includes overall work ethic, attention to detail in your work (spell
check everything!), commitment to the class, bringing ideas to the table and
willingness to accept feedback.
I will then divide the total into 500 points and calculate your grade percentage
based on this scale:
GRADING SCALE
100-94=A
93-90=A89-87=B+
86-84=B
83-80=B79-77=C+
76-74=C
73-70=C69-67=D+
66-64=D
63-60=D59-0=F
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism can result in an F for the assignment or the class, and/or referral to the
university system for academic misconduct.
Copying the words of others from the Internet or any source is plagiarism. If you
have a question about use of any material, contact the instructor. Don’t risk the
consequences of stealing words or ideas belonging to someone else.
University policy on plagiarism and academic misconduct:
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf
Re-using material:
Re-using stories or assignments from other classes and representing them as
original work for JAMS 602 can result in an F for the assignment or the class.
Sources/Interviewees/Accuracy:
Faking sources can result in an F for the assignment or the class, and/or referral to
the university system for academic misconduct.
Anonymous sources: use only with prior instructor approval and under
extraordinary circumstances.
Phone/email interviews: identify as such in story i.e. “County Supervisor Charlie
Jones said in an email...” “...Wendy Smith said in a phone interview.” The best
way to obtain an interview is to talk with your source in person.
Quoting other news media or sources quoted in other media is unacceptable in
news writing and can result in an F for the assignment.
Transparency: tell all sources you are a student reporter and that your story will
go on your personal web site.
Incorrect titles or facts: can result in an F for the assignment.
ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments must be completed to pass the course. Additional details on each
assignment will be provided in class.
Important reminders for each story:
- Does my lead hook the reader, listener or viewer into the story and make them
want to see more?
-Does the rest of the story unfold and end in an interesting way?
-Am I letting pictures and sound help tell the story?
-Are my standups visual and exciting?
- Is my story fair and balanced?
-Are my sources solid and my information accurate?
-Is my copy clear and concise?
Everything you do in this class has the potential to go on your personal website
through Word Press. You can walk out of here with 10 or more great pieces in
print, radio and TV so make every assignment count. You are working on a resume
reel.
***You will need an 8 or 16 gig thumb drive. This can be purchased at the UWM
tech store for $16 if you don’t already own one.