Journalism 310W: Media Writing and Reporting
Spring 2014, PSFA-326 Thursdays, 4 to 6:40 p.m.
Instructor: David Coddon
Phone: 619-980-4183
Email: dcoddon@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-4 p.m. or by appointment, AL
269
Course Overview
This course will employ journalistic fundamentals to teach precision
writing to students majoring in the sciences. Those fundamental skills
include: brainstorming, information gathering (document and digital
research, interviewing techniques), and using the rewrite process to
craft a final article and/or opinion piece. Science students will learn how
to write and analyze science articles aimed at the general public,
including explanatory essays, personality profiles, and opinion pieces.
Course work will focus on recognizing, finding and developing media
content with a science focus; structuring articles; writing strong,
compelling opinion pieces based on meticulous research; capturing
reader interest; maintaining accuracy and getting published. The course
will emphasize writing for print, broadcast and digital media and will
cover how to employ visuals with written work. Students also will
peruse on a weekly basis written work (print and online) and utilize
critical thinking and analysis toward the improvement of their own
writing.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
• Recognize credible media content about the sciences
• Research meticulously
• Translate scientific and medical jargon into terms understandable to
the lay person
• Effectively brainstorm, structure and gather information for a writing
project
• Write in clear and organized fashion, using sound construction and
language
• Write in a style that is accurate, concise and compelling
• Conduct a successful interview
• Self-edit, proofread and revise to create a successful final product
• Produce multiple types of written communication about science
subjects which is appropriate for and appeals to various audiences
Course design
• Lecture/computer lab
• Readings and quizzes from textbook and other course materials
• Writing assignments
• Oral presentation
• Final portfolio of revised course work
Enhancements/instructional tools
• Web-based lecture presentations
• Textbook
• Social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.)
• Guest speakers
• Film, videos
Attendance
Regular attendance is expected. Roll will be called at the beginning of
each class. If you must miss a class, find out what you missed from a
classmate. If you have additional questions about that day’s material,
contact me via email.
Class Participation
Class participation and discussion are two of the most important
elements of this class. In order to do so, you MUST READ AND PREPARE
YOUR ASSIGNMENTS IN ADVANCE OF THE CLASS. Students will
participate in many discussions, in groups and as a class.
Class Etiquette
No cell phones, pagers, headphones or iPods may be in use during class
time. You are expected to arrive on time to class each day and to remain
for the duration of the period. Please give your full attention to the
instructor, to guests and to your fellow students at all times. Show them
the respect that you expect for yourself. Your participation in class
discussions is strongly encouraged.
Required Course Texts/Materials
Kaku, Michio and Jesse Cohen, “The Best American Science Writing
2012,” original edition
 A newspaper, preferably The New York Times or The Los Angeles
Times, that you will read either in print or online every day,
looking out for articles pertinent to your course work
 Notebook for in-class writing
 Folder (at end of semester) for portfolio material
Written Work/Grading Breakdown
Students will write a variety of articles during the semester. Graded
assignments will include a personality profile, a concept/explanatory
story, a field observation article, a press release and various opinionbased stories, including an op-ed piece and a letter to the editor. Each
will be worth approximately 10 percent of the course grade. Students
also will write responses to/analyses of outside material, a critique of a
science-oriented film and an article based on a field trip, all of which will
account for another 30 percent of the final course grade. Students will
have the opportunity to make revisions to these graded assignments
and re-submit them at the end of the semester as part of their final
course portfolios. The remaining 20 percent of the course grade will be
based on any quizzes that are administered, and on in-class
participation and discussion. No writing exercises done in class or in lab
will be graded (unless taken home for revision). All material written
outside of class is required to be word processed (New Roman type, 12
pt., double spaced) and stapled.
Grading Rubric
Written work will be judged on the basis of clarity of writing, accuracy,
comprehension and adherence to parameters of assignment, which will
be explained on the front end. The grading scale:
A – Work is of the highest quality, meets all parameters of assignment
and is publishable in current print or online journalism platform
B – Work is of good quality, meets all parameters of assignment,
requires modest amount of editing to achieve publish-worthy status
C – Work is of fair quality, meets all parameters of assignment, requires
significant amount of editing and rewrites to achieve publish-worthy
status
D – Work is of poor quality, does not meet all parameters of assignment
and/or requires major editing and rewrites
Deadlines
Assignments must be turned in on the specified deadline days. No final
drafts of assignments turned in after those deadlines will be accepted
for full credit unless by pre-arrangement with instructor.
Extra Credit
There will be no extra credit offered during the semester, but students
may be allowed to make up missed assignments for partial credit with
instructor consent.
Plagiarism/Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be honest and ethical at all times. There is a
zero-tolerance policy regarding cheating in this class. Cheating includes
plagiarism. Examples of plagiarism:
1. Submitting work, either in part or in whole, completed by
another.
2. Omitting quotation marks when quoting directly from another,
whether it be a paragraph, sentence or part thereof.
3. Close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writing or work of
another, with or without acknowledgement.
4. Submitting papers purchased from research companies (or
downloaded) as one’s own work.
Students caught cheating or plagiarizing on an assignment will receive a
failing grade on that project and possibly as a final course grade.
COURSE OUTLINE, DEADLINES, READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
This schedule below, including class agendas, assignments and guest
speakers, is subject to change.
Week 1 (Jan. 23)
Agenda: Introductions; orientation to course, text, requirements for
desired grade; explanation of ongoing Web site critique; discussion of
inverted pyramid and alternative storytelling structures; in-class
reading of article from textbook, followed by oral and written analysis
Homework: Read “It’s Not a Game” by Jaron Lanier on p. 89 in textbook;
for next week (as with every week during the semester), bring to class a
science-related article you found – and liked – either from a print or
online source
Week 2 (Jan. 30)
Agenda: Survey of science-related articles brought to class; seminar
on brainstorming, developing story ideas followed by in-class exercise;
begin discussion of personality profile
Homework: Read “The Last Shuttle Launch” by P.J. O’Rourke on p. 134
of textbook
Week 3 (Feb. 6)
Agenda: Continue discussion of personality profile; seminar on
interviewing, use of attribution and quotations
Homework: Read “Mending the Youngest Hearts” by Gretchen Vogel on
p. 1 in textbook; complete work on personality profile, due Feb. 13
Week 4 (Feb. 13)
Agenda: Personality profile due; guest speaker: science writer Scott
LaFee of UCSD School of Medicine
Homework: Read “X-Rays and Unshielded Infants” by Kristina Rebelo
and Wayne Bogdanich on p. 16 of textbook
Week 5 (Feb. 20)
Agenda: Begin discussion of process/explanatory articles; seminar on
doing library- and internet-related research
Homework: Read “Waiting for the Higgs” by Tim Folger on p. 173 of
textbook
Week 6 (Feb. 27)
Agenda: Continue discussion of explanatory articles; seminar on
accessing information; in-class writing (ungraded) of a how-to story
Homework: Read “Moved by Light” by Devin Powell on p. 181 of
textbook; complete work on explanatory story, due March 6
Week 7 (March 6)
Agenda: Explanatory essay due; seminar on note-taking and
transcription; progress report on oral presentations; in-class viewing of
“Nova” episode followed by class discussion
Homework: Read “Going to Extremes” by Linda Marsa on p. 116 of
textbook
Week 8 (March 13)
Agenda: Seminar on writing the feature story and the news feature
story; begin discussion of field observation story
Homework: Read “The Fire Next Time” by Jeff Goodell on p. 125 in
textbook
Week 9 (March 20)
Agenda: Field trip to Birch Aquarium for observation and on-the-spot
interview(s) (tentative) and/or seminar on revision, using AP style and
relationship with editors
Homework: Read “Stellar Oddballs” by Charles Petit on p. 149 in
textbook; complete work on press release, due March 27
Week 10 (March 27)
Agenda: Press release due; guest speaker Lynn Friedmann of the San
Diego Science Writers Association or Gary Robbins, science reporter for
UT San Diego (tentative) or seminar on “covering a crisis,” with in-class
discussion, group exercise to follow
Homework: Read “An Immune System Trained to Kill Cancer” by Denise
Grady on p. 7 of textbook; complete work on field observation story, due
April 10
NO CLASSES MARCH 31-APRIL 4 / SPRING BREAK
Week 11 (April 10)
Agenda: Field observation story due; begin discussion of utilization of
digital media including blogging and social networking; guest speaker
appearance by Dr. Mark Sussman of the San Diego State University
Heart Research Institute or astronomer Dennis L. Mammana
Homework: Read “The Early Adopter’s Guide to Space Travel” by Erik
Sofge on p. 139 in textbook
Week 12 (April 17)
Agenda: Begin seminar on editorial and opinion writing, followed by
in-class exercises; oral presentations
Homework: Read “Criminal Minds” by Josh Fischman on p. 65 in
textbook; complete work on letter to the editor, due April 24
Week 13 (April 24)
Agenda: Letter to the editor due; in-class op-ed writing assignment;
oral presentations continue (if needed)
Homework: Read “Dream Machine” by Rivka Galchen on p. 94 in
textbook; complete writing portfolios, due May 8
Week 14 (May 1)
Agenda: Portfolios due; seminar on critical writing/reviewing.
Screening of the film “Food, Inc.,” followed by written response. Time
permitting: seminar on selling your stories, including fundamentals of
networking, querying and the so-called art of “the deal”
Homework: Read “Beautiful Brains” by David Dobbs on p. 52 of
textbook
Week 15 (May 8)
Agenda: Portfolios due; seminar on selling your stories, including
fundamentals of networking, querying and the so-called art of “the
deal”; any last-minute course business