JMS 445
Electronic News Reporting and Producing
Spring 2014
Instructor: Lanie Lockwood, M.A.
Office: PSFA 337B
Phone:
594-2521
E-mail: alockwoo@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 11-12; Tues 12:45-1:45; by appointment
Editing and technical assistant: Shaun Sauer
Phone/text to: 949-412-2009
E-mail: txsauer@hotmail.com
COURSE MEETING TIME:
Thurs 10-10:50 a.m.
Tues/Thur 11-12:40
Prerequisites: JMS 300 and JMS 310W with C or better
Reminder: You need a C or better in 445 to move on to JMS 550
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
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Textbook: NewsNow: Visual Storytelling in the Digital Age by “The
Cronkite Team.” Green, Lodato, Schwalbe, Silcock. Pearson. 2012
SD Memory card(s). Should be 16 GB or more and Class 6 or
higher
DVD-R for projects—for your backups
Recommended: your own portable hard drive with a lot of memory
Twitter account. Follow me @LLsays and follow classmates. Use
#JMS445
COURSE OBJECTIVES
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Understand the role of electronic news in society
Understand the business of TV news
Learn electronic news terminology
Understand the TV news career paths/job market and the role of
audition tapes
Understand job responsibilities in the newsroom
Become skilled with the key functions of a newsroom: generating
story ideas; writing; reporting; shooting and editing; producing;
anchoring
To reach these objectives, you will:
 Develop story ideas specific to TV news
 Learn basic videography and shoot your own stories
 Learn basic editing concepts and edit your stories using digital
technology
 Master all TV news script formats and write well in broadcast
style
 Create reporter packages from beginning to end
 Develop, script and stack story ideas for a broadcast
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Tape an anchoring segment
Critique local newscasts
Visit a local newsroom and learn from local professionals
Create an entire newscast with all-student content
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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Reporter Package #1
Reporter Package #2
Producing Assignment
Newscast
Writing assignment: In-class exercise
Writing assignment: Readers
Writing assignment: VO/SOT
Take-home writing & script quiz
Camera assignment
Editing assignment
VO/SOT
Anchoring with TFM
Videography analysis paper
Reporting Analysis
Anchoring Analysis
Reading quizzes
Total points possible: 935 pts
(Need at least 683 for a C)
Extra Credit: Standups/Montage
125 pts
125 pts
50 pts
75 pts
15 pts
30 pts
40 pts
50 pts
50 pts
50 pts
75 pts
15 pts
25 pts
25 pts
25 pts
160 pts
30 pts
GRADING SCALE
93-100%
90-92.9
87-89.9
83-86.9
80-82.9
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C-
67-69.9%
63-66.9
60-62.9
59.9/lower
D+
D
DF
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
CLASS POLICIES
Don’t miss class. You’ll end up being lost on projects. Your grade
will suffer and I will suffer grading your projects. Don’t make your
instructor suffer.
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I don’t take attendance, but prompt, regular attendance is
expected—just like a job in a newsroom. If you miss a class, make
sure to find out what you missed. I expect you to treat your
journalism classes during this senior year the way you would
handle a job.
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All deadlines are FIRM. Like a real newscast. At 5 p.m., there’s no
“wait, I need just a minute more.” The newscast is on LIVE.
 Production assignments are due as assigned on the syllabus. If
I am not in my office, assignments are due to the School of
Journalism & Media Studies main office, where they will receive
a time stamp. If you turn in a project late—even 5 minutes
late—you will receive an F for the project. Plan ahead; don’t
wait until the last minute because something always goes
wrong with the technology.
 In the event of an unexpected personal emergency that results
in an extension from the instructor, appropriate documentation
for the unexpected emergency must be received by the
instructor within one calendar week of the missed assignment.
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In the event of an excused absence, the student must work with
the instructor to make up missed assignments. The absence is
excused ONLY IF it was caused by (1) religious observance, (2)
participation in University activities at the request of University
authorities, (3) debilitating illness, or (4) compelling circumstances
beyond the student’s control. Students claiming excused absences
are responsible for demonstrating to the instructor that their
failure to attend was on account of one of these four causes. Such
demonstration shall take the form of a letter signed by a person in
a position to make an authoritative determination as to the validity
of the cause of absence claimed by the student. Letters related to
any planned absences must be presented to the instructor by the
end of the second week of classes; letters related to any unplanned
absences must be presented to the instructor within one calendar
week of the date of absence, regardless of any holidays during that
one-week period. The instructor reserves the right to verify the
content and authority of such letters.
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If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need
accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay
in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot
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provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services.
Your cooperation is appreciated.
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Active engagement (listening) to lectures, guest speakers and
class discussions is expected and your grade will go down if you
are not doing this. Journalists who can’t listen, can’t keep their
concentration on their subject and can’t pay attention to details
won’t stay journalists very long. Students who do this won’t
develop into journalists. Therefore:
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Computer and cell phone use policy:
1) Computer and cell phone use policy:
a. We will develop this together on the first day of class
b. Of note:
i. “…there’s substantial literature on how the brain handles
multitasking. And basically, it doesn’t.” … “When people
try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same
time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way
up, and it takes far longer--often double the time or more-to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially,
says David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition and
Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan: "The toll
in terms of slowdown is extremely large--amazingly so.’”
Excerpts from The Multitasking Generation They’re e-mailing, IMing and
downloading while writing the history essay. What is all that digital juggling doing
to kids’ brains and their family life? By CLAUDIA WALLIS. TIME. Mar. 27, 2006
o Occasionally when deadlines are tight you can take a phone
call from one of your sources. You must let me know ahead
of time that you are expecting a call and you can step out.
This is only when I’m teaching, not during guest lectures.
o Printing is only allowed when authorized by the instructor.
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I suggest you take notes by hand, rather than with computer.
Not only does the computer tempt you with email, social media
sites, IM, etc., but you will not be often able to take notes on a
computer during an interview so it’s good practice to start
developing effective shorthand that works for you.
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You MUST complete all production assignments (camera,
editing, vo/sot, packages, newscast) in order to pass the course,
even if you fail the assignment
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Professional, courteous behavior is expected throughout the
semester. This includes, but is not limited to: other students,
the instructor, guest speakers, equipment and lab personnel,
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and the people you interact with in order to get your stories.
Unprofessional conduct will NOT be tolerated.
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In the pursuit of stories, unethical conduct will NOT be
tolerated and will result in a failing grade. Unethical conduct
includes: staging video, lying about your story purpose, being
deceitful about your identity, intentionally hurting (physically or
emotionally) your story subjects; not being objective; abusing
your privilege as a student reporter (claiming to be doing a story
when all you want is entry to that great concert or event), etc.
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All work must be your own—the video, the writing, the editing.
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Assignments for this class are NOT allowed to also be used for
any other class, internship, publication, etc. Only your personal
use (portfolio).
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Using video shot by someone else is NOT allowed, except
with prior approval and instructions from me. This includes
using video from a classmate, a professional photographer
(such as accessed through your internship station), movies, etc.
As discussed in class, the exceptions to this rule are stand-ups
and interviews. Failure to receive prior instructor approval will
automatically result in a failing grade.
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All equipment is only for academic use for this class, JMS
445. Any other unauthorized use will result in disciplinary
action, which may include an “F” in the course. “Unauthorized
use” includes using the equipment for personal use, another
class, selling your video (raw or edited) or giving the video to
another organization for its use. If you have any questions
about this policy, please see the instructor.
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Plagiarism of any sort will NOT be tolerated and will result in a
failing grade on the assignment, may also result in a failing
grade for the entire class and a report will be submitted to
Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for university
review. It is your responsibility to understand and follow SDSU
policies and regulations related to plagiarism.
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ASSIGNMENT AND GRADING POLICIES
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Grading of assignments in based upon my subjective evaluation of
your work. Depending upon the project, grading includes but is
not limited to the following concepts: excellence in original
reporting, clear presentation of information and effective use of
skills learned during course. Scripts will also be graded for format
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and broadcast style. All written work must be free of grammar,
spelling and punctuation errors.
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GRADES:
o A range (90-100%): Truly exceptional story or assignment.
Could be aired in a small market. Rarely given.
o B range (80-90%): Praiseworthy story. Better-than-average.
Has some minor issues
o C range (70-80%): Average. This is the grade most students
receive. This means you have done all the requirements of
the assignment but story is lacking
o D range: (60-70%): Missing some of the assignment
requirements and writing needs work
o F: (below 60%): Failing grade
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All written work is to be TYPED, double-spaced, and in the
correct format for the assignment. Formats for assignments and
scripts are included in the assignment. Most scripts will be
written using Rundown Creator. You will print the scripts from
Rundown Creator and turn those in.
EQUIPMENT AND PRODUCTION POLICIES
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You are responsible for following the requirements of the TFM
department while using shooting and editing equipment and using
the production facilities.
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No smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed in the production
facilities
You must clean up after yourself in the edit booths. We do not
have cleaning service there.
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You must fill out a “red card” in checkout before you can use the
equipment. This will be provided to you in class or you can get one
from the check out room.
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Essentials: you can reserve the equipment up to a month in
advance; you can get the equipment for 3 hours at a time, M-F
only (no overnight and no weekends). There are only 6 cameras for
our class—we must share, so be responsible and mindful of your
classmates’ needs as well as your own.
If you break, lose, or damage the equipment, you pay for it. Here’s a
sample cost: camera: $4,000. Microphones $250 each. Camera bags:
$250. Tripod $250. SDSU will not allow you to graduate until you pay
for damage/loss. TREAT THIS EQUIPMENT WELL.
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LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND PROFESSIONALS
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Together we will watch your stories in class for review and
feedback. In the TV news business, everyone learns from watching
other people; we see what we like, what we don’t like; we see what
works and what doesn’t. In a newsroom, your fellow workers, your
boss, your boss’s boss and the viewers are always critiquing your
work. If you want to work in this business, it’s a good idea to start
developing a “thick skin.” Most importantly, realize that the
feedback is not about you as a person; it’s about a particular story
you worked on. The feedback can only help you; you may
ultimately decide you disagree with the feedback, which is FINE,
because every reporter develops a certain style. In class, we will
focus on learning the “rules,” so that in the FUTURE you’ll know
when you are consciously “breaking the rules” and why.
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We will have a series of professional journalists occasionally join
us as guest speakers. These are important opportunities to learn
from the folks who do these jobs day-in and day-out. They
remember what it is like to be in your shoes and have much to
offer you. Ask questions and learn from them! Please show your
respect and attend these days—they are taking their personal time
to come speak with you. They are also great opportunities to start
building contacts/networking.
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