COMM 2120 English News Reporting
2021-2022, 2nd Term
School of Journalism and Communication
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
1. Course Description: What is the course about?
Students will build on the knowledge and skills acquired in COMM 1180, English News Writing. They
will develop their “news sense” through in-class exercises, assignments, discussions and hands-on
work to produce Varsity magazine. Through Varsity, they will develop techniques of generating story
ideas and skills in reporting and writing features in the English language. Students will be reporters of
Varsity and collaborate with students from COMM 3610B, English News Editing to produce two issues
of the magazine this term in March and April. Students are expected to do rewriting and proofreading
of their own copy before submitting to editors.
They will also be introduced the basics of producing multimedia content for online publication. In the
age of media convergence, “pure print” journalists will become a thing of the past. Journalists working
for newspapers and magazines need to be able to handle the basics of audio and visuals, and to be
able to use digital storytelling techniques to present stories for the web. Students will also work in
groups and with an editor to produce a multimedia project for the magazine’s website.
Safety training related to covering stories during the pandemic and reporting in hostile environment
will be highlighted in the training. Visits to high court and the Legislative Council will be arranged if
situation allows.
2. Learning Approach
Basic aspects of news reporting, such as vox-pops, interviewing techniques, reporting on meetings
and press conferences will be presented through lectures, supplemented with in-class discussions and
take-home assignments. Digital storytelling skills will be presented through lectures and
demonstrations. Students will have to practice what they have learnt during in-class exercises and by
producing stories for Varsity. Familiarity with news and current affairs will be fostered through in-class
discussions and presentations by students.
3. Prerequisites
Students are required to have completed COMM 1180 English News Writing
4. Contact Information of Teaching Members
Instructor
Name:
Agnes Lam
Office Location:
NAH 128
Telephone:
3943 7047
1
Email:
Teaching Time & Venue:
Consultation Hours:
yokyiuagneslam@cuhk.edu.hk
Time 1: Monday 10:30am-12:15pm; Venue: NAH 208/209
Time 2: Wednesday 1:30pm-3:15pm; Venue: NAH208
By appointment
Editor (Writing Coaching)
Name:
Martin Wong
Office Location:
NAH 128
Telephone:
3943 7047
Email:
Consultation Hours:
martinwwk@gmail.com
Time 1: Monday 10:30am-12:15pm; Venue: NAH 208/209
Time 2: Wednesday 1:30pm-3:15pm; Venue: NAH208
By appointment
Teaching Assistants
Name:
Office Location:
Telephone:
Email:
Consultation Hours:
Sum Lok Kei & Tung Kwong (Multimedia)
NAH 413
3943 4381
lokkeisum@cuhk.edu.hk & tungkwong@cuhk.edu.hk
By appointment
Teaching Time & Venue:
5. Course Content
Topics
Contents
1. Reporting features
Generating ideas for feature stories, researching and reporting
on feature stories for magazines
2. Organising and
writing features
Organising material, including research, background
information, interviews and on-site observations. Planning,
structuring, writing, rewriting, proofreading a feature-length
article in English
3. Writing personality
profiles
How to identify compelling subjects for profiles, research their
background, conduct fruitful interviews and bring the
characters alive in print
4. Introduction to
photojournalism
Basic concepts of taking good photographs for publication in
Varsity magazine
5. Introduction to the
Legislative Council
Site visit to the Legislative Council with introduction to its
workings
6. Introduction to the
High Court
Site visit to the High Court and observation of court
proceedings
7. Introduction to
digital storytelling
How can reporters tell stories using the web and multimedia
elements? How to pick the right media to tell the story?
2
8. Introduction to audio Basic concepts of recording and editing audio: interviews,
ambient sound and voiceovers
9. Introduction to
Photoshop
Selecting and “photoshopping” pictures for multimedia
projects.
10. Reporting: vox pops
Conducting vox-pops and using vox-pops in news stories
11. Reporting: meetings
and press
conferences
12. Writing and voicing
scripts for broadcast
and multimedia
Preparing for meetings and press conferences, reporting from
them and turning information gathered into news stories
Basics of writing for broadcast: writing for audio, writing for
visuals
Expected Learning Goals and Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should:
1.
Have come up with original story ideas, conducted research and reporting and written two
stories for publication in Varsity magazine. They will also have taken photographs for their
stories.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know how to conduct interviews and vox-pops.
7.
8.
Be able to put together an audio slideshow or video.
Know how to report on meetings and press-conferences.
Have the concept of rewriting and proofreading for good quality copy
Be able to conceptualize different forms of digital storytelling.
Be able to record interviews, ambient sound and voiceovers.
Have a greater awareness of current affairs
6. Learning Activities
Group
Lecture and
discussion /
in-class
*Presentation
exercises
Time
per week
Time
Venue
Site visits
Joint-class
editorial
meetings with
COMM3610
Selfdirected
study
Selfdirected
work on
Varsity
3.5 hours
7
30 min
75 min
TBC
1 hr 45 min
(Mon)
10:30am11:00am
(Mon)
11:00am12:15am
NAH112/
208/209
High Court
+ Legco
(TBC)
(Wed)
1:30pm3:15pm
NAH112/
NAH208
--
--
Out of
class
Out of
class
13/14
--
--
Compulsory
--
--
Instructor /
Editor /
Selfinitiated
Selfinitiated
NAH208
No. of
sessions
in total
Attendance
Compulsory
Teaching
Member(s)
Instructor
10
11/13
Out of class
2
Compulsory Compulsory
Instructor
& Editor
Instructor
and/or
Editor
3
Teaching
by
assistant
students
*Students will be tasked to do presentation on news articles of their own choice.
by
students
Details of learning activities:
-
Group discussions: the instructor will lead students in discussing topical issues in local and
foreign news
-
Lectures: the instructor will give an interactive lecture on the topic of the week
-
Tutorials: on practical skills such as photo taking, writing, rewriting, proofreading, audio
recording and editing, basics of video shooting and video editing, putting together an audio
slideshow
-
Writing Clinic: the instructor and the writing coach will do individual writing training with
students
-
Rewriting / Editing / Sub-editing/ Proofreading training: students will have numerous
rounds of email exchange with the instructor or the writing coach to improve their copy for
Varsity publication
-
Self-directed study: students should read as much journalistic content in English as they can
and at least 10 hours a week on research and reporting for Varsity.
-
Work on Varsity: students will be reporters. They will work with their editors to develop
stories for Varsity. They will conduct research, interviews and other forms of reporting and
then write up their stories for publication. They will also work in groups to produce
multimedia projects for the online version of Varsity.
7. Assessment Scheme
Assessment
Scheme
In-class
discussion
Description
Presentation



Take-home
assignments



Students are expected to take an active part in discussion about
news and current affairs, as well as issues related the practice of
journalism. Those who are willing to make frequent and
meaningful contributions will be given higher marks. Students
are required to submit written reports about discussion in class.
Students will be tasked to do presentation on news articles of
their own choices to learn knowledge of news, current affairs
and news writing
Other students are expected to take an active part in discussion
after each news presentation
There will be take-home assignments to further hone students’
reporting and multimedia reporting and filming skills
Students will have numerous email exchange with the instructor
and the writing coach about how to improve their Varsity stories
Students are tasked to submit class notes after online class
sessions
Weight
10%
10%
10%
4
Reporting/writ
ing for Varsity
Multimedia
project


Students will be assessed on the two / three articles they write
for Varsity
Students will be assessed on the group / individual multimedia
project they produce for Varsity online
50%
20%
Note:
 Assignments must be handed in on time. Late work will be penalized.
 No make-up in-class assignments will be offered without prior agreement with instructor
 Lectures and discussions in class will be conducted in English only
8. Learning Resources
There is no set textbook for this course but the following books are recommended for reference:
*Carroll, John. A Concise History of Hong Kong, HKU Press, 2007
*Goodstadt, Leo F. A City Mismanaged Hong Kong’s Struggle for Survival, HKU Press 2018
*McIntyre, Bryce T. English News Writing, The Chinese University Press, 1996
McIntyre, Bryce T. Advanced Newsgathering, Praeger, 1991
*William Zinsser
On Writing Well
http://richardcolby.net/writ2000/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/On-WritingWell-30th-Anniversa-Zinsser-William.pdf
Blundell, William E, The Art and Craft of Feature Writing: Based on the Wall Street Journal guide, Plume,
1988
Cappon, Rene J. The Associated Press Guide to News Writing, Forest City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide,
2000
Evans, Harold. Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers, London: Pimlico, 2000
Harriss, Julian; Leiter, Kelly; and Johnson, Stanley. The Complete Reporter: Fundamentals of News
Gathering, Writing and Editing, New York: Macmillan, 1992
Mencher, Melvin. News Reporting and Writing, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000
Quinn, Stephen and Stephen Lamble. 2008. Online newsgathering: research and reporting for
journalism. MA: Focal Press.
Rich, Carol, Writing and Reporting News: A coaching method, Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007
The following e-resources are highly recommended for the digital storytelling part of the course and
will be available for download from the course website:
Briggs, Mark,
Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive
http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20_pdfs/
McAdams, Mindy,
Reporters Guide to Multimedia Proficiency
http://www.jou.ufl.edu/faculty/mmcadams/PDFs/RGMPbook.pdf
5
Other recommended readings:
There will be journal articles, book chapters, or online articles to be assigned from time to time.
Students are required to read English newspapers and magazines. The SCMP, Time and Newsweek and
The New Yorker are available in the General Office and online.
9. Detailed Schedule
Week
Date
Topic
(Mon)
Date
Topic for joint class
with COMM 3610
(Wed)
1
10 Jan
 Story ideas discussion
 Reporting for Varsity
 News Gathering /
Conducting Research
 Safety Training
12 Jan
 Reporters pitch
story ideas to the
whole class
 March issue – Beat
Allocation
10:30-11:00
2
17 Jan
 Reporting for Varsity
– Experience sharing
 Reporting and
Interviewing skills
 Organising materials
and writing feature
story
29 Jan
 Update March issue
 Discuss / Report
ideas for April issue
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
10:3011:00
3
24 Jan
26 Jan
 Developing Story
Structure
 Writing Lab – get
ready for the first
draft
Introduction to photo9 Feb
taking
Research for photo ideas
Copyright
Photo Courtesy
Preparing pictures during
the pandemic
 Update March issue
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
 Prepare for March
issue story
submission
Reporting skills and
Interviewing Techniques
Conducting Virtual
Interviews
 Discuss / Distribute
March copy
 Pitch April story
ideas
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
4
7 Feb
5
14 Feb
16 Feb
Group
discussion &
Presentation
Lecture
& Inclass
exercise
11:0012:15
Reporti
ng for
Varsity
11:0012:15
Selfdirected
10:3012:15
Selfdirected
/
/
Selfdirected
10:30-11:00
11:0012:15
Selfdirected
Selfdirected
/
6
6
7
8
9
10
21 Feb
28 Feb
7 Mar
14 Mar
21 Mar
Digital Storytelling
23 Feb
Safety Training
Reporting COVID / in
hostile environment
2 Mar
News Presentation
Guest Lecture:
Chris Yeung former
chairperson of the Hong
Kong Journalists
Association (HKJA)
9 Mar
News Presentation
News Presentation
MM workshop I
(Don)
16 Mar
23 Mar
 Update April issue
with reporters
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
 Reminder: MM
Grouping
 Update on April
issue with reporters
 MM grouping
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
 Update April issue
with reporters
Discuss / Report
MM ideas
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
 Editors and
reporters discuss
story production
for April issue
(Breakout Rooms)
Editors and
reporters submit
reports about
discussion in class
 Distribute
multimedia
projects with
reporters (ZOOM
main meeting)
 Editors and
reporters discuss
work arrangement
for MM projects or
text stories
(Breakout Rooms)
 Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
(Breakout Rooms)
 Update multimedia
story or text story
with reporters
(Zoom main
meeting)
10:3012:15
Selfdirected
10:3012:15
Selfdirected
10:3012:15
Selfdirected
10:3012:15
Selfdirected
10:30-11:00
/
10:30-11:00
/
Selfdirected
10:30-11:00
/
7
 Discuss April copy
(Breakout Rooms)
Writing Clinic
session with
individual groups
(Breakout Rooms)
Update multimedia
project
11
28 Mar
News Presentation
MM workshop II
Play students’ clips in
class and discuss
30 Mar
12
4 Apr
Reading Week
6 Apr
Reading Week
13
11 Apr
MM workshop III
Play students’ clips in
class and discuss
News Presentation
Wrap Up
13 Apr
Rough cut
20 Apr
Final Cut
10:30-11:00
11:0012:15
10:30-11:00
/
/
11:0012:15
10:30-11:00
/
Selfdirected
Selfdirected
Selfdirected
Selfdirected
10. Academic honesty and plagiarism
Information regarding the academic honesty and plagiarism policy in the University is located at
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/ . Some further advice is given below:
Any assignment which shows evidence of plagiarism will be penalized severely. Plagiarism is the
copying of passages from other sources without proper citation or attribution.
In the case of plagiarism, the minimum penalty for a first offence will be a single letter grade
reduction and the maximum penalty is failure on the assignment. For a second offence, the
minimum penalty will be a single letter grade reduction and the maximum penalty is failure of the
course.
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