California State University, Long Beach
JOURNALISM 120
Writing Across the Media
Spring Semester 2013
Instructor:
Judith Frutig
Class Meets:
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12-1:50 p.m. in SSPA-206
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2-3 p.m. and 8-8:30 p.m.; also, Fridays, 12:30-1 p.m. (Jan. 25March 1 only); and by appointment.
Office:
SSPA-026 (two doors down from the Journalism & Mass Communication Department)
E-mail:
JKFrutig@aol.com. When you e-mail me, please write this phrase on the subject line:
JOUR 120 [And put your first and last name inside these brackets]
Office Phone: 562-985-5361 (Please e-mail first)
“NEWS IS the first rough draft of history.”
~Philip Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, 1975
"NEWS IS what somebody somewhere wants to suppress. All the rest is advertising.”
~Alfred Lord Northcliffe, British newspaper pioneer who revolutionized newspaper and magazine
publishing in the early twentieth century
“NEWS IS anything that will make people talk.”
~Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun
“NEWS IS anything you can find out today that you didn’t know before.”
~Turner Catledge, editor of the New York Times
“THE BEST [NEWS] DAY IS one when I can write a [story] lede that will cause a reader at his breakfast
table…to spit up his coffee, clutch at his heart and shout, ‘My God! Martha, did you read this?’”
~Edna Buchanan, legendary police reporter for the Miami Herald
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Hands-on course that introduces students to the basic skills and writing techniques they will need to
succeed in print, broadcast and online media, and as public relations professionals. While new
communication technologies are changing the ways we create and consume news and interact with each
other, the fundamentals of traditional journalism remain the same. This course provides an introductory
overview of methods to adapt time-tested storytelling techniques to fit an expanding landscape of multiplatform media convergence. The focus is on developing the ability to write accurate, easy-to-read news
stories and to meet deadlines. The course includes the study of news sources and news reporting, media
law and ethics, and the enhanced responsibilities of journalists in a digital age of global communication.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
This is the Journalism and Mass Communication Department’s introductory writing skills course. It is a
pre-requisite for JOUR 311, and provides a solid foundation for all upper division journalism and public
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relations classes. A letter grade of “C” or better is needed to successfully pass this course.
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is designed to help students learn to write clear, concise and accurate news stories for a
variety of media. The skills taught in this course are the foundation for success in all forms of journalism,
with a special focus on the new media.
Students will be introduced to the techniques and requirements of professional news writing through
the application of material from the textbook and companion Web site, from the Associated Press
Stylebook, and from handouts prepared by your instructor. You will become familiar with basic
journalistic objectivity, knowledgeable about the ethics and practices of news writing, and informed
about libel law restraints. Along the way, you will learn the requirements effective story organization,
and the skills involved in writing to deadlines.
It is sometimes said that gifted journalists are “born editors” or “born writers,” but if these people exist,
your instructor has never met them. The ability to report accurately and write well comes from study
and from practice, practice, practice. So a major share of this semester will be devoted to hands-on
writing exercises. Our twice-a-week sessions will be divided between lectures and labs, with plenty of
time to practice the craft of the news media and the art of news writing.
COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
1.
Recognize the difference between news and entertainment, and know how to determine the
newsworthiness of specific story elements
2.
Critically evaluate the differences between print, broadcast and online news media, and the
relationship of all of them to the public relations profession.
3.
Organize and write effective news stories by working with the famous five W’s (Who, What, When,
Where, Why) – and also, the How, What’s Next? and So What? of good news stories.
4.
Write concise news ledes that are logical, relevant, useful, interesting and easy to read.
5.
Work with the AP Stylebook to detect errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation, and find the best
ways to correct them.
6.
Demonstrate the effective use of quotes and attribution in news writing.
7.
Respect deadlines and work under deadline pressures.
8.
Demonstrate the effective use of multiple media platforms, including news blogs, websites, and the
basics of videography, digital photography and slideshows.
9. Understand the importance of accuracy, integrity, objectivity and fairness in the news process.
10. Make informed news judgments based on legal and ethical considerations.
11. Understand why media organizations are for-profit businesses protected by the First Amendment.
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12. Recognize the role of diversity in the practice of journalism, and the importance of including
multiple viewpoints in every story, whenever possible.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND READING MATERIAL
I have two books and one newspaper in mind:
1.
Tim Harrower, Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism, 3rd edition. (NY: McGrawHill, 2010). ISBN: 978-0-07-352617-1
2.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, current edition, preferably spiral-bound
(New York, N.Y.: The Associated Press).
4.
A one-semester student-rate subscription to the Los Angeles Times.
[You must be informed and knowledgeable about current news events and you are required to read
the L.A. Times every day. On weekends, you should pay special attention to the Sunday edition,
where editors often place their most important stories. I hope you will use this course to develop
news-reading habits that will serve you for a lifetime – no matter what direction your career takes.]
RECOMMENDED READING AND NEWS SOURCES
1.
William Strunk and E. B. White, Elements of Style, 4th edition (1995). ISBN-13: 9780205309023
2.
Rene Cappon, The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation (2003). ISBN-13: 9780738207858
3.
Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition. (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004).
ISBN 978-0-7645-7125-1
4.
On-line national editions of the New York Times (www.nytimes.com), San Francisco Chronicle
(www.sfgate.com),Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), USA Today (www.usatoday.com)
5.
On-line regional editions for the Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com), Long Beach Press-Telegram
(www.presstelegram.com) and Orange County Register (www.ocregister.com).
6.
Pay attention to television and radio news. Whatever outlet you choose, it’s up to you.
7.
Six good Web sites to check out the current state of the news media: for Southern California,
www.LAObserved.com; for the national media, Jim Romenesko’s media blog at
www.poynter.org/medianews; for the political media, www.slate.com, www.politico.com,
www.huffingtonpost.com and www.dailybeast.com.
WEB ACCESS, E-MAILING YOUR INSTRUCTOR, AND IMPORTANT INTERNET SITES
1.
Web access: You will need frequent online access over the course of the semester, and it is a good
idea to check our class Website between sessions. If you do not have Internet access at home, make
sure you allow enough time to check for new announcements and other postings on Beachboard,
and to complete your assignments on campus.
2.
E-mail: I am frequently online (everyday except Sunday) and my policy is to respond to student emails on the same day they are received. If you don’t hear from me by the next morning, please
resend your message and note that it is your second attempt. These exchanges are best for quick
clarifications or to schedule a meeting. I do not discuss grade scores on-line or over the phone but
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you are always welcome to talk to me before or after class, during office hours or by appointment.
E-mails should not be used to inquire into what you missed if you were not in class. If your absence
is excused, I will help you catch up. However, if your absence is unexcused, you must get any
information you missed from a classmate.
3.
Internet sites: The following sites are designed to advance your learning process:
https://bbcsulb.desire2learn.com: The log-in page for our class Website. Please get into the habit of
checking it between classes. This site contains important announcements, assignments, class
documents, lecture notes, and your running grade scores.
www.mhhe.com/harrower3e: The companion Web site to our textbook. It offers workbook exercises,
interactive quizzes, grammar quizzes, web links, and key newsroom vocabulary terms. Used with
the textbook, this material is the foundation for our lectures and labs – and a good study guide for
our quizzes and exams.
LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND GRADING CRITERIA
1.
Two Examinations (100 points each): A Midterm and a Final Exam will be administered. The
content of both exams will be objective (multiple-choice and true/false) and subjective (copy editing,
short answers and fill-in-the-blanks). There will be no comprehensive final, but each exam will
address the material covered during the weeks leading into it. These exams must be taken on the
scheduled date. Arrangements will be made only for unavoidable emergencies or conflicts. You will
need a Scantron (882-E) answer sheet and a #2 pencil for both of them.
2.
Weekly Quizzes: Up to ten quizzes (20 points apiece) on five subjects, and including current events
from the L.A. Times; spelling; newsroom vocabulary; AP writing style, grammar, and copy editing;
and the current reading assignment from Harrower.
3.
Writing and Style Exercises: You will be given writing and test preparation exercises almost every
week. Most writing will be done in class. We also will work on numerous exercises that will be
turned in as homework assignments.
4.
Classroom Presentations: Every student will make at least two major presentations:
News of the Day (20 points): You are responsible for a 15-minute presentation of the News of the
Day (NOD) as reported by the L.A. Times, one time during the semester. (More details in a handout
posted on Beachboard.)
Group Blog (40 points): You will be assigned to a BLOG team that will analyze the news coverage of
a specific topic from three pre-assigned publications. All team members are responsible for a
separate three-day posting period. During that period you will monitor the news, create daily
summaries, and upload your findings to your on-line group journal. At the end of each three-day
writing window, a team member will make a 15-minute presentation to the class. These blogs are
indexed on Google and available to readers around the globe. At the end of the semester, when the
postings are complete, every member of this class will be a published author. (More details in a
handout posted on Beachboard.)
5.
Capstone Story (40 points): You will write news ledes and short news stories over the course of the
semester. At the end of the semester, you will write a longer news story that captures all of the
elements we have studied and practiced.
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6.
Extra Credit: (maximum of 25 points): You may earn extra points for news and sports stories published
under your byline in the Daily 49er, Dig Magazine and the Union Weekly To earn extra points, you must
start by getting the permission from your instructor. When you finish your story, turn in the
following package: 1) a print-out of the original story draft as you submitted it to the publication,
and stapled to 2) a tear sheet of your published story.
7.
Discussion Meeting (10 bonus points): Every student is invited to meet with me at least once during
the semester outside class time. This will give you the opportunity to discuss your progress in the
course and in your major, and ask any questions you may have. This office visit must be completed
before the Midterm Exam.
GRADING
Your grade scores will be based on your performance as a student journalist. This means you must be
accurate, thorough, objective and fair in what you write - and clear and compelling in the way you say it.
You will not lose points for including too much information in a story, but overlooking important facts
can – and will - cost you. Errors in style, grammar, spelling, punctuation and excessive typos will affect
the grade scores for all papers and examinations. Any story or exercise containing a material error – for
example, misquoting or misidentifying a source – will receive a zero. It should be noted that the textand e-mail message style of writing is unacceptable in a news story and will receive a zero.
Your work will be scored on the following basis:
ASSIGNMENTS
Weekly Quizzes
Lab Exercises and Homework
News of the Day (NOD)
Group Blog
Capstone Story
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Attendance and Participation
PERCENT
20
15
5
10
10
15
15
10
Final grades will be based on the total score that each student obtains over the course of the semester.
Because this is a required skills class, you will not be graded on a curve. This university does not use a
plus/minus grading system. Students receiving 100-90% of the total possible points will receive an A;
89-80% will receive a B; 79-70% will receive a C; 69-60% will receive a D; 59% and lower receive an F.
Journalism majors are required to earn a grade of C or higher to pass this course. To receive an A or B,
you must complete everything on this syllabus, participate in all of our sessions, turn in your
assignments on time, and work to the best of your ability.
CLASS STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES
Reading and Homework Assignments: All reading and homework assignments must be completed
before class.
Class time: Our sessions will feature lectures, discussions, presentations and lab work. Tuesdays,
typically, will be lecture days. Thursdays are lab days, and they will simulate the experience of a
professional newsroom. As much lab work as possible will be done in the classroom, and you will hand
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in your work at the end of the session. What we can’t do or complete in class will be assigned as
homework.
Attendance and Participation: On-time daily attendance is mandatory and your participation is
encouraged. Most of you hold down part time or full time jobs, and you should treat class time in the
same responsible way you treat your work time. When the session starts, it’s your job to be here, to be
prepared - and ready to participate. At the beginning of each class, I will pass a daily attendance sheet
around the class, and it is your responsibility to make sure your signature and student ID number
appear on it. Your presence is important because new material will be introduced at every session that is
essential to your progress as college students in whatever area of the media that is of interest to you.
Excused Absences: Everyone, everywhere experiences challenges. If an emergency should arise, and
you must miss a class because of a job conflict, mandatory campus event, family emergency or a
religious holiday, you are expected to send me a detailed e-mail message before the session begins to
explain what is keeping you away. (The complete department policy on absences is detailed in an
addendum to this syllabus.) Excused absences must fall within university policies, but to be excused, the
reason(s) must be documented. At our next session you must provide written confirmation, as for
example, from your doctor, verifying that your emergency situation conflicted with our class time.
Unexcused Absences and Unexplained Early Departures: An unexcused absence means that you did
not show up for class, did not sign the daily attendance sheet, did not alert me in advance that you were
not coming, or did not provide documentation showing that your absence should be excused. An
unexcused early departure means you walked out of class without permission and will earn an
unexcused absence. Over the semester, you are allowed to take one unexcused absence with no penalty,
but two unexcused absences will reduce your cumulative attendance & participation score by 5%; three
or more unexcused absences are considered excessive in a 15-week instructional semester and will
reduce your cumulative attendance & participation score by 10 percent, which is the equivalent of one
letter grade. If you miss your NOD or BLOG presentation, a quiz, lab exercise or exam, this will result in
a score of zero and cannot be made up. Friendly warning: unexcused absences can lead to a failing
grade.
Responsibility for Course Content: If you miss a class for any reason, you are still responsible for the
material. If your absence is excused, I will give you any notes or handout material you missed. However,
if your absence is unexcused, you must get the information or documents from a fellow student. You
may always ask for clarification of any material from any class that you either missed or do not
understand.
Make-ups: If you miss a quiz or an exercise or an exam, you may make it up only if you inform me
before the session begins that you have a valid reason for not being there. But if your absence or late
arrival is not excused, please don’t ask for a make-up! I reserve the right to compensate students who
make the effort to attend class, are alert and prepared and fully participate in our lectures and labs.
OTHER OBLIGATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Our Class Standard for Story Formatting: Every paper you turn in must be processed in a Microsoft
Word format, typed in Times-New Roman 12 font and double-spaced for editing. If you turn in a paper
that is single spaced or in another format or prepared in any typeface besides Times-New Roman 12
font, I will turn it back to you to redo and the reformatted copy will be graded as a late paper. (More
about this in a handout posted on Beachboard.)
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Vocabulary and Spelling: All journalists must regularly consult a dictionary and know how to use spellcheck. Use your dictionary! Spel check! Spell chek! Spell check! This includes all proper names, which
will be counted as a major inaccuracy. Warning: Any story with a major factual error that is in a quote or
material to the story will receive a zero.
Deadlines: Journalism is a deadline-driven profession and your instructor will treat all writing
assignments, including in-class lab exercises, the same way they are treated in the day-to-day world of a
professional, daily newsroom. Your assignments are due by the deadline. If you have a legitimate reason
for missing a deadline, you must discuss it with me before the deadline passes.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT
Talking is a gradable commodity: All students are encouraged to ask questions during lectures and
exercises, and to speak up during discussions. On the other hand, side conversations are a distraction in
a classroom this size, and inattentiveness signals that you are not taking your college education – and
tuition fees - seriously. If you have questions, please talk to the whole room.
Ask questions! Democracy has been famously called “the Great Conversation.” And journalism is a
profession of educated people who spend their working days finding out what they don’t know, so they
can talk knowledgeably about it. All of this means there is no such thing as a “stupid question” in this
class. If someone designed a T-shirt slogan to express what journalism is all about, it would probably
say, “I’M A JOURNALIST. I DON’T KNOW.” So never hesitate to ask about anything - any idea or
concept I have explained or a term I have used, or a historical or literary or social reference that you do
not understand.
Take good notes: Bring a notebook and use it. If you want to record class proceeding for your personal
use, please advise me in advance.
Do original work: If two or more students turn in identical, incorrect answers to homework, quizzes,
writing exercises or lab work, each of you will each receive a zero for that assignment.
Be active in our classroom community: Tolerance, respect for diverse opinions, and good will toward
others is essential to successful journalism. In class, we will treat each other as working colleagues,
appreciate our differences, and focus on the work at hand.
FURTHER THOUGHTS ON CLASSROOM CONDUCT
Put aside your cell phones, iPads and iPods: Cell phone interruptions, texting, and the recreational use
of iPads or iPods are not tolerated in business meetings and are not permitted here. If you must leave
your cell phone on during class, please put it on the silent or vibrate setting and check any messages
after the session ends. At the very least, texting is rude, and I may treat repeated incidents as “early
departures.”
Cell phones, iPads and iPods are banned during quizzes and exams: All electronic equipment –
especially cell phones - must be closed inside a backpack or purse during quizzes and exams. No
exceptions. Any student who tries to use a cell phone during a quiz or exam will receive an automatic
“0.”
Those tantalizing computer screens: At the beginning of each session, students are required to set their
monitors to the lab home screen and place your keyboards behind your monitor base. The only
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appropriate use of the computers in JOUR 120 is when we are all working together on them. Using class
time to e-mail your friends, or to check Facebook, Twitter, You Tube - or any social Website - is
inappropriate in a university classroom. Any violation of this house rule will result in a deduction from
your participation score. This is your fair warning: I may not advise you in real time that the deduction
has been taken, but it will show up on your cumulative score.
Be aware of the consequences of walking in and out of class: Students who arrive late or leave midlecture for any reason disrupt the class and are a distraction. If you have a valid reason for a late arrival
or early departure, you must inform your instructor before the session begins. I may treat excessive
walk-ins and walk-outs as unexcused, early departures, which will reduce your attendance and
participation score.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on disability should notify me as soon as
possible, and go to Brotman Hall, Room 270, to obtain the necessary papers. If you need a stenographer
or want to take your exams at the Disabled Student Services office, I want to work with you. You may
call DSS at 562-985-5401.
REPEAT / DELETE
Any student who receives a grade of D, F, WU or NC must retake this course for a passing grade before
being eligible to enroll in JOUR 311, which is the gateway to most upper division journalism courses.
Under the university’s repeat/delete policy, your failing grade will be erased one time from your
transcript when your passing grade is added.
A WORD ABOUT GREAT EXPECTATIONS AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication maintains a commitment to the highest
standards of academic integrity and excellence, and I expect you to have enough self-respect that the
idea of cheating, plagiarizing or fabricating your work is beyond the range of consideration. Plagiarism
is defined as using someone else’s ideas or written work and representing them as your own, and this
includes appropriating someone else’s organization, or information from a website, without clear
attribution. Fabrication involves making up quotes or imaginary sources, or writing anything you know
to be untrue. Any student found guilty of cheating on quizzes, exams or exercises, or of plagiarizing or
purchasing papers will receive a failing grade.
FINALLY…
Visit me in my office as often as you want. Every one of you has earned your seat at this university, and
you need to take full advantage of your classroom time. I am interested in your progress and want all of
you to be successful. Don’t wait until the final instructional weeks to talk about any problems. If you
come in early, I can work with you but I have little sympathy for students who come to me at the end of
the semester – or worse, after the posting of final grades, asking for mercy.
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
JUDITH FRUTIG is an award-winning journalist and communications consultant. Before joining the
faculty in 2005, she worked for three decades in the related fields of print and broadcast journalism,
corporate communications and political public relations.
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As a print journalist, she served as a reporter, for some of the most notable news organizations in the
United States, including The Christian Science Monitor (bureau chief and senior correspondent in Los
Angeles and Chicago, specializing in national politics), Detroit Free Press (general assignment,
investigative reporting, politics and education) and Newsweek magazine (office manager in the Detroit
editorial bureau while earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Wayne State University).
In radio, she was the managing editor and host of “On the Record with Judy Frutig,” a weekly, one-hour
public affairs program on KPLS (830-AM) in Los Angeles. The program aired for two years across
Southern California and in western regions of Arizona and Nevada when the wind was right.
In corporate communications, she served as an executive speechwriter and spokesman for the Irvine
Company of Newport Beach, one of the largest private landowners and developers in the United States.
For ten years, as owner of Judith K. Frutig/Corporate Communications, she served as a consultant for
land developers, local government entities, environmental organizations, and high-profile, Fortune 500
executives in Southern California.
In political public relations, she worked as a press secretary for two statewide election campaigns (a U.S.
Senate primary campaign, and a ballot initiative to tax the profits of major oil companies to upgrade
California’s public transportation system), three regional initiatives (including the battle for the
commercial future of El Toro MCAS) and numerous local candidates and ballot issues (mostly in
Newport Beach). She also served as communications director for one of California’s largest unified
public school districts (K-12).
She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for a 10-part feature series, “America’s Ten Most Livable Cities,”
published in The Christian Science Monitor. Her writing skills have been honored by the Detroit Press
Club Foundation, and the Orange County chapters of the Public Relations Society of America (OCPRSA)
and the International Association for Business Communication (HELIOS).
She co-wrote a screenplay for CBS-TV under contract to Warner Brothers Television. She has authored
major chapters in three books, including, “The Press and the Founding of the Nation” in American Media
History, by Anthony R. Fellow (2005), which is the textbook she uses in her Media History class; “A
Writing Life” in Of Sneetches and Whose and the Good Dr. Seuss: Essays on the Writings and Life of Theodor
Geisel, edited by Thomas Fensch (1997); and “A Feeling in the Air,” a history of the Newport Coast in
Newport Beach: The First Century, 1888-1988, edited by James P. Felton (1995). Her syndicated byline has
appeared in newspapers ranging from Alaska to Maine. She has written op-ed pieces for the L.A. Times
and the Orange County Register, and feature stories for Sunday magazines published by the Detroit Free
Press and the Cincinnati Enquirer. She also contributed the entry for the Encyclopedia Britannica (1980) on
the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, which she witnessed firsthand.
CLASS SCHEDULE AND TOPIC OUTLINE*
* (subject to change)
WEEK 1
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
In which we get organized & start thinking about journalism in a changing news world.
Introductions, course overview, review of syllabus and major assignments. We begin with
two basic questions: What is news? What’s the difference between news and
entertainment?
Nature of news and the news business in the 21 st century.
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We talk about the changing media landscape. Where do people go for news these days?
What do readers want? What do they read? We talk about what makes a story interesting
to readers and look at an efficient way to read a daily metropolitan newspaper. What’s the
difference between a print and online newspaper? How do newsrooms work? And what
does it take these days to talk the talk and walk the walk of a good journalist?
Reading and Homework Assignment for Wednesday: Harrower, Chap. 1, pp. 14-15, and
Chap. 2, pp. 18-33. Start your subscription to the Los Angeles Times, and bring to our
Wednesday class the Jan. 25 print edition.
WEEK 2
Jan. 29/31
News Writing Basics in any Century–With a Focus on Facts vs. Opinions & the Five W’s
What’s the difference between facts and opinions? Do opinions belong in journalism? We
begin to explore the basic elements of successful news stories.
We sign up for News of the Day (NOD) and Group Blogs (BLOGS), and talk about our
class standard for formatting JOUR 120 stories. (The details are in handouts posted on
Beachboard). Then you will write, in class, a two-page, double-spaced story slugged “Me.”
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 3, pp. 36-39.
WEEK 3
Feb. 5/7
News Writing Basics in any Century: Format, Copy Editing, AP Style & using the
Active Voice
To write effective news stories, you must understand the basics of grammar and word
usage. You have to be familiar with basic sentence structure, parts of speech and the
differences between the active and passive writing voice. This week we begin a semesterlong look at the AP Stylebook, which is full of not-very-exciting but important-to-know
rules of the writing road.
This week’s reading and homework assignment: Read Harrower, Chap. 3, pp. 56-57; scan
the AP Stylebook from cover-to-cover and be prepared to talk about its organization.
WEEK 4
Feb. 12/14
Writing Basic News Ledes
Journalism is all about story telling, but where do you begin? The summary lead
(pronounced “leed” and spelled “lede” in this class) is the name for the introduction to a
news story (usually paragraphs 1-3). Its purpose is to offer readers a quick and interesting
overview of what will follow. It tells why the story is newsworthy by explaining what
happened and who was involved. It is an essential tool for news writers.
NOD reports begin. We take our first weekly quiz and try some news writing exercises.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 3, pp. 40-41; in the AP Stylebook,
review a- through bankruptcy; memorize the Harrower entry on numbers, p. 57.
WEEK 5
Feb. 19/21
More About News Ledes
The ability to write solid news ledes on deadline is one of the most valuable skills a
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reporter can learn. But every story isn’t a breaking news event. And some stories call for a
news ledes that are livelier, more intriguing – maybe more amusing? – than a summary of
the Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? What next? and So what? This week we look at
different kinds of summary ledes and focus on the most important among them, which are
the immediate identification lede and the delayed identification lede.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 3, pp. 44-47; AP Stylebook, review
baptism through collective nouns; memorize the Harrower entry on titles, p. 57.
WEEK 6
Feb. 26/28
Beyond the Lede and Into the Body of a News Story
When it comes to writing the rest of a news story, what does an inverted pyramid look
like? And what does an hourglass (martini glass) have to do with journalism?
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 3, pp. 48-51; AP Stylebook, collectors’
item through diseases; memorize the Harrower entry on numbers, p. 57.
WEEK 7
March 5/7
Using Quotes and Attributions
Direct quotes from news sources make your stories more appealing and believable, but
what are they? And how do you use them? We take a look at punctuation guidelines that
will help you to avoid some common problems. We also look at ways to attribute quotes
to make sure your sources get proper credit (or blame) for what they said. We’ll make a
checklist of basic guidelines to make sure all of this really works.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 4, pp. 82-85; AP Stylebook,
disinterested through fulfill; memorize the Harrower entry on titles, p. 57.
WEEK 8
March 12/14 Sourcing and Interviewing and Getting Ready for the Midterm Exam
So where do news stories come from? Reporters are only as good as their sources, but how
do you know where to find them? Or how to use them? This is where the power of
observation comes in…along with lots of good, detailed notes.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 4, pp. 68-71; AP Stylebook, full
through Islam; memorize the Harrower entry on capitalization, p. 57.
WEEK 9
March 19
MIDTERM WEEK
Catch-up and Midterm review
March 21
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
WEEK 10
March 26/28 Covering the News: First Newsroom Assignments
We try our hand at writing news obituaries.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 5, pp. 96-97; AP Stylebook, MetroGolden-Mayer through one-; memorize the Harrower entry on abbreviations, p. 57.
WEEK 11
April 2-6
Spring Break – Campus Closed
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WEEK 12
April 9/11
Writing Online News
New technology and newsgathering techniques are transforming 21 st century journalism
from analog to digital and from print to pixels. We look at the digital media and talk about
media convergence, online story telling, how news stories move from print to the Web.
Then we kick off our Group BLOG projects.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 8, 157-159, 162-169, 172-173; AP
Stylebook, Islamabad through metric ton; memorize Harrower entry on addresses, p. 57.
WEEK 13
April 16/18
Covering the News: First Newsroom Assignments
We write about accidents, crimes and fires. BLOG presentations begin.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 5, pp., 98-103; AP Stylebook, one
another through pygmy; memorize Harrower entry on parentheses and possessives p. 57.
WEEK 15
April 24
April 26
Tuesday is Journalism Day and our class convenes at the USU Ballrooms
Every business and work organization has a story to tell and it’s the job of the public
relations professional to persuade the journalist to write about it. We explore some of the
reasons why – and how- reporters and PR practitioners must understand each other and
work together. We also look at the “Six Dreadful Errors” of press release writing.
Thursday reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 10, pp. 190-191, 194-199; AP Stylebook,
Q-and-A through text messaging; memorize the Harrower entry on prefixes, p. 57.
WEEK 15
May 1/3
Media Law and Ethics
Media organizations are for-profit businesses protected by the First Amendment. We look
at press rights and wrongs and explore a reporter’s guide to trouble. It’s essential to know
the difference between making good use of the power of the press (being a watchdog) and
publishing something that gets your organization sued for libel. We talk about libel,
invasion of privacy, copyright law, taste, decency - and censorship. What you need to
know about journalism’s “Seven Deadly Sins” and the industry’s code of ethics.
This week’s reading assignment: Harrower, Chap. 7, pp. 140-153; AP Stylebook, texts
through Zurich; memorize the Harrower entry on and nitpicks worth remembering
WEEK 16
May 8
Capstone Week
Catch-up and Final Exam Review
May 10
Work on Capstone stories
WEEK 17
May 16
Final Exam Week
FINAL EXAM (Thursday, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)
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