Heartland Community College
Humanities & Fine Arts
Course Syllabus for Students
Course Prefix and Number: COMM 296
Course Title: Special Topics in Communication: Newspaper Production
Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory Hours:
0
Days and times the course meets: TR 11:00 – 12:15 ICB 2705
Introduction:
I hope as an instructor of Newspaper Production, I can help guide you and teach you to write for the mass
media. I will introduce ethical and legal issues associated with news writing and reporting. To help foster
your writing skills, you will write on a daily basis, yes, inside and outside the classroom. All of your
assignments are writing news articles for The Spectator, our student run newspaper. This is an excellent
experience and one way to begin building your portfolio.
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: ENGL 101 with a C or higher. Students will collaborate to publish the College’s student
newspaper, The Spectator. Students will study the fundamentals of newspaper production, including news
gathering and reporting, writing in Associated Press style, information sources, interviewing, editing, and
graphic design and layout, business and advertising management, promotion and circulation and media
law and ethics.
Instructor Information:
Instructor name: Susan Salazar
Phone number to contact instructor: 309-268Instructor e-mail address, if one: susan.salazar@heartland.edu
Location of instructor’s office:
Hours and days of instructor’s office hours: by appointment
Textbook:
Required: Rich, Carole, (2007). Writing and Reporting the News: A Coaching Method. 5th ed.
Recommended:
Dictionary
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer: (Indicate if course is General
Education/IAI)
COMM 296 fulfills 3 semester hours of elective credit for the A.A. or A.S. degrees. It should transfer to
most colleges and universities in Illinois as an elective course. However, since COMM 296 is not part of
General Education Core Curriculum or a baccalaureate major program described in the Illinois Articulation
Initiative, students should check with an academic advisor for information about its transferability to other
institutions.
Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
Outcome
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Describe the fundamentals of news
production and their roles:
Interviewing, writing, photography,
illustration and print design
Explain the basic principles of media
law.
Examine the roles and responsibilities
of news media in community.
Discuss ethical issues relating to all
aspects of news production.
Write a variety of basic news stories
such as reports of speeches,
meetings, spot news. Sports and
business articles.
Use communication skills in working
with classmates and outside entities,
i.e. interviews, subjects in photos,
etc.
Apply collaborative group skills
toward the timely production of a
quality student newspaper.
Evaluate individual contributions to
each issue of the paper through
editing and proofreading.
Critique each issue as a whole
through group discussions, and
recommend constructive
improvements.
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of
Associated Press style and the ability
to apply it in news writing.
Write news stories within deadlines,
which often may be a short time
frame.
Assessment Methods
Primary Assignment(s)
Related to Outcome
 Quiz


Quiz
Discussion

Quiz

Quiz

Quiz

Quiz



Quiz
Discussion
Writing news
stories

Quiz

Contribute to
student newspaper


News meetings

Writing news
stories
News meetings


News writing
Design and Layout

Prepare student
newspaper


Editing
Portfolio

Editing
Assignments

Discussion

News meetings

News writing

Contribute to
student newspaper

News writing

Contribute to
student newspaper
Course/Lab Outlines:
I. Introduction to News Reporting
II. Basic skills: Interviewing, good writing, quotes and attribution, sources
III. Basic visual skills: Photography, typography and illustration
IV. Basic Production skills: Editorial decision, graphics and layout decisions
V. Rights and responsibilities of journalists.
Course Policies:
Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Spectator Assignments
Newspaper Critique
Writing/Photography Portfolio
AP Quizzes
400
200
100
100
points (4 news @ 50 points each; 2 features @ 100 points each)
points (4 editions @ 50 points each – this is a group grade)
points
points
Grading Policy:
Points earned on assignments are based upon timeliness, attention to assignment goals and effort toward
media piece. You can expect that points will be deducted from written assignments for spelling, grammar,
format errors and attribution problems. See grading scale below:
A = 736 – 800 total points
B = 735 – 664 total points
C = 663 - 592 total points
D = 591 - 520 total points
F = below 519total points
92
83
74
65
64
–
-
100 = A
91 = B
82 = C
73 = D
0=F
Participation/Attendance:
Students are required to attend all class meetings. Try not to schedule interviews during class time. You
must contact me prior to the interview and understand that I will phone the individual to be sure you
attend the interview. If I learn you did not conduct the interview, you will receive and automatic F on the
article and still be required to complete the article for the intended issue. Only permission by the
instructor to interview during class time will be permitted. Class meetings consist of story ideas and AP
style writing workshops.
Incompletes: See college catalog for information.
Make-up of tests and assignments: Missing assignments intended for The Spectator will result in a
zero for that assignment. You will still be required to complete the article at a substantial penalty.
Deadlines: Meeting deadlines and writing accurately are among the most important qualities
successful media writers possess. As a result, I will be encouraging you throughout the semester to
develop a professional attitude toward the timeliness and quality of your written work. All
assignments, therefore, must be completed and turned in at the beginning of the class period on the
date they are due. If you turn in an assignment late or are unprepared to present your piece to the
editor on the assigned day, you will receive a ZERO for that assignment unless an alternate due date
has PREVIOUSLY been approved.
Required Writing and Reading: Each student will write articles for the Spectator varying in word or
time length. In addition to reading the required texts, students will also be required to read critically
and analytically selected examples of news and feature articles from newspapers published locally and
nationally.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College and is
essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because grading may be
competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of their fellow students. The
College, therefore, views any act of academic dishonest as a serious offense requiring disciplinary
measures, including course failure, suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of
academic dishonesty may have unforeseen effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties. Violations
of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or suborning cheating or other acts of
academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and misrepresentation of data, falsification of academic records or
documents and unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems.
Definitions of these violations may be found in the college catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper, create a
project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work, except for that
which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic
offense and may take the following forms:
1
Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
2
Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
3
Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
4
Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
5
Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were your
own.
6
Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were
your own.
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism
may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from
school in extreme cases.
[Adapted from the Modem Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Support Services:
For information please call the Library (309) 268-8200 or (309) 268-8292
Tutoring Center
For information about services available at each location, please call the ASC in Normal (309) 268-8231;
the Pontiac Center (815) 842-6777; the Lincoln Center (217) 735-1731.
Testing Center
For information, contact the Testing Center at (309) 268-8231.
Course Calendar
T JAN 15
R JAN 17
T JAN 22
R JAN 24
T JAN 29
R JAN 31
T FEB 5
R FEB 7
T FEB 12
R FEB 14
T FEB 19
R FEB 21
T FEB 26
R FEB 28
T MAR 4
R MAR 6
T MAR 11
R MAR 13
T MAR 18
R MAR 20
T MAR 25
R MAR 27
T APR 1
R APR 3
T APR 8
R APR 10
T APR 15
R APR 17
T APR 22
R APR 24
T APR 29
R MAY 1
T MAY 6
R MAY 8
T MAY 13
Semester Packet; brainstorm session; story assignment; READ chp. 2
researching; READ chp. 3 AP style guide QUIZ #1
FIRST DRAFT DUE story assignment; READ chp. 5; AP style guide QUIZ #2
SECOND DRAFT DUE story assignment; AP style guide QUIZ #3
(1)FINAL COPY DUE story assignment; READ chp. 6; QUIZ #4
brainstorm session; story assignment; READ chp. 7; AP style guide QUIZ #5
FIRST DRAFT DUE; story assignment; AP style guide QUIZ #6
SECOND DRAFT DUE; story assignment; READ chp. 8 AP style guide QUIZ #7
(2)FINAL COPY DUE story assignment; AP style guide QUIZ #8
brainstorm session; story assignment(S); READ chp. 9; AP style guide QUIZ #9
Writing workshop; AP style guide QUIZ #10
Writing workshop; READ Chp 18
Writing workshop; FIRST DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; SECOND DRAFT DUE
writing workshop; (3)FINAL COPY DUE
brainstorm session; story assignment(S);
spring break
spring break
Writing workshop
Writing workshop; FIRST DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; SECOND DRAFT DUE
writing workshop; (4)FINAL COPY DUE
Writing workshop
Writing workshop; FIRST DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; SECOND DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; (5)FINAL COPY DUE
Writing workshop
Writing workshop
Writing workshop
Writing workshop
Writing workshop
Writing workshop; FIRST DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; SECOND DRAFT DUE
Writing workshop; (5)FINAL COPY DUE
Final Exam 10 a.m.