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MCO 211 Principles of Media Writing SPRING SEMESTER 2006
Mrs. J. N. Akunwafor, M.A.
Room 202 Library 2 nd Floor
Office Phone: 546-8580
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 AM
& 3:00-4:00 PM
T TH 11:00AM-12:00 NOON
E-mail: jakunwafor@shawu.edu
TEXT:
Writing for Today’s Mass Media by Paul Adams. Nelson-Hall Publishers-
Chicago, 1998.
COURSE PRE-REQUISITE: Eng 112.
Students should be proficient in grammar and punctuation.
COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVE: This course introduces students to writing in a professional environment and to the forms of writing for the mass media. These forms include news stories for print and broadcast, advertising copy for print and broadcast, and other types of writing for public relations.
By the end of this course students should be able to:
1.
Develop and structure news stories for broadcast and print.
2.
Achieve proficiency in interviewing skills and techniques.
3.
Successfully write documentaries.
4.
Write effective advertising for both print and broadcast.
5.
Create effective leads for both print and broadcast.
6.
Achieve proficiency in gathering and analyzing materials for newscasts.
7.
Achieve proficiency in editing copy.
ACADEMIC CONDUCT REQUIREMENT: All students attending Shaw University are expected to be honorable and observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. To enhance the learning atmosphere of the classroom, students are expected to dress and behave in a fashion conducive to learning in the classroom.
More specifically, students will refrain from disruptive classroom behavior ( i. e., talking to classmates, disrespectful responses to teacher instructions; swearing; wearing clothes that impede academic learning such as but not limited to, wearing body-revealing clothing and excessively baggy pants; hats/caps, and/or headdress. Students will turn off telephones prior to entering the classroom. Students who exhibit the behaviors described above, or similar behaviors will be immediately dismissed from class at the third documented offense. The student will be readmitted to class only following a decision by the department chair. The student may appeal the decision of the department chair to the
Dean of the College offering the course, and, subsequently, to the Office of the Vice
President for Academic Affairs, and then to the President of Shaw University. The decision of the President will be final. Failure to follow the procedures herein outlined will result in termination of the appeal, and revert to the decision of the department chair.
Each behavior construed by the teacher/professor as noncontributive to learning will be recorded, properly documented, and appropriately reported to the student and to the chair of the academic department offering the course. The report will be in written form with a copy provided to both the student and the department chair. The faculty member should retain a copy for his/her own records. (Please see pg. 227 of the Shaw University
Undergraduate catalog on CODE OF CONDUCT)
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MCO 211-Principles of Media
J. N. Akunwafor,
Spring 2006
Page Two
NOTE: The University’s attendance policy will be strictly enforced . Students are allowed three excused absences and three unexcused absences.
Each day missed thereafter, a letter grade will be deducted.
DEADLINES: Students are responsible for meeting assignment deadlines. No credit will be given for late assignments (unless the student has a written excuse from the
University). Only one excuse will be accepted for late assignments.
ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments must be turned in on time, Typed double-spaced.
Regular attendance is important for the successful completion of this course. Many assignments, especially the ones done in class, cannot be made up. You must be in class before lectures begin at the scheduled hour. You will lose 10 points for each time that you are late. If you are 10 minutes late, you will be marked absent.
GRADING:
Class Participation/Attendance 10%
Assignment # 1: 3-Small Writings 15%
Assignment #2: 3-Final Articles 30%
Quizzes
Exams
10%
35%
A= 90-100 points
B=80-89 points
C=70-79 points
D=55-69 points
F=Below 55 points
Weeks 1 & 2: Introduction to Principles of Media Writing. Topics: Basic principles of good writing and small writing assignment #1a; Basic tools of writing; Grammar, punctuation, word precision, and importance of rules of writing, Associated Press
Stylebook, and exercises. (Chapters 1 & 2.)
Weeks 3 & 4: Writing in the Media Environment. Topics: Conventions and practices, writing for an audience, development, transitions, The First Amendment, defamation, the plaintiff’s case, advertising, Ethics and small writing assignment 1b. (Chapters 4, 8, 23
& 31.)
Weeks 5, 6, & 7: News and News Writing; Writing for broadcast. Topics: Writing with unity, inverted pyramid, direct and delayed leads, attributions and characteristics for broadcast, small writing assignment #1c and quizzes. (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 10 & 20.)
MID-TREM
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MCO 211-Principles of Media
J. N. Akunwafor,
Page Three
Spring 2006
Weeks 8 & 9: Editing and rewriting. (Building Writing Skills) Topics: Purposes and techniques of editing; editing, wordiness, repetition, redundancy, technical errors and final writing assignment. #2a (Chapters 24, 25 & 31.)
Weeks 10 & 11: Writing Advertising Copy. Topics: The audience, the product, the advertising situation, writing the ad, and elements of a print ad and final writing assignment #2b (Chapters 3, 19, 21, 26.)
Weeks 12, 13 & 14: Public Relations. Topics: Internal & external publics, news releases, speeches and statements , final writing assignment # 2c ( Chapters 18, 22 &
25.)
Final Week: Final Reviews/ Final Exam
*CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF DURING LECTURE IN CLASS.
*REMEMBER YOU ARE HERE TO SUCCEED, AND DEFINITELY YOU CAN.
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