J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
JOURNALISM 301 (W)
FUNDAMENTALS OF JOURNALISM
FALL 2011 – UH MANOA
CRAWFORD 220 Computer Lab
Section (1) 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m., Monday/Wednesday
INSTRUCTORS:
Kevin Kawamoto, Associate Professor of Journalism
OFFICE:
Crawford 327
PHONE:
956-3780
E-MAIL:
kevinyk@hawaii.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday & Wednesday (12:30-1:30 p.m., after class ends & by
appointment).
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Welcome journalism students! This course, “Fundamentals of Journalism,” is the
gateway to the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The
course focuses on the art and craft of writing, reporting and editing news across multiple
media platforms – print, broadcast and online. It is the first of four six-credit modules
designed to prepare majors for professional journalism careers.
The course covers a broad range of topics that anyone interested in journalism should
know, including how to write news stories, develop sources and conduct interviews like a
professional journalist. In addition, the course will examine the ethics and responsibilities
of excellent journalism in today’s world.
Journalism is about writing for the public. Students will be practicing community and
public affairs reporting by writing news articles that primarily focus on newsworthy
subjects at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the surrounding community. Your
campus is your community, and your readers are the students, faculty, staff, alumni and
others in the community who are interested in what is going on at UH and the
surrounding area. As such, we will also be spending part of class learning about the
university and surrounding community – and about Hawaii in general.
The major news event this fall 2012 involves national, state and local elections. Elected
officials influence our lives and the future development of our society. As a journalist,
you need to be aware of current events. The news-consuming public expects this of you,
and you will be a better reporter of news (not to mention a responsible citizen) if you are
informed about what is happening in the world around you. Always come to class up to
date on current events. Effective journalists are well-informed journalists, able to talk
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
about a broad range of subject matter. Get into the habit now of reading, watching or
listening to the news EVERY DAY. Examples of news sources will be provided in class.
We WILL discuss current events on a regular basis, and your thoughts are important! If
you write about politics, however, you must write about it in a balanced way. For the
most part, we do not write opinion pieces in this class.
An important goal of Journalism 301 is to help you write in journalistic style, which may
be different from other kinds of writing that you have learned in the past. You are
encouraged to submit articles to Ka Leo, the campus newspaper, and other print or online
publications as opportunities arise. Published articles become part of your “clip file,”
which you can use to apply for internships, scholarships and jobs in the news industry. It
is important to start compiling a clip file early so that you have something to submit when
applying for an internship, job or scholarship.
AP STYLE: Because this course deals with the fundamentals of journalism, special
attention will be placed on learning AP style as well as proper grammar and
punctuation. A prospective employer can quickly tell by glancing over your writing
whether or not you have learned AP style, which is a standardized way of writing that
most news organizations expect their writers to know. As such, you will have regular
exercises and quizzes throughout the semester on AP style, grammar and punctuation.
Proper grammar, punctuation and style are the building blocks of clear, concise
journalistic writing. For some of you this will be a review; for others, this will help
improve your knowledge of and proficiency in the English language.
This is a class that meets from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. We will
use lecture, class discussion, class exercises, group work, videos, web learning, quizzes
and fieldwork in this class. Some of you have journalism experience; others have none.
For those with journalism experience, some aspects of this class will be a review and
should be regarded as helpful reinforcement. By the end of the semester, all students
should have the knowledge and skills that will take them to the next level of their
journalism education, namely Journalism 302: Tools and Platforms. On occasion, you
will have research or open lab days where you are expected to use class time to work on
your research and writing projects.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs):
During or by the end of the semester, you should:
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Know what public affairs reporting is.
Be able to write quickly, accurately, clearly, concisely and grammatically on
deadline in journalistic style.
Know and use AP style in your writing for this and future journalism classes.
Have effective listening skills essential in all journalistic pursuits.
Have learned the importance of following directions precisely.
Be able to evaluate your work and the work of classmates for accuracy and
fairness, clarity and journalistic style.
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
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Have learned information-gathering skills essential to reporting the news,
including interviewing and observation skills, evaluating and verifying
information, and gaining access to and using documents.
Be able to apply critical thinking skills to the search for and dissemination of
information.
Understand First Amendment principles as they are applied to contemporary
journalism practices.
Understand how government works, including the foundations of American
democracy as detailed in the Constitution of the United States and the evolution,
structure and organization of government at all levels.
Know and apply the SPJ Code of Ethics to your reporting and writing.
Have acquired basic online interactive knowledge and skills.
Know and use a variety of electronic databases and resources, including the U.S.
Census website and other government, academic and organizational websites.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND READINGS:
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News Reporting and Writing by Melvin Mencher, McGraw-Hill, 12th edition.
Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, The Associated Press. (Get the
most recent edition, 2012).
A good standard dictionary, e.g., Webster’s New World.
Again, keep up with the news DAILY.
ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION:
Attendance is mandatory for this class. Students are expected to attend all classes, arrive
on time, take all exams/quizzes and complete all other required coursework by the
assigned deadline. These behaviors demonstrate excellent professional work habits,
which employers and internship sites like to hear about. If you are ill or must miss or be
late to a class due to an emergency, please inform Prof. Kawamoto
(kevinyk@hawaii.edu) ahead of time via e-mail. Absences will negatively affect your
final grade for the course.
Credit for in-class assignments, exercises, quizzes, participation, etc., usually cannot be
made up if you are absent, but you may request the material that you missed so that you
may add them to your study resources.
Because our classroom is a computer lab, it will be tempting to use the computers during
class time for non-class purposes such as surfing the Web, checking or sending e-mail
messages, accessing Facebook and other social networking sites and so on. These
activities may not be done during class time as they are distracting to other students and
disrespectful to the instructor(s). Cell phones may not be used during class, including
Twittering or checking/sending text messages.
Eating and drinking are NOT ALLOWED in the computer lab. This is a College of
Social Sciences rule. Computers are to be used only for class-related work during class
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
time. Any violation of computer lab or computer use rules may result in loss of lab
privileges or points for the day’s assignment(s).
Please be attentive and display professional courtesy when we have guest speakers who
are usually giving us their time without compensation.
PLAGIARISM AND FABRICATION:
Plagiarism and fabrication are not tolerated in journalism or at the University of Hawaii.
Please read the Student Conduct Code at www.hawaii.edu/student/conduct and the
campus policies on academic integrity in the University of Hawaii Catalog. We expect
students to reflect the highest standards of honesty and integrity in their dealings with us,
with other students and with the public. There will be zero tolerance for a breach of this
trust including possible academic disciplinary action. You may NEVER fabricate a quote
in your article or present as fact any information that you know is a fabrication.
ASSIGNMENTS:
All writing assignments for this class must be typed in a 12-point font and double-spaced,
unless instructed otherwise. Submit paper copies of all assignments unless specifically
asked to e-mail copies in your assignment instructions. All assignments, quizzes and tests
– in or out of class – must be your own original work and done independently (unless it is
specifically designated as a group assignment).
DEADLINES:
Journalism professionals know that the failure to meet deadlines is a liability to their
careers. Late assignments, if accepted at all, will likely suffer severe penalties.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Anything after that is
considered late. Manage and plan your time accordingly.
ACCURACY:
Writing news is about accuracy. Fact-check your information. This includes verifying
your information with several different reliable sources. Any factual error in your story,
including the misspelling of a person’s proper name, will lower your grade. Again, you
may never make up a source for your news articles. Sources must be real, and we must be
able to trace them from the information that you provide. Be sure you get the correct
spelling of your source’s name in case we need to contact the source for fact-checking
and verification purposes. We will spend a class session discussing sources, attribution
and accuracy because these are extremely important subjects for journalists.
PORTFOLIO:
You will receive many handouts in this class in addition to your returned quizzes,
exercises and assignments. It is highly recommended that you keep an organized
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
portfolio (e.g., a three-ring binder or other folder) to store these papers in so that you can
review them as needed and use them as study material in preparation for quizzes and
tests. You may also refer back to these resources in future classes.
MULTIMEDIA/MULTI-PLATFORM/MOVIES:
We will incorporate multimedia and multi-platform activities into the class on occasion.
Also, we will watch (in part or in full) and discuss a number of important and inspiring
films about journalism.
GRADING:
Graded assignments will be evaluated on technical proficiency, timeliness, accuracy and
good storytelling:
“A” is excellent work that meets the standards of a working journalist.
“B” means very good work, but with minor errors or problems needing correction.
“C” shows satisfactory grasp of the concepts, but also needs to bring skills up to the level
expected from a beginning reporter.
“D” means unsatisfactory grasp of fundamental skills.
“”F” is unacceptable work.
Fs are given for any assignment with major errors of fact, plagiarism or verified case of
fabrication.
Some of your writing assignments/exercises, especially during the earlier part of the
semester, may not be graded. You will receive credit for completing the
assignment/exercise ON TIME or for participation in class or on Laulima. Your AP and
grammar/punctuation quizzes, later writing assignments, final writing projects will be
graded. Any unexcused absence (meaning you were absent without informing the
instructor ahead of time or following up within 24 hours of missing class) will lower your
final grade. There will be a grade reduction for more than two excused absences.
Remember that this is a 6-credit course. Each class session is like the equivalent of two
regular 3-credit classes.
NOTES/DOCUMENTATION:
Please get into the habit of taking careful notes in a notepad that you can hold
comfortably while standing up or sitting down. A reporter’s notebook is narrow and long
– this configuration allows you to quickly write short lines rather than move your hand
across a relatively long page, which can be physically awkward when standing up or
sitting down without a desk. However, not all of you may be able to get a reporter’s
notebook. In that case you can easily get a steno tablet. Examples of different types of
notebooks will be shown in class.
KEEP YOUR NOTES! Do not throw them away. And write as neatly as possible. There
are instances when a source will claim that what he or she said is not what appeared in
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
print or on air. You will always want to be able to go back to your notes and check
whether you misquoted a person or presented incorrect information. You can also use
your notes (or an audio recording) in your defense if necessary. Whenever you interview
someone or write anything in your notebook you want to include the DATE and TIME of
encounter (e.g., an interview), WHERE it occurred and WHO was there. Ask your
interviewee to spell his or her name, or see if that person has a business card. If you ever
make an error in your reporting and it is published or broadcast, be sure to inform your
editor immediately.
SAVING & SUBMITTING YOUR WORK
Please purchase a flash drive or other storage media so that you can save your work on it
for this class. You should keep copies of all writing assignments. All writing assignments
that need to be handed in should be done so in hard copy form only. Do not e-mail
assignments unless specifically requested to do so.
JOURNALISM ADVISING
We will spend some time in class on advising prior to registration for the following
semester, but feel free to meet in person with any journalism faculty member for
additional advising.
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
J301: SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
AUTUMN QUARTER 2012
“[Journalists] are our link to the world beyond our direct experience. Using their
judgment, experience and a set of journalistic guidelines, they decide what is worth
calling to our attention.” – Melvin Mencher, News Reporting and Writing.
Academic Calendar, Fall 2012:
Aug. 20 (M): First day of instruction. Aug. 27 (M): Last day to drop courses. Aug. 29 (W): Last day to register/add courses/change grading option. Sept. 3 (M): Labor Day (non-­‐instructional day). Oct. 19 (F): Last day for restricted withdrawals. Nov. 6 (Tu): Election Day. Nov. 12 (F): Veterans Day (non-­‐instructional day). Nov. 22 (Th): Thanksgiving Day (non-­‐instructional day). Nov. 23 (F): Instructional holiday. Dec. 3 (M): Final Writing Assignment Due! Dec. 6 (Th): Last day of instruction, but J301 will be done Dec. 5. This schedule is designed to be flexible and may be modified based on the instructors’
assessment of students’ needs, the availability of videos or guest speakers, the necessity
of analyzing a late-breaking news story and other reasons. A weekly breakdown of the
textbook chapters is included below to help you pace your reading, although you are
encouraged to read ahead when possible. The class will consist of regular writing
assignments, lectures, group discussion, videos, occasional guests, classroom exercises,
quizzes and fieldwork. The dates of quizzes and assignments are to be determined,
although the FINAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS COURSE IS DUE ON
MONDAY, DEC. 3 AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS.
Please check Laulima (laulima.hawaii.edu) as instructed or at least two to three
times a week to access online resources, review postings from class and participate
in online class discussions. Most PowerPoint slides used in class will be available on
Laulima in the Resources section. A demonstration will be given on the first day of class.
Occasional multimedia demonstrations will be given in class.
Tentative Schedule of Topics:
(If there is a holiday, breaking news or unanticipated opportunities or emergencies
during the week, the schedule and assignments may be adjusted.)
NOTE: You will have a SPECIAL REPORT due for this class that can be turned in
anytime from the halfway point of the semester until Dec. 3, 2012. This is in addition
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
to your FINAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT. You should not wait until the end of the
semester to begin working on your Special Report. It will be discussed halfway
through the semester.
You will have in-class assignments/exercises throughout the semester, and you must
be present in class to receive credit for completing these assignments.
Week 1 (Aug. 20/22) – Welcome, introduction to course and review of syllabus.
Overview of the UH Manoa Journalism Program. Discussion the profession of journalism
and what makes a good news story. What makes journalistic writing different from other
kinds of writing? Read chapters 1 (“On the Job”) and 2 (“Components of the Story”)
in Mencher by second class this week. AP style review and/or Grammar Exercise
explanation. Be sure you can logon to the lab computer in Crawford 220; if not, notify
instructor. Students should save their work in two places: 1) on the network server and 2)
on a personal flash drive, as a back up. First lecture on interviewing and note-taking.
How to introduce yourself as a journalist. (Always identify yourself as a student
journalist and make it clear you want to interview the person for possible publication. See
example text.) Hand out SPJ Code of Ethics. Introduction to Laulima. Presentation:
“Covering Your Community/Knowing Your Community.”
ASSIGNMENT #1: Notetaking exercise. Discuss and show different kinds of
notebooks and recording devices. As a journalist, you should retain your notes, research
materials and recordings in case you need to refer to them after an article or broadcast
appears. Sometimes sources or human subjects will claim your reporting was erroneous.
Week 2 (Aug. 27-29) -- Read chapter 3 (“What Is News?”) in Mencher. How do
journalists and editors decide what constitutes news? What are eight factors that
“determine the newsworthiness of events, personalities and ideas,” according to
Mencher? Be prepared to discuss examples of news at the local, national and
international levels. Skip ahead to chapters 5 and 6 to read about the lead and story
structure. AP style review and/or Grammar Exercise. Current events report. QUIZ #1
on SPJ Code of Ethics, exact date TBA. Remember to visit Laulima. In-class exercise
related to news values.
Week 3 (Sept. 3-5) – MONDAY SEPT. 3 is a HOLIDAY. Read chapter 4 (“The
Internet and Other Tools of the Trade”) in Mencher. AP style review and/or
Grammar Exercise. What is public affairs reporting? Discussion of U.S., state and local
governments. Discussion and demonstration of computer-assisted reporting (CAR), with
a focus on using the U.S. Census website. This class will provide an overview of the tools
and technologies used in journalism today. Other topics: 1) Sunshine Laws, Public
Records, Freedom of Information Act, Databases, Basic Math for Journalists. Lecture:
“Knowing the U.S. Constitution.” ASSIGNMENT #2: USING DATABASES FOR
RESEARCH. Current events report. Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 4 (Sept. 10-12) – Re-read chapters 5 (“The Lead”) and 6 (“Story Structure”)
in Mencher. Learning to write like a journalist. AP style review and/or Grammar
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
Exercise. Class activity. Current events report. ASSIGNMENT #3: SHORT WRITING
EXERCISE IN JOURNALISTIC STYLE, IN CLASS. Remember to visit Laulima.
Continue lecture on Census data.
Week 5 (Sept. 17-19) – Read chapters 7 (“The Writer’s Art”) and 8 (“Features, Long
Stories and Series”) in Mencher. The difference between feature writing and “hard
news” stories. AP style review and/or Grammar Exercise. Class activity. Current
events report. QUIZ #2 on Mencher and class lectures, Chapters 1-8, exact date TBA.
ASSIGNMENT #4: AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY RESEARCH.
Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 6 (Sept. 24/26) – Read chapter 9 (“Broadcast Newswriting”) in Mencher. What
is the difference between writing for print and writing for broadcast? QUIZ #3: AP Style
& Grammar, exact date TBA. Class activity. Current events report. Remember to visit
Laulima.
Week 7 (Oct. 1/3) – Read chapter 10 (“Writing News Releases”) in Mencher. The
relationship between a public relations professional and a journalist. What is a public
information officer (PIO)? What is HIPAA? Discuss the relationship between
journalism and public relations. Class activity. Current events report. Remember to
visit Laulima. ASSIGNMENT #5: SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT, TAKE
HOME. PAY ATTENTION TO DUE DATE!
*** REPORT ASSIGNMENT HANDED OUT. DUE DEC. 3, BUT WILL BE
ACCEPTED EARLIER. ***
Week 8 (Oct. 8/10) – Read chapters 11 (“Digging for Information”) and 12 (“Making
Sound Observations”) in Mencher. Class activity. UPDATE ON ASSIGNMENT #5.
Current events report. Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 9 (Oct. 15/17) – Read chapters 13 (“Building and Using Background”) and 14
(“Finding, Cultivating and Using Sources”) in Mencher. Class activity. Current events
report. Remember to visit Laulima. QUIZ #4 on Mencher, Chapters 9-14 and class
lectures, exact date TBA.
Week 10 (Oct. 22/24) – Read chapters 15 (“Interviewing Principles and Practices”),
16 (“Speeches, Meetings and News Conferences”) and 17 (“Hunches, Feelings and
Stereotypes”) in Mencher. Effective interviewing for a news story. Interviewing
exercise. Current events report. Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 11 (Oct. 29/31) – Read chapters 18 (“Accidents and Disasters”) and 19
(“Obituaries”) in Mencher. Presentation on “journalism and trauma” – interviewing the
traumatized victims, recognizing symptoms of traumatic stress in others and in yourself,
dealing with emotionally difficult subjects. Case study: “The XEROX Shootings.”
Current events report. Final Writing Assignment instructions handed out. Remember
to visit Laulima. Watch the Election returns. Observe how elections are reported.
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J301 Syllabus, Fundamentals of Journalism
Week 12 (Nov. 5/7) – Read chapters 20 (“Police Beat”) and 21 (“The Courts”) in
Mencher. Presentation on HPD and court records – how to get access to public records,
and how to use this information as a reporter. Current events report. Final Writing
Assignment update, story ideas due this week. Story ideas assigned this week.
Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 13 (Nov. 12/14) – Read chapters 22 (“Sports”), 23 (“Business Reporting”) and
24 (“Local Government and Education”) in Mencher. Current events report. Final
Writing Assignment DRAFT due to be discussed with instructor. (Does not have to be
complete.) Remember to visit Laulima.
Week 14 (Nov. 19/21) – Read chapter 25 (“Reporters and the Law”) in Mencher.
Intro to Media Law class, required of all journalism majors. How to get ready for
J302? Preparing for the next semester – “Golden Rules of the Media Lab.”
Multimedia demonstrations and exercises. Current events report. Remember to visit
Laulima. Continue working on Final Writing Assignment.
Week 15 (Nov. 26/28) – Read chapters 26 (“Taste – Defining the Appropriate”) and
27 (“The Morality of Journalism”). Intro to Media Ethics class, required of all
journalism majors. Discuss the changing landscape of media in contemporary
society. Current events report. Remember to visit Laulima. REMEMBER: FINAL
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE next week, Dec. 3.
Week 16 (Dec. 3/5) – QUIZ #5 (a review of select course content, exact date TBA).
This is not a final exam but a continuation of quizzes you received throughout the
semester. Remember to visit Laulima. Dec. 6 is the University of Hawaii’s last day of
instruction. *** FINAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE ON MONDAY,
DEC. 3. ***
NEXT PHASE:
Journalism 302: Tools and Platforms in Spring 2013!
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