FLORIDA FOCUS: WUSF TV Newsbreak
MMC 4936-001 (3 semester hrs)
SYLLABUS FALL 2006
Class: CIS 3082, M- T/R 2-3:30p
Studio 3:30-4:45p M-R
Office Hours: TR. 9:30a-12n
(or by appointment)
Office Location: CIS 3082
Instructor: Dr. Marie Curkan-Flanagan
E-mail: mflanaga@cas.usf.edu
Home Page: http://www.cas.usf.edu/~flanagan
Office Phone: 974-6789
PREREQUISITES:
News students must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in RTV4301. Additionally,
students must have successfully completed (C grade or better) 12 semester hours of mass
communication courses and have the consent of the instructor to participate in the class.
Production students must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in RTV4220.
TEXTBOOKS:
NEWS/Optional: Utterback, A.S. (2001) Broadcast Voice Handbook. Chicago, IL: Bonus Books
PRODUCTION: Please refer to your Production Textbook.
In addition I will give you several handouts regarding writing and production that will
enhance this opportunity. You will be expected to read, use and follow any instructions.
Purpose:
For the news students, this course will focus on writing and newscast production. As the
semester develops, students will be expected to hone a sound sense of reasoning in the critical
decision process of news story selection and placement in the newscast. Students will participate
in the course as anchors, producers, and reporters. The course will meet the requirements of one
"selective" for the students selected to participate.
For the production students, you will function as news technicians working as studio camera
operators, videotape editors, teleprompter operators, graphics designers and general production
assistants/writers.
*You will ALL also have the opportunity to shoot and edit a news story. As the purpose of
this course is to give selected students a hands-on opportunity at newscast preparation and
delivery for television the piece you produce must have on-air qualities. Steve Mutimer and your
instructor will make judgment decisions regarding the product you generate.
*You will ALL also prepare the material you have aired for competition in the Florida
Associated Press before the end of the term.
Background and Course Requirements:
This course has been made available through a combined effort between WUSF, the University
of South Florida, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Mass
Communications. It is a real-world activity where newscasts will reach a potential audience of
more than a million viewers on a daily basis
Because this is a professionally directed course, students will be expected to act, dress, and
perform in a professional manner. Grades will be based on the attitude students consistently
bring to the newscast and on their improvement/ development as broadcast news professionals.
Students will be required to attend lectures on appropriate presentation/performance for
newscasts including discussions on content, set placement, dress, and appearance. In addition,
students will be required to act as professionals at all times. A mature approach to
newsgathering, reporting, presentation and follow-up is expected.
Course Objectives:
The primary objective of this course is to present a daily newscast/newsbreak in conjunction with
WUSF programming. Additionally, this course is designed to provide students with an
environment that closely matches the expectations of a real world television newsroom. The
instructor will act as News Director/Executive Producer for the daily operations of the newscast.
Toward that end, students will be trained in a variety of techniques for improving on-air
performance and for meeting the professional criteria necessary for full time employment in a
commercial news or production operation.
Upon completion of this class students will be able to:
1. Understand content decision making using basic broadcast news principles including;
Timeliness, Proximity, Prominence, Consequence, and Human Interest. You will also learn how
to identify and evaluate; both individual and corporate bias. You will analyze the effects of
culture, gender, sexual orientation, and race on content. You will learn and implement skills to
incorporate the varying voices of diversity within your presentations as they will ultimately
reflect the community in whatever individual market you will work.
2.Identify and write basic, short broadcast copy in the active voice.
3 Understand the four main structures and functions that produce the voice.
4.Understand the five physical elements of the voice mechanism and describe how they
are used to help properly use the voice in announcing.
5. Understand the seven benefits of diaphragmatic breathing and describe improper breathing
techniques on-air personalities should avoid.
6.Understand ways in which the language changes geographically.
7. Properly pronounce commonly mispronounced words.
8. Identify oral style and be familiar with the three elements that announcers should
strive to attain.
9. Use the voice to increase emphasis of ideas in broadcast copy.
10.Use the five commonly used copy-marking symbols.
11.Transcribe words into revised wire service phonetics.
12.Understand and identify generally accepted broadcast rules about cosmetics and wardrobe.
13.Identify your own best cosmetic look and style.
14.Understand broadcast news and commercial terminology such as: package, voice over,
sound on tape, and soft or hard sell.
15 Understand and respond naturally to studio terminology such as tilt, pan, and truck.
16.Understand and respond to the use of time signals.
17.Understand the basic functions of the audio control console and the video switcher.
18.Understand the importance of studio teamwork by demonstrating knowledge of
the relationships between the performer and technical personnel and their
combined relationship to the industry as a whole.
20. Understand the six factors that have influence on your future employment in broadcasting
and know what to consider when preparing a resume for use in broadcasting.
WORK LOAD/ DUTIES:
● This course is viewed as an “end of the sequence” course. As a result, the material you
generate is expected to reflect a highly developed set of skills.
● Newscasts will be written, produced and performed on a daily basis creating an immersion in
the newscast production environment.
● The length of these newscasts for the fall semester will be 1 1/2 minutes and air Monday
through Friday. The M/W class will be taping two shows. The T/TR class will be taping three—
Fridays show is taped on Thursday.
● Each student will be responsible for producing a story package of :60-seconds in length, which
will air on Fridays. A lottery will determine individual air dates.
● As each student will produce a 60-second videotape suitable for air they will follow these
guidelines to complete the assignment: The topic of the story must have approval before
scheduled. I will review a preliminary script before shooting begins, and both the tape and
editing of tape will be reviewed before the product airs. If there is any “NOISE” in any part of
the process; the script, tape, editing, lighting, graphic, etc., you will have to redo the work. DO
NOT WAIT until your package is due to seek approval.
● Florida Focus will begin airing on September 25 and go off the air on December 8, 2006.
● The first four weeks of classes will be used to train participants to ensure that the newscast
appears smooth and professional once airing begins.
● It is expected that students will work in three or four member teams two days per week, but
since students are "staff" members of the newscast crew, they may need to be available other
days of the week on an "on-call" basis.
● Students will be involved in the creation and implementation of pre- production work
including the development of newscast graphics, character generator material, etc.
● Students will be assigned to specific duties at the time of their acceptance into the course.
Rotation of duties will occur to maximize training.
● NOTE: students are, in effect, being "hired" to perform a specific tasks. Any infraction of a
professional Code of Ethics or expected behavior will result in being “fired” from the class at
which point you will receive an “F” for the course.
ATTENDANCE:
Please note if you are a member of the Florida Focus news team you are still required to be
here Thanksgiving Day. News does not stop because it is a holiday.
Class attendance is mandatory. No absences are excused.
●You are allowed one (1) acceptably documented excused absence/cut for illness or
transportation reasons, not for job or other class conflicts including responsibility and deadlines
for other classes.
● The documentation must be presented to this instructor immediately following the missed
class. ●Understand that without acceptably documented excused absences for each individual
cut, NO consideration will be given for a second cut. A second cut will result in lowering your
FINAL semester grade by one FULL letter grade. Hence, if you have earned a B+ for the term,
you will receive a C+.
●Three undocumented cuts will result in automatically FAILING THE COURSE.
●You are allowed two tardy of not more than 3 minutes. Once class begins you are late. Three
tardies will be equivalent to an unexcused absence.
●No early departures from class are allowed or excused. Early departures from class will be
prorated similar to tardies. That is a departure at or before mid-class is considered an unexcused
absence.
●In computing your final grades and in addition to the considerations stated above you will
automatically lose 10 points for each missed class, 5 points each time you arrived late for class.
These additional points will be deducted from your final grade.
● Florida Focus is a professionally based class that produces a product that MUST air at 5:30pm
nightly on WUSF. Jeopardizing the product, in any way (attitude, tardiness, cutting class),
exposes every member of the class, the School of Mass Communications, the relationship
between SMC and WUSF, your instructor, and yourself to a negative light. More importantly, a
negative exposure undermines your responsibility to your community and it simply is not
acceptable behavior for a professional. In a “real world” news environment any of the items
mentioned above are “firing” offenses. Please be mindful that I have in the past relieved
professionals and students of their positions when necessary.
While this attendance policy may seem severe, understand that it absolutely mirrors current
industry standards. If telecommunications is your career choice, NOW is the time to
understand the parameters in which you will be working. Additionally, a newsroom can only
function as well as those people working in it. If you take a cut or are late every single person
responsible for the product suffers. As the tapes you will develop for this class will be used for
job searches you owe it to one another to perform at your very best level.
●Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a
major religious observance must provide written notice of the date(s) and event (s) to the
instructor by the second-class meeting.
Incomplete Grades:
An "I" grade cannot be used to make up for frequently missed script deadlines or to salvage
failing grades for the course. Incomplete grades are awarded only when a small portion of a
student's course work is incomplete and the student is earning a passing grade.
According to University policy, student may choose to withdraw from the course through
November 3, 2006 with a grade of “W”. After this date NO “W” grades will be granted.
EVALUATION: As in the real world, missing deadlines, inappropriate or unprofessional
behavior or failure to take the work seriously could lead to disciplinary action by the news
director. Actions could include suspension or dismissal of the student from the newscast team.
Any serious breach resulting in dismissal from the news team will result in a failing grade for the
course. Plus and minus grades will not be used in this class.
The EVALUATION you receive in this course will be determined on:
1. Ability to identify and understand content-based decision-making
(25%-news/ 5% production).
2. Ability to write and produce a news segment using current industry
standards (20% news).
3. Ability to write and produce a news story using current industry
standards (5% news/10% production)
4. Ability to technically operate news equipment and production tools
(40%production /10% news).
5. Ability to design graphics and use effex generator (Production 15%).
6. Ability to control your image: face, muscle control, make-up, hair,
clothes. (15% news/ 3% production).
7. Voice control. Ability to analyze and improve your voice; developing time
and rate, volume, range, pitch and interpretation (10% news/3%
production).
8. Ability to meet deadlines (news 5%/production 9%).
9. Ability to work as a team (news 15%/production 15%).
The USF school of Mass Communications complies with national accrediting standards designed
to help prepare students to understand and relate to issues of interest to women and minorities in
a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial and otherwise diverse society.
SYLLABUS
Florida Focus, MMC 4936-001
(Will vary as needed)
Class Schedule MMC 6936
Fall 2006
Week
Wk 1
August 28
Wk 2
September 4
Wk 3
September 11
Wk 4
September 18
Wk 5
September 25
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
October 2
October 9
October 16
October 23
October 30
November 6
November 13
November 20
Wk 14
Wk 15
November 27
December 4
FRIDAY TAPE
SCHEDULE
-Introductions
-Review of Syllabus
-View WUSF Promo Tape/
audience analyses
-Tour WUSF
-Begin New Open Production
Begin work with Clyde, new
graphics
News Values/ content analysis
Begin Writing/producing
Begin Work with Camera/clothes
Make-up review
Dress Rehearsal
ON AIR
Clyde last week
Begin Work as team/
Sept 29
Oct 6
Oct 13
Oct 20
Oct 27
Nov 3
Nov 10
Nov 17
Nov 22
Nov 23
Nov 24
Dec 1
Dec 7
Dec 8
OFF AIR
EXAM
WEEK****
*****In lieu of an exam I expect you to prepare a tape, contest form, and documented letter for competition in the
FAPB. You will leave the material in my mailbox during the week. A failure to do so will affect your grade.
FALL 2006
Florida Focus
Dr.Marie Curkan-Flanagan
974-6789
mflanaga@cas.usf.edu
STUDENT INFORMATION
Name:
____________________________________
Local Phone:
Cell Phone:
____________________________________
____________________________________
E-Mail Address:
____________________________________
Your Major
________________________________________
Video or Related
Experience:
_________________________________________________________
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Career Interest:
_________________________________________________________
To what Professional or Industry related groups do you belong?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Are you interested in a production/ news internship or practicum? What kind? Completed?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you expect to get out of this class?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Where do you feel I can best help you develop your skills?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Florida Focus, MMC 4936-001
Fall 2006
FRIDAY TAPE SCHEDULE
Week
Wk 1
August 28
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
September 4
September 11
September 18
September 25
Sept 29
Samantha
Wk 6
October 2
Oct 6
Alex
Wk 7
October 9
Oct 13
Emily
Wk 8
October 16
Oct 20
Adam
Wk 9
October 23
Oct 27
Scott
Wk 10 October 30
Nov 3
Nadia
Wk 11 November 6
Wk 12 November 13
Nov 10
Nov 17
Sarah
Summer
Wk 13 November 20
Nov 22
Brandi
Nov 23
Courtney
Nov 24
Chris
Wk 14 November 27
Dec 1
Meghan
Wk 15 December 4
Dec 7
Rebekah
Dec 8
*****In lieu of an exam I expect you to prepare a tape, contest form, and documented letter for competition in the
FAPB. You will leave the material in my mailbox during the week. A failure to do so will affect your grade.