Journalism 202
Advanced News Writing
Fall 2013
Instructor: Jeff Favre
Section: 0432
Class Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:10 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
Classroom: Business 3220 on Mondays, Village 8211 on Wednesdays.
Email: jjfavre@gmail.com
Phone: 916-769-5581 cell (Do not text the instructor)
Office Hours: Village 8100. 8:00 – 9:15 a.m., Monday – Thursday
PREREQUISITE:
Journalism 101 with a “C” or better.
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You should enroll concurrently in Journalism 217, which is the 2-unit class that offers the lab
hours for this course. An add slip can be obtained from the instructor.
COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES:
Journalism 202 is an advanced writing course where students can be the reporters and writers for the
Roundup, the Pierce College student newspaper. The newspaper publishes its print editions
Wednesdays. The website, www.theroundupnews.com is published every day.
Students in 202 are given articles, podcasts and videos to do as assignments from student editors
enrolled in J219.
On Mondays, J202 students meet with the instructor in Business 3220 where they have lectures and
discuss journalistic practices.
On Wednesday, J202 students meet in Village 8211 (the Roundup newsroom), along with student
editors and photographers and the Roundup advisers (Jill Connelly and Stefanie Frith). During this
class time, assignments are given to reporters and photographers and a critique of the newspaper and
website are provided by the advisers. This is called “Hell Sheet.” Assignments can also be given to
J202 students by editors at any other time, depending on breaking news and other events.
In this course:
1. Students will be able to compile, write and report print and online news stories, as well as features,
sports and editorials.
2. Students will recognize how to organize and write clear, interesting and factual articles for the
Roundup print and online publications.
3. Students will comprehend journalism ethics and practices.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
 Write accurate, balanced stories
 Recognize and write news and feature stories
 Know the difference between news writing and opinion writing
 Use grammar and punctuation correctly
 Know AP style
 Demonstrate effective use of quotations and attributions
 Gather information from a variety of sources and combine them effectively in stories
 Take accurate notes quickly and be able to organize them for use in stories
 Understand how a newsroom works
 Write stories under deadline pressure
 Understand libel, privacy and other media laws
REQUIRED TEXTS/SUPPLIES:
* Batteries (AA and AAA) for equipment checkout
* The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, by Bill
Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
* The Associated Press Stylebook & Briefing on Media Law
* The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation
* Roundup Policy Manual (provided to you by the instructor).
* Los Angeles Times. The L.A. Times is available free online at www.latimes.com and through the
Pierce College Library database, or delivered to your home everyday for about $3 a week.
* Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism, Tim Harrower, 2007 (Recommended)
* A $5 fee is required for this class, payable at the bookstore.
EMAIL:
 Every student is required to have a valid, working e-mail address that they check daily. Students
will need to create a Google Mail account that looks like this:
firstinitiallastname.roundupnews@gmail.com (first letter of your first name, then your last name,
then a period, then roundupnews@gmail.com).
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
It is suggested that students listen to news radio. Listening to KNX 1070 AM, for example, for about
20 minutes in the morning and evening each day will give you a nice recap of what’s happening in the
world. And you’ll hear the weather and traffic too so there shouldn’t be any excuses about how an
accident on the 101 kept you from coming to class on time!
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KPPC-FM, 89.3: This is a public radio station with a variety of programs. The schedule can be
found at www.scpr.org/schedule.
KNX-AM, 1070: You can find all the news, entertainment, business and sports stories of the day
here.
KPCR: This is Pierce College’s student-operated Internet radio station. It features music, news,
entertainment, sports and more. www.kpcradio.com
The Roundup: The student-run newspaper. Printed on Wednesdays, available online at
www.theroundupnews.com
The Bull: The student-run magazine at Pierce. www.thebullmag.com
TWITTER/FACEBOOK
It is suggested that you follow these news organizations on your Twitter and Facebook accounts. This
will help you with your news quizzes and to also be more aware of what is going on in your
community and the world.
@lanow
@latimescitybeat
@latimesworld
@latimes
@kpcradio
@cnnbrk
@roundupnews
@apstylebook
GRADING:
The following percentages represent the grades shown: 100-90%=A; 89.9%-80%=B; 79.9%-70%=C;
69.9%-60%=D; 59.9% and below=F.
DEADLINES:
 Although the basics of journalism can be found in the textbooks, learning to write and be a reporter
is done through experience. Therefore, much of what you do in this class will be done away from
your computer and the classroom and out in the “field,” where you will interview real people,
attend meetings and observe new situations.

Journalists are expected to meet their deadlines. Students are expected to turn in homework and all
other assignments on time. If you do not turn in an assignment on time, you will lose all credit
for that assignment. There will be no make-ups for missed homework or tests.

Deadlines in this class will vary and are assigned by the editors. Students will work directly with
their editors to discuss deadlines.
MORE ON GRADING:
 Grading is explained in detail in the Roundup Policy Manual. Grading is based on both the quality
and quantity of your work. J202 students are required to write one 10-15 inch story a week, or
two 5-7 inch briefs (an inch is 35 words). Writing more stories will go toward

Students are required to write at least TWO stories from each of the following categories: news,
features, sports and opinion. To get credit for your stories, you must submit a source list, including
name, phone number and e-mail address for each person in each story.

You must also submit a Twitter/Facebook update (140 characters or less), a web update (3 to 4
paragraphs) and website links that are associated with your article. These count toward your overall
inch requirement.

You must suggest three headlines and decks for each story. The headlines must contain a verb and
be written in the news/print/online style. “Term paper titles” will not be counted for bonus inches.

A reporter’s checklist must be stapled to articles when submitted.

The reporter assignment sheet must be stapled to articles when submitted.

Every story must include AT LEAST 3 (THREE) sources. Otherwise, students will receive a nonpassing grade.

Students are also required to do at least two podcasts and two videos during the semester. These
can be short pieces that you work on with another student. ONE PIECE IS DUE BY OCT. 9
AND THE OTHER IS DUE BY NOV. 27.

Students must attend two public meetings to pass the class. These count toward the overall inch
requirement.

Students must attend and write about one court hearing to pass the class. This counts toward the
overall inch requirement.

Inch count for a story can be calculated by dividing the number of words by 35 or dividing the
number of lines on a computer-printed story (Times Roman, 12 point font) by four. For example, a
10-inch story contains 350 words or 40 lines.

All stories/material must be written during the spring semester. You will not receive credit for any
stories or material written prior to the spring semester (unless given prior approval by the
instructor) or during the spring semester for another publication. Students still receive credit for
articles, even if they are not published. No credit is received for late stories and students will
receive a zero in the grade book for those late stories.
TO GET CREDIT FOR ARTICLES/VIDEOS/TWITTER FEEDS ETC.
To receive credit for the work you do in this class, you must follow these guidelines:

Upload your article on WordPress (an online content management system). You will receive
training on how to do this.
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Text your Twitter feed (tweets) to the appropriate student editor.
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THEN: You must PRINT OUT your tweets and web updates and your article and give the print out
(along with the original assignment sheet and the reporter checklist) to the instructor (either in
person during class or in the instructor’s box in the Roundup newsroom). If you did a video or
podcast, email the instructor the link. These stories will be graded AFTER they have appeared in
print and/or online. But they must be submitted to the instructor within a day of the due date given
by the student editor. The Roundup is a student publication. Advisers, per certain court precedents,
are not allowed to read the material before it goes to print or online.
PUBLIC MEETINGS REQUIREMENT:
J202 students are required to attend TWO public meetings and write a story regarding each meeting.
Each story will focus on an issue that was decided or discussed during the meeting. Students will have
the choice of attending the following meetings: The Los Angeles Community College District
(LACCD) Board of Trustees, Pierce College Academic Senate (on campus) or the Pierce College
Council (on campus). These are the ONLY meetings that count as the public meeting requirement in
J202.
You do not have to cover the same government agency for two meetings.
Failure to attend two public meetings and write stories about them will result in a non-passing grade in
the course.
NOTE: You must complete the first public meeting article by Oct. 16 and your second public
meeting story by Dec. 4.
IMPORTANT: Your article on these meetings is due within 24 hours (or less) of the meeting. It is not
due the day that the syllabus says it must be completed by. These “completed by” deadlines are only to
help you stay on track and not wait until the end of the semester to attend these meetings. If you attend
a meeting Oct. 8, you should be aware that your article will be due within about 24 hours, so by the
same time Oct. 9. Please work with your editors to keep them apprised of anything newsworthy that
occurs during the meeting.
You can find agendas and more information about these groups and the meetings at
www.piercecollege.edu and www.laccd.edu
Fall 2013 Public Meeting Dates
Pierce College Academic Senate
2:15 to 3:45 p.m. Campus Center Conference Room
Sept. 9
Sept. 23
Oct. 7
Oct. 21
Nov. 4
Nov. 18
Dec. 2
Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees
3:30 p.m. Call to confirm, as sometimes meeting times change. Please note that this group does not
meet at Pierce College. (213) 891-2044
Wed.
Sept. 11, 2013
Education Services Center
Wed.
Sept. 25, 2013
Education Services Center
Wed.
Oct. 9, 2013
L.A. City College
Wed.
Oct. 23, 2013
Education Services Center
Wed.
Nov. 6, 2013
Pierce College
Wed.
Nov. 20, 2013
Education Services Center
Pierce College Council
College Services Building Conference Room
Thursday, Sept. 26 2013, 2–4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, 2–4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, 2–4 p.m.
COURTS REPORTING REQUIREMENT:
J202 students are required to attend one (1) civil or one (1) criminal court proceeding and write a story
about what happens. The story will focus on what was discussed and/or what the judge ruled at the
proceeding. You can attend a civil or criminal court proceeding at courthouses in Chatsworth, San
Fernando, Malibu, Burbank, Glendale or Santa Clarita or downtown. You can choose what case you
want to cover. The purpose of the assignment is to provide you with hands-on experience in covering
the court system.
You will not be allowed to cover a traffic court case. Your court story will not count toward your
weekly required assignments, and it likely will not be published in The Roundup. Failure to attend
a court proceeding and write a story about it will result in a non-passing grade in this course.
Important: You MUST clear your court case with the instructor prior to attending the proceeding.
Many civil cases are not newsworthy, so if you choose to cover a civil matter, be prepared to justify
the case to the instructor.
The story is due within 24 hours of attending the hearing. You must meet this requirement by Nov. 21.
It must be emailed to the instructor. More details will be provided in class.
“THE ELEMENTS OF JOURNALISM” PRESENTATION:
The entire class will participate in a group presentation of the required book “The Elements of
Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” by Bill Kovach and Tom
Rosenstiel. You will be teamed up with other students and assigned a chapter in the book on which you
will make a 5 to 7-minute presentation. You do not have to write a paper, but you will need to turn in a
detailed outline of the chapter to the instructor and the rest of the class. The presentations will be due
(presented in class) during the final exam meeting time, Monday, Dec 10 at 11 a.m..
EXTRA CREDIT:
 Your lowest grade will be removed, but for any stories more than the required—up to two more—
will eliminate a lower grade. So a total of THREE LOWEST GRADES MAY BE REMOVED.
 You can earn extra credit for time spent helping proofread The Roundup. The amount will be
determined based on information given to the instructor by the editor-in-chief.
 Successfully pitch a story to an editor and receive 10 points for that story.
 Students who attend the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) State Conference
on Friday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 12 will receive 25 points added to the lowest assignment.
Advisers will choose the attendees based on their efforts and commitment. Info:
www.jacconline.org.
 There are also several special speaker events this semester that will be happening on campus. You
can receive bonus points for attending these and writing short stories. Prior approval must be
received by the instructor.
QUIZZES:
There will be two quizzes every week.
 Mondays: You will be given a current events quiz at the beginning of class. There will be 5-10
questions worth up to 10 points that will come from the front page of the Los Angeles Times and
the front page of the LAT Extra section and the front page of the California section (Sundays only).
Questions will be from the previous week of newspapers. There are no make-up quizzes; therefore
you must be present in class on time to take the quiz.
 Wednesdays: You will be given an AP Style quiz at the beginning of class. There will be 5-10
questions worth up to 10 points. The instructor will tell you Monday which sections of the AP
Stylebook the questions will come from. Again, there are no make-ups, so you must be present in
class, on time, to take the quiz.
 Your lowest two news quiz scores and your lowest two AP Style quiz scores will be dropped.
CLASS MEETINGS/ATTENDANCE:
This class meets from 11:10 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, the class
meets in Business 3220. On Wednesdays, the class meets in The Roundup newsroom in Village 8211.
There will sometimes be changes to the schedule, so you must check your email frequently (at least a
couple times a day) for updates from the instructor and student editors.
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. You need to be present each class period to hear the
lecture, take quizzes, complete and turn in assignments, contribute to the discussion, hear guest
speakers and more. Gathering information for a story is not an excuse for missing class.
GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS:
 Stories you write for The Roundup, including the two public meeting articles and the court
proceedings story. (Remember, not doing the two public meetings and court proceedings stories
will result in a non-passing grade in this course… an “F.”)
 Presentation on “The Elements of Journalism.”
 News quizzes
 AP Style quizzes
PLAGIARISM and CHEATING:
To plagiarize is to use someone else’s words, thoughts or ideas as your own. Any cheating or
plagiarism will not be tolerated and you will receive a grade of F on that assignment. You will also be
reported to the campus dean of student services. So don’t cheat. Don’t plagiarize. Students in the
Media Arts Department have been caught in the past and the results aren’t good. More information can
be found in the college’s course catalogue and in the handouts from class.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning or psychological, who believe that they may need
accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact Special Services as soon as possible to ensure
that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Authorization, based on verification
of disability, is required before any accommodation can be made. The phone number for Special
Services is (818) 719-6430 and they are located in the Student Services Building.
FINALLY:
 If you are ever confused or need to talk about something, the instructor is here to help. Call or email the instructor (no texts!). Don’t wait until the last minute to do so. The instructor wants you to
succeed and have a good time here.
 The college has a code of conduct for students. You are expected to follow it or you will suffer the
consequences as outlined in it. It can be found in the college catalogue.
 Turn cell phones OFF during class. That also means NO texting and NO emailing. Communicating
with Roundup editors is not an excuse for texting and emailing. You may be asked to leave the
classroom and will be counted as absent if you text/email in class.
 No food or drinks in class. No gum.
 Once again, if you plagiarize, you will lose ALL points for that assignment and could be dealt with
by the dean or higher.
 No cheating.
 Sexual harassment will not be tolerated and will be reported to the college administration.
 Responsibility for dropping this class lies with YOU. If your name appears on the final grade
collection form distributed by the Admissions and Records Office, you will receive a letter grade.
Even if you stopped attending the class early on, but failed to properly withdraw, you will be
assigned an “F” for the class.
 The newsroom is a classroom and a place of business. This is not where you hang out and bring
your friends and significant others. It is where you do work for the Roundup.
CLASS SCHEDULE: MONDAY LECTURES/DISCUSSIONS
The following is an outline of what will be happening this semester, as well as dates when your
homework is due, when tests will occur and when your final project will take place. This is tentative
and subject to change, depending on how the class is progressing, as well as breaking news that may
need to be discussed or covered. Just like a real newsroom, life happens and plans change. That’s what
makes this business so much fun!
Week 1: Monday, Aug. 26 —Introductions
In-class writing assignment, plagiarism, ethics
Week 2: Monday, Sept. 2 — NO CLASS
Week 3: Monday, Sept. 9 — Video editing
Week 4: Monday, Sept. 16 —Opinion Writing, columns, editorials, critical review
Week 5: Monday, Sept. 23 —Courts reporting
Week 6: Monday, Sept. 30 — Sports writing
Week 7: Monday, Oct. 7— Government Reporting
Week 8: Monday, Oct. 14 — Features
FIRST PUBLIC MEETING STORY DUE BY OCT. 16
Week 9: Monday, Oct. 21 — More on features
Week 10: Monday, Oct. 28 — Online Reporting
Week 11: Monday, Nov. 4 — Obits
Week 12: Monday, Nov. 11 — Investigative Reporting
Week 13: Monday, Nov. 18 — Public Relations
COURT STORY DUE BY NOV. 21
Week 14: Monday, Nov. 25 — Resume Writing, Job Interviewing
Week 15: Monday, Dec. 2 — More on features and specialty reporting
SECOND PUBLIC MEETING STORY DUE BY DEC 4.
Week 16: Monday, Dec. 9 —Final, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.