School of Communication
University of Miami
Syllabus
Summer II, 2016
Global Journalism in London
JMM 595-02/692/02
July 5-July 27, 2016
3 writing credits
This course is part of the comprehensive six-credit London Summer, Global
Communication study abroad program
Setting:
On location for three weeks in London, one of the most dynamic
communication centers in the world.
Professor: Joseph B. Treaster
Office: 2021 Wolfson
Hours: By appointment all day, most days in Miami; 24 hours a day in
London
Telephones: 917 575 9562, 305 284 5246
Email: Treaster@miami.edu
Course Description and Purpose:
Global Journalism in London is part of the six-credit London Summer, Global Communication
program at the University of Miami. The program immerses University of Miami students in the
dynamic and cutting edge communication industry in London and in the city’s political, cultural
and artistic traditions. Students learn the latest techniques and strategies in digital age
communication and how to apply them in briefings and discussions with London professionals at
global public relations and advertising companies and news organizations like the B.B.C., The
New York Times and BuzzFeed.
The London Summer program consists of two distinctly separate courses delivered by separate
professors. This class, Global Journalism in London, and the companion class, Global PR and
Advertising in London, provide deep insights into journalism, public relations and advertising.
The two courses aim to strengthen students’ capabilities in these fields and to enhance writing
and critical thinking skills and knowledge of the world beyond the United States.
The two courses work together to achieve a result that is greater than could be achieved by either
of them alone. Students in the program get briefings from professionals at institutions that are
generally closed to outsiders and are able to see and feel the real-life synergies and overlapping
relationships of journalism, public relations and advertising. In Global Journalism in London,
Professor Joseph B. Treaster, a long-time foreign correspondent and reporter for The New York
Times, lectures on British and global journalism and shows how journalism functions
independently and in relation to public relations and advertising. In Global PR and Advertising in
London, Professor Heidi Carr, a specialist in public relations and advertising and a former
reporter and editor at the Miami Herald, lectures on public relations and advertising in London
and around the world. Students complete a capstone project in each class. Each class has its own
requirements and assignments.
The professors conduct separate seminars on techniques, skills and communication philosophy
and put into context communication in London with communication in New York and elsewhere.
Students in this class, Global Journalism in London, work on multimedia, digital age assignments
in journalism throughout London.
London Summer makes the most of study in the British capital. It could not be taught anywhere
else. University of Miami students take in the cultural, historical and political life of London and
work on assignments in the British Museum, the Tate Modern, parliament, at Buckingham Palace
and Westminster Abby and other iconic institutions. They get briefings at Oxford University and
at the adjacent Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. They live in shared apartments with
kitchens and get the feel of London as they walk to briefings and meetings, ride the underground
and the big red buses, shop for groceries and sample Shepherd’s Pie, bangers and beans and
bubble and squeak. They mingle with the diverse, international throngs in Piccadilly Circus and
Leicester Square. The combination of two separate classes in the London Summer program
provides a comprehensive London experience.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
o Get to know London, one of the great communication centers
o Learn new tactics and strategies for navigating the digital age
o Strengthen writing and visual communication skills
o Deepen understanding of the synergies of journalism, public relations and advertising
o Enhance skills in critical thinking and analysis
o Develop comprehensive skills required for digital story telling
o Increase confidence and leadership skills
o Broaden worldview of cultures, people and communication
o Develop a strategic plan for getting a job in public relations, advertising or journalism
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
The six-credit London Summer experience is open to undergraduate and graduate students across
the University of Miami campus.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is mandatory. Classes are in the form of seminars and discussions, most often in
public relations, advertising and journalism offices throughout London and Oxford, but
sometimes in cafes and parks and other public places. Missing a class session results in a
reduction in the final grade of one full letter grade. An A drops to a B, a B drops to a C and so on.
Documented illness is the only accepted reason for missing a session.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Brock, George, Out of Print: Newspapers, Journalism and the Business of News in the Digital
Age, Kogan Page Limited, London, Philadelphia, 2013, ISBN 978-0-7494-6651-0.
Mr. Brock is a former foreign editor and managing editor of The Times, perhaps England’s most
distinguished newspaper and website, and a former head of the graduate school of journalism at
City University of London. Students meet Mr. Brock and other experts in public relations,
advertising and journalism in seminars at City University of London.
RECOMMENDED:
Marr, Andrew, My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism, Pan Macmillan, London, 2005,
ISBN-10 0330411926
Kessler, Lauren and McDonald, Duncan, When Words Collide, A Media Writer’s Guide to
Grammar and Style, 5th edition, Wadsworth Publishing; 8th edition, 2011, ISBN-10:
0495572403, ISBN-13: 978-0495572404;
Stovall, James G., Writing for the Mass Media, 9th edition. Pearson. ISBN-10:0205043445, IBN13: 9780205043446
ONLINE TOOLS:
The Poynter Institute, brief online workshops and classes with useful aspects of writing across all
fields, The Poynter Institute http://www.newsu.org/
ASSIGNMENTS AND COURSE WORK:
Students learn and practice a range of writing, research and critical thinking techniques that may
be applied across all communication platforms in the digital age and are useful in all careers. This
is a total immersion, multimedia course.
Here are the assignments:
Profile and Pre-briefing Questions - Students write a profile of a London journalism expert or
journalism institution in the London Summer program. The profiles are due one day before
briefings, along with five written questions for use in the briefings.
Culture Reports – Four reports on the culture of London using all the multimedia tools. Some
themes: class distinctions, contrasts in daily life between the United States and the United
Kingdom, food, theater, politics, dance, music or other things that help explain life in London to a
global audience.
Student Leadership - Each day two students are designated as group leaders. They take the lead
in discussions, assist in keeping the group together on field trips and on time.
Journalism capstone project – This is a complex multimedia, multidimensional news feature
report on one of the institutions in the London Summer experience. It is developed incrementally
over the course of the London program. The capstone is presented as a multimedia report at City
University of London.
This course requires two pre-departure workshops in Miami in March and April. The purpose is
to increase the quality of learning and achievement overseas. In the workshops, students select a
capstone theme and develop a plan for executing the capstone and other assignments. Journalism
capstone work may be published in TheMiamiPlanet.org, an online publication of the School of
Communication, or elsewhere. All London work must be completed in London. No make-ups.
Extra credit: Publication of an article in The Miami Hurricane or Distractions magazine,
additional profiles and culture reports.
GRADING AND EVALUATION:
This course is for undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students carry a heavier work
load. Undergraduates are encouraged to work toward the higher standard. Grading follows the
standard practice at the University of Miami. Here are the quantitative and qualitative scales:
A+ 97-100, A 93-96, A- 90-92, B+87-89, B 84-86, B- 80-83,
C+ 77-79, C 74-76, C- 70-73, D+ 67-69, D 64-66, D- 60-63, F 59 and below
A = Superior Attainment, B = Above Average, C = Average, D = Below Average,
E = Unacceptable/failure
How Grades Will Be Calculated:
Graduate Students*
Participation, engagement, leadership
Profiles and Questions
Culture Reports
Journalism capstone project
Undergraduate Students
Participation, engagement, leadership
Profiles and Questions
Culture Reports
Journalism capstone project
10 percent
25 percent
25 percent
40 percent
10 percent
25 percent
25 percent
40 percent
*Additional Work for Graduate Students
Graduate students are required to complete an additional research project that demonstrates
narrative skills using a wide range of communication tools. The project will be developed in
consultation with the faculty.
HONOR CODE AND PLAGIARISM STATEMENT:
Students enrolled in this course are expected to abide by the University of Miami Honor Code.
The purpose of the Honor Code is to protect the academic integrity of the University by
encouraging consistent ethical behavior in assigned coursework. Academic dishonesty of any
kind will not be tolerated.
No student wants to be guilty of the intellectual crime of plagiarism, even unintentionally.
Therefore, we provide you with these guidelines so that you don't accidentally fall into the
plagiarism trap.
Plagiarism is the taking of someone else's words, work, or ideas, and passing them off as a
product of your own efforts. Plagiarism may occur when a person fails to place quotation marks
around someone else's exact words, directly rephrasing or paraphrasing someone else's words
while still following the general form of the original, and/or failing to issue the proper citation to
one’s source material.
In student work, plagiarism is often due to:
•
•
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Turning in someone else's paper as one’s own
•
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Copying an author’s exact words and putting them in the paper without quotation marks
•
Copying, rephrasing, or quoting an author’s exact words and citing a source other than
where the material was obtained. (For example, using a secondary source that cites the
original material, but citing only the primary material. This misrepresents the nature of
the scholarship involved in creating the paper. If you have not read an original
publication, do not cite it in your references as if you have.
Using another person’s data or ideas without acknowledgment
Failing to cite a written source (printed or Internet) of information that you used to
collect data or ideas
Rephrasing an author’s words and failing to cite the source
•
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Using wording that is very similar to that of the original source, but passing it off as
one’s own.
The last item is probably the most common problem in student writing. It is still
plagiarism if the student uses an author’s key phrases or sentences in a way that implies
they are his/her own, even if s/he cites the source.
COURSE OUTLINE:
This schedule may change to make the most of opportunities that arise.
Students accepted into the program are required to participate in two orientation briefings and
discussions in March and April 2016.
London Summer, Global Communication:
Day 1 – July 5, Tuesday -– Fly to London as a group from Miami.
Day 2 – July 6, Wednesday — Arrive London. Chartered bus takes University of Miami group
to American Institute for Foreign Study apartments. American Institute specialist briefs Miami
group on the city, the neighborhood, public transportation, cultural highlights, grocery shopping
and security. Afternoon lecture: Global Communication in London. Professor Treaster lectures on
global journalism and how it plays out in London. He talks about London as a hub for coverage in
Europe, Africa and the Middle East and the job of translating London and the United Kingdom to
a global audience.
Day 3 – July 7, Thursday – Around London by bus with a professional guide and Professor
Treaster and Professor Carr. Two part program. Professor Treaster talks about journalism and its
relationship to places around London. Part I: Parliament, Fleet Street, the City and Lloyds of
London, Inns of Law, Piccadilly Circus. Lunch. Part II: London Eye, Speaker’s Corner in Hyde
Park, one of the symbols of free speech, Trafalgar Square and more. Focused reading: About
Speaker’s Corner: http://www.speakerscorner.net/
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do/speakers-corner
Is American Journalism Better than British Journalism: http://csis.org/blog/american-journalismbetter-british
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/business/media/the-state-of-british-journalism.html
Day 4 – July 8, Friday – Briefing and discussion, Edelman, the world’s largest public relations
firm with more than 5,000 employees in 65 countries. The initial discussion is on public relations
and advertising. Professor Treaster leads discussion on how Edelman works with journalists, how
it often hires people with journalism skills. He shows the similarities and differences in the
workings and philosophies of news organizations and public relations firms. Day 5 – July 9,
Saturday - Culture Weekend: the Tate Britain, the Tate Modern, National Gallery during the day,
Shakespeare and West End theater in the evening. Culture report, due Monday 6 p.m.
Day 6 – July 10, Sunday - Culture Weekend: Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace,
Thames River outing, London School of Economics campus, theater in the evening. Culture
report, due Monday 6 p.m.
Day 7 – July 11, Monday - Briefings and discussions: Thompson Reuters News Agency,
briefings and discussions with senior editors and writers. Briefings and discussions at BuzzFeed,
an Internet news start-up with a large and growing audience. Professor Treaster leads discussion
at the news organizations and contributes analysis.He focuses on how Reuters has evolved in the
digital age and how BuzzFeed has been hiring serious journalists and working to shed a frivolous
image and become a force in global journalism. Focused reading: Here is a BuzzFeed style
history of BuzzFeed from TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/gallery/a-brief-history-of-buzzfeed/
The history of Thompson Reuters: http://thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/company-history.html
Day 8 – July 12, Tuesday –Saatchi & Saatchi global, advertising agency with offices in 76
countries. Briefings and discussion led by Richard Hytner, deputy worldwide chairman of the
agency. Professor Treaster lectures on the shared writing and critical thinking requirements of
journalism and advertising and public relations and how all three fields are working with Social
Media and digital graphics. Focused reading: Lovemarks by Kevin Roberts, a former worldwide
chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi. See Professor Treaster for a copy.
Day 9 – July 13, Wednesday – Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and Oxford
University. Two-hour bus trip to Oxford and back. London departure, 8 a.m. The Reuters Institute
is one of the world’s great research centers on the media and social issues. Professor Treaster
moderates briefings on journalism around the world and the digital evolution and how news
organizations deal with their own advertising and public relations. What news organizations are
doing to increase advertising revenue. How news organizations use public relations techniques in
Social media. Professor Treaster lectures on how and why the Reuters Institute was formed and
its impact on communication around the world. Briefing and lunch at Oxford University.
Professor Treaster leads discussion on lessons learned at the Reuters Institute. d Focused reading:
The Reuters Institute, http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/
Annual report, Reuters Institute: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/page/annual-report
Day 10 – July 14, Thursday - New York Times London bureau, the news organization’s center
for coverage of the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. Briefings and discussions coordinated
by Sewell Chan, London correspondent. Professor Treaster leads the discussion with old friends
and colleagues at The Times. Lunch atYe Olde Cheshire Cheese, historic journalists’ pub, 145
Fleet Street, with London correspondents Chan and Danny Hakim. Professor Treaster leads lunch
discussion on how the correspondents, both old friends, cover the news from London and how
their work differs from their days in New York and in other Times assignments. After lunch,
Professor Treaster leads the group along Fleet Street, the historic center of London journalism, to
St. Bride’s Church, known as the journalists’ church, the spiritual home of the media. St. Bride’s
was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1672 and, at 226 feet, is the second tallest of his
churches after St. Paul’s Cathedral in London’s financial district. The Miami group will go to St.
Paul’s one weekend to study the architecture and hear the St. Paul’s choir – a breathtaking
experience. Briefing at St. Bride’s by the rector of the church, The Rev. Canon Dr. Alison Joyce.
Discussion.
Day 11 – July 15, Friday – Boutique digital advertising agency. Professor Treaster lectures on
on how small agencies relate to global and local news organizations.
Day 12 – July 16, Saturday - Culture Weekend. High tea at Brown’s Hotel, fashion and style in
Sloane Square, style and commerce at Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum and Mason,
Liberty of London and Marks & Spencer, AKA Marks & Sparks. Burberry Outlet, 29-53
Chatham Place, London, E9, 6LP; Aquascutum and Pringle of Scotland outlets nearby. Pringle
gets resupplied every Wednesday. Theater in the evening. Culture report, due 6 p.m. Monday.
Day 13 – July 17, Sunday – Culture Weekend: Church of England Sunday services and lunch
with pastor and parishioners. Culture report, due 6 P.M. Monday.
Day 14 – July 18, Monday –B.B.C. the British Broadcasting Company, briefing and discussion,
overview of one of the great broadcasting organizations. Host at the B.B.C. is David Jordan, the
director of editorial policy and standards. How the B.B.C. covers the news of the world and
briefings on the B.B.C.’s use of public relations and advertising. Professor Treaster lectures on the
B.B.C., public and commercial broadcasting in the United States. Focused readings: The annual
report of the B.B.C., http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/reports/ara
The B.B.C. Charter:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/governance/regulatory_framework/charter_agreement.html
Day 15 – July 19, Tuesday – Journalism at Al Jazeera, the Middle East-based, global television
organization, briefings and discussion on how Al Jazeera covers the news. Decision making and
dealing with perceptions of favoritism in coverage. Professor Treaster lectures on Al Jazeera and
its impact on other broadcasters around the world. Focused reading: Al Jazeera’s origins:
http://www.al-bab.com/media/aljazeera.htm; A profile of Al Jazeera: http://www.albab.com/media/aljazeera.htm
Day 16 – July 20, Wednesday – Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s biggest public relations
companies. Initial focus on public relations. Professor Treaster leads discussion on Shandwick’s
relationship with journalism organizations. London is the company’s European command post.
Shandwick is at No2 Waterhouse Square, 140 High Holborn, London EC1N 2AE, United
Kingdom, +44 20 7067 0000. Interview with Mary Whenman, Managing Director of Public
Affairs, Weber Shandwick, London: http://www.theguardian.com/women-inleadership/2014/mar/27/ten-minutes-mary-whenman-weber-shandwick.
Day 17, July 21, Thursday - Journalism capstone presentations and briefing and discussion at
City University of London. Professor Treaster leads discussion. Professor Carr comments, leads
discussion on how these presentations relate to strategic communication.
Day 18 – July 22, Friday - Public relations and advertising capstone presentations and briefing
and discussion at City University. Professor Carr leads, Professor Treaster comments, leads
discussion on how the public relations and advertising work relates to journalism.
Day 19 – July 23, Saturday - Culture Weekend. Exploring the Camden Market and Jermyn
Street in St. James, exclusive fashion and specialty shops: Turnbull & Asser, Hawkes & Curtis,
Thomas Pink, Alfred Dunhill and Paxton & Whitfield, London’s oldest cheese shop, founded
1797; theater or music event in the evening. Culture report, due Monday, 6 p.m.
Day 20 – July 24, Sunday - Culture Weekend. Exploring South of the Thames River, Trafalgar
Square, Hyde Park and the Notting Hill and Chelsea neighborhoods, see Chelsea soccer team
playing field and museum. Culture report, due 6 p.m. Monday.
Day 21 – July 25, Monday – Associated Press headquarters in London. Briefings and
discussions. Professor Treaster lectures on how the Associated Press uses visual images and
social media. Focused reading: The history of the Associated Press:
http://www.ap.org/company/history/ap-history
Day 22, July 26, Tuesday – Briefing and discussion at public affairs office of the Archbishop of
Canterbury. The chief of the archbishop’s PR office is a former spokeswoman for Buckingham
Palace. Professor Treaster leads discussion on news coverage of religion. The archbishop and
his staff talk about religion in London and how Social Media is being used to generate enthusiasm
and support for the church. Focused reading and research. The Archbishop of Canterbury on
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDTDimInfUY; The Archbishop of Canterbury,
Justin Welby, and his office’s hip homepage: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/
Day 23 – July 27, Wednesday - University of Miami students leave London for Miami and other
cities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This course emphasizes applied skills and the production and publication of news stories and creative work – both in
terms of text and multimedia. What we produce in this class, as submitted by you or as later edited and modified, may
be published and displayed by the University. Therefore, we require your consent to such uses of the material you
produce individually or as part of a team effort as well as your consent to use your name and likeness. Unless you are
working on a special project that requires an assignment of ownership rights and you agree to that assignment, you own
your work, as far as the University is concerned. You may use your work for your portfolio and your purposes. If you
have any questions about the consent form below, please let your professor know. Thank you.
Tear off and return with information required below:
STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CONSENT:
I AGREE AND UNDERSTAND THAT IMAGES (E.G., PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO) OF MY LIKENESS, RECORDINGS OF MY VOICE AND
STORIES I HAVE WRITTEN OR HELPED PRODUCE, SHOOT OR EDIT, MAY APPEAR IN WEBSITES, VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS, OTHER
MEDIA AND IN RELATED MATERIALS PRODUCED OR PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, SCHOOL OF
COMMUNICATION AND/OR ANY OF ITS EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, LICENSEES OR CONTRACTORS (COLLECTIVELY, “UM”). MY
SIGNATURE BELOW GRANTS THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS TO UM: THE RIGHT TO USE AND RE-USE, LICENSE, PUBLISH AND
REPUBLISH, MODIFY, EXHIBIT, TRANSMIT, OBTAIN, AND MAKE DERIVATIVE USES OF ANY STORIES, ARTICLES, PHOTOGRAPHS,
BROADCASTS, FILMS, VIDEOTAPES, IMAGES OR RECORDINGS (“WORKS”) OF ME OR MADE OR CREATED BY ME, IN WHOLE OR
IN PART, OR IN WHICH I MAY HAVE PARTICIPATED AS A STUDENT IN (CLASS NUMBER). I AGREE THAT THESE WORKS MAY
BE USED FOR EDITORIAL, PROMOTIONAL, TRADE, ADVERTISING, COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND ANY OTHER LAWFUL
PURPOSE IN ANY MEDIUM NOW EXISTING OR SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPED. MY AGREEMENT IS A GRANT OF WORLDWIDE
RIGHTS IN PERPETUITY.
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DATE: __________________________________________________
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TELEPHONE OR OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION:
STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I HAVE RECEIVED AND READ THE SYLLABUS FOR JMM 595-02/692-02: Global Journalism in London 2016
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PRINT NAME: _________________________________________
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