Advanced Audio Storytelling (RTV 3304)
Fall 2015 – University of Florida
#RTV3304
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Email:
Phone:
Twitter:
Steven Gallo
Weimer 2019
Monday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (and by appointment)
svgallo@ufl.edu
561-504-1657
@stevenvgallo
Advanced Audio Storytelling (RTV 3304) is an advanced storytelling class designed to improve
writing, reporting, and production techniques in order to better prepare students for a career in
reporting, producing, and beyond. We’ll move beyond the “who, what, where, and when”
questions and focuses more on the “why” and “how” in the stories we tell through the practice of
in-depth reporting and feature storytelling.
This course has a great history of producing award-winning pieces. Previous students have
produced stories as part of their coursework that have gone on to win national and regional
Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Hearst Journalism Awards, and awards from the Society of
Professional Journalists and the Florida Associated Press Broadcasters.
The course covers traditional and new media platforms from terrestrial and online radio to
podcasting. We will also delve into multimedia reporting, including how to utilize photography,
video and web writing to accompany your audio stories.
PREREQUISITES
You must have completed Reporting (JOU 3101) and Electronic News Media 1 (RTV 3303)
with a minimum grade of C.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
The two required textbooks are a crucial part of the course (you may use either print or digital
versions of the books). You will also receive online readings throughout the semester that
complement the topics we cover. Please complete the assigned readings by the due dates, as they
will correspond with what we are discussing in class. Do not wait until the textbook quiz to do
the readings.
Biewen, J. (2010). Reality radio: Telling true stories in sound. Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina Press.
Kern, Jonathan. Sound Reporting: the NPR guide to audio journalism and production.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
The College will provide audio recorders and an SD memory card for you. Equipment used
during a newsroom shift should be checked out in the newsroom through a news manager,
whereas equipment used for projects should be checked out through Steve Kippert in the
equipment room in Weimer G020.
All equipment must be returned in a timely fashion in the same condition as it was checked out,
per the established student/course access policies. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in
suspension of equipment checkout privileges. You are also responsible for the cost of any
damage to equipment beyond normal professional wear and tear. See the Equipment Policy for
full details.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
To discuss the elements of good audio storytelling and to critically analyze audio stories
To research and pitch in-depth and feature story ideas
To report, write, and edit long-form audio pieces
To be proficient with Adobe Audition audio editing software
To gain experience producing and anchoring live newscasts
To present your reporting across media platforms (web, television, radio, etc.) including
writing web stories and doing “talkbacks” with anchors/hosts
7. To learn how to produce and distribute podcasts
8. To create a portfolio of your projects and newsroom shift stories
COURSE SITE
The Canvas course site can be accessed by visiting lss.at.ufl.edu. Online readings, course
announcements, a digital copy of the syllabus, and assignment grades will be posted on the
Canvas site. Please check it periodically for updates throughout the semester.
RESOURCES
Division of Student Affairs (352-392-1261)
Contact this office if you need to miss class due to an on-going medical problem or
family emergency. The office will send a courtesy email to your instructors about your
absence. http://www.ufsa.ufl.edu/
UF Counseling & Wellness Center (352-392-1575)
The center provides scheduled and drop-in appointments with counselors to discuss a
range of personal issues. http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/
Disability Resource Center (352-392-1261)
Students requesting class accommodations must first register with the Disability
Resource Center. You will receive documentation to give to each of your instructors. You
must meet with with me during office hours to discuss special arrangements. Please take
action immediately. http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/
Communication Coaching Center (1088 Weimer Hall)
Student members of the Journalism and Communications Ambassadors staff the center.
http://www.ufjca.org/communications-coaching-center.html
Computers
Call 352-392-HELP (4357) or email helpdesk@ufl.edu.
PATH Office
Houses academic advising staff, Study Abroad, and the Knight Division for Scholarships,
Career Services and Multicultural Affairs. (1060 Weimer)
Career Resource Center
The CRC is located on the main floor of the Reitz Union and provides free career
assessment and counseling. Check the CRC website for information about workshops,
career and job fairs, or to schedule an appointment. http://www.crc.ufl.edu/
SNAP (Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol)
Offering pick-up and drop-off services for after-dark safety. Call 352-392-7627 or check
online http://www.police.ufl.edu/community-services/student-nighttime-auxiliary-patrolsnap. You can get the SNAP App for free by using either the Android Market or Apple
App Store and searching for SNAP UF.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
Please arrive on time to class each week. We will begin each class with a current events quiz;
any latecomers will not be able to make up the quiz. Please respect your classmates by not
using your phone or computer in class unless we are using for them for a class-related activity.
Inappropriate use of technology can be distracting to other students and to me. This will simulate
a workplace environment in which technology isn’t always available.
If you miss class, you are responsible for knowing what was covered and for getting notes from a
classmate. Absences will only be excused with proper documentation. According to University
policy, acceptable reasons for absence from class include illness, serious family emergencies,
special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military
obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays and participation in official university
activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for
court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused.
Unexcused absences will result in a zero on that day’s current events quiz. An excused absence
will excuse you from that day’s current event quiz and you will not receive a grade for it (neither
hurts nor helps your grade). Making up other assignments or submitting them early due to
absence is at my discretion.
GRADING SCALE
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DE
94-100%
90-93.95
87-89.85
84-86.95
80-83.95
77-79.95
74-76.95
70-73.95
67-69.95
64-66.95
60-63.95
Below 60
For more information about minus grades and UF grading policies, visit
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/regulationgrades.html
GRADE EVALUATION
Newsroom shifts
Audio projects (2)
Chapter presentation
Multimedia project
Current Event quizzes
30%
30%
15%
15%
10%
NEWSROOM SHIFTS
Hands-on newsroom experience is vital to making yourself marketable to future employers,
therefore this course will promote such experience and allow you to produce work that you can
add to your professional portfolio. You’ll have the opportunity to work at least 90 hours in the
Innovation News Center (newsroom) over the course of the semester: one 6-hour shift per week
for 15 weeks. (There are 14 regular weeks of class in the semester; the additional week of
newsroom shifts is in lieu of a final exam.) This amount of newsroom work is comparable to an
internship opportunity you might not get elsewhere, so take advantage of it!
The goal is to come to your shift with ideas (current and/or “evergreen”) that you can be working
on OR to work on an assigned story. Of course, from there occasionally may be breaking stories
you may be assigned to cover—that’s the nature of news. You must check-in with a news
manager at the beginning and end of your shift (Forrest Smith or Ryan Vasquez).
The only acceptable excuse for missing a newsroom shift is illness or an immediate family
emergency backed by proper documentation. You are permitted to switch a shift with another
student, if necessary, with approval from a news manager. You are required to make up any
missed shifts. An unexcused absence on a news shift is penalized by a letter grade deduction
on your final grade in the course.
PROJECTS
During the semester you will be responsible for a total of three projects: two produced audio
features that run 3-4 minutes and one multimedia project. These will be stories you complete
entirely on your own, outside of your weekly newsroom shift. They are intended to demonstrate
your grasp of writing and production skills, and they allow you to exercise more in-depth
reporting compared to newsroom shifts.
The requirements are as follows:
(1) the stories must be original work and may not incorporate sound or any material gathered
during your newsroom shift
(2) the stories should include at least four sound bites from at least two different sources
(3) the stories should include at least three to five pieces of natural sound
Projects should be submitted digitally via a downloadable link (e.g. OneDrive @ UF, via email,
etc.) or on a memory stick along with a copy of the script (including an anchor intro and tag).
Projects must be submitted by the beginning of class on each due date; the project will
drop one letter grade for each day a project is late.
Each audio project will be graded accordingly:
Audio quality
Writing/organization
Newsworthiness
Production
30%
25%
25%
20%
The “audio quality” portion of the grade will include delivery and the quality/variety of the bites
and natural sound. The “production” portion will include audio levels, fades, mixing, etc. There
should be NO phone sound of anyone who works or lives in Alachua County or within an
hour’s drive. Exceptions must be approved before the project is submitted.
Natural sound cannot be taken from sound effect recordings and must be work gathered from the
field. It must not be “created” for the projects—that is deceptive, inaccurate reporting. The sound
must come from actual events/sounds occurring as you are recording. Any violation of this
policy will result in a ZERO on the project.
CHAPTER PRESENTATIONS
You will be required to present on a chapter/topic from the Reality Radio text. You will work in
groups of 2-3 to assemble a presentation based on a chapter/topic of your choice that builds upon
the reading (with analysis and outside examples), in addition to summarizing it. Group selection
and a sign-up schedule will be distributed in class.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY
You will have the opportunity to earn up to three (3) extra credit points on your final grade by
completing a portfolio of your work and presenting it to me during a mock job interview. Details
will be discussed further in class.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL HONESTY
NOTE: You cannot turn in the same projects for this class and another Telecommunication
course; this will result in a ZERO for the project. If you’d like to take a different approach or
angle to a topic you’ve covered for another class, please see me in advance to discuss it.
The University of Florida Honor Code reads as follows:
In adopting this Honor Code, the students of the University of Florida recognize that academic
honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students who enroll
at the University commit to holding themselves and their peers to the high standard of honor
required by the Honor Code. Any individual who becomes aware of a violation of the Honor
Code is bound by honor to take corrective action. A student-run Honor Court and faculty support
are crucial to the success of the Honor Code. The quality of a University of Florida education is
dependent upon the community acceptance and enforcement of the Honor Code.
“We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and
our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.”
On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is
either required or implied:
“On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this
assignment.”
For more information about academic honesty, contact, Student Judicial Affairs, P202 Peabody
Hall, (352) 392-1261.
COURSE EVALUATION
You are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10
criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are
typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but you will be given specific
times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available at
https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Date
Topic
8/26
Course Introduction
Readings Due (Kern text)
Finding Stories and Feature Reporting
9/2
Editing with Adobe Audition
Chapters 1-4 & 6
9/9
Producing
Chapters 10 & 12
PITCH PROJECT 1
9/16
Hosting and On-air Delivery
Chapters 8 & 9
9/23
Ethics
Chapters 2 (review) & 13
9/30
PROJECT 1 DUE
10/7
Web Writing
Online readings (Canvas)
PITCH PROJECT 2
10/14
Podcasting
Online readings (Canvas)
Class Presentation #1
10/21
Multimedia Storytelling
Chapter 18
Class Presentation #2
10/28
Class Presentation #3
PROJECT 2 DUE
11/4
Class Presentation #4
PITCH PROJECT 3
11/11
NO CLASS – VETERANS DAY
11/18
Class Presentation #5
PROJECT 3 AUDIO DUE
11/25
NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING
12/2
Class Presentation #6
PROJECT 3 DUE
12/9
Course Debrief/Evaluation
Mock Interviews
Class Presentation #7
Note: I believe the semester plan outlined in the calendar is realistic. Nonetheless, I reserve the right
to adjust the course content and scheduling based on the class’s ability to maintain pace and other
circumstances that may arise.