Term: Spring 2012
Course: CA220 - 103 Tuesday and Thursday, 8 9:15 a.m University Commons 1217
Instructor: John Sellers, M.A.
Introductory Writing and Reporting
UCOM Adjunct Office: Hours by appointment
Office Phone: 380-2816 - Home Phone: 633-4837 - Cell Phone: 604-4451
E-mail: jis301@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
1. Goals and Objectives: The main objective in this course is to learn the basics of writing in a professional environment and the forms of writing for the mass media. These forms include news stories for print and broadcast, and writing for public relations.
The Learning Goals in this class are:
To enhance students' abilities to clearly communicate in writing and improve their grammar, punctuation, word-usage, spelling, sentence structure, and other writing skills.
For students to become familiar with basic Associated Press Style and to use it correctly in their writing assignments.
To teach students how to prioritize facts in a news story.
For students to become comfortable with writing in the inverted pyramid style and other media article styles.
To teach students the additional skills, including writing under deadline, required for writing for print media, including newspapers.
To teach students the basic skills required for writing for broadcast media, including broadcast writing AP Style.
To teach students the basics of public relations writing, including the writing of news releases.
2. Texts: Latest Editions Tim Harrower. Inside Reporting, 2nd edition
Associated Press Stylebook (latest edition) or online subscription at apstylebook.com
Students must read a daily newspaper. The Mobile Press-Register, Vanguard and USA Today are available on campus. They must watch at least one television news program a day, and spend some time reading news online.
3. Course Description: Intensive study of writing for various media and audiences. Specific attention is given to improvement of writing skills, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, word use, sentence composition, Associated Press Style, and organization of material, as well as the different formats for the different media. Media styles studied include print, broadcast, online journalism and public relations, which also includes study of evaluating, documenting and prioritizing facts in the writing of news stories and media releases for public relations. Prerequisites - EH101, EH102; 30 wpm typing ability.
4. Office Hours: UCOM 1109 Adjunct Office: Appointment Only
5. Attendance: Regular attendance is expected. Your participation in discussions, in-class activities and overall input may be used to determine grades in borderline cases. Determination of class involvement grades is by the sole subjective judgment of the instructor.
Students may miss one class period during the semester, regardless of reason, without penalty.
Each unexcused absence, beyond one, will reduce the final grade by one letter grade per occurrence. If a student has earned an A, but has 2 absences, that student's grade will be reduced to a B. If the student misses 3 days, the grade becomes a C, and so on.
Absences will be tallied from the first day of class.
If you miss class, it isn't necessary to email your instructor to explain your absence. It is your responsibility to contact other class members (not your instructor) to find out what you missed.
You must be in class to participate and receive credit for weekly quizzes, assignments, etc.
6. Exams: Four AP Style exams, a cumulative mid-term and a cumulative final. Quizzes will be both announced and unannounced. Moreover, they will be based on information presented via lectures, reading assignments and current events. If you arrive late for class during a quiz, you may take the quiz if others are still working. You will not have extra time to finish.
7. Make-up Exams: There will be no make-up examinations. Stories submitted after deadlines will receive no better than an average grade.
8. Assignments: Online exercises are listed on the assignment schedule. They are due on the date for which they are assigned. Three in-class and two out-of-class stories will be assigned during the semester.
9. Late Copy: Deadlines must be met. The instructor will not accept excuses, late assignments or bribes.
Only on rare occasions will a deadline be pushed back. Students will face no penalty if they:
1. Notify the instructor by email, in advance, with a reason. The instructor will decide whether it is as valid reason, or just an excuse. No excuses.
2. If the student has a legitimate reason, such as a medical reason, supported by appropriate paperwork, the student can request an extension of the deadline.
All requests for extensions, including for stories that happen after the deadline, must be emailed to the instructor. A deadline extension will not be granted if a student fails to email the instructor with a request for an extension. Submit stories to the appropriate assignment. The instructor is not responsible for stories lost because of system failure on your computer or email. Always save your story and print a hard copy before you send it electronically. You must have a hard copy in case questions exist about your electronically submitted story.
10. Grading Policy: The grading police is a rigorous standard, but it is beneficial to ensure students learn to write at a professional level. The student's written work will be evaluated as if it were being handled by a professional editor applying strict professional standards. Writing will be judged on quality of lead, used of language, clarity, readability, organization and use of transition. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and AP Style will also be considered, along with content and mechanics. WARNING: A factual error, such as misspelling someone's name, will result in an automatic 5-point deduction. Gross errors, such as potential libel, plagiarism or fabrication will result in an automatic F for a story. Reporters must get the facts right. Students who make serious factual errors will be required to write corrections for those errors. After your story is edited and returned to the student, the student must rewrite the work based upon the editor's requests in order to receive a final grade on the work. The rewrite will be due one week after the edited story is returned to the student.
Final Grade:
Attendance, Participation 10 Percent
Exercises 10 Percent
4 AP Style Exams 10 Percent
Mid-Term Exam 10 Percent
Writing Assignments 50 Percent
Final Exam 10 Percent
Scale:
90.0 - 100 = A
80.0 - 89.9 = B
70.0 - 79.9 = C
60.0 - 69.9 = D
59.9 and below = F
11. Note: Class Changes Since all classes do not progress at the same rate, the instructor may wish to modify the above requirements or their timing as circumstances dictate. For example, the instructor may wish to change the number and frequency of exams, or the number and sequence of assignments. However, the students must be given adequate notification. Moreover, there may be non-typical classes for which these requirements are not strictly applicable in each instance and may need modification. If such modification is needed, it must be in writing and conform to the spirit of this policy statement.
12. Disabilities: If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please notify the instructor/professor and provide certification from Special Student Services. (OSSS is located at the corner of Jaguar Drive Old Shell Road, 5828 Old Shell Road, phone 460-7212.) It is the students responsibility to register with the OSSS and to give the faculty member a copy of the notification sheet containing information concerning the students needs. Students who have not notified the OSSS of a disability may not contest an instructors grading in a course based on the instructors failure to provide accommodations for his/her disability. Each student registered with the OSSS is expected to inform all of his/her instructors of the need for classroom accommodations. Accommodations are provided with the support of the OSSS.
13. Academic Disruption Policy: The University of South Alabamas policy regarding Academic Disruption is published annually in The Lowdown, the student handbook. It is recommended that instructors cite this policy in the syllabus and state that students are expected to be cordial, courteous, and respectful of faculty members and fellow students.
14. Student Academic Conduct Policy: The Universitys policy on academic conduct is also published annually in The Lowdown. Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the Student Academic Conduct Policy. By registering at the university, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Conduct Policy, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the code. Please see The Lowdown for the complete Student Academic Conduct Policy. Each instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the chair of the department. The student involved will receive written notification describing the alleged violation and the recommended penalty, along with a copy of the policy. The written notification will inform the student that if it is determined that previous incident(s) of Academic Misconduct have occurred, an additional or higher level charge may be brought. The student involved has ten (10) Class days from receipt of the written notification to submit a written response to the instructor and request a conference with the department chair and the instructor.
15. JagSuccess: JagSuccess is a program intended to help students be successful in 100-200 level courses. If you are not doing well, you will receive an email instructing you to see your professor along with instructions to access an online tutorial intended to help with common problems affecting academic performance. Watch for this email during week 8 of this semester.
16. Diversity: The Department of Communication is committed to preparing students to work in a diverse society. As such, our classes will include lectures and activities, which promote an awareness of and sensitivity towards differences of race, ethnicity, national origin, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age and disabilities. Such an environment will contribute to the growth and development of each member of the class, as it will encourage students to embrace diversity as a positive aspect of learning and scholarship.
17. Tips: First of all, you will not learn to write if you dont read. The PowerPoint lecture outlines are available online to use before class, but you must read in advance to do your writing and editing exercises and your AP Style exercises. Read the newspaper! Watch local TV news. The best way to absorb the news style of writing is to read it and hear it. If you are having trouble keeping up, let me know quickly.
ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
The assignment schedule is online at www.dibbs.net under the CA220 link. This schedule will be handed out at the beginning of the semester, but because of
various assignments for breaking news and events, it will be updated often, first on line, then printed and handed out as soon as possible. Reading and homework should be completed by assigned dates. Not every homework assignment will be graded on dates where multiple pages are assigned, but at least one of them will be graded for that date. Exercises are at:
Newsroom 101 http://www.newsroom101.com/newsroom101/NR_exercises/AP1/
E-mail exercise results to jsjisellers@gmail.com
Jan. 17 Introduction to the course: Diagnostic Quiz
Chapter 3 Powerpoint
Jan. 19 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, pages 36-43; A Guide to AP Style handout; Writing a Lead: Newsroom
101.com, AP A
1, 2, 3 and A Review
Jan. 24 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, pages 44-51; AP Editing Symbols; Writing a Summary Lead: Newsroom
101.com, AP B
1, 2, 3 and B Review
Jan.. 26 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, pages 52-59; Writing a Delayed Lead:Newsroom 101.com, AP C 1, 2, 3 and C
Review
Jan. 31 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, In-class writing assignment; Newsroom 101.com,
AP ABC Reviews
Feb. 2 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, In-class edit-rewrite assignment; Newsroom 101.com AP D 1, 2 and D
Review
Feb. 7 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, In-class lead-writing marathon (review pages
46-47); Newsroom 101.com AP E 1,
2 and
F 1,
2 and
E and
F Reviews
Leads Writing 1
Leads Writing 2
Leads Writing 3
Feb. 9 Chapter 3 Newswriting Basics, Newswriting Style; Story Structure: Newsroom 101.com AP DEF Review
Story Structure 1
Story Structure 2
Story Structure 3
Feb. 14 Chapter 3; In-Class Story 1; Newsroom 101.com AP G 1, 2; H and I1, H and I2 and GHI Review
Chapter 4 Powerpoint
Feb. 16 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, pages 68-75; A - F AP Style Test 1;
Newsroom 101.com AP JKL 1, JKL 2 and JKL Review
Feb. 21 Mardi Gras; No Class
Feb. 23 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, pages 76-85; In-Class Story 2; Newsroom
101.com AP M
1,2,3 and N 1, 2 and M and N Reviews
Feb. 28 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, Interviewing; G - L AP Style Test 2; Quiz;
Newsroom 101.com AP J-N Review
March 1 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, interviewing smackdown (review pages 78-81); In-Class Story 3; Newsroom 101.com AP OP
1, 2,
3; QR 1, 2, 3 and Reviews
of OP and QR Review
March 6 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, attribution battle royal (review pages 84-85); Newsroom
101.com AP S 1, 2, 3 and S
March 8 Chapter 4 Reporting Basics, Math for Journalists, pages 86-87; Newsroom.com
AP T 1, 2 and UZ 1, 2, 3 and T-Z
March 12 18 -- SPRING BREAK
March 20 Review for Midterm (Study Sheet Provided); Grammar Quiz
March 22 MIDTERM EXAM
Chapter 5 Powerpoint
March 27 Chapter 5 Covering the News, pages 94-105; M - R AP Style Test 3
March 29 Chapter 5 Covering the News, pages 106-113; Quiz
Chapter 6 Powerpoint
April 3 Chapter 6 Beyond the Breaking News, pages 116-127; S - Z AP Style Test 4; Quiz
Chapter 8 Powerpoint
April 5 Chapter 8 Online Reporting, pages 157-171; Evaluate a News Website
April 10 Chapter 8 Online Reporting, pages 172-176; Out-of-Class Story 1; Quiz
Chapter 9 Powerpoint
April 12 Chapter 9 Broadcast Journalism, pages 177-188; 20-Second Radio Spot
April 17 Chapter 9 Broadcast Journalism; 45-Second Television Spot
April 19 Chapter 9 Broadcast Journalism; Out-of-Class Story 2; Quiz
Chapter 10 Powerpoint
April 24 Chapter 10 Public Relations, pages 189-200; What's Wrong with this News Release?
April 26 Chapter 10 Public Relations; PR Assignment
May 1 Chapter 10 Public Relations; Quiz
May 3 -- Final Review and Study Day; Diagnostic Quiz
May 8 FINAL EXAM 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.