CA281 Syllabus
Fall 2011
Syllabus CA281 -
101
Copy Editing and
Layout
Tuesday and Thursday,
Instructor:
John Sellers, MA
UCOM Adjunct
Office: Hours Tuesday and Thursday:
Office Phone:
Email: jis301@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Course Overview and
Goals
This course is designed to teach
students how to do a copy editors job. Students will edit a variety of writers
material for grammar, punctuation, style, clarity, legal issues, and mistakes.
They will also write headlines and cutlines, while
designing and laying out pages for print-style newsletter and newspaper
publications, under deadline conditions. This course will increase students
knowledge of grammar and punctuation rules, vocabulary and Associated Press
style. This is a lecture-discussion and skills class and students must read
assigned material prior to class and be prepared to discuss it. There will be
regular, graded class work to train students to work under deadline. (Class work cannot be made up if you miss a
class.) There will be many homework assignments to allow students to
practice their skills. (Homework can be
turned in no more than two days late and late homework will be penalized with a
lower grade.) There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. There will be a
final project in news page design, using stories, photos, headlines and infographics.
Quizzes will cover material from the
reading and homework assignment and will include items that have appeared
prominently in the news in the previous seven days. Quizzes CANNOT be made
up.
Texts
1. The Art of Editing in the Age of
Convergence, by Brian S. Brooks and James L. Pinson.
Students will be expected to
read, on a regular
basis, The Mobile Press-Register, The Vanguard
and USA Today.
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right
to alter the readings and assignments to meet unexpected needs of students in
the class.
Grades
Attendance and
Participation
Students will be graded on attendance
and participation in class. Unexcused absences will lower the class
participation grade. Generally, the class grade will be lowered a letter grade for every six missed classes for which the student
does not have a legitimate excuse, as defined by the
instructor.
Be aware of the date for the final exam
and schedule travel plans accordingly.
Missed Exams
Students who have excused absences for
an exam day will be allowed to make up
the exam within a week of the
date it was originally given.
Weight of
Assignments
Assignments
Percent
of Final Grade
Attendance and
Participation
10
Quizzes and
Homework
10
Midterm
Exam
15
Final
Project
30
Class
Work
15
Final
Exam
20
Grade Scale
A (90-100), B (80-89); C (70-79); D (60-69); F (below 60)
Students with
Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will be afforded reasonable accommodation. The Office of Special Student Services will certify a disability and advise faculty members of reasonable accommodations. If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please notify the instructor/professor and provide certification from Disability Services. OSSS is located in Room 270 of the Student Center (460-7212)
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
Statement on
Plagiarism
The
Academic
Conduct
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.
Disruptive
Behavior
All
incidents of academic disruptive behavior will be documented in a Classroom
Disruption/Behavior Concern Reports. Disruptive
academic behavior is defined as individual or group conduct that interrupts or
interferes with any educational activity or environment, infringes upon the
rights and privileges of others, results in or threatens the destruction of
property, and/or is otherwise prejudicial to the maintenance of order in an
academic environment.
An
academic environment is defined as a classroom, laboratory, library, study hall,
field trip or similar setting in which formal learning is taking place. Though
dependent upon the size and nature of the academic setting, disruption
refers to behavior a
reasonable
person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with
the
conduct
of an activity.
ASSIGNMENT
SCHEDULE
Newsroom 101
http://www.newsroom101.com/newsroom101/NR_exercises/AP1/
Email Newsroom
101 exercises and other online quizzes to jsjisellers@gmail.com
Aug. 23
Introduction to the course: Diagnostic
Quiz
Aug. 25
Chapter 1 Editing for Changing Media; A Guide to AP Style handout; Workbook
Page 3; Newsroom 101.com, AP A 1, 2, 3 and A
Review
Aug. 30
Chapter 2 Editor and Audience; AP Editing Symbols; Workbook Pages 9 and 11;
Newsroom 101.com, AP B 1, 2, 3 and B
Review
Sept. 1
Chapter 3 The Editing Process; Workbook Pages 15, 19, 23 and 27; Newsroom
101.com, AP C
1, 2, 3 and C
Review
Sept. 6
Chapter 4 Editing for the Big Picture; Workbook Proof-reading, Pages 31-32;
Newsroom 101.com, AP ABC
Reviews
Sept. 8
Chapter 4; Workbook Proof-reading, Pages 37-38; Newsroom 101.com AP D 1, 2 and D
Review
Sept. 13
Chapter 4; Workbook, Pages 39-40; Newsroom 101.com AP E 1, 2 and F 1, 2 and E and F
Reviews
Sept. 15
Chapter 5 Editing for Legality, Ethics and Propriety; Workbook, Pages 57-58;
Newsroom 101.com AP DEF
Review
Sept. 20
Chapter 5; Workbook, Pages 59-60; Newsroom 101.com AP G 1, 2; H and I1, H and I2 and GHI
Review
Sept. 22
Chapter 6 Precision in Language; Workbook, Pages 83-84; Newsroom 101.com AP
JKL 1, JKL 2 and JKL
Review
Sept. 27
Chapter 6; Workbook, Pages 87-90; Newsroom 101.com AP M 1,2,3 and N 1, 2 and M and N
Reviews
Sept. 29
Chapter 7 Holistic Editing; Workbook, Pages 63 and 75; Newsroom 101.com AP
J-N
Review
Oct. 4 BREAK
Oct. 6
Chapter 7; AP Style Practice Test 1 A-F; Newsroom 101.com AP OP 1, 2, 3; QR 1, 2, 3 and Reviews
of OP and QR
Oct. 11
Chapter 7; AP Style Test 1 A-F; Newsroom 101.com AP S 1, 2, 3 and S
Review
Oct. 13 Special Guest, Lawren Largue, senior editor of Mobile Bay Magazine.
Oct. 18 Chapter 8 Writing Headlines, Titles, Captions; Workbook Pages 171-174; Newsroom.com AP T 1, 2 and UZ 1, 2, 3 and T-Z
Review
Oct. 20 MIDTERM EXAM
Oct. 25
Chapter 8; Workbook Pages 175, 179, 181 Write 1-column, 18 point, 3-line headlines thats 1-18-3 in copydesk speak for stories on
181. Workbook Pages 185-186. Write a 3-column, 36-point, 2-line headline (3-36-2); Diagnostic Quiz
Oct. 27
Chapter 8; Workbook Pages 187-190.
Nov. 1 AP Style Practice Test 2
Chapter 9 Using Photos, Graphics and Type; Workbook Pages 197, 205, 207, 209,
211
Nov. 3
Chapter 10 Editing Newspapers; AP Style Test 2, Workbook Pages 217-218
Nov. 8
Chapter 10; AP Style Practice Test 3, Workbook Pages 219-220
Nov. 10
Chapter 10; AP Style Test 3, Workbook Pages 221-222
Nov. 15
Chapter 10; AP Style Practice Test 4 Workbook Pages 223-224
Nov. 17
Chapter 10; AP Style Test 4, Workbook pages 225-226
Nov. 22
Chapter 12 Web Editing; Workbook Pages 239 and 241-242
Nov. 24 THANKSGIVING
Nov. 29
Final Project Editing and Layout Instructions for Final
Project
Final Project
Art
Immigration
Monti
Take Back
Free Shipping Art
Free Shipping Photo
Final Project
Text Dec. 1 Final
Project Editing and Layout Dec. 6 Final
Project Editing and Layout Dec. 8 No Class Dec. 9 FINAL EXAM
Take Back Wall Street
Take Back Cutline
Immigration
Immigration 2
Immigration Cutline
Italy
Holiday
Free Shipping Cutline
