CA370
Syllabus Fall 2010
Syllabus
CA370
Intermediate
Reporting and Writing
Tuesday
and Thursday,
Instructor:
John Sellers, MA
UCOM
Adjunct Office: Hours Tuesday and Thursday:
Office
Phone:
E-mail:
jis301@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Course
Overview and Goals
This
course focuses on how to efficiently gather information for good, solid, public
journalism. As a practicum,
the course is designed to engage potential print journalists of junior and
senior levels in supervised practical application of previously studied print
journalism theories. It provides opportunity for students to hone their
acquired skills and produce portfolio-quality material for publication. Students will study an assigned text and
participate in facilitated classroom discussions as they relate to their
practical experiences reporting and writing for the
Required Texts: Latest Editions
Schwartz, Jerry. Associated Press Reporting Handbook
Melvin Mencher. News Reporting and Writing, 12th edition
Associated Press Stylebook (latest edition) or
subscription on line at apstylebook.com
Sunday Press-Register - subscription or on line
at www.al.com/mobile
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.
Attendance, Participation and Exercises
Students
are expected to arrive on time, every class, ready for active participation in
discussions of assignments. Each student should be prepared to discuss current
news and stories of local interest, especially to
Deadlines are absolute.
No
makeups are allowed. In the real world,
deadlines build on other deadlines for a final edition publication or
broadcast. Reporters who miss deadlines in the real world cause serious
problems for everyone who must handle stories and assign time and space. This is
particularly crucial in broadcast, where the news anchor must account for every
second of air time. A similar problem exists in print. If an editor must pull
copy from somewhere else to fill space being held for a missing story, the
entire process suffers. In other words, someone must do the job before
the final deadline. To compensate for the absolute nature of this
policy, and accommodate legitimate excuses, the lowest story grade will be
dropped. Stories count for 30 percent of final grade.
Exams
Four
AP Style exams will be given during the term. The lowest style test grade will
be dropped. Three of these exams will comprise 10 percent of the final grade.
Feature Story
The
heart of the course will be a Feature Story Project. Students will learn how to
research for background and write a mid-term story, based strictly upon background research. Each student will submit a source list,
including electronic library and Internet sources, as well as a list of books
and articles used. This will sharpen analytical skills,
teach source credibility, authority, perspective and source-reporting
techniques. This background story will be graded as a mid-term exam and count
for 15 percent of final grade. Students will then interview at least two
persons, who are experts, authorities or other sources directly, or indirectly,
connected with their topic. These interviews will be incorporated into the
background story to complete the Feature Story Project. A report of interviews
will be made part of the source material listing. The final story, complete
with background and interview material, will be submitted for publication by The Vanguard and will be graded as the
final exam. It will count for 25 percent of final grade.
Stories
At least four stories
will be completely researched and written by each student. These stories, and
rewrites, will account for 30 percent of the final grade. Stories not turned in
on, or before, deadline will receive no higher than a C grade. Each story
will be accompanied by a sources and contacts list. These stories will be
assigned by The Vanguard. More than
one student can work on the same story and submit it for consideration. In the
absence of satisfactory number of story assignments for students to complete
their four-story requirement, the instructor will make additional assignments.
All stories must use a
minimum of three appropriate sources (more will be better),
and must include information on sources not found in local news reports. A list
of all sources interviewed, or contacted, for a story must accompany the story.
This list must include the name of the source (spelled correctly), title (if
being used as a source related to the persons profession), explanation of why
this person is an appropriate source for this story, the date and location the
source was contacted and a phone number where the source can be reached for
verification of information in the story. Stories without this information
receive grades no higher than a C.
All work submitted in this class must be typed, double-spaced
and in correct AP and broadcast style.
Grading:
Attendance, Exercises
and Participation 20 Percent
4 AP Style Exams (Three
Highest Scores) 10
Percent
Mid-Term Story 15 Percent
4 Stories (3 Highest Scores-Originals and
Rewrites) 30 Percent
Final Story 25 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
Changes in Course
Requirements
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. Students will 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.
Disability Services
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
Statement on Plagiarism
The University of South Alabama is committed to the fundamental value
of academic honest. The student handbook, The
Lowdown, defines plagiarism as one form of academic misconduct which is
subject to investigation and disciplinary action through appropriate
university procedures. Plagiarism is using somebody elses ideas and/or words
in your writing, without correctly identifying the sources.
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
https://paris.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073511994/student_view0/brush_up/
E-mail exercise results to jsjisellers@gmail.com
Aug.
24 Introduction to the course: Diagnostic Quiz
Aug.
26 Part One, The Reporter at Work: Chapter 1 On the Job; A Guide to AP
Style handout; Brush Up; Grammar Exercise 1: Subject-Verb and Spelling Exercise 1
Aug.
31 Part Two, The Basics: Chapter 2 Components of
the Story; AP Editing Symbols; Brush Up; Grammar
Exercise 2, Subject-Predicate and Style Exercise 1
Sept.
2 Part Three, Writing the Story: Chapter 3 What is News?;
Grammar Exercise 3, Sentence Patterns and Spelling
Exercise 2
Sept.
7 Chapter 4 The Internet and Other Tools of the Trade; Grammar Exercise 4, Simple, Compound, Complex and Style Exercise 2
Sept.
14 Chapter 6 Story Structure; Grammar Exercise 6, Fragments and Style
Exercise 3
Sept.
16 Chapter 7 The Writers Art; Grammar Exercise 7, Fused, Run-On, Comma Splice and Spelling Exercise 4
Sept.
21 Part Four, Reporting Principles: Chapter 11 Digging for Information;
Grammar Exercise 8, Dangling Modifiers and Style
Exercise 4
Sept.
23 Chapter 12 Making Sound Observations; Grammar Exercise 9, Parallel Structure and Spelling Exercise 5
Sept.
28 Chapter 13 Building and Using Background; Grammar Exercise 10, Keeping Tenses Consistent and Punctuation Exercise 1
Sept.
30 Chapter 14 Finding, Cultivating and Using Sources; Grammar Exercise 11, Verb Tense Consistency and Review Exercise 1
Oct.
5 BREAK
Oct.
7 Chapter 15 Interviewing Principles and Practices; Grammar Exercise 12, Subject-Verb Agreement and Review Exercise 2
Oct.
12 Chapter 16 Speeches, Meetings and News Conferences; Grammar Exercise 13,
Pronouns and Review Exercise 3
Oct.
14 MIDTERM BACKGROUND STORY DUE
Oct.
19 Chapter 17 Hunches, Feelings and Stereotypes; Grammar Test 1
Oct.
21 Part Five, Accidents to Education: Chapter 18 Accidents and Disasters; Punctuation
Test II
Oct.
26 Chapter 19 -- Obituaries; Spelling Test III
Oct.
28 Chapter 20 Police Beat; Style Test IV
Nov.
2 Chapter 21 The Courts; Review Exercise 3
Nov.
4 Chapter 22 Sports; Review Exercise 4
Nov.
9 Chapter 23 Business Reporting; Review Exercise 5
Nov.
11 Chapter 24 Local Government; Review Exercise 6
Nov.
16 Chapter 24 Education; Averages Exercise 1
Nov.
18 Chapter 25 Reporters and the Law; Averages Exercise 2
Nov.
23 Chapter 26 Defining the Appropriate; Percentages Exercise 1
Nov.
25 THANKSGIVING
Nov.
30 Final Story Project Class Work; Percentages Exercise 2
Dec.
2 Final Story Project Class Work; Rates Exercise 1
Dec.
7 Final Story Project Class Work; Math for the Journalist, Test VII
Dec.
9 Final Story Project Independent Work Day, no Class
Dec.
10 FINAL COMPLETED FEATURE STORY DUE by