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MASTER SYLLABUS |
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JOU 2030 |
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| Class Hours: 3.0 | Credit Hours: 3.0 | ||||||||
| Laboratory Hours: 1.0 | Date Revised: Fall 00 | ||||||||
| Catalog Course Description: | |||||||||
| Methods and practice in judging news, editing copy, writing headlines and designing newspapers and magazines. Emphasis on precise word use and news display. Writing skills specific to newspapers and magazines. | |||||||||
| Entry Level Standards: | |||||||||
| Prior course work is required in ENG 1010. Prior course work in mass communications or journalism is not required. However, it is suggested that prior work in either CMN 1020 or JOU 2000 will be extremely helpful. News Writing and Editing may serve the student as the foundation course for further work in mass communications and journalism. Minimal typing skills are also required (i.e., keyboarding skills). Specific knowledge of the word processing program used is not required, but is suggested. Unless otherwise specified for a given assignment all work MUST be typed, and most of it must be done on computer. | |||||||||
| Prerequisite: | |||||||||
| ENG 1010 or JOU 2000 | |||||||||
| Textbook(s) and Other Reference Materials Basic to the Course: | |||||||||
| Christopher Harper and The Indiana Group, Journalism 2001 (Boulder, Colo.: Coursewise Publishing Inc., 1998), and the latest edition of the AP Stylebook & Libel Manual are the required textbooks for the course. Students should also have a copy of Webster’s New World Dictionary and two standard 3.5 inch floppy disks. | |||||||||
| I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis: | |||||||||
| Week | Topic | ||||||||
| 1 | Introduction to the course. Reporting as “story.” The job of a reporter. The job of a copy editor. | ||||||||
| 2 | Finding the story. | ||||||||
| 3 | Researching the story. Computer-assisted reporting. | ||||||||
| 4 | The interview. Beats. Covering the big story. | ||||||||
| 5 | Writing the story. | ||||||||
| 6 | Editing the written word. | ||||||||
| 7 | Editing the written word, continued. | ||||||||
| 8 | Review and midterm | ||||||||
| 9 | Reading to write. Writing headlines. | ||||||||
| 10 | Editing photos, art, infographics. Writing cutlines. | ||||||||
| 11 | Basic layout. | ||||||||
| 12 | Online journalism. | ||||||||
| 13 | Online journalism. | ||||||||
| 14 | Employment in the world of journalism. | ||||||||
| 15 | Overview and review. Projects. | ||||||||
| 16 | Final exam. | ||||||||
| II. Course Objectives*: | |||||||||
| A. | Exercise professional judgement in editing news and feature articles for publication. I.3, II.3, IV.2 | ||||||||
| B. | Display a working knowledge of writing for journalistic effectiveness. I.3 | ||||||||
| C. | Employ a computer-based editing system. V.1, V.2 | ||||||||
| D. | Develop facility in the use of professional terminology. I.5 | ||||||||
| E. | Utilize accepted standards of journalistic editing, such as The Associated Press Stylebook. I.3 | ||||||||
| F. | Understand the roles played and responsibilities shouldered by various news professionals. I.5 | ||||||||
| G. | Apply basic design sense as it relates to story impact in the selection of photographs and graphic elements to accompany news and feature stories. I.5, III.2 | ||||||||
| *Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the university parallel program. | |||||||||
| III. Instructional Processes*: | |||||||||
| Students will: | |||||||||
| 1. | Write news stories using word processing software. Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy | ||||||||
| 2. | Collaborate in teams for peer review of news stories to analyze audience and message, to develop and organize ideas, and to evaluate stories as to news value, accuracy, brevity, and clarity. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy | ||||||||
| 3. | Develop research skills using interviews, observation, the Internet, and library resources to find information pertinent to news and feature stories requiring attribution. Communication Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Technological literacy Outcome, Informational Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy | ||||||||
| *Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference Pellissippi State’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process. | |||||||||
| IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: | |||||||||
| Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to: | |||||||||
| 1. | Write a news article following standards established by the Associated Press style manual and incorporating industry traditions in terms of pyramid style, proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. B | ||||||||
| 2. | Write an effective lead for a news article. B | ||||||||
| 3. | Write a news article that is free of factual errors, based on several sources. B | ||||||||
| 4. | Write a feature article following standards established by the Associated Press style manual and incorporating industry traditions in terms of feature style, proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. B | ||||||||
| 5. | Write an effective lead for a feature article. B | ||||||||
| 6. | Write a feature article that is free of factual errors, that explains or clarifies its subject in an engaging fashion. B | ||||||||
| 7. | Edit the articles s/he has produced, using standard proofreader's marks. A,D,E | ||||||||
| 8. | Make corrections to articles on the basis of interpreting another student's proofreader's marks. C,D | ||||||||
| 9. | Describe the various duties of copy editors, reporters, and other editors. F | ||||||||
| 10. | Write a headline that encapsulates its associated story according to accepted journalistic standards. A,B,E | ||||||||
| 11. | Demonstrate a mastery of mechanical considerations in writing of headlines. A,C,E | ||||||||
| 12. | Rewrite wire service copy for use by a hypothetical target publication. A,B,E | ||||||||
| 13. | Explain practical implications of legal strictures on media in the 90s. E | ||||||||
| 14. | Size and crop news and feature photographs for most effective presentation. G | ||||||||
| 15. | Write an effective cutline for a photograph according to accepted journalistic standards. B,G | ||||||||
| 16. | Select typefaces for greatest readability. G | ||||||||
| 17. | Choose most effective size and number of lines for headlines. G | ||||||||
| 18. | Formulate a set of questions to effectively elicit needed information during an interview. B,F | ||||||||
| 19. | Use the telephone effectively as an information-gathering technique. B,F | ||||||||
| 20. | Demonstrate self-control in the face of hostile sources. B,F | ||||||||
| *Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above. | |||||||||
| V. Evaluation: | |||||||||
| A. Testing Procedures: 25% to 35% of grade | |||||||||
| There
will be at least one written exams encompassing lecture, text and handouts.
The tests will cover both theory and practical application via objective test items, discussion items, and performance items. Each test will cover text material and associated lecture material. |
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| B. Laboratory Expectations: 45% to 55% of grade | |||||||||
| Student
will write between 4 and 6 articles minimum during the course.
Student must submit at least one article per month to the student newspaper for consideration for publication. Student will edit his/her own articles plus several other articles. Student will take part in in-class editing exercises and projects. Student will analyze several newspaper and magazine articles to understand current practice. The analysis may be evaluated through group discussion or through a paper. |
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| C. Field Work: 0% to 10% of grade | |||||||||
| The instructor
may require a student to interview a working professional in the field
or observe the operation of a newspaper or magazine.
If used, this option may be worth up to 10% of the final grade. |
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| D. Other Evaluation Methods: 10% to 30% of grade | |||||||||
| The instructor
may, at his/her discretion, give news (current events) and grammar quizzes.
The instructor will give a number of AP style quizzes throughout the semester. The quiz portion will comprise 10% to 20% of the final grade. Because the learning methodology requires active participation, another 10% of the final grade will be determined by the instructor on the basis of the student’s participation in small group work and in class. |
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| VI. Policies: | |||||||||
| Attendance Policy: | |||||||||
| Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities. As a minimum, students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. Individual departments/programs/disciplines, with the approval of the vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, may have requirements that are more stringent. Because this course is built on interaction, and media studies involve skill development, our discipline does have a more stringent requirement. The equivalent of two weeks of unexcused absences are permitted without a grade penalty. One more absence will reduce the final grade by one letter. More than three weeks of absences for any reason will result in a failing grade. A tardy counts as half of an absence; leaving early counts as an absence. | |||||||||