TEXTS
Bruce D. Itule and Douglas A. Anderson. News Writing and Reporting for Today's Media. (Sixth Edition)
Norm Goldstein, editor. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law
THE DESIGN
I think of this course as an apprenticeship of sorts, the kind of on-the-job training you would receive during the first six months of so of your first newspaper job. It will place heavy emphasis on the practical skills you must master to be a successful reporter.
The course will also introduce you to the organization and operation of contemporary newspapers. We'll look at the online research tools available to reporters and editors and at the online versions of a number of newspapers. And we will consider some of the ethical and other issues that arise in the practice of journalism. With world enough and time, I'd also like to -- at least briefly -- discuss civic journalism, intimate journalism, and literary journalism.
NOTE-TAKING INCENTIVE
Taking good notes is an essential skill for reporters. Journalists spend much of their time on the job taking notes. To encourage you to take good and ample notes, I'm offering an opportunity for extra credit. It will work this way: Shortly before the midterm exam I'll look at the notes taken by students seeking the extra credit. Students who've taken what I consider satisfactory notes will get three points added to their grade on the midterm exam. Good notes will get four points; outstanding notes will get five points. We'll repeat the procedure shortly before the final exam.
POLICIES
Attendance -- Since we will do a substantial amount of writing in class, it will be especially important that you attend class regularly. You will be penalized for missing more than two classes.
Deadlines -- Since meeting deadlines is important for all media writers, I will expect you to get your assignments in on time. You will be penalized if you don't.
Classroom Decorum -- We will write extensively on the computers in the Mac Lab. But we won't always be working on the computers. At times, I will be lecturing; at times, we will be having a class discussion. PLEASE do not use the keyboard or in any other way interact with your computers except when we are writing, researching, or looking at online publications.
GRADES
We'll have weekly quizzes on the assigned reading, a midterm, and a final. Here is roughly how your grade will be determined: