syllabus

DESCRIPTION

An introduction to basic journalistic decision making, information gathering, writing, and ethics.

But simple is seldom easy; the stuff we'll be learning about quickly gets complicated and tricky. It requires a lot of thought and conversation and practice before it can be done well.

REQUIRED TEXT

• The Associated Press Stylebook

SUGGESTED TEXTS and MATERIALS

• A reliable American English dictionary

• At least one guide to grammar, punctuation, word use, style, and other writing matters

• CD-Rs, floppy discs, server space, or any other reliable way of saving and backing up your work

COURSE GOALS

I hope you will increase your:

• basic journalism knowledge

• skill and confidence at finding and using information--at interviewing, researching, writing, and reporting

• ability to identify, use, and convey relevant contextual information

• understanding of how and why precise attribution is important

• ability to discern what is newsworthy, and to who

• knowledge of how, where, and why to ask questions and find answers

A few random reminders at the outset, so you know where I'm coming from:

I don't know everything about news writing and reporting. I probably know more about it, and have more experiences with it, than you do. That's why I'm a teacher. I guarantee that more than a few of you are way smarter than me, but I have useful experience.

My job is to guide you toward confidence and competence in making your own journalistic decisions. 

Basic journalistic writing can be effectively formulaic. Learning how to use that formula then transcend it takes quite a bit of practice and experience. This class is about leanring the formula and when, how, and why to go beyond it.

ASSIGNMENT STYLE and SUBMISSION EXPECTATIONS

COURSE POLICIES

All these policies are based in treating our classroom as a working newsroom.

Late Work

Won't get credit.

Plagiarism

Could result in a semester F.

Attendance

Is required.

Participation

Is required.

Special Needs

People who have or incur any disability (either permanent or temporary) that might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.

ASSIGNMENTS

• Six stories that follow basic news writing conventions as we'll be discussing them in class

• Six responses to classmates' articles

• One extended feature story that also follows conventions discussed in class

• In-class finals-week response to all classmates' features

• Reflection essay

• All story and feedback assignments submitted on time and according to expectations will get credit.

• On-time assignments that don't meet expectations will be returned for revision.

• Late assignments will receive no credit.

• One late assignment means maximum semester B

• Two late assignments = maximum semester C

• Three = maximum D

• Four = F

• One missing assignment means maximum D

• Two missing assignments = F

DUE DATES

Check course calendar.

Questions? E-mail me at chris.godsey@gmail.com

Every story should follow--or have a very good, explainable reason for not following--these aspects of newsworthiness and basic print news style.

NEWSWORTHINESS

"News" is new information--either new facts or familiar facts presented in a new way.

Remember that for our purposes, all these traits must be judged against a CSS-focused audience.

• Timeliness

• Proximity

• Relevance

• Eminence / prominence

• Large or small number of people affected or involved

• Conflict / controversy

• Usefulness

• Novelty

• Human interest

• Possible or obvious impact

• X-factor

• Anything else? 

• Objectivity

• Balance

• Conciseness

• Simplicity

• Clarity

• Credibility

• Originality (not clichéd)

• Active voice

Passive example: The ball was kicked by the man.

Active example: The man kicked the ball.

• Third person (unless quoting someone who speaks in first or second person)

• Descending order of importance

• The first sentence--the lead--should be 20-25 words that convey the story's essential information

• Most paragraphs should be one sentence; no paragraph should be more than two sentences

• Every paragraph after the lead should contain information that, according to the story's angle, is less and less important

• Attribution of most information--anything that's not common knowledge among your audience--to relevant, credible sources

• Information from at least three primary sources

• Answers to Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? 

• Honesty

• Accuracy

• No promotion, suggestion, or opinion from the writer

• As little actual or perceived conflict of interest as possible

• Adherence to guidelines in the AP Stylebook

RESOURCES (Got one to add? Holler.)

• Common Errors in English 

• www.newswriting.com

• Wikipedia page on news style 

(like most other Wikipedia or other encyclopedia pages, it's most valuable in introducing basic conepts and providing ideas about where and how to seek more information)

• www.freep.com

Questions? E-mail me at chris.godsey@gmail.com

In every week without a story deadline, a report about feedback you've given and received is due. Check the calendar for info about what's due during which weeks--story deadlines and report due days will always be Wednesdays.

On story deadline days, I'll assign feedback pairs in class; each pair of people will get acquainted a bit if they aren't already, then trade contact information and current stories.

By the next Wednesday, each person should have read their partner's story, provided constructive feedback (based on the AP Stylebook and the newsworthiness and basic news style expectations we're working under), and written a report about the feedback they gave on their partner's story, the feedback they received from their partner, how that reciprocal process went, and anything else that seems relevant or interesting.

Each pair's process will be different, but I'm hoping they all include as much in-person interaction as possible.  Ideally, feedback is a conversation, not a list of stuff to "correct."

No person's feedback to another needs to be about commands, "tearing apart" the story, or anything other than making thoughtful observations about how content, style, mechanics, and other aspects of stories meet the expectations stated on this site. 

Please don't give or take criticism about words as personal criticism.

No person is required to respond to feedback by doing anything other than listening as thoughtfully as comments are given.

Any questions about any aspect of the process should be directed to me.

Don't feel qualified to give feedback? That makes sense, but you are. You have a couple checklists about newsworthiness and news style, you've got the Stylebook, and you're more than qualified to say, "This sentence sounds weird."

Report format is unimportant. Be as detailed and as thoughtful as possible. Please submit reports with Google Docs.

Questions? E-mail me at chris.godsey@gmail.com