Link to Brendan Hall stories etc

Hi Everybody -- Don't forget to email me by this Friday 2 questions for Brendan Hall based on your reading of his stories at https://www.dropbox.com/s/swo4flk55zu3ih4/Brendan%20Hall%20stories%202.docx Email me by NEXT Friday a 500-word piece on his visit with a good lead, quotes from Brendan and from two students in the class. Due the following Monday: a list of 3 events/speeches we could possibly attend in the near future, so you can write a speech paper about it and your taped interviews.

Interviewing skills

SPRING 2014 Syllabus

JOURN 300: NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, SPRING 2014-- M/W 3:35-5:30 p.m. -- DuBois 767

Journalism 300 is a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts news writing and reporting class in which we learn and discuss:

• What is news

• How to identify and pitch a good story

• How to report and conduct interviews

• The news story "formula," especially leads and nutgraphs

• Kinds of stories and how to tell them

• The journalistic principles of fairness, accuracy, telling the truth and serving the public good

Email me anytime at MARY CAREY maryelizacarey@gmail.com, 413-588-4274 (cell)

Class blog: Journ300.blogspot.com

REQUIRED TEXT: Melvin Mencher, News Reporting and Writing (latest edition)

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED READING

AP Style Guide online

Daily newspapers and news magazines. Try to scan online and in print at least one of the local newspapers including the Collegian, Daily Hampshire Gazette or Springfield Republican every day. Also be aware of what’s on the front page of, for instance, the Boston Globe and New York Times. Each class, one or more students will bring in a newspaper article and comment on some aspect of the news, news coverage, style, choice of stories or contrast between coverage. Being conversant with what is in the news is essential to writing it.

GRADES

Grades are based on timely and thoughtful completion of in-class and out-of-class writing assignments and quizzes, multi-media blog, attendance and in-class participation. Writing criteria include news judgment, clarity of writing, grammar, accuracy, organization, spelling, conciseness, use of AP style, and meeting deadlines. Although the big picture things like news judgment and solid reporting are important, misspelling names and other seemingly minor shortcomings can ruin a story and your reputation, so they will count. Numerical equivalent of grades: A=95, A-=92, A-/B+ =90, B+88 etc.

ATTENDANCE

Not making appointments or missing the action will also undermine your career and the class. You MUST tell me BEFORE class if you are going to be absent and it has to be a legitimate excuse. (I read my e-mail regularly and have a phone message machine at home.) Otherwise you will receive zeroes for the day’s assignments. Please do not be late or leave early. More than three absences and/or repeatedly being late or leaving early will result in a significantly lowered final grade, with the grade being lowered by a full half grade for each absence over three.

CELL PHONE RINGERS MUST BE TURNED OFF. NO TAPING WITHOUT PERMISSION – IT'S ILLEGAL. NO READING FACEBOOK, UMASS MEMES etc ONLINE DURING CLASS!

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

In-class writing assignments usually won’t be longer than 2-3 typewritten pages. Most major assignments are 1,000 words or 4 pages. First drafts must be in turned in on-time for credit. Not turning in a first draft or turning in an insufficiently complete first draft will result in a zero for the first draft and a significantly lower final draft grade. Among your assignments are a profile (counts for 15 percent of final grade), feature (15 percent), coverage of a speech (10 percent), issue piece (20 percent)  analysis on deadline and deadline writing assignments (20 percent), blog (10 percent), minor assignments, quizzes, participation (10 percent).

HONESTY

Any instance of plagiarism or any other form of cheating is cause for course failure.

SPRING 2014 Schedule

SPRING 2014 Schedule

JOURN 300/CAREY/ SPRING 2014
Monday/Wednesday 3:35 – 5:30 p.m. / 767 Dubois 

This is a tentative schedule of topics subject to revision to accommodate the news, campus goings-on that we’ll attend and classroom visitors. Check the blog (Journ300.blogspot.com) for updates and changes. Note: Each day two or more students will bring in an article to discuss and post an "AP Style tip" to the blog.

JAN 22 Introduction - discuss leads, effective interviewing, AP Style and (briefly) the nutgraph.

Due by Friday: Read story examples that I will give you and email me by Friday, Jan. 24 (maryelizacarey@gmail.com) 2 questions that you plan to ask next week’s guest teacher/visitor, Brendan Hall

READ: Chapter 5 on Leads and Chapter 15 on Interviewing Principles

JAN 27 ESPN sportswriter Brendan Hall guest-teaches class. Interview him; take notes; email me by Friday, Jan. 31, a 500-word news story about his visit. Pay special attention the lead; include 2-3 direct quotes and 1 or 2 meaningful, direct quotes from fellow students about his visit. This is assignment #1.

JAN 29 We will NOT be meeting during class time. Instead, arrange to meet in groups of 3-4 at a time and place you determine. One student will interview another on a subject of your and his/her choice while a third student videotapes it using a phone or camera. Keep it around 3 minutes or under. Bring video to class so I can upload them to the class blog and we’ll analyze them in class next week. This is assignment #2

READ: Chapter 16 on speeches.

WRITE: to hand in to class on Monday, Feb. 3, a list of three potential speeches/presentations we can visit on campus, ASAP in the next couple of weeks preferably during class time. (We will be writing the 650-word SPEECH paper which is assignment #3 about whichever speech we attend.)  In the written list that you bring into class on Feb. 3, include who is giving the speech and the topic, where/when it is being held, a brief couple of sentences of background information about the speaker and, if possible, the topic.  We’ll pick one of the speeches you’ve identified to attend.

FEB 3 Discuss chapters on leads, interview principles, speeches and your lists of upcoming speeches that we may be able to attend. In-class work on interview videos.

FEB 5 In-class work on blogs; write a 400-500 blog piece with photo based on your interview of a classmate. This is assignment #4.

NEXT: Write a brief profile pitch to present next class.

FEB 10  Present profile pitch; if time, work on blogs.

READ: Chaps. 2 and 3.

WRITE: 500 word “pre-first draft” profile with lead, nutgraph and quote(s). This is assignment #5

FEB 12:  Turn in pre-first drafts. Peer edit.

READ: Chap. 7 on the Writer's Art.

FEB 17  NO CLASS PRESIDENTS DAY

FEB 19  Depending on which speech we attend, 650-750 word speech story may be due

In-class, deadline writing assignment #6: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources.

READ: Chap. 8 on Features.

FEB 24 FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (INCLUDE WORD COUNT) This is assignment #7. Discuss feature stories.

PEER EDIT first draft profiles. 

READ: Chapter 18 on Accidents and Disasters and Chapter 19 on Obituaries. Write Feature Pitch for next class.

FEB 26  FEATURE PITCH; if time, work on blogs.

MARCH 3 Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. In-class deadline assignment #8/obituary writing exercise  

READ: Chapter 21 on Courts.

MARCH 5  In-class work on feature and blogs, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts

MARCH 10  FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) This is assignment #9 In-class work on feature drafts. Discuss Issue paper requirements, including interviews with 2-3 "experts." Review for MIDTERM QUIZ.

READ: read Chaps. 11 on layered reporting. and 14 on sources.

MARCH 12 ***MID-TERM QUIZ *** If time, work on blogs; do advance work on your features as a pre-first draft will be due the Monday after you return from Spring Break. 

                          ***NO CLASS MARCH 17, 19: SPRING BREAK***

MARCH 24  PRE- FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (500 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. This is assignment #10.PEER EDIT. 

MARCH 26  FIRST DRAFT FEATURE DUE (1,000) words. This is assignment #11. In-class work on features, issue idea paper ideas and experts. 

NEXT: Issue pitch

MARCH 31  Issue pitch.

WRITE: 500-word Issue PRE-First Draft to peer edit next class. This is assignment #12.

APRIL 2  In-class work on Issue papers.  Peer edit Issue pre-first drafts.

READ: Chap 20 on police and Chapters 24 on Government  and 25 on Reporters and the Law. Review Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Discuss progress on Feature and Issue papers.

APRIL 7  FINAL FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. This is assignment #13. Discuss Chapters 20, 24, 25, Open Meeting Law, definitions of slander etc

Work on Issue papers/blogs

APRIL 9  FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due. This is assignment #14.. PEER EDIT.

READ: Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

APRIL 14  Discuss Chapters 26 & 27; in-class work on issue paper, blogs

APRIL 16  FINAL ISSUE PAPER DUE. (1,000 words; include word count)  Assignment #15.  In-class work on Issue paper.  Review for FINAL QUIZ.

APRIL 21 NO CLASS PATRIOTS DAY

APRIL 23:  END OF SEMESTER QUIZ  Discuss summary/analysis writing. 

APRIL 28 – In-class deadline assignment 16: Watch film and write SUMMARY/ANALYSIS with quote(s) from someone in class (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

APRIL 30 -  LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP Final blog presentations

Spring 2014 Calendar