JOURN 300: NEWSWRITING and
REPORTING, FALL 2014-- T/TH 4-6 p.m. – Integrative Learning Center S413
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 (500-750 words) 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 significantly lower final
draft grade. Among your assignments are a profile (counts for 10 percent of
final grade), feature (15 percent), coverage of a speech (10 percent), issue
piece (15 percent) analysis on deadline (10 percent), blog (5 percent), deadline assignments
and quizzes. See schedule for complete
breakdown of how the final grade is calculated.
HONESTY
Any
instance of plagiarism or any other form of cheating is cause for course
failure.
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