Schedule changes

 See changes to schedule  in red below:

SEPT 3 Introduction, In-class reporting and deadline writing assignment #1: Hand in 500 words with LEAD and NUTGRAPH about first day of class. NEXT:  read Chap. 5; write 300-word summary for next class. Bring  in three or more written ideas of speeches/events to attend, ideally during class time, at UMass or nearby in the coming days.

SEPT 5  Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, discuss first-day pieces. NEXT: Read Chap. 16 on speeches, write 200-word summary for next class. ALSO READ CHAPTER 15 ON INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES FOR NEXT CLASS (BULLET POINTS ARE NOT DUE) 

SEPT 10 Discuss chapters on speeches and INTERVIEWING, how to write a speech story.  In-class INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT- Interview a classmate on a topic he/she is an expert on while a third classmate videotapes the interview. Post  2-3 minute interview videos on blog.

NEXT: Read Read Chap 15 on Interviewing Principles to discuss. Write 6 "bullet points" based on information in chapter.

SEPT 12 Analyze videotaped interviews. We discussed going to see Daniel Brook, author of a new book, "A History of Future Cities," at 4:30 p.m., but we may go to the Amherst Block Party instead and write a 600-word event story WITH photos (worth 5 percent of total grade), due next class/Sept. 17  in-class interviewing/(multimedia)/writing exercise  #2 : In groups of 3, one person interviews a classmate after determining a topic that person is an expert on while the third person films the exchange to be posted on the class blog (or class Facebook page?) to analyze. Repeat until all three class members have been recorded. (5 percent of total grade)

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

SEPT 17 SPEECH/EVENTPAPER MAY BE DUE DEPENDING UPON THE SPEECH/EVENT WE ATTEND Present profile pitch; analyze interview videos; prepare questions for class visitor. NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3. Write 500 word “pre-first draft” profile with lead, nutgraph and quote(s).

SEPT 19 VISITOR TO CLASS - Prepare questions in advance; interview visitor, take notes and write a 600-word piece  (worth 5 percent of total grade) due next class/Sept. 24. NEXT: Read Chap. 7 on the Writer's Art.

SEPT 24 Peer edit "pre-first draft"  of profile with lead, nutgraph and one or more quotes. -- Discuss Chaps. 2 and 3.  In-class work on profiles: write 100-200 words related to the subject of your profile SHOWING something (vs TELLING) , post it on the blog and critique. 

SEPT 26 SPEECH PAPERS DUE 650-750 words on speaker. Include word count. In-class, write mini pieces 400-500 words on a classmate based on your taped interviews. First draft of profile will be due on Tuesday, Oct. 1. (1,000 words, include word count.) FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (INCLUDE WORD COUNT) Discuss feature stories. In-class, deadline writing assignment #3: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources.

Fall 2013 Syllabus

JOURN 300: NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, SPRING 2013 -- M/W 4:30-6:25  p.m. -- DuBois 1667

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 importance of fairness, accuracy, telling the truth and serving the public good

MARY CAREY maryelizacarey@gmail.com, 413-588-4274

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 (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.

FALL 2013 Schedule

JOURN 300/CAREY/ FALL 2013—Tuesday/Thursday 4:30- 6:25/ 1667 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.

SEPT 3 Introduction, In-class reporting and deadline writing assignment #1: Hand in 500 words with LEAD and NUTGRAPH about first day of class. NEXT:  read Chap. 5; write 300-word summary for next class. Bring  in three or more written ideas of speeches/events to attend, ideally during class time, at UMass or nearby in the coming days.

SEPT 5  Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, discuss first-day pieces. NEXT: Read Chap. 16 on speeches, write 200-word summary for next class.

SEPT 10 Discuss chapter on speeches, how to write a speech story. In-class work on blogs. NEXT: Read Read Chap 15 on Interviewing Principles to discuss. Write 6 "bullet points" based on information in chapter.

SEPT 12 Discuss Chap 16; in-class interviewing/(multimedia)/writing exercise  #2 : In groups of 3, one person interviews a classmate after determining a topic that person is an expert on while the third person films the exchange to be posted on the class blog (or class Facebook page?) to analyze. Repeat until all three class members have been recorded. (5 percent of total grade)

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

SCHEDULE CHANGES:

SEPT 17  Present profile pitch; talk about questions for Anaridis Rodriguez; if time, work on blogs.
NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3. Write 500 word “pre-first draft” profile with lead, nutgraph and quote(s).

SEPT 19 Turn in pre-first drafts. Interview class visitor NEXT: Read Chap. 7 on the Writer's Art.

SEPT 24 Turn in 600-word pieces on class visitor Attend speech/event at 4 p.m. in Campus Center

SEPT 26 650-750 word speech story due
In-class, deadline writing assignment #3: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources.

NEXT  Read Chap. 8 on Features.

OCT 1 FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (INCLUDE WORD COUNT) Discuss feature stories.
In-class work on profiles: write 100-200 words related to the subject of your profile SHOWING something (vs TELLING) , post it on the blog and critique.Have read Chapter 8 on features to discuss. PEER EDIT first draft profiles. NEXT: Read Chapter 18 on Accidents and Disasters and Chapter 19 on Obituaries. Write Feature Pitch

OCT 3 FEATURE PITCH

OCT 8 Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. In-class deadline assignment #4/obituary writing exercise  NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.

OCT 10  In-class work on feature and blogs, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts

OCT 15 VETERANS DAY -- NO CLASS

OCT 17  FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) In-class work on feature drafts. Discuss Issue paper requirements, including interviews with 2-3 "experts." NEXT: read Chaps. 11 on layered reporting. and 14 on sources.

OCT 22 MID-TERM QUIZ /  In-class deadline assignment #5: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on topic TBA. (5 percent of total grade)

OCT 24  FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT. 

OCT 29 Discuss Feature drafts, issue ideas, experts. NEXT: Issue pitch

OCT 31 Issue pitch.

NOV 5 In-class work on Issue papers. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police 

NOV 7 FINAL FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. Work on Issue papers/blogs

NOV 12  FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

NOV 14 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27/ In-class deadline assignment 6: TBA

NOV 19 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,

NOV 21 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; Summary/analysis writing. FINAL ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;

NOV 26 – In-class deadline assignment 7: 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.

NOV. 28 - THANKSGIVING/NO CLASS

DEC 3 Final blog presentations

DEC 5  LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP 

*** 

In-class deadline writing assignments and due dates:

SEPT 3:  In-class reporting and deadline writing assignment #1:  500 words with LEAD and NUTGRAPH about the first day of class. 
SEPT 5: 300 word-summary of Chapter 5 on leads; written list of three events we could attend on or near campus in the next couple of weeks. Should include 1) name of event/speaker 2)subject of presentation/event 3) Time and place 4) short explanation of what it's about 5) cost, if any.

SEPT 10: 200 word summary of Speech chapter

SEPT 12:  6 bullet points on Interviewing chapter.  In-class reporting and deadline writing (multimedia) assignment #2: In groups of 3, one person interviews a classmate after determining a topic that person is an expert on while the third person films the exchange to be posted on the class blog (or class Facebook page?) to analyze. Repeat until all three class members have been recorded. (5 percent of total grade)

SEPT 17: SPEECH PAPER MAY BE DUE, DEPENDING ON WHICH SPEECH/EVENT WE ATTEND Written profile pitch: Who is your subject, why would this person be a good subject of a profile? What is the angle of your profile, who do you plan to interview about your subject?
SEPT 19: 500 words profile "Pre-first draft"

SEPT 24: in-class 100-200 words SHOWING (vs telling) to be posted on blog

SEPT 26:  FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE In-class reporting and deadline writing assignment #3: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on subject TBA; write 500 word story on-deadline with quotes from each of your sources. (5 percent of total grade)

OCT 3: Written feature pitch: What is your feature about? Why is this a good subject for a feature? Who do you plan to interview (4 sources minimum)

OCT 8:  In-class deadline assignment #4: Obituary writing exercise -- Write a fake obituary according to the standard obituary formula, including a quote from a person in the class and post on blog. (Make sure if it's clear it is fake.)

OCT 17: FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE

OCT 22: In-class deadline assignment #5: In pairs, interview 4 people on campus on topic TBA. (5 percent of total grade)
OCT 24: FIRST DRAFT FEATURE DUE

NOV 7: FINAL FEATURE DUE

NOV 12: FIRST DRAFT ISSUE DUE

NOV 14: In-class deadline assignment #6: TBA (5 percent of total grade)

NOV 21: FINAL ISSUE DUE

NOV 26 – In-class deadline assignment 7: 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.

UMass Fall 2013 calendar

• First Day of Classes - Tuesday, Sept. 3

• Last day to add/drop with no record - Monday, Sept. 16

• Columbus Day Holiday -- No class - Monday, Oct. 14

• Monday class schedule -- Tuesday, Oct. 15

• Mid-Semester date --  Thursday, Oct. 17

• Veteran's Day holiday -- Monday, Nov. 11

• Registration begins for Spring 2014 --- Tuesday, Nov. 12

• Monday class followed -- Wednesday, Nov. 13

• Thanksgiving Break -- Wednesday, Nov. 27

• Classes resume -- Monday, Dec. 2
*Last Day of classes -- Friday, Dec. 6

Thanks for a great semester. I hope you'll keep in touch!

Journ 300/Spring 2013 recap




1) First day LEADS

• Follow the lead rules in the book – must be grammatical, no cliches, don’t start with a quote

• Makes an assertion. Is NOT a classic bad lead. Gets to the HEART of the event. (If you had ONE thing to say about the event, what would it be?)

2) Interview practices (blog posts on another student)

• Establish a relationship; don’t interrupt, be prepared with good questions; get the correct spelling of all names

• Ask open-ended details that allow your interviewee to tell you anecdotes; press for DETAILS

3) Speech paper on photo exhibit

• Lead needs to get to the heart of the event

• Research in advance and prepare good questions; interview a lot of people who attended for a more lively piece with greater perspective. Try to interview the artist. DESCRIBE.

4) Deadline writing assignments on Chinese dancers at DCs, seniors’ post-graduation plans, thoughts on “ZooMass”

• Reporting is KEY. If your reporting is good the writing will come easy. If you don’t do enough reporting, you can’t make it up by trying to write cleverly; that usually doesn’t work. It’s much better to interview people in person, to go to the event you are reporting on, etc.

• Don’t use Cliches, euphemisms, convoluted and ungrammatical sentences, “canned” language.

• Be observant, curious and original

5) Minor papers on PSA script focus group, PSA try-outs, Amherst Police Station visit, Sexual Assault conference

•Lead must make an assertion

6) Profile

• A good interview is key! Ask probing questions. Get concrete details and anecdotes. DESCRIBE

• Don’t make them HAGIOGRAPHIC.

• Ask other people about your subject so you have multiple perspectives for a fuller portrait

7) Feature

• Picking a good topic is KEY. Spotting a trend and writing a story that hasn’t been written before is impressive!

8) Issue

• Picking a good topic is KEY.

• Identify experts and contact them ASAP

• Interviewing sources in-person is much better than by phone or email (BEING THERE is key)

• Experts are the ones who offer opinions/analysis. Your sources talk about their personal experiences

9) Review

• Lead should make it clear if you recommend/don’t recommend the movie and why

• Write as you would speak! Your writing must FLOW, or the reader becomes confused and loses interest

10) Summaries

• Synthesize information. Doesn’t have to be in the same chronological order as what you are summarizing

11) Blogs

• Should be well organized and reader-friendly; AP style and grammar should be correct; photos add a lot! Be creative and original

Chapter 27 tips and Review Writing

Journ300 – Chapter 27 and review writing


TIPS

• Give voice to all groups in society

NOT just the powerful

• The public’s need to know is an important value

• Consider the relevance of the material to the

Real NEEDS of the audience

• If the reporter cannot disclose in the story the

tactics used to gather information for the story,

such tactics should NOT be used.

• Be wary of treating people as a MEANS

• Be committed to a value system, but don’t let ideology

(your political party, religion etc) influence your

reporting and writing

• Be wary of promising a source help in return

for material

• In balancing moral alternatives, it’s most important

to not risk anyone’s life

• Balance the public with the private good

• A factor is whether an event is or will soon be public

knowledge

• ACCURACY is absolutely key!

How to write a review

LEAD: What, SPECIFICALLY makes this

video/movie worth watching or NOT watching.



NUTGRAPH: What this video, directed by WHOM

In what YEAR is essentially ABOUT. WHO is in it,

whether they are actors playing characters or real

people, in which case you may or may not give their

names, but briefly characterize them. For instance,

the coach of the basketball team portrayed or

a 10-year-old Australian girl who keeps a cane toad

a pet.



BODY OF REVIEW: Expand upon and support the

Assertion in the lead about what makes this a video

you would recommend that others see/not see, by

describing:

• Key scenes

• Important points

• Direct Quotes

Write like you would speak. Avoid CANNED

Language. Have some fun with these!

Additional AP tips

Abbreviations

• Abbreviate and capitalize titles before names:

           Ms., Sen, Rep., Gov., Lt. Gov., Sgt., Gen., Dr. etc
           Never abbreviate president, either before or after a name.

• Do not abbreivate United States and United Nations when uses as nouns. However, you should abbreviate them when they are used as modifiers and as parts of military titles. For example, U.S. Ambassador, U.N. General Assembly

Punctuation

• There is no comma after a person's name and any Roman numerals, Jr. or Sr. that may follow. For instance it is Martin Luther King Jr.

Numbers

• Dimensions: Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards etc. to indicate depth, height,length and width. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall. the 5-foot 6-inches tall man.

Assorted

• Toward, forward, backward, upward and downward do NOT end in S.
• It's Daylight Saving Time -- NOT savings
• URLS of websites should be the full URL as it appears on your Internet browser. For example: do NOT write googld.com/news/ Do write http://www.google.com/news/.

Monday, April 8 deadline assignment

Interview at least four students on the subject of the perennial conflict between students and the community caused by large and destructive off-campus gatherings, exemplified by the "Blarney Blowout" and "Hobart Hoedown."

Ask students whether they participate in and/or approve of gatherings like these, even when they result in destruction of property, injuries -- and the potential diminishment of UMass's reputation.

Request to take their photos and include them in a short piece that begins with a lead based on your reporting, includes some synthesis and brings the personalities of your sources to life.

You might want to quickly read "UMass discipline report: 519 students involved in 348 off-campus incidents so far in academic year; 375 students sanctioned," an April 4 Springfield Republican article on the subject of sanctions for bad behavior and strategies for preventing it:

Feature tips

Due Wednesday, April 3


• Final feature, stapled to the first draft. Include WORD COUNT.

• Pre-first draft of Issue: 250 words with a lead and nutgraph based on first-hand reporting. NO un-reported generalizations.

• Conference is FRIDAY, April 5 at Hampshire College’s Franklin Patterson Hall WRITE 400-500 word news report; post on blog

Feature tips:

• Write your feature with the idea that you will try to get it published. Don’t include material that will appear “dated” or as if it’s “old news” a few weeks from now. If your feature is about an event that is coming up, mention the date and time of the event high in the story.
• Do NOT lead with a sweeping, unreported generalization; plunge right into the reported material
• Describe/SHOW vs. Tell
• The more reporting, the better. You can’t make up for a lack of reporting by trying to write cleverly. You need several voices, so that you’re not going back to the same source for more than a couple or so paragraphs. Every page should have a lively, dynamic mix of voices – not just one person!
• Eliminate wordiness! Do NOT repeat anything!!
• Paraphrase or rewrite rather than using parentheses/brackets. You should only need to use parentheses once or twice a year – NOT once or twice in a single paper.
• Keep quotes short so that they have a greater impact. Paraphrase!!
• Don’t jam together, spliced by a comma, two complete and unrelated sentences. For instance, don’t say something like, “Wearing her black moccasins, Jane Doe is a graduate of UMass.” Avoid getting into traps like this by using SVO.

Examples:

Aviva – “Wires, computer chips and various other electronic parts cluttered the nearly empty UNOCCUPIED? rows of workstations in the basement laboratoryGOOD SPECIFIC LOCATION; ESTABLISHES THE PLACE WHERE THIS SCENE TRANSPIRED of Marcus Hall at UMass Amherst on a recent Thursday evening.GOOD – PLACES THE SCENE IN TIME Among the mishmash of components and equipment GOOD VISUALS; AS THOUGH THE STUDENTS ARE OUTSIZED BY THE EQUIPMENT sat four students, focused intently on the prototype in front of them.GOOD VISUAL With their April 8 deadline looming, GOOD PLACES THIS IN TIME; ESTABLISHES THAT THIS IS CURRENT, NEWSWORTHYthe group was making the final adjustments to their Senior Design Project – a football helmet fitted with a real-time concussion analyzer.” IF IT WERE A MOVIE, THE CAMERA WOULD NOW ZOOM IN ON THE OBJECT AT THE CENTER OF THE STORY
Jason: Max Nowak pauses in front of a door, DOOR IS SPECIFIC, CONCRETE, VISUALloud music and shrieking voices emitting from the room. He bangs on the door and says, “RA’s on duty!” The room plunges into silence as a nervous resident cracks open the door. CHEERFUL TONE Nowak reminds him of quiet hours and recommends that everyone calm down. It’s just a warning – for now. INTRO PLUNGES US INTO THE ACTION/SCENE

Deadline assignment

JOURN 33: March 25 Assignment/Answers


Today: In groups, to be assigned:

• Interview at least four people, total, IN PERSON Ask them if they are seniors. If so, ask them if they know what they are doing when they graduate. Develop a few follow-up questions and engage them in conversation for a few minutes, so you have a meaningful exchange.

• Write down exact quotes, but be prepared to paraphrase most of their responses and just pick the best one or two sentences to directly quote.

• Ask how to spell their names. (Double-check that you wrote it down correctly using UMass.edu Peoplefinder.) Ask them where they are from and what their majors are.

• Try to interview a diverse bunch of people – different majors, different hometowns, different nationalities, gender and race etc

• Ask if you can snap a photo. Use your people skills to encourage them to say yes.

• When the group re-convenes in the computer lab, talk about the responses everyone got. See if you can make some kind of assertion in your lead BASED ON YOUR REPORTING. That is, you will probably have some kind of guiding ideas about whether seniors are likely to know what they are going to do after they graduate, but DON’T write a lead based on speculation, and DON’T write a generic, non-reported lead like: As graduation approaches, college seniors face the daunting prospect of figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives. Instead, review all the responses you got and SYNTHESIZE some of the information. For instance, if you interview 10 people and 8 say they have a job, while 2 say they are going to decide what to do next and where to go the day after graduation, you could say something like: Some UMass seniors have already lined up jobs after graduation, which is a mere six weeks away, but a few are waiting until the day after the graduation festivities to decide their next move.

• After the lead, include a nutgraph saying about how many people were interviewed and characterize the range of their responses. In the body of the paper, mention each of the people you interviewed in a paragraph dedicated to him or her. Include photos and post on blog. Then, let’s submit one or more to the Collegian!

MIDTERM answers:

1) To get to the heart of the journalistic principles, mention some SPECIFICALLY: For example – to inform and to serve the public; to report ethically and thoroughly and to write with fairness, accuracy, clarity and precision, using vivid, CONCRETE and SPECIFIC language vs. empty, convoluted, abstract, generic, clichéd, euphemistic or hagiographic language.

2) To just say an event happened is a CLASSIC BAD LEAD. The first lead does this.

3) Always report on ACTIONS taken/what will serve the public -- in this case that Town Hall will be closed on Fridays.

4) A nutgraph is important because it offers the reader a roadmap to the rest of the story and clarifies for the reader WHY he/she is reading this story now. The nutgraph here begins “It is this kind of perception…”

5) SVO is Subject-Verb-Object and it is the recommended sentence structure because it plunges the reader into the action/is the most direct and readable.

6) EUPHEMISM is a word coined to deliberately obscure meaning, such as calling a missile a “peacekeeper.” The journalist’s goal is to EXPOSE attempts to distort meaning and to help educate the public.

7) HAGIOGRAPHY is the life of a saint – not a good model for a profile, which should bring the subject to full life, “warts” and all. Readers are wary of “puff pieces.”

8) Pets, friends, height and weight and excerpts from police reports are not included in a standard obituary.

9) Joseph Pulitzer explained that reporters have a mission to expose the truth and to hold the powerful accountable.

10) AP style points: Spell out numbers one-nine, in general. Do NOT capitalize job titles unless they come directly before the job holder’s name. Do NOT capitalize academic subjects.

Post Spring Break Schedule

This is our post Spring Break schedule. Notice a few revisions. 

• The First Draft of the Issue due date has been postponed until Wednesday, March 27
• When we return from Spring Break on Monday, March 25, we'll do an in-class deadline assignment, which is to interview seniors IN-PERSON on whether they have a job lined up or some other plan for when they graduate. We will do these in groups and aim to submit one or a combination of two or more to the Collegian. MUST INCLUDE PHOTOS, so bring your cameras and/or cell phone cameras
• We DO have class on April 8, contrary to what the original schedule said. My mistake!
• But, we will discuss canceling class, so everyone can attend the Sexual Assault Prevention Conference Friday, April 5, 2-6 p.m. at Hampshire College, Franklin Patterson Hall. Sign up by clicking HERE.

MARCH 25 In-class (in groups) deadline assignment. Interview AT LEAST 4 seniors, IN-PERSON  on what they plan to do when they graduate.  

MARCH 27 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Next: Issue pitch.

APRIL 1 Issue pitch.

APRIL 3 In-class work on Issue papers. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE.

APRIL 8 REVISION**** WE DO HAVE CLASS**********Work on Issue papers

APRIL 10 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

APRIL 15 NO CLASS/PATRIOTS DAY

APRIL 17 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27

APRIL 22 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,

APRIL 24 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; review writing. ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;

APRIL 29 - Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

MAY 1 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP 

Profile tips

JOURN 300/SPRING 2013/ Possible questions to ask your profile subject:


• The reader wants to know what makes your subject so unique or interesting that you want to write about him/her. Ask the other people you interview for your story to help you with this. For instance, the omelet lady is unique, because she 1) interacts with the students so closely, 2) keeps up a steady stream of banter, which not all DC employees do and 3) seems so proud of her job.



• Provide examples that illustrate/SHOW the qualities you think make your subject so interesting. So, SHOW the omelet lady talking to a particular student at a particular time about a particular subject. Don’t just sum up what she USUALLY talks about, or if you do ALSO add a PARTICULAR example. How do you show she is proud of her job? Ask her why she is. Mention that she has a Facebook page. (It turns out her husband started the FB page; interview him! Ask him if she has always been so invested in all of her jobs. Have them met a lot of people through her job? What does she say about it to him? Has she told him of any particularly memorable things that happened on the job? )



• Once you’ve established that this person is unique or otherwise interesting, ask questions about his or her background to discover things that LED to him/her being the interesting person he/she is. For instance, the basketball player SC is shown in his room amid a LOT of clothes, but it is apparent he keeps all his clothes well organized and that he takes care of them. *Ask him WHY he thinks he is neat? *Were his parents neat? *What did they do? *What kind of a house did he grow up in? *Does he value orderliness? If so, does he think it is because the value of it was ingrained in his childhood? Or is he neat because his childhood was kind of chaotic, for instance? *Ask him who has been a big influence in his life and why? *Can he remember any particular instances of this person helping or guiding him or any particular advice this person offered him? You don’t have to go on at great length about his in the piece. Just a couple of sentences would help us “picture” the subject and where he came from.



• Ask some “evergreen” questions that will help you paint a multi-dimensional picture of your subject that goes beyond the main thing you’re concentrating on in the piece. For instance, Angela McMahon is a lacrosse coach at UMass where she once was a player. She is well-respected by her players for her strong work ethic. Ask what else she does besides lacrosse? Does she bring this strong work ethic to everything she does, would she say? (Maybe she’ll say she’s got a dog, but she’s totally undisciplined when it comes to training her dog and she lets the dog run all over the house and knock things over, for instance.) Where does she think she got this strong work ethic she brings to coaching lacrosse? When did she first start playing lacrosse? Was it her first choice of a sport to play? Did someone encourage her? How?

GOOD EXAMPLES FROM SOME OF THE PAPERS:

“At the beginning of class Lamb walks over to her desk – her gait is punctuated by a preference for her right leg – and places what looks like thousands of paper down with a thud. She eases herself up onto the desk and it momentarily tilts forward and supports Lamb with only two pegs. She doesn notice, pounding the desk and calling out for “offerings for the gods.” – Araz

“When Keller was moved to Berkshire while Hampshire is renovated, she was excited that she got new omelet pans. But the excitement wore off quickly, as she had trouble adjusting to life at Berk. “The stir fry lad who has my space after me always comes over and tells me she has to start at 11, but I end at 11!” said Keller in frustration to a group of students. – Shannon

AP tips Spring 2013

AP tips

• Spell out an organization's name the first time you use it: University of Massachusetts on first mention; UMass after that
• Time: 9:25 a.m. and 9 a.m., midnight and noon. When describing when an event will occur, say the time before the date. For instance: The event begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. (NOT 10th)

• Names of most websites and apps are capitalized without quotes, like Facebook or Instagram. Use quotation marks for "Farmville" and other computer game apps.    
• While titles are capitalized and abbreviated when placed before a person's name, titles that follow a person's name are generally spelled out and not capitalized. An exception is President. Example: Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts was in attendance at the school's basketball game yesterday. (vs. Gov. Deval Patrick)

• Round off numbers greater than a million: 2.77 million (vs 2, 752,123) About $2.35 million (vs. $2,349,999)
• Capitalize days of the week. Do not abbreviate except when in a graphic or headline
• In football, use numerics for yards not downs Fourth-and 4, Run for 20, Punted from their own 3
• Street, Avenue and Boulevard are abbreviated when they are part of a numbered address. Court, Drive, Lane and Way are not abbreviated. For example: He lives on 123 Hilly Ave. Hilly Avenue is in South Amherst. She lives at 45 Pond Drive.
• Lowercase for seasons. For example: Her favorite season is spring.
• Use figures for all temperatures except zero and spell out degrees. Wednesday will be in the 70s (no apostrophe).
• More than vs over. Use more than when referring to numbers. For example, he had to run more than 20 miles in the marathon. NOT He had to run over 20 miles.

Notes from the James Welling photography exhibit at the Fine Arts Center Museum of Modern Art

James Welling  wants his photos to be a puzzle or something to decode -- which is what viewers said they found themselves trying to do at "Open Space."

Welling tries to make photos that are more "complicated" or "dense," he told about 75 faculty, students and community members that came to the opening day of  "Open Space," a new exhibit of Welling's photography and paintings at the Fine Arts Center Musuem of Contemporary Art. Most photographs are "uninformative," with the role of the person holding the camera being quite small, he said.

Welling created most of the work shown in his homestate of Connecticut in the 1970's.

The New England native is visiting from California, where he is a photography professor at UCLA. He himself didn't major in photography, he said. He got into it at the suggestion of a friend who told Welling when he was 25 that he should get a camera and take photos like Ansel Adams.

Welling thought the suggestion was absurd at first but ending up buying a camera -- he said at one point that he always buys used equipment -- and "apprenticed himself to the camera" while also researching the history of photography. At first, his photographs looked liked everybody else's photos, Welling said, but there was a moment when he "remade the medium for himself." 

Welling is often said to be a member of the "Pictures Generation," whose most famous member is probably Cindy Sherman, who photographs herself in costumes and disguises. Welling said members of the "Picture Generation" were looking for ways out of an "imaginary confinement"; they wanted to create photography that was different than what Welling referred to as 1960's photography. "It's kind of like Sonic Youth says: 'Kill your idols,'" Welling said.

Welling's work is hard to characterize, according to speaker Lorne Falk, a visiting professor at Hampshire College. Falk said he finds some of Welling's work to be romantic, with elements of the "tragic. 

Speaking with students before the talk, Eva Fierst, education curator for the museum, described the "Open Space" exhibit as reflecting Welling's strong connection to Connecticut, nature and abstraction.

Asked what he thinks students think of photography today, Welling said there are two types of seeing: 1) "Normal seeing" and 2) "More aware seeing." Welling doesn't think it makes much of a difference whether the medium is digital or film photography.

Welling is influenced by poetry, especially that of Wallace Stevens, which Welling described as being "seasonal," "about place" and "extremely vivid. Other influences he mentioned include Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton and Emily Dickinson.

Spring 2013 article and AP tip schedule

Journ 300 Schedule to bring in an article and AP tip and example of how to use it to share with class. Fill in article questions sheet (link at top-right of blog at Journ300.blogspot.com) to hand in. Bring in printed copy of article.

JAN 23 

JAN 28 Mark

JAN 30 Emily, Peter

FEB 4  Ellie

FEB 6 Araz, Diana

 
FEB 11  Aviva, Zac

FEB 13 Jeff, Alyx

FEB 18 NO CLASS/PRESIDENT'S DAY

FEB 20  Jason, Mitch

FEB 25 Shannon, Emily

FEB 27 Peter, Sofia

MARCH 4 Mark, Ellie

MARCH 6 Araz, Diana

MARCH

MARCH 13 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14

*************SPRING BREAK (NO CLASSES MARCH 18 & 20)**************

MARCH 25  Aviva, Zac

MARCH 27 Jeff, Alyx

APRIL 1 Jason, Mitch

APRIL 3 Shannon, Emily

APRIL 8 NO CLASS -Veterans Day

APRIL  10 Peter, Sofia

APRIL 15 NO CLASS/PATRIOTS DAY

APRIL 17 Mark, Ellie

APRIL 22 Araz, Diana

APRIL 24 Aviva, Zac

APRIL 29 – Jeff, Alyx

MAY 1 - LAST DAY OF CLASS

SPRING 2013 SYLLABUS

JOURN 300: NEWSWRITING and REPORTING, SPRING 2013 -- 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 importance of fairness, accuracy, telling the truth and serving the public good

MARY CAREY maryelizacarey@gmail.com, 413-588-4274

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 studentswill 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) and review (10 percent), minor papers, including first drafts (10 percent), blog (10 percent), participation/homework, worksheets and quizzes (10 percent).

HONESTY

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

SPRING 2013 SCHEDULE

JOURN 300/CAREY/ SPRING 2013--M/W 3:35-5:30 p.m.-Dubois 767

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 one or more students will bring in an article to discuss and post an "AP Style tip" to the blog.

JAN 23 Introduction, In-class reporting assignment. NEXT: EMAIL TO ME BY TONIGHT: 500 words with LEAD and NUTGRAPH about class visit; read Chap. 5; write 300-word summary for next class. Bring three or more ideas of speeches/events to attend, ideally during class time, at UMass or nearby in the coming days.

JAN 28 Discuss Chap. 5 and speech options, in-class writing. NEXT: Read Chap. 16 on speeches, write 200-word summary for next class.

JAN 30 Discuss chapter on speeches, how to write a speech story. In-class work on blog. NEXT: Read Read Chap 15 on Interviewing Principles to discuss. Write 6 "bullet points" based on information in chapter.

FEB 4  **********SPEECH/EVENT PAPER ON JAMES WELLING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT DUE********Discuss Chap 16; in-class interviewing exercise NEXT: Write a brief profile pitch to present Wednesday.
FEB 6 Present profile pitch. NEXT: Read Chaps. 2 and 3.

FEB 11 In-class work on Profile -- Discuss Chaps. 2 and 3
FEB 13 In-class work on profiles. NEXT: Read Chap. 7 on the Writer's Art. Write 100-200 words SHOWING something (vs TELLING) and post it on the blog

FEB 18 NO CLASS/PRESIDENT'S DAY

FEB 20 FIRST DRAFT PROFILE DUE (INCLUDE WORD COUNT) Discuss feature stories. Discuss Chapter 7 and SHOW v. TELL examples. In-class work on profiles. NEXT: in-class feature pitch, read Chap. 8 on Features.

FEB 25 Have read Chapter 8 on features to discuss. PEER EDIT first draft profiles. NEXT: Read Chapter 18 on Accidents and Disasters and Chapter 19 on Obituaries.

FEB 27 Discuss chapters on accidents and obituaries. NEXT: read Chapter 21 on Courts.

MARCH 4 FEATURE PITCH.

MARCH 6 In-class work on feature and blog, discuss Chap. 21 on Courts

MARCH 11 FINAL DRAFT PROFILE DUE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) In-class work on feature drafts. Discuss Issue paper requirements, including interviews with 2-3 "experts." NEXT: read Chaps. 11 on layered reporting. and 14 on sources.

MARCH 13 MID-TERM QUIZ Discuss Chap. 11 and 14

*************SPRING BREAK (NO CLASSES MARCH 18 & 20)**************

MARCH 25 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE. PEER EDIT Discuss issue paper ideas and strategy. Next: Issue pitch.

MARCH 27 Discuss issue ideas, experts. In-class work on blogs. NEXT: Issue pitch

APRIL 1 Issue pitch.

APRIL 3 In-class work on Issue papers. NEXT: read Chap 20 on police FEATURE (1,000 words, INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE.

APRIL 8 REVISION**** WE DO HAVE CLASS**********Work on Issue papers

APRIL 10 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") due PEER EDIT Discuss Police chapter. In-class work on issue, blog. Next: read Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

APRIL 15 NO CLASS/PATRIOTS DAY

APRIL 17 Discuss Chapters 26 & 27

APRIL 22 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ In-class work on Issue paper. Discuss Chapters 24 and 25,

APRIL 24 NEXT: Discuss Chaps. 24 and 25 on Government and Reporters and the Law; review writing. ISSUE (1,000 words INCLUDE WORD COUNT) DUE Discuss Open Meeting, definitions of slander etc.;

APRIL 29 - Watch film and write REVIEW (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

MAY 1 LAST DAY OF CLASS/RECAP