|
|
JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "COM 221-1"
COURSE NAME: "Writing Across the Media"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2017
|
SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Christopher Livesay
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 8:30 AM 9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
|
|
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course introduces students to the various kinds of writing they will encounter in the media professions and in digital multimedia production, and prepares them for more advanced media courses in the Communications and Media Studies program. Students will also be introduced to basic legal and ethical issues, such as libel, copyright, privacy. Activities include writing for online media, press releases, strategic campaigns, and short scripts for visual and audio media as well as exercises to pitch their ideas. They will also explore issues concerning style, communicability, and effective storytelling.
|
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
All students will be required to create an e-portfolio using WordPress. This is where students will post and share their work from class assignments. Throughout the course students will be required to maintain a blog, with at least one post a week. There will be additional writing activities, both inside and outside of class, consisting of various different projects, including a press release, media kit, and short scripts (audio and visual) for a public service announcement and podcast. This course will include guest lectures from different media specialists.
|
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
· Learn legal and ethical principles of writing for the media
· Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of writing for various media professions
· Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for a variety of communications professions
· Apply tools and technologies appropriate for different communications professions
· Critically assess institutional and individual media practices
· Understand how to promote and share written works online
· Conceive, draft, edit and finalize a basic script for visual and audio media
|
TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Online Journalism: The Essential Guide | Steve Hill and Paul Lashmar | Sage | 978-1446207352 | | | | | |
|
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging | Huffington Post | Simon & Schuster | 978-1439105009 | | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
|
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Blog | Maintain a personal weblog (blog) throughout the semester. This will involve creating a personal website using WordPress, which will serve as a digital portfolio for class assignments. | 20% |
| Press kit | Create a professional press kit for a band, film or book that features different types of copywriting. | 20% |
| Spot Script | Write a short script for a video spot | 20% |
| Participation/Attend | Participation and attendance is required. More than three unexcused absences will result in an automatic loss of a letter grade. | 5% |
| Digital Portfolio | | 5% |
| Final Exam | | 10% |
| Podcast Script | Write a podcast script based on your blog. | 20% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
More than three unexcused absences will result in the automatic loss of a letter grade. Being late three times counts as an absence. Chronic tardiness will also impact your attendance/participation grade.
|
|
|
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
|
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
|
|
|
SCHEDULE
|
|
| COM 221 SP17, Prof. Livesay |
|
|
| This schedule is subject to change. Please check weekly. Textbooks: HuffPost=The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging (on reserve); Hill/Lashmar = Online Journalism: The Essential Guide |
|
|
| Week |
Date |
Topic |
Key terms |
Reading |
Textbook/Links |
Assignment |
Activity |
| 1 |
|
Intro |
Ethics, censorship, the law, fair use/copyright/creative commons |
chpts. 12-13 |
Hill/Lashmar |
|
Compare ethical principles |
| |
|
|
|
Take short online course: Online Media Law: The Basics for Bloggers and Other Publishers |
http://tinyurl.com/39ejw9x |
Take the minicourse and email the final grade to: [email protected] |
|
| 2 |
|
Blogging |
Main technical elements of blogs, blogging terms, choosing a blog topic |
Chpts. 1-4 |
Hill/Lashmar |
|
Headline writing; compare blog posts; active voice, writing captions |
| |
|
|
|
"Blogging and the Emerging Media Ecosystem" |
http://www.openmediaeducation.net/com480/files/2015/01/Blogging-and-the-emerging-media-ecosystem.pdf |
|
|
| 3 |
|
Blogging |
Pitch blogs, basic posting formula, critique HuffPost's best of blogs, headlines, ledes |
Chpts. 2-4 |
HuffPost (on reserve) |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Chpts. 8-9 |
Hill/Lashmar |
|
|
| 4 |
|
Blogging |
Lateral writing, summaries, argumentative writing SEO |
"How to Write Articles and Essays Quickly and Expertly" |
http://halfanhour.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-to-write-articles-and-essays.html |
|
|
| 5 |
|
Media Production for Writers |
Technical terms for scripts (camera movement, camera shots) |
Read and review PSA materials on class website |
|
|
|
| 6 |
|
PSA |
Critique and discuss PSAa |
ch. 6 |
Hill/Lashmar |
|
|
| |
|
|
Write PSA treatment for get out the vote campaign |
Read and review PSA materials on class website |
|
|
|
| 7 |
|
PSA |
Storyboarding, scripts |
|
|
|
|
| 8 |
|
Audio |
Day 1: Hand out chapt. 1 of War of the Worlds, listen to 15 minutes of 1938 Orson Wells broadcast, screen 10 minutes of 2005 film |
Read and review materials on class website |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Day 2: Go over keys to radio writing; handout transcript for This Ameriacn Life episode 126 Act One, listen to Act One and take notes in margins of different sounds used; handout Trump article, discuss how to convert to audio. |
Radio--An Illustrated Guide |
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e71bcaizj8lsyxx/Radio-An-Illustrated-Guide.pdf?dl=0 |
|
|
| 9 |
|
Audio cont. |
Day 1: Convert trump article to script. |
Ch. 5 |
Hill/Lashmar |
|
|
| 10 |
|
Audio cont. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 11 |
|
Audio cont. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 12 |
|
Strategic Communication |
Press Releases |
Read and review materials on class website |
|
|
Inormation literacy, research, audiences |
| 13 |
|
Strategic Communication |
Copywriting |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Writing a pitch |
|
|
|
|
| 14 |
|
The future |
Transmedia storytelling |
"A history of transmedia entertainment," Derek Johnson |
http://spreadablemedia.org/essays/johnson/#.VjHxXq6rSi4 |
|
|
|
|
|