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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "COM 221-2"
COURSE NAME: "Writing Across the Media"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2018
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Elizabeth Macias Gutierrez
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 1:30-2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
By Appointment
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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.
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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.
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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
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| The Basics of Media Writing | Andrew Lingwall, Scott A. Kuehn | SAGE | 978-1506308104 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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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% |
| Podcast Script | Write a podcast script based on your blog. | 20% |
| Digital Portfolio | | 5% |
| Attendance/Partic. | Attendance and participation is required. More than three unexcused absences will result in an automatic loss of a letter grade. | 5% |
| Final Exam | | 10% |
-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 course.
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:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until December 7.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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| This schedule is subject to change. Please check MOODLE weekly. Textbooks: The Basics of Media Writing by Kuehn/Lingwall;(On Reserve) HuffPost=The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging |
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| Week |
Date |
Topic |
Key terms |
Reading |
Textbook/Links |
Assignment |
Activity |
| 1 |
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Intro to Course |
Ethics, censorship, the law, fair use/copyright/creative commons |
Chapter 8 |
Kuehn/Lingwall |
Prepare to discuss material in class |
T/F handout |
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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 photo to: [email protected] |
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| 2 |
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MODULE 1:
Curation/Blogging |
Main technical elements of blogs, blogging terms, choosing a blog topic |
See Moodle |
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Take Media Writer's Self-Perception Test
p. 499 (Kuehn/Lingwall) |
Headline writing; compare blog posts; active voice, writing captions |
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Research Activities: Examine coverage of controversial event; book/film review; find suitable info; compare and contrast sources; research and organization |
Basic posting formula, critique HuffPost's best of blogs, headlines, ledes |
Chapter 9 |
Kuehn/Lingwall |
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pages 345 - 354; Chapter 4 |
Kuehn/Lingwall
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| 3 |
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Curation/Blogging |
Lateral writing, summaries |
Chpts. 2-4 |
HuffPost (on reserve) |
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Chapter 5 |
Kuehn/Lingwall |
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| 4 |
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Curation/Blogging |
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See Moodle |
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| 5 |
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Curation/Blogging |
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See Moodle |
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| 6 |
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MODULE 2: Public Service Announcement (PSA) |
Technical terms for scripts (camera movement, camera shots) |
Chapter 11 |
Kuehn/Lingwall |
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Research activities: Find suitable information; compare and contrast sources; research facts, statistics, data; audience research |
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Read and review PSA materials on Moodle |
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| 7 |
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PSA |
Critique and discuss PSAs |
Chapter 13 |
Kuehn/Lingwall
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Write PSA treatment |
Read and review PSA materials on Moodle |
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| 8 |
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PSA |
Storyboarding, scripting |
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| 9 |
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MODULE 3: PODCAST (audio scripting) |
Hand out chapt. 1 of War of the Worlds, listen to 15 minutes of 1938 Orson Wells broadcast, screen 10 minutes of 2005 film |
Chapter 6 |
Kuehn/Lingwall |
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Research activities: Book/film review; trace scholar's career (interview) |
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Read and review materials on Moodle |
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Keys to radio writing; handout transcript for podcast episode (TBA), |
Radio--An Illustrated Guide |
See Moodle Handouts |
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| 10 |
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Audio cont. |
Interviewing |
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| 11 |
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Audio cont. |
Scripting |
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| 12 |
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Audio cont. |
Scripting |
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| 13 |
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MODULE 4: Press Kit (Press Release) |
Press Releases |
Read and review materials on Moodle |
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Inormation literacy, research, audiences |
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Research activities: research media organization |
Writing a pitch |
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| 14 |
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Strategic Communication |
Copywriting |
Chapter 7 |
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