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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "DJRN 380"
COURSE NAME: "Writing for Advocacy"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2021
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Antonio Lopez
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above; Recommended: DJRN 221
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The study and practice of the art of persuasive writing in three genres: journalism, politics, and research. The course deals with strategies and forms of advocacy and argument, audience demographics, generic expectations, integration of supporting materials and evidence, and publishing venues and approaches.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This semester we focus on how to write about and advocate solutions for the climate crisis. The climate crisis is deliberated in a contested public sphere by scientists, politicians, activists, and the fossil fuel industry. To make their arguments, competing advocacy groups deploy different framing and discursive strategies in the global media commons. In order to effectively communicate in this arena, writers and media creators need to recognize how environmental beliefs are tied to identity and values. Thus, being an effective environmental communicator requires targeting and developing appropriate communication strategies that are suitable for intended audiences. This also entails understanding how different media ecosystems work and what makes certain perspectives “sticky” and sharable. We explore the different kinds of filters used by media outlets to determine the range of debate and discussion of the issue. Regardless of the kind of media being utilized—whether memes, editorials, journalism, public service announcements, image events, Instagram posts, or Tik Tok videos—writing is essential for researching, planning, designing, and scripting any climate communication.

 

There will be some background readings, but this is primarily a practical course similar to COM 221 Writing Across the Media. There will be an assortment of writing and publishing activities focused on the process of researching and communicating about the climate crisis. This involves learning to interpret and analyze environmental communication, as well as learning to communicate in different forms. Students in the course will gain the practical skills of developing an argument through persuasive rhetoric and empirical evidence, combined with visual thinking. Writing activities include weekly blog posts and developing a moral vision statement. We will focus on several case studies and their communication strategies, such as #Keepitintheground, Extinction Rebellion, and #fridaysforthefuture.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

•      Improve and hone writing skills for strategic communication.

•      Develop an environmental communication strategy with clear goals.

•      Develop a creative and aesthetic approach to communicating about climate change.

•      Write clearly about climate change in forms and styles appropriate for a variety of media formats.

•      Apply research strategies that are appropriate for communication tasks by Identifying, finding, and verifying authoritative information sources.

•      Become familiar with discourses and linguistic framing used in climate debates.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Communicating the climate crisis: New directions for facing what lies aheadJulia B. CorbettLanham9781793638021     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere (SIXTH edition)Phaedra C. Pezzullo and Robert CoxSage9781544387031 Please note that I need a desk copy. It didn't give me the option to say yes.
Routledge Handbook of Environment and CommunicationEds. Anders Hansen and Robert CoxRoutledge978-0367581831  
Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the StoriesArran Stibbe Routledge978-0415837835  
Extinction RebellionThis is Not a Drill, An Extinction Rebellion HandbookPenguin Books Ltd9780141991443  
Climate--A New StoryCharles Eisenstein North Atlantic Books978-1623172480  

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Climate Change and Post-political CommunicationPhilip Hammond Routledge978-1138777507  
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Class blog A class blog that focuses on communicating the climate crisis.30%
Moral Vision statementA one-page written statement about your environmental values.10%
A Fossil Fuel Autobiography A short three-to-five page paper on fossil fuels in life.10%
Viral video script Script for a short viral video to be shared on a platform of choice.15%
Final digital story project Produce a climate crisis digital story.15%
Participation and attendance More than three unexcused absences and excessive tardiness will result in an automatic F for attendance and participation.10%
A new climate change story A three-to-five page essay that tells how resolved the climate crisis.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.  
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

Note: This schedule is subject to change. Please see the Moodle site for the most updated class schedule. Assignment due dates are TBA

 

Module 1: Understanding the Issue: Science and climate actors

 

Week 1: Science and politics of the climate crisis

Reading: Corbett Ch. 1 “Eairth

 Activity: Autoethnography on eco-identity

 

 Week 2: Ecojustice and contesting the Anthropocene discourse; history and culture of fossil fuels

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 2 “Fossil Fuel Culture”

 Activity: Drafting Moral Vision Statement

 

Module 2: Blogging and online strategic communication

 

Week 3: The actors: their goals, beliefs, and strategies

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 3 “Individuals as Social Actors” & 4 “Emotions and Climate Science”

 Activity: Set-up blog

           

Week 4: Mapping communication in the public sphere (media ecosystems)

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 5 “Breaking the Silence”

 Activity: Practice conversations about climate

 

 Week 5: Post-political communication: Alternatives to traditional gatekeepers and media

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 6 “Justice and Faith”

 Activity: Create a climate meme

 

Week 6: How social change works

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 7 “New Relationship with Eairth”

 Activity: Culture jam

 

 Week 7: Understanding values and discourse; communication, media and the social construction of the environment

 Reading: Corbett Ch. 8 “Telling a New Story”; Stibbe Introduction

 Activity: Write a “I have Dream” speech

 

Module 3: Visualizing climate: Graphics and data journalism

 

Week 8: Using graphics information graphics

 Reading: Pezzullo & Cox: Ch 3, “Symbolic Constructions of the environment”

 Activity: Research, review, and present infographic to class

 

Week 9: Using graphics information graphics

 Reading: Pezzullo & Cox, Ch 4, “The Environment in/of Visual and Popular Culture”

 Activity: Mind map and visualize data with pictures to accompany an article

 

Module 4: Viral video: Stories we live-by

 

Week 10: Climate change is a story: What story do you want to tell?

 Reading: Pezzullo & Cox: Ch 9 “Advocacy campaigns & Messaging”

 Activity: Critique and discuss short environmental video

 

Week 11: Stories-we-live-by cont.

 Reading: Pezzullo & Cox: Ch 10 “Digital Media and Environmental Activism”; Eisenstein Introduction

 Activity: Write PSA treatment for get out the vote campaign

 

Week 12: Storyboarding, scripts

 Reading: Stories-we-live-by cont.

 Activity: Write PSA treatment for get out the vote campaign

 

Module 5: Image event campaigning

 

Week 13: Image events as communication strategy

 Reading: Excerpts from Extinction Rebellion

 Activity: Press release, press kit and strategic communication

 

Week 14: Image events cont.

 Activity: Finish projects