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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "DJRN 330"
COURSE NAME: "Writing for News Media"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Elizabeth Macias Gutierrez
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above, DJRN 221 or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
By Appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses more in-depth on the fundamentals of news reporting and writing, with an emphasis on the print, online, and broadcast media. Key skills to master include criteria for judging news, information gathering, and crafting different styles of news stories for print, broadcast and online media. The course also covers proper line-editing techniques, plus Web layout and publishing.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
To take this course students must have taken DJRN 221 or an equivalent journalism course valid at JCU. This course is an advanced level of DJRN 221 and heavily practice-based. Students will further develop news writing skills and copyediting skills.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
· Solidify and develop news writing skills according to beat reporting and news values criteria
· Apply advanced techniques of information gathering and news research
· Practice interviewing skills
· Learn and develop copy editing techniques in AP style
· Familiarize with current web layout design publishing trends in the market
· Review up-to-date legal and ethical principles of writing for the media
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Copyediting submissions | Mid-term copy | 25% |
| Radio script | Broadcast news story | 25% |
| TV script | Broadcast news story | 25% |
| Participation and Attendance | Engagement in class is crucial for development of content. | 10% |
| Assignments and homework | Readings, research, courses, quizzes, other activities. | 15% |
-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 TBA.
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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 journalism course consists of 28 sessions across 14 weeks and a Spring break. Moodle and Teams are the main course platforms.
Course material: readings, handouts, manuals, script templates and online resources are provided by instructor on Moodle.
Please refer to our Moodle course for a detailed and bi-weekly breakdown of each session, with resources, activities, assignments and other course material. Each session requires both preparation and follow up (homework).
Attendance and participation: Each session covers different content necessary to complete your course submissions. It will not be repeated. If you miss one session you are expected to catch up from the respective Moodle week immediately.
Office hours & contacting professor: Contact me via Moodle from Monday through Thursday. Questions or queries during the weekend will be resolved on Monday. For meetings and discussions, we can arrange a virtual or in-person meeting before 5 p.m.
Electronic equipment: With the exception of learning accommodations or unless notified in advance for a class activity, the use of electronic equipment such as laptops, tablets, or phones should not be used during class. Please save battery and brain power.
A course book is not mandatory, however you will be required to take a couple of online courses at a minor fee from the Poynter Institute.
For further reference of instructor’s classes, the recommended book is: The Online Journalism Handbook: Skills to Survive and Thrive in the Digital Age by Paul Bradshaw, 2017. See Moodle for Google docs link.
March 10 Copyediting submissions (midterm)* 20%
April 21 Copyediting submissions (end of term)* 20%
Assignments, readings, courses, quizzes 10%
Participation and attendance 10%
*No late submissions accepted for copyediting submissions.
Late submission policy- Late submissions for TV and radio scripts will incur a penalty of 3 percentage points per calendar day.
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Process and steps/ objectivity
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Factchecking: defamation, privacy copyright
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Factchecking: Misinformation
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Factchecking: images, captions & videos
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Grammar, syntax and proofreading
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Terms quiz & news story pitch
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