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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "DJRN 221-2"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to News Reporting and Writing"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: John Christopher Fiegener
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces writing and reporting techniques for the mass media. It focuses on the essential elements of writing for the print, online and broadcast media. The course also covers media criticism, ethics in media, and the formats and styles of public relations.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course introduces fundamental skills of news reporting and writing for print, online, and audiovisual news media. It also addresses journalism ethics and practices, with a focus on newsgathering, writing, and reporting for breaking news, as well as investigative and feature news events. The course teaches reporting and writing techniques while providing an introductory study of journalistic practices, field reporting conditions, and copy editing expectations. It also covers the public and private responsibilities of news reporting. Students will learn how to address bias in writing and news reporting, as well as how to stay safe in local, national, and international news environments.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Learn reporting and writing techniques,

Introduction to journalistic practices,

Awareness of field reporting conditions,

Copy editing expectations,

Appreciation of public and private responsibilities of news reporting,

How to stay safe in local, national, and international news environments. 
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
News story judgmentHow to identify, research and follow a news story15%
News story pitchHow to write a news story pitch/outline 15%
News story deliveryHow to write a complete news story 30%
News story treatment and researchHow to write to audio/visual elements and research factual data 20%
ParticipationActive class discussion, student feedback, attention and engagement10%
Ethics ReflectionEnd of semester performance self evaluation, course review, objectives learned 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 ____________
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

Week One

 

Session 1

 

What Makes “The News”

And what doesn’t

Basic Rules to Answer the 5 W’s + How+ Why

News Values; Trust and the Public Mission

Storytelling 101 

Different Storytelling Formats

Being Aware of the Big Bad Bias

 

Session 2

 

NEWS beats

Breaking news, Investigative, and Feature News Reporting

Researching and Curating Stories

The search for Factual Data

Opinion and Analysis in “The News”

Journalism Formats for the Eyes and the Ears

 

Readings:
2x newspapers, 2x blogs/newsletters, 2x newscast 

Opinion, Feature and Analysis Pieces

  

Week Two

 

Session 3

 

Editorial Process

Signs of a News Story

Analyzing and Using News Sources

Keeping Track of the News

Being Aware of News Bias

 

Session 4

 

Finding your story and pitching it

Timeliness (when)

Prominence (who)

Importance (what)

Location (where)

News logistics 101

When you must go to the story, when the story comes to you

 

Week Three

 

Session 5

 

Impact of a Story

Beyond the Headlines

Public Trust and Expectations

Fact-checking the Story

 

Session 6

 

Media Ethics

Journalist’s code of conduct

Basic legal rights and wrongs

 

 

Week Four

 

Session 7

 

Developing a Coverage Plan

Strategizing for a successful pitch 

Preparing and writing the news pitch

 

Session 8

 

Writing the News Pitch

Discuss Pitches for Approval

 

Week Five

 

Session 9

 

Executing the Coverage Plan

Getting There

Working in Hostile Environments

Safety and Operating as a Team 

 

Session 10

 

Finding Sources and Interviews 

Consent and Rules of Engagement

On and off the record, when is it a good idea?

Ensuring the Safety and Security of Sources

 

Week Six

 

Session 11

 

Reporting Methodology, Protocol, Etiquette

Final story Research 

Research Sources

Angles to cover

Finding Interviews 

 

Session 12

  

Doing interviews by phone, in person, on camera

Interviewing Techniques 

Post interviewing steps

Permissions, waivers

Legal age requirements 

 

Week Seven

 

Session 13

 

Field coverage

Audio and video

Working solo and in teams

Logging material

 

Session 14

 

Post-Coverage Editorial and Writing Process

Story organization

Inverted Pyramid Activity

Writing to pictures

 

Week Eight

 

Session 15

 

News writing

Outline, Title, Lede and body

Quotes

Citing sources

Conclusion

How and when to use the Associated Press Stylebook (AP)

 

Session 16

 

News writing

Attribution 

Analysis

Opinion

Disclaimers

Script

 

Week Nine

 

Session 17

 

News writing for Print

Page layout

Line assignments 

Leads & Headlines

Visuals and Captions

Photographs and Agencies

Copyright

Hyperlinks

 

Session 18

 

News writing for TV

Keep it under 2 minutes

Reason to use sound bites

Reason to use stand up/on camera open and close or bridge

When pictures speak louder than words

Measuring the emotional impact of images and video in a news story

Explicit material and disclaimers

 

Week Ten

 

Session 19

 

News writing for blogs and podcasts

Online Advantages

Session 20

 

How and when to use a Press Release

Working with Spokespersons

Official Censorship; rules and cases

Legal Jeopardy, Defamation, and Malicious Disregard for the Truth

 

Week Eleven

 

Session 21

 

Using public information sources

Social Media and News
Fact-checking information and news content

Tools to verify information

Signs you may be manipulated

Hate Speech and Harmful Information

 

Session 22

 

Fact-Checking Workshop

Verify examples of manipulated information

 

Week Twelve

 

Session 23

 

Media Criticism 

Gatekeeping, agenda-setting, news framing, bias, clickbait and news scams 

Trust Erosion

Elitism

Partisan Mouthpieces

Propagandists

 

Session 24

 

News Media Freelancers, Permalancers, Staff and Agencies plus Citizen Journalism

Investigative NGOs and Journalism

Foundation and Advocacy Funding

Subscription and Advertising

Newsletters/substacks and other ways

 

Week Thirteen

 

Last Session 

 

Politics of mass media

Manufacturing consent 

Media ownership and partisan views

First Amendment

Censorship