Course Description
A good story has scope, drama, context, novelty, shape and substance. Not as long as a book, it can nonetheless live in the mind long after it is published, evoking characters, scenes, surprise and issues. It grabs reality and holds it intact, saying “I was there – or people I interviewed were there -- and this is what they – and the facts -- say it was like.”
This course will explore the techniques that make a good investigative story, from the selection of topic, to the kind of reporting required, to the ways to recreate the vitality, importance of what you’ve seen and heard – and/or what the people you interview have seen, experienced and heard. Expect to write a lot and learn to see writing as a process that rewards nimble thinking and trying again.
Course elements
Writing is like using a muscle – the more you do it, the easier it is. So we will be writing and rewriting throughout the course. Sometimes you will be writing IN class, but often your assignments will be weekend ones, and due on the following Monday.
The final will be a polished written piece, written in class – from your notes and previous drafts. So bring in all those materials on the last day!
Journalism Meetings
After we do some initial research, most weeks we will hold an idea meeting to discuss what areas of the case we might explore, and which students should explore what aspects. In other words: how we can capture that reality and write about it. Together we will come up with ways of approaching investigative journalism and feature writing. The practice of analyzing current events and deciding how they might translate into stories will serve to familiarize you with the variety of forms and the elements they comprise. Participation and collaboration from everyone are essential to make this work.
Policies
You are expected to attend every class and show up on time. Follow the syllabus closely and check your emails regularly for any announcements or changes.
Grades are based on:
Attendance (unexcused absences and lateness count against your final grade)
Timely submission of all assignments
Quality of work.
Quality of your class participation
Grades will be calculated as follows: 60% is your course and collaborative work (successfully completing assignments and turning them in on time); 20% is your final exam – which, as I mentioned, will be a polished article done in class, based on your notes and previous work; 20% is your contributions to the class.
No unexcused absences. One absence will mean a 0.5-point reduction in the final grade.
Two late arrivals count as an absence.
Late assignments will mean a 1 point reduction per day. Meaning an A will become an A-minus, etc.
Journalism is a deadline business. Broken computers are no excuse for a late paper. Bring your laptops to class, always. A laptop is a journalist’s right arm.
Work must be original, the creation of the student. Plagiarism would imperil the survival of any magazine or newspaper, and students who plagiarize will fail the course. This does NOT mean you can’t gather facts and figures from other newspapers and online sites regarding the subject you’re working on. But grabbing quotes without attribution to the source that originally got those quotes (ie New York Times, La Stampa, or whatever) – or rewording an entire article and calling it your own IS plagiarism. If Mrs X talks exclusively to the New York Times and says something so significant you want to quote her as well, you MUST say, as Mrs. X told the New York Times last year, “Blah-blah-blah.”
Cell phones are to be turned off during class. Oh, and if you're hungry or thirsty, please fill up either before or after class.