Section 2: 12:15 to 1:55 p.m. MW, 312 OEC
Instructor Course Description and Objectives: This course will introduce you to various types of mass media writing -- print and broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising and online media. Along the way, we'll build skills in information gathering, interviewing, organizing, writing and revising our own media writing, and in judging the quality of current media writing.
Required Reading and Supplies: Three books are required for this course: The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (1994 or later edition) edited by Goldstein, When Words Collide (4th edition) by Kessler and McDonald, and Writing Across the Media by Bunton, Connery, Kanihan, Neuzil and Nimmer. In addition to buying these books, you must buy a 3.5-inch Macintosh-formatted computer disk. Bring both the disk and your books to every class meeting.
Participation and Attendance: There are no points for attendance, but because in-class assignments can't be completed outside of class, it stands to reason that missing class will lower your grade. There are no make-ups for missing in-class assignments or quizzes, so please make careful choices about your attendance and accept the responsibility for those choices. Exceptions to the no make-up policy will be granted only for serious illnesses (verified by a physician's note), grave family emergencies (deaths, funerals, etc., verified by appropriate documentation) and school-sponsored activities (verified by a coach or faculty member). If you believe your absence should be excepted from the no make-up policy due to one of these reasons, you must contact me before the class period you miss. Voice mail and e-mail work at all hours of the day and night, so leave a message using one of those forms of technology if you can't reach me personally, then follow up later with documentation.
Academic Honesty: I will not tolerate academic dishonesty in any form — whether it is failure to credit the source of an idea paraphrased in a story you write, or cheating on a quiz, or fabricating information and presenting it as your own. Academic dishonesty is grounds for an automatic F in the course.
Deadlines: All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of class, and all in-class assignments are due at 1:55 p.m., which is the end of the class period. Assignments not turned in by these deadlines will lose a minimum of 10 percent of their point value for missing the deadline. The number of points penalized for late assignments will increase by 10 percent for each 24 hours later they are turned in. Assignments will not be accepted after they are a week late.
Grading: Grades in this course will be figured on a straight percentage basis. That means your final grade is based on the percentage of the total points you earn. The grading will follow this scale:
Media writing is clear, concise, direct and factual. Therefore, assignments will be graded with an emphasis on content. Content includes good writing skills such as clarity, organization, use of materials to support your conclusions, and selection and organization of facts. Assignments also will be graded closely for mechanical accuracy, which is critical to all kinds of media writing. Mechanical accuracy includes spelling, grammar and usage, punctuation and correct style.
Course Structure: In- and out-of-class writing assignments: This is a hands-on class. We'll spend much of our class time writing and revising short stories. You'll draft some stories in class and finish them afterward, and you'll draft some outside class and finish them in class.
Style quizzes: Developing a working familiarity with basic writing style rules is critical to media writing. Adherence to style rules develops discipline and consistency. You will take a style quiz every Monday. A review guide will be distributed in class each Wednesday to assist you in preparing for the quiz. All style quizzes are open book, so bring your AP Stylebook and When Words Collide to each quiz.
Out-of-class information-gathering assignments: This category includes assignments designed to help build your information-gathering and interviewing skills. For some assignments, you will be asked to find examples of media writing skills and techniques in current newspapers and magazines to bring to class. For others, you'll prepare story ideas and conduct research.
Midterm and final exams: Twice, you'll be given a test similar to the placement test you took to be admitted to this course. Each of the two tests will examine your skills in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage and news judgment. The exams also include an in-class writing assignment.
NOTE: At the back of this syllabus a tally sheet is attached. If you record your scores as assignments are returned, you can total your grade at any point in the course and check the percentage against the grading scale on the first page of the syllabus. You can also make sure my math is correct and help me correct any errors in your grade.
Course Outline:
Sample Syllabi: Kris Bunton
Dr. Kris Bunton
E-mail: kebunton@stthomas.edu
100 - 93% A 82 - 80% B- 69 - 67% D+
92 - 90% A- 79 - 77% C+ 66 - 63% D
89 - 87% B+ 76 - 73% C 62 - 60% D-
86 - 83% B 72 - 70% C- below 60% F
Several components make up this course, as follows:
13 stories at 20 points each 260 points (29%)
13 style quizzes at 15 points each 195 points (22%)
3 media-writing examples at 5 points each 15 points
2 information-gathering assignments at 50 points each 100 points
2 interviewing assignments at 50 points each 100 points
1 interviewing assignment at 10 points 10 points
TOTAL from out-of-class assignments and exercises 225 points (26%)
2 exams at 100 points each 200 points (23%)
COURSE TOTAL 880 points
In the outline below, an assignment marked "WAM" indicates a reading assignment in Writing Across the Media. "WWC" indicates When Words Collide. "AP" indicates The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. "SQ" indicates a style quiz.
DATE BEFORE CLASS IN CLASS
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W, Sept. 9 Course introduction
Computer basics
Review for editing symbols quiz
Complete writing assessment
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M, Sept. 14 Read WAM ch. 1 and ch. 2 "Core values of media writing
Review AP on editing symbols Take SQ1: Editing symbols
Write E-MAIL: Send an e-mail
message to kebunton signifying
that you have obtained a UST
computer account and user name,
and are ready to go "online.
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W, Sept. 16 Read WAM ch. 5
Prepare EXAMPLE1: Find and Openings
bring to class an example from Review for parts of speech quiz
a newspaper or magazine of
each of these four leads
presented in WAM ch. 5,
pp. 103-113:
1. Summary
2. Immediate Identification
3. Delayed Identification
4. Multiple Elements
Mark the following information
on each lead:
1. The who, what, when and
where elements, as explained
in WAM ch. 5, p. 105.
2. A word count for the lead
paragraph.
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M, Sept. 21 Review WWC ch. 2 and AP entries Openings, continued
on parts of speech Finish LEADS1
Draft LEADS1 Take SQ2: Parts of speech
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W, Sept. 23 Draft LEADS2 Openings, continued
Finish LEADS2
Review for sentences quiz
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M, Sept. 28 Review WWC ch. 3 and AP entries Openings, continued
on sentences. Write LEADS3
Take SQ3: Sentences
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W, Sept. 30 Draft LEADS4 Openings, continued
Finish LEADS4
Review for agreement quiz
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M, Oct. 5 Read WAM ch. 6 Basic stories
Review WWC ch. 4 and AP entries Take SQ4: Agreement
on agreement.
Write BIO: Write a 400-word
story about yourself.
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W, Oct. 7 Draft BASIC1 Basic stories, continued
Finish BASIC1
Review for case quiz
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M, Oct. 12 Review WWC ch. 5 and AP entries Basic stories, continued
on case. Finish BASIC2
Draft BASIC2 Take SQ5: Case
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W, Oct. 14 Read WAM ch. 4 Gathering information: overview
Prepare EXAMPLE2: Find and Discuss requirements for
bring to class a newspaper INFORMATION1, INFORMATION2 and
article (at least 15 inches INTERVIEW assignments.
of copy) or a one-page news Review for passive voice quiz.
magazine article on which you
have marked and labeled all
the sources of information
(interview, observation,
document, etc.) the writer used
in the article.
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M, Oct. 19 Review WWC ch. 6 and AP entries Gathering information:
on passive voice. biographical and electronic
Complete SQ6: Passive voice sources
take-home quiz and slide it Note: Class meets in Room 314
under my office door by 5 p.m. of the O'Shaughnessey-Frey
Bring to class a list of the Library on Oct. 19.
information you need to collect
about the person you have been
assigned to background for
INFORMATION1.
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W, Oct. 21 Gathering information: interviews
Review for punctuation quiz
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M, Oct. 26 Read WWC chs. 1 and 11 Advanced skills: overview
Read WAM ch. 7 Take SQ7: Punctuation
Review WWC ch. 7 and AP entries Review for midterm
on punctuation
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W, Oct. 28 Review for MIDTERM Take MIDTERM
Review for spelling and
usage quiz
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M, Nov. 2 Review WWC ch. 7 and AP entries Advanced skills: using quotations
on spelling and word usage Take SQ8: Spelling and word usage
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W, Nov. 4 Prepare INFORMATION1 Advanced skills: using
quotations, continued
Write QUOTES
Review for numerals quiz
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M, Nov. 9 Read WAM ch. 3 Advanced skills: audience
Review AP entries on numerals Take SQ9: Numerals
Prepare EXAMPLE3: From the
newspaper racks outside the
post office in Murray Herrick
Hall (or from elsewhere), pick
up two specialized weekly or
monthly newspapers, such as
Asian Pages, La Prensa de
Minnesota or Minnesota Women's
Press. Study the articles,
photos and advertising. For
each newspaper, write a sentence
or two explaining who you think
the newspaper's audience is (young,
old, upscale, low income, single,
married, etc.) and how the
editorial and advertising content
of the newspaper specifically
serves that audience. Bring both
newspapers and your written
analysis to class.
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W, Nov. 11 Write INTERVIEW1 Advanced skills: audience,
continued
Review for capitalization quiz.
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M, Nov. 16 Read WAM chs. 7 and 8 Advanced skills: radio and TV
Review AP entries on Take SQ10: Capitalization
capitalization.
Write AUDIENCE
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W, Nov. 18 Write BROADCAST1 Advanced skills: radio and TV,
continued
Draft BROADCAST2
Review for abbreviations quiz.
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M, Nov. 23 Finish BROADCAST2 Advanced skills: radio and TV,
Review AP entries on continued
abbreviations. Draft BROADCAST3
Take SQ11: Abbreviations
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W, Nov. 25 Finish BROADCAST3 Advanced skills: writing with
Prepare INFORMATION2 images
Go over group assignments for
AD and WEB.
Review for clarity, conciseness
and coherence quiz.
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M, Nov. 30 Review WWC ch. 9 and AP entries Advanced skills: writing with
on clarity. images, continued
Take SQ12: Clarity, conciseness
and coherence
Work on AD and WEB.
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W, Dec. 2 Advanced skills: writing with
images, continued
Finish AD and WEB
Review for sense and sensitivity
quiz.
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M, Dec. 7 Write INTERVIEW2 Advanced skills: editing others'
Review WWC ch. 10 and AP work
entries on sensitivity. Round table INTERVIEW2
Take SQ13: Sense and sensitivity
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W, Dec. 9 Write INTERVIEW3 Pulling all the skills together
Review for final
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10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18: Take FINAL.
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Tally Sheet: JOUR 110-02 Fall 1998
Date Assignment Points possible My score
Sept. 14 SQ1 15
Sept. 16 EXAMPLE1 5
Sept. 21 LEADS1 20
Sept. 21 SQ2 15
Sept. 23 LEADS2 20
Sept. 28 LEADS3 20
Sept. 28 SQ3 15
Sept. 30 LEADS4 20
Oct. 5 SQ4 15
Oct. 7 BASIC1 20
Oct. 12 BASIC2 20
Oct. 12 SQ5 15
Oct. 14 EXAMPLE2 5
Oct. 19 SQ6 15
Oct. 26 SQ7 15
Oct. 28 MIDTERM 100
Nov. 2 SQ8 15
Nov. 4 QUOTES 20
Nov. 4 INFORMATION1 50
Nov. 9 SQ9 15
Nov. 9 EXAMPLE3 5
Nov. 14 INTERVIEW1 50
Nov. 16 SQ10 15
Nov. 16 AUDIENCE 20
Nov. 18 BROADCAST1 20
Nov. 23 BROADCAST2 20
Nov. 23 SQ11 15
Nov. 25 BROADCAST3 20
Nov. 25 INFORMATION2 50
Nov. 30 SQ12 15
Dec. 2 AD 20
Dec. 2 WEB 20
Dec. 7 INTERVIEW2 10
Dec. 7 SQ13 15
Dec. 9 INTERVIEW3 50
Dec. 18 FINAL 100
TOTAL 880