SYLLABUS FOR WRITING FOR
THE MEDIA I
Term:
Fall, 2005
Course Number: Eng 311 (MFA 311)
Instructor: Dr. Chris Buczinsky
Office Phone: 219-473-4250
E-mail: cbuczinsky@ccsj.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:00-12:00,
3:30-4:30
Wednesday 3:00-7:00
Friday 11:00-12:00,
3:30-4:30
Instructor Background: I graduated from
Northwestern in 1994 with my Ph.D. in English. Before coming to CCSJ, I was a
high school journalism teacher in
Course Time: Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Course Description:
This
is a course of study in basic news reporting and writing for the various media,
stressing objective communication in covering the news. Lecture, class
discussion, and in-class writing will focus on understanding the news, collecting
information, constructing stories, and understanding media issues such as
accuracy, libel, and privacy.
Prerequisite:
ENG 103
Textbook: Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method (4th ed.)
by Carole Rich (including workbook) Selected newspaper, magazine, and scholarly
articles on the media.
Learning
Outcomes/Competencies: Students in this course will learn
1.
to understand the nature of news and the news writing process
2.
to write a basic news story
3.
to find, develop and evaluate story ideas
4.
to use human, written and online sources
5.
to interview sources, listening effectively and taking usable notes
6. to construct a variety of
news/feature story leads, story structures, and story endings
7. to
understand the fundamental ethical and legal issues involved in writing for the
media (e.g. accuracy, libel, privacy, plagiarism, etc.) and to practice moral
reasoning as it relates to media writing.
Related INTASC Principles
(For Education Majors)
#1 The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry and the structures of the disciplines he/she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
#2 The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
#3 The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
Learning Strategies: Chalk Talks, Writing/Coaching,
Small Group Work, Class Discussion
Assessment:
Final
grades will be awarded based on your performance in six (6) areas:
a. Class Participation 100 pts.
b. Homework Assignments 100 pts.
c. Story Budgets (5) 50 pts.
d. Style/Grammar/Usage Quizzes 50 pts.
e. Five News/Feature Stories 500 pts.
f.
Mid-Term Exam 100
pts.
g. Final exam 100
pts.
Total 1000 pts.
Grading Scale:
Letter
grades will be assigned according to how well the student fulfills the
requirements listed above. In assigning final grades I will use a traditional
scale:
|
970-1000
= A+ |
870-890
= B+ |
770-790
= C+ |
670-690=
D+ |
0-590
= F |
|
940-960
= A |
840-860
= B |
740-760
= C |
640-660
= D |
|
|
900-930
= A- |
800-830
= B- |
700-730
= C- |
600-630
= D- |
|
1. Class participation (100 pts). Class participation is the most subjective and difficult of all performance to measure, but that does not mean there are no concrete behaviors that help me to evaluate your participation fairly. The follow is a set of profiles will be my guideline:
|
F 0-59 |
Regularly
comes to class unprepared Never
asks questions or participates in discussion Often
gets off task when doing in-class exercises and writing Displays
a negative, indifferent or belligerent attitude |
|
D 60-69 |
Often
comes to class unprepared Rarely
or infrequently asks questions or participates in discussion Sometimes
gets off task when doing in-class exercises and writing Sometimes
displays a negative, indifferent, belligerent spirit. |
|
C C 70-79 |
Regularly
comes to class prepared Stays
on task when doing in-class exercises and writing Regularly
asks questions and participates in class discussion Generally
displays a positive attitude toward class |
B80-89 |
All
of C as well as the following: Is
helpful to other students and the instructor Listens
well and responds to the point |
A90-100 |
All
of C and B as well as the following: Probes
with questions that display an active ownership of education Moves
class discussion forward in new and interesting ways Generally
goes above and beyond the call of duty |
2.
Homework Assignments (100 pts.)
Homework
assignments will include textbook reading, text and workbook exercises, and
other activities that will help you apply the skills to be studied for the
week. I assign them to help you learn; they are meant to practice not to evaluate
your skills (news stories and exams serve this function). Full credit will
therefore be given to all homework that is done with integrity; obviously
slapdash work, of course, will not receive full credit.
3.
Story Budgets (10 pts. each; 50 pts.
total)
In
the course of the semester you must submit five
(5) story budgets. The budgets teach you to develop newsworthy story ideas,
which is one job of a reporter. Each budget should include three (3) story
ideas. Each idea should include
a. a one-word title or “slug”
b. a few sentences describing the story
c. a list of possible graphics that might accompany
the story
The
story budgets must be typed on standard 8 1/2 X 11 typing paper. For more
information, see page 87 of your
textbook.
4.
Style/Grammar/Usage “Quizzes” (50 pts.)
At
the beginning of many classes we will have a quiz over style, grammar, and
usage issues. You do not have to study for these. They are merely learning
devices. If you do the quiz, you receive full credit. The information learned
in taking the quizzes, however, can and will be included on the mid-term and
final exam.
5.
News/Feature Stories (100 pts. each; 500
pts. total)
A
large share of your final grade will depend on five (5) news/feature stories which you will write in the course of
the semester. All of the stories must be written for possible publication in The Shavings, CCSJ’s school newspaper
(i.e. they must be stories about the college or its students). You are required
to write
Two
(2) hard-news stories 200
pts. (100 each)
One
(1) news story written under time pressure 50 pts.
One
(1) feature story and 100
pts.
One
(1) final story (your choice: feature or news) 150
pts.
The
stories will be evaluated using the criteria listed below. Each story must have
4. A clear and effective structure.
8. Active, vigorous, and economical sentence structures and appropriate word choice.
9. Proper grammar,
punctuation, spelling and usage.
10. Proper AP
style.
All
stories must be typed, double-spaced, stapled, and printed in 12 pt. Times New
Roman font with one inch margins. Stories that do not follow this format will
not be accepted.
Meeting
deadlines is an indispensable part of being a successful journalist. In the
real world, reporters get fired if their stories are consistently late. All
stories must therefore be handed in on time. Late stories will receive a 0 (F).
Stories
must be submitted on time even if you are absent on the night of the
deadline. If you must miss class on the night of a story deadline, be
sure to put the story in my campus mailbox before
class or e-mail it to me at cbuczinsky@ccsj.edu.
Note: you may e-mail stories to me only when you are going to be absent
the night of the deadline. Under no other circumstances will I accept stories
e-mailed to me.
6.
The Mid-Term and Final Exam (100 pts.
each; 200 pts. total). The mid-term
and final exams will test your understanding of media writing concepts; they will also test your
mastery of the skills needed to
report and write for the media. The tests will include short answer, multiple
choice, and true/false questions as well as the writing of a full-length news
story.
Course Calendar:
Date Topics Reading Homework
|
8/30 |
Introductions; Syllabus |
|
|
|
9/6 |
Changing
Concepts of News The
Basic News Story The
News Writing Process Ways
to Find Story Ideas |
Rich
2 Rich
3 Rich
pgs. 1-5 Rich
pgs. 80-87 |
WB 2-4, 2-5WB 3-4 Budget 1 |
|
9/13 |
Collecting
Information I: Interviewing |
Rich
7 |
Conduct three (3) interviews.One (1) page report
News Story 1 Due
|
|
9/20 |
Story Structures: Inverted Pyramid, WSJ, Hourglass |
Rich
10 |
TB 1, 2, 3, 4 Budget 2 |
|
9/27 |
Against the Grain Party |
|
News Story
(WUP) Due |
|
10/4 |
Leads and Nut Graphs I: Hard-news Leads |
Rich
9 pgs. 151-165 |
Budget 3 News Story 2 Due |
|
10/11 |
Mid-Term Examination
|
|
Study for Exam |
|
10/18 |
Storytelling
and Feature Techniques |
Rich
11 |
WB 11-1 (Rewrite Poe) Budget 4 |
|
10/25 |
Collecting Information II: Sources/Online
Research |
Rich
6 |
WB 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 |
|
11/1 |
Leads
and Nut Graphs II: Soft
Leads |
Rich
9 pgs. 165-176 |
Budget 5Feature
Story 1 Due |
|
11/8 |
A Night At the
Movies: All the Presidents Men |
No
|
No Assignment |
|
11/15 |
Media
Issues I:
Accuracy/Libel |
Rich
15, AP Brief on Media Law |
WB 15-1, 15-2 |
|
11/22 |
Media
Issues II:
Ethics/Multiculturalism |
Rich
16, 17 Jayson
Blair Case in The NY Times |
WB 16-1, 16-2, 16-3Final Story Due
|
|
11/29 |
Final
Exam Review |
|
|
|
12/6 |
Final Exam |
|
Study For Exam |
TB=Textbook
Exercises; WB=Workbook Exercises
WUP=Written
Under Pressure
Please Note: Modifications to this calendar syllabus may be made to meet the needs
of this specific class.
Class Policy on Tardiness
and Attendance:
In
accordance with English program policy, any
student missing more than NINE (9) hours of class will receive an F.
These
nine hours include both excused and unexcused absences; it also includes all
tardies of more than 15 minutes. Please be aware these hours include birthdays,
sport events, illness, work, etc. If a
problem arises with your absences, please come and talk to me immediately.
Our
class begins at 7 p.m. sharp. If you are tardy, I have to stop the class to get
you up to speed. This is unfair to other students, and it wastes time. I reserve the right to lock the doors to all
who are consistently late. I also reserve the right to mark you absent for the
whole class if you develop a habit of leaving early (which is especially
disruptive). In short, I want the pleasure of your company for the entire class period.
Class Policy on Electronic
Devices:
Please turn off all cell
phones, beepers, etc. It is disruptive to have them going off during
class. If there is an important reason
why you must have your phone or beeper turned on (e.g. an illness at home, an
unusual work situation), please ask my permission.
Center for Academic
Excellence:
Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of
St. Joseph. The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) has experienced and
well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling
in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better. Regular weekly
tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade. In addition to the face-to-face tutoring offered
by the Center, online tutoring is available for students whose schedules do not
permit them to meet with a tutor in person. Call the Center for Academic
Excellence at (219) 473-4287, to schedule a tutoring appointment or for additional information
about how to access online tutoring assistance.
Statement of Plagiarism:
If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27) Please be aware that your paper may be submitted for examination for plagiarism to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism-check Internet company with which the college has contracted.
Withdrawal from Classes
Policy:
After
the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may
withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the
faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s)
for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. A written request for the
withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior
to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may
be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259.
Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses.
The
request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination
to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will
receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will
indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division
(DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD withdrawals.
An
official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's
transcript. Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs
an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).
Note:
This
course will be taught in conjunction with MFA 312. Advanced Writing for the
Media (3 hours).