SYLLABUS FOR WRITING FOR THE MEDIA II
Term: Fall, 2005
Course Number: Eng 312X (MFA 312)
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 Flagstaff, Arizona, a newspaper columnist for The Arlington Post (Arlington Heights, Illinois), and an associate editor of The Wholesaler and The Plumbing and Heating Contractor News, two trade magazines in the plumbing industry. This is my second year at CCSJ. I am the faculty advisor for The Shavings, CCSJ’s student newspaper, and I teach Rhetoric and Composition, Writing for the Media, American Literature, Global Perspectives (The Americas), and Literary Theory and Criticism.
Course Time: Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Course Description:
This is a course of study in advanced news reporting and writing. Students will apply the basic news reporting and writing skills they learned in English 311 to various types of news: obituaries, speeches, news conferences and meetings, government and statistical stories, crime and punishment, disasters, weather and tragedies, and profiles. We will use the workshop method of learning to write by writing.
Prerequisite: ENG 104
Textbook: Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method (4th ed.) by Carole Rich Selected newspaper, magazine, and scholarly articles on the media.
Learning Outcomes/Competencies:
Students in this course will
1. improve their basic news reporting and writing skills.
2. learn to cover a beat: develop story ideas, cultivate and keep sources, check records and human sources and cover a variety of specialty beats.
3. understand the basic elements of news profiles, the GOAL method of interviewing subjects, and how to organize a profile.
4. understand the obituary form, the information necessary to write an obituary, and the difference between basic and feature obituaries.
5. understand attempts at media manipulation, learn how to cover a meeting, a news conference, and a speech, and how to write an advance.
6. learn how to cover government activities and to write budget and statistical stories.
7. learn how to report different types of crime stories, how to gain access to information about crimes, and use names and word accusations properly.
8. understand the basics of the U.S. court system, the criminal and civil court process, and the basic terminology used in court reporting; learn how to write court stories.
9. understand the techniques for covering disasters, personal tragedies and weather related stories, and how to interview grief-stricken people.
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: Writing/Coaching, Small Group Work, Class Discussion
Assessment:
Final grades will be awarded based on your performance in three (3) areas:
a. Class Participation 100 pts.
b. Ten News/Feature Stories 800 pts.
c. 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:
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970-1000 = A+ |
870-890 = B+ |
770-790 = C+ |
670-690= D+ |
0-590 = F |
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940-960 = A |
840-860 = B |
740-760 = C |
640-660 = D |
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900-930 = A- |
800-830 = B- |
700-730 = C- |
600-630 = D- |
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1. Class participation (100 pts). This course will be run on the tutorial system. Each week you will come to class prepared
1) to summarize the content of the week’s reading;
2) to read your news story to the rest of the class. You must bring Xerox copies of your story to class so that fellow students can easily follow the reading and comment upon your work.
Each week you will receive a participation grade (10 pts. for each graded class; 100 pts. total). The following set of profiles will be my guideline:
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F 0-5 |
Comes to class unprepared Never asks questions or participates in discussion Displays a negative, indifferent or belligerent attitude |
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D 6 |
Comes to class ill prepared Rarely or infrequently asks questions or participates in discussion Sometimes displays a negative, indifferent, belligerent spirit. |
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C 7 |
Comes to class prepared Regularly asks questions and participates in class discussion Generally displays a positive attitude toward class |
B8 |
All of C as well as the following: Is helpful to other students and the instructor Listens well and responds to the point |
A9-10
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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. News/Feature Stories (800 pts.)
The largest share of your final grade will depend on 10 news/feature stories which you will write in the course of the semester. You have to write all ten to receive a grade for the course, but only your best eight scores will be counted. Some of the stories will be exercises from the textbook and from “News Scene,” the interactive news assignments on the book’s CD ROM. You will also choose a CCSJ beat and write stories for publication in The Shavings.
The stories are each worth 100 points. They 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, 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.
3. The Final Exam (100 pts.) The final exam will test your understanding of media writing concepts and ideas discussed in your textbook. It is a straight comprehension test which will include multiple choice, matching, and true/false and short answer questions.
Course Calendar:
Class Topics Reading Homework Assignment
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8/30 |
Opening Class |
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9/6 |
Profiles |
Rich 24 |
Write a profile on a new CCSJ faculty member |
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9/13 |
Beat Reporting I |
Rich 18 |
Pick a CCSJ beat. Write one news story for your beat. |
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9/20 |
Speeches, News Conferences and Meetings |
Rich 20 |
News Scene Assignment I: City Council Meeting |
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9/27 |
Writing Under Pressure: Covering the Against the Grain Party September 27, 7:00 p.m. News Story Due by 12 noon the following day |
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10/4 |
Government and Statistical Stories |
Rich 21 |
Write a statistical story. Rich pg. 421 Exercise 3 |
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10/11 |
Mid Term Breather |
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10/18 |
Beat Reporting II |
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Write a news or feature story for your beat. |
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10/25 |
Crime Stories |
Rich 22 (425-439) |
New Scene Assignment II: Bank Robbery |
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11/1 |
Court Stories |
Rich 22 (439-455) |
News Scene Assignment III: Trial: Pick a Day |
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11/8 |
Disasters |
Rich 23 |
News Scene Assignment IV: Tornado |
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11/15 |
Beat Reporting III |
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Write a news or feature story for your beat. |
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11/22 |
Obituaries |
Rich 19 |
Write Jim Henson ObitRich page 385 Exercise 2 |
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11/29 |
Final Exam Review |
Study for Exam |
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12/6 |
Final Exam |
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TB=Textbook Exercises; WB=Workbook Exercises
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).