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   Basic communication writing techniques and preparation of correspondence, reports, articles and resumes, including precision (grammar and spelling), accuracy (attribution and identification), conciseness and AP style. You will write A LOT in this writing-intensive course.

• ENGL 1023 (Comp II)
• Keyboard proficiency
• Working knowledge of the Internet and email

    Demonstrate the ability to write communication correspondence including emails, backgrounders and memos. Demonstrate the ability to write news and feature articles fluently, concisely and clearly. Write publishable communications under deadline pressure with few errors and NO factual errors, culminating in a portfolio. Learn the elements of Associated Press style and the inverted pyramid, answer the five W's and H, and offer context. Use the Internet as a resource. Stay abreast of current events in business, politics, the arts, finance, science, media and international affairs. Demonstrate an understanding of the practices and importance of media. Demonstrate an understanding of media ethics. Demonstrate skill in using the technologies commonly used in media production.

Bold = Bring to every class:

• Harrower, T. "Inside Reporting." McGraw Hill. (latest edition). McGraw-Hill (2009) ISBN-10: 0073378917 | ISBN-13: 978-0073378916
• "The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual." (latest edition). The Associated Press (2011) ISBN 978-0-917360-55-8
• Strunk, W. Jr. & White, E. B. "The Elements of Style." (4th edition).
• Day Planner
• Interviewing Guide
• 2GB storage Electronic device, DropBox or MediaFire
• "Local" newspaper of your choice (Pine Bluff Commercial, regional publications available outside Wells lab)
• A good collegiate dictionary

1. Read the Textbook and Stylebook. Your exam and publications reflect knowledge you gain over the semester.
2. Write on topic. It's not enough to talk about writing, i.e. you must write. I coach you along the way by pointing out places to improve. After a time, you lose additional points for repeated mistakes.
3. Attend. Get Involved. Realize you only get four cuts over the semester or fall victim to the attendance policy. Also realize you bring perspective on issues that otherwise might not be considered. We all lose.
4. Adhere to deadlines. ALL communication jobs meet deadlines. Every one of them. Read chapters and work on assignments prior to each class meeting. Submit assignments in the proper format by deadline, i.e. the beginning of class on the date listed.

   I grade on performance, not effort — it takes great effort to perform. At first, your work will be flawed as most of you will be unfamiliar with the stylebook, format and news writing principles. However, your work will meet publishable standards over time.

   Your grade includes in-class and out-of-class writing opportunities; published work; campus briefs; news, style and reading quizzes; and attendance and class participation.

   Neither quizzes nor exams may be made up without prior approval. I encourage you to use two sets of eyes on your article's copy before it's submitted for a grade.

   Learn from your mistakes. The only bad mistake you'll make is by repeating a mistake you've previously made.

   AVOID silly mistakes by sending your work to Grammarly Handbook and Grammarly Answers, then learning why it made the suggested changes so that you don't make the same mistake twice.

Fatal errors — People can sue if you publish incorrect factual information, i.e. fabrications and incorrect age, name spellings, addresses and date or time of an activity. Work with fatal errors will receive a 20-point deduction for each instance.

Nonfatal errors — Expect deductions (-0.5) for each spelling, grammatical or typing error, and a (-1) deduction for nonfatal errors, including AP Style.

CLASS DISCUSSIONS

What's News? - Bring an article from a national and local newspaper on the same topic for each article type under discussion. Be prepared to discuss the similarities and differences between the articles.

Speakers - Bring a list of questions you'd like to ask the speaker. Remember: good journalist ALWAYS asks questions.

   Though points will accumulate for multiple errors, typically papers receive grades as listed below:

A — Publishable article with minor editing, featuring a compelling lead and excellent writing that is well organized and thoroughly covers the topic. It contains no factual errors.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

   Class participation includes good listening and discussion skills, an open attitude to learning, attendance, effort, professional attitude, making a Blackboard journal entry, attending midterm conferences and working with others on the group project.

Midterm Conferences

   At midterm week, I will provide a 15-minute review of the upcoming exam. I will also answer questions that you have and acquire your preferred meeting time for our midterm conference.

   During the midterm conference, we meet for 15 minutes for me to let you know where you stand in the course and for you to ask questions about the course and/or midterm. Bring your marked-up AP Stylebook, any graded-and-returned assignments and an inquisitive nature.

   You will not succeed in this class if you do not contribute to class discussions with enthusiasm and sincerity. Like life, the more you put into the course, the more you'll get out of it.

   I grade on performance, not effort — it takes great effort to perform. I do not grade on a curve as your objective is skill mastery. While it's OK to err, penalties increase for repeated mistakes. You only compete with yourself as skill mastery demands time and practice.

Interviewing: Most assignments require out-of-class interviews. Real journalists interview people instead of using the Internet, which should ONLY be used for background purposes for the majority of your assignments. Keep copies of all notes to verify quotes and information throughout the semester.

Writing: All assignments must be submitted in the correct format to receive credit. Store work on a disk of your choice, but also send it to yourself to an off-campus email so you'll never have to worry about losing it. The computer hard drives in the lab will be erased regularly. Any work left there will be lost. If you lose your work, you will lose points in the portfolio! Immediately rewrite your graded work. Not only will it help you understand the attributes of a successfully written article, it will also prepare you for the end of the semester.

Mulligan Policy - You learn as you work but my standards remain high. Most likely, there will be a huge gap between where you begin and end the semester in terms of your writing knowledge. I expect this and realize some of you will be unhappy with your first few grades, but will end the semester with higher grades. I will provide you the opportunity to redo an assignment to replace the lowest grade near the end of the semester.

Quizzes — You will take 12 quizzes over the course of the semester. I will drop the two lowest grades before compiling the remaining grades for a possible 100 points. Quizzes may NOT be made up.

Timed Writings — Publications run on tight deadlines. To give you the feel of deadline pressure, you will take two timed writings for grades and others for practice. I grade timed, in-class writing exercises for completion and accuracy. Timed writing exercises may NOT be made up.

NONGRADED ASSIGNMENTS

   You improve your writing through practice. The first few assignments will not be graded to give you this practice before grades commence. Learn from these early mistakes so the same mistakes won't cost you when the marks begin.

First Impression - Describe who you are and why you're taking this course without using opinion or first person (use third person instead). This first paragraph must be 35 words or less while explaining the most important information someone might need to know about you. Boil it down by using short sentences and active voice, i.e. make it do it to it.

   Your second paragraph should elaborate with additional information indicating what factors contribute or detract from the first paragraph, e.g. if the first paragraph describes yourself as a hard-working individual, explain in the second paragraph. Does that mean you work hard on school, a job, a family (contributes) or might that mean your other obligations will require school to be something you're doing on the side (detracts)?

First Interview - Interview your classmate about either why they want to write for The Voice or what they expect to gain from the experience.

   Write a brief profile of them and make sure you get it right! Email the profile you've written to your classmate for verification, then submit it to the Editor-in-Chief of The Voice.

   To practice, edit your profile written by your classmate whenever you learn something new in class. AP STYLE hint: Check ages, nicknames, composition titles, courtesy titles, academic titles, addresses, Internet, Web, newspapers.

The following assignments must be done over the course of the semester. Individual information follows each assignment topic. However, you may determine the order in which you attempt these articles as news does not necessarily happen when you want it, e.g. no one can predict weather hazards at the beginning of the semester, but if you write about them when they happen you could fulfill your public safety requirement.

1) email - You will email me indicating that your Blackboard journal has been completed. You will write an email to the contact on your beat asking to set up an interview, and BCC'ing me. Both will be graded on spelling, grammar and formatting, resulting in a combined grade.

2) BACKGROUNDER/BEAT REPORT -- After meeting contacts on your beat, combing through the archives of The Voice and viewing handouts, calendars, interviews, Internet sources, directories, etc., write a 750- to 1,000-word backgrounder detailing the following:

• Name your specific beat and a little background information, but do NOT provide a cut-and-paste from the Web site of the school or division covered by the beat.
• Who are the chief officials and newsmakers?
• Name any clubs or organizations within the beat, and the elected or appointed officials of each.
• Detail any special services provided within the beat.
• Provide links to previously occurring newsworthy events found in the morgue of The Voice. Do yourself a favor and see what's been written previously.
• Speculate on the likely news stories from the beat that will break during the semester, e.g. upcoming trips, speakers, application deadlines, etc.

3)FEATURE - Interview your grandparents or someone two generations removed about a significant event that happened in their lifetime (e.g. the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, Sputnik, the Kennedy or King assassination, the Moon landing, Vietnam, Watergate, Three Mile Island or the Iranian Hostage Crisis). Use their experience as a microcosm of the larger social experience; i.e. micro to macro and back to micro. In other words, tell their story and relate it to the larger social happening. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice  or personal opinions. After establishing both names, refer to each by first name on second reference. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This will be the final piece graded only on spelling, grammar and format.

4) OBITUARY - Choose a celebrity that you really love or really hate. Using at least one physical source and no more than two online sources, write a canned obituary of 600-750 words. While you may make up the cause of death and the funeral arrangements, everything else MUST be factual. Use information provided for all obituaries, i.e. prominent activities, relevance to the community, education, etc.  NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice  or personal opinions. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark.

5) PROFILE - Profile either a new professor or the chief official on your beat by interviewing them and their boss, e.g. if you have the Arts and Humanities beat, you'd interview the new professor then also interview Dean Mark Spencer. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice or personal opinions. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

6) PUBLIC SAFETY - Write an article about the police department, fire department, emergency medical technicians or a natural or man-made disaster. Remember: Hard news articles should feature a lede of 35 words or less. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice or personal opinions. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

7) MEETING/SPEECH/BUSINESS - Choose one of the three genres, then write an article. A meeting article should cover the meeting of a campus or community body, while the speech article would cover remarks made by a speaker. DO NOT write this article in chronological order; instead, lead with the MOST IMPORTANT topic of the meeting or the speech. A business article should cover either a campus or community business. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice or personal opinions. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

8) SPORTS - Write a sports article on UAM athletics or intramurals. If you write a hard news article, the lede should be 35 words or less. If you write a feature-type article, make sure to have a nut graph by the third graf. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

9) GENERAL NEWS - Choose a topic on campus and write a news article fit for The Voice. You may want to write about something happening on your beat. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

10) ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/POSITION PAPER - Either A) write an A&E feature article or review, which can cover art, music, movies, video games, etc. OR B) write a position paper on a topic of campus interest. While the feature article cannot use opinion, the review and the position paper are expected to contain it. However, if you use opinion, be sure to back it up with facts. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style. Remember to provide sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

11) PSA/NEWS RELEASE/NEWS II - For your final article, you choose what type of writing you want to tackle. You may write either a public service announcement in broadcast form, a news release promoting your favorite campus organization after finding a newsworthy event OR a second general news article covering any topic on campus. NOTE: Be careful to write with AP style and make sure you do not use passive voice. Remember to provide embargo information, sources and an end-mark. This may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

   Writing for The Voice provides students with hands-on experience in the issues communicators face. The aspiring journalist gathers clips for future interviews. The aspiring lawyer gains vital experience crafting compact statements providing a wealth of information. The aspiring PR rep gains insight into what will actually make news, thereby not wasting precious time crafting messages that will only end up in the trash. Those not entering the communication field gain a better understanding of how media craft messages while tightening their own writing, which can only result in improved communication in their own profession.

   Although it takes time to get a good news article, your writing counts:

• It's authentic
• It makes a difference to the campus.

   The Voice holds high publication standards, but you can meet them with revisions to your article. The editors will often help you get better if you'll take the time to stop by the lab and ask for help. When you're ready to submit an article to the paper, you must submit it to the editors by noon Friday prior to the next issue.

CAMPUS BRIEFS

   Choose three preferences for a beat. Once assigned, meet with a contact on your beat and have them email me to verify the initial meeting. Make a beat report for your benefit, i.e. so you will know what's happening there for the remainder of the semester. Turn information from your beat into a brief, so as those appearing in The Voice's Around Campus briefs column to alert the campus to upcoming events or short bits of news that can be condensed into a single sentence. Some briefs may lead into larger news stories.

• You must submit five briefs, worth up to 20 points each, over the course of the semester.
• Briefs must be submitted at least once every three weeks. You may only submit up to two briefs for any deadline.
• Briefs must follow proper AP style and journalistic format.
• If you don't submit a brief during the three-week period, you miss the deadline and LOSE 20 points.

   Of the four required submissions, you MUST write at least one of each of the following:

1. either a hard news or police article covering a campus event
2. either:
   • a speech article covering either a speaker or panel discussion
   • a meeting article covering the Student Government Association, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council or other approved gathering
   • a business article covering a local establishment frequented by the campus community
3. either a sports story or an A&E article

   Attend staff meetings and volunteer for story assignments or be assigned to them. You're encouraged to originate story ideas, but make sure they're not already assigned to someone else by checking with the editor-in-chief, managing editor or adviser. If you need a photo to go with your article, be sure to speak with the chief photographer.

   The Voice Submissions: Submit your articles by sharepoint or to The Voice's email. Make sure to send an original to me for grading! Keep track of your published work on your 2GB USB Key. You will add them to your portfolio at the end of the semester.

EXTRA CREDIT  

   You can receive 20 points for every additional article published in The Voice beyond those required. You can also receive once per semester — your choice!

1. publishing an article in a recognized non-campus publication (100 points)
2. reviewing a communication novel by the 13th week of the semester (70 points).

   In large classes, teams will be selected to develop their own topics and angles. Smaller classes will not split up; rather they will tackle a single issue from a variety of angles.

   During the Master Planning Stage, the class will brainstorm ideas for attacking this project. The group will determine the topic through a process of elimination; each topic will address one of the following issues:

• Campus & Community Relations
• Relationships between the three campuses of Monticello
• Diversity on campus and within Southeast Arkansas
• Activities or events Increasing a sense of Campus Community

   Students will culminate this project by copy-editing and providing photographs for each other's work, publishing in the final semester's Voice and relying on each member to participate for a better total score. The class project often plays a major part of the student's final grades since students will present the project in lieu of a final exam.

   You must keep track of your articles as previously described. You will benefit by putting this together as you go, rather than waiting until the last minute to do it You will maintain a portfolio containing (in order):

• resume
• any published work  — As each edition of The Voice comes out, print your story, label it with the date of publication and file it.
• five news briefs - You'll submit your beat report and your five briefs on one document in Microsoft Word. Where you originally received credit for getting them in by deadline, these will be graded for AP style and grammar.
• for each written assignment (not published works), provide in order:
  • an edited version of your article — I will be looking for AP style, passive voice, grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. This version should be virtually free of those!
  • an original copy of your article — This is the version originally returned to you. I may not catch every mistake the first time, so be sure you look for mistakes in addition to the ones I caught the first time.
  • paragraph detailing the lesson learned from this experience — Next to the article, or on the next page, briefly explain what you learned during the process of writing the article, e.g.
    • What did the copy-editing of the story teach you about conciseness, accuracy or news style?
    • What problems did you encounter covering the story and how did you solve them?
    • What news values does the story contain?

The following quotes came from student evaluations of the previous incarnation of the Communication Writing course, i.e. intro to Journalism. Thanks to the comments, portions of the class have changed for the better in the new incarnation:

"This class is NOT easy. Takes a lot of time and hard work. It is a good class but it is not for slackers."

"This class push you straight into and I feel I was unprepared. It’s a great class, but I feel this class you need to be dedicated more than any other intro class."

"Although I had very little interest in this subject before taking this class, I must say I enjoyed most of it. Dr. Sitton may expect much from his students, but he will work as hard as you are willing to in order to see you succeed. I wish UAM had more like him."

"Dr. Sitton’s class requires self-discipline and time management. If you come in without them, you will learn them very quickly. This course is work-intensive. But you will learn more than you thought you would. The skills carry over to other classes. If you’re not ready to work your ass off, drop it now! But when you finish, you will have accomplished more than you ever thought you could."

"This class has an extreme work load when coupled with other classes and assignments. Students need to have the patience, and hopefully a desire to succeed in the field. Have a day planner."

"Two things - First of all, if you don’t like deadlines, get the hell out now, ‘cause you’re not gonna be able to keep up. Second you need to make sure you can form a coherent thought, ‘cause if you can’t, you’re screwed, plain and simple."

"I have learned how to become a better writer because of this class. It has helped me not only in this class, but in all of my classes."

"I started this class scared to death. I heard Sitton was mean and this class was hard. But I came out of this class with a mindset that I can accomplish AP style. Also, Sitton helps tremendously with your articles and prepares you for what’s needed to become a journalist."

"Sitton’s a good teacher. Journalism requires A LOT of work."

"This is by far one of the toughest I’ve ever taken but if you like journalism, this is the class for you."

"I’m truly glad I took this course because, although at times it seemed I had some kind of love-hate relationship with it, I can surely say I’ve learned to learn from my mistakes. I could also improve my writing skills. The instructor throughout his lessons has been a source of inspiration to achieve new and higher goals in my personal and professional life. "