COMM 3013
Newswriting
3 credit hours
1:40 - 3 p.m., TR

108 Wells Hall | Fall 2011
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Media Studies / Communication
School of Arts & Humanities

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Ronald W. Sitton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Journalism

Email: sitton@uamont.edu
Office: 110 Wells Hall | (870) 460-1138
358 University Drive | POB 3460 | 71656

Hours: M-F, 8-9 a.m., by appt; online: 1-2 p.m.
   "Your responsibility includes everything here and in the General Class Policies. Read both, sign the contract, then return it by the third class meeting if you intend to attend. Questions? Consult the syllabus, then ask me. Ignorance will not save you points." - Dr. Sitton General Class Policies Index:  ACCOMMODATIONS || ELECTRONIC DEVICES || CONDUCT || SOURCING || ATTENDANCE || DEADLINES || FEEDBACK || eMAIL || BLACKBOARD || TECH SUPPORT

Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS


DESCRIPTION

   Advanced writing and reporting techniques, including an in-depth analysis of newsgathering and a focus on beats likely to be covered by aspiring writers, such as government, public safety, education, business, the courts, environment, health and elections.

PREREQUISITES
  • COMM 3033 (Comm Writing)
  • Keyboard proficiency
  • Working knowledge of the Internet and email
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

   Demonstrate the ability to write news stories and feature articles fluently, concisely and clearly. Write publishable news under deadline pressure with few errors and NO factual errors, culminating in a portfolio. Apply 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 mass media. Demonstrate an understanding of journalistic ethics. Demonstrate skill in using the technologies commonly used in newspaper and magazine production. 

Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top

Click "online bookstore" for text information!
TEXTS AND SUPPLIES

Bold = Bring to every class:

REQUIREMENTS
  1. Read the Textbook and Stylebook. Your exams reflects knowledge you gain over the semester.
  2. Do the Exercises. It's not enough to talk about newswriting and reporting, i.e. you must do it. Learning now gives you a leg up on those who don't.
  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.
Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top
GRADING
PERCENTAGE
TOTAL POINTS
LETTER GRADE
90 A
80 B
70 C
60 D
Less F

   I grade on performance, not effort — it takes great effort to perform. By practicing the concepts learned in class and meeting standards for style, grammar, spelling, etc., your work will meet publishable grading 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 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.

   Though points will accumulate for multiple errors, typically papers receive grades as listed in the middle column:

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.

B — Publishable article with minor editing and/or rewriting, featuring an acceptable lead, writing and organization. It contains no serious information gaps or factual errors and only minor grammar, style and spelling errors

C — Article might be adequate for publication, but only if extensively rewritten to fix the following needs:

  • better lead or story structure
  • obvious questions need answering
  • grammar, style, spelling or minor factual errors need correcting
D — Cannot publish article due to:
  • weak lead or poor organization
  • multiple minor factual errors
  • numerous style, grammar and spelling errors
  • inadequate subject coverage
  • unfair treatment of subject or sources
F — Cannot publish article due to serious defects including:
  • serious factual errors or fatal errors
  • information gaps
  • libelous statements
  • blatantly unfair treatment of subject or sources
ASSESSMENT POINTS
Quizzes 100
Campus Briefs 100
Opportunities 900
The Voice Articles 100
Midterm 200
Enterprise Series 300
Portfolio 200
Class Participation 100
TOTAL 2,000
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 (-1) for each spelling, grammatical or typing error, and a (-2) deduction for nonfatal errors, including AP Style.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

   Class participation includes good listening and discussion skills, an open attitude to learning, attendance, effort, professional attitude, making a Blackboard journal entry and attending midterm conferences.

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

Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top

OPPORTUNITIES

   You will read chapters and do assignments for each meeting as listed in the schedule. Readings and assignments MUST be done prior to class, as we often will discuss them. Don't be the one holding your classmates back.

   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.

Articles - You will write a beat report and personality profile from your beat plus at least seven hard-news articles, i.e. not including the Enterprise Series, you'll write nine total articles, five of which qualify for The Voice.

   At least one article must  focus on a cross-cultural issue requiring you to use sources outside of your culture: minority, handicap, gay or lesbian. An article fulfilling more than one requirement (e.g. a town meeting focuses on the environmental concerns) will provide you an opportunity to write a free article, but does not mean you may miss a deadline.

   All stories must use at least three different sources, which will be identified with contact information for follow-ups (if necessary by the publication editor or the adviser). Employ a combination of sources, including public documents, interviews, library and Internet research, backgrounders and objective reportorial observation. Strive to add different sources in follow-up articles, i.e. repeat sources only when relevant or necessary.  Real journalists interview people instead of using the Internet, which should ONLY be used for background purposes for the majority of your assignments.

   Though you may observe speakers or participants at an event, you MUST ask additional questions before or after the event for the sources to count. Remember: people come to your publication for the story behind the story, i.e. if they attended the city council meeting, they read your account to find something they previously did not know. Keep copies of all notes to verify quotes and information throughout the semester.

   Each article will be at least 1,100 words in length or longer; provide the word count after your -30- mark at the end of the article. All assignments must be submitted in the correct article format and rich text format to receive credit. We use RTF documents because they can be read regardless of operating system or software; if you don't understand RTF, ask me about it.

Process

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!

Tip: Though not required, you may use two sets of eyes to look over the assignment before its submission.  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 portfolio due at 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.

Mulligan Policy - You learn as you work but my standards remain high. I will provide you the opportunity to redo one assignment for a better grade near the end of the semester.

Extra credit — receive once per semester (your choice!):

    1. publishing an article written for class in a recognized non-campus publication (100 points)
    2. publishing an additional article in The Voice (70 points).
    3. reviewing a journalism novel by the 13th week of the semester (70 points).

First Interview - Use the First Day Survey to interview your classmate. 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.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

   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 Beat Profile
2 Beat
1 Local Gov't
1 Public Safety
1 Education OR Business
1 Survey/poll OR election
1 Specialty (Science, Health, Environment, Religion)

1) 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.

   You may use the beat report as background for a personality profile of a newsmaker on your beat.

2) PROFILE - Profile either a new professor or the chief official on your beat. Remember to gather information similar to that found in an obituary, i.e. importance to the community, accolades, education, etc. You will need at least three sources. In this case you could use the person profiled, a colleague and perhaps a student. 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.

3-4) BEAT ARTICLES - Choose and write two newsworthy articles from your beat in a hard news manner. In your portfolio review, explain how you found the articles and what news values led you to cover the issue for each. 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. These may be suitable for publication in The Voice.

5) LOCAL GOVERNMENT - Choose a story that fits a local government angle as detailed in class discussion, then write an article. If covering a meeting or speech, remember DO NOT write this article in chronological order; instead, lead with the MOST IMPORTANT topic of the meeting or the speech. 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) EDUCATION/BUSINESS - Choose one of the two genres, then write an article. Either should explain the angle of how a new program or new business benefits the campus community. Although an Assembly article could technically count as an education article, we'd typically consider it as local government. 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) SURVEY/POLL/ELECTION - Write an article describing and analyzing a survey, poll or election that conforms to AAPOR standards. 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) SPECIALTY - Choose either a science, environmental, health or religious topic to cover and write a news article fit for The Voice. Explain how diverse groups will be affected within your copy. You may want to write about something happening on your beat. 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.

WRITING for STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

   Good communicators do not write for themselves, i.e. they always consider their audience. Community feedback encourages along the way and sometimes discourages threats to the community standard..

   At least five articles should qualify for inclusion in The Voice, i.e. you should write articles with the campus community in mind as your audience. They depend on you to be their eyes and ears at functions they cannot attend.

   For every Voice article above the minimum (not counting the Enterprise Series), you will earn an additional 2 percent to your grade prior to grading. You're responsible for keeping track of your published articles on your disk. These will be added to your portfolio at the end of the semester. To count for credit, the story must meet the format criteria.

CAMPUS BRIEFS

   As upper-level students, you get first preference on your beat choice. Meet with contacts on your beat and have them email me to verify the initial meeting. Information from your beat will appear in The Voice's Around Campus briefs column, which alerts 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.
  • 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.

    PORTFOLIO
       At the end of the semester, submit a DIGITAL portfolio containing:

    • resume
    • links to published work, labeled with name of article
    • backgrounder/beat report
    • five news briefs (on one page with NO AP errors)
    • nine writing assignments

       For each written assignment, provide printed copies of the following:

    • 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 one thing you learned from 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?

    ENTERPRISE SERIES

       Your portfolio will not contain your final project, i.e. your enterprise series. "Enterprise" indicates you came up with an article idea worth more than a single story. Cover a comprehensive subject in a three-part series (~1,500 words per section). The subject should develop from one of the areas covered during the semester, or it may focus on a topic or issue that interests you. Submit a one-page synopsis per section of the series; document four sources and contact information for each section.

       Critics praise Russell Crowe for the research he conducts on each period piece he makes, e.g. "Gladiator." We can learn from Crowe, in that you must conduct the appropriate research to make a good article. You should feature background research in your enterprise series, similar to that necessary for articles on biofuels or the KABF anniversary. Though the latter took 17 interviews to complete, background helped the reader understand where the station started in order to appreciate how far it has come.    Only conducting two or three interviews often fails to provide the necessary background research required to provide context to a situation, especially when writing a series of articles. Prepare questions beforehand (which you hopefully already do) by doing your background research first (which you might not typically do), i.e. if you've prepared for the interview by reading relevant documents, you won't ask unnecessary questions.

       These enterprise series originated as class projects. Some show higher quality than others, yet they may have earned similar grades due to deadline adherence as well as the bonus option taken by some, i.e. run your enterprise series over the last three issues of the semester and receive a 15 percent bonus for the project (prior to grading). At least one series led to a student being named the second best reporter in the state!

  • Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top
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    "Childhood Obesity: An Epidemic"
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    "Protecting Your Computer"
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    "Assembly Woes"
    by Bradley Gill
    "Privacy in an Information Age"
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    Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top
    They said it ...

    The following quotes came from student evaluations of the Newswriting course.

    "Dr. Sitton is a great Journalism professor. He knows the material well and works to make sure students understand the material. The class itself is challenging but worth it if you enjoy writing. However, if you are not someone willing to put forth the extra effort to succeed, do not waste your time, or the professor's, by taking the class. You will only gain from the class if you try."

    "If you write for the paper he will assist you with 'double dipping.' I think the amount of articles you have to write is a lot. I suggest eight articles and the enterprise. Sitton pushes you so be prepared."

    "Although I learned a lot in this class, I would make sure journalism is what you really want to do. If you really love journalism, there is a possibility this course could make you hate it. If you hate journalism, this class will make you despise it. All in all the assignments can seem daunting at first, but in the end it's all worthwhile."

    "I would never recommend someone take this course and another writing-intensive course at the same time. Though the schedule's not too hard, adding a break between a couple of articles would be nice, especially around the Enterprise."

    "Hard class, but very informative. Dr. Sitton is really great about working with students."

    "The class is very organized. Dr. Sitton's style of teaching helps any student become a great journalist. Dr. Sitton shows us the basics of writing and how to do a great news story. He also shows us that may people out there aren't going to like what you write as a journalist. To be a journalist you have to stand up for what you believe. Overall I think this is an excellent class that was taught on a higher level.

    "Dr. Sitton is a great instructor and the course itself is fun but there is a lot of work and it moves really fast."

    "My only complaint is the course did not meet often enough. Twice a week is not nearly enough. This is a great class. I cannot recommend this course and professor too highly."

    "I have learned a lot during the duration of this course."

    Syllabus Index: SUPPLIES || GRADING || OPPORTUNITIES || THE VOICE || BRIEFS || ENTERPRISE SERIES || PORTFOLIO || EVALS || top
    If you don't understand something in this Web note, please email Dr. Sitton.

    ©Ronald W. Sitton 2002-2011
    Revised 011312 — http://www.uamont.edu/FacultyWeb/sitton/crz/nrpt.html