SALEM COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Course Title: Introduction to Journalism. Course Code: ENG242. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Credits: 3

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1 SALEM COMMUNITY COLLEGE Course Title: Introduction to Journalism Course Code: ENG242 Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Credits: 3 Course Description: In this course the student will learn the basic principles of journalism. The student will develop an awareness of news values, journalistic style and story types. The student will practice composing and editing a variety of stories using a PC, and will learn to adhere to the accepted standards of professional ethics and responsibility. The course will be taught by lecture, discussion, lab practice, simulation, and field trip or guest lecture, depending upon availability. Pre-Requisite: Placement at English 101 level Co-Requisite: ENG101 Place in College Curriculum:English 242 is an English or humanities elective and is required for students in the Communications/Journalism Option.

2 Introduction to Journalism / Page 2 Course Outline: I. News Determinants A. Impact B. Prominence C. Proximity D. Timelines E. Currency F. Uniqueness II. Gathering Information A. Research 1. Libraries 2. Newspaper Clip Files 3. Municipal and Legislative Records 4. City Directories B. Interviews 1. Questioning Technique 2. Official Sources 3. Personal Sources 4. Note Taking III. Composing A. Focus B. Leads 1. Direct 2. Delayed 3. Summary 4. Quote 5. Question C. Body 1. Structure 2. Organization 3. Details 4. Length 5. Endings D. Journalistic Writing Style 1. Sentence Structure, Verb Choice, and Focus 2. Paragraph Structure, Length, and Focus 3. Diction 4. Mechanics and the Stylebook 5. Quotations 6. Format

3 Introduction to Journalism / Page 3 IV. Story Types A. Straight News B. Soft News C. Features D. Interviews E. Precedes F. Round-Ups G. Obituaries H. Press Releases V. Professionalism and Ethics A. Freedom and Responsibility B. Gatekeeping C. Editorials D. Libel Law E. Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct F. Fairness and Privacy G. Decency and Obscenity H. The Journalism Business and Employment Opportunities

4 Introduction to Journalism / Page 4 Course Performance Objective #1 The student will analyze the six news determinants, the five types of leads and the seven story types. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will name and define each of the six news determinants. 2. The student will identify the five types of leads and will explain the characteristics and general advantages of each. 3. The student will identify the usual elements contained in, and will describe the possible organizations of, the seven types of stories. 4. Presented with example stories, the student will identify the prominent news determinants in each, will identify the type of lead and evaluate its effectiveness in each, and will describe the organization of each story. 5. Given a body of information comprising a potential story, the student will evaluate the information, select which news determinants to stress and which type of lead would be most effective, and decide which type of story to compose. 6. The student will perform Learning Outcomes 1-5 as graded homework assignments, as in class oral participation, and as part of a major examination using short essay format. The accuracy and the quality of the student's responses will be evaluated according to the criteria presented in the lectures and the course textbooks.

5 Introduction to Journalism / Page 5 Course Performance Objective #2 The student will gather and organize the appropriate information required for each story type. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will name the common, library reference sources, including the city directory and newspaper "clips", and will describe the type of information contained in each. 2. The student will describe the types of information available in court, municipal and legislative records and in police reports. 3. The student will identify individuals who are likely to have information relevant to a story assignment. 4. The student will compose a list of questions designed to elicit relevant information from those individuals. 5. The student will interview those individuals and take notes recording their responses. 6. The student will analyze the collected information, evaluate and rank the dominant news determinants, and edit extraneous information. 7. The student will organize the remaining information into an acceptable structure according to the story type. 8. The student will perform Learning Outcomes #1, 2, 6, 7 as graded homework assignments, as in class oral participation, and as part of a major examination using short essay format. Objective #3, 4, 5 will be performed as the student prepares to write the various story types. The accuracy and quality of the student's responses will be evaluated according to the criteria presented in the lectures and the course textbook.

6 Introduction to Journalism / Page 6 Course Performance Objective #3 The student will compose and edit each of the seven story types in journalistic style using a PC and software provided by the college. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will identify the characteristics of journalistic writing style and will incorporate those characteristics into his/her own story assignments. 2. Presented with a body of information comprising a potential story, or after gathering information for a potential story, the student will analyze the information to determine which type of story would be effective. 3. The student will organize and edit the information into an acceptable pattern for the selected story type. 4. The student will determine which type of lead would be effective for that type of story. 5. The student will compose and input each story type using an appropriate lead, organizational pattern, and journalistic style. 6. The student will write each story so as to adhere to the provisions of the stylebook. 7. Using a PC and available software, the student will edit and revise his/her stories so as to incorporate the corrections and suggestions of the instructor. 8. Including revised versions, the student will write at least two acceptable examples of each story type. At least one half of those examples will be written in class within forty-five minutes. 9. The student will style edit at least three stories written by another student in the class. 10. The student will perform Learning Outcomes #1-8 as graded homework assignments and as the process for writing each story. Enabling objective #8 will be performed as in-class activities. All editing and story assignments will be evaluated for accuracy and quality according to the criteria presented in the lectures and in the textbook.

7 Introduction to Journalism / Page 7 Course Performance Objective #4 The student will research and write each story assignment so as to adhere to the professional, ethical and legal standards presented in the textbook. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will describe the principles of attribution and will accurately attribute sources within each of his/her stories. 2. The student will describe the principles of verification and will attempt to verify all information within his/her stories. 3. The student will follow the recommended procedures to safeguard against inaccuracies in any of his/her stories. 4. The student will define the concepts of libel, character defamation and fair privilege, will evaluate the potential for each in his/her own stories, and will avoid the inclusion of libelous or defamatory material. 5. The student will describe the defenses against libel. 6. The student will avoid the inclusion of indecent, vulgar or self-serving elements in his/her stories. 7. The student will demonstrate the principles of fairness, responsibility and respect for privacy in his/her stories. 8. The student will identify those personal behaviors which are inappropriate for a professional journalist. 9. Learning Outcomes #1-8 will be performed in part as in class participation, as graded homework assignments, or as a major exam using short essay format, and in the writing of each of the student's stories. The student's application of the appropriate principles and avoidance of the potential problems will be evaluated in each of the student's story assignments according to the criteria presented in the lectures and in the textbook.

8 Introduction to Journalism / Page 8 Course Performance Objective #5 The student will recognize differences in journalistic styles, will develop a critical sense of journalistic quality, and will have a basic knowledge of the news business and employment opportunities. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will read each of three different newspapers (chosen by the instructor) at least weekly throughout the course. 2. Provided with a list of twelve story types, the student will select from his/her readings effective examples of each type. 3. The student will select four of the examples from each of the three newspapers. Each example will be from a different week. 4. The student will compose and type a one paragraph evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each example story. The student will use the criteria presented in the lectures and textbooks as the basis for his/her evaluation. 5. The student will submit copies of the example stories and evaluations to the instructor by the announced due date. 6. The student's selection and evaluation of example stories will be evaluated by the instructor based upon the criteria presented in the lectures and the textbook.

9 Introduction to Journalism / Page 9 Course Activities: The student will be required to compose, type, edit and re-write a variety of stories both in and out of class. At least one-third of the classes will be held in the PC lab, and the student will be required to make extensive use of the lab to complete assignments independently. The student will be assigned a variety of simulated story situations for completion independently. At least seven of the stories will be written in the lab with time constraints. Students will visit an area newspaper or will meet with a professional journalist on campus. Course Requirements and Means of Evaluation: The student will be required to complete homework reading and writing assignments, to participate in classroom discussions, to take two short answer examinations, to work independently in the PC lab, to submit fourteen completed story assignments on time, and to complete and submit the independent research project on time. The student's work will be evaluated on an A-F scale according to the criteria presented in the lectures and in the course text. The student's final average will be calculated as follows: Homework: 15% Class Participation: 10% Exams (2): 20% Stories (14): 40% Project: 15% Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. The instructor will explain the specific attendance policy for this class. Academic Honesty Policy: Students found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty may be subject to failure in this course, academic probation, and/or suspension from the college. See the Student Handbook for additional details.

10 Introduction to Journalism / Page 10 Required Texts: Optional Texts: Mencher, Melvin. News Reporting and Writing. 11th ed. Brown and Benchmark (and accompanying workbook) A. P. Stylebook Supplies: Additional Costs: References: Berkman, Robert. Finding It Fast: How to Uncover Expert Information on Any Subject. New York: Perennial Library, Broder, David S. Behind the Front Page: a Candid Look at How the News is Made. New York: Simon and Schuster, Chancellor, John and Walter R. Mears. The News Business. New York: Harper and Row, Clark, Roy Peter, ed. Improving Newswriting. St. Petersburg, FL.: Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Denniston, Lyle. The Reporter and The Law. New York: Hastings House, Fedler, Fred. Reporting for The Print Media. 5th ed. Orlando: Harcourt Brace, Garret, Annette. Interviewing: Its Principles and Methods. New York: Family Association of America, Holsinger, Ralph. Media Law. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991.