JOUR 340 Online Journalism

Transcription

1 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND MODERN LANGUAGES JOUR 340 Online Journalism FALL 2013 COURSE SYLLABUS Lecture: T/TH 1-2:20 p.m. Room: Turner A-Wing 273 Instructor: Dante Mozie Office: Turner A-Wing 362 Office Hours: M/W: 1-3 p.m. T/TH: 9-10 a.m. FRIDAYS: By appointment only REQUIRED TEXTS: Briggs, Mark. (2013) Journalism Next (2nd Edition). CQ Press. Goldstein, N. (2013). The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. Note: Additional readings may be given throughout the course. (You may also access this syllabus by going to Google Drive ( and entering the and password associated with this account. This will be given to the class by the instructor.) RECOMMENDED READINGS: Briggs, M. (2007). Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive. College Park: J-Lab and the Knight Citizen News Network USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: Online Journalism Review ( COURSE DESCRIPTION: A computer skill-based course designed to teach database research and reporting, and editing for the Internet. Students will create their own websites to work on publishable news stories from secondary databases and reports from correspondents, staff writers, syndicated columnists, press releases, letters, newspaper websites, blogs and other text messages. COURSE RATIONALE: The Internet has not only changed the way we live, but it has also changed the way that most of us consume news. It is essential, if not, mandatory, for media organizations to have online components in this era, from websites to social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, for instance. In addition, media organizations use their online components to tell stories in far more engaging and interactive ways, using new technologies and tools to convey

2 and present information to consumers. Media organizations are continuously looking for individuals with the ability and skills to produce content for the web, meaning journalists who are able to write stories, upload blog entries and shoot video and photography, among other skills. This course will introduce and emphasize skills that will allow students to strengthen their reporting, writing and editing skills in order to produce content for the Internet. The course will seek to combine the traditional skills of journalism and the new media techniques and tools of the modern age. This course is will be heavy with hands-on assignments and projects, as students will use their journalistic writing skills in conjunction with skills in video, audio and photography that will enhance the textual story with additional web elements. This course will also examine and analyze the current practices, issues that are prevalent in online journalism today. COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. Students will learn about the various methods and techniques used to write interesting and well-written stories. 2. Students will be exposed to the standard journalistic writing style appropriate for the Web. 3. Students will learn about the importance of online journalism, as well the problems and issues online journalists encounter on a daily basis. 4. Students will know about the importance of research and research techniques in order to find information that will add context to stories. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 1. Students will learn how to tell interesting and well-written stories that convey pertinent information via the Internet. 2. Students will demonstrate their familiarity with the journalistic writing style appropriate for the Web via blogs, text, online story packages and other forms. 3. Students will be able to discuss and analyze issues that involve online journalism. 4. Students will apply the concepts learned through discussions of research through various story assignments and projects. COURSE OUTLINE Some lessons may be extended when conditions warrant. And just as the news of the day can change at a moment s notice, some classes may be altered to allow class discussions and/or assignments that involve major breaking news events on a campus, local, state, national or global level. Please note that the absence of a homework assignment on this syllabus doesn t convey that an assignment will not be given. Most assignments will be announced in class by the instructor.

3 Week 1: Intro, course syllabus review; current state of online journalism Homework: buy textbooks Week 2: Knowing your audience, audience engagement; blogging Homework: p ; p ; set up blog Week 3: Journalism Basic Skills Review Week 4: Writing for the Web Week 5: Writing for the Web Week 6: Editing and Posting Online News; Linking Homework: p , Week 7: Breaking News; write throughs Week 8: User generated content Week 9: Tell a story with sound Homework: p ; work on assignment Week 10: Tell a story with sound Homework: work on assignment Week 11: Tell a story with sound Homework: work on assignment Week 12: Tell a story with sound and photos Homework: p ; work on assignment Week 13: Tell a story with sound and photos Week 14: Social media overview; final project overview LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT Students will research various topics via assignments during various points of the courses, such as Database Journalism. SPECIAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are asked to have a thumb drive to save his or her work on.

4 Assignment and Assessment Rubric Assignment A/B C D F Story related assignments and assessments (blog entries, classwork, homework) Final Exam Student demonstrates his or her understanding of the concepts taught in class. The student presents content that is informative, creative and engaging for his or her audience. Story is creative, focused, thorough, factually accurate and well written. It not only incorporates original ideas, but also includes research from various sources, which are cited in the story. Student gives minimum effort towards assignments, and shows some understanding of the concepts taught in class. Stories may need some revision, however, in style and organization. Story wavers in its focus. Some revisions are needed in regards to spelling, grammar and punctuation. Some effort was made towards a cohesive thought towards the topic. Student demonstrates little understanding in regards to the concepts taught in class. Stories need major revision and the student should revisit the concepts for better understanding. Story has no focus and is poorly written, with factual inaccuracies throughout. Student has no understanding of the concepts taught in class and/or commits unethical violations (plagiarism, etc.) in his/her work. Poor writing throughout. The student doesn t complete the assignment, is off task or topic in the story and/or commits unethical violations (plagiarism, etc.). METHOD OF EVALUATION Grade Distribution Participation 10% News Quizzes 10% Blog Entries 15% Class Assignments 35% Final Project 30% Total 100% Grading Scale

5 = A (Work is ready to be published or broadcast) = B (Work can be published or broadcast after editing and a few changes) = C (Needs work; only meets the minimum standards and expectations) = D (Work requires major overhaul) 0-59 = F (Missed deadline, factual errors, major reporting and writing errors, ethical problems, plagiarism) METHODS OF ASSESSMENT Speed Ledes / Speed Story: Timed warm-ups given at the beginning of class to examine how well students understand the concepts taught in class in a simulated, deadline pressure situation. Times for the speed ledes or speed stories will vary. News Quizzes: Students are required to read various news outlets, such as The Times and Democrat, The State (Columbia, S.C.) and The New York Times, or visit their websites regularly. As explained in this syllabus, the instructor will also give a few announced and unannounced news quizzes throughout the semester. Blog Posts: After the Sept. 3 class, students will be required to maintain his or her own blog for the duration of the course. The student s blog must have a theme or a focus that will allow them to update their blog on a regular basis. Each post must comment on and link to a recent story or blog entry from another blog. Blog posts shouldn t be long, but they should be should be well-written and make a logical point. Students will also be required to include weekly stories on campus news, or blog entries concerning developments and news in online journalism. Story Assignments: We ll do minor assignments related to various topics throughout the course, but students will complete a few specific major assignments during the semester: Audio Story / Audio Slideshow: Students, either alone or in groups, will create audio story and audio slideshows with text to be posted on their blog. We should have enough time to complete various stories in different formats and structures. Homecoming Assignment: Students, either alone or in groups, will create an audio slideshow (with or without narration) of at least one of the Homecoming events. Students are reminded to choose events wisely, as press passes for ticketed events (i.e. the Homecoming concert, etc.) aren t given out to students for assignment-related purposes. The audio slideshow will be posted on their blog. Final Exam Project: Students will individually create a news package on a topic, event or person of their choice. (All topics must be approved by the instructor.) In addition to a written story, which should include at least one embedded link, students must also include at least two additional web elements (audio story, audio slideshow, map, photo gallery, etc.). The package

6 will be posted on their blog. COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS 1. Students will attend class regularly and should arrive on time. Students will be allowed three excused absences. Those who have excessive absences must present their reasons for being absent. Otherwise, the student s final grade will drop five points for every unexcused absence after the limit. Leaving class early without the instructor s approval also counts as an absence. Also, students will not be allowed to make-up assignments except in the cases that the instructor and the student agree in advance (via phone, or discussion after class) that you have a valid reason for being absent from class. Examples of excused absences include personal or medical emergencies. An official written excuse from a physician, coach or university official must be presented to the instructor in order for the absence to be counted as excused. Routine medical procedures, full-time or part-time jobs, failure to find a parking space on campus or working on assignments/projects for other courses are not valid excuses for missing class. 2. Students are expected to complete all assignments on time. Journalists adhere to deadlines, and we ll do the same in this class. Unexcused late work will automatically receive a zero, and cannot be made up. And computer failures at one of the university s computer labs are not legitimate excuses. Be sure to use your time wisely and complete your assignments ahead of time, not at the last minute. Remember, TV reporters can t miss deadline and no one holds the press for a late newspaper story. 3. All students will adhere by the university s academic honor code. Plagiarism - stealing another s work - and fabricating stories are major ethical violations in journalism. Any student who commits academic dishonesty will be penalized with failure of the assignment and the course. The student will also be reported to the chair of the Department and/or the Dean of the College of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities, which may lead to further consequences. Also, students may not adopt or reproduce ideas or statements of others without attribution. And the use of anonymous sources in the course is prohibited. Major points will be deducted from a student s assignment grade if this rule is broken. 4. Students will demonstrate their ability to write accurate stories. It is extremely important for journalists to be right the first time. This principle will apply to students, as well. Early in the course, students will have a grace period in order to clean up grammar, spelling and mechanical errors. After this grace period ends, the instructor will deduct points for these, and other errors. A factual error in any written assignment in this class will result in an automatic grade of 59 F. Errors warranting an automatic F include wrong facts, titles, dates, ages, addresses, misspelled names, etc. Students will be allowed to rewrite the story for a new

7 grade. The instructor will then average the two scores for the assignment s final grade. 5. Students will keep track of the news. It s important for journalists to know what s going on in the communities they cover, as well as how the news is covered. It s also important to keep track of the news to become more familiar with the style and structure of print, broadcast and online stories. Frequently throughout the course, students will take announced and unannounced news quizzes to emphasize the importance of keeping track of the news on a regular basis. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Any student with a documented disability (physical or mental) who requires special accommodations for this class should contact the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) at or The student should also meet with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any special accommodations that are recommended by OSDS. COMPUTER LAB ETIQUETTE During the course, we ll conduct various activities and assignments in the Computer Lab. Here are a few things to remember when we re in the lab: Food, drinks and gum are prohibited inside the lab at all times. Don t use our time in the lab for personal use (logging onto personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, etc.) or for other purposes not related to class activities. Students engaging in these behaviors will be dismissed and marked absent. In order to prevent the possibility of infecting the lab PCs and Macs with Malware, Trojans and other destructive viruses, please be careful when using thumb drives. Students found to have infected lab equipment with viruses or trojans via thumb drives will result in an automatic F for the course. EXTRA CREDIT There will be opportunities for extra credit throughout the semester. Students must attend and write a story for the web about a campus event. These events will be announced in class by the instructor. Students must also bring a program to show proof of attendance.

8 (JOUR Fall 2013) -- I have read, understood and will abide by all regulations and policies described in this syllabus. Name (print) Name (signature) University ID# Date Please return this portion to the instructor by Aug. 22, 2013 to avoid the possibility of being dropped from the course via the Class Roll Action Form.