Dateline London: Reporting and News Writing in a European Context

Transcription

1 In partnership with CAPA International Education Dateline London: Reporting and News Writing in a European Context COURSE DESIGNATOR LNDN 3229 NUMBER OF CREDITS 3 LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION English CONTACT HOURS 45 COURSE DESCRIPTION The course is a practical and conceptual study of journalism within a U.K. and European context. Students will learn techniques for gathering and writing news, feature articles, blogs and tweets geared toward publication in print and online media. Classes covering themes such as culture, business and finance, government and politics, and changing professional media environment will be accompanied with regular news-gathering assignments. Students will work toward a final project that assembles their portfolio of work built up during the semester. The portfolio, to be published in a cohesive online format, will include writing assignments ranging from 140 character tweets, to 250-word spot news stories, to a 800-1,000 word feature article. Students will also be expected to read London s main freely-distributed newspapers on a daily basis, as well as a different Sunday newspaper each week, with retention geared toward weekly in-class quizzes. COURSE OBJECTIVES At the end of the semester, students will have professional working knowledge of the fundamentals of news reporting, including accuracy, news judgement, timeliness, ethical boundaries and adherence to deadlines. They will be able to demonstrate proficiency in standard reporting techniques, including interviews and sourcing, that complement the ability to write sharp news stories on tight deadlines, as well as longer, feature-length prose. The course also aims to present students will concepts that will enable them to produce a high standard of work that reflects their position working abroad in the U.K. and Europe. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the course students should be able to: Write accurate, professional-grade news articles on a variety of themes within tight deadlines. Conceptualize, research, report, and write broader stories that appeal to a widespread audience. Utilize and apply a variety of ledes and writing styles to suit differing circumstances. Students should demonstrate: An understanding of core news values, including timelines, proximity, impact, negativity, human interest, conflict, prominence and novelty. The ability to explain complicated material in a straight-forward manner. A working knowledge of the U.K. news and media environment. METHODOLOGY Classes will employ lectures, discussions, and workshops on practical journalism techniques and conceptual themes required to cover weekly writing assignments. Most classroom periods will start with a quiz based on significant U.K. news items or broader world themes from the previous week. It is important students stay abreast of local news, as well as monitor how large international news events are covered by the U.K. press. Following the quiz will be a lecture, discussion, or workshop on the week s topic.

2 Some weeks will feature a breaking-news simulation and writing assignment after the lecture and discussion period. The exercises will emulate deadlines faced in newsrooms. Students will generally have 30 minutes to complete news stories based on the scenario presented, which can include data, press releases, mock interviews, and mock press conferences. On weeks when there is no in-class simulation, the class will workshop previous or future assignments. There will be one or two workshops for students to discuss the processes of their final 800-1,000 word feature story. Aside from regular assignments, students seeking to maximize the size and reach of their final portfolio will be presented with additional opportunities. For example, students might elect to write a 500-word travel piece based on a trip, from a point of interest in London, to an experience in other cities or locales in the U.K. and Europe. These graded-assignments will supplement Regular Writing Assignments, and are to be done in the students own time. Students will also be encouraged to attend general-knowledge quizzes, a popular British pastime, to supplement their Weekly Quizzes. REQUIRED READING AND RESOURCES One mandatory textbook and extra recommended reading list, library readings, or web links to support the class THE FREESHEETS, AVAILABLE AT ALL TUBE STATIONS IN THE CITY The Evening Standard The Metro City A.M. RECOMMENDED SATURDAY NEWSPAPERS The Guardian FT Weekend RECOMMENDED SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS: The Observer The Sunday Telegraph The Independent on Sunday BROADCAST NEWS: BBC London news (6.30pm daily) Channel 4 news (7pm daily) COURSE MATERIALS AND LAB FEE Reading materials will focus on free London newspapers and the internet. However, students will be encouraged to regularly read and consume other U.K. or European media, especially on weekends. On at least one occasion this will be a requirement for the weekly quiz. There will also be one field trip, no further than suburban London, requiring the purchase of a round-trip train ticket. GRADING PENALTIES FOR WORK SUBMITTED LATE Assignments received after the due date will be reduced by five percent (5%) of the possible grade for the piece of work being assessed per day, up to seven (7) days after the due date. Work submitted more than seven (7) days after the due date will not be marked, unless arrangements have been made prior to the due date for an extension. CLASS PARTICIPATION Your participation mark is based on your preparation for class and your input into group discussion in all classes (excluding the class of your presentation - for which you will get a separate mark). You will need to demonstrate that you have read and thought about the set material for each week. Participation in class discussion will be marked on the constructiveness of your input to the class discussion and debate. PAGE 2

3 CRITERIA FOR GRADING AND GRADING STANDARDS Grading Rubric A 93+ Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements. A B B B C C C D D Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements. Achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect. Achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements. F <59 Represents failure (or no credit) and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I. GRADING FOR ASSIGNMENTS Weekly Quizzes 20% Regular Writing Assignments/My Education 60% Final Writing Assignment 20% SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS Introduction Course Topics An introduction to the semester, including a brief overview of upcoming course work and general expectations. Week 1 The rest of the first session will be the first in-class simulation. Somebody has kidnapped Prince George, according to a breaking news report. Twitter is going mental. The BBC is flashing headlines with quotation marks around kidnapped. Students will write 250-word story within a 30 minute period,, due by end of class, based on provided materials and interactive interviews. The free sheets: Read the Evening Standard daily. If possible, also read Metro and City A.M. The first News Quiz is coming. News Reporting and Writing Using last week s simulation as an example, we ll talk about what news is, the basics of good reporting, the mechanics of a good story. Week 2 We ll also discuss your first out-of-class assignment, what will be required for success in these stories, and which sites are good for hosting a blog - the main way these will be filed for assessment. News Quiz #1 PAGE 3

4 Out-of-class writing assignment #1. Write 400 words on a current press release you will receive by from the instructor. Three sources required. In order to file this, you ll also need to set up your blog. Ledes and Nuts Let s get to the heart of a good journalism story: the top. We ll go over examples of ledes and nut grafs from major news outlets, and compare them to your first writing assignments. Week 3 We ll also learn different styles of ledes, useful for forming strategies when writing on deadline. Out-of-class writing assignment #1 News Quiz #2 Just 100 words - the first part of an article - due by end of class. The lede and nut will need to be perfect. Reporting in the U.K. With around a month here under your belt, we ll discuss similarities and differences between the U.S. and U.K. from a media perspective. This will cover major differences in law, politics, and business. Week 4 We ll also workshop our ledes and nuts from the week before in groups, as well as discuss the next out-of-class assignment, which will involve attending an event in London. News Quiz #3 Out-of-class writing assignment #2. Attend a press conference, lecture, or speech by a notable person and write 400 words. In London, these abound, and options will be presented by the instructor. Three sources required. Feature writing Feature writing isn t like writing a school essay. It s a tightly-crafted news story, just longer. A single piece can take reporters weeks or months to report, as they seek out dozens of interviews and solid data sets. We ll discuss what works, and what doesn t, and how why it s crucial to plan ahead. Week 5 A discussion and brainstorming session will help get ideas going for you final writing assignment. Out-of-class writing assignment #2 News Quiz #4 Out-of-class writing assignment #3. Write a 300-word pitch for your final assignment. Two sources, including one interview or phone call, required. This is not for publication on the blog. Send the assignment to the instructor via . Reporting in Europe Week 6 The class will take a look at Europe in A special focus will be on the sweeping political changes taking place on the continent, which is still wading through the fallout from the worst financial and economic crisis in generations. Out-of-class writing assignment #3 News Quiz #5 Students will write a story about a complicated theme involving a lot of numbers. The focus will be PAGE 4

5 on writing a readable 250-word spot story without a lot of numbers. Parachute journalism (aimed for class before students break, so possibly not Week 7) Week 7 We ll learn about what it takes to prepare for assignment in another city, country, or one written on the road, and look at examples of missteps and successes. News Quiz #6 Out-of-class writing assignment #4. Students will be able to pick from a number of themes, submitting 400 words. Three sources required Profiles and Interview Techniques Week 8 Profile writing involves a good interview, but better yet, takes a longer look at anybody who has a good story to tell. These stories can be fun ways to get at particular subject matter, or highlight a trend, that can otherwise seem a bit dense and dull. Out-of-class writing assignment #4 News Quiz #7 Profile a classmate in 250 words. The key will be to find something to tell a story about that goes beyond the person being interviewed. Business Journalism Week 9 Whether or not you think business is boring, most journalism jobs are at business-to-business publications. This doesn t have to be a bad thing. If money makes the world go round, then writing about money is a good starting point for looking at our world. We ll look into some great stories about money and business from publications like Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone. Out-of-class writing assignment #5 News Quiz #8 Out-of-class writing assignment #6: Write a 400-words on the business side of any non-business subject of your choosing: sports, education, lifestyle, health, politics. The tone should be light, intended for publication on the blog site of an established news organization. Visuals: Working with graphics, photos, and videos Week 10 What s the first thing you look when you pick up a paper or hit that homepage? If you re like everybody, it s the bold words and pretty stuff. We ll look how integrating graphics into written assignments can enhance and supplement stories, as well as drive online traffic. Out-of-class writing assignment #6 News Quiz #9 While writing a 250-word spot news assignment, students will also have to conceive, and sketch, a idea for visually representing the story that can be pitched to the graphics editor. Online Media and our New-ish Age Week 11 You re on Twitter. But are you using it like a journalist? We ll hear from a guest speaker: the WSJ s European social media editor. The second part of the class will be spent discussing and workshopping progress on the final assignment. Students will be able to discuss in groups during one-on-one meetings with the PAGE 5

6 instructor. News Quiz #10 Out-of-class writing assignment #7. Update your story pitch for the final assignment. File by . Field Trip Week 12 We ll tour Newsprinters printing presses in Hertfordshire, used by The Sun, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times, and other major U.K. names. Out-of-class writing assignment #7 No quiz Week 13 Final assignment The A-hed For the last class, after the final is handed in, we re going to dig into the lighthearted, quirky world of the A-hed, a daily page-one Wall Street Journal piece that readers remember and reporters love writing. We ll dig into why. Final assignment No quiz ATTENDANCE POLICY Students must attend all classes and gallery visits and be able to certificate genuine absences. Any absence should be justifiable in terms only of illness, religious holiday or an internship interview. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Academic integrity is essential to a positive teaching and learning environment. All students enrolled in University courses are expected to complete coursework responsibilities with fairness and honesty. Failure to do so by seeking unfair advantage over others or misrepresenting someone else s work as your own, can result in disciplinary action. The University Student Conduct Code defines scholastic dishonesty as follows: SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis. Within this course, a student responsible for scholastic dishonesty can be assigned a penalty up to and including an F or N for the course. If you have any questions regarding the expectations for a specific assignment or exam, ask. STUDENT CONDUCT The University of Minnesota has specific policies concerning student conduct and student needs. This information can be found on the Learning Abroad Center website. PAGE 6