RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC COURSE OUTLINE. ARTS 284 News Production for the Web

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1 RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC COURSE OUTLINE ARTS 284 News Production for the Web I. Basic Course Information A. Course Number and Title: ARTS 284 News Production for the Web B. New or Modified Course: New (replaces ARTS 285 Newspaper Production) C. Date of Proposal: Semester: Spring Year: 2009 D. Sponsoring Department: Communication & Languages E. Semester Credit Hours: 3 F. Weekly Contact Hours: 4 Lecture: 2 Laboratory: 2 G. Prerequisites/Corequisites: ONE of the following: H. Laboratory Fees: yes COMM 251 (Writing for the Media) COMM 254 (News Reporting) COMM 255 (Feature Writing) ARTS 246 (Graphic Design I) ARTS 212 (Photography I) ARTS 267 (Video Production I) ARTS 274 (Web Design) BUSI 111 (Introduction to Business Administration) I. Name and Telephone Number or Address of Department Chair: Laurie Reynolds lreynold@raritanval.edu) II. Catalog Description Prerequisite: ONE of the following: COMM 254 (News Reporting), COMM 251 (Writing for the Media), COMM 255 (Feature Writing), ARTS 246 (Graphic Design I), ARTS 212 (Photography I), ARTS 267 (Video Production I), ARTS 274 (Web Design) or BUSI 111 (Introduction to Business Administration). Students from various disciplines collaborate to produce the college s student news website, The Record. Students can register for this course to receive Communication, Arts or Business credit. Students gain practical experience in the OAA/je 1 9/24/2009

2 responsibilities of real-world website creation and maintenance. Many assignments reflect a student s chosen discipline, but students in all areas also study the fundamentals of news production as a whole. Areas to be covered include news, features, sports and opinion writing, interviewing, photography, art/illustration, graphic design/layout, web development, video production and streaming, business/advertising management, promotion, and basic principles of media law and ethics. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how the various components work together, on the roles and responsibilities of news media in community, and on collaborating to publish the multimedia website. III. Statement of Course Need This course is the epitome of inter-disciplinary collaborative problem-solving, resulting in a rich experiential learning environment for students. It is not unusual for colleges to offer a course for the production of student news media. Holding the student news website as a course encourages students to commit the time and effort it takes to produce a student-run news website and offers opportunities to produce written, audio, still image, and digital video production pieces. IV. Place of Course in College Curriculum A. Free Elective. B. This course does not serve as a General Education course. C. This course meets a program requirement for Specialization Elective for the A.F.A. in Graphic Design and Specialization Elective for the A.A. in Communication Studies D. This course is expected to transfer to a majority of colleges as either an elective or a course equivalency, depending on the institution. V. Outline of Course Content A. Components of News Production 1. Written Communication a. Research b. Conducting an interview c. News writing d. Feature writing e. Sports writing f. Opinion/Editorial writing g. Associated Press style 2. Visual Communication a. Photography b. Typography c. Art/Illustration d. Video Production e. Animation 3. Bringing It Together a. Editorial Decisions b. Graphic Design/Layout c. Web Design/Development OAA/je 2 9/24/2009

3 4. Professional/Community Interaction a. Letters to the Editor b. Advertising Sales/Management c. Classifieds d. Events Calendar e. Business Management f. Marketing and Promotion g. Circulation h. Server Communications B. Roles and Responsibilities of News Media 1. The First Amendment 2. Media Law 3. Media Ethics 4. Identity, Audience and Image 5. Community Service 6. Global Context VI. Educational Goals and Learning Outcomes A. Educational Goals Students will: 1. apply individual talents toward the production of a quality news website that reflects critical and creative thought (G.E. RVCC 1; NJ 1). 2. communicate and collaborate with fellow students in a clear, logical manner in order to produce the website in a timely manner (G.E. RVCC 2; NJ 1). 3. use computers and digital media throughout all stages of publication (G.E. RVCC 3; NJ 4) 4. recognize and evaluate ethical issues and responsibilities of news media in the community (G.E. RVCC 5; NJ 9). B. Learning Outcomes Students will be able to: 1. describe the fundamentals of news production and their roles: interviewing, writing, photography, illustration, print design, web design, video editing, business management, advertising and promotion. 2. evaluate the roles and responsibilities of news media in community, including legal and ethical issues. 3. develop reasonable individual and group goals toward production of the news website. 4. organize and manage information relevant to designated responsibilities. 5. use communication skills in working with classmates and outside entities (interviewees, ad clientele, subjects in photos/videos, community leaders, etc.) 6. apply collaborative group skills toward the timely production of a quality student news site. 7. critique each issue as a whole through group discussions, and recommend constructive improvements. OAA/je 3 9/24/2009

4 VII. Modes of Teaching and Learning A. lecture/presentation B. computer-assisted instruction C. guest-speakers D. assigned readings E. web sources F. group discussion G. student collaboration H. assignments relevant to student s designated responsibilities I. reflective writing assignments J. group critiques VIII. Papers, Examinations, and other Assessment Instruments A. assignments relevant to student s designated responsibilities B. group discussions C. group critiques D. quizzes E. writing assignments F. reflective writing/self evaluation G. final news product on-line. IX. Grade Determinants A. news content (articles, photos, art/illustration, typography, layout/design, web development, video production) B. exercises C. quizzes D. tests E. critique sessions F. attendance G. participation. X. Texts and Materials a. Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method, Carole Rich b. newspapers, magazines c. journals, articles d. interviews e. web sources f. video g. student writing h. past issues of The Record (Please Note: The course outline is intended only as a guide to course content and resources. Do not purchase textbooks based on this outline. The RVCC Bookstore is the sole resource for the most up-to-date information about textbooks.) OAA/je 4 9/24/2009

5 XI. Resources a. collaborative digital media workspace (e.g., ICE Box) b. guest speakers c. field trip (e.g., media outlets like HC Democrat, Fox News) OAA/je 5 9/24/2009