All assignments due by 6 p.m. Saturday of the week they are assigned, except as noted. Please post all assignments on your blog (unless directed otherwise), and use the assignment name as the title of your blog post. Check the Assignments page of this blog for details of specific assignments.

Note: The class schedule is subject to change to accommodate current events and news writing opportunities. Please check back weekly. Any changes will be in red; active links are underlined.

WEEK 1
Week ending Saturday, January 24

Focus: Getting Started: Course introduction, set up your blog and start blogging!
Read: Start reading the news to prepare for next week’s Top News assignment.
Assignment: Set up your blog and introduce yourself. Got to the “Getting Started” page of this blog for information on how to set up your blog. 

NEWS WRITING SEGMENT
The class starts with a six-week segment on news writing. In addition to weekly assignments, you will complete two major outside writing assignments: a Profile and a “Real-Life Reporting” News Story or Feature. Please check the Assignments Page for details.

WEEK 2 – Begin News Writing Segment (7 weeks)
Week ending Saturday, January 31

Focus: How the news works, inverted pyramid, 5Ws-1H, leads, intro to AP Style
Read: Inside Reporting, pages 2-45. You may also want to check out this online resource on News Values and listen to the podcast What Makes It News? (you can find that link on the PDFs & Podcasts page).
What’s Due: Leads 1, Lead 2, Top News 1 (Note: The links will take you directly to the assignments. You’ll also find links to these and other assignments on the Assignments page of this blog.)

WEEK 3
Week ending Saturday, February 7

Focus: Other types of leads, story structure, rewriting & editing
Read: Inside Reporting, pages 44-64, AP Stylebook A-D
What’s Due: Lead 3, Leads 4, Leads 5, AP Style A-D exercise (to be emailed), Top News 2

WEEK 4
Week ending Saturday, February 14

Focus: Reporting Basics, writing basic news stories, interviewing, working with quotes
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 4; AP Stylebook E-H
What’s Due: News story 1, News Story 2, AP Style E-H exercise (emailed), Top News 3

WEEK 5
Week ending Saturday, February 21

Focus: Writing features & profiles
Read: Inside Reporting, pages 112-121; AP Stylebook I-L
What’s Due: News story 3, News Story 4 (Close Call, not Carjacker), Feature lead exercise (Two Feature Leads — pick one, write the lead and then finish writing the story), AP Style I-L exercise (via email), Top News 4, first 10 points worth of Copy Edit the World.

WEEK 6
Week ending Saturday, February 28

Focus: Covering the News
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 5; AP Stylebook M-R
What’s Due: News story 5, AP Style M-R exercise (via email), Top News 5, blog post on The Future of News

WEEK 7
Week ending Saturday, March 7

Focus: Math for Journalists
Read: Inside Reporting, pp. 84-85, AP Stylebook S-Z
What’s Due: 1) Math for Journalists exercise (via email); 2) your Profile (see assignments page for details); 3) AP style S-Z exercise; and 4) Top News 6 (five is enough)

WEEK 8 — Law & Ethics / Self-Assessment
Week ending Saturday, March 14

Focus: Law & Ethics, Self Assessment
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 7
What’s Due: 1) Law & ethics exercises (via email); 2) Got What It Takes To Be A Reporter? Complete the exercise on page 29 in the text; post your results and briefly discuss your response/thoughts; and 3) Calculate Your FOG Index: See the exercise on page 51. Post a recent excerpt of your own writing (a couple paragraphs from your profile or final news story, perhaps?), calculate your FOG Index, and briefly reflect on what you’ve learned.

WEEK 9 — Wrap up
Week ending Saturday, March 21

Focus: Wrapping Up
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapters 2-3
What’s Due: 1) Your Real Life Reporting news story or news feature. See Assignments page for details.

SPRING BREAK – MARCH 23-27

BROADCAST SEGMENT
Major Assignment: Broadcast Project (see Assignments Page for details; due April 18)

WEEK 10 — Begin Broadcast Segment (3 wks.)
Week ending Saturday, April 4

Focus: Broadcast basics
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 9; do “test yourself” exercise 1 on page 174 in preparation for broadcast writing assignments
What’s Due: 1) A soft broadcast lead: Return to the Two Feature Leads exercise in the News Writing section of the Assignments page; pick one and write a “soft” broadcast lead (an attention-getting intro and lead paragraph — see Lectures & Podcasts page for more info and examples), and 2) Your final 15 points worth of Copy Edit the World.

WEEK 11
Week ending Saturday, April 11

Focus: Writing for broadcast
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 9
What’s Due: Broadcast news story, broadcast style exercise (both will be emailed)

WEEK 12
Week ending Saturday, April 18

Focus: Broadcasting yourself
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 9
What’s Due: Your Broadcast Project (your “Real Life Reporting” news  story, rewritten for broadcast — see Assignments Page for details and options).
Upcoming Assignments: Email a short memo (by April 25) on your proposed topic for your Magazine Project to the instructor for approval.

MAGAZINE/MULTIMEDIA SEGMENT
Major Project: Final Magazine/Multimedia Project, including short form piece and broadcast version (see Assignments page for project details; due May 16).

WEEK 13 — Begin Magazine Segment (4 wks.)
Week ending Saturday, April 25

Focus: Getting opinionated — Writing editorials, columns and reviews; Short-form story structures
Read: Inside Reporting, Chapter 6, pages 128-133; also see links for “Writing Reviews” on the Resources page of this blog.
What’s Due: 1) Write a blog post about a magazine you like. Discuss target audience, focus and writing style; include a link to the magazine’s online site; 2) Topical Blog Post #1 — Write a topical commentary, personal meditation or “slice of life” column (200-250 words, see page 131 in text for examples); and 3) Short memo on your proposed topic for your Magazine Project for instructor review and approval.

WEEK 14
Week ending Saturday, May 2

Focus: Feature story leads, structuring feature stories.
Read: Inside Reporting, Ch. 6
Assignment: Find that Feature Lead exercise; Focus Story Structure exercise (both listed in the Magazine Segment on the Assignments page.
What’s Due: Topical Blog Post 2 (your choice of topic); memo on your proposed topic for your Magazine Project (Oops, you did that last week!); Find that Lead exercise; Focus Story Structure exercise.

WEEK 15
Week ending Saturday, May 9

Focus: Online Reporting
Read: Inside Reporting, Ch. 8
What’s Due: Online Writing Exercise (choose exercise 1 or 2, post on blog), Topical Post 3 (your choice of topic)

WEEK 16
Week ending Saturday, May 16

What’s Due: Magazine/Multimedia Project, including short info form box/graphic and broadcast (see List of Assignments for details)
FINAL EXAM: Due by 6 p.m., Monday, May 18 (exam info/options will be emailed)