Note: The class schedule may change to accommodate current events and news writing opportunities. Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date. Blog posts should be completed before class on the due date. No exceptions.
WEEK 1 – Aug. 24
Focus: Introductions, gather info for your first news story (On-Campus Job Faire 2011)
Read: If you’re not already a news junkie, start following the news.
WEEK 2 – Aug. 29 & 31
Read for this week: Inside Reporting (IR), Ch. 1-2; Ch. 3, p. 36-46; Ch. 8, p. 162-163
Focus: Discuss 5Ws-1H, hard news leads & inverted pyramid style; review & revise your first news story; intro to AP Style & how the news works, lead-writing exercise.
Due 8/29: First draft of your first news story (for peer editing)
Due 8/31: Final draft of your first news story
WEEK 3 – Sept. 7 (no class on Sept. 5 – Labor Day)
Read for this week: Review A-D in AP Stylebook
Focus: AP style quiz #1 (A-D); set up your class blog and start blogging! (See the “Getting Started” page of the class blog for info on how to set up your blog.)
Due 9/7: Email me your new blog’s web address/URL
WEEK 4 – Sept. 12 & 14
Read for this week: IR Ch. 3, pages 44-64, review E-H in AP Stylebook
Focus: Types of hard news leads, story structure, rewriting & editing, lead exercise (DUI), AP quiz #2 (E-H on Wed.)
Due 9/12: Blog posts: Student Journalists’ News Attitude Survey (IR, p. 16, test yourself and compare your results to other students), Top News #1
Due 9/14: Blog post: “Got What It Takes To Be A Reporter?” (IR, p. 31: Test yourself and briefly discuss your results)
WEEK 5 – Sept. 19 & 21
Read: IR Ch. 4, review I-L in AP Stylebook
Focus: Reporting basics, writing basic news stories, interviewing, quotes & attribution, AP style quiz #3 (Wed.), quotes exercise, news story with quotes (barn fire)
Due 9/19: Top News blog post #2, Fog Index blog post (see IR p. 53. Post a recent excerpt of your own writing, calculate your FOG Index, reflect on the results.)
Due 9/21: First 15 points worth of Copy Edit the World
WEEK 6 – Sept. 26 & 28
Read: IR pp. 88-89 & Ch. 7, review M-R in AP Stylebook
Focus: Diversity in News Coverage, Law & Ethics, First Amendment (Mon.); AP style quiz #4, discuss your Barn Fire and MovieFest stories (Wed.)
Due 9/26: Short News Story draft (for peer editing) (see next week)
WEEK 7 – Oct. 3 & 5
Read: IR Ch. 6, p. 78-81 & p. 120-125, review S-Z in AP Stylebook
Focus: Writing profiles, interviewing, AP style quiz #5 (Mon.); hear Gordon Greb speak in DBH 226 (during Wednesday’s class)
Due 10/3: Campus MovieFest rewrites
Due 10/5: Get your Gordon Greb Day news story to me by midnight — either publish it on your blog (on a separate blog page, if possible) or email it to me.
Reminder: Your profile is due 11/2
WEEK 8 – Oct. 10 & 12
Read: IR Ch. 8
Focus: Online reporting, convergence, “How wired are you?” (p. 176), AP Style Quiz #6 (Mon.), form online group project teams and develop project proposal/package plan (see IR p. 175)
Due 10/10: Second 15 points worth of Copy Edit the World, How Wired Are You? (blog post)
Due 10/12: Online group project proposal/package plan (see 10/19)
WEEK 9 – Oct. 17 & 19
Read: IR Ch. 9; do “test yourself” exercise 1 on page 188 (first edition, p. 174) to prepare for broadcast writing assignments
Focus: Broadcast basics & exam review (Mon.), Midterm Exam (Wed.)
Due 10-17: Online group project proposal/package plan, your profile (now due 10-31)
WEEK 10 – Oct. 24 & 26
Review: IR Ch. 9
Focus: More news writing and writing for broadcast; news writing exercise – DUI story (Monday: write a 150- to 200-word print story in class; write a 30-second/65-word or 45-second/75-80-word broadcast story at home), outside news writing assignment (W: due 10/31; due date for details)
Due 10-26: Broadcast news story (and print news story, if you weren’t able to finish it in class on Monday)
WEEK 11 – Oct. 31 & Nov. 2
Review: IR Ch. 6
Focus: Writing features & long-form stories, feature story leads, structuring longer stories, sidebars and short-form options. In-class exercise: Feature story leads.
Due 10-31: Your “on the ground” reporting story (news story on Locavore Fair or MADD exhibit, approx. 350 words, doubled spaced, submit as hard copy)
Due 11-2: Your profile Your online group project (now due 11/16).
WEEK 12 – Nov. 7 & 9
Review: IR Ch. 4
Focus: Covering the news, covering a beat. More news writing for print and broadcast. In-class exercise.
Due 11-9: Your package planning form (see p. 131) for your Individual Long-Form/Multimedia Project, for instructor review and approval.
WEEK 13 – Nov. 14 & 16
Review: IR Ch. 6, p. 134-137; also see “Writing Reviews” on Resources page of blog.
Focus: In-class time to work on your online group project; in-class exercise (crashes) (M). Getting opinionated — writing editorials, columns and reviews (W).
Due 11/14: News story on 11/9 CFA protest at SJSU, “Beat” news story
Due 11/16: Your online group project (Yes, in response to popular demand, I’m giving you a little more time to complete this project. It’s now due Monday, 11/21.)
WEEK 14 – Nov. 21 & 23
Review: IR Ch. 4, p. 86-87 & p. 96-97
Focus: Show & Tell: your online group projects (M). Math for journalists (M); column/commentary (W)
Due 11/21: Your online group project
Due 11/23: Column/commentary
WEEK 15 – Nov. 28 & 30
Focus: Math for journalists, in-class exercise (M); peer editing — final projects (W)
Due 11/30: Draft of your final project for peer review and editing
WEEK 16 – Dec. 5 & 7
Focus: Finish your final project (M); final project “show & tell” (W)
What’s Due: Long-Form/Multimedia Project (W).
FINAL EXAM: Monday, Dec. 12, 9:45 a.m. -12 noon (Final exam: news writing section)
