Syllabus

This course examines the basics of writing and reporting for print and broadcast news, commercial advertising, and promotions. Students will study processes of preparing, writing and editing copy, and they will complete practical applications of each.

Required Texts

Stovall, James. Writing for Mass Media. 6th ed. Allyn and Bacon.

Suggested Texts

The Associate Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. Harper Collins. 2006.

E-mail Requirement

Students MUST activate their campus e-mail accounts with our college no later than one week into the semester. The instructor will distribute studyguides for exams and some assignments via e-mail. Likewise, students will submit some assigned work via e-mail. Basic e-mail operations will be reviewed in class by the instructor.

Course Goals

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to

	use and recognize AP Style in writing and editing,
	write articles following a prescribed format,
	research and gather information adequately,
	submit articles by deadline,
	logically and clearly tell a story to make readers feel as if they were there, and
	recognize the inherent value of all human beings by demonstrating the importance of effectively and respectfully communicating with all members of society, including women, people with varied cultural backgrounds, people with special needs, and others.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to successfully complete these specific steps:

	write 20- to 25-word lead sentences which include who, what, when, where how and why.
	use the second sentence of the article as a bridge between the lead sentence and the third.
	place the first quote as the third sentence.
	place attribution for the quote after the quote and not before.
	end the article with a strong quote OR contact information.
	include the date, slugline, writer�s name, and word count as the header of the article.
	type and double space articles.
	electronically submit articles to instructor on or before the deadline.
	correct articles by understanding standard copy-editing marks.

Course Procedures

Attendance Policy

Class participation is vital. Significant portions of course material will be presented through in-class interactive assignments and discussions; therefore, attendance will directly affect your success and course grade.

It is the student�s responsibility to sign the attendance sheet. If the student fails to sign in, s/he will be recorded absent. If absences are because of college-sanctioned events, then the absence will be recorded but the absence will not carry a penalty. (Submitting late work will, however, will carry a penalty.) Any written excuses, such as a doctor's excuse, must be given to the instructor within one week of the absence to allow make-up tests or assignments.

Responsibility Grade

Twenty percent of the course grade will be a direct reflection of the student's attendance, conduct in the classroom, participation in class discussions, group work, interaction with peers, instructors and guests. This reflects issues of attitude, effort, attentiveness, timeliness, participation, the ability to work well with others, meeting deadlines, etc.

Automatic Grade Reduction

Missed Deadlines

Because of the nature of the communication industry and the importance of time management skills in any field, this instructor does not accept any assignment or in-class exercise after the deadline/due date, which results in a grade of zero for the assignment or exercise. Each deadline for each assignment and exercise is clearly outlined in the course schedule of this syllabus, and the instructor usually reminds students frequently about upcoming deadlines. However, it is the responsibility of the student to keep up with deadlines and plan accordingly. If the student foresees a problem with meeting a deadline, for example an absence on that particular deadline date, then that student should plan to submit that assignment before the deadline and should talk to instructor to arrange that. Early submissions are always welcome.

Citing Sources

Assignments which intentionally or unintentionally omit sources will receive a grade of zero. The instructor may or may not give one warning, but do not expect two. This refers to written, visual, and audio sources. "In plain language, plagiarism is taking someone else�s work and passing it off as one�s own without proper acknowledgment or documentation" (www.ala.org, July 3, 2003).

EC Distance Education Policy

Because some of this course in handled in an online format, please be aware of Emmanuel College's policy:

"Because of the nature of online courses, if a faculty member has any concerns that a student�s work might not be his/her own, the College reserves the right to require any distance education student to take or re-take any quizzes or exams in a supervised setting. Furthermore, under such circumstances, the College reserves the right to base the entire course grade upon the results of a supervised comprehensive exam. Students refusing to take supervised quizzes/exams will be subject to administrative withdrawal from the course(s). Attempts by any student to buy, borrow, or steal work from another individual for the purpose of submitting that work as one�s own will be treated as the equivalent of actually having submitted the work and may result in failure of assignment, failure of course, and/or expulsion from the College."

Dress Code

Students are expected to comply with the dress code of modesty in the Student Handbook.
Examinations

Three exams will be given during the session and constitute 30 percent of the overall course grade (see Course Schedule for dates). Students who anticipate absences on exam dates should arrange to take tests before exam dates. Approval is at the discretion of the instructor.

Conversely, students who do not anticipate absences but are unable to attend class on exam dates may be allowed at the discretion on the instructor to complete late exams. However, late exams must be completed within one week of the original exam date. Failure to take exams on scheduled dates results in automatic elimination of any curve or bonus points which might be added to exam scores.

Assignments

A number of writing assignments will be used to enhance the student's ability to understand more about writing for media. These assignments also aim to specifically train students to be able to apply this knowledge when working independently on projects that make up a significant amount of the course grade. The instructor will thoroughly explain how to complete these assignments and discuss examples. See Course Schedule for due dates.

Calculation of Course Grade

Grading Scale

A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-59

Examinations...30%

Ch1-4 = 10%

Ch5-10 = 5%

Final (comprehensive) = 15%

Assignments...60%

	short news article 1...5%
	long news story...10%
	editorial...10%
	health...10%
	broadcast...5%
	ad copy...5%
	press release...10%
	short news article 2...5%

Responsibility Grade...10%

Writing Across Curriculum Policy

This instructor grades all assignments for correct grammar, spelling, etc. Any written work containing spelling or grammatical errors will not receive an A regardless of the content. For assistance, visit EC's Student Success Center on the second floor of Aaron. Click here to visit Writing Centers at other colleges.

Multicultural Objective

Students are expected to show respect for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, or religious viewpoint.