Syllabus

CMM 211 Intro to Journalism

Fall 2013 (TR 3:00-4:20pm), Decary 204

Instructor: Dr. Bistra Nikiforova

Office Hours: (Decary 317) M 2 – 3pm; TR: 12-1 and 1-2pm or by apt.

Best way to get hold of me: bnikiforova@une.edu

Description:

This class will introduce and train you in good journalistic writing. The focus will be on online media and will explore the hypertext possibilities of online journalism.

Textbook:

Bender, J., Davenport, L, Drager, M and Fred Fedler (2011). Reporting for the Media. (Oxford University Press, 10^th edition). You can get it as e-book or on Amazon.

+ http://www.aldaily.com/  + any other possible information source ranging from your grandmother to AP.

We will use another book as well but I will outline and put on power point the most important elements of the few chapters from it. No need to buy it but in case you want to:

Hillard, R. (2011). Writing for Television, Radio, and New Media. (Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 10^th edition).

Course Objectives:

-       to improve your writing skills

-       to teach/improve your listening skills

-       to help you become more confident when giving presentations

Student Learning Outcomes:

-       improve your writing from grammar to style

-       learn to address anonymous audiences

-       overcome fears from public presence

-       strengthen your interpersonal communication while on performing tasks

That means I will not accept four role-playing assignments on the last day of classes or two quizzes, etc.

Grading Scale:

100-95 A; 94-91 A-;

90-88 B+; 87-84 B; 83-80 B-

79-77 C+; 76-74 C; 73-70 C-

69-60 D; 0-59 F

Assignments overview:  Each assignment will be graded on the scale:

Fails to meet criteria, meets criteria (average), exceeds criteria

Just to make sure we are on the same page: grades are not assigned or given. Grades are earned. You will receive a grade according to the amount of efforts you put into the class work. It is up to you to decide how much effort you will put into this class but don’t get upset if you are not satisfied with the grade.

However, some stuff that will definitely will help you in earning a good or excellent grade:

·      Don’t miss more than 2 class meetings. If you miss any because of an athletic game, make sure to both present a document and catch up with the work. Even when you miss a class because you were sick, you are still responsible for completing the work. For additional information on university attendance policies, check the university website at http://www.une.edu/registrar/catalog/1213/undergrad/policy.cfm #attendance

·      Don’t text during class or leave the class to take a phone call unless you have notified me in advance. Texting or leaving the room to take a call will result in public shaming, which will be decided by the class.

·      Severe weather might impact our physical meeting but there are always virtual places where we can have the class. For that purpose, we will have a Facebook page, which will be our alternative classroom and sometime it maybe utilized more than the physical classroom. If I am running late, I will make sure to send you a message on the board so you know that the class is NOT cancelled.

·      Don’t be afraid to dream, imagine, fantasize, and pour all of your creativity on paper or other forms of expression. However, when you don’t use your own words and thoughts, make sure that you “didn’t forget to cite them.”

Additional policies are included at the end of the syllabus as The Appendix.

Grading Structure:

Week 1 – you start with 0 points for your grade (meaning F)

Week 15 – you may have maximum of 270 points (meaning B)

After grading your final papers, you can get 310 points (meaning A)

Between week 1 and 15 you can earn up to 270 points by performing well at the following tasks:

Small projects 220 points

Feature story   25 points

Radio Interview   25 points

Short Documentary   40 points

Final Grade: 310 points

Grading:  Student grades will be reputed based on a plus/minus grading system.

Your final project will be due the exam day and it will be 40 points maximum. This can bring your grade to an A. Each assignment will be graded on the scale: Fails to meet criteria, meets criteria (average), exceeds criteria

Grading Scale:

310-295 A; 291-282 A-;

279-273 B+; 270-260 B; 257-24879 B-

245-239 C+; 236-229 C; 226-217 C-

214-186 D; 0-183 F

News at 3:

Date	Topic	Reading	Assignment	Points
8/29	Meet and greet. The raising star in journalism: YOU	-	Everybody talks about you: in the newspaper, on the radio, and on television	0
9/3	Blogger and all that stuff	Ch. 14	Chapter exercises + writing your first blogs news; survey due	5
9/5	Writing the Lead; Subject Campus Love	Ch. 8	Chapter exercises… i.e. writing, writing, writing…	5
9/10	Grammar and Spelling	Ch. 2	Exercises and more writing: college sports	10
9/12	More Leads	Ch. 9	Write more: cafeteria incident	10
9/17	Style	Ch. 3	Exercises and profile of a classmate	15
9/19	Body of news	Ch.10	Exercises and my weekend in the news	15
9/23	The Language of News	Ch. 4	Review
9/25	Other kind of stories	Ch. 16	Pick one a head of time and gather information	15
10/1	Speeches and Meetings	Ch. 15	Exercises, and the story will be due a week from today, so you can visit an actual meeting	20
10/3	Quotations and Attributions	Ch. 11	More Exercises
10/8	Feature Stories	Ch. 17	Exercises + pick a topic, you have 1 week	25
10/10	Advanced Reporting	Ch. 19	More serious writing	15
10/15	Radio	Hillard 34-45 (pdf)	Feature story due; Class lead by Chandler and we all will assist
10/17	Radio Format and Style	H 56-66 (pdf)	My voice: my power. Story about the value of radio today	15
10/22	News: Radio and TV formats	H 129 – 166	Sports event: from Twitter to the college radio	20
10/24		Continue
10/29	Interview	H. ch. 7 Interview	Interview somebody significant in the university. Plan ahead so you can meet them before Thursday’s class.	25
10/31		Continue
11/5	TV news format	Ch.13	Warming up, reading the news, conversing with the other anchor	20
11/7		H. 54-56; 163-166
11/12	TV interview	Radio vs. TV	Needs preparation ahead of time: interview with a classmate	20
11/14
11/19	Documentaries	H ch. 6	Intro to your final project
11/21
11/26	Podcast		TBD	15
11/28	Thanksgiving		-------------
12/3	Talk Show		Needs preparation ahead of time to find a guest (classmate) who will be the right one for your kind of subject	20
12/5
	Final project due	Short documentary	Presentations	40

The Appendix:

Midterm Academic Progress Reports

The University of New England is committed to the academic success of its students. At the midterm of each semester, instructors  will report  the  performance of each student as SATISFACTORY (S) or UNSATISFACTORY (U). Instructors will announce when these midterm academic progress reports will be available for viewing via Uonline.  This early alert system gives all students important  information  about progress  in  their  courses. Students  who  receive  an  UNSATISFACTORY  midterm   report  should take immediate  action by speaking· with  their  instructor  to  discuss suggestions for improvement  such as utilizing the services of academic advising, the Student Academic Success Center, Counseling Services, and Residential Education.

Access Statement

The University of New England will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Any student eligible for and needing academic adjustments or accommodations because of a disability are requested to speak with the professor at the beginning of the semester. Registration with Disability Services,located in Stella Maris 128 (ext. 2815) on the Biddeford Campus and the Lower Level of Ginn Hall (ext. 4418) on the Portland Campus, is required before accommodation requests can be granted.

Academic Integriy

Academic dishonesty  is taken  very  seriously  and  dealt  with  according  to  UNE policy.  Academic dishonesty will  result  in a zero on the associated assignment and can include up to  expulsion from school. As specified the Student Handbook (page 33), academic dishonesty is:

"1)  Cheating,copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information including but not limited to:

a) use of any unauthorized  assistance in taking quizzes,tests,or examinations;

b) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the faculty in writing papers,preparing reports, solving problems,or carrying out other assignments, including but not limited to calculators,handheld computers, or other electronic devices; or

c) the acquisition, without permission,of tests or other academic materials belonging to a member of the University faculty or staff.

2) Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.

3) Action that destroys or alters the work of another student.

        4) Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without  permission of each instructor.

5) Plagiarism,the appropriation of records, research materials, ideas,or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own including but not limited to:

a) the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation,of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; or

b) the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials."

The College of Arts and Sciences policy on reviewing alleged acts of academic dishonesty can be found at: http://www.une.edu/cas/academicprocedures.cfm

Use of the SASC

Tutoring, writing support and learning strategies consultations are available, free  of charge,  in the Student Academic Success Center.  Students are encouraged to  use these  services early and often  to promote academic  success.  More information  about  the SASC is available at http://bit.ly/UNESASC or by calling the Center at 207-602-2443.

Students with Disabilities:  Students with disabilities (including invisible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, and head injuries) are encouraged to notify their instructor of their condition within the first two weeks of the semester.  The college and your instructor will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.