Welcome to Introduction to Journalism. I'm looking forward to working with you.
Here is the syllabus:
Syllabus Spring 2024 Introduction to Journalism ENGH 244
Wednesdays 1:15 pm - 3:45 pm, Seminary Hall, Room 212, Jan. 17 - May 8
Professor Ellen Wulfhorst, Sitterly 203
Email: ewulfhorst@drew.edu
Office hours: Wednesdays after class or by appointment
Syllabus:
The goal of the Introduction to Journalism is teaching you to report, craft and edit news articles. We will be looking at and learning an array of news styles and formats - breaking news, second-day stories, features, brights, profiles, obituaries, investigative articles and more.
The prerequisites are:
1. Be interested in writing and improving your writing skills.
2. Be interested in the news and following current events. This includes reading, listening to or watching the news every day online, in newspapers, on television etc.
3. Be curious and willing to ask questions in class and on your reporting assignments. This includes difficult and uncomfortable questions. One of the great things about being a reporter is the opportunity to talk to people you would otherwise never know and to pepper them with questions.
Learning Goals:
By the end of the semester students will be able to
1. Write a solid news lede.
2. Write news articles proficiently, fairly and cleanly, making good choices on word selection, sentence structure, paragraph segues and story organization.
3. Write compelling stories that attract readers’ attention.
4. Cover a news event.
5. Interview subjects and sources.
6. Rewrite and edit their own work and that of others.
7. Research and report on various current events and relevant issues in the news.
8. Practice the basics and techniques of journalism, from finding good ideas to the right way to start an article, how to tell a story, how to organize information, how to interview, how to use quotations and how to work under deadline pressure.
9. Understand the principles of journalism, best practices and standards of ethics and integrity.
Whether or not you want to become a journalist, learning to report, write and think like one teaches you how to be a more analytical reader, a more skeptical listener and a more critical thinker - all useful skills.
Required reading:
We will each choose a news source to follow throughout the course. Please read it regularly and come to class prepared to discuss what you have read. Learn to identify its scope, style, bias, story choice, story placement and more.
The recommended textbook is “The Associated Press Guide to News Writing.” It is available online, so no need to purchase it. You will be assigned various sections to read throughout the course.
We also will be reading a lot of articles and other texts that I will assign. Assignments will be posted on Moodle.
Classes:
The class will predominantly consist of reading, discussion, guest speakers and in-class and extensive take-home writing assignments.
The University Writing Center offers one-on-one guidance for all aspects of writing across all disciplines at any stage in the writing process to all Drew University students. The UWC supports students’ dev
elopment as readers, critical thinkers and writers. Writing Specialists work with students on idea dev
elopment, structure, use of sources, style, grammar, and offer strategies and resources that writers can use as they compose, revise, and edit their work. Please visit the UWC website for more information or to schedule an appointment, or email uwc@drew.edu with questions.
Please have access to, and use, Zoom, GoogleDocs, Moodle and your Drew email. Please bring a laptop to class; you can’t write on a phone. Also bring a means of taking notes such as a recording app, small hand-held recorder or paper notebook and pen.
Please communicate using your Drew email address.
Expect an array of visiting speakers, some of whom may appear remotely via ZOOM. We can learn from their experiences, ask questions and use their talks as the basis for discussion. We also will be watching at least one film on journalism as an assignment. Possibilities are “Spotlight,” “She Said,” “The Fourth Estate” and “Truth.”
We also will attend and cover a Madison Borough Council meeting. The council meets twice monthly on Monday nights at 8 pm. Possible dates for us to attend are Feb 26, March 11 or April 8. We will discuss together in class which date works best.
Please follow and keep updated on university COVID-19 protocols such as masks, social distancing and vaccinations.
Be punctual. Attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absences will affect your grade (specifically a half grade for each unexcused absence so a B+ becomes a B, for example), and with three or more unexcused absences, you will likely fail. By excused, I mean please notify me of your absence by email BEFORE class. If you anticipate having issues with attendance or being on time, please tell me at the start of the semester. Do not wait until it becomes a problem.
Academic Accommodations:
Students with approved accommodations through the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) should provide the instructor with an accommodation. If you have not established services through the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (including, but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health conditions), you are encouraged to contact OAR. Although a disclosure may take place at any time during the semester, students are advised to do so as early as possible. For more information, visit OAR’s Website, contact Dana Giroux in Brothers College 119B, or at 973-408-3962, dgiroux@drew.edu or disabilityserv@drew.edu.
Absence Policy:
Class attendance and participation are integral to the academic experience at Drew University. Along with the course attendance policy, which may outline how attendance will affect a student’s grade, students should also be aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding absences for legitimate reasons, as described in the Absence Policy: Student Rights and Responsibilities, which is located in the Academic Policy section of Drew’s course catalog under Attendance. Legitimate planned absences may include religious holidays, NCAA-sanctioned competition, academic conference or some Drew-sanctioned events. Students need to inform the faculty member of planned absences in the first week of the semester. For unforeseen extended health issues please see the academic accommodations statement.
We will be doing several in-class drills and assignments. If you miss class due to an unexcused absence, you will fail the in-class assignment. If you have an excused absence, you will be eligible for a make-up drill.
Also, if you miss class, I sometimes post an outline of the day’s lesson on Moodle. But please ask your classmates to fill you in with their notes on what you missed.
Participate! That means ask and answer questions, make observations, be curious, contribute and discuss ideas. Simply showing up is not enough. Be engaged. Class participation will be 10% of your grade.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Drew University faculty respect and value the contributions of all students in our courses. We know that at times, our courses may include material that is difficult or controversial. We expect there will be different opinions and perspectives that emerge based on experiences, beliefs, and aspects of identity, broadly defined. We do not support or allow spoken or written comments that are offered with the intention of disrespecting any person or group based on any aspect of identity, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, religion, social class, ability, or disability. We challenge ourselves and our students to listen to and engage with differences respectfully and with the goal of learning about and better understanding ourselves and each other.
Using class time for email, texting or Web browsing is not permitted.
All assignments will be posted on Moodle, which is where you should submit your completed work. Assignments must be completed on time. Produce the best article that you can based on what you’ve reported. Leave yourself enough time to write and to read over and edit what you've written. If you need extra time, talk to me BEFORE the assignment is due. Late assignments may be scored lower by a half grade or more. Consideration may be made for illness and personal issues, on merit.
Please double-space your work. Neatness counts. Please check your spelling, punctuation, grammar and accuracy, and turn in what’s called clean copy in journalism. Sloppy work will affect your grade.
Plagiarism and fabrication will not be tolerated. Engaging in either is grounds for failure, and violations will be reported to the college authorities. We will discuss this further in class. But for starters, the serious offense of plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, research or writing as your own, such as:
Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes
Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging them
Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source
Failure to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignment
Any assignment that has been plagiarized will receive a failing grade. In addition, I am required by college policy to report suspected academic dishonesty, and such a report becomes part of your permanent file. Just don’t do it.
Artificial Intelligence Tools
Use of any Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools without permission is unacceptable and will be reported as an academic integrity violation. If you have any doubts about what is acceptable, please discuss them me.
Academic Integrity Policy
All students are required to uphold the highest academic standards. Any case of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the guidelines and procedures outlined in Drew University's Standards of Academic Integrity: Guidelines and Procedures, which is located in the academic policies section of Drew’s course catalog.
Grading (percentages are approximate):
Completing reading assignments ………… 10% of final grade
Class participation ……….............................10%
Completing writing assignments ………….. 20%
In-class drills ………………………………… 20%
Take-home drills and exams ……………..… 20%
Final project …………………………………. 20%
Your grades on each assignment will be listed on Moodle. However, do not take the numerical totals on Moodle as an indication of your final grade. Some assignments may count more, others may count for less, and Moodle will not reflect those calculations. In addition, your grade may reflect your progress in class. For example, you may start out getting grades in the low 80s and end with grades in the 90s. That shows that you made an effort and learned something! If the reverse occurs, that also may be reflected in your grade.
Again, your grade will be affected by class participation, which means asking questions, being engaged and getting involved in discussions. You can have a perfect attendance record, do the assignments and earn a zero in this category if you do not participate. I also will randomly call on students so please be prepared. If you do not participate, your grade will suffer. Even if you ace everything else in the class, don’t risk it. Talk! Ask! Argue!
NOTE: Students have the right to shut off the video if we are holding Zoom classes. I hope you will use the video option but you will not be penalized if you decide otherwise.
The article assignments will likely include covering a news conference or speech; writing obituaries, profiles or interviews; editing other students’ work; writing from notes, press releases and official statements; writing breaking news and brights and reporting and writing a feature.
So, your final grade will reflect the quality of your work, your visible efforts and engagement, your trajectory of learning from the start to finish of the course and, yes, participation.
Class schedule:
This is just a rough guide. Class topics are likely to change, depending on availability of guest speakers, the need to shift our focus in any given area, etc.
Class I
We will introduce ourselves, talk about plans for the course and get to know one another. We will go over the syllabus. We will discuss different types of news stories. You will get hands-on practice by interviewing one another and writing up a profile. We will talk about where we get our news and choose news sources to read regularly.
Class II
We will discuss what is news and news judgment. What are the styles of news writing? We will focus on hard news and the five Ws - Who, What, Where, When, Why plus a sixth - Who Cares? We will look at how to find the lede, what is the nut graph, what is an inverted pyramid, what is a kicker, what are bylines, beats and datelines. We will look at use of context, quotes, attribution, transitions, balance, impact and background. We will discuss our news courses, do in-class drills and present our classmate profiles.
Class III
We will look at how to write profiles and obituaries.
Class IV
We will look at the process of interviewing. Discussion of film on journalism TBD.
Class V
We will look at news features and various types of ledes - soft, anecdotal ledes vs. hard ledes - and how to draw in the reader and tell an engaging story. We will look at the use of color and detail to bring stories to life. We will look at how features use a small story to tell a larger story.
Class VI
We will look at how to find stories. We will talk about coming up with ideas, testing them for originality, doing research, finding sources and using diverse voices and points of view.
Class VII
How to write a story from a news conference or speech. We will learn how to listen and dissect what they say, find the most important and salient bits, prioritize the information, spot falsities and exaggerations, add counter views and work with quotations. In-class dramatization.
Class VIII
Writing from a live news conference or speech. Writing from a press release and notes.
Class IX
In-class mid-term drills
Class X
We will look at using diverse voices, points of view, attribution, word choice, fact-checking, objectivity vs. subjectivity, debates over “fake news” and “both-sideism,” finding and avoiding racism, misogyny and other bias in stories, confirming facts, the importance of fairness, balance, accuracy and the danger of plagiarism.
Guest speaker TBD
Class XI
We will look at the roles of
local news, regional news, national news and international news. How to edit.
Class XII
We will look at investigative journalism and stories that have impact. We will look at how reporters cover beats. Guest speaker likely.
Class XIII
We will look at business and financial journalism.
Class XIV
We will share and discuss our final projects.
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