EDITING AND DESIGN JOU 223 FALL 2013 THE BASICS: Instructor's Information: David Swartzlander Office: 129

Gaylord Hall E-mail address: david.swartzlander@doane.edu Office phone: 402-826-8269 Home/cell phone: 402-643-5135 Website: davidswartzlander.com Twitter: @dswartzlander Office Hours: 10-11 a.m., 2-4 p.m. MW Or by appointment No office hours on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday Required materials: "The Editorial Eye" by Jane T. Harrigan and Karen Brown Dunlap, Bedford/St. Martin's "The Newspaper Designer's Handbook" by Tim Harrower, McGraw-Hill "The Associated Press Stylebook" Optional but highly recommended: A dictionary and thesaurus. COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course is designed to present the basic tools and principles needed to effectively edit and attractively assemble and present visual information in print and on the web. The purpose is to provide students with editing ability, design and layout skills and the legal and professional responsibilities of journalists. Grammar, writing and language skills as well as layout techniques and the philosophy of design and content will be emphasized. Use of computer technology will be treated as a tool to accomplish these goals. Students successfully completing the course should be able to: 1. Analyze stories for accuracy, brevity and clarity and demonstrate an ability to make revisions and improvements to prepare a story for publication. 2. Recognize wordiness, redundancy, jargon, slang, euphemisms and editorializing in the
written word and demonstrate how to avoid such problems. 3. Demonstrate how to use reference tools such as a dictionary, directory, thesaurus, stylebook, atlas and reference databases.

4. Write and count headlines to make sure they fit the space. 5. Write cutlines. 6. Understand and identify what is newsworthy - and demonstrate how to use design to communicate that news to a mass audience.

7. Recognize and explain fundamental news values. 8. Explain the major principles of journalistic ethics as they affect editing and design.

9. Recognize and define the legal and professional responsibilities of editors and designers. 10. Generate story ideas and work with writers to develop them. 11. Demonstrate how to display artwork to impart information to readers. 12. Assemble a visually appealing, useful print page design involving text, images

and typography. 13. Coach reporters to be better writers. 14. Work collaboratively. 15. Possess a working knowledge of grammar, structure and style and demonstrate how to use those tools to communicate to a mass audience. 16. Learn and explain the basics of online design. 17. Recognize the process of editing images and demonstrate the ability to make necessary revisions and improvements in images so that they are acceptable for an online news Web site. 18. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental parts of a newspaper and web page. ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is mandatory. If you miss a class, you should email me why you missed it. You will be responsible for any missed classes or assignments. Students may not make up quizzes or assignments missed for tardiness or unexcused absences. You are responsible for all material covered or assigned during classes. When absent, please contact a fellow student to find out what was missed or to get notes. Attendance is required at weekly news meeting at 5 p.m. Mondays in 213 Gaylord Hall. In addition, you will be required to propose three story ideas for the following week by noon Sunday. Send them to the Owl editor in chief Erin Bell (erin.bell@doane.edu) and copy the email to me to receive credit. You will be assigned a mentor from the Owl to answer questions or help you with problems. The mentor list can be found under the Editing and Design tab at davidswartzlander.com. Tutors for this class are available. Contact Student Support Services for the list of tutors.

ONLINE COURSE:

The syllabus and the schedule for this class are included on http://www.davidswartzlander.com. Check it regularly to determine what we will do in class each day, including when tests or exams are scheduled. Changes may be made at

any time during the semester. The grade book may be found in Blackboard. COURSE FORMAT: Information for this course will be presented through lectures, assigned reading, class discussion, the Blackboard system, my own website, in-class exercises and after-class assignments. ASSIGNMENTS

Students must read assigned material before class from the text or other sources as directed by the instructor. Students need to participate in class discussions and activities, attend The Doane Owl brainstorming meetings and complete all course assignments and responsibilities on time. Chapter quizzes will be administered throughout the course. Students must edit at least one story a week for The Doane Owl or Doaneline and participate in designing pages for the student newspaper. Students also must work one week with the Doanelines content management system. Deadlines must be met. Failure to make deadline will result in a 0 for the assignment. The only exception will be if you have a legitimate college-excused absence, such as a medical excuse, that can be documented. DEADLINES Deadlines must be met. I am impatient with excuses. Stories submitted for weekly publication features, profiles, etc. must be edited within 24 hours. More timely stories such as breaking news or any stories that should be published within 48 hours or sooner must be edited within one hour of submission. REQUIREMENTS Each student must: 1. Complete Associated Press quizzes. 2. Complete chapter quizzes. 3. Submit story ideas. These ideas should be detailed and include: The idea, potential sources, the news peg or angle, why you think this is a story, why readers would care about the story, how would it be illustrated and, if its an event, where and when it happens. They must be submitted to Owl editor-inchief Erin Bell and to me by noon Sundays. 4. Coach writers. Each of you will be assigned at least two basic news writers. You are to meet with those writers on a weekly basis. Ideally, you will meet briefly with writers when they suggest a story or receive an assignment. Your job is not to write and report for them, but to help writers determine what story angles to pursue, what sources to query and how to approach the story. You should be able to help identify the problems with the stories and they should work with you throughout the process from story idea to completed story. These do not necessarily have to be long meetings but they can help the writers and you discover what you both need to do to make the story the best you can. Meeting with the writers, I've decided, will be a part of your grade. Whether you receive points will depend on your interactions with your writers. You will be expected to make brief written weekly reports about your interactions. You should include the writer, the story discussed, when you interacted with the writer, what issues arose from the reporting or writing of the story, whether you and the writer resolved the issue and, if so, how it was resolved and any other pertinent information. 5. Edit a minimum of 12 stories for The Doane Owl or The Doane Line.

6. Design at least one page for The Doane Owl. Students will be required to assist the staff of the Owl under the direction of student editors. Bring copies of designed pages to the next class. 7. Work at least one week with the Doanelines content management system. Students will be required to assist the staff of Doaneline under the direction of student editors. The purpose of these assignments is to give students practical, hands-on experience with a professional CMS. 8. Complete four exams, including one midterm and one final. 9. Attend class and the news brainstorming sessions. 10. Compile a professional-looking portfolio of your work. SUBMISSION OF EDITED STORIES Edited stories must be submitted by email to me. I am not responsible for stories lost because of system failures in your computer, the email network or in my computer. Always save your edited story and print a hard copy of it before you send it electronically. You must have a hard copy in case there are questions about your electronically mailed story. You must send a copy of your edited story to Erin Bell, the Owl editor in chief, and Mark Lucas (mark.lucas@doane.edu) or Callie Cox (callie.cox@doane.edu) at Doane Line or I will automatically deduct three points from your story's grade. Please make all edits using Track Changes in the Tools section of Microsoft Word and send the edited story as an attachment. GRADING Edited stories are graded on a 30-point scale based on the following rubric: Skillful +5 Accuracy: No holes; correct names, times and events; complete information 5 Ws, H and so what; tells readers why they should care; stays on topic. Structure: Discernible; important or interesting info in lede; Good +4 Adequat e +3 Some flaws +2 Many flaws +1 Severe Problem 0

lede supported; each graf = single idea; logical flow; interest maintained; clear, simple transitions; no buried facts. Grammar and Style: Grammatically sound sentences; AP Style followed; spelling Language and sentence structure: graceful, concise prose; clear writing; precise, simple words; long, complex sentences avoided; needless words omitted; sentence length varies; quotes make points; attribution Headline: Sums up story; catchy; entices readers; fits space Online: Relevant links; short grafs; multimedia

when useful WARNING: A factual error or a misspelled name in the edited copy will result in an automatic five-point deduction. Editors must get the facts right. The first rule of this course is to spell names correctly. Misspelled words other than names will result in a three-point deduction. Failure to include pertinent, important information also will cost three points. Fill in the holes in the story. Awkward sentence structure or a stylistic or typographical error will cost you one point. Students who make serious factual errors or fail to catch serious factual errors will be required to write corrections for those errors and will receive a 0 for the edited story. Students must adhere to professional standards - meet deadlines, follow rules of punctuation, grammar, spelling and style. Be forewarned - I am a tough grader. Strive for high-quality work. TIP: To make sure you've edited the story well, you may have to contact the writer to get more information. Don't hesitate to do so. That's part of your job. In fact, strive to meet with the writer while editing the story. The final grade will be based on the total number of points earned by completing assignments, exams and quizzes compared with the total number of points possible. The following grade scale will be used: A = 90 percent to 100 percent B = 80 percent to 89 percent C = 70 percent to 79 percent D = 60 percent to 69 percent F = below 60 percent No plus or minus grades are given for this class. The following are the maximum point totals available for the various requirements: Associated Press quizzes = 100 points or 6 percent of the total points available. Chapter Quizzes = 100 points or 6 percent. Story ideas = 100 points or 6 percent Coaching writers = 100 points or 6 percent. Editing Owl/Doane Line stories = 360 points or 22.5 percent. Two tests = 100 points each or 12.5 percent Midterm exam = 100 points or 6 percent Page design for the Owl = 140 points or 8.5 percent. This grade will be determined by the layout and design of the page, whether photos have cutlines,

how photos are displayed, whether headlines abut each other and other good design techniques. Doane Line = 100 points or 6 percent. Portfolio = 100 points or 6 percent. Final exam = 200 points or 12.5 percent. The final exam will be given in two parts. During the last week of the semester, before finals week, you will edit copy on deadline. During the final exam time, you will use those stories and other materials to design an attractive newspaper page. Total number of points possible = 1,600. A score of 1,440-1,600 = A. 1,280-1,439 = B. 1,120-1,279 = C 960-1,119 = D Less than 959 = F. EXPECTATIONS OF PROFESSOR Ive listed expectations I have of you, now here is what you can expect from me: 1. I will care about you as a student and a person. 2. I will conduct class as scheduled every day, including being prompt and prepared. 3. If class will be cancelled, I will notify you by email at least five hours before class is to begin unless Im called away because of an emergency. 4. In most instances, my office door will be open and I welcome students to come to talk to me. 5. I am available by phone either in my office or at home except between the hours of 9 p.m.-9 a.m. because I am asleep at those times or preparing to come to work. 6. I will accept calls on the weekend, but please limit those calls to emergency phone calls only so that I may enjoy time with my family. 7. I will gladly accept student ideas on how to improve the teaching of this class. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Journalists have only one thing to offer: credibility. Making things up - quotes, people in stories, facts - and stealing the words of another publication or failing to give proper attribution to information obtained from other sources are deadly sins in journalism. If you engage in academic dishonesty - including plagiarism, fabrication and cheating - you will be penalized to the fullest extent allowed under Doane College policies. DISABILITY POLICY

Students with disabilities substantially limiting a major life activity are eligible for reasonable accommodations in college programs, including this course. Accommodations provide equal opportunity to obtain the same level of achievement while maintaining the standards of excellence of the college. If you have a disability that may interfere with your participation or performance in this course, please meet with me to discuss disability-related accommodations and other special learning needs. EXTRA CREDIT Extra credit work will not be a substitute for completing the required work. You must complete the work detailed under the syllabus requirements to receive extra credit for the first two categories listed below. Here's how you get extra credit: 1. Edit extra stories. You can get a maximum of 30 extra points per story by editing more stories. Plus, you'll learn how to edit more quickly. The maximum number of extra credit points available from editing stories beyond the requirements is 120. 2. Design more than one page for the Owl or work more than one week on Doane Line content to receive an extra 120 points. The pages must be so well designed that they can be published for you to receive the points. For Doane Line extra credit, the multimedia coordinator (or assistants) will help with the evaluation of your performance, but you must be involved in editing stories and/or helping design a portion of the website. 3. Copy Edit the World. Earn two points for an error (typographical, incorrect word usage, ambiguous wording, incorrect grammar and punctuation or other) found in a publication intended for general public circulation, such as a newspaper, magazine or journalism Web site. You may hand in examples until the last day of class, not including finals week. You may earn an unlimited number of points. I am the final arbiter on what counts as an acceptable submission. Examples submitted must identify the error, say what's wrong and show how you'd correct the error. This is not a group project. I reserve the right to change the rules. Include the original clippings with date and page number when you turn in the corrections. 4. After midterm, collect examples of what you consider "good" and "bad" design in a variety of printed formats and media. Be prepared to explain why the design is good or bad. You can earn four points for each example.