Course Syllabus

EN 318/418.OL Journalism II (Online)

Arcadia University English/Communications Summer II 2011 Susan Magee Cell: 215-370-2767 magees@arcadia.edu

Welcome! Welcome to your Arcadia University course, EN318 and EN418 Journalism II. Im your professor, Susa Magee. Im truly excited to be working with you all this summer in this very dynamic online format.

Speaking of dynamicJournalism is a dynamic, and thanks to the online news and social media revolutio even an exploding field. Whether or not you ever go on to write for a news or any media organization, I ca absolutely guarantee that the skills you will learn here will be indispensible for any kind of professional writing you may do.

As you know from your work in Journalism I, the study of journalism is the collecting, writing, editing of news or feature content for the news media, which includes: newspapers, magazines, broadcast, or online. involves reporting on events as they occur locally, nationally, or internationallyfrom the assassination o Osama bin laden to Lindsey Lohan going to jail/rehab/house arrest to how to the price of oil and eradicatin world hunger.

In Journalism I, you learned how to write leads, short news articles, and most likely you learned how to conduct interviews. In Journalism II, we advance your news writing/media, social media and interviewing skills to include news blogging, feature writing and more in-depth news writing. You will engage with soc media to engage readers and to follow other journalists. Our primary focus is print and online news media though we will discuss how writing for broadcast media compares and how news value shifts depending upon the medium.

This course is designed to not only advance your journalism skills but to provide you with professional writing samples for your online portfolio. You will further your ability to write, gather information, and create media messages that serve the needs of specific audiences. Journalists and all media personnel need be critical thinkers, capable of separating fact from fiction, which given the sheer volume of information available online through traditional and now social media like Twitter, is not always so simple. They must

have strong grammar skills, an understanding and appreciation of diverse audiences, and be guided by cle ethical principles. Our work this semester is focused on developing these skills. The main goals of this course are to:

1) Advance your writing skills. I dont care what your writing background is or isntif you put the effo in to this course, you will become a better writer during this semester. And its worth it! Language is our most basic tool of communication; its extremely powerful, and the written word remains (even in the era television and Internet) the staple of our mass communications diet. No, not everyone is a naturally gifted writer, but heres the truth: You dont have to be born with it. Writing is a process that utilizes skills and techniques that everyone can learn. As you hopefully learned in Journalism I, you can practice and becom proficient at gathering information, identifying and organizing what you want to say, and developing a sen of audience. In this course, you should continue to think like a writer, seeing the value of grammar, punctuation, style, editing, accepting critical feedback and revision.

2) Build media literacy. You will never view a newspaper or online news source in the same way again. Journalism I, you naturally became a more conscientious and critical consumer of the media and now you will continue to hone your own news judgment by evaluating the news judgment of the media on a particu issue that you follow for the duration of this course. This hyper focus on one issue will help you better understand values important to the media and the various goals, strengths, limitations and styles of differe media. Reading several news sources on a weekly basis will keep you informed on important national and international current events.

3) Develop professional skills. Although the media have different methods and messages, communication professionals require common skills to be effective. Beyond improving upon your writing skills and teach you to write under pressure and deadlines, we will develop critical thinking skills, ethical judgment. We w focus on enhancing your skills in: information gathering, interviewing, using emerging technology. You w showcase these skills through your professional blogging efforts.

4) Create real-world writing samples. If youre going to work in journalism or any other communication field that requires writing, youre going to need solid writing samples for your portfolio. You will write feature and an in-depth investigative piece that will showcase your ability to write well and follow AP sty

Required Materials

You do not have a required text for this course. Please use your Journalism I text to bolster the understand of the work were doing in this course. You will have many online readings and lecture notes to read. I als recommend that you read Your Major Daily Local Newspaper Print and online versions. The best way t learn how to become a journalist is by practicing and by reading news, every single day of your life, at lea while youre in this class. Required Materials:

You must have a microphone so you can record to voice boards. Most computers have them built in, but i yours doesnt, a headset with a microphone can be obtained cheaply at Target, Best Buy, or anywhere computer supplies are sold.

You must have the use of a camera and a digital/microcassette recorder for this course. Most cell phone cameras work just fine for our purposes. You dont need fancy equipment, just the ability to take photos a upload them to your blog. (Please borrow a camera if you dont have one. If this is a problem, let me know You can purchase inexpensive recorders for about $15 at Target. You will need a recorder to conduct you interviews. Note: Since this course is being delivered online, you will need to have access to Microsoft Office so that you can create, upload, or send via e-mail Word docs. Additionally, we will be using Wordpress, a free blogging program. Evaluation Discussion Board, Blog Posts, First Draft Articles, and Assignments are graded on a scale of 1-10 as follows: 1 2 3 Not acceptable, you must redo. 4 5 6 Average/Acceptable (You can revise, but its not mandatory) 7 8 9 Above Average 10 Excellent/Meets Highest Standards 2 points will be deducted per day for late assignments. Formal articles are calculated as follows: A+ 98 to100% A 94 to 97% A90 to 93% B+ 87 to 89% B 84 to 86% B80 to 83% C+ 77 to 79% C 74 to 76% C70-73% D 60% to 69% F Failure to complete required work Your total grade will be calculated as follows: 25% DB and Assignments (Scale of 1-10)

25% Blog Project (20% - your blog and 5% your comments) 10% Article I - How to Article 20% - Article II - Profile 20% - Article III - Enterprise

I will post your grades on the Gradebook which is on your menu. If you have a question or concern about a grade me know. Academic honesty Honesty is the cornerstone of journalism. All your work must be your own.

Journalistic information gathering includes seeking information through interviews and increasingly involves res Internet. All work must be properly and thoroughly cited or attributed. Fabricating interview material or using inf obtained from the Internet (or other sources) without crediting the source are examples of academic dishonesty. Bottom line: A student who is not honest in this course will automatically fail.

Introduction This course is being presented in an online fashion; It is important that you login on a regular basis (daily and work on a consistent basis to complete your requirements. Because of the online nature of this course, deadlines is simply not an option. All Discussion Boards and assignments must be completed on time.

Please understand, online is not a euphemism for easier. This is a demanding course, but it will be a fun interesting one too. This course places much more responsibility on you than simply showing up in a class days a week. You will be expected to participate regularly and thoughtfully in our online discussions.

To keep up with the readings, discussions and assignments, you will need to be online regularly. You mu reliable access to a computer with a good Internet connection. If you dont, this is not the course for you. Y get used to checking your BB for Discussion Board threads and e-mail at least three times a week, if not d should be checking, checking, checking.

You must have the time for this course or you should take it at another time. If you miss two Discussion B postings or two deadlines, you will be on your way to failing the class. If you need an extension for an em Im happy to give you one; however, do not ask on the day an assignment is due. Discussion Board (DB)

Were online, but that doesnt mean that you call cant get to know each other and become peers Our main

classroom interaction will happen on the Discussion Board (DB) and through your blog comments.

We will be on DB and your blogs a lot throughout the summer session. You will be reviewing each other commenting on discussion and blog postings. You must always comment on at least two of your classmat as well as post your own.

Because the DB and blogging is such an essential part of an online class, we need to make the most of it. H guidelines:

1. Post on time. I will always give you a deadline for posting both to DB and to your blogs, but you need post ASAP. Your comments, no matter how insightful and intellectually stimulating, simply are not going worth much to the rest of the class if you post them at the last possible second or after the deadline.

2. RESPECT. Its fine to disagree but its never okay to put anyone down or ridicule. Be careful with hu tricky thing is that sometimes we think were being funny but without all of the verbal cues, like tone of v non-verbals, like facial expression, we can misfire.

3. Write professionally. This is a writing-intensive course. When youve been teaching for a while, certa make you want to cry. For me, its when students post on DB or leave blog comments with complete disre the rules of grammar or even just any semblance of normality. DB is not IM. Blog comments are not IM. okay to write in code. Its not okay to write in fragments or not to capitalize your first sentences. (Same go maildont send me poorly written e-mails. Im a writing instructor, I notice.)

4. Participate with enthusiasm. I am looking for genuine engagement and interest in the discussion. (M once told me the secret to getting a job is to be enthusiastic during the interview. I think he may have been This means you should never post non-substantive comments such as "Me, too!" or I agree. Show me th and that youre learning something.

5. Know its being read. I may not comment on every individual posting or blog comment that you leave classmate, but I will read everything you post as long as you post on time.

Discussion Participation, along with your assignments, counts for 25% of your grade. Your blog grade is a 25% and 5% is specifically a grade for the comments that you leave for your classmates. When I decide u discussion grades, I ask myself this question: Was this a better a better class because [insert your name here] was in it?

DB Hinkiness: Posting on DB is convenientthats the good news. The bad news is that sometimes you the button to submit and your computer or BB or some horrible jinx will befall you and all your hard work disappear. I call this the BB hinky and its the worst! Talk about wanting to mutilate your computer! So m Always begin in Word and then copy and paste it into the DB. Or, before you hit submit, copy what youv

A glitch like this is not the equivalent of the dog ate my homeworkin other words, Ive warned you so I to hear that this is why you couldnt post on time.

The same goes for glitches with Wordpress. You should never write your initial blog posting or comments Wordpress. You should always type them in a Word doc first. Dont format your blog posts in Word, do t directly in Wordpress.

More DB Hinkiness: The good news is that DB does have spell check. The bad news is its pretty limited proofread please!!

When I respond back to you on DB and Im editing, I will use a color coded system. Green is a grammar/ problem. Blue is something I would add or something Im suggesting. Red is cut. When I respond to you blog posts, I usually use general comments and then email you any changes you need to make if you have typos/writing issues. You should always fix your blog posts ASAPremember, this is a part of your profe portfolio. Discussion/Blog Comment Etiquette

In this course, I welcome the creation of a dialogue that is open, thoughtful, and founded on the basis of re the field. At times, some of you will not agree on the positions that are taken in the forum. This diversity i welcomed. However, each student must exercise respect for the thoughts and comments that are posted by peers. If any posted comments are inappropriate or of an offensive nature, they will be removed from the f will address the issue with the author of the content. Please follow the following guidelines: Never post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that is known to be illegal. Never post harassing, threatening, or embarrassing comments. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.

Never post content that is harmful, abusive, racially, ethnically, or religiously offensive, vulgar or other potentially offensive.

Weekly Schedule Unit 1 Objectives:

* Get you adapted and comfortable to the online classroom format. * Familiarize you with your course requirements. * Introduce yourself to me and your classmates. * Learn about blogging and its impact on journalism.

Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: Introduce Yourself on Voice Board Assignment 2: Start Blogging Discussion Board 1: Blog Analysis Discussion Board 2: Ideas Unit 2 Objectives: * Conceptualize your audience as a way to inform your writing. * Build your blogging skills. * Establish authority credibility in your writing. * Understand and begin to apply social media tools to source building. Assignments: Assignments/Discussion Board: Assignment 1: Social Media Readings and Sign Up Assignment 2: How-to Article Proposal Assignment 3: Blog Project Posting #1 Assignment 4: Social Media Short Article Discussion Board 1: Profile Proposal Unit 3 Objectives: * Prepare to conduct a successful interview. * Brainstorm interview questions that go beyond the ordinary. * Understand how journalists are using Twitter to draw readers. Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: How-to Article Draft Assignment 2: Blog Project Posting #2 Discussion Board 1: 20 Interview Questions Discussion Board 2: How Journalists Use Twitter Unit 4 Objectives: * Conduct a successful interview. * Work with your notes strategically to find the frame and thematic hook of your piece. * Revise your how-to article to make it publishable. * Evoke character through detail.

Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: Blog Project Posting #3 Assignment 2: Interview Notes/Summary Assignment 3: Revised How To Article Unit 5 Objectives: * Evoke your profile subject through detail. * Discover the important role enterprise reporting plays in journalism. * Learn how enterprise stories evolve and are told in various mediums. * Understand how to use primary and secondary sources in enterprise reporting. Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: Enterprise Proposal Assignment 2: Blog Project Posting #4 Assignment 3: Profile Draft Discussion Board 1: Evoking your subject Unit 6 Objectives: * Successfully investigate a local/community issue. * Apply what you've learned about social media to help you cultivate sources. * Use research sources to add credibility to your writing. * Continue to hone your self-editing and revision skills. Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: Twitter Summary Assignment 2: Blog Project Posting #5 Discussion Board 1: Deadly Choices Response Unit 7 Objectives: * Reflect on your blogging and writing experience.

* Finalize your online portfolio. * Explore freelance writing opportunities. Assignments/Discussion Boards: Assignment 1: Blog Project Posting #6 Assignment 2: Profile Revision Discussion Board 1: Enterprise Draft