Journalism 380-1: Television News Writing

Fall 2007

Wednesday, 11 a.m.-1:50 p.m.

Marshall Building, Room 340/350

Professor Celeste González de Bustamante, Ph.D.

Phone: (520) 621-3189

E-mail: celesteg@email.arizona.edu

Office Hours: Monday, 2:00 p.m.-3:50 p.m. (Room 360) Wednesday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. (Room 336); and by appointment.

Mark Poepsel, Teaching Assistant

E-mail: mpoepsel@email.arizona.edu

Course Goals: This course has two fundamental goals: 1. to introduce you to writing, reporting, and production techniques required for broadcast news; 2. to strengthen solid writing, reporting, and ethical decision-making skills acquired in other journalism courses.

The class is designed to help you:

• write clear, concise broadcast news stories under deadline pressure
• communicate facts and ideas succinctly and accurately
• write to video, including tape and graphics
• develop story ideas
• cultivate critical thinking skills
• understand concepts and techniques in newscast production and field production
• develop understanding of the communities of Southern Arizona and the nation writing and reporting accurately and fairly on issues such as ethnicity, gender, religion, and sexual orientation
• recognize the connections between local and global events

Class Design

The class will be divided primarily between lectures and in-class writing assignments, with an emphasis on writing under deadline pressure. Lectures will cover a combination of material in the required texts as well as additional content related to the class. Lectures will also provide opportunities for students to participate in various discussions either in-class or online. Aside from a few in-class quizzes, most quizzes covering broadcast style, current events, and ethical questions will be administered via email. Throughout the semester you will participate in an online discussion via the blog, “380: Writing for Broadcast News” (http://380-1.blogspot.com/) in which you will express your thoughts on readings and issues related to the broader issues in broadcast journalism. Occasionally, guest speakers visit our class to give you a deeper understanding about the role of the broadcast/video journalist in the early 21^st century.

Class Assignments and Requirements

• Write at least ten broadcast assignments in-class (on deadline)
• Write numerous stories via email (on deadline)
• At least once during the semester you will develop your own story idea and report on the story using video news style
• Final Project: produce an entire half-hour news program with four news blocks; A block, B block, C block (thematic or sports), D block (thematic or sports), E block (kicker and close). Newscasts cannot have two sports blocks. The newscast will include in a rundown (timed out) and an entire script. This is a group assignment in which work should be divided evenly among members of each group. Each student will receive two grades for this project-an individual grade and a group grade. These two grades will be averaged for each student to obtain one final grade for the project.
• Quizzes and Tests: on current events, required readings, broadcast style, and ethical questions.
• Professionalism/Participation: you are required to conduct yourself in a professional manner in class. This begins with attending class on-time, every time. Disruptive behavior will jeopardize your professionalism grade. You are required to participate actively in class and on-line discussions.
• You are required to keep up with readings and viewings

Grading

Your final grade will be based on 1000 total possible points to equal 100% of your total grade.

Ten Writing Assignments = 700 pts. (70% of total grade, 70 pts. possible per writing assignment) Criteria for writing assignment grades include: accuracy, grammar, story structure, word choice, writing style, reporting (i.e., ability to find the story, select most important facts, and present facts in a balanced form), ability to write to video and sound, and adherence to time constraints, and creativity. Your lowest writing grade will be dropped.

Final Project = 100 pts. (10% of total grade)

Grading criteria for final project include: Overall newscast structure and flow, accuracy, balance, choice and newsworthiness of stories, ability to write to video and sound, adherence to time constraints, and creativity.

Professionalism/Participation = 200 pts. (20% of total grade)

In this class, quizzes and online assignments will comprise part of your professionalism/participation grade. You are expected to meet all deadlines, including online quiz and blog discussion deadlines.

(Professionalism in J380 adheres to the policy reflected in the UA journalism department’s Reporter’s Handbook, which states, “This conduct in the classroom includes participating in discussions, treating other students with respect and following the rules established by the department and your instructor. Your behavior is especially important outside of class. While you are working on assignments, you are perceived as representing the journalism department and the university.”)

Please keep cell phones off and out of sight in the classroom. If you need to use your cell phone before class, please do so in the hallway. Those who do not abide by this policy will receive a poor professionalism grade.

1000-900 points= A

899-800 points = B

799-700 points = C

699-600 points = D

599-0 points = E

The “Auto-E.” Grades of “E” will be given for each instance of a factual error, misspelled name, or misspelled proper noun. Writing assignments will be downgraded ten points for each factual error.

DEADLINES: If your story misses its slot, it’s as good as dead. At many news operations, if you miss your deadline more than once, you are fired. Therefore, as part of your training as broadcast journalists, NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted. This also applies to any online quizzes or out of class assignment. If you are on documented a UA-sanctioned trip, you must make prior arrangements to have the week’s assignment turned in by the beginning of class. Your lowest writing assignment grade will be dropped, giving you a “bye” for one assignment. Please do not ask your instructors to accept late assignments.

Assignments must be typed: All work must be typed, unless indicated otherwise. Handwritten assignments will not be accepted.

Attendance and Other Class Policies

You are expected to attend every class. Because this class only meets once a week, only two unexcused absences will be permitted. Three unexcused absences will result in the student being dropped from the class. If the drop deadline has passed, the third unexcused absence will result in the student receiving a failing grade. If you miss a class, whether or not your absence is excused, you are responsible for finding out what you missed in class. If you are going to be absent, you must notify the instructor via email or phone prior to class.

Story ideas and attendance: At the beginning of each class, you will be asked to hand in a story idea for the week. Story ideas will be used to check attendance, ergo, no story idea, no credit for attendance.

Required Viewing/Listening and Texts

• Watch/Listen to at least one local and national (or international) newscast daily.
• Read at least one local and national newspaper daily.
• Gormly, Eric K. Writing and Producing Television News. Second ed. Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
• Kalbfeld, Brad. AP Broadcast News Handbook: Incorporating the AP Libel Manual. New York: Associated Press, 1998.
• Larnder, James and David A. Smith, eds. Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences.
• Mindich, David T.Z. Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don’t Follow the News. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• Occasionally, other readings and viewings will be handed out or announced in class.

Recommended Viewings and Readings

Webster’s Instant Word Guide. Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, 1995.

Good Night and Good Luck

NPR (National Public Radio); found locally at, 89.1 F.M., or kuaz.org, reports and newscasts also online at npr.org)

The Los Angeles Times

The New York Times

Autobiographies written by broadcast journalists

Academic Integrity and Student Conduct

You are required to abide by the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. All provisions of the Code are incorporated into this syllabus. It is strongly recommended that you read the Code to understand the rights and responsibilities of all members of the university community.

The Code states, in part, “Conduct prohibited by the Code consists of all forms of academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to: cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism as set out and defined in the Code of Conduct, ABOR Policy 5-308-E.10 and F.1; submitting an item of academic work that has previously been submitted without fair citation of the original work or authorization by the faculty member supervising the work; modifying any academic work to obtain additional credit in the same class unless approved in advance by the faculty member; failure to observe rules of academic integrity established by a faculty member for a particular course; and attempting to commit an act prohibited by this Code. Any attempt to commit an act prohibited by these rules shall be subject to sanctions to the same extent as completed acts.”

Under Arizona Board of Regents policy, “fabrication” means falsification or invention of any information or citation. “Plagiarism” means representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. The following are some examples of code violations, as they would apply to journalism classes: making up sources for a story; making up quotes for a story; copying sentences or paragraphs from another person’s story and submitting them as one’s own work; submitting the same story to fulfill assignments in two different classes, without obtaining prior permission from the instructor of the second class in which the work would be submitted.

Possible sanctions for violations of the code include; a warning, a reduction in grade for the assignment or the class involved, a failing grade for the class, or a recommendation of suspension or expulsion from the university. The code provides procedures to assure the integrity in matters arising under the code.

The Code of Academic Integrity is online at:

http://w3.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/cacint.htm

The Student Code of Conduct is online at:

http://info-center.ccit.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/studcofc.htm

The Student Disruptive Behavior Guidelines are online at:

http://info-center.ccit.arizona.edu/~dos/Assets/pdffiles/disrupbehav.pdf

Disruptive Behavior: (from: Guidelines for University of Arizona Faculty and Staff) As defined by the University of Arizona Student Code of Conduct, disruptive behavior, “interferes with university or university-sponsored activities, including but not limited to classroom related activities, studying, teaching, research, intellectual or creative endeavors, administration, service or the provision of communication, computing or emergency services. Examples of minimally disruptive behavior are, being late to class, beepers and cell phones going off during class, reading the newspaper (except as part of an in-class assignment), packing up and leaving early.”

“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wire and lights in a box.” -- Edward R. Murrow, from RTNDA Convention, Chicago, October 15, 1958.

(For Murrow’s entire speech access: http://www.rtnda.org/resources/speeches/murrow.shtml)

Journalism 380-1 Class Schedule (Spring 2007)

January 10: Week 1

Welcome

• Quote of the week, “I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.”
  Anna Quindlen
• Housekeeping matters: Adds and drops, prerequisites, Student info. card, nametags Int’l Broadcast Journalism Association
• Check prerequisites
• Presentation of syllabus and assignments, reading materials, Academic Integrity Handbook, contract
• Break
• Handouts electronic media vocabulary list
• Academic Integrity Handbook and Contract (sign and bring to class next week)
• Take Tuned Out questionnaire
• Introduction to blog

• Short viewing-first news block, in small groups identify types of stories, exercise on focus of 3 stories, critique
• Pick leader of first on-line discussion, Inequality and Tuned Out
• Close with NPR story on “Good Night and Good Luck.” Review by Kenneth Turan, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4949041), NPR “Morning Edition”, October 5, 2005.
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing Television News, Chapters 1-3, pp. 1-33 (do the exercises); AP Broadcast Handbook, A-I, pp. 213-383; Larnder and Smith, Inequality Matters, pp. 1-26; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 1, pp. ix-17
• At home exercise: Watch a television newscast. How does the audiovisual medium of television differ from print?
• You are the next generation of journalists!

January 17: Week 2

• Quote of the week, “I do not advocate that we turn television into a 27-inch wailing wall, where longhairs constantly moan about the state of our culture and our defense. But I would just like to see it reflect occasionally the hard, unyielding realities of the world in which we live.” Edward R. Murrow, October 1958, Chicago at RTNDA conference. To read entire speech go to: http://www.rtnda.org/resources/speeches/murrow.shtml
• Turn in signed Academic Integrity Contract
• Quiz #1: AP broadcast stylebook: A-I
• Review on line discussion, pick next week’s leader
• Lecture: Broadcast Writing, based on Gormly, Chapters 1-3: Themes, Introduction to TV News, Television News Writing, Grammar Review.
• Review Vocabulary list
• Break
• Quick anatomy of a newscast
• Attribution, Numbers, Percents, Clear writing examples
• In class writing exercise
• Watch some stories (looking for attribution, numbers, percents)
• Read: AP Broadcast Handbook: J-R (Quiz 9/5); Gormly, Chapters 4-5, pp. 35-67 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds, Inequality Matters, pp. 27-53; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 2, pp. 18-33; RTNDA Code of Ethics, see website http://www.rtnda.org/ethics/coe.shtml

January 24: Week 3 (Professor González de Bustamante in Santa Fe)

• Quote of the week, “I'm not a slave to objectivity. I'm never quite sure what it means. And it means different things to different people.” Peter Jennings
• Quiz #2: AP broadcast stylebook: J-R
• Review on line discussion, pick next week’s leader
• Class Discussion: RTNDA Code of Ethics
• Lecture: Broadcast Writing, Chapter 4-5, General Rules for writing for TV-accuracy, fairness, balance, attribution, Usage-four guidelines, words, sentences, voice, tense. Quick overview of story formats.
• Break
• In-class Writing Exercises; 1. Lead sentences; 2. RDR

• Read this week for next week: Gormly, Writing and Producing Television News, Chapters 6-7, pp. 69-135 (do the exercises); AP Broadcast Handbook, S-Z, pp. 526-573; Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 54-76; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 3, pp. 34-59; RTNDA Guidelines on 1. Airing 911 Calls; 2. Amber Alerts (see: http://www.rtnda.org/ethics/ethicsguidelines.shtml.).

January 31: Week 4

• Quote of the week, “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.”
  Edward R. Murrow
• Quiz #3: AP broadcast stylebook: S-Z
• Review on line discussion, pick next week’s leader
• Class Discussion on Ethics Guidelines: 1. Airing 911 Calls; 2. Amber Alerts
• Lecture: Tension between Entertainment vs. News; Chapters 6-7, Themes, Approaching the TV news story, Story Formats, The VO, go over VO template; vocabulary review; rewriting vs. plagarism
• Break
• WA #1 (Writing Assignment) in class and on deadline, Your very first RDR, no longer than :25
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing Television News, Chapters 8-9, pp.137-186 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 77-101, Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 4, pp. 69-76; RTNDA Guidelines, 3. Balancing Business Pressures and Journalism Values and 4. Covering Funerals, (see: http://www.rtnda.org/ethics/ethicsguidelines.shtml.)
• At home exercise: Watch television news. Do the pictures and graphics match the words of the story?

February 7: Week 5

• Quote of the week, “A satellite has no conscience.” ~Edward R. Murrow
• Review on line discussion pick next week’s leader
• Quiz #4: Television News Vocabulary
• Discussion: RTNDA Ethics guidelines 3. Balancing Business Pressures and Journalism Values; 4. Covering Funerals
• Break
• Lecture: Chapter 8-9-10, themes, the SOT, the VO/SOT
• WA #2, in class on deadline; write first VO, no longer than :30
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing Television News, Chapters 10-11, pp. 187-221 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 102-128; RTNDA guidelines 5. Covering a Hostage Taking Crisis; 5. Covering School and Other Bomb Threats.
• At home exercise: watch the news and count the length of sound bites. Does the length of the sound bite work? Is there a smooth transition between voice-over and sound bite?

February 14: Week 6

• Quote of the week, “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” ~Edward R. Murrow
• Quiz #5: RTNDA ethics guidelines, 1-4
• Review on line discussion and pick next week’s leader
• Discussion RTNDA Guidelines: 5. Covering a Hostage-Taking Crisis; 6. Covering School and Other Bomb Threats
• Schedule one-on-one meetings w/ Professor González de Bustamante
• Lecture: Chapter 11, Putting the formats together
• WA #3, Write SOT, in class on deadline, no longer than :40
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing for Television News, Chapter 12, pp. 223-234 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 129-149; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 5, pp. 77-94; RTNDA Guidelines; 7. Digital Manipulation; 8. Ethical Promotions.

February 21: Week 7

• Quote of the week, “The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.” ~Marcus Aurelius
• Quiz #6, Current Events
• Review on line discussion and pick next week’s leader
• Discussion: RTNDA Guidelines; 7. Digital Manipulation; 8. Ethical Promotions
• Lecture: Chapter 12, Interviewing: Conversation with a goal
• Interviewing Exercise

• Watch and critique stories
• WA #4 VO/SOT/VO, no longer than :45
• Pick production teams/Small group exercise, newscast rundown, count the number of alternative voices, women, men, people of color, various socioeconomic groups included
• Read: Gormly, Chapter 13, pp. 235-270 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds., pp. 150-177; RTNDA Guidelines, 9. Ethical Video and Audio Editing, 10. Evaluating Sources

February 28: Week 8

• Quote of the week, “A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.”
  --Edward R. Murrow
• Quiz #7: RTNDA Ethics guidelines 5-8
• Discussion: RTNDA Ethics guidelines 9. Ethical Video and Audio Editing, 10. Evaluating Sources
• Review on line discussion and pick next week’s leader
• Lecture: Chapter 13, Writing the Package
• Watch examples of packages

• WA #5 VO/SOT/SOT/VO, no longer than :50
• Read: Gormly, Chapters 14 and 16; Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, 178-201; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 6; RTNDA Guidelines, 11. File Tape, 12. Graphic Content.
• Final project teams meet in class
• At home exercise: Watch PKGs on television news. Do these stories have a beginning, middle, and end? Does the writer use sound bites and narrative effectively?

March 7: Week 9

• Quote of the week, “Political language ... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~George Orwell
• Quiz #8, Current Events
• RTNDA Ethics discussion, 11. File Tape, 12. Graphic Content
• Review on line discussion and pick next week’s leader
• WA #6 Simple PKG, no longer than 1:15
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing the News, Chapter 15 and Chapter 17 (do the exercises); Lardner and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 203-214; Mindich, Tuned Out, Chapter 7, pp. 112-127; RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 13. Hidden Cameras and Deception, 14. Identifying Juveniles.
• At home exercise: Watch PKGs on television news. Are the reporters using stand-ups effectively?

March 14:Week 10 (No Class-Spring Break)

March 21: Week 11

· Quote of the week, "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind."
Jim Morrison

• Quiz #9 RTNDA Ethics Guidelines 9-12
• RTNDA discussion: 13. Hidden Cameras and Deception, 14. Identifying Juveniles
• Review on line discussion and pick next week’s leader
• Lecture: Live shots, Producing #1
• WA #7: Write a PKG in class, no longer than 1:30
• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing the News, Chapter 18-19, pp. 321-363 (do the exercises); Lardner and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 215-227; RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 15. Interviewing Juveniles; 16. Live Coverage.
• At home exercise: Watch live news coverage on television. How does this differ than pre-packaged material?

March 28: Week 12

• Quote of the week, “We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason. ~Edward R. Murrow
• Quiz #10, Current Events
• Review on line discussion pick next week’s leader
• Discussion: RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 15. Interviewing Juveniles; 16. Live Coverage
• Lecture: Producing the News #2: Writing Teases, Opens, Closes
• WA #8, Write PKG in class, no longer than 1:30
• Read: Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 228-236; RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 17. On-Air Charitable Solicitations, 18. Racial Identifications.
• At home exercise: Watch television news. How are teases written? Are they effective? What about the show open and close?

April 4: Week 13

Quote of the week, “The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.”
Edward R. Murrow

• Final project teams meet

• Discuss and write teases in class
• Discuss next week’s writing assignment, Writer’s Choice

• Read: Gormly, Writing and Producing Television News, Chapter 20, pp. 365-385 (do the exercises); Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp.237-246.

April 11: Week 14

Quote of the week, “"If there is anything we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves." - Carl Jung

• Review on line discussion pick next week’s leader
• Discussion: RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 17. On-Air Charitable Solicitations, 18. Racial Identifications
• Lecture: More producing, plus, Chapter 20: Finding a Job

• WA #9, Write pkg in class, Writer’s Choice (B.Y.O.S., Bring your own story, including notes and sources, and video sources)
• Read: Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, pp. 247-257; RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 19. Reporting on Suicide, 20. Respecting Privacy

April 18: Week 15

• Quote of the week, “Next to power without honor, the most dangerous thing in the world is power without humor.” ~Eric Sevareid
• Review on line discussion pick next week’s leader

• Discussion RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 19. Reporting on Suicide, 20. Respecting Privacy
• Lecture: Producing #3, Back timing and Front timing

• WA #10: VO, in class on deadline, no longer than :30
• Work on Final Projects
• Read: Larnder and Smith, eds., Inequality Matters, 258-278; RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 21. Use of Non-Editorial Video and Audio, 22. Using a Telephone Caller on the Air.

April 25: Week 16

Quote of the week, “Be careful. Journalism is more addictive than crack cocaine. Your life can get out of balance.
Dan Rather

• Review on line discussion
• Class Discussion: RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 21. Use of Non-Editorial Video and Audio, 22. Using a Telephone Caller on the Air
• Lecture: TBA

• Work on Final Projects
• Evaluations
• Read: RTNDA Ethics Guidelines, 23. Using Confidential Sources

May 2: Week 17

"Facing the press is more difficult than bathing a leper." -Mother Teresa, 1990

• Final projects due, at the beginning of class
• Discussion: RTNDA Ethics Guideline, 23. Using Confidential Sources
• Final discussion

J380 Statement of Understanding and Agreement

I, (please print name)__________________________have read the syllabus for J380, Writing for News and Documentary, for Spring 2007. I understand the syllabus’s contents and what is expected of me as a student enrolled in this course.

Signed_____________________________________________

Date_______________________________________________

Student Profile

(Please print as legibly as possible)

Name:___________________________________

Date:____________________________________

Course:__________________________________

Major:_______________________Minor:__________________

Email:___________________________________

Phone number:____________________________

Reason taking this course?

Goals and expectations for this course?

Favorite news program?

Favorite news personality?

Role model?

Where do you hope to be in five years?

Dream job?