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Journalism 699
Reporting and Editing for Print and Online*

Summer 2011



Updated May 25, 2011

Class schedule

Important: Read this

Here is the working schedule for Summer 2011. *The name of the class is a bit outdated. The focus is on reporting (for all student-run media). Generally, the format for the class will be: Tuesday — a traditional lecture/discussion/readings/exercises and quiz relating to the topic of the week (though quizzes might be moved to Thursdays, if necessary); Thursday — Critique (individual work and the Kansan — both print, Web and TV — and planning sessions on stories that are under way or planned). Note: One team will be responsible for critiqing that week's Kansan and Web.

Please check this page often. It will change given individual and collective needs. Thanks, Malcolm.



Week 1: June 7 & 9In the beginning, there was the lede.

Introduction: Syllabus; class procedures. Note: Make sure you read the syllabus carefully in case you have any questions. Questions from it also may show up on a quiz.

Gibson: A review of reporting procedures (including “What is a reporter”); how to write a cover letter; interviewing; ledes; sources (“Get out of the office and face to face”), and requirements for portfolio and beat memo.
Class discussion: Expectations (mine and yours), goals (mine and yours), class prodedures, meeting schedule and requirements for “Meeting with Malcolm (and Gina),” overview of quiz format, discussion and other topics, as needed.
Thursday's Kansan critique . Malcolm will critique the first edition of the summer Kansan and kansan.com; teams will do it in subsequent weeks.
Reading assignments: Syllabus; Qualities of an Editor; Study Tips; Prof's Pet Peeves; Writing the Right Word; Spelling hints: It's EZ!; Improving Leads; Cappon (Chapters 1, 2 and 3, which are in Multimedia Newsroom in book case to the left of the big window).
“Meeting with Malcolm”: First one-on-one meeting this week to discuss specifics relating to each student's responsibilities and to answer any lingering questions. Also, select likely topic/focus for personal essay. Also b
e prepared to discuss developing stories and any other issues affecting your reporting or assignments.
In-class exercises: Clinton speech; drowning the reader (tentative).
Lecture: Ledes; narrative approach to writing; the hows and whys of writing a personal essay; how to write a cover letter.
Handouts: “A Newspaper Story” by O. Henry; 8th-Grade Final Exam (Salina, Kan., 1895); “The Louis-Schmeling Fight” by Bob Considine; “Everyone Has a Story...” (The New York Times); “Vague qualifiers” by Paula Larocque, and Kelley Benham's “Five Injured in Crash on U.S 19;” “10 in 10: 10 Helpful Hints in 10 Minutes” (Gibson); two essays; beat memo guideline.


Week 2: June 14 & 16Motion Pictures (But Not the Oscars).

Topics:
Video reporting/storytelling for TV and Web (Gina Ford).
Thursday's Kansan critique
. Team #1 and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments: AP Styleguide (punctuation chapter); the Kansan stylebook; AP's Top 15; Lie/Lay; Pronouns: Three cases; Who/Whom; That/Which, That: When to Use It; That/Which Challenge; Affect/Effect; Because of/Due to; Sources. Cappon (Chapters 4, 5, 11 and 13, which are in Multimedia Newsroom in book case to the left of the big window).
Word and spelling lists:
Spelling lists 1, 2 and 3; Word lists 1 and 2.
Handouts:
TBA.
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment:
Story budget.
Discussion of personal essay. Note: You'll be meeting with Gina Ford this week, in my office.


Week 3: June 21 & 23More on storytelling beyond print.

Topics: New media. Guest: Jonathan Kealing, assistant dirctor for media strategy for the World Co. (Journal-World) and former editor of The University Daily Kansan.
Kansan critique by Team #2 and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments: Attribution Handling; False purpose; Quotation Handling; Subjunctive Mood; Conciseness; Sources; AP Styleguide (punctuation chapter); the Kansan stylebook; Cappon (Chapters 6 and 7, which are in Multimedia Newsroom in book case to the left of the big window).
Word and spelling lists:
Spelling lists 4 , 5, 6 and 7; Word lists 3 and 4.
Handouts:
Five stories (examples for in-class assignments next week).
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment: Story budget. Note: You'll be meeting with Gina Ford this week, in my office.

*D(rowsy), U(ninteresting) and L(ife)L(ess) stories.


Week 4: June 28 & 30 — Escaping the world of DULL.*

Topic:
Avoiding pitfalls and pratfalls; watching your language (i.e., libel and fairness); more on the narrative approach and storytelling. (“It's all in the reporting,” Malcolm sez!) The easy part — what bad stories tell us (and don't tell us), and why they're bad.
Kansan critique by Team #3 and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments: “Style: Parallelism, Passives, Redundancy, and Wordiness,” The American Heritage Book of English Usage (on reserve in Journalism Reading Room); Cappon (Chapters 9 and 10, which are in Multimedia Newsroom in book case to the left of the big window); class handouts (five “bad and ugly” stories).
Word and spelling lists:
Spelling lists 12, 13, 14 and 15; Word lists 7 and 8.
Handouts: Five more stories (examples for in-class assignments next week).
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment: Story budget; outline of personal essay; first draft of cover letter and resume.

*D(rowsy), U(ninteresting) and L(ife)L(ess) stories.


Week 5: July 5 & 7 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Part I*).
Family Circus

Topic: The harder part — what good stories tell us, and why they're good.
Kansan critique by Team #4 and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments: “Names and Labels,”, the Kansan stylebook, and class handouts (five “good” stories).
Word and spelling lists:
Spelling lists 16, 17, 18 and 19; Word lists 9 and 10.
Handouts: TBA.
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment: Story budget; first draft of cover letter and resume (moved from previous week).

*OK, only the bad and the ugly this week.


Week 6: July 12 & 14The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Part II).**

Topic:
TBA.
Kansan critique
by Team #5 and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments: Cappon (Chapter 8 and 12, which are in Multimedia Newsroom in book case to the left of the big window).
Word and spelling lists:
Spelling lists 8, 9, 10 and 11; Word lists 5 and 6.
Handouts:
TBA.
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment:
Story budget.

**OK, only the good this week.


Week 7: July 19 & 21 Leftovers.

Topics:
More on digital storytelling; interviews; effective use of quotes; attribution and sources; how to get a job and keep a job.
Kansan critique by Team #6 and Kansan editors.
Kansan critique:
Malcolm and Kansan editors.
Reading assignments:
TBA.
Word and spelling lists:
All spelling lists and all word lists.
Handouts:
TBA
“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment:
Story budget.


Week 8: That's a wrap (or, in old newspaper jargon, “-30-”).

“Meeting with Malcolm” assignment: Portfolio and beat memo are due, Monday, July 25.
Bring it to our one-on-one meeting that day (using the same schedule as our regular Wednesday get-togethers). We also will discuss grades at that time.
Here's an important note on the last week of scheduled classes and grading: There is no scheduled class period the final week of classes. Use the time to tie up all your remaining duties for the Kansan and the “Back to School” edition. If virtually all your work (“Back to School,” etc.) is completed or near completion, we will have a final one-on-one meeting during our regularly-scheduled “Meeting with Malcolm.” We'll discuss and settle on your (tentative) final grade at that time.
Have a great break — and a great life!