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April 5
Class will not meet on Thursday, April 7. Your only homework is to bring in every marked paper I've returned to you so that I can have a one-on-one with each of you on Tuesday, April 12.
Blog #9 is canceled (not due) at this time and the scholarly article assignment will be discussed at our next meeting and will be due on April 14.
March 30
Your query letter for your feature is due April 5. Follow directions below.
Class is cancelled for April 7 so your scholarly article summary will be due in hard copy on April 12. Details will be given in class on April 5.
March 23
You will be allowed to use your notes for tomorrow's midterm. Be sure to bring your style book just in case I include an editing element.
Also ... I sent the info below to each of you as an email, but just in case, here it is again.
Your query letter for your feature (the big paper you worth the most points) is due when you come back from spring break. I've already given each of you cursory feedback on topic choice while we were in class yesterday. In addition, be sure to do some research BEFORE you write your query letter so that your letter will be as effective and convincing as possible.
Here are some links with good info on writing a query letter.
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=50
http://freelance-writing.lovetoknow.com/Example_Query_Letter_to_Editor
When writing a query letter be sure to include the following:
introduce your topic idea, why you're the one to write this story, what's interesting about it ... (the hook), some research, specific people you would interview and why and also be sure to address other key factors spelled out in the links above.
Format for this is the same letter format used for your resume cover letter reviewed in class.
March 15
We had a guest speaker in class today. Based on your interview with him, write a press release with an angle that might do one of the following:
-draw investors
-get him on a tour
-get him signed onto a major label
For more information and a sample of his work see:
http://www.streetspiritmusic.com/
Your press release is due by the start of class on Thursday, March 17. It should be in the proper press release format. This assignment is worth 50 points. Extra points will go to the five or six students whose press releases are chosen for the press packets.
March 12
I wanted to make absolutely sure that you all understand the upcoming assignments. For the IMHO - it's a blog assignment and needs to be your response to a current news story. Think of it as your personal commentary to something in the news.
For the : Blog #7 - NPR Radio Interview Analysis due on March 17
you may choose between the two NPR interviews by Terry Gross below.
I've included a link that you should be able to copy and paste or you can go to NPR.org and search for the titles.
Jon Stewart: America's Ruling King of Fake News
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/28/132364938/jon-stewart-americas-ruling-king-of-fake-news
Or:
Dirk Vandewalle Peers Inside Qaddafi's World
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/28/134132726/dirk-vandewalle-peers-inside-qaddafis-world
Your grades:
I have completed all the grading and will hand all papers back on Tuesday. It is of utmost importance that you look at the mistakes you've made and understand them so that you don't make those mistakes again. You cannot pass this class if you continue to make the same mistakes.
--The value of each assignment will soon go from 25 to 50 points. Many of you cannot afford to receive any further heavy mark-downs. I have covered the most common mistakes several times, yet I am still seeing the following:
--commas before and/or - don't do that
--its or it's - know which one to use
--among or amongst - know which one to use
--amid or amidst - - know which one to use
-- don't ever put an "s" on these words: toward, backward, upward, forward, inward (any word ending in "ward")
--comma splices and fused sentences - if you see a "CS" or "fuse" written on any of your papers, look it up in your textbook so that you can fix it.
--parallel structure - know what it is
--subject/verb agreement - know what it is
The biggest mistakes I'm seeing now? Not following directions.
For the "mystery character" assignment I instructed you to write physical description and avoid any personal or professional information in the description. These instructions are also on your assignment sheet. Nearly half of you put no physical description at all and ONLY put personal and professional information.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to make sure you totally understand what each assignment entails. Ask questions. This is a demanding writing class. Each assignment has explicit instructions and following those instructions to the letter is worth 20 percent.
When I look at a paper or blog assignment that's not properly formatted or doesn't use one-sentence paragraphs, it's 20 percent deduction.
What can you do right now to improve your grades from here on out?
1. Make sure you are following directions. Ask questions. Understand the details of each assignment.
2. Turn your work in on time. Late papers cannot be accepted any ANY 100w class in this building. It's a department rule for 100w.
3. Use one-sentence paragraphs unless it's a quote. Quotes by the same person with more than one sentence are OK.
4. Look at your AP Stylebook. You don't have to memorize it but you do need to look at it to get an idea of what's in there.
5. Proofread your papers by reading them aloud. This really works and will help you find run-ons and problems with sentence structure.
6.Take notes in class. I give specific info on each assignment as to what to do and not do. Example: on the press release/news story assignment I said the quote from the health service director about having sex was a great quote for the news story but had no place in the press release. Many of you still included this quote in your press release.
7. Make sure you follow the given formats for hard copy assignments and blog assignments.
8. bookmark this page
9. Don't use "text" talk in your papers. Use "you" not "u" and "I" not "i"
10. Don't miss class. You are missing out on all "in-class" assignment points when you're not here.
11. Make sure you are emailing me the link to your blog on time and to the correct email address:
DonaNicholsSJSU@gmail.com
I go by the time I receive your email NOT the time the blog was posted.
12. Read a newspaper or magazine every single day.
That's all for now.
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March 3, in-class blog assignment
The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, an American Jesuit who is a frequent television commentator on Roman Catholic issues, resigned Wednesday under orders from the Vatican as editor of the Catholic magazine America because he had published articles critical of the pope.
2. What should have been a fun and exciting weekend turned into a destruction derby for some Pacific Coast College students. It is a norm for students to gather to celebrate the weekend. Excessive damage was caused to the campus this weekend when some parties got out of control. What was the main cause of it all?
“It’s typically directly related to alcohol consumption and too much of it,” Nate Buseman, Director of Housing said.
The suites were the main site of destruction over the weekend. Buseman said banisters were splintered, emergency lights broken, a window shattered and one of the doors was damaged due to abnormal bending at the top of the door frame.
For the : Blog #7 - NPR Radio Interview Analysis due on March 17
you may choose between the two NPR interviews by Terry Gross below.
I've included a link that you should be able to copy and paste or you can go to NPR.org and search for the titles.
Jon Stewart: America's Ruling King of Fake News
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/28/132364938/jon-stewart-americas-ruling-king-of-fake-news
Or:
Dirk Vandewalle Peers Inside Qaddafi's World
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/28/134132726/dirk-vandewalle-peers-inside-qaddafis-world
-30-
If you've already started working on your news stories and press releases, email them to yourself for an in-class assignment tomorrow. If not, be sure to bring your fact sheets with you.
After reading and grading your leads I'm seeing that most of you need lots of help. We will work on your homework assignment in class tomorrow.
Good questions for a current events quiz:
--lead story and lead art in the SJ Merc
--Academy award winner for best picture
--A retired NFL player recently did this in order to bring attention to the number of concussions suffered by pro football players
--Know some details (the 5w's) of what's happening in Libya
--Popular music genre of the 1960s President Obama honored at the White House last week
--CBS just did this because of Charlie Sheen's erratic behavior
--know the 5w's of what's happening with labor unions and the state government in Wisconsin
--the local supermarket chain that's closed this weekend
--No. 1 movie for this weekend
--Canada cable channel is now featuring this 24/7 on one of its channels
-30-
2-26
Reminder: Comparing Media assignment is a hard copy assignment.
12-point Times
double spaced
indent for paragraphs
#
Your task is to write a one-sentence lead of no more than 30 words based on the information below. This is a hard copy assignment due on Feb. 24. Use 12-point Times font. Double space and indent for paragraph. You cannot fit all the information provided in each fact set in your lead, so one of your tasks is to determine what information belongs in the lead ... and what does not.
Lead #1: Earthquake
When: Tuesday, at 8:33 a.m.
Where: Santa Clara County, in the foothills off Alum Rock Falls Road.
What: a small earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 2.2.
Who: N/A, but the source of your information is the U.S. Geological Survey.
Why/How: No injuries or damage was reported. The USGS said the quake’s epicenter was about four miles deep and about nine miles northeast of San Jose City Hall.
Lead #2: Highway Closed
When: Tuesday.
Where: Santa Clara County, just west of Saratoga at Pierce Road.
What: Highway 9 was closed for almost nine hours, from 7:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m., by the California Department of Transportation. A California Highway Patrol spokeswoman provided this information.
Why/How: Several trees had fallen across the roadway overnight, apparently because of wind and rain. Caltrans crews closed the road so they could clear the trees from the road.
Who: N/A
These would be good questions for a current events quiz:
1. What is the No. 1 demand being made by the tens of thousands of protestors in Egypt
2. The Super Bowl set a TV record for the most viewed show. Within 10 million how many people watched the Super Bowl?
3. A recent news story says Taco Bell is not using an important ingredient in its food products. What?
4. What did Lindsay Lohan do this time that put her back in the headlines?
5. What did Sarah Palin say should happen to Christina Aguillera for flubbing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
6. What was the No. 1 movie last week?
7. Name two of the nominees for the best picture Academy Award
8. What did the “Tiger Mom” do that made her so controversial?
9. Why is Ronald Reagan being celebrated this week?
10. What controversial social issues are Republicans in Congress trying to redefine this week?
Homework reminder:
Due Thursday: Blog Post #2 - My Favorite Writing; first draft of resume & cover letter (bring 2 copies to class for peer editing)
You need to email me the link to your blog before class begins.
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Reminder: We meet in the MLK Library room 217 tomorrow, Tuesday.
San José State University
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
MCom 100W - Writing Workshop in Mass Communications
Course #20708, Section 03, Spring 2011
Instructor: Dona Nichols
Office: Dwight Bentel Hall 135
Telephone: (408) 924-3247
Email: DonaNicholsSJSU@gmail.com
Office Hours: TR 7:30-8:30 a.m. and W 7:45-9:45 a.m. Also: By appointment and/or via phone
Class Days/Time: TuTh 9 - 10:15 a.m.
Classroom: DBH 222
Prerequisites: WST and junior standing
Faculty Web Page and Class Blog
Course materials, including the syllabus, class schedule, major assignments, etc., are available on the 100W class blog at http://100w.wordpress.com/. You are responsible for regularly checking the class blog for updates and changes in the class schedule.
Course Description
Advanced writing across the media -- advertising, journalism and public relations. The focus is on writing and research for an increasingly convergent media with multiple media formats, from the Web to print and broadcast. This class is designed for students who plan careers in media-related fields.
Required Texts/Readings
The Associated Press Style Book (any recent edition)
When Words Collide, or a similar grammar/style text
When Words Collide, workbook
Note: If you have little or no prior news writing experience, you may also want to refer to one of the following texts: Inside reporting: A practical guide to the craft of journalism by Tim Harrower (2006) or Writing for the Mass Media by James Glen Stovall.
Required equipment: Laptop and flash drive
Course Goals
The emphasis in this class is on good clear writing. Exercises and projects are related to journalism, advertising, public relations and broadcast writing. For example, you will write a news story, press release, broadcast copy, query letter, feature and a final research paper. In-class assignments include peer editing, memos and an opinion piece.
To satisfy university GE requirements, you must write a minimum of 8,000 words for this class. Regardless of your final grade, you must demonstrate that you have met the 8000-word minimum to pass. You must also successfully complete the Student Learning Outcomes listed below to pass this class.
Please come to every class prepared to write an in-class assignment. I expect your writing to be of entry-level professional quality (and if it isn’t there yet, it should be by the end of the semester). Correct use of the English language is a standard in this industry so be mindful of spelling and grammar. Poor grammar and misspelled words will result in dramatically reduced grades.
Media writers also need to stay on top of current events and trends. You should follow the news -- in print, broadcast and online. Expect some current events quizzes.
Student Learning Objectives
• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
• Critically evaluate your own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.
• Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which you will work.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications.
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.
• Think critically, creatively and independently.
Grading
Written assignments will be graded on organization, accuracy, clarity and style, as well as on grammar, punctuation and spelling. To help you understand how we will assess your work, here is an overview of our grading standards:
To receive an "A," your written work must comply with all requirements of the assignment, be well organized and well developed, and demonstrate a clear understanding of audience and purpose. Your writing should contain no logical or factual errors, and demonstrate your ability to use language and construct sentences effectively and correctly. It should also display a measure of creativity, and be essentially free of grammatical, mechanical, usage and AP Style errors.
"B" work demonstrates the same competence as "A" work, but with some slight weaknesses. It may fall short on one of the assigned tasks, show less facility with language, or contain some minor grammatical, mechanical, usage or AP style errors. (one grammatical or style mistake allowed)
"C" work completes all tasks set by the assignment, but shows weaknesses in the fundamentals (e.g., organization and development, understanding of audience and purpose). The sentence construction may be less mature, and the use of language may be less correct than in "B" work. (two grammatical or style mistakes allowed)
“D” work . (three grammatical or style mistakes allowed)
Failing work neglects one of the assigned tasks and may be noticeably superficial in its treatment of the assignment -- that is, it is too short or simplistic, or has problems in logic or development. It also contains serious grammatical, mechanical, and/or usage errors that may render some sentences incomprehensible. It may also demonstrate a striking underdevelopment of ideas and organization, and contains serious grammatical, mechanical, and/or usage errors that render some sentences incomprehensible. (four or more grammatical or style mistakes)
Please Note: Factual errors will also result in a failing grade for the assignment.
Classroom Policies
• All writing assignments submitted for this class must be original work, written by you for this class (see Academic Dishonesty section below).
• All papers must be typed (or posted on your blog); handwritten papers will not be accepted.
• Please be on time. In-class assignments and tests are distributed only to those present -- no make-ups.
• Papers will be collected at the start of class on the due date; late papers are not accepted. Some assignments are for your blog and some are hard copies. It is up to you to make sure you clearly understand the instructions.
• Please do not check your e-mail, text or surf the Web during class time.
• Check your e-mail and the class blog regularly. Instructors often respond to questions on assignments and/or give a heads-up on quiz questions by e-mail or in a post on the class blog.
• If you are unable to attend class on a day when a hard-copy assignment is due, send it in with a trusted classmate.
• This class is graded ABC/no credit. That means anything below a “C” does not count. Incompletes are not given in this class.
• Do not email me your assignments when you are unable to make it to class. Send it in with another student or have it date/time stamped and placed in my faculty box in DBH-105.
• Please save all of your written assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. You’ll need them as proof that youÂÃÂÃÂÂÂÃÃ
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