Media Writing: Elon University, School of Communications, 4 Credit hours, JCM218B, 2006 Spring

Instructor: Dr. Byung Lee
Office: McEwen 216C,
Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11 a.m.
Phone: 278-5675 (o), 584-9984 (h) / Class Meeting Time: MWF noon - 1:10 p.m.
Meeting Place: McEwen 002
Website:http://www.elon.edu/byunglee/byunglee
E-mail: ,
Description: Clear, logical writing is necessary to communicate effectively to an audience. This course focuses on background research, interviews, accuracy, attribution and styles of writing (print, broadcast, online, corporate communications). Superior grammar and language skills are expected, and Associated Press Style is introduced.
Goal: Introduce students to accepted practices and skills used in writing for print and electronic media.
Objectives
• Build awareness and understanding of professional writing standards on matters such as truth, accuracy, fairness, objectivity, diversity and meeting deadlines.
• Teach students to write clearly and accurately through study and practice of established conventions in grammar, language, style, organization and media formats.
• Exercise critical thinking and evaluation skills in topic/story selection, information-gathering, content development, writing and editing media copy for target audiences.
• Enable students to become sensitive to the diversity of audiences through writing and research activities.
• Develop an understanding of data, statistics and skills using research tools (including the Internet, libraries and public documents).
Textbooks:
• Reporting for the media, Fred Fedler et al., 8th edition, Oxford. / • Associated Press Stylebook, 2005 edition.
Attendance: Absences beyond the equivalent of one week will result in lowering the final grade by 1/3 of a letter grade for each absence. Work missed due to the absence(s) must be submitted within one class period of your return. Active class participation is expected.
University's honor code is at http://www.elon.edu/e-web/students/handbook/acahoncode.xhtml
School policy is at http://facstaff.elon.edu/byunglee/
byunglee/announcement/honorCode.doc
Evaluation:
• In/outside of class assignments, quizzes 50%
• Participation, 10 % • Research, 10%
• Mid-term exam, 10% • Final exam, 20%
Grading scale:
A: 93 and above; A-: 90-92
B+: 87-89 (up to 89.9); B: 83-86; B-: 80-82
C+: 77-79; C: 73-76; C-: 70-72
D+: 67-69; D: 63-66; D-: 60-62
F: 59 and below
Research questions may include where people get news; why people often don't read newspapers; what's the impact of new information technology on people and news media; and whether there are differences in adoption of new information technology among various groups of people.

Schedule

W1 ( 2/1, 2/3): Introduction, Syllabus, Diagnostic Test / W9 (3/27, 29, 31) Different types of stories
(Chs. 11-13, 15)
W2 (2/6, 8, 10) Writing process, Roles of mass media, Successful communicator, News Values (Ch. 5), Gathering info (Ch. 10), Quotations (Ch.9) / W10 (4/3, 5, 7) Advanced reporting (Ch. 17)
Writing Research Paper
W3 (2/13, 15, 17) Basics, Grammar (Chs. 1-4) / W11 (4/10, 12, 14) Advanced reporting (Ch. 17)
W4 (2/20, 22, 24) Story structure, Lead (Ch. 6) / W12 (4/17, 19, 21) Easter (17th) Broadcast (Ch. 18)
W5 (2/27, 3/1, 3) Alternative lead (Ch. 7) / W13 (4/24, 26, 28) PR (Ch. 19)
W6 (3/6, 8, 10) Feature stories (Ch. 14) / W14 (5/1, 3, 5) PR, Comm. law (Ch. 20)
W7 (3/13, 15, 17) Internet (Ch. 16)
Research project starts, Mid-term (15th) / W15 (5/8) Ethics (Ch. 21), Career (Ch. 22)
W8 (3/20, 22, 24) Spring Break / Exam Monday, May 15, 11:30-2:30 PM

Attendance Policy

(School) A student who misses more than 20% of scheduled classes (more than eight absences for classes meeting three times a week, more than five absences for classes meeting twice a week) automatically receives an F because the student has missed too much content and participation to pass a course in a professional school.

Teachers will lower the final grade in a class for each absence beyond the equivalent of one week of class (three absences for classes meeting three times a week, two absences for classes meeting twice a week, and one absence during winter term or a summer session) as indicated in the course syllabus. An exception may exist for a student who misses more than a week of classes for a sanctioned university activity, such as presenting research at a national forum, class travel or university athletic travel. Students participating in such events must submit a written request in advance to the professor.

(Instructor)

* Sickness and other family matters do not belong to excused absences.

* You can use three absences for any purposes. If you do not use up three absences, you will get a better score on participation, which accounts for 10% of your total score.

* Absences beyond the equivalent of one week will result in lowering the final grade by 1/3 of a letter grade for each absence. The fourth absence will lower your final grade by one third of the letter grade and the fifth one, by two thirds of a letter grade.

* The ninth one will bring an F to you.

Coursework

(School) If students miss a class because of illness, participation in a university-sponsored activity, job interview or other causes, they have missed valuable content and engaged learning. In this sense, excused and unexcused absences are no different. To ensure that students avoid gaps in the progression of a course, professors may assign additional work. For example, a professor may require a student to write a 400-word summary of material covered in a missed class session or complete an additional lab assignment that demonstrates comprehension of material covered.

(Instructor)

* All the assignments should be submitted by the beginning of the class on the due date.

*You are responsible for checking assignments even when you are absent by contacting the instructor or classmates.

*The assignment given out while you were present should be submitted regardless of your absence. Submit your assignment through email and bring a printed copy when you return to class.

*If you missed the deadline and submit the assignment by the following class time, you will get 70% of what you would get normally.

*If you miss this second chance, you will get nothing.

*Work that was assigned in your absence must be submitted within one class period of your return.

Other class policy

*If you arrive late or leave early, it will be the same as 1/3 of an absence. If you come too late, for example _____ minutes, you may not be allowed to come into class. If you are not present when the instructor takes attendance, you will be marked as absent. It is your responsibility to alert your instructor so that he can change "absence" into "tardy."

*If you need to leave class during the class time, please get the instructor's permission at the beginning of class or when you leave.

*Periodically unannounced pop quizzes will be given on the reading assignments. How much each quiz is worth will be announced each time.

*Your scores on assignments and attendance record will be posted on the web. If you find a discrepancy between the record and what you think is right, you need to alert the instructor within a week of its being posted.

* The following tend to disrupt class. If you do one of them, you will lose each time one percentage point of your total score. For example, if your total score is 87 points out of 100, it will be lowered to 86. If needed, you will be asked to leave the class .

a) reading a newspaper or surf on the Internet in class without the instructor's permission,

b) not bringing the textbook or other materials needed,

c) sleeping in class.