JOMC 153: Newswriting General Requirements, Testing and Grading Summer I 2014 (ONLINE)

JOMC 153: Newswriting
General Requirements, Testing and Grading
Summer I 2014 (ONLINE)

I. INTRODUCTION

This handout explains expectations of students in JOMC 153, “Newswriting.” The handout also describes the general types of assignments and tests and the criteria used to evaluate and grade your work.

JOMC 153 teaches students to gather and organize information and to write news articles on deadline according to acceptable professional standards. Students practice writing effective leads and various types of news stories. The course emphasizes respect for and correct use of the language, with particular stress on spelling and grammar, style consistency, accuracy and clear writing. Attention is also paid to bias, libel and ethical considerations. Students will use research and interviewing to produce stories.

The faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill believes strongly that anyone interested in a career in any communications field must be able to write clear, tight copy with care and precision. The key words for any writing are full, fair and accurate. JOMC 153 is required of all School majors, regardless of whether their intended careers are in newspapers, advertising, public relations, electronic communication, visual design, multimedia or another communication field.

II. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

JOMC 153 abides by standards the communications professions follow and expect of graduates of a professional school such as the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. One major U.S. daily newspaper defines the skills it expects of its reporters this way:

Writing ability — Grammar and spelling; ability to tell a good story well; use of quotes, anecdotes and descriptive detail; use of active voice and strong verbs; ability to write leads that are inviting and that hit the point of the story; ability to write tightly and to organize information in logical, compelling sequence.

Reporting ability — Pursuit, digging, enterprise, diligence; ability and eagerness to see and pursue promising angles; ability to seek and obtain anecdotes, details and quotes that provide documentation and add liveliness to copy; ability to see the need for and to get both sides of the story; ability to cultivate good sources.

Speed, productivity and efficiency— Speed on deadline; speed and efficiency in completing non-deadline assignments; ability and willingness to manage more than one assignment at a time; ability and willingness to make frequent, substantive contributions to the content of the paper.

Accuracy — Skill with basic factual information such as names, addresses, dates and figures; ability to identify and make use of the best sources, whether they are documents, references or people.

Work habits — Punctuality, reliability, readiness to go beyond the minimum requirements of the job; interest in assuming and ability to assume more than minimum responsibility; ability and willingness to anticipate and fulfill the demands of an assignment without prompting; ability to deal even-handedly with peers and supervisors, to accept constructive criticism and to offer constructive suggestions; interest in all areas of the news operation; knowledge of community, regional, national and international events; regular and thorough reading of the newspaper.

Judgment — Commitment to fairness and balance; ability to recognize and assess possible adverse consequences of actions; knowledge of, respect for and observance of the news department's policies.

Potential — Likelihood that the reporter is a candidate for a more challenging reporting assignment or a supervisory position; evidence that he or she possesses the characteristics of leadership and supervisory ability expected of supervising editors.

The expectations of this newspaper are found in all other mass communications jobs. The work accomplished in “Newswriting” will be the basis for students in subsequent courses in the School, whether they are skills or conceptual courses. At the end of the course, students will be better writers.
NOTE: Although students adhere to professional standards in this course, the news stories written for class should NOT be posted on the Internet or given to a potential employer as examples of your writing/reporting ability. The exercises are for class use only and sometimes will not represent real news events. In addition, you should not present material that has been substantially edited by a professor as your own work.

III. GENERAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. Course Materials

1. Required Texts.

Yopp and McAdams, Reaching Audiences: A Guide to Media Writing, Fourth Edition (as well as the Reaching Audiences workbook)
The Associated Press Stylebook 2013 and Briefing on Media Law
UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication Stylebook, 10th Edition (Blue cover)

Reaching Audiences and the AP Stylebook are available online. The UNC-CH Stylebook can be purchased through the UNC Student Stores.

2. Recommended Texts.

The following texts are helpful for those who need more work on writing and grammar. They can be found at a bookstore or online retailers.

Arnold, George T, Media Writer's Handbook: A Guide to Common Writing and Editing Problems
Webster's New World Dictionary
Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald, When Words Collide: a Journalist's Guide to Grammar and Style
William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style
Rene J. Cappon, The Word

3. Reference Materials. All JOMC students should have access to reference materials, such as dictionaries, almanacs, stylebooks, atlases and telephone books. Some can be found online. For example, there are telephone directories at and Use these materials during writing assignments to double-check accuracy. A Web site with names of local officials is available at

B. Course Requirements

1. Newspaper Reading. You are expected to read The News & Observer ( in Raleigh online regularly in addition to The Daily Tar Heel ( which is published once a week during the summer. Expect to be tested weekly on current names and events in the news. You should become familiar with newspapers throughout the United States, so try to read a different one each week. Your instructor may request that you read a specific newspaper. Most daily and weekly newspapers are available online.
Read also the news media sections of weekly newsmagazines and trade journals, such as Editor and Publisher, American Journalism Review and Columbia Journalism Review. For commentaries on current issues in U.S. journalism, many students read other periodicals available in most libraries. Trade journals for public relations, advertising and other communications professions are also in the library. Some are online, but they may require a subscription

2. Attendance. JOMC 153 is a professional course. Although this course is being taught online, you are expected to be in “attendance” when writing assignments and tests are provided via e-mail and online. Because of this course structure, make-up work is almost impossible to schedule effectively and will be accepted only for excused “absences” at the discretion of the instructor. To be excused, you must notify the instructor in advance of an intended absence. E-mail the instructor before any module you will miss.

3. Assignments and Deadlines. All writing assignments must be typed, double-spaced, copyedited and turned in by the deadline specified. Although the class is being taught online, every effort is made to simulate realistic professional conditions. That means meeting deadlines. Late papers on assignments will not be accepted. Late papers will receive a reduced grade if you and your instructor agree BEFORE the assignment is due that a delay is justified. On some assignments, the grade will be an F for failure to meet the deadline. Even if an assignment is excused as late, no assignment will be accepted later than one week after its deadline.

All reading assignments must be completed before the appropriate module for which they are assigned. You are responsible for all assigned readings to contribute to online discussions.

4. Outside Assignments. During the course, you will gather and write news about events. Each student will be required to write a personality feature story on an organization’s leader and also to cover an event. You will receive specific guidelines for each assignment.
5. Research. Students will need to do research for stories on the Internet. Because many JOMC students have had information-gathering instruction, only one module session is set aside for information retrieval via the computer. You are expected to cite adequately any sources that provide information used in your stories.

6. Spelling and grammar. Proper knowledge of spelling and grammar is essential to a student’s success in JOMC 153. The spelling and grammar exam is administered in the School several times each semester. JOMC majors are required to earn a 70 or higher to pass the School’s spelling and grammar exam. Students taking this course online should check the exam schedule for the next semester and take the exam for some practice. Commonly misspelled words are in the UNC-CH Stylebook. The AP stylebook contains a good guide to punctuation rules. There will be some grammar exercises during the course. Additional grammar help can be found at the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University at Other sites to check are and Both have grammar exercises. (Be aware, however, that the latter site puts commas in short series; AP style that we follow in this class does not.) You will use spelling and grammar throughout the course, and it is up to you to learn grammar and spelling. A helpful spelling site is It has links to other tips and sites. If you are required to take the exam to graduate, you can practice spelling at , developed by then-student Andrew Gray to help him pass the JOMC Spelling and Grammar Exam. (Thank you, Andrew.)

7. Honor Code. The University's Honor Code is in effect in JOMC 153 as in all other courses. There are times when professional reporters work together on stories, however. Your instructor will explain and clarify under which particular, limited circumstances such cooperation will be appropriate and acceptable in the course. On all other assignments, you are expected to do your own work and abide by the Honor Code of the University. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at You should review it.

Plagiarism is an increasing problem on this and other college campuses. You are to cite your sources appropriately and according to the assignment. The Code of Student Conduct states that expulsion or suspension can result from “(a)cademic cheating, including (but not limited to) unauthorized copying, collaboration or use of notes or books on examinations, and plagiarism (defined as the intentional representation of another person's words, thoughts, or ideas as one's own).” If you have questions about citations or usage on your work, ask your instructor.

C. Format and Style of Writing Assignments

1. Copy Preparation. Submit all stories written, unless told otherwise by your instructor, by e-mail at . Double-space all copy. Your name, slug and date should be in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Your name, slug (one-word label) and the page number should be on all subsequent pages.
As the writer, it is your responsibility to copyedit all stories before turning them in. The instructor will evaluate copy as if the writer has made it ready for publication. No story will be accepted for grading unless it has been typed, edited and bears the writer's name.

2. Copyediting and Style. Latest editions of The UNC-CH Stylebook and The Associated Press Stylebook are the final authorities on style in JOMC 153.Webster’s New WorldDictionary is the dictionary on which AP bases its stylebook and should be your reference when either stylebook fails to cover a point in question. If any of the stylebooks are in conflict on a point, the UNC-CH Stylebook will prevail, the AP is next, then the dictionary.

Become familiar with both stylebooks. Allow time to edit assignments for style requirements. Points will be deducted from papers containing deviations from the stylebooks. Periodic style quizzes will help you learn the more common style rules.

Learn and use appropriate and correct copyediting symbols in preparing each paper. The UNC-CH Stylebook contains copy-editing symbols and an exercise designed to reinforce the correct symbols.

3. Consideration of Audience. When you write, consider your audience. For each assignment, your instructor will tell you the intended audience, such as the readers of The Chapel Hill Herald or The News & Observer in Raleigh.

IV. TESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS — THE COMPONENTS OF GRADES

A. Common Competency Exams

JOMC 153 students take three exams to test their competency. The reading list for the course incorporates material you will need to read and skills you should have acquired by each competency test.

The first will test your ability to exercise sound news judgment and to write accurately. You will be asked to write a simple news story from a set of facts. You should apply news values in determining which facts to use and follow the inverted pyramid style of writing. At that point in the course, you should also be familiar with AP and UNC-CH style. You will also be graded on spelling and grammar.

The second will test your mastery of points and principles covered in assigned readings in ReachingAudiences, modules and any other material from the instructor . The exam will be short-answer questions, and you will be expected to discuss briefly topics such as libel, ethics in journalism, research and interviewing techniques, the need for editing standards and the basic principles of newswriting.

The third—the final exam—tests your ability to write a news story from your own notes taken from an event. A practical exam, it usually takes the form of a videotape of a speech or news event. You are expected to produce a well-written and well-copyedited story, applying in practice all the skills and principles learned throughout the semester. The final exam is given after the last module.
The exams are designed to ensure that all passing JOMC 153 students achieve certain levels of competency by the end of the course. Each exam requires the student to be online for a certain time period. The instructor will make every attempt to make that time period convenient to all students.

If you have to miss an exam, it is up to the individual instructor to schedule a make-up exam. You may receive a grade of zero on the exam if you miss it without an excused absence or if you do not make arrangements in advance.
B. Quizzes: Current Events, Language Use, Style, Discussion Boards

Because it is vitally important for communications professionals to be aware of what is happening locally, nationally and abroad, you will be tested at least once a week on current events. Questions will be designed to test your broad knowledge of people and events; reading a daily newspaper will prepare you sufficiently for the quizzes. The current events quizzes will be 10 questions each, and they will be posted on the discussion board. You must e-mail your answers to without discussing the questions with anyone else in the class, and when you e-mail your answers, include the Honor Code pledge.

Quizzes on language use and style will be given frequently and primarily in the early weeks. The quizzes will be on certain sections of the Associated Press Stylebook or UNC-CH Stylebook. All style quizzes are open book. The grades become part of your daily classwork grade. Those quizzes also will be posted on Blackboard and will be timed. Again, when you send your answers to the instructor, include the Honor Code pledge.

In addition to the quizzes, via regular discussion boards each student will be required to post responses to a question pertinent to writing and mass communication. Your responses to these questions are an important facet of an online course and should be considered as a replacement for in-class discussions about lectures and readings in the textbooks.
C. Written Assignments
Although online, JOMC 153 is a laboratory class. You will complete at least one writing assignment in nearly every module. You are expected to compose stories at the computer terminal, not to write them out in long hand first, and then send them by e-mail after copyediting.

All students will receive the writing assignment for a module at the same time. Please check each module for the time that a writing assignment will be delivered via e-mail. These writing assignments will be timed from when they are received by the students, and the time to complete an assignment will be included in the directions. Return the writing assignment to before the deadline. If the time that a writing assignment is released is not convenient, please notify the instructor.