Cowgill, Courtney L.

English

University of Montana

University of MontanaScholarWorks at University of MontanaSyllabi Course SyllabiFall 9-1-2018JRNL 170.50: Elements of News WritingCourtney L. CowgillUniversity of Montana - Missoula, courtney.cowgill@umontana.eduLet us know how access to this document benefits you.Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabiThis Syllabus is brought to you for free and open access by the Course Syllabi at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted forinclusion in Syllabi by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contactscholarworks@mso.umt.edu.Recommended CitationCowgill, Courtney L., "JRNL 170.50: Elements of News Writing" (2018). Syllabi. 9008.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabi/9008 JRNL 170/Elements of News Writing  Section: 50 Professor Courtney Cowgill Email: courtney.cowgill@umontana.edu Phone: 406.531.4794  Journalistic writing is unlike any other. It values clarity and frugality. It demands active language and vivid details. It hates wordiness, jargon and bureaucratese. The best of it sounds conversational but is always grounded in good grammar and impeccable style.   Successful students in this course will learn the fundamentals of news writing, from commas to captions, from what makes the news to how its shaped into a readable story, from the correct handling of quotations to the proper use of semicolons, from The Associated Press’ rules on ages (always a numeral, unless it starts a sentence) to its insistence that Xerox is never a verb.   Your understanding of the elements of news writing will become the foundation for your reporting adventures to come.   Course outcomes  By the end of this course, successful students will have:  1. Sharpened their news judgment. 2. Demonstrated an understanding of the basic ethics of journalism. 3. Honed their skills in grammar, usage and punctuation. 4. Explored AP style and learned how to use the stylebook as a resource. 5. Identified and written news stories in online, print and broadcast formats. 6. Developed an ear for good quotations and learned to use them effectively. 7. Written captions that went beyond the obvious. 8. Crafted headlines that reflected the essence and tone of news stories.  How we’ll do that  We will get to these outcomes in five main ways: 1. Learning about news writing through assigned readings, (some in the textbook, some online) taking part in video lectures/chats, watching online videos that highlight news writing and getting acquainted with the AP Stylebook.  2. Taking regular current events, style and grammar quizzes to assess your understanding of these topics.  3. Discussing news writing in the weekly online forums.  4. Participating in video chats via Blackboard Collaborate, which will be offered once a month at various times and days to accommodate all your schedules. You do not need to attend every chat, but you must attend one throughout the semester. 5. Practicing, practicing, practicing through regular assignments writing the news.   It also means that you’ll need to follow the news. Be prepared to discuss what’s happening globally and locally by reading the Missoulian, the Kaimin and a national or international site like the New York Times, the Washington Post, the BBC, NPR, CNN. Start following journalists you admire on social media.   Building access  For after-hours access to Don Anderson Hall, complete and submit this form before 5 p.m. Friday, Sept.  7. Complete only one request form per semester – be sure to list all courses.    Texts  Please buy “News Reporting and Writing” by the Missouri Group (10th Edition) and the Associated Press Press Stylebook. (I use the online AP Stylebook edition because it’s constantly updated.)  Grading • Weekly quizzes: 10 points each – roughly 19 percent of total grade • Writing assignments: 30 points each – roughly 29 percent of total grade • Discussion participation – 10 points each –  roughly 21 percent of total grade • Video chats: 1 throughout the semester worth 10 points/each – roughly 3 percent • Midterm: roughly 14 percent • Final assessment: roughly 14 percent    Grades will be based on a scale of 100 percent and will use the University of Montana's plus/minus system. Letter grades will not be used in this course, although the final grade (per requirement) will be given as a letter grade. The equivalents are as follows:  90 - 100 percent: A 80 - 89 percent: B 70 - 79 percent: C 60 - 69 percent: D   0 - 59 percent: F  UM's plus/minus system also makes the following distinctions:  A: 95-100 A-: 90-94 B+: 87-89 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: Below 60   ★ Fair warning: Expect to receive a zero on any assignment you fail to upload or post by the deadline. Your course grade can’t survive many zeroes.    Plan ahead when submitting your assignments or hitting a discussion deadline. Computer malfunction is not a legitimate reason for a late assignment or post. I expect you to get in touch with me (ideally before the deadline) if there are extenuating circumstances in your life. I will address these on a case by case basis.  Instructor feedback and availability:  You can expect all quizzes and writing assignments to be graded within 10 days. You do have the option to rewrite any assignment to practice and for a better grade. Rewrites are due seven days from the day you get the first graded version back.   Forums will be graded within 5-7 days after the close of the forum. (Forums close on Sundays.) Per the guide on how to participate in forums, I will facilitate the discussions by weighing in on themes and connecting the dots and asking you further explore some ideas but I will not respond to each individual post.  I will be available on email Monday-Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and you can expect a reply email from me less than 24 hours after sending me an email within those working hours unless I’m away – which I will notify you about as necessary.  I’m available for phone or Skype conversations as needed and prefer those to be set up by email so I can carve out the time.   Additional requirements  Academic honesty: Misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the university. Students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code.   No double dipping  You may not submit for this course any assignment that has previously or will be concurrently submitted for another class unless you receive prior approval from the professor of this course. Doing so without permission will result in an F for the assignment, and could result in an F for the course.  Tech Resources:  Technical support for UMOnline and Moodle is available through the UMOnline Support Desk, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (406) 243-4999 or by email at umonline-help@umontana.edu. Occasionally, we may use Google Docs for revising work. Click here for more information and support on Google Docs.  Academic Support: If you need academic assistance in this course, there is help available through the Office for Student Success, which includes tutoring resources and help through the Writing Center.   Accommodation for students with disabilities:  This course is accessible to otherwise qualified students with disabilities. To request reasonable program modifications, please consult with the instructor. Disability Services for Students will assist the instructor and student in the accommodation process. Click here for more information on accessibility in Moodle, the platform we use in this course. You can find information here for the accessibility information for Google Docs for Android platforms and here for the accessibility information for Google Docs on iPad or iPhone.  

JRNL 170.50: Elements of News Writing

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JRNL 170.50: Elements of News Writing

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