University of California, San Diego
COM/MT 110 News Media Workshop
Winter 2012

Syllabus

The course comprises a series of in-class assignments and discussions covering the basic news writing necessities of style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, ethics, media law and decision making, as well as a final project on the mechanics of working for or managing a media service.

Grades will be based on three criteria:

  • Participation in class discussions, so attendance will be included as a factor.

  • Completion of class assignments and readings.

  • Degree of effort and demonstration of comprehension in the final class project.

    Much of the class time will be devoted to discussions of news coverage and presentation issues. Work on class assignments sheets will allow the instructor to work individually with each student on a weekly basis in the formation of a final class project.

    Final projects will be delivered to the entire class in a format of the student's choosing during the last two or three weeks of the semester, depending on length of the presentations and the variety of formats chosen by students. The final project is, in essence, the final exam for the class.

    Readings

    Two books are suggested:

    Associated Press Style Book and Libel Manual: Associated Press.

    IRE HandBook for journalists: Associated Press.

    Additional readings will be provided.

    Final Project

    The final project should profile all areas of a media organization's operations, from news gathering to advertising sales, from circulation of the material to customer retention. Students should create an outline of the news organization they plan to cover, with the basic questions being:

  • What is the organization's mission? (mission statement.)

  • What is the organization's history? (year formed, changes it survived, who ran it and runs it.)

  • What are the organization's future goals? (how will they survive a changing media marketplace?)

  • What is the organization's competition? (within and beyond their specific medium.)

  • What are the organization's strengths and weaknesses? (ability to change, time in the market.)

  • How does the organization draw its revenue? (subscribers, contract services, ad sales.)

  • How does the organization gather its information? (reporters, editors, news services, public records, clients.)

  • How does the organization present its information? (varieties of formats.)

  • How does the organization deliver its information? (web, airwaves, mail, carrier.)

  • How does the organization measure its success? (ratings, circulation, awards, revenues.)

  • How does the organization keep in touch its clients' needs? (surveys, polls, customer feedback, letters to the editor.)

  • How does the organization serve the community at large? (community services, donations, goodwill.)

  • Who are the owners? (employee owned, chain, family)

  • Who are the movers and shakers? (top editors, reporters, anchors, salespeople, etc.)

  • Who are the most likely subjects of coverage? (rock stars, lawyers, computer geeks, students.)

  • Who is the organization's audience? (who reads, views, listens to or contracts for it?)

  • Where is the medium circulated? (local, national, international.)

  • Where does the organization get recruits? (schools, competitors, job banks.)

  • Where do the people work? (home, office, on the road, in the field, in a helicopter.)

  • When is the organization's product available? (archives, one-shot time slot, reruns.)

  • When is the organization's deadline?

  • How does the organization plan its product presentation? (budgets, meetings.)

    Presentations of the final project will be oral, however students may wish to use materials pertinent to the particular industry they are covering to support their conclusions. Computer, overhead, video and hand-out material should be employed to enhance the presentation.

    Course Schedule

    Week 1: Mon Jan. 9/Wed Jan 11 - Sign-up, orientation, class discussion on role, impact, responsibility, history and future of news presentation.

    (Assignment -- Student background and course direction sheet)

    Week 2: Wed classes only for rest of the quarter: Cover letters, queries, press releases and stories. The importance of the Lead. Breakout sessions on class projects.

    (Assignment -- Questions outline for class project)

    Week 3: Office hour classes only. Field trip to multi-media newsroom workshop.

    Report Card on the Media - Thursday, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. program - Point Loma Nazarene University, Fermanian Business Center, 3900 Lomaland Drive

    (Assignment -- Begin interviews for class assignment)

    Week 4: Interviewing, preparation, sources, organization and presentation. What to ask, when to ask it.

    (Assignment -- spelling work sheet, Begin interviews for final project)

    Week 5: Media law and ethics workshop. Breakout sessions on class projects.

    (Assignment -- Style work sheet, final project queries)

    Week 6: Style, Grammar, Punctuation workshop. What being correct really means. Queries for final project due. Begin tools workshop on graphics.

    (Assignment -- Turn in style work sheet)

    Week 7: Classroom interviews with media representatives from TV, freelance, public relations and newspaper/new media. Tools workshop refresher.

    (Assignment -- Ethics work sheet)

    Week 8: Information gathering and identifying resources. Examining the market for final project and potential publications for queries.

    (Assignment -- Complete mock layout/design)

    Week 9: Final project consultations.

    (Assignment -- complete final project)

    Week 10: Final project presentations and class discussion sessions

    Instructor
    Andrew Kleske