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NEWS WRITING – PRINT (J-202)

FALL 2010

Professor Celeste Fremon, MA Time: Mon. 2-4:40 p.m. Office number: 310-455-1389 – home office Place: ASC 330 Cell number: 310-773-1389 (only good when I’m out and about).

Office hours: by appointment

Email address: celeste@

COURSE OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course you should be able to walk into any media outlet in the country and write a basic 700-word hard news story for publication in print or online. You’ll also learn to do so on deadline, with clarity and accuracy. This means you will learn how to write a forceful lead, and the trick to writing a good nut graf (the paragraph that tells the reader what the story is about, and why he or she should bother to read it). You will also learn all of the elements of a good news story, and how to take those elements and put them in a solid and compelling story structure. And you’ll learn news judgment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The first and most essential step to becoming a great professional journalist----whether your focus is print, broadcast or online--- is mastering the craft of recognizing, structuring and writing a great news story. (The same holds true if your interest is PR, by the way). The journey to good news writing is exactly what this class is about. You will be given all the materials and information needed to write a solid story. This is not a reporting class so, at the beginning, you will not be required to track down information on your own. Yet, as the semester wears on, you will also have the chance to report some live stories.

In order to become a good reporter, you must first be able to analyze and structure a news story. Put another way, understanding how to organize the facts you have gathered as a reporter, and possessing the skill to clearly and powerfully convey those facts, will make or break you as a journalist.

During the semester, we will talk about what makes something newsworthy, and how one finds a compelling news angle on a story. We will discuss various structural strategies. We will talk about how to organize and prioritize facts. We will start by answering the basic questions: How can you tell if it’s news or not? What makes a good lead? What is a nut graf? And what makes a nut graph great---instead of…well… boring? We’ll talk about styles of hard news writing, and whether news stories can have a voice. You’ll learn some of the less obvious style and structural elements that make for strong news presentations.

We will also spend time on the details—namely grammar and the Associated Press stylebook. These are crucial rules of communication that will help make your writing clear, elegant, professional and forceful. Plus we will have lively class conversations on the big issues—like reporting ethics, and why journalism is an incredibly rewarding and wildly interesting profession, the cornerstone of democracy, an awesome responsibility…. and a sacred task.

Your attendance in class is imperative. Outside class, you will have readings in textbooks and homework assignments. But nothing takes the place of our class discussions. It is in class where you will receive critiques, both from your peers and me, and become engaged in the learning process.

In class, you will have a weekly current events news quiz. Plus there will be important in-class writing assignments. The quizzes and in-class assignments will be graded. It will not be possible to make up these assignments if you are absent from class. So don’t be absent!

All homework assignments should be turned in to me via e-mail attachment no later than one week after they are assigned (i.e., they are due by 2 p.m. the Monday after they are assigned). I will return your edited homework and in-class assignments via e-mail attachment within a week, and often sooner. Everyone is required to place his or her homework in the Digital Drop box on Blackboard so that we can discuss the work in class in a “workshop” fashion.

Students are strongly encouraged to aim for stories that can be published/aired in Learning Labs (ATVN, ARN, Impact, Neon Tommy, Intersections: The South Los Angeles Project) or The Daily Trojan.

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Students in the PR program sometimes ask their instructors, “Why do I have to take the Journalism core writing courses if I’m not going into Journalism? It’s a fair question with four compelling answers from Jerry Swerling, Director of PR Studies and the Strategic PR Center at Annenberg:

1. If you cannot write well, meaning write in the way it is taught in the Journalism Core, you will probably not succeed in PR.

2. In today’s environment of information overload, PR people often have to think like good journalists. They need to understand how to prioritize facts and think critically about the information they will be asked to communicate. You will learn how to do that in the Core.

3. As a young professional, you will have to produce content for all kinds of media channels under tight deadlines. The Core will give you the cross-platform skills you’ll need to succeed.

4. Out in the “real world,” one of the complaints senior PR professionals often have about young job candidates is that they don’t know how to write.  This means that when you enter the job market you will have a significant competitive advantage over graduates from other programs precisely because you have taken the Journalism Core in an outstanding PR Studies program. You should make the most of it.

REQUIRED TEXTS/READINGS:

“Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism,” (2010) by Tim Harrower. First Edition. McGraw-Hill. (harrower1).

“Course Reader, JOUR 501, Fall 2010” available in the USC bookstore. Bring this book with you to every class for the in-class assignments.

“The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law,” edited by Darrell Christian, Sally Jacobsen and David Minthorn, 2010. This must be ordered from . Bring this book with you to every class for the in-class assignments.

Dictionary: The following online dictionary will be the official reference for in-class assignments, homework, midterms, and finals: Merriam-Webster: m-.

NEWS QUIZES & AP STYLE QUIZZES:

I’ll give a news quiz at the beginning of class every week. It will consist of 10 questions and will focus on that week’s big local, state, national and international stories.

Any serious journalist must be aware of the local/national/international news context in which you are reporting, and be knowledgeable about the world around you. For the aspiring writer/reporter, reading the newspaper and news Web sites thoroughly every day, listening to radio news, and watching television newscasts, are essential and strengthen your skills. At minimum, I recommend reading the main stories in the Los Angeles Times (), The New York Times (), and the CNN () as well as LAObserved () and the Huffington Post ().

You also will be given 10 AP Stylebook Quizzes, which are worth 10 percent of your grade. These are open book tests (see the course reader for details).

RESOURCES:

Please check Blackboard regularly for any articles, messages, etc. In addition, the following Web sites may be useful to you when conducting research, or if you’re looking for journalism tips: Journalism Research Page at , News University at , and the Poynter Institute at (especially useful for story ideas is Al’s Morning Meeting at ).

WHILE IT IS FINE TO USE WIKIPEDIA FOR INITIAL RESEARCH, DO NOT USE IT FOR QUOTES OR AS PRIMARY RESEARCH.

GRADES:

All assignments will be edited on a professional basis. Each story will be returned with written comments and explanations of any editing that is more than routine. Our style guide will be “The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.” Your copy should not contain any errors in spelling, style, grammar and facts. There should not be any omissions, either. In fact, after the first week, any misspelled proper noun (even if it’s due to a typographical error) or any inaccuracy, will result in an automatic “F” on that assignment. Accuracy is the first law of journalism. Professional journalists are expected to get their facts right, to spell and punctuate correctly, and to respect grammar and syntax. In case of doubt, check your facts, consult the AP Stylebook or a dictionary. It only takes a minute or two to avoid mistakes. Please don’t be discouraged if your writing receives low grades at the beginning of the semester. Your grades will improve. News writing is hard work, but the only way to get better is to keep writing, regardless of the difficulties. I’m more concerned with how you do in the final weeks of the course than how you do in the first weeks of the course. In fact, I will drop two assignments on which you’ve received your lowest grades before I compute your final course grade. In addition, I will not even give you letter grades for assignments during the first four weeks of class. This policy does not apply to quizzes. And if you miss class, you cannot make up any missed quizzes.

COURSE GRADES

Weekly Assignments 30%

News Quizzes 10%

AP style Quizzes 10%

Midterm 20%

Final 30%

Total 100%

Traditional grades and grade point averages are assigned as follows: “A” stories are accurate, clear, comprehensive stories that are well-written and require only minor editing (i.e., they are publishable). “B” stories require more than minor editing, and have a few style or minor spelling errors or an error of omission. “C” stories are stories that need considerable editing or rewriting and/or have many minor spelling and style errors. “D” stories require excessive rewriting; have numerous minor spelling and style errors, and should not have been submitted. “F” stories have at least one proper name misspelled, and/or one factual error.

Furthermore, all assignments will be graded on a scale of 1-100, and then translated into traditional grades. For example, here is what every error on an assignment will cost you:

           AP Style, Punctuation, or minor spelling errors = Two to five points each.

            Clarity, organization = Five to seven points for short stories; seven to 10 points for longer stories.

            Omissions = Five points.

            Misspellings (of proper names) and/or factual errors = Automatic "F" on the assignment.

And here's how these points will translate into traditional grades:

            A     (4.0)    = 95-100                  B-  (2.7) = 79-75            D+  (1.3) = 59-55

            A-    (3.7)    = 90-94                   C+ (2.3) = 70-74            D    (1.0) = 50-54

            B+   (3.3)    = 89-85                   C   (2.0) = 69-65            D-   (0.7) = 49-45

B     (3.0)    = 80-84                   C-   (1.7) = 60-64           F     (0)   =  44 or less

      

WRITING COACHES:

Students are encouraged to see a writing coach. Also, if I feel you are getting stuck on a particular writing issue, I may recommend you make an appointment. Annenberg’s coaches are talented mentors, so make use of them. Writing coaches are available during posted drop-in times and by appointment. The print/text writing coaches are: Susan Brenneman (susan.brenneman@); Brad Hanson (brad.hanson@); and Ann Herold (annherold@). The broadcast writing coach is Mike Daniels (danielsm@usc.edu).

LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

You must turn in assignments on the day they are due even if you know you will miss class and have contacted me beforehand. Send it to me via e-mail attachment. The story must arrive by the beginning of that day’s class session (2 p.m. on Tuesday). Late assignments will take a LARGE grade hit. If they are too late, they will receive no credit. However, you are required to complete them anyway so I can edit them and provide feedback on your progress.

PLAGIARISM:

You cannot steal someone else’s work, whether it’s been published or not, and claim it as your own. This includes copying someone’s paper during class or ripping off a portion of a story from an on-line site or a newspaper, a textbook or any other source.

Plagiarism is defined as taking the writings or work of another and passing them off as your own. In the working world, plagiarism will get you fired. In this class it will cause you to fail and then be bounced out of the School of Journalism. In a professional context, plagiarism can do mortal damage to the career of even the most talented reporter, and tarnish the reputation of his or her publication for a long time to come. Don’t do it under any circumstances.

Below you’ll find the policies on academic integrity for the School of Journalism and for USC as published in the University catalogue. Take them to heart.

“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on examinations, or purchasing papers or other assignments will receive a failing grade in the course and will be dismissed as a major from the School of Journalism. There are no exceptions to this policy.”

ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS:

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. Also give a copy to Laura Castaneda (lcastane@usc.edu) in ASC 303B). DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.

INTERNSHIPS:

The value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course that undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to one percent of the total available semester points for this course. To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office.  The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned in to the instructor by the last day of class. Note:  The internship must be unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.

STRESS AND ANGST:

I realize that students are under a lot of pressure. If you start to feel overwhelmed, it is important that you reach out for help. A good place to start is the USC Student Counseling Services office at 213-740-7711. The service is confidential, and there is no charge.

CLASS PROTOCOL:

This is a professional degree program. As such, students are expected to deal with each other and with their instructors in a collegial manner. That means you should immediately talk to your instructor if you have any concerns about the course, grading, fellow students, the length of time it takes to get back graded assignments, etc. If you are still not satisfied that the issue has been resolved, you should contact Laura Castaneda at lcastane@usc.edu.

CELESTE FREMON BIO

I’m the creator and editor of () and have been a free-lance reporter and writer for a very long time, writing for the LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Ms., , Reader’s Digest, and Salon Magazine. Plus, I’m a regular guest on such local radio shows like Which Way LA? And DeadlineLA. And a weekly commentator on the newly developed KABC TV show, The Filter.

I have reported on a wide range of issues, but I am considered an expert in the realm of street gangs, law enforcement, prison and parole policy, and education reform.

My reporting has taken me across the United States, to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Central America---and has generally led to some excellent adventures and the occasional hair-raising experience.

I’m the author of G-Dog and the Homeboys (1995, 2004, 2008), about Father Greg Boyle and the gangs of the Pico Aliso housing projects of East LA. I’m presently working on a new book, An American Family, about the life of a parolee, his wife and kids, during his first six years out of prison.

I’ve been given a string of awards by the nice people at such organizations as: the Los Angeles Press Club, the Western Publications Association, the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards, the Sunday Magazine Editors Association, PEN USA, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, the New York Library Association, and the American Library Association.

I’ve also worked as a consultant on an assortment of TV news shows and documentaries, among them "60 Minutes" the BBC, and ABC News. I adapted G-Dog and the Homeboys as a feature film for Sony Pictures Entertainment; co-produced “The Baby Snatcher” for CBS, and adapted my article, “The Great Sorority Rush,” for ABC. Many of my stories have been optioned for film & TV.

I’m a Senior Fellow for Social Justice/New Media at the Institute for Justice and Journalism.

I graduated from USC and have a Masters in Fine Arts in creative writing/nonfiction from Bennington College.

****************

COURSE OUTLINE: All readings are to be done before each class. The syllabus is subject to change based on news events or guest speaker availability.

Week One (Aug. 23) – Review Syllabus; What is News? Writing Leads

Review syllabus, copy preparation, using the AP Stylebook

Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Exam in class

What is News? And what do you need to write a good news story?

How do you know if it’s news?

How do you write a lead? How do you support that lead?

In-class writing assignment: You’ll be given a fact sheet, and you’ll write a 300-350-word story. (This will not be graded. It is a diagnostic tool to see what your writing is like).

Homework: Write leads for the 5 stories on p.113 of your workbook.

Ethics: For your own future reference see: SPJ at

Readings: Harrower, Chapter 1 & 2, the Story of Journalism, How Newsrooms work, AND pp: 42-43 in Chapter 3; Writing Basic News Leads

Week Two (Aug. 30) – News Briefs

First news quiz

What is news? – the sequel

How do you write short briefs (three-sentences, one paragraph)?

AP Style Quiz #1 (see AP Stylebook Topics in Course Reader).

In-class assignment; Homework, from Course Reader, Pgs. 114-115, write short paragraph news briefs on items: B, C. E, G, K

Readings: Harrower, Chapters 3 (Pgs. 34-48), and 7. Ethics. Course Reader, “Writing Hints: Broadcast vs. Print.”

Week Three (Sept. 6) – No class – Labor Day.

Week Four (Sept. 13) – Short Stories, Longer Stories, Nut grafs, Story Pitches

News Quiz

What are the components of short stories and nut grafs?

How do you write longer stories (300-500 words)? What kind of story structure is used? How are quotes chosen? What should be fact-checked? How do you pitch a story?

AP Style Quiz #2.

Homework from Course Reader, write short stories from Course Reader, P. 124 (Stingray), 126 (Identity Crisis) and 128, (Lawyer). Pay close attention to your leads and nut ‘graphs.

Harrower, Chapter 3 and Pgs. 126-127.

Start the free “Handling Race and Ethnicity” tutorial from NewsU. Register at . It will take 1 to 2 hours to complete, but you can start and stop as much as you like. You will need a Flash Player 7 to complete. Please finish the tutorial by Nov. 15.

Week Five (Sept. 20) – Q&As and Interviewing (Live Assignment)

News Quiz

How do you report and compile Q&As?

What are the basics of interviewing?

How do you find sources, conduct telephone and e-mail interviews, etc.?

AP Style Quiz #3.

In-class: TK from Reader.

Homework: Find a local community leader or political figure and put together a Q&A (600 words).

Readings: Harrower, Chapter 4.

Please note: You will start receiving actual grades for your homework beginning this week.

Week Six (Sept. 27, 28) ) – Accidents and Disasters

Midterm in class.

How do you cover a basic accident story?

AP Style Quiz #4.

In-class exercise. Homework: accident story, Course Reader: p. 157-158– 500 words

Readings: Harrower, 98-101.

Week Seven (Oct.4) – Midterm Review

News Quiz

Review for midterm.

AP Style Quiz #5.

In class review and Homework: from Course Reader. Write a brief from p. 123 (Barbie), a 250-word accident report from fact sheet on p.161 (Catalina Helicopter Crash), and a 400-word general news story from fact sheet on p. 135 (Citizens).

Readings: None.

Week Eight (Oct. 11) – – Speeches and Meetings; Story Pitches (Live)

Midterm in class

How do you cover a basic speech and meeting?

How do you pitch stories?

In-class: Prep for a speech (or, if we can find a good one, an elections debate).

Homework: Cover that speech (or debate) and write it up in 500 words.

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. 106-109.

AP Style Quiz #6. (take-home)

Week Nine (Oct. 18) – Police and Crime

News Quiz

Briefly review midterms in class.

How do you cover police and basic crime?

How do you update stories? How do you update stories?

AP Stylebook Quiz # 7.

In-class and homework: Follow-up or aggregate report on recent accident, crime or disaster story, details TBA. 500 words.

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. Pgs. 102-103

Week 10 (Oct. 25) – Covering local government

How do you cover basic government?

AP Stylebook Quiz # 8.

Homework: Elections assignments, details: TBA. Since we have an election coming up next week, you’re each going to cover one of the ballot initiatives---in a 600 word story.

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. 108-111.

A free Poynter seminar titled: Math for Journalists: Help with Numbers at , should be completed before we meet today.

Please note: All students who did not pass the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Examination earlier this semester can retake it during finals week. The exam date, time and location will be e-mailed to you next month.

Week 11 (Nov. 1) – Covering Courts

Class Topics: How do you cover a court trial and all that goes with it?

8th AP Style and News Quizzes]

In-Class and Homework: Fairy tale news assignment, 500 words, Details TBA.

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. 104-105.

Don’t forget about the free “Handling Race and Ethnicity” tutorial from NewsU. Register at . It will take 1 to 2 hours to complete, but you can start and stop as much as you like. You will need a Flash Player 7 to complete. Please finish the tutorial by next week.

Week 12 (Nov 8) – Obits and Profiles (live story)

How do you write a basic obituary or profile?

News slam and AP Stylebook Quiz # 10

In-class assignment (choose a living celebrity or political figure and write an advance obit).

Homework: Find a newsworthy subject (details TBA) and write a profile. (600-700 words).

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. 96-97; 124-125.

Week 13 (Nov. 15) – Underreported Communities (live story)

The best, most compelling stories are often the ones that have not yet been told. How do you find these stories?

AP Stylebook Quiz # 9.

In-class and homework:

Readings: Pgs. 88-90, Listen to: This American Life episode: “Georgia Rambler,” then go to your assigned community or place and find and write a 600 word story.



Please note: Nov. 13 is the last day to drop a class with a mark of “W.”

Week 14 (Nov. 22) – Writing Longer Stories

How do you report and write longer stories? How do you structure longer stories? Review pitches for final stories.

In-class assignment and homework: TBA

Readings: Harrower, Pgs. 74-75; 126-131.

Nov. 25 – Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 15 (Nov. 29) – Review for Final

Class topics: Review progress on final stories; general newswriting review

Pizza Party!

Final will take place on Friday Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. in this classroom.

Please note: All graduate students who didn’t pass the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Examination earlier this semester can retake the GPSE during finals week. The exam date, time and location should have been e-mailed to all students in November.

Dec. 3 – Classes End!

Dec. 4-7 – Study Days

Dec. 8-15 – Exams

Dec. 16-Jan. 9 -- Winter Break

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