Course Syllabus

 

 

(07/14/15)

DRAFT SYLLABUS

 

Harvard University Extension School

JOUR E-50 (12549)

Fall 2015

 

Thursdays, 7:40 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Beginning Sept. 3, 2015

Sever 111

 

Instructors: 

Al Powell • (617) 905-5520 • alvinpowell1@gmail.com

John Lenger • (617) 448-3985 • lenger@fas.harvard.edu

 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course equips students with an understanding of the principles and practice of journalism: how to recognize good stories, gather facts through skillful interviewing and research, develop sources, craft welcoming leads and satisfying endings, and create news and feature articles that inform and engage readers. Rewriting to achieve mastery is particularly emphasized. Students also learn the difference between journalism and public relations and how to structure narratives to fashion different types of articles. Prerequisite: a college-level writing course. (4 credits)

 

ASSIGNMENTS: Students are responsible for completing three articles of between 500 and 1,000 words— a report from the field, a news or feature story for which you will work with sources to gain information, and a profile of an interesting person. Given today’s digital news environment in which “everyone can be a reporter” (or at least think they can), students will be strongly encouraged to seek publication of what they write through various journalistic venues. Though students can choose to simply “go through the motions” of reporting, we believe that you will have the most rewarding experience in this course if you treat every assignment as “live”  – real events, real people, real interviews – resulting in published articles. That means you will always use verifiable facts, proper spelling and punctuation, first and last names of interviewees, and the like.

 

To facilitate this real-time reporting and writing, this class will communicate through a restricted email group and other electronic means. It is very important that you give us a working email address and check regularly for messages.

 

CREDIT STATUS AND ENROLLMENT: The Extension School does not allow auditing of writing courses or taking a writing course pass/fail. Therefore, students in Basic Journalism must take the course for credit and will receive a letter grade.  Enrollment is limited; students are admitted into the class on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have questions about the waitlist, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

 

READINGS: Suggested readings typically are not discussed during class time, since our time each week is limited, though you are encouraged to email the course group with any questions you have. The only required text is the Associated Press Stylebook, which should be your constant companion while writing drafts.

 

Three additional texts are highly recommended, though not required. Past students have gained a great deal by reading the Sessions Stepp book, Writing as Craft and Magic. The Kovach and Rosenstiel book offers great insights into why journalists do what they do, while the Patterson book offers a piercing look at how journalism has changed in recent years.

 

The books should be available through the Harvard Coop, or can be found through online booksellers. Writing as Craft and Magic is, unfortunately, out of print, but the Coop usually finds several copies, and others can be found through used book sellers:

 

Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, latest edition

 

Writing as Craft and Magic, Carl Sessions Stepp, Second Edition

 

The Elements of Journalism, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel

 

Informing the News, Thomas Patterson

 

FURTHER READINGS:

 

Among other responsibilities, journalists need to stay abreast of the news. If they don’t have one already, students are encouraged to cultivate a daily news-reading habit. In today’s rich news environment there are many ways to do this, from subscribing to a traditional print newspaper to visiting web-based news sites such as CNN.com to downloading mobile apps from AP, Reuters or another news service for smartphone reading while on the subway. 

 

To encourage students to think critically about reporting and writing, each class will begin with a brief discussion of the day’s news. To facilitate the discussion, the class will maintain a Twitter feed that will include links to stories of interest. Students will contribute to this list and should check it regularly. The Twitter account’s username is @journo50. To make them easily searchable, tweets and responses should have the hashtag #JOURE50.

 

Office Hours: Sever 111, before class. We hope to arrange access to Sever 111 for the class period preceding our regular class meeting and can come early, by arrangement, to meet with students. John or Al also expect to arrive to class a few minutes early each week and can handle routine matters then.

 

DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE   

 

September 3: Introduction to the course. What is journalism? Introduction to interviewing – narrowing the question. Getting to know each other through an in-class writing exercise (please bring pen and paper, laptop or some other writing utensils). Short discussion about news. Assignment for next week: Read the assigned news articles and write a short (no more than a paragraph or two) memo about their common features and how they differ from other types of articles. Please DON’T use more than two or three sentences in describing the issue addressed in the article. Post to our online discussion group by noon next Tuesday.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 1, Journalism in a Time of Change, Chapter 2, Writing as Craft, Chapter 5, The Very Beginning: Ideas and Reporting, Chapter 8, Models and Common Story Types, The News Model, The News Event, The Nonevent News Story, Speeches and Meetings. Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 1, What Is Journalism For? and Chapter 3, Who Journalists Work For.    

 

September 10: Class discussion about news articles. What can we learn from analyzing them? Assignment for next week: Read the assigned feature articles and write a short (no more than a paragraph or two) memo about their common features and how they differ from news articles. Please DON’T use more than two or three sentences in describing the issue addressed in the article. Post to our online discussion group by noon next Tuesday.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 4, The Three Qualities of Great Journalism, Chapter 6, Beginning to Write: Focus and Leads, Chapter 7, Managing the Murky Middle, Chapter 10, Writing for Clarity. Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 2, Truth: The First and Most Confusing Principle, Chapter 4, Journalism of Verification.

 

September 17: Class discussion about features. What can we learn from analyzing them? What are the differences between news and feature articles? What are the similarities? Assignment for next week: Begin thinking about covering an event, which will be our discussion for next week. Please read several different journalistic publications to see what types of events are covered and compile a list of five events that you might cover. Post your list to the online discussion group by noon next Tuesday. No further reading assignment for this week.

 

September 24: Lecture/discussion about covering events and how journalists plan for the future. Discussing your lists of events. What are the rules/social conventions that guide journalistic coverage of events? How does a journalist or a journalism student negotiate access to a particular event? Assignment for next week: Please write a short (no more than three-four paragraphs) memo to the class about an event that you will cover as a journalist. Include why this event is newsworthy or significant, how you will prepare, what you expect to happen, what obstacles you may have to overcome, what type of publication would be interested in publishing your finished article, and how you would go about submitting your article for publication. Please post your memo to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Sept. 29.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 12, Polishing Your Work, Chapter 13, Multimedia Packaging and Presentation. Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 8, Engagement and Relevance.

 

October 1: Present your story memo to the class. Sign up to present your draft article to the class on Oct. 8 or Oct. 15.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 3, Writing as Magic, Chapter 9, Mastering the Feature.

 

October 8: Present your draft event article to the class if you’re scheduled for this week. Please post it to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Oct. 6.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 8, Models and Common Story Types, Human Interest Stories, Government Stories, Specialty Stories. Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 5, Independence from Faction and Chapter 7, Journalism as a Public Forum.

 

October 15: Present your draft event article to the class if you’re scheduled for this week. Please post it to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Oct. 13.

 

Suggested readings: Sessions Stepp: Chapter 11, Writing for Drama. Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 10, Journalists Have a Responsibility to Conscience.

 

October 22: Start of new unit: Working with sources, and the differences between journalism and public relations. Lecture/discussion. Assignment for next week: Write a short (three-four paragraphs) memo about the next news or feature story you plan to write for class. Who will be your sources? How do you plan to work with them? What will make your article different from a press release? Do you anticipate any problems in getting the information you will need, and if so, what is your plan to overcome those obstacles? Please post your memo to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Oct. 20, so we all have a chance to read it before class.

 

October 29: Class discussion about your ideas for your next articles. Sign up to present your article to the class on Nov. 5 or Nov. 12.

 

November 5: Present your draft article to the class if you’re scheduled for this week. Please post it to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Nov. 3.

 

November 12: Present your draft article to the class if you’re scheduled for this week. Please post it to the online discussion group by noon Tuesday, Nov. 10.

 

November 19: Start of new unit: Writing the profile, a common type of feature story. Lecture/discussion about profiles, including handouts and examples. Discussion of narrative elements – how do you use them to build a story? Assignment for Dec. 3: Write a short (three-four paragraphs) story memo about the profile you plan to write.  Why is this person worthy of being profiled? What sort of publication would be interested in publishing your completed article?

 

Suggested readings: Kovach and Rosenstiel: Chapter 6, Monitor Power and Offer Voice to the Voiceless.

 

November 26: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! NO CLASS.

 

December 3: Class discussion about your ideas for your profile articles. Sign up to present your profile to the class on Dec. 10 or Dec. 17.

 

December 10: Present profile articles. Assignment: Write self-evaluation to include in final portfolio. Assemble portfolio to hand in Dec. 17.

 

December 17: Last day of class. Present profile articles. Hand in portfolios including personal statement. Celebrate!

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/LEGAL-SOUNDING STUFF

 

PORTFOLIOS: At the end of the course, each student will hand in a portfolio of work done in class. This portfolio, plus a written self-evaluation, will determine a large portion of your grade. (The rest of your grade will be determined by such factors as attendance and class participation.) You should hand in your last, best version of each article, unless you are trying to demonstrate significant improvement between drafts. In any case, if you rewrite an article 25 times, it is not necessary to hand in all 25 versions of it, just the first and last will do. If you get an article published, be sure to include a copy of the “clip.” (Clip is short for clipping, it simply means that you cut the article out of the publication.  When you offer to work for an editor, she will probably ask to see your published clips.) The self-evaluation is very important, so invest some time and thought in it. Also include copies of your story memos. Finally, Al and John would like to keep these portfolios for their records, so don’t include originals unless you won’t need them back — photocopies or printouts are sufficient. Portfolios don’t have to be fancy, either — just staple the pages together and put them in a folder or an envelope.   

 

ABOUT WORKFLOW AND RESOURCES: The difficulty in journalism arises from the fact that a journalist must simultaneously do many things. While you are researching and writing a story, you must observe and describe, interview, find important information in documents, impose structure on your story, self-edit, fact-check, consider opportunities for publishing your completed article — and do it all before a deadline. You will notice as you read through this syllabus that the course is front-loaded with suggested readings: many chapters at the beginning, none at the end. This has been done to make sure you have the information you need to successfully complete your articles. Despite all the reading, you still may have questions: Please ask! John and Al have handouts available about a variety of topics, and can point you toward other resources.

 

GRADING:

Final drafts of the three articles will make up the majority of your grade. Since meeting deadlines is critically important in journalism, first drafts, due on the day of your presentation to the class, will also count. In class participation and other writing assignments, story memos, news and feature memos, will also count toward your final grade. Getting your articles published in an outside news outlet is not a requirement for this course, but it is highly recommended, since the experiences of writing a query and dealing with an editor are valuable. Articles written for class and published in outside outlets will receive a one letter grade bonus.

 

PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the theft of someone else’s ideas and work. It will not be tolerated, either in academia or in journalism. You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity (www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/student-conduct/academic-integrity) and how to use sources responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the rules, running out of time, submitting "the wrong draft", or being overwhelmed with multiple demands are not acceptable excuses. There are no excuses for failure to uphold academic integrity. To support your learning about academic citation rules, please visit the Harvard Extension School Tips to Avoid Plagiarism (www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/resources/tips-avoid-plagiarism), where you'll find links to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources and two, free, online 15-minute tutorials to test your knowledge of academic citation policy. The tutorials are anonymous open-learning tools.

 

PROHIBITION AGAINST FIRST-PERSON WRITING: Journalists use a variety of writing styles and formulas for their stories. The most commonly used voice is the third person; that is, reporters write about he and she and they and it rather than I or we.  Therefore, no articles for this class will be written in the first person.   

 

PROHIBITION AGAINST WRITING ABOUT FRIENDS, RELATIVES, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, CO-WORKERS, AND BUSINESSES/ ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH YOU BELONG: Journalists do not write about those close to them to avoid potential conflicts of interest. As the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics (http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp) spells out:

 

Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know. Journalists should:

—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.

• Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
• Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

 

You should approach every article you write as though it were going to appear in a newspaper, magazine or website; avoid the trap of thinking that an article is “just for class.”

 

PROHIBITION AGAINST BEING PAID FOR COURSE WORK: The Extension School prohibits students from receiving both a grade and compensation for course work.   So what happens if you write a really good story and a newspaper such as The Boston Globe would like to publish it? You have three options: 1) decline payment, 2) do two different versions of the article — one for class, and one for publication, or 3) publish the article after the course has ended. This tends to be a moot point, since if an editor accepts an article for publication, she would generally require revisions.   

 

ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION: Extension School academic policy is clear about attendance: “Students who enroll in courses for credit are expected to attend all classes, take all examinations, and complete all other required coursework. ...  If a student is absent from a class for any reason, including registering late, it is the student’s responsibility to make up all work from that class.” If you miss more than two classes, your grade will be seriously affected. If you must miss class because of illness or an emergency, please contact the instructors as soon as possible.

 

The heart of a writing workshop is peer critique — you learn by receiving comments on your own work and by offering comments about your classmates’ writing. You are expected to participate as a full member of the class by presenting your own assignments on time and by providing thoughtful and constructive criticisms of your classmates’ ideas and articles. Since the goal is for everyone in class to advance as a writer, comments will be respectful and pertinent.     

 

The Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The Disability Services Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with documented disabilities. Please visit www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/resources/disability-services-accessibility for more information.