Journalism 351

Texts:

Dorothy A. Bowles and Diane L. Borden, Creative Editing, Fifth Edition

(Wadsworth: 2008)

The Associated Press Stylebook, 2007 or 2008

The goal of this course is to teach you the skills needed to edit news stories and prepare them for publication in a newspaper or on a Web site. You will learn to evaluate others’ work for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness. To do this, you will have to think critically, creatively and independently but also be a cooperative part of a team. You will find that these skills are easily transferable to a number of other media, including magazines and books, and to other professions. You will also, I hope, find that the course makes you a stronger writer and more discerning reader.

Through the Tuesday and Thursday labs, you will be exposed to newspaper and website production and gain experience in the interpersonal skills needed in a newsroom. You will each be given access to W&L’s online software training (Element K) and will be expected to complete on your own time the tutorials for Dreamweaver and InDesign. (You are welcome to become proficient with the software in other ways, if you prefer.)

Because the course requires up to eight hours of class time a week, I will try to keep your outside work requirements modest. In addition to your text, I expect you to read a daily newspaper (in print), monitor several newspaper Web sites, and be alert to real-time examples of the topics we discuss in class. You will also view two films during the term and write short essays in response to them. We will take at least one field trip if our schedules allow.

Class and lab attendance are essential. If you find that you must miss class or lab for some reason, let me know in advance. Do not make other plans before 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursday. While we may on occasion complete lab work before that time, do not count on it.

The first live Rockbridge Report will be Thursday, Jan. 17. Your roles during these sessions will be described in class.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Your grade will be based on four main elements: homework exercises, and essays; lab and Rockbridge Report work; four in-class quizzes; and a final. The quizzes will generally occur on Mondays or Wednesdays and include material covered in class as well as current events and spelling. (I have marked quiz dates on the syllabus, though these may change.) The final will require you to create a newspaper front page in a set period of time, using materials provided. You will also be required to submit to me at term’s end a portfolio of your five best layouts.

Grading:

Exercises, essays: 25 percent

Quizzes: 20 percent

Rockbridge report work (including portfolio): 30 percent

Final: 20 percent

Participation and Professionalism: 5 percent

For your day-planners:

Monday, Jan. 14 4:30 p.m., attend Stackouse talk by Neil Budde from Yahoo!

Tuesday, Jan. 15 First lab meeting with J253 students

Friday, Jan. 18 11:30 p.m., attend Lee Chapel talk by Bob Wooward

Friday, March 14 5 p.m., Attend Ethics Institute lecture

Tuesday, April 9 5 p.m., Final project due

Class Schedule

J351 – Winter 2008

M Jan. 7 Course Introduction

For Wednesday: Read B&B Chapter 1; Prepare to discuss exercises 7,8,9,10

Tuesday, Jan. 8 No lab

W Jan. 9 News judgment and audience; editing people

For next class: Read B&B, Chapter 5 and page 282.

Thursday, Jan. 9 Lab: Introduction to Dreamweaver, InDesign, Element K

M Jan. 14 The big picture, story structure and ledes

4:30 – Attend Neil Budde talk in Stackhouse Theater

Tuesday, Jan. 15 First editing session with J253 students

W Jan. 16 Discuss “Shattered Glass”

Turn in: 500-word essay on “Shattered Glass”

Thursday, Jan. 17 Hands-on work on Web page

Friday, Jan .18 11:30 a.m., Attend Bob Woodward talk in Lee Chapel

M Jan. 21 Wire Services

Tuesday, Jan. 22 Lab

W Jan. 23 Quiz One (Chapters 1 and 5)

For next week: read Chapter 2, Exercises 7-11 (turn in Wednesday)

Thursday, Jan. 24 Lab

M Jan. 28 Guest speaker

Tuesday, Jan. 29 Editing in lab

W Jan. 30 No Class

For next class, read B&B: Chapter 3, Exercises 1-6; Chapter 4 (no exercises)

Thursday, Jan. 31 Rockbridge Report

M Feb. 4 Grammar, style, word choices

Tuesday, Feb. 5 Lab

W Feb. 6 Quiz Two (Chapters 2, 3, 4)

For next class: Read B&B Chapter 8

Watch movie, “Helvetica”

Thursday, Feb. 8 Rockbridge Report

M Feb. 11 Typography, Headlines

For Wednesday, Read B&B Chapter 9

Ex 3, 4, 8, 16, 17 (and look at 12)

Due: 500-word essay on “Helvetica”

Tuesday, Feb. 12 Lab

W Feb. 13 Headlines

Explain “My Front Page” assignment

Thursday, Feb. 14 Rockbridge Report

Break, Feb. 18-22

M Feb 24 Principles of newspaper design

For next class, read B&B Chapter 10, Exercises 7b, 8b, 9b, 10b,

Tuesday, Feb. 25 Lab

W Feb. 26 Photo selection and cutlines

Due: Your Front Page

Thursday, Feb. 27 Rockbridge Report

M March 3 Charts and Graphs

For next class, read B&B, chapter 11

Tuesday, March 4 Lab

W March 5 Page Design

Thursday, March 6 Rockbridge Report

M March 10 Design, continued

For next class: Chapter 7

Tuesday, March 11 Lab

W March 12 Quiz Three (Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11)

Thursday, March 13 Rockbridge Report

Friday, March 14 5 p.m., Attend Ethics Institute talk

M March 17 Editing for a Diverse World: Stereotypes, slurs and sensitivities

Tuesday, March 18 Lab

W March 19 Ethics and Editing

For next class: Chapter 6

Thursday, March 20 Rockbridge Report

M. March 24 Legal Concerns

Tuesday, March 25 Lab

W March 26 Legal Concerns, continued

Thursday, March 28 Rockbridge Report

M March 31 Quiz Four (Chapters 6 and 7)

Tuesday, April 2 Lab: Prep for final

W April 3 Final thoughts; Careers in copy editing

Thursday, April 4 Rockbridge Report

5 p.m. Wednesday, April 9: Final Exam Due