203.04 TTh 11:30 - 12:45

Office hours:
Mon., Wed. 3 - 5 p.m.
Tues., Thurs. 1 - 2:15 p.m.
or by appointment

Murphy 210
375.2511
dwilkins@sbu.edu

J/MC program goals

Catalog course
description:

Writing and reporting
in-depth for newspapers
and magazines. Covers
investigative research
and interpretive journalism
relating to traditional and
contemporary stylistic
trends. Assignments
stress extensive
interviewing for publication.
Prerequisite: J/MC 201.
3 credits. Honors Option.

FINAL EXAM:
Saturday, May 5,
8 - 10:30 in Murphy 106

Consider these questions
before turning in a story:

1. Have I said what
I meant to say?
2. Have I put it as
concisely as possible?
3. Have I put things
as simply as possible?

-- Rene Cappon
author, The Word


If I were a newspaper
editor, I would pursue
the truth like a starved,
over-tenacious pit bull
on flesh. ... I would
optimize visibility of all
the gory details, thereby
trusting the good citizens
of America to call
their own shots.

-- Ted Nugent
musician

If our newspapers are
not inclusive enough
to regularly portray
the diversity of [our]
communities, then we
are presenting a
fundamentally inaccurate
report. That lack of accuracy undermines our journalistic credibility.

-- Pamela Johnson
executive editor
The Arizona Republic

Television's ability to
show what is happening
is not always matched
by its ability to explain why.

-- Mike Chinoy
journalist, author

Words ought to be a
little wild for they are
the assault of thoughts
on the unthinking.

-- John Maynard Keynes
economist, 1933


Reporting is expensive;
talk is cheap. Reporting
exposes and illuminates democracy; talk indulges
and extends it.

-- Jonathan Alter
columnist

You hate to think you
have to censor your
language to meet other
people's lack of understanding.

-- Julian Bond
former chairman, NAACP

If it hadn't been for the
media -- the print media
and television -- the civil
rights movement would have
been like a bird without
wings, a choir without a song.

-- John Lewis
U.S. representative (D-Ga.)

The journalist's obligation
to verify information is
being mooted by the Internet's capacity to shout rumors
in all directions.

-- James M. Naughton
president, Poynter Institute

The 24-hour media are
often all dressed up
with nowhere to go.

-- Jennifer Harper
media writer
The Washington Post

Being a reporter is
as much a diagnosis
as a job description.

-- Anna Quindlen
journalist, author

Check.
Doublecheck.
Triplecheck.
And check it again.
If your mother says
she loves you,
check it out!

-- old newsroom aphorism

The easiest thing to do
is to write a boring story.
Then you're not going
to offend anybody.

-- David Von Drehle
The Washington Post

Writing ... happens to
be the lens ... enabling
me to see things and to think,
and to concentrate
what's in me.

-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
author, 1976

Newspapering is not just
the most important thing,
it is the only thing.

-- Mary McGrory
syndicated columnist

Without ethics, there is
no quality. Without quality,
there is no credibility.
Without credibility,
there is no future.

-- Edward L. Seaton, editor,
The Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury

My question is this:
If we are living in the
middle of an information
explosion, how come so
few people are getting hit by it?

-- David Boldt, columnist,
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Anonymous sources play
the press as if it were their own private troupe of puppeteers.

-- Peter S. Prichard, author,
former editor, USA Today

The first mission of a
newspaper is to tell the truth
as nearly as the truth
may be ascertained.

-- Eugene Meyer
journalist, 1933

If you feel you are
possessed of the truth,
or a fact, simply state it.
Do not give it advance billing.

-- William Strunk

About Dr. Wilkins

Reporting is writing is reporting is writing ...

Despite the name, this course is about writing. Which means it's about organization. Which means it's about making judgments regarding information. Which means it's about gathering information. Which means ... it's about reporting.

The creation of a news story blends story idea, background knowledge, thorough research, oranizational decisions and, these days, the influence of technological change. Today's journalists routinely return from an assignment to 1) write a 200-word, hard news, "what happened?" story for the Internet edition on a 10-minute deadline, then 2) write a longer story that explains or analyzes the news for the hard-copy edition. That's what you're going to learn to do this semester. Both.

Here are the learning objectives for J/MC 203. The numbers in parentheses refer to J/MC program goals.

• developing effective pre-reporting habits (evaluating story angles, considering sources, scheduling the reporting timetable, etc.). (3, 4, 5)

• acquiring the intellectual, social and conversational skills needed for extensive interviewing (such as the Sawatsky approach) of many sources prior to writing for attempted publication. (3, 4)

• gaining confidence in story structures other than the inverted pyramid, especially narrative structures with anecdotal or illustrative ledes. (1, 2, 3, 4)

• using appropriate reporting and writing techniques to produce understandable hard news copy under tight deadlines. (1, 2, 3, 4)

• learning to avoid and resolve ethical dilemmas, including evaluation of contemporary controversies in media ethics. (6, 7, 8)

• acquiring sophisticated reporting skills that stress the importance of research before writing. (2, 3, 4)

Your grade will be based on your performance in:

• four 600- to 800-word stories (with rewrites).
• a one-draft, no-rewrite story covering a speaker of the student's choice (20 points; assignment must be completed by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13).
• a final exam.

The profession of journalism is unpredictable, sometimes surprising, and often filled with moments of deadline stress. This course acquaints you with these and provides a controlled setting to practice the skills that, when fully honed, should make your passage through the profession an exciting rather than frustrating journey.

Consider your classroom to be part newsroom, part learning environment. Expect the unexpected. Expect to be challenged. Expect to demonstrate logic and sound judgment. Be prepared for each class. Success in journalism and mass communication is directly linked to practice and preparation.

In this course you will further develop your skills of reporting --interviewing, notetaking, generating story ideas, learning to pitch story ideas to editors, self-editing and covering traditional beats as well as reporting stories that explain or analyze themes and trends. You should expect to face situations where you have to make judgments about fairness, accuracy and sensitivity. Throughout this course, you can expect to examine the pragmatic, ethical and moral dilemmas journalists face.

If you encounter difficulties in this course, please see me sooner rather than later so we can find ways to solve your problems. If my office hours conflict with your schedule, call or e-mail me and we'll set up a time that works for both of us.

The schedule ...

Friday, Jan. 26 -- Assn. 1 draft due by 4 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 9 -- Assn. 1 rewrite due by 4 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23 -- Assn. 2 draft due by 4 p.m.
Friday, March 16 -- Assn. 2 rewrite due by 4 p.m.
Friday, March 30 -- Assn. 3 draft due by 4 p.m.
Friday, April 13 -- Assn. 3 rewrite due by 4 p.m.
Friday, April 28 -- Assn. 4 draft due by 4 p.m.

Assn. 4 rewrite due at beginning of final exam period.

Stuff (and math skills) you'll need ...

Your required tools:

• The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2004 or 2005 [if you use 2004, be sure to check 2005's "fundraising" entry]
• an inexpensive calculator with basic arithmetical and percentage functions.
• appropriate computer disks or USB flash drives for saving and archiving work producd in the lab.
• on-line readings from this bibliography.
• a map of the Olean/Allegany area.

Review the readings below marked with an asterisk by the end of the second week of the semester. Begin with "interviewing skills" and "reporting issues." These readings exhibit brevity.

Interviewing skills

*The Art of Asking Questions
*The Question Man | *The Question | *Ask and Ask Again
*The Good Interview
Getting the Measure of a Soul on Deadline [Interviewing tips from a psychologist]
New York Times Interviewing Techniques
*Loosening Lips: The Art of the Interview [by Eric Nalder of The Seattle Times]
*Getting the Most from Your Interviews
Handling Tough Interviewees

Reporting issues

Breaking and Entering: How to dissect an organization [by Nalder]
*The Power of Listening
Reporting on Race Relations: Guidelines and Tips for Better Coverage
*The Power of Detail
*Making Stories Relevant to Readers
How to Be Your Own Writing Coach
Counting Crowds
*To Tape or Not to Tape
Beat Reporting: What Does It Take to Be the Best?
*Managing Information
*Using Email as a Reporting Tool
How Poll Sampling Works
Forget the backpack, 'pocket journalism' is coming

Conceptualizing, organizing, writing complex stories

*The Five Boxes [favored form of Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg, formerly of The New York Times]
*How to Make Your Writing Stronger
*How to Break the Lead Barrier [about writing better ledes]
*The Nut Graf, Part I
The Nut Graf and Breaking News: Helping readers understand
*Writing Clearly on Deadline
Putting Your Story in the Blackbox
Principles of Composition [from Strunk & White]
Writing Tips [from the staff of the Providence Journal; pick and choose what looks interesting]
*Story Framing: Four Vital Ingredients
*A Dummy's Guide to the Hard-Core Basics
The Hourglass: Serving the News, Serving the Reader
*Make Every Word Count
A Dozen Tips for Writing News Online

Accuracy issues

The Hierarchy of Accuracy
*Accuracy Checklists: The Society of Professional Journalists
Getting It Right [The Poynter Institute's guide to accuracy]
Accuracy Checklist: How to Edit Skeptically
Important If True

Managing your time

*A Writer's Time: Making the Most of Yours
Managing your time in a newsroom [a top 10 list]
Making Friends with a Clock: Time Management for Writers
*Working Fast: A guide to getting the job done when you don't have time to think

Ethics, honesty, plagiarism and sensitivity issues

Interviewing Victims: Tips & Techniques
*Why Ethics Matters [by Poynter's Bob Steele]
Recording Phone Conversations: A Checklist
A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in the 50 States and D.C.
*The Ethical Obligation to Be Smart
*Guidelines for 'Testing' Stories
Excerpts from Ethics Codes on Plagiarism
On Anonymous Sources (from The Freedom Forum)
Diversity Checklist
The Lost Meaning of Objectivity
*SPJ Ethics Checklist

Recommended: a grammar and punctuation handbook, especially Media Writer's Handbook: a guide to common writing and editing problems, 3rd ed., by George T. Arnold.

Note: A set of interactive student quizzes based on Media Writer's Handbook is available at the publisher's web site.

Consider acquiring other useful reference books and materials -- such as a good pocket dictionary and thesaurus. Spellcheckers in word-processing programs do not necessarily follow AP style. They do not distinguish among homonyms (words that are spelled differently but sound alike). You're responsible for the spelling in your copy -- you can't rely on spellcheckers. Also, dedicate a disk (with backups, of course) to useful web sites.

For examples, see Journalism & Media Resources & References.

You will turn in first drafts of assignments as hard copy and by e-mail. I'll create a class e-mail distribution list using your university e-mail addresses to pass along class information and notices. Please check your e-mail frequently.

READ THIS: Follow this format to submit stories, rewrites.

Review basic math. You may frequently calculate percentage increases and decreases. You're responsible for the accuracy of numerical information in your stories. You cannot assume that the sources for your stories have their numbers right. Check all numbers and calculations. For those of you who believe, as I do, that an understanding of statistical terms is not only useful but necessary to good reporting, turn to:

Statistics Every Writer Should Know [by Robert Niles of the Los Angeles Times]

Be prepared for out-of-classroom excursions at any time in any weather. Follow this rule: BE PREPARED. Preparation begets performance.

Effort & performance = better grades

This course follows a straightforward format: You write, I critique your work, you rewrite. Each out-of-class story you write is worth 20 points save for the last story, which will be worth 40 points. The final exam is worth 10 points. There will be no mid-term exam.

The workload for this course is heavy, but most of that work is in reporting and writing, actually doing journalism. For your final grade: If you earn 90 percent of all possible points, you'll receive at minimum an A-; 80 percent of all possible points, B-, etc. (assuming no unexcused absences).

Here's how I will evaluate and grade your written work (in the interest of attribution, I swiped this from Prof. Ray Chavez of the University of Colorado at Boulder). The grading policy in this course does not tolerate grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax and Associated Press errors.

A (20 points) -- Story is publishable as is; needs only very light editing, if any. Story shows mastery of facts, news judgment, narrative flow, proper style, writing, and fairness and balance. Contains a strong, well-crafted extended lead that uses illustrations, examples or anecdotes. Contains no punctuation, grammar, AP style or spelling errors.
A-/B+ (19, 18) -- Well-written, accurate copy. Contains relevant material but may lack completeness. Needs some editing for wordiness or clarity. Contains only two or three (total) grammar, punctuation, spelling or style errors.
B (17) -- Handled assignment fairly well although weak reporting left questions unanswered. Lead needs strengthening. Copy needs some rewrite and polishing before publication. A few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling or style.
B-/C+ (16, 15) -- A few significant problems in writing, structure, syntax, and/or inaccuracies. Weak lead or nut graf. Needs additional reporting. Several errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling or style.
C (14) -- Has organizational and clarity issues. Contains inaccuracies or lacks completeness. Has no nut graf. Reporting is vague. A half-hearted effort that produces a barely adequate and cursory story. Needs considerable editing. Many style, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
C-/D+ (13, 12) -- A weak story marked by carelessness. Cannot be published without major editing. Needs extensive rewrite and considerable additional reporting. Poorly proofread; frequent spelling, grammar, punctuation and style errors.
D/D- (11, 10) -- A poor story that demonstrates only minimal ability to acquire, organize and present facts. Needs considerable additional reporting and complete rewrite and shows carelessness in editing and proofreading by numerous grammar, punctuation, spelling and style errors.
F (9 and below) -- An unacceptable story. OR failure to complete assignment. OR contains errors with proper names, including misspellings and mistakes with capitalization. OR missed deadline. OR contains plagiarism OR libel. OR contains anonymous sources. Fails to meet minimum number of words for assignment. Failure to follow ground rules for interviews.

Failure to submit any two assignments within assigned deadlines will be considered failure to complete the course and will result in an F for a final course grade.

Errors in fact will result in a third-of-letter-grade deduction for each.

All stories, save one-shot deadline exercises, must be rewritten. Your grade will be the average of the first draft and the rewrite. Significant improvement in reporting, organization and writing -- not just repair of language-use, spelling and style errors -- must be achieved for the rewrite grade to exceed the first-draft grade. Each rewrite must be accompanied by a "lessons learned" memo.

READ THIS: the intolerable "no-nos."
READ THIS: 'Everything I know I plagiarized in high school'
READ THIS: The rules: Attend class; meet deadlines; don't cheat
READ THIS: The mortal sins of Newswriting & Reporting II

Worth a look: An editor's questions ...

Worth a look: Are Online Search Tools Lulling Journalists into Laziness? from OJR]

Worth a lookj: The XII Commandments of newswriting
[From Pat Vecchio]

Worth a look: I'm an e-mail meanie [advice on e-mail etiquette from Joe Grimm of the Detroit Free Press]

Worth a look: Email typography [writing, style, etiquette tips]

Worth a look: E-mail Interview Advice [the pros and cons from Jonathan Dube of MSNBC.com]

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Posted 1.16.07