Journalism 21 A Green Sheet Newspaper Writing and Reporting
Journalism 21A
Brad Kava
(bradkava@aol.com)
Class Information: Meets Monday and Wednesday, 9:30-10:45
Office Hours: Wednesday: 11 a.m.; 1:30 p.m.Units 3
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is an introduction to the fundamentals of news reporting and writing. You will study the organization and structure of gathering and presenting hard news of all types, including police, government, speech, meetings, news profiles and man on the street interviews.
We will also cover grammar, ethics, fairness, non-discriminatory language and the legal issues a reporter must know.
OBJECTIVE:
This course will be one of the more difficult you will take at DeAnza, but also one of the most rewarding. By the end you will not only be able to write a news story, but will learn to think with clarity and objectivity. You will develop the journalist’s knack for cutting out the fat and getting to the meat of an issue.
You will benefit from this kind of writing skill even if you choose not to pursue journalism. Whether you write engineering reports, medical journals corporate memos or legal briefs, the ability to do so succinctly and colorfully will move you up the career rungs.
REQUIREMENTS:
Required texts are available at the bookstore. You will need to bring every day: Tim Harrower Reporting News and the accompanying workbook and The Associated Press Stylebook.
You will be required to read at least one newspaper a day or more, for some execises.
There will be some out of class assignments, such as a city council meeting or speech. And some in-class speakers, including politicians, police officers, journalists.
METHODS OF EVALUATION:
A completed workbook, which will be distributed at the second class, and due at the end.
Midterm, quizzes, class assignments and writing assignments.
Assignments will be hard copy, triple spaced, with two-inch margins, so I have space to make comments and edits.
You will be writing every day in class. Learning to write is like working out in the gym: the more you do, the more you can do. The first attempts are the most difficult, but it will get easier each week.
Breakdown: The setting will be more like a newsroom than a traditional classroom. As such, assignments must be turned in on time. You can be absent twice, but must do the required work for the next class (students will exchange phone numbers), and send me an email letting me know you will be back.
I shouldn’t have to say this, but they tell me we do: Plagarism will not be tolerated. In the real world it is a fireable offense. Same here. It will result in a failing grade and a note on your academic record.
Grading scale: A: publishable; B: needs work in form and content, but overall good; C: needs work; D, marginal quality; F: not handed in or really off the mark. Even the worst paper can be re-written and the grade significanlty improved.
Final Words:
I’m going to try to make this class as much fun as possible, to offset some of the hard work you are going to do.
I can promise this: There will be times you will be frustrated to the point of wanting to scream, but If you do the work and complete the course, you will look back at it and realize it was one fo the best things you ever did in school, and one of your greatest growing experiences.
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