Journalism 453: Online Reporting and Editing

Spring 2011
Syllabus is available online at: www.journalism453.wordpress.com
Class meets Monday and Wednesday 9-10:15 a.m.

Instructors:
Brian Duggan: bpduggan@gmail.com (@brianduggan)
David Calvert: david@calvertphotography.com (@calvertphoto)
All e-mails must include “J453” in the subject line.
Office hours by appointment

Introduction
Welcome to online reporting and editing. This is a senior-level class, which means it will
be fast-paced and carry with it high standards of journalism and productivity. Think of
yourself as a new hire at a media organization and your task is to produce content for it.
Over the course of the semester we will discuss the trends affecting journalism and the
tools that are becoming increasingly necessary to perform it effectively. That means
everything from social media practices to database reporting to multimedia presentations
to simply setting up and managing a blog. You will be required to use all of these tools
over the course of the semester.

Your assignment: Think about the recession and how it’s affected life at the University of
Nevada, Reno and higher education in Nevada. Think about the effects of unemployment
and how it’s related to education. Think about students who are drowning in student debt.
Think about tenured professors losing jobs. Think about the decisions that are being made
in Carson City starting next month. Think about recent graduates who moved back home
to live with parents because they couldn’t find a job. In other words, put a human face on
these statistics and help put this event into context — conduct journalism the way it
should be done in the 21st century.

What you will do

The semester will begin with discussions about online tools and how to use them
effectively. We’ll talk about audience trends and debate the merits of Twitter. The
majority of the class will be dedicated to producing content, which will require a
substantial amount of work outside the classroom to pass (and lots more if you want to
excel). Reporting requires footwork. Also there will be five quizzes (expect a Jake
Highton-style AP test and others that will test your multimedia skills).

— Blogging: 12.5 percent of grade

Starting Feb. 7, you will be required update a blog at least three times a week. You
can blog about the stories you cover, adding relevant links and commentary to the
postings. If you do not want to blog about the content you are covering in the class,
then you can present a blog proposal to the instructors by Jan. 31. The blog must be
related to something in the Reno-Sparks-Carson-Tahoe region and must be original.
 Blogging means offering people an original piece of reporting or it could mean
linking to an article, photo, video or other relevant piece of online information you
found interesting and giving it some context. What cannot be is just your opinion —
so no partisan political polemics, please. Spelling and factual errors will deduct from
your grade. Grading standards are outlined below. Also, once you pick a topic you
have to stick with it until the semester is over. And hey, maybe keep it going after
you graduate.

— Stories: 75 percent of grade, or 12.5 percent each

Over the course of the semester you will be required to propose, report and create five
original stories that relate to the class topic using a variety of online tools. They will
be published on your blog and, if your able to set it up, another publication such as
the Nevada Sagebrush or another media outlet. At the end of the semester you will be
required to develop a 10-minute group presentation with two other classmates. The
assignments will be required in this order:

1. Live blog an event (Due by March 9)

2. Create a click through slide show with copy (Due Feb. 23)
3. Record an audio story or podcast (Due March 23)
4. Create a visual story by using of data (Due April 27)
5. Create a video story and upload it to Youtube (Due April 27)
6. Give a 10-minute group presentation addressing this question: Is journalism still
relevant? Why or why not? What is the future of journalism? (Due May 5)

A story must be turned in on each assigned due date. Late work will not be accepted and
will result in an automatic 0 percent for that particular story unless there is a pre-
approved or verifiable and acceptable reason for the missed deadline. Over the course of
the semester the class will include “budget meetings” where the class will discuss story
ideas and reporting ideas. Along the way there will be occasional progress reports on
stories and your blog, too.

The 10-minute group presentation can be presented with any online tool of your
choosing, through a survey of compelling websites, with just plain, old PowerPoint or a
combination of all of them. Just be creative. Your task is to develop a thesis and an
answer, supported by at least three sources, to the question: Is journalism still relevant?
Why or why not?

— Short Assignments: 12.5 percent

You will be given five short assignments over the course of the semester that will test
you on your knowledge of AP style as well as ethical and website design questions
They are worth 2.5 percent each and are scheduled in the dates below.
 Required materials:

— The Associated Press Style Book

— Producing Online News, Ryan M. Thornburg
— An external hard drive, especially needed for multimedia
— Headphones
— Additional readings will be linked on instructor blog:
http://www.journalism453.wordpress.com

Schedule: 16 weeks, 31 classes

Week 1
Jan. 19: Introduction, discussion of professional and journalism landscape, digital media
• Class Activity: Write blog post on whether you think Twitter is a useful
journalism tool; review and discuss examples of online media today

Week 2:
Jan. 24: Audience behavior and blogging
• Reading due: Chapters 10 Thornburg
• Assignment due: Establish Twitter account
• Class Activity: Discuss role of social media, blogging in industry

Jan. 26: HTML, discuss possible blogging ideas

• Reading due: Chapters 4, 11, Thornburg; “Newspapers and the Unthinkable”,
Clay Shirky; Search and Destroy
• Assignment due: --
• Class Activity: Overview of WordPress capabilities, Install WordPress blog;
WordPress guest speaker, Chelsea Otakan

Week 3
Jan. 31: What makes a good blog?
• Reading due: Foster Kamer: Thoughts on Blogging
• Assignment due: Blog proposals, WordPress blog customized
• Class Activity: Discuss blog examples, CMS example such as the Nevada
Appeal

Feb. 2: Live blogging

• Reading due: Chapter 11; Thornburg
• Assignment due: Live blog examples
• Class Activity: Story 1 budget meeting (Live blog, due by March 9)

Week 4
Feb. 7: Online ethics
• Reading due: Chapter 7; Thornburg
• Assignment due: Weekly blogging starts today
 • Class Activity: Quiz 1: AP Style

Feb. 9: Click through slide shows

• Reading due: --
• Assignment due: --
• Class Activity: Story 2 budget meeting (Slide show, due. Feb. 23)

Week 5 (BRIAN GONE)

Feb. 14: Multimedia online
• Reading due: Chapter 8, Thornburg
• Assignment due:
• Class Activity: Blog check in, Story 1 and 2 progress report

Feb. 16: Workday

• Reading due: --
• Assignment due: --
• Class Activity: Quiz 2: Edit photo

Week 6
Feb. 21: NO CLASS President’s Day

Feb. 23 Audio stories and interview

• Reading due: --
• Assignment due: Story 2 (Slide Show)
• Class Activity: Review slide shows, Story 3 budget meeting (Audio story or
podcast, due March 23).

Week 7 (J-week)
Feb. 28: Final Cut Express refresher
• Reading due:
• Assignment due:
• Class Activity: Blog update, Story 1 and Story 3 progress report

March 2: Online comments

• Reading due: Chapter 4, Thornburg
• Assignment due:
• Class Activity: Discussion of online comments management, Quiz: 3 HTML

Week 8
March 7: Databases and visual story telling
• Reading due: Chapter 9
• Assignment due: --
• Class Activity: Andy Boyle on Web development

March 9: Discussion on ethics of Wikileaks

 • Reading due: Wikileaks and the Long Haul by Clay Shirky
• Assignment due: Story 1 (Live blog)
• Class Activity: Review live blogs, Story 4 budget meeting (Visual story with
data, due March 30), Story 3 progress report

Week 9
March 14
SPRING BREAK

March 16:
SPRING BREAK

Week 10
March 21: CANCELLED

March 23: Workday

• Reading due:
• Assignment due:
• Class Activity: Work on Story 3

Week 11
March 28:
• Reading due:
• Assignment due: Story 3
• Class Activity: Listen to audio stories, assign video groups

March 30: What makes good Web video/Final Cut Pro crash course/Data stories
• Reading due:
• Assignment due:
• Class Activity: Story 4/5 budget meeting,

Week 12
April 4: Workday

April 6: Work Day

• Assignment due: Short assignment: Website critique

Week 13
April 11: Workday
• Class Activity: Online ethics discussion

April 13: Workday

• Assignment due: Short assignment: Online ethics

Week 14
April 18: Workday
April 20: Review class blogs
• Assignment due: Last blog/Short assignment on your experience blogging

Week 15
April 25: Workday

April 27
• Assignment due: Stories 4 and 5
• Class Activity: Story presentations

Week 16
May 2: Work on final presentations if time
• Class Activity: Finish stories 4 and 5 presentations

May 4: Dead Day

Final Day: May 5: 9:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Future of journalism presentations; class discussions, internship/job advice
 Class Policies:

Grading:
75% Five stories and presentation
12.5% Quizzes
12.5% blog
-------------------
90% or higher
Highly engaging, original work that could easily run in a major metropolitan media
organization with little or no editing required. (As for the presentation. Instead of the
standard being publication pretend you’re giving it to a boardroom filled with media
bigwigs, all else being equal.)

80%-89.9%:
Engaging, original work that could use some editing, but is generally ready for
publication in most media outlets. Some, but not many, stylistic or technical errors.

70%-79.9%
Thoughtful, original work, but would only be ready for publication with more editing. A
few spelling and/or stylistic errors that detract from the overall quality of the story.

60%-69.9%
Multiple glaring stylistic, spelling and/or factual errors. Content is bland, uninformative
and generally unfit for publication in a professional media organization.

A failing grade:
Missed deadlines, blatantly sloppy work and obviously not giving a damn.

Attendance:
You are expected to arrive on time to class. Chronic tardiness will negatively impact your
grade. You may miss two classes without consequence or approval, but each additional
unapproved or unexcused absence will result in a 10 percent reduction of your final
grade. If you need to miss a class you must notify an instructor at least three days in
advance. Verifiable extraordinary reasons for missing a class without excuse will be
considered.

Extra credit
A.K.A., buy a ski day. You can earn 10 percent extra credit percentage points to your
final grade if you help cover two Journalism Week events for the journalism school using
at least two online media tools. Quality of work must be professional and will be graded
by the standards set above in the grading section. Anything less than an 80 percent will
not be accepted as extra credit.
Academic dishonesty:
This is a simple rule: If you are caught cheating, plagiarizing or violating the university’s
academic dishonesty policy you will fail the class and will be reported to the dean of the
Reynolds School of Journalism. No exceptions. Period. Also, there’s no such thing as
accidentally plagiarizing a source in the real world. You must be careful to always cite
your sources. Read the official policy here.

Disability
Any student with a disability needing academic accommodations is requested to speak
with an instructor or contact the Disability Resource Center located on the second floor of
the Fitzgerald Student Services Building as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate
accommodations.