RODUCTION TO BROADCAST NEWS

Transcription

1 INTRODUCTION TO BROADCAST NEWS COMM SPRING 2008 R.S. SMALL BUILDING 002 M/W/F 9-9:50 A.M. (Term 081) Instructor: Patrick Harwood Phone: (office); (cell) Course Website: Office: Old Library Room 203 (former R.S. Scott Library); I also have a box at the Comm. Dept. Main Office, 5 College St. (next to Physicians Auditorium) Office Hours: 11 a.m.-noon and 2-2:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach at C of C North. Reach me there by or cell phone. Books and Equipment Textbook: Radio-TV Newswriting: A Workbook by K. Tim Wulfemeyer (Iowa State Press, Second Edition ) A digital voice recorder: You will need a digital recorder that allows you to upload content to your computer. So the recorder must come with a USB connection and an installation disc for the necessary software. One recommended model: Olympus 8-hour recorder, Model VN-480PC (includes microphone and earbuds ) Price: approx. $40. Other new and used (or reconditioned models are available at various local stores and the Internet Recordable CD discs for your digital recordings/reports (CD-RW preferable) A microphone that attaches to your digital voice recorder (optional) Headset with microphone for digital recordings/production (optional) Course Objectives: This is an introductory broadcast journalism course that stresses the newsgathering process, as well as writing, reporting, ethical/legal issues, industry issues and trends, and the business of broadcasting. You will do different types of radio news reports and radio newscasts that will be played during class in a team newscast setting. We will also explore and utilize cutting edge audio/video computer editing/production software. I also teach Television News Reporting (Comm 340) that is designed as a follow-up to this course. So you are encouraged to take both, if this field really interests you, or if you just want to learn more about television news. To Succeed in this Class: Complete all homework and reporting assignments on time and in the formats that will be detailed. Deadlines are crucial in the news business. Show effort, imagination, and improvement Take reporting assignments seriously try to do them as a professional reporter would. Don t take the easy way out by interviewing friends and relatives for your stories professionals would not do that! Don t miss class and be on time. Coming in late is very distracting! While attendance will not regularly be taken, excessive absences will hurt your ability to keep up with all of the assignments involved in this class. 1

2 Tests: There will be midterm exam but not a final exam test. Instead you will have a final newscast project that is the equivalent of a final exam. The midterm will cover Parts I and II in your book, Radio-TV Newswriting Philosophy: Style and Methods (Part I), Legal and Ethical Concerns (Part II), plus handouts and other material covered. Midterm Exam Grading Scale: A ; A ; B ; B 83-86; B ; C ; C 73-76; C ; D ; D 60-64; F 59 and under Here is the letter-grade plus/minus grading system: A = 4.00 B = 3.00 C = 2.00 D = 1.00 A- = 3.67 B- = 2.67 C- = 1.67 F = 0.00 B+ = 3.33 C+ = 2.33 D+ = 1.33 Extra Credit Opportunities: You can have points added to your marks in this class by producing extra news stories on communication and media-related speakers and events at College of Charleston this semester. Up to three points can be added to your midterm exam grade, for example, per story with a maximum of nine extra credit points possible. Radio Reporting Stories: You will be given plenty of advance notice about due dates for reporting assignments, and you will be instructed and trained on how to do these stories. The assignments include: person on the street, voicer and wrap stories; a multimedia reporting project; a 10 minute live on tape interview; radio newscasts/podcasts; and a longer form final project newscast. We will also, as a class, prepare a podcast based on the South Carolina presidential primaries and the presidential election in general. Reporting assignments and newscasts will be given letter grades based on the following criteria: accuracy, enterprise/initiative; newsgathering skill, writing quality, production quality, scripting; and delivery. A reporting or newscast assignment can be turned in one class period late, but will automatically lose one letter grade. They will not be accepted after one class period late, meaning you will receive a zero for that assignment. Book homework assignments can be turned in one class late but will get a check-minus and won t be accepted after that. All work turned in for this class must be typed. Also, I do not accept any work by . Final Grade Determination: Midterm Test & Final Exam Reporting Project 40 percent Reporting Assignments (averaged) 40 percent Homework, Quizzes, In-class work 20 percent (Homework receives check plus, check or check minus. 24 assignments=60 points maximum using 2.5 points for check plus; 2.0 for check; and 1.5 in my check minus system) 2

3 Weekly Schedule (subject to changes and modifications) Week 1 January 9 and 11 Course introduction Broadcast News Code of Ethics Homework for Friday: Read the RTNDA Code of Ethics ( or on the class website) and write two or three paragraphs on what you feel are the code s most important elements View A&E Biography video on American broadcasting pioneer Edward R. Murrow (short paper will be due next class) Week 2 January 14, 16 and 18 (Note: Jan. 15 is last day to withdraw with 100 percent refund) Note: No class Monday, Jan. 14 professor out of town Legal and Ethical Concerns Guidelines for Coverage (RTNDA website) Homework for Friday, Jan. 18: read pages and do the six Stop and Write sections. Also complete Ethical Analysis handout how would you handle each scenario? What does the Code of Ethics say about each situation? Homework for Wednesday, Jan. 23: In book, read Introduction and review Radio-TV News Terminology. Read pages 3-16 and answer all (10 total) the Stop and Write questions and exercises Week 3 January 21, 23 and 25 Note: No class Monday, Jan. 21 MLK Holiday How broadcast news writing differs from print style (book and website posting) The importance of proper attribution and sourcing Form news teams for Primary/Election 2008 team newscasts Homework for Friday, Jan. 25: Read pages and do the three Stop and Write sections (attribution and quotes) Also for Friday, come up with two Election 2008 story ideas topics that would involve getting the opinions of C of C students, faculty and staff and/or Charleston area residents. Homework for Monday, Jan. 28: Read pages and do the eight Stop and Write sections (contractions, adjectives and adverbs, verbs, numbers, symbols, abbreviations and individually voiced elements) Discuss next week s field exercise Week 4 January 28, 30 and Feb. 1 Monday groups meet to go over Election 2008 topics Covering stories for radio or podcasts Field exercise on Wednesday and Friday this week: bring digital recorders to record interviews during class session for your upcoming person on the street (POS) assignment 3

4 Go over POS checklist Log interviews to turn in by end of class Friday, Feb. 1 Also for Friday, Feb. 1: read pages (editing) and do copy editing handout exercise Homework for Monday, Feb. 4: read pages (copy preparation and leads) and do the one Stop and Write section. Write leads assigned from back of book (page 96). Also, write two leads for your POS report. Week 5 February 4, 6 and 8 Copy Editing and Leads For Wednesday, Feb. 6: read pages (editing) and do copy editing handout exercise For Friday, Feb. 8: read pages (copy preparation and leads) and do the one Stop and Write section. Write leads for five stories on page 97. Also write two anchor leads for your POS report In class Friday: review page 97 and during class write leads only to four stories on page 95 Homework for Monday, Feb. 11: read pages (The Body and Endings of Stories) and do the two Stop and Write sections Week 6 February 11, 13 and 15 Monday, Feb. 11: write endings only to four stories on pages Wednesday, Feb. 13: during class, do page 88 style test For Friday, Feb. 15: read pages on Actualities and Soundbites and Voicers, Wraparounds and Packages and do the two Stop and Write sections. Also, write two anchor leads or package introductions to your POS story. Remember in the anchor lead to incorporate your name as the reporter Friday: review Koala leads from book and student POS anchor leads For Monday, Feb. 19: Write a 45 second full story from the Strike story on p. 104 Week 7 February 18, 20 and 22 Monday: review Strike story due today Scripting and producing radio stories Go over Windows Movie Maker and step-by-step recording and editing instructions Broadcast delivery handouts and recording exercise (strike stories?) in class For Wednesday, Feb. 20, read pages (radio, TV and R-TV web site news story scripts) and write four scripts: a radio reader script, a radio actuality script, a TV reader script and a TV soundbite script for the story on page 117: Radio Actuality Story 1 ( Sickout ) First Draft Script for your POS story is due Friday, Feb. 22. It will be returned to you Monday. Final tape and script are due Wednesday, Feb. 27 4

5 Distribute Midterm Study Guide on Friday, Feb. 20 (exam is next Friday) For Monday, Feb. 25 do Style Test 6 on page 89 and write two stories on page 100 (to help prepare for midterm exam) Week 8 February 25, 27 and 29 Further discuss production of POS wrap story due Wednesday Start to review for Midterm Exam which is on Friday, March 2 Wednesday, Feb. 27: POS tape and script due Friday, Feb. 29: Midterm Exam Week 9 March 3, 5 and 7 Spring Break: no classes this week Week 10 March 10, 12 and 14 (midterm grades on Cougar Trail March 11) Return and review midterm exams Discuss voicer reports Do practice voicer report for Noise Capper story on page 138 due Wednesday, March 12 Continue to discuss voicer reports. Cover a story and turn in a voicer report for class on Wednesday, March 19 Start to discuss upcoming wrap report assignments and covering stories for radio/internet Week 11 March 17, 19 and 21 Continue to discuss wrap report assignment: issue/controversy report (due Friday, March 28) Wednesday, March 19 Voicer reports due Week 12 March 24, 26 and 28 Discuss Multimedia Reporting Project due Friday, April 4 or Monday, April 7 Discuss 10-minute interview assignment due Friday, April 11 Friday, March 28: Issue/controversy report due Week 13 March 31, April 2 and 4 Continue to discuss multimedia assignment Friday, April 4 or Monday, April 7: Multimedia Reporting Project due Continue to discuss 10-minute interview due Friday, April 11 Go over Interviewing Tips handout/posting Week 14 April 7, 9 and 11 Discuss newscasts and newscast scripting Read pages (newscast organization) First individual newscast (CD and scripts) are due Wednesday, April 16 and Friday, April 18 this will be broadcast live during class Friday, April 11: 10 minute interview CDs and scripts are due 5

6 Start to go over guidelines for the Final Exam Newscast Project Week 15 April 14, 16 and 18 More on newscast organization and delivery Wednesday, April 16 and Friday, April 16: Live newscasts during class Week 16 Monday, April 21 and 23 Discuss Final Newscast Project Wednesday, April 23 is last class exams begin April 25 FINAL EXAM DATE Monday, April 28, a..m. Final newscast projects due We won t have a regular class just drop by the classroom and turn in your Final Exam Newscast CD and script (Friday, May 9 Final grades available on Cougar Trail) ### 6