News

JOUR 2100-Section B, Fall 2016

202 Neff Hall, Missouri School of Journalism
9:30-10:50 a.m., Wednesday & Friday, August 24-December 7

Instructor:
Associate Professor Amy Simons
001-E Reynolds Journalism Institute
573-884-2001
simonsa@missouri.edu
Twitter: @amysimons

Office Hours:
By appointment only
**Please make appointments through MU Connect no later than 5 p.m. the day before
your desired appointment time.

Class Slack Channel: http://j2100b.slack.com
**Slack should be used for questions about lab, lecture, outside writing assignments or
anything, really, that you feel the entire class could benefit from. In addition to subject-
specific chatrooms, you have the ability to use the private instant message function to
communicate with your classmates and me. While Slack doesnt replace the need for
face-to-face or email communication, it is best for quick questions or to discuss issues
that might also benefit others. You will receive an invite from your professor to join our
Slack group. Please check your Mizzou email to find that invite. You can access Slack
using a web browser, desktop app and/or mobile app. All app downloads are free of
charge.

Purposes and goals of the course
Using the lens of news writing, J2100 will emphasize the skills needed for all emphases
excellent writing and information gathering. Good media writing requires more than an
ability to craft clear sentences. It requires accuracy, curiosity and attention to detail. The
class encompasses a variety of activities reading, discussing, knowing current events,
learning grammar, gathering information and interviewing, and most important writing
and revising. You should learn:

to apply critical-thinking skills to evaluate the credibility of sources and
information.
to gather information efficiently through reading, interviewing and researching.
to clearly write for a variety of media while adhering to deadlines.
to write using Associated Press style.
to use standard American English grammar and usage.
to recognize the differences between journalistic and strategic communication
writing.
the concepts of news, accuracy and fairness.
critical-thinking skills to evaluate others writing and thinking.
the importance of following an ethical and legal framework in American
journalism.

Required texts
iClicker account
News Reporting and Writing, Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 11th ed. 2014, Brooks,
Kennedy, Moen and Ranly (NRW)
Working with Words, Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 8th ed. 2013, Brooks, Pinson
and Gaddy Wilson (WWW)
The Associated Press Stylebook (AP). 2016.
Columbia Missourian Stylebook and a Guide to Mid-Missouri 2015 (available at
Mizzou Store only)
Columbia Missourian you have free online access
Columbia Daily Tribune available at a reduced rate through the Mizzou Store
The New York Times available for purchase at a reduced rate at
http://newyorktimes.com/collegerate
Recommended texts
Student Workbook, Working with Words

Portfolio
Always save an electronic version of your work for internship and work portfolios.

Major Activities of the Course
1. Reporting/Writing. You will be reporting, writing or editing and revising stories
virtually every week of the semester. You will complete at least 11 deadline-writing
assignments 10 in class and one outside of class. You will report at least six stories
(including one written on deadline) outside of class and complete one video assignment.
You will suggest topics for the stories as reporters are expected to do in daily journalism,
and you will also provide visual elements as assigned.

2. Team learning. We occasionally will use a special technique to evaluate and suggest
improvements in the first drafts of your stories and for the approval of some story
proposals. When that occurs, you will work with two or three other students to review
each other's work and suggest ways in which the stories can be improved. Journalism is
an increasingly collaborative effort between writers, editors and designers, directors and
producers. We will practice working together as a group of mutually supportive
journalists with high standards for one another's work.

3. Quizzes. We will have eight quizzes over material in The Associated Press Stylebook
and Working with Words. Quizzes will all be given in class via Canvas. These quizzes
are intended to acquaint you with the discipline of style and grammar rules and improve
your attention to accuracy and detail. Although I have provided a list of what new
material will be covered for each quiz on the last page of your syllabus, old material
might be repeated on subsequent quizzes.

You also will have weekly current event quizzes based on the front pages of the
Columbia Daily Tribune and The New York Times. Some questions may also come from
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/, http://komu.com, and http://kmiz.com. Other
questions will come from your assigned textbook readings for the week.

The current event quizzes will be on Wednesdays and begin August 31. Many questions
will be designed to test your general knowledge of geography, government, world
leaders and history. You must be informed to succeed in any field of mass

communication. Expect about 10 current-events questions and about five

lecture/readings questions.

4. Using computers. We will make extensive use of the computers for writing and
editing stories, searching for information for stories and storing the records of the course.
You also will be expected to use your own computer to edit video.

Other activities
You will observe the operations of the Missourian and KOMU newsrooms for one
shift each during the semester and write reports about the news processes in
each. Our KOMU visit is from 5:15 p.m. 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13
and our Missourian visit is from 11:00 a.m. noon on Thursday, Oct. 20.
Make plans now to attend. If you have class during one of the scheduled visits,
let me know ASAP.
You will participate in discussions and in-class and outside-class writing activities
related to the topics of the day and assigned readings.
You also must pass a grammar proficiency exam and take an AP style exam.

Whom do you represent?
In dealing with news sources and others in the community this semester, you may be
asked, "For which medium do you work?" You should say that you are in a news-writing
course in the School of Journalism. The stories you are working on are not intended for
publication, broadcast or display on the World Wide Web. Under no circumstances are
you to represent yourself as working for the Columbia Missourian, KBIA or KOMU.

Occasionally, a story may be worthy of publication or broadcast. If so, you will need to
call back the sources to get permission to do that. You should assure your sources that
you will contact them for an accuracy check of the information you use from them for the
story. Further, you may give them my name as your editor/instructor and invite them to
call me.

Student responsibilities
1. Attend every class. Meet all deadlines. Plan ahead. Anticipate problems such as a
computer crash. You will only be allowed to make up assignments, quizzes or tests in
three cases: a death in your immediate family, your own illness or a university-
sponsored activity. In all cases, you will need documentation, and you should notify me
before you miss class. If you need to miss class for a university-sponsored activity, you
must turn in any outside-class writing assignment before you miss class. Failure to
communicate will get you into trouble. However, I will allow you to drop one quiz and one
in-class writing assignment.
2. Use the AP Stylebook and local style manual in all writing assignments. Bring these to
each class.
3. Keep up with the news. Much of the class discussion of news values, reporting and
writing will be based on current examples.

Grammar proficiency examination
All J2100 students must pass a computer-administered grammar proficiency
examination with a grade of 80 percent or better before receiving a grade for this course.
For those who do not score at least 80 percent, there will be a second examination and
occasionally a third. Students who fail to achieve a score of 80 percent or better by the
end of the semester and whose other work is at least a C- will receive an incomplete

grade for the course. They will not be able to take any other courses for which J2100 is a
prerequisite until they score at least 80 percent of the grammar test. The first test score
also counts as part of your course work and is calculated as part of your grade. The
grammar exam, which is a closed-book exam, is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 30.
The grammar exam counts twice as much as the AP exam. The AP exam, which is
open book, will be on Friday, Nov. 4.

Evaluation
You will receive editing help from me and from students in the class. You should meet at
least once during the semester for one-on-one conferences with me. At your request,
you and I will meet for additional appointments to discuss and edit your work. Members
of the class will edit preliminary drafts of two of your outside stories the profile and the
community-issue story.

Grading
Students must earn at least a C- in J2100 News before they can take any course for
which it is a prerequisite. Students who receive a D may repeat the course the following
semester. Students who earn an F must wait one semester before re-enrolling.

Criteria for written work
The following grading rubric will be used in all the J2100 classes:

1. Missed deadlines
Because deadlines are an integral part of both news and strategic communication, we
will stress deadlines.

If we are doing an in-class writing assignment, the assignment is due at the end of class,
10:45 a.m. Ten points will be taken off for assignments turned in between 10:45 a.m.
and 10:55 a.m. Assignments will not be accepted after 10:55 a.m.

If an out-of-class assignment is due, the assignment is due at the beginning of class. In
addition to giving me a hard copy, you must submit the assignment by deadline to the
TurnItIn program, which will be explained later in the syllabus. All printing should be
done before class starts. Assignments received after the beginning of class but by 10:45
a.m. on the due date will be penalized 10 points. No assignments will be accepted after
10:45 a.m. on the due date without documentation of a medical or family emergency. If
you attend a funeral during the semester for a relative, please understand that in
fairness to your classmates, you will need to bring a funeral program to postpone your
due date. You may always email me your out-of-class assignments as Microsoft Word
documents. However, be sure to complete the subject line in your email.

Successful professional behavior requires not only high-quality work but also
communication. Always communicate with me if there's something I need to know about
your circumstances, and be prepared to have documentation.

2. Accuracy
Because accuracy is imperative in both news and strategic communication, we will
stress accuracy. The standards of those professions demand error-free writing. The
following penalties for errors will apply:

Type error

Example(s)

Points deducted
before October
17
25% first time

Misspelled
proper name
Factual error

Points deducted
beginning October
17
50% first time

Barrack Obama (The correct

spelling is Barack.)
Using the wrong city,
10% each time
20% each time
person, address, etc.
Attributing information or
quotes to the wrong source
Grammatical
subject-verb agreement 5% first time
10% each time for
and spelling
pronoun-antecedent
grammatical errors;
errors (AP
agreement
10% first time for
style applies)
comma splice
spelling errors
incorrect apostrophe use
incorrect word
Other AP
The President said hes happy
2% first time*
2% each time
style errors
the 5 men are free. (Correct
style: The president said hes
happy the five men are free.)
Other
using a comma before
2% first time*
2% each time
punctuation
and in a simple list
errors
putting commas or
periods outside quotation
marks
not putting a comma
after a dependent introductory
clause
Note: After a particular error has been discussed in class, instructors may choose to take
off each time the mistake is repeated and/or take off more points.

Mercy rule: A student will not earn less than 50 percent on an out-of-class writing
assignment if the assignment was submitted on time and the instructor believes the
student has made a legitimate effort to complete the assignment.
Those deductions will determine the maximum grade you can receive, but a cleanly
written story is not necessarily a story that earns the equivalent of an A, B or even C
grade. So, in addition to taking the standard deductions, I will also consider the following:
A range: Outstanding work on everything from the lead to the organization and
flow. The copy is usually publishable with little or no editing.
B range: Good work. Copy is usually publishable with minor editing and revision.
C range: Satisfactory work. Copy needs additional reporting/rewriting. The
sourcing may be inadequate. Outside writing assignments with fewer than three human
(but not by email) sources require more reporting.
D range: Serious problems with reporting and/or writing. Copy contains major
structural, writing or usage flaws.
F range: Unacceptable work. Copy fails to meet even minimum standards for the
assignment.

To distinguish between outstanding, good, satisfactory and unsatisfactory work, I
also will use the following criteria in evaluating the stories you submit:
Is this treatment of the subject newsworthy?

 Does the story have a focus, a single theme or idea that holds together?
Does your lead reflect the theme and importance of the story, clearly and
creatively?
Is the story well-organized? Does it lead the reader logically through the story?
Is the story well-written? Does every word count?
Does each paragraph contain a single idea?
Have you included all appropriate sources for balance and fairness? Have you
supplemented human sources with documents for completeness and context?
Is your information accurate?

Because the goal of the course is to prepare you for work in subsequent courses, I do
not want poor work in the early part of the course to detract from substantial
improvement during the course; therefore, I will place increasingly more emphasis on the
writing as the course progresses. To that end, your last two stories the community-
issue and profile stories will each count two times if doing so will help your grade. For
those stories and the course as a whole, the more effort you put into your work,
the more you will learn about reporting and writing. This is a challenging course,
but my job is to help you become the best journalist you can be.

If an assignment involves a rewrite, the first grade and the second grade will be
averaged. For example, if the first version received a 70 and the rewrite a 90, then the
grade would be 80.

3. Source sheets
We require a source sheet for all outside assignments. The sheet requires names with
phone numbers for all sources in the story. I will use these numbers for spot-checking of
sources. It should be the final printed page of each outside writing assignment you
turn in to me. If I have to remind you to turn in a source sheet, you will automatically
lose 5 percent on the assignment. (Please do not submit your source sheet to TurnItIn.)
Students can receive a zero on an assignment submitted with incorrect source
information. Be prepared to furnish articles, documents, websites or any other material
you use as background in your stories. Sources should ALWAYS be interviewed either
in person or on the phone NOT email. Below you will find a copy of a sample source
sheet. There is also one available on Canvas under Course Documents:


J2100 Source Sheet
Story slug
Reporter:
Date interviewed: In person? Phone? Email?
How was source used in story? Quoted or background?
Source name with correct spelling:
What is the title of your source? How does source want to be identified?
Phone numbers of source: Work/Home/Cell? Get several.
Place of employment:
Address:
Email:

Tip: Attach your sources business card to your source sheet.



4. Whom do you interview?
You should not interview MU sources, including students, friends, faculty, staff, and
fellow sorority and fraternity members. Nor should you interview friends, immediate or
extended family members or loved ones. If I give you specific instructions to
interview one of the above sources, that is acceptable. If not, it will be considered
an act of academic dishonesty and reported as such. You should assure your
sources that you will contact them for an accuracy check of the information you use for
the story. Furthermore, you may give them my name as your editor/instructor and invite
them to contact me if they have any questions.

5. Accuracy checks
You need to perform accuracy checks on your stories to catch errors and
misunderstandings. No matter what emphasis area you choose, misspelled names,
wrong figures and inaccurate quotes are not professional. Do NOT use email to do an
accuracy check. Rather, call on the phone or talk in person, and show or read a source
enough information to make sure it is accurate. Read to the source any direct quotes,
indirect quotes, and figures or facts that you included from that source. Do NOT send or
show the source an entire story.

Special note about writing assignments

In addition to giving me a hard copy, you will submit all the outside writing assignments
and some in-class writing assignments to our course Canvas site using links on the
Assignments tab. These assignments will use TurnItIn. The program will compare your
papers against writing publicly available on the Web, in journals, and other student
papers to find improperly cited content. While your own paper will not be read by anyone
but you and your instructors in this class, its content will be stored on servers not
controlled by MU and for future comparison with other papers to discourage plagiarism.
In some cases, the assignment will have an option to submit the paper to the Global
Reference Database. If you accept this, future papers from other universities will be
checked against your paper. If you do not accept this option, only papers from MU will
be checked against yours in the future.

Grade weights
The elements of the course will contribute to the final grade in approximately these
weights:

Lecture attendance/participation 3 percent
In-class deadline writing






20 percent
Outside writing and video project





50 percent
Quizzes








12 percent
Exams (The AP Exam and the first Grammar Exam score,

15 percent
which will count twice as much)

Grading scale
98-100% A+
74-77% C
94-97% A
70-73% C-
90-93% A-
68-69% D+
88-89% B+
64-67% D
84-87% B
63-60% D-
80-83% B-
59% & below F
78-79% C+


Students must earn at least a C- in J2100 News before they can take any course for
which it is a prerequisite.

University policies
Academic honesty
Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All
members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has
been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed and presented. Any effort to gain
an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is
successful.

Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to the following:

Use of materials from another author without citation or attribution.

Use of verbatim materials from another author without citation or attribution.

Extensive use of materials from past assignments without permission of your
instructor.

Extensive use of materials from assignments in other classes without permission
of your instructor.

Fabricating information in news or feature stories, whether for publication or not.

Fabricating sources in news or feature stories, whether for publication or not.

Fabricating quotes in news or feature stories, whether for publication or not.

Lack of full disclosure or permission from editors when controversial reporting
techniques, such as going undercover to get news, are used.

Misrepresenting your reporting techniques, for example, by describing a scene
as if you were there when you werent there.

Interviewing friends, family members or MU sources faculty, staff,
students and recent graduates -- unless your instructor has given express
permission to use any of those for a source.

Violating the conflict of interest rule writing stories on subjects or interviewing
people with which you have a connection. (Example: writing a story about an

event that your organization sponsored or use sources from those events in other
stories)

When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, conflict of interest, quoting or
collaboration, consult your instructor. For closed-book exams and exercises, academic
misconduct includes conferring with other class members, copying or reading someone
else's test, and using notes and materials without prior permission of the instructor. For
open-book exams and exercises, academic misconduct includes copying or reading
someone else's work.

Special note about writing assignments
You will submit your out-of-class writing assignments through our class Canvas site
using the links on the Assignments tab. Plagiarism programs will compare your papers
against writing publicly available on the web, in journals, and other students papers to
find improperly cited content. While your own paper will not be read by anyone but you,
your instructor (and potentially, a TA) in this class, its content will be stored on servers
not controlled by MU and for future comparison with other papers to discourage
plagiarism.

We will use a plagiarism-detection program at least once during class before your out-of-
class writing assignment is due.

Classroom misconduct
Classroom misconduct includes forgery of class attendance; obstruction or disruption of
teaching, including late arrival or early departure; failure to turn off cellular telephones
leading to disruption of teaching; playing games or surfing the Internet on laptop
computers unless instructed to do so; physical abuse or safety threats; theft; property
damage; disruptive, lewd or obscene conduct; abuse of computer time; repeated failure
to attend class when attendance is required; and repeated failure to participate or
respond in class when class participation is required.

IMPORTANT: Entering a classroom late or leaving a classroom before the end of the
period can be extremely disruptive behavior. Students are asked to arrive for class on
time and to avoid early departures. This is particularly true of large lectures, where late
arrivals and early departures can be most disruptive. Instructors have the right to deny
students access to the classroom if they arrive late and have the right to dismiss a
student from the class for early departures that result in disruptions.

Under MU policy, your instructor has the right to ask for your removal from the course for
misconduct, disruptive behavior or excessive absences. The instructor then has the right
to issue a grade of withdraw, withdraw failing or F. The instructor alone is responsible for
assigning the grade in such circumstances.

Dishonesty and misconduct reporting procedures
MU faculty members are required to report all instances of academic or classroom
misconduct to the appropriate campus officials. Allegations of classroom misconduct will
be forwarded immediately to MU's vice chancellor for student services. Allegations of
academic misconduct will be forwarded immediately to MU's Office of the Provost. In
cases of academic misconduct, the student will receive at least a zero for the
assignment in question.

Professional standards and ethics

The School of Journalism is committed to the highest standards of academic and
professional ethics, and it expects its students to adhere to those standards. Students
should be familiar with the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists and
adhere to its restrictions. Students are expected to observe strict honesty in academic
programs and as representatives of school-related media. Should any student be guilty
of plagiarism, falsification, misrepresentation or other forms of dishonesty in any
assigned work, that student may be subject to a minimum of a one-letter grade penalty
on the students semester grade from the instructor and such disciplinary action as may
be necessary under University regulations.

Professional Values and Competencies:
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications requires that,
irrespective of their particular specialization, all graduates should be aware of certain core values
and competencies and be able to:
understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the country in
which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located, as well as receive instruction in and
understand the range of systems of freedom of expression around the world, including the right to
dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances;
demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate,
other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications;
demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance
and impact of mass communications in a global society;
understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;
demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of
truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
think critically, creatively and independently;
conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications
professions in which they work;
write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions,
audiences and purposes they serve;
critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity,
appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
apply current tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which
they work, and to understand the digital world.

University of Missouri-Columbia notice of nondiscrimination
The University of Missouri System is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action institution
and is nondiscriminatory relative to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, age, disability or status as a Vietnam-era veteran. Any person having
inquiries concerning the University of Missouri-Columbia's compliance with implementing
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans With Disabilities Act of
1990, or other civil rights laws should contact the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Human
Resource Services, University of Missouri-Columbia, 130 Heinkel Building, Columbia,
Mo. 65211, (573) 882-4256, or the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department
of Education.

Office for Civil Rights & Title IX Information:

10

University of Missouri policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color,

national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender
expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, genetic information, disability
and protected veteran status. Discrimination includes any form of unequal
treatment such as denial of opportunities, harassment, and violence. Sex-based
violence includes rape, sexual assault, unwanted touching, stalking,
dating/interpersonal violence, and sexual exploitation.

If you experience discrimination, you are encouraged (but not required) to report
the incident to the MU Office for Civil Rights & Title IX. Learn more about your
rights and options at civilrights.missouri.edu or call 573-882-3880. You also may
make an anonymous report online.

Students may also contact the Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention
(RSVP) Center, a confidential resource, for advocacy and other support related
to rape or power-based personal violence at rsvp@missouri.edu or 573-882-
6638, or go to rsvp.missouri.edu.

Both the Office for Civil Rights & Title IX and the RSVP Center can provide
assistance to students who need help with academics, housing, or other issues.

Required Referral: Mizzou employees are required to refer all incidents of sex
discrimination to the Office for Civil Rights & Title IX. The Office connects
students with resources and helps them decide whether they wish to file a
complaint of discrimination. To learn more, contact title9@missouri.edu or 573-
882-3880, or go to civilrights.missouri.edu.


ADA compliance
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and need assistance, please notify the Office of Disability Services, S5 Memorial Union,
882-4696, or the course instructor immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to
accommodate your special needs.

Religious holidays
Students are automatically excused for recognized religious holidays. Let your instructor
know in advance if you have a conflict. A list of recognized holidays can be found here.

Intellectual pluralism
The university community welcomes intellectual diversity and respects student rights.
Students who have questions concerning the quality of instruction in this class may
address concerns to either the departmental chair or divisional leader or Director of the
Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities (http://osrr.missouri.edu/). All students will
have the opportunity to submit an anonymous evaluation of the instructor(s) at the end of
the course.

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Schedule
The following schedule of class meetings is tentative and subject to change. In case of a
change, it will be communicated to you at least 24 hours prior to the next class meeting.
The reading assignments are to be completed before that days class meeting. Please
refer to the main lecture syllabus for more information.

Week 1
Monday, Aug. 22
Lecture: The scoop on J2100 & ledes
Read: NRW, Chapters 1-3 (The Nature of News, The Changing Media Landscape and
The Emerging Media); and WWW, Chapter 11 (Writing as a Jouranlist).

Wednesday, Aug. 24
Lab Discussion: Introduction to class and each other, intro to style and editing symbols

Friday, Aug. 26
Lab Discussion: News values, writing on deadline
In-Class Writing Assignment: Classmate profile

Week 2
Monday, Aug. 29
Lecture: Ledes, nut grafs, inverted pyramid
Read: NRW, Chapter 6 (Gathering and Verifying Information) and Pages 484-486; and
WWW Chapter 14 (Writing News Thats Fit For Print)

Wednesday, Aug. 31
Lab Discussion: Guest Speaker: Dorothy Carner, Journalism Librarian
Meet in RJI 102a (library classroom); bring your laptop
Current Events Quiz #1
**Special event: AP Style Introduction, 6-7 p.m., Fisher Auditorium
Read: NRW, Appendix 2 (Wire-Service Style Summary); WWW, Appendix; Canvas
materials

Friday, Sept. 2
Lab Discussion: Practice writing news ledes
Assign: Observation/Listening Post
Style Quiz #1

Week 3
Monday, Sept. 5
Labor Day no large lecture
Read: NRW, Chapter 9 (The Inverted Pyramid)

Wednesday, Sept. 7
Lab Discussion: More on writing news ledes!
In-Class Writing Assignment: News ledes
DUE: Observation/Listening Post ideas
Current Events Quiz #2

12

Friday, Sept. 9
Lab Discussion: Profile Story, Community Issue Story
In-Class Writing Assignment: Inverted Pyramid News Story
Style Quiz #2

Week 4
Monday, Sept. 12
Lecture: Interviewing
Read: NRW, Chapters 4 and 5 (Handling Quotations and Attributions, and Interviewing)

Tuesday, Sept. 13
If you are not using your smartphone, check out a camera from the Journalism Library
between 9 a.m. and noon.

Wednesday, Sept. 14
Lab Discussion: Interviewing techniques
Current Events quiz #3
DUE: Email pitches for camera interview subject
**Special event: Grammar Review No. 2, 6-7 p.m., Fisher Auditorium
Read: WWW, Chapters 4 and 6, and Canvas materials for Review No. 2

Friday, Sept. 16
In-Class Writing Assignment: Celebrity Bio
Style Quiz #3
DUE: Observation/Listening Post

Week 5
Monday, Sept. 19
Return cameras between 9 a.m. and noon to the Journalism Library. Students who
do not return cameras on time will lose 10 percentage points on the assignment.
Lecture: Covering Meetings & Speeches
Read: NRW, Chapter 14 and 15 (Covering a Beat, and Speeches, News Conferences
and Meetings)

Tuesday, Sept. 20
**Special event: Grammar Review No. 3, 7-8 p.m., Fisher Auditorium
Read: WWW, Chapters 4 and 5, and Canvas materials for Review No. 3

Wednesday, Sept. 21
Lab Discussion: More on covering speeches and events (Foster), Assign 24-hour story
Current Events quiz #4

Friday, Sept. 23
In-Class Writing Assignment: Covering a speech
Style Quiz #4

Week 6
Monday, Sept. 26
Lecture: Covering Breaking News in the Age of Social Media
Read: NRW, Chapter 16 (Other Types of Local Stories); AP Social Media Guidelines;
and WWW, Chapter 7 (Getting Words in the Right Order)

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Wednesday, Sept. 28
In-Class Writing Assignment: Breaking news through social listening
Current Events quiz #5
DUE: Profile beat memo

Thursday, Sept. 29
Style Quiz #5 will be available for 24 hours beginning at 9:30 a.m. (You will have a
10-minute time limit to complete the quiz from the time it opens. Make sure youre in a
reliable internet connection; I will not reset quizzes taken remotely.)

Friday, Sept. 30
Grammar Exam

Week 7
Monday, Oct. 3
Lecture: Writing Well
Read: Chapters 10 & 11 (Writing to be Read; Alternatives to the Inverted Pyramid); and
WWW, Chapter 13 (Sexism, Racism and Other isms)

Wednesday, Oct. 5
Lab Discussion: Putting Your Personal Safety First When Reporting (Shawn Wallace &
the RSVP Center)
Current Events Quiz #6

Friday, Oct. 7
Lab Discussion: Social Media Ethics & You, Assign outside news release and news-
release analysis
DUE: Camera interviews

Week 8
Monday, Oct. 10
Lecture: Research and writing in strategic communication
Read: NRW, Chapters 7 & 20 (Finding the News in News Releases; Working in Public
Relations), and WWW, Chapter 12 (Conciseness)

Wednesday, Oct. 12
In-Class Writing: News release (Foster)
Current Events Quiz #7

Thursday, Oct. 13
KOMU visit, 5:15-7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 14
Lab Discussion: KOMU visit recap
Profile Writers Workshop (first draft also due to Canvas)

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Week 9
Monday, Oct. 17
Lecture: Topic TBA, Missouri Honor Medals
Read: NRW, Chapter 12 (Writing News for the Web), and WWW, Pages 116-130 (first
quarter of Usage chapter)

Wednesday, Oct. 19
ALL 24-HOUR STORIES MUST BE TURNED IN BY 6 P.M. OCT. 19 OR WITHIN 24
HOURS OF THE EVENTS CONCLUSION, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
Lab discussion: Story Structure
Current Events Quiz #8
DUE: Second draft of profile story

Friday, Oct. 21
In-Class Writing Assignment: City Council Meeting Preview
Missourian visit, 11-11:50 a.m., newsroom, third floor Lee Hills Hall

Week 10
Monday, Oct. 24
Lecture: Writing for the Ear
Read: NRW, Chapter 13 (Writing News for Radio and Television), and WWW, Pages
131-145 (second quarter of Usage chapter)

Wednesday, Oct. 26
Lab Discussion: Missourian Visit Discussion
In-Class Writing: VOSOT
Current Events Quiz #9
DUE: News release

Friday, Oct. 28
In-Class Writing: Spot News
Style Quiz #7
DUE: Final draft of profile story

Week 11
Monday, Oct. 31
Lecture: Using Documents to Bolster Reporting
Read: NRW, Chapters 6 and 19 (Gathering and Verifying Information and Investigative
Reporting); and WWW, Pages 146-160 (third quarter of Usage chapter)

Wednesday, Nov. 2
Lab Discussion: More on Investigative Reporting & FOI requests (Foster)
Current Events Quiz #10
DUE: Beat memo for for community issue story

Friday, Nov. 4
AP EXAM

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Week 12
Monday, Nov. 7
Lecture: Ethical Guidelines for News
Read: NRW, Chapter 22 and Appendix 3 (Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists
Code of Ethics); and WWW, Pages 161-173 (last quarter of Usage chapter)

Wednesday, Nov. 9
Lab Discussion: Ripped from the Headlines Ethics in Action
Current Events Quiz #11

Friday, Nov. 11
In-Class Writing: City Council Meeting
Ethics Quiz

Week 13
Monday, Nov. 14
Lecture: The Basics of Copyright and Fair Use
Read: NRW, Chapter 21 (Media Law), and AP, Briefing on Media Law

Wednesday, Nov. 16
Lab Discussion: More on law
Current Events Quiz #12

Friday, Nov. 18
Writers Workshop for community issue stories (first draft also due to Canvas),
sign up for conferences
Law Quiz

Week 14
Thanksgiving Break, no class

Week 15
Monday, Nov. 28
Lecture: Using Infographics to Tell the Story
Read: NRW, Chapter 8 (Reporting with Numbers)

Wednesday, Nov. 30
Lab Discussion: Assign resum and story conferences
News Quiz #13

Friday, Dec. 2
Lab Discussion: One-on-one story conferences
Style Quiz #8

Week 16
Monday, Dec. 5
Lecture: Wrap up and evaluations

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Wednesday, Dec. 7
Lab Discussion: Resume critique & help with issue stories
DUE: Infographic

Thursday, Dec. 8
DUE: Resume and final draft of issue story and sidebars are due to Canvas by
2:30 p.m. You must also bring a hard copy of each to my office.


AP Style Entries to know for quizzes (practice quizzes on Student Exam & Resource
Site.)

Quiz 1: Abbreviations & Acronyms (paper quiz)
Also: a.m., p.m.; addresses; company names; datelines; dates, military titles; months;
second reference; state names; times

Quiz 2: Capitalization (paper quiz)
Also: Bible, city, City Council, department, directions and regions, governmental bodies,
police department, political parties & philosophies, religious references, titles

Quiz 3: Numerals (paper quiz)
Also: ages; decades; dimensions; distances; fractions; millions; billions; percent; Roman
numerals; temperatures; weights; years

Quiz 4: Punctuation (paper quiz)
WWW, Chapter 9, and Punctuation Guide entries: apostrophe, colon, comma, question
mark, quotation marks, semicolon

Quiz 5: Grammar (online)
Entries: a, an; among, between; bad, badly; broadcast; collective nouns; dangling
modifiers; essential, nonessential phrases; essential, nonessential clauses; forecast;
good, well; lay, lie; subjunctive mood; that, which; who, whom

Quiz 6: Spelling (separate list will be posted on the Student Exam & Resource Site;
quiz will be closed-book and taken online in class)
Quiz 7: Usage A-H
Entries come from AP and WWW.

Quiz 8: Usage I-Z
Entries come from AP and WWW.

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