Course Content Form

PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Effective Term: Fall 2016

JRN 101 Introduction to Reporting and Media Writing

Credit Hours: 3.00 Lecture Periods: 3.00 Lab Periods: 0.00

Description:
Introduction to news reporting. Includes journalism as a career, the journalist and the organization of the
newsroom, defining news, news style, elements of a news story, fundamentals of writing news, and news
gathering and reporting. Also includes organizing and writing the story, revision of stories, and ethics, libel and
media law.

Prerequisite(s): WRT 090 or required score on the writing assessment test.

Gen Ed: Meets CTE - OTHER.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Identify elements of news and evaluate news coverage.
2. Display research, note-taking, and interviewing skills to gather news.
3. Write a variety of clear, concise leads for simple news stories.
4.Construct accurate, interesting, succinct news stories that communicate facts and ideas clearly using
inverted pyramid structure and other organizing principles.
5.Write at a minimum the following types of news stories: advances, speeches, meetings, crime, fires and
accidents, obituaries, weather, and briefs.
6.Apply AP style to the writing of news stories.
7.Explain and apply the principles of journalistic ethics and taste to gathering of information and writing of
news stories.
8.List and explain the basic tenets of media law including libel and defenses of libel, and invasion of the
right of privacy.
9. Report on important current events through daily immersion in print and electronic journalism.

Outline:
I. Journalism as a Career
II. The Organization of the Newsroom and the Journalist
III. Defining "News"
A. News values
B. Role of news media in society
IV. News Style
C. AP stylebook
D. Editing symbols
E. Spelling, punctuating, capitalization, grammar
V. Elements of a News Story
F. The lead
G. The time element
H. Sources
I. Attribution
J. Specific information

VI. Fundamentals of Writing News: The Lead

K. The simple news lead - five w's
 L. The complex news lead
M. Polishing the lead
VII. News Gathering and Reporting
N. Interviews
O. Observation
P. Documents
Q. Note taking
VIII. Organizing and Writing the Story
R. Body of the story
1. Inverted pyramid
2. Hourglass
S. Various story types which may include
3. Speeches
4. Advances
5. Interviews
6. Publications
7. Meetings and special events
8. Obituaries
9. Fires and accidents
10. Crime
11. Seasons
12. Weather
13. Natural disasters
14. Optional
a. Courts, trials, and lawsuits
b. Sports
c. Government and politics
IX. Revision of Stories
X. Ethics, Libel, and Media Law
T. Codes of ethics
U. Taste
V. Libel and invasion of privacy
W. Freedom of Information Act
X. Open meetings law
Y. Public's right to know
Z. Reporter shield laws