Course Outline Introduction to Journalism Spring 2015 Course Description
This course seeks to examine the history of journalism in America as well as to explore the changing nature of the field. It will focus on crafting journalistic writing that begins with developing story ideas and then coherently following them through on both an ethical and a critical level. The course serves as an introduction to the basic elements of journalism, emphasizing the development of reporting, interviewing and writing for print, mastery of Associated Press style, and an introduction to such issues as objectivity, critical thinking, ethics, and libel concerns. There will be several short writing assignments and a final project.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect. New York: Three Rivers, 2007. Print.
College Ruled Notebook
Laptop
General Expectations
Late Policy It is expected that all work due on any given day will be turned in promptly on the designated due date and time. Any late work will suffer a deduction of 10% for each day it is late, and after an assignment is more than 5 days late, the maximum credit receivable is 50%. Items that are turned in on the day due, but later in the day receive a 5% deduction.
Sick Policy/Procedure When a student misses class it is the student’s responsibility to follow up on missed work. Students should adhere to the following steps: 1. Email instructor at earliest possible opportunity and inquire about day(s) missed. 2. Check schedule (this document) to stay apprised of reading/assignments. 3. Get notes from a classmate.
Snow Day Policy
Should class be cancelled due to snow or any other unexpected emergency, students are expected to abide by the posted schedule. The instructor will email the class should any deviation from the schedule occur. Otherwise, all due dates and expectations will be upheld, as posted on the schedule.
Code of Academic Honesty (page 21 of the student handbook): Personal integrity is essential to both self-esteem and a vision of Christian womanhood. For this reason, academic honesty is essential at Nerinx Hall. Students learn a sense of personal discipline, which prohibits the following behavior:
Cheating Submitting someone else’s work in class assignments, homework, papers, tests or examinations as your own, or using unauthorized information on a test or an examination.
Plagiarism The copying or rewording of phrases, sentences, or ideas from a book, magazine, internet source, or anything else without indicating the sources you have used. While Nerinx Hall faculty recognizes that a sense of personal failure and the disapproval of others are in themselves consequences of dishonest behavior, the following consequences will occur: 1. Clear intentional evidence of plagiarism or cheating will result in a grade of 0 for that test, examination, or assignment. 2. The student is further required to write a letter of apology to the community. This letter will be submitted to the principal.
Assignments and Grading—Please Note—All assignments are due promptly at the beginning of class. Total Available Points: 1000 Reading Quizzes (5/20 point take home quizzes) : 100 points total
Editorial Writing Assignment: 100 points
Feature Writing Assignment: 100 points
News Writing Assignment: 100 points
Review Writing Assignment: 100 points
Tests (two total tests/each worth 100 points): 200 points
Participation: 100 points
Oral presentation comparing/contrasting sources: 100 points
Final portfolio with introduction/preface: 100
Instructor: Maggie Doyle Ervin
Email: mdoyleervin@nerinxhs.org
Alternate email: maggiestacydoyle@hotmail.com
Office: English Office (N-1)
Course Outline
Introduction to Journalism
Spring 2015
Course Description
This course seeks to examine the history of journalism in America as well as to explore the changing nature of the field. It will focus on crafting journalistic writing that begins with developing story ideas and then coherently following them through on both an ethical and a critical level. The course serves as an introduction to the basic elements of journalism, emphasizing the development of reporting, interviewing and writing for print, mastery of Associated Press style, and an introduction to such issues as objectivity, critical thinking, ethics, and libel concerns. There will be several short writing assignments and a final project.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect. New York: Three Rivers, 2007. Print.
College Ruled Notebook
Laptop
General Expectations
Late Policy
It is expected that all work due on any given day will be turned in promptly on the designated due date and time. Any late work will suffer a deduction of 10% for each day it is late, and after an assignment is more than 5 days late, the maximum credit receivable is 50%. Items that are turned in on the day due, but later in the day receive a 5% deduction.
Sick Policy/Procedure
When a student misses class it is the student’s responsibility to follow up on missed work. Students should adhere to the following steps:
1. Email instructor at earliest possible opportunity and inquire about day(s) missed.
2. Check schedule (this document) to stay apprised of reading/assignments.
3. Get notes from a classmate.
Snow Day Policy
Should class be cancelled due to snow or any other unexpected emergency, students are expected to abide by the posted schedule. The instructor will email the class should any deviation from the schedule occur. Otherwise, all due dates and expectations will be upheld, as posted on the schedule.
Code of Academic Honesty (page 21 of the student handbook):
Personal integrity is essential to both self-esteem and a vision of Christian womanhood. For this reason, academic honesty is essential at Nerinx Hall. Students learn a sense of personal discipline, which prohibits the following behavior:
Cheating
Submitting someone else’s work in class assignments, homework, papers, tests or examinations as your own, or using unauthorized information on a test or an examination.
Plagiarism
The copying or rewording of phrases, sentences, or ideas from a book, magazine, internet source, or anything else without indicating the sources you have used.
While Nerinx Hall faculty recognizes that a sense of personal failure and the disapproval of others are in themselves consequences of dishonest behavior, the following consequences will occur:
1. Clear intentional evidence of plagiarism or cheating will result in a grade of 0 for that test, examination, or assignment.
2. The student is further required to write a letter of apology to the community. This letter will be submitted to the principal.
Assignments and Grading—Please Note—All assignments are due promptly at the beginning of class.
Total Available Points: 1000
Reading Quizzes (5/20 point take home quizzes) : 100 points total
Editorial Writing Assignment: 100 points
Feature Writing Assignment: 100 points
News Writing Assignment: 100 points
Review Writing Assignment: 100 points
Tests (two total tests/each worth 100 points): 200 points
Participation: 100 points
Oral presentation comparing/contrasting sources: 100 points
Final portfolio with introduction/preface: 100