JJOUR 1345 – Section 007 Writing for Mass Media “The chief glory of every people arises from its authors.”

- Samuel Johnson “All of us who professionally use the mass media are shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.”

- William Bernbach Name: Geoff Campbell Office Number: 118 Fine Arts (main), 257 FA (personall) Office Telephone No. : 817-272-2163 (main office) E-mail address: geoff.campbell@uta.edu (and I’m on facebook) Office hours: 257 FA – Mondays 9-11; Tuesdays 11-12:30; Wednesdays 9-10:30; Thursdays 11-noon. Course Number, Section Number and Course Title: JOUR 1345, Sec. 007, Writing for mMass Media Time and Place of Class Meetings: 1-2:50 Tuesdays, Thursdays

ELab (Engineering Lab) 256

Description of Course Content:Writing for Mass Media is designed to teach critical thinking, reporting and writing

techniques for the converged media. This course is a cornerstone class in the sense that students entering any communication field – newspapers, public relations, broadcast journalism or advertising – will call upon the skills developed and nurtured in this class.

Some of you plan careers as newspaper or magazine journalists. Others will pursue broadcast journalism, advertising, public relations, corporate communications, international communication, interactive media, and other mass communications-related professions. These varied fields are united by one characteristic: the need for practitioners who are skilled writers.

And that’s what this course is all about. JOUR 1345 will introduce you to a different style of writing – writing for a mass audience. What we will do is applicable to all of the sequences offered by the UTA Department of Communication.

The basic premise is this: Writing is a craft. You learn to write by writing and you get better by re-writing. So you will have the opportunity to do both.

We also study editing in the context of writing. Editing includes re-write (revision), but also includes changes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage and AP style.

And what if you have no intention to pursue a career that is news-related? It doesn’t matter. This course only seems to deal with news. The real skill-set of the course is writing for a mass audience – and you can use that in news, advertising, public relations or online media of all types.

During the course of the semester, we will learn writing techniques as applied to newspapers, broadcast media, the Internet, advertising and public relations, with extensive practice in research and writing. Coursework will include:

Basic media writing; avoiding common grammar problems; writing leads; Research and interviewing skills; Reporting and writing utilizing various styles, including news, features, profiles,

broadcast, Web, public relations and advertising; Copy editing; and Studies in libel, ethics and responsible journalism.Please note: Although this is an introductory course, it is a college-level writing course. Consequently, you will be asked to write nearly every class period.

Student Learning Outcomes:By the end of the class, students should be able to: Comprehend the concepts, ideas and foundations of the freedom of speech and of

the press, including an understanding of the role the media plays in today’s society.

Demonstrate an understanding of media law and ethics – specifically, truth, accuracy and fairness – as well as the role of diversity and multi-culturalism within sources and the newsroom;

Conduct research while using ethical and legal principles to produce quality work; Understand the theories and principles of reporting and writing for the media,

including the presentation of information – images, graphics, visual communication and the written word;

Be current with today’s news and information disseminated through various media –local, national and international;

Utilize creative, critical and independent thinking to interview sources, conduct research and write unbiased media stories;

Comprehend fundamental numerical and statistical concepts and utilize them in the writing and reporting of articles and become familiar with basic technology and software;

Apply basic Associated Press style and utilize correct grammar when reporting and writing articles, as well as become comfortable editing stories utilizing journalistic style, ethics and principles;

Understand and be able to produce quality journalistic stories, specifically news, feature and opinion-editorials, while working under deadlines; and

Critically evaluate their work and the work of others utilizing the principles of accuracy, fairness, clarity, style and grammatical correctness.

Grading Policy:Weekly quizzes 10 percentShort writing assignments 20 percentPublic relations project 15 percentMid-term feature story 15 percentMid-term exam 15 percentFinal exam 15 percentAttendance 10 percentSpecial Note: I will drop your two lowest short writing assignment grades on the

theory that as young and student practitioners of the media art, a couple of mulligans are fair and will allow you to learn important lessons without penalty. Please note that these mulligans, however, do not extend to the public relations project, mid-term feature story or the two major exams. Students also will blog weekly. We’ll talk. Take note that there is an attendance component to the grade, which has a punctuality quotient. Show up on time and you get a 100 for the day. Show up 10 minutes late, you get a 75. Show up more than 10 minutes late and you get a 50 for the day. It’s a good idea to show up on time.An Additional Special Note on Grades: As young college students, I know all of you want A’s. As your teacher, I must confess that I care less about what grade you get than whether

you learn the material and develop as media writers.This is not to say I’m callous to your feelings, only to point out the relatively obvious fact

that there will be some students who are naturally phenomenal media writers who will end up earning an A while learning relatively little, and some students who struggle and end up earning a C while learning much. At the end of the day, the student with the C may well have had the more successful semester. I have always found I learn more when I fail at a task or get lost than I do when I am successful.

I also should like to add that once you leave the university setting and head out into the so-called real world, no one will care whether you got an A, B or C in Writing for Mass Media. You’d be well advised to avoid a D or an F, of course, but otherwise, your grade in this class in not very important. Indeed, if you go to an interview and you’re asked for your GPA, you may want to turn around and leave. That employer simply is not focused on the things that are important. The important thing in the media world is your ability to communicate effectively. Ideally your writing samples should speak for themselves and speak volumes about what you learned in courses such as this. That is, as they say, where the rubber meets the road.

And yet, after all this, I know you’ll still be obsessed with your grade. The following is a handy way of keeping track of where you stand at any given point in the semester. If you

follow this formula as we progress through the semester, you’ll know precisely what grade you need on the final exam to get the grade of your dreams. Or eek out a B.

Add your quiz grades (both current events and style) and divide by the number of quizzes. Multiply that percentage by .10. Add your short classroom writing assignments, dropping the two lowest marks, and divide by the number of writing assignments. Multiply that percentage by .20.

Multiply your public relations project grade by .15. Multiply your mid-term feature story grade by .15.

Multiply your mid-term exam grade by .15.Multiply your attendance grade by .10.Add the products, which will give you a number. A number between 70 and 79 is a C.

A number between 80 and 89 is a B. A number between 90 and 100 is an A.Example -- Let’s say you’re entering the final with the following:Quiz grades – 100, 79, 68, 100, 95, 82, 100, 80, 85, 90, 78, 100 = 1057 divided by 12 = 88.083 x .10 = 8.8083Writing grades – 75, 85, 80, 70, 90, 50, 85, 80, 85, 90,75, 80 (Drop the 50 and 70) = 825 divided by 10 = 82.5 x .20 = 24.75PR project grade – 85 x .15 = 12.75Mid-term feature – 80 x. 15 = 12Mid-term exam – 76 x .15 = 11.4Attendance average – 75 x .10 = 7.5Add 8.8083, 24.75, 12, 11.4 and 7.5, which equals 77.2083. Consequently, an 80 on the final exam (80 x .15 = 12) will give you a final grade of 89.2083, or a B that I’ll likely round to an A.

Requirements: The Department of Communication now requires students to take and pass a grammar, spelling and punctuation (GSP) test before they can register for JOUR 1345 Writing for the Mass Media, declare as communication majors or register for 4000-level courses in the department. This policy applies to students who started as freshmen or who transferred from out-of-state colleges beginning in Fall 2008. Students who started at UTA or another Texas college prior to Fall 2008 are NOT required to take the GSP.

Students who are required to take the GSP must pass with a score of at least 70 percent. The UTA Testing Center, 201 Davis Hall, will administer the exam. Students need to contact the testing center (817-272-2362) at least 24 hours before they intend to take the exam. The cost is $20. Students may attempt the test three times. If students do not pass in three attempts, they must wait a year before taking the test a fourth time.

Required Textbooks and Other Course Materials:Writing for the Mass Media, latest edition, Stovall; The Associated Press Stylebook latest edition; When Words Collide (latest edition), Kessler and McDonald.ASSIGNED READINGS SHOULD BE READ PRIOR TO THE CLASS IN WHICH THEY WILL BE DISCUSSED. (If I get the sense you’re not doing the readings, I may throw in some pop quizzes.)

Descriptions of major assignments and examinations with due dates:Major Tests: Mid-term exam March 11; Final exam, May 12 (11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.)General feature story: Due March 24. We’ll discuss in class.Public relations project: Due April 14. We’ll discuss in class.Weekly AP Style quizzes each TuesdayWeekly current events quizzes each Thursday*

*I highly recommend that you at the very least read the dead-tree version of the Star-Telegram on a daily basis. I don’t care whether it’s the Arlington, Fort Worth or Northeast edition. I read The New York Times and Star-Telegram daily. I suppose I’d be OK with you reading online versions of papers, though I must say I think you end up missing a lot that way. Invariably I run across a story on the inside that I would have missed had I not followed a jump from page one. That sort of serendipity does not happen when you’re reading a story online. Moreover, a lot of those “interesting,” how-‘bout-that? stories you run into on the inside of a newspaper

are either hard to find online or are not carried online. So, while you probably won’t be penalized for failing to read a paper newspaper daily, at least insofar as our current events quizzes go, I think you ultimately penalize yourself. Food for thought. We will have two types of current events quizzes. Sometimes I will give you 10 multiple guess questions, which will be culled from the pages of the dead-tree version of the Star-Telegram’s front section. Other times I will ask you to write about two or more current events. Please note that, on those types of current events quizzes, I expect you to write in complete sentences. This is a writing class. I also expect more than one sentence for each current event. Don’t just tell me that Beyonce performed at UTA. Your current event should be more complete than that, and include details. Beyonce performed well at UTA Tuesday despite a sore throat that prevented her from reaching higher notes. She fell on the stage once but was unhurt. Etc.

Attendance Policy: I expect students to attend class. Even if you have an excused absence, you are responsible for missed assignments and must make arrangements to find out what work you missed. Don’t expect me to say hey, yo, you need to do this. You need to say hey, yo, I’d like to know what I missed. All make-up work is due within a week of the excused absence, unless I grant extra time. By the way, an excused absence involves verifiable illness, a death or severe illness in the immediate family, or participation in an official university-sponsored/affiliated event, such as a UTA football game. (Just kidding.)

An excused absence does not include having to work. I recognize that many of you have to work to

pay for school or to ensure you have enough beer money. However, any employer worth working for will allow you to schedule around your classes. So, unless you want to continue working at a job where you have to say, “Smoking or non?” or “Do you want fries with that shake?” you’ll want to make sure work does not interfere with you coming to class. Otherwise, I’ll have the super-size curly fries and a diet Coke. I know, right? It doesn’t make any sense to have a ton of fries and complement it with a diet soda. Neither does missing class. Word.

I expect students to come to every class, to be on time for every class and to come prepared to participate. No doubt it would be wicked awesome if we could take this course in the comfort of our jammies or while lounging languorously at the pool. Too bad, so sad, however. This is not a distance-learning course. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to talk to me about what you missed. Do not expect me to come to you and say, “Poor baby, you didn’t come to class Thursday, but no worries, here are the assignments from that day.” This is college, you’re adults and I’m not yo’ momma.

That having been said, if your head is gushing yucky junk and you’re running a fever, you might do us all a favor and keep to yourself. Do, however, notify me as soon as possible.

If you have an unexcused absence, you may make up everything except current events quizzes. However, the work will be considered late and will receive a letter grade lower than earned.

Please understand that attendance includes a punctuality quotient. Students are expected to be punctual; the media world is driven by deadlines. Consider this your introduction to the media world. Current events quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you may NOT make up the quiz. You can make up style quizzes, but you must do so on your own time and must understand that you will be subject to the mandatory letter drop in grade. Please bear in mind that the weekly current events quizzes, along with the style quizzes, make up 10 percent of your final

grade. A word to the wise….

Drop Policy: It is the responsibility of the student to process the official class drop and add forms. Faculty cannot drop students from class. Students must go to their “major” department to drop a class. If you are a Communications major, go to the Communications Department to drop the class. The last day to drop a course is March 26.

Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference PublicLaw 92-112 – The Rehabilitation act of 1973 as amended. With passage of federal legislation titled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of his/her need for accommodation and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability. Also, you may visit the Office for Students with Disabilities in Room 102 of University Hall or call at 817-272-3364.

Bomb Threats: Don’t do it. It’s far better to take an F on an assignment than get prosecuted, which is exactly what will happen to you if you make a bomb threat. UTA will do everything within its power to trace the call and prosecute all responsible parties. Moreover, the University will make every effort to avoid cancelation of presentations/tests caused by bomb threats. Unannounced alternate sites may be available and I will let you know where to meet in the event our regular classroom is not available.

Academic Integrity: The University of Texas at Arlington considers academic dishonesty as a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not tolerate it in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. According to the Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2:

“Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.”

Specific examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:Cheating, which includes copying from another student’s paper, lab

report, other report, or computer files and listings; using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test or exercise without permission; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; or substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself. The penalty for cheating is an F in the course.

Cheating also includes plagiarism, the appropriation, theft, purchase or use by any means of another person’s work, and the unacknowledged

submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another’s work without giving credit. The penalty for plagiarism is an F in the course. As you should with drugs, just say “no” to plagiarism.

I expect students to uphold the highest levels of ethical conduct as expected of professional journalists.

Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to: Fabricating sources, information or quotes. Failing to properly attribute quotes or ideas. Asking someone to say you interviewed them when you didn’t. Misrepresenting yourself to get information. Copying quotes or information from other publications or fellow classmates. Plagiarism of any kind. Surreptitiously calling up the front page of The New York Times on your i-Phone

because you forgot to study for the current events quiz.At a minimum, violating rules of ethical conduct will result in a zero for the assignment. And, as we’ve discussed, zeros don’t average well. Depending upon the severity of the infraction, violating rules of ethical conduct will result in an “F” for the semester. I will not tolerate academic misconduct, and neither should you. Word.Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help students connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.

Another helpful resource for students is the Communication Department’s Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Lab, where students who are having trouble with basic grammar and AP style issues can get the one-on-one help they require from either of two highly dedicated faculty members. Please see me for hours. (Disclosure: I am one of the GSP Lab instructors.) The lab is located in FA 257, and it has its own facebook page (UTA Associated Press, Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Lab).

Final Review Week: A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a complete date during or following this week unless specified in the class syllabi. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10 percent or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. Classes are held as scheduled during this week and lectures and presentations may be given.

Librarian to Contact: Rafia Mirza, communication department liaison, rafia@uta.edu or 817-272-7428.

E-Culture Policy:

The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University e-mail address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of e-mail, UT-Arlington is able to provide students with relevant and timely information designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment

of bills and graduation may be sent to student through e-mail. In addition, I will, from time-to-time, send you important class information via e-mail.

All students are assigned an e-mail account and information about activating and using it is available at www.uta.edu/email. New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their e-mail account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as the student is enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their e-mail regularly. And it’s a two-way street; I also will check e-mail regularly.

In addition to the University e-mail address, students also may communicate with me via facebook. Ya, I’m on facebook! So for sure, if you wanna friend me there we can be BFF!

You may also be interested to learn that we have a facebook page for this class (UTA JOUR 1345 – Writing for Mass Media). I encourage you to become members, and to be active by sharing relevant information. Oh, and you need to set up a Twitter account and follow UTAJOUR1345. Go ahead. Do it.

Checking e-mail a couple of times a day will go a long way toward making sure you don’t miss anything important, such as a last-minute class cancelation or an assignment due-date extension.

Make-up Policy:

I have a very liberal policy on makeup. Students may wear makeup in class. This applies to the women as well.

I’m a bit less liberal, however, about making up assignments. I allow students to make up all assignments except current events quizzes, though I reserve the right to give these assignments a letter grade lower than earned UNLESS students have excused absences. Moreover, all make-up work is due no later than one week after the student has returned from an excused absence.

Grade Grievance Policy: Please refer to the Catalog for specific information on this important topic. In a generic sense, students should first attempt to work out their grievance with the instructor involved. Should that prove unsatisfactory, students must file a written appeal on appeal forms available in departmental or program offices and submit them to the department chair or program director. Information specific to the procedures for each academic unit is available in the office of the academic dean.

Classroom Visitors Policy: Students may bring visitors to class. Give me a heads up to the extent possible, and let’s make sure our visitors are well-behaved, well-mannered and unobtrusive. Please note that obstreperous and pestiferous guests will be asked to leave, never to darken our hallowed ground again.

Please also note that this invitation is subject to available space. All registered students have a right to a seat and a working computer. Guests do not.

The Kitchen Sink:Close readers of this syllabus will have noticed

that it so far has contained nearly everything except the kitchen sink. Here now is the kitchen sink. It is my

expectation that we shall treat each other with mutual respect. My goal is to provide you with a thorough grounding in basic media writing and to help you improve your writing. My expectation is that you will come to class, participate in discussions and do your best. If we both work earnestly through the course of the semester, your best will improve.

I prefer to deal with any issues in an upfront and timely way. If you do not understand something, are annoyed by a teaching method or otherwise find yourself confounded during the course of the semester, please talk to me. Don’t let things fester. Let’s talk them through. I would hate to learn at semester’s end that you did not understand what I was talking about in the third lecture of the term. Let me know right away. My goal is to help you, not hinder you.

That having been said, you have to meet me half way. Writing is hard work, requiring figurative blood, sweat and tears – and actual toil. I will help you all that I can, but I can’t do the writing for you. You will need to be diligent, punctual and willing to work hard. I pledge to do the same. So let’s kick some butt, have some fun and become awesome media writers.

Spring 2010

Writing for Mass Media – JOUR 1345 Tentative Class/Assignment Schedule

(AGAIN, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: ASSIGNED READINGS SHOULD BE READ PRIOR TO THE CLASS IN WHICH THEY WILL BE DISCUSSED!)

This schedule is subject to change at my discretion, though I will endeavor to follow it to the best of my ability and make changes only for the best of reasons and with as much advance notice as possible. Potential reasons for a change include opportunities to hear a speech on campus or to collar a guest speaker.

Week One Jan. 18 Hi, my name is…In this class we get acquainted, thoroughly plow through the syllabus and classroom expectations, and have a broad-ranging discussion about journalism, PR and current events. We’ll also do some benchmark writing and editing exercises, which will not be graded, to give me a sense of where you are, individually and as a class.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 1

Jan. 20 Introductions continuedWe’ll continue to get to know each other today and discuss, in a general way, what constitutes good writing. We’ll also do some more ungraded writing and editing assignments, and begin reviewing elements of AP Style. Graded current events quiz.

Week Two Jan. 25 Theory and News ValuesToday we’ll examine media theories, discuss the role of media writers in society, learn the elements of newsworthiness and take a look at various perceptions of the reporting process. Style quiz beginning of class, writing assignment at end of class. We’ll also continue our review of AP Style.Reading: Stovall, pp. 75-82; Kessler, Ch. 2Jan. 27 Stylin’Woo hoo. Today we’ll take a current events quiz. We’ll also review AP Style (numbers, punctuation, time and titles). In addition, we’ll talk more about what news is, and follow that discussion with a graded writing assignment that will test how well you understand the concepts of newsworthiness.

Week Three Feb. 1 Stylin’, Part 2Twenty students today learned how to write like journalists, a UTA instructor said. AP style quiz at beginning of class. We’ll also take another whiff of AP style, and enjoy (a) graded writing assignment(s).

Reading: Stovall, Ch. 5; Kessler Ch. 10-11Feb. 3 The Inverted PyramidBuilding on our previous class, we continue to examine how to write like journalists and get our first introduction to the time-honored inverted pyramid news story. Current events quiz at beginning of class. Graded writing assignments at end of class.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 3, Ch. 4-5; Kessler, Ch. 3

Week Four Feb. 8 R&DIt’s impossible to write a news story without information. Today we’ll look at the role of research in the writing process, discuss what constitutes effective research and examine other useful tools. Style quiz at beginning of class. Graded writing assignment(s) at end of class.Reading: Stovall, pp. 82-94; Kessler, Ch. 4Feb. 10 He said, she said…Today we’ll examine the art of the interview, and the equally important arts of using quotations and appropriate attributions in news stories. Current events quiz at beginning of class. Graded writing assignment(s) at end.Reading: Kessler, Ch. 8

Week Five Feb. 15 Say what?We continue our practice in the interviewing arts in today’s exciting lesson. AP style quiz at beginning of class. Graded writing assignment(s) at end.Feb. 17 Hear, hearWe read about it. Now we’re going to do it – “it” being writing a story based on a speech. Good stuff. Current events quiz, writing assignments.Reading: Stovall, pp. 136-137

Week Six Feb. 22 Heroism in the face of “isms”Today we’ll discuss how to avoid giving offense in our writing. AP style quiz, graded writing assignments.Reading: Review Stovall, pp. 58-59; Kessler, Ch. 17Feb. 24 Flex DayWe may not meet today; I will let you know on Feb. 20. If we do, we’ll have a current events quiz and a graded writing assignment. If not, we’ll call it a mental health day and a joyous long weekend. Please note that other teachers on your schedule may not be inclined to go along with our conceit.

Week Seven March 1 The Human ElementIn today’s class, we’ll delve into the oft’ misunderstood animal known as the human interest, or feature, story. AP style quiz, graded writing assignment.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 6March 3 Practice Makes PerfectWe’ll play with the feature story form and prepare ourselves to write both a general feature and a news feature. This will be awesome. Current events quiz, graded writing assignment.

Week Eight March 8 Features ‘r UsToday we continue our exploration of the feature, and look at its various forms, including the bright and sidebar. AP style quiz, graded writing assignment. We’ll also review for the mid-term exam! March 10 Panic! Mid-Term ExaminationYep, we’re having one.

Week Nine March 15 Journalists Gone Wild, Volume 1Woo hoo! It’s Spring Break!March 17 Same As It Ever WasMore Spring Break fun, though you ought to be thinking about getting back.

Week 10 March 22 Web Gems

We’ll review the mid-term, look at what it takes to write for the Internet, take a style quiz and do a writing assignment.Reading: Stovall, Chs. 7-8March 24 The Many Faces of Public Relations WritingToday we begin a broad, introductory examination of PR writing in its many forms. Current events quiz at beginning of class. Mid-Term Feature Story due at beginning of class. Writing assignment.Reading: Ch. 11

Week 11 March 29 Be Persuasive, Be, Be PersuasiveWe continue our broad introductory look at the public relations art. AP style quiz and wonderful writing assignment s will keep you entertained and dazzled the entire period.March 31 It’s Not the Steak, It’s the SizzleIn today’s class we look at advertising copy and how to write it. Current events quiz and writing assignments designed to test your advertising acumen.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 10

Week 12 April 5 New and Improved! Now with ‘out-a-doubt’!We continue our examination of the advertising art in today’s class, with writing exercises to bolster our prowess. Style quiz at beginning of class. Writing assignments throughout.April 7 Sleek, Stylish and Better than Ever!At least that’s where we hope we’re taking your writing. Today we’ll do a number of writing exercises to promote your versatility. We may, for example, take one set of facts and have you write a short straight news story, a short feature, a short press release and a short advertisement. Mind-bending fun for students of all ages. Current events quiz.

Week 13 April 12 Dust to dust, ashes to ashesWe’re young. We feel indestructible. And yet, inevitably and inexorably, life happens. And then death. In this class, we’ll get a primer on writing obituaries. Style quiz and writing assignments round out our day.Reading: Stovall, pp. 136-138April 14 Broadcast FertilizerToday we’ll begin a broad-based look at writing for broadcast outlets. Current events quiz at beginning of class, writing exercise(s) throughout. PR project due at beginning of class.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 9

Week 14 April 19 This is CNNWe continue our examination of broadcast news and how to write for broadcast outlets. AP style quiz and more writing fun promise to make this an outstanding day.April 21 This Just In…Today we conclude our look at the broadcast art and celebrate with a current events quiz and writing activities.

Week 15 April 26 I Fought the Law and the Law WonIn today’s class, we examine media law and ethics. Among other things, we’ll also look at our rights and responsibilities as members of the media. AP style quiz to launch the class, with a writing exercise or a passle of writing exercises likely.Reading: Stovall, Ch. 12April 28 Get the Widow on the Set, We Love Dirty LaundryWe continue our look at media law and ethics today, examining some major cases involving defamation and invasion of privacy and what they mean for

journalists. Current events quiz to ensure we’re reading the paper, and a writing activity to keep us sharp.

Week 16 May 3 The Long and Winding RoadBy this juncture, it would be fair to say we’ve plowed a lot of ground. Today we’ll review some highlights of the semester and help you prepare for the final exam. If you haven’t been keeping up with the readings, now would be a good time to panic. Style quiz!May 5 Extra ReviewHere’s a great opportunity for ya’ll to come and ask questions about things that have perturbed and perplexed you about the media art, and to arm yourselves with knowledge for the final exam. I may provide an extra credit opportunity; I’ll definitely provide a study guide. And I’m not e-mailing the study guide, so you might want to make sure you come to this class.

FINAL EXAM May 12 It’s All Over But the ShoutingThe final exam will be administered Thurs., May 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You are free to leave once you’ve completed the exam. Don’t forget to collect your end-of-semester fist bump or high five before leaving the classroom.

This syllabus is not a contract, express or implied. The instructor reserves the right to amend it at any time for any reason he sees fit. Sometimes it’s good to be king. Your mileage may vary. Offer void in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands. Restrictions may apply. See full rules for details. Objects in mirrors are closer than they appear. Contents under pressure. Do not incinerate. Plastic bags are not toys. Offer is limited to one coupon per customer per visit. Coupon is good only on product sizes and varieties indicated. Coupons may not be photocopied or reproduced in any fashion. Risk of loss and title passes to purchaser on transfer. Subject to full terms and conditions. Possible side effects, though rare, include nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, drowsiness, headache, nervousness and irritability, especially around the time of mid-term and final exams.