DIGITAL JOURNALISM – JOUR 4398 Spring 2016 syllabus (subject to change) Class sessions: T/Th 9:30-10:50 a.m., Umphrey Lee 283 Course blog: smudigitaljournalism.wordpress.com Jake Batsell, M.A., Assistant Professor 214-768-1915 (office); 214-529-2978 (cell); jbatsell@smu.edu Twitter: @jbatsell | LinkedIn | Instagram Office: Umphrey Lee 282C Office hours: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. T/Th (or by appt./Skype/Google hangout) This course serves as your humble guide to the rapidly changing universe of online news. The 21st century newsroom requires an audience-centered mindset in which journalists must possess a broad set of multi-platform newsgathering skills and fluency in social media while also upholding the timeless journalistic standards of news judgment, accuracy, fairness and truth. Convergence and interactivity are the prevailing reality in today’s newsrooms, and you will get a strong dose of both in this course. You will learn how to use social media as a tool for journalistic engagement and self-promotion; gain an understanding of basic Web analytics; try your hand at real-time reporting through live blogging and tweeting; become proficient in the basics of HTML code; shoot and edit digital photos; gather and edit audio to produce audio slideshows and NPR-style audio segments; and create or optimize your own portfolio website as a first step in establishing a personal journalistic brand. You will create high-quality, multi-platform news content and develop a professional Web presence while practicing the core journalistic values that, even in a changing media landscape, remain the industry’s bedrock professional standards. LEARNING OUTCOMES This course fulfills the following University Curriculum requirements: Capstone

• Students will be able to apply a cumulative understanding of interdisciplinary/ disciplinary practice.

• Students will be able to produce a record or artifact showing some original achievement in research, synthesis, creative endeavor, exploration, or other production.

Information literacy proficiency

• Students will be able to select and use the appropriate research methods and search tools for needed information.

• Students will be able to evaluate sources for quality of information for a given information need.

Oral communication proficiency • Students will be able to select, organize and use appropriate evidence or information to

suit a specific or targeted audience. • Students will be able to use appropriate vocal and visual cues to deliver a presentation

to a specific or targeted audience.

To achieve the learning outcomes described above, you will: Acquire and polish multi-platform skills

• Write thoroughly reported, succinct blog posts supported by reliable links. • Learn to code (HTML and CSS). • Gather and edit audio. • Shoot and edit still photos. • Produce multimedia content, including photo and audio slideshows.

Approach the news as a two-way conversation, not a one-way lecture

• Think of your audience by pursuing stories that matter most to your readers/viewers. • Appreciate the art of journalistic curation and aggregation in which you use your

reporting skills to sort through the cacophony of the Web to find credible information. • Harness social media to commit acts of journalism and participate in the news. • Understand audience metrics that drive the new media landscape. • Embrace non-linear news presentation that empowers your readers to experience the

news however they want, in whatever order they want. • Adopt the Web-first mentality that every major news organization now embraces.

Sharpen and expand your journalistic storytelling

• Embrace versatility. The dueling categories that long defined our profession – print vs. broadcast, reporters vs. photojournalists, on-air “talent” vs. behind-the-camera professionals – are quickly dissolving on the Web. Be a jack of many trades.

• Put the story first. Above all else, think of yourself as a journalist who has an ever-increasing assortment of tools and technology to bring the story to your readers.

• Know how to write for the Web. Use search engine optimization in leads and headlines; appreciate that Web writing needs to meet the needs of time-pressed readers.

• Adopt a sense of urgency. When news breaks, pounce! Commit acts of journalism. • Demonstrate continued proficiency in reporting, writing, grammar and AP style. • Take your readers to the scene with vivid multimedia storytelling.

Develop a sophisticated personal brand on the Web

• Create or optimize a personal portfolio website that showcases your best journalistic work, while simultaneously creating a professional presence on LinkedIn.

• Build a savvy social media presence on Twitter that highlights your talents.

Required texts: • Journalism Next (3rd ed.) by Mark Briggs (2015, CQ Press) • Chapter 2, Engaged Journalism: Connecting With Digitally Empowered News Audiences

by Jake Batsell (2015, Columbia University Press) • Free case study from the Case Consortium at Columbia University

Assignments and readings will be posted on the course blog’s What’s Next? page. Follow the latest news in digital journalism by subscribing to e-mail newsletters and Twitter feeds as part of your daily media diet. Three examples I find useful are the American Press Institute’s daily “Need to Know” newsletter, the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, and the RJI Futures Lab at the University of Missouri. Sharing and commenting on a story about the changing news industry is one option for your weekly “act of engagement” on Twitter.

Attendance: Treat this class as if it is a job. You are expected to be in every class, show up on time and turn in work on time. If you must miss class or lab, contact the instructor in advance, just as you would your editor or boss at work. Roll will be taken every day. Any student who misses the first day of class may be dropped. With three or more unexcused absences, you could be dropped or receive an “F.” Absences also will factor into your class participation grade. You get one “free pass” for an unexcused absence. After that, each unexcused absence will result in an automatic deduction of at least 10 points from your class participation grade. An absence will be considered unexcused unless you are able to provide a doctor's note or some other good reason within 24 hours of an absence. Acceptable reasons for missing class include a verifiable illness, family emergency, religious holiday or approved school trip. Again, contacting me ahead of time will always help your case.

Those with an unexcused absence will receive a zero on that day’s class activity and will not be able to make it up. The three-absence rule described above will be enforced, because frequent absences will prevent you from gaining the technical skills and Web journalism literacy you will need to complete multimedia lab assignments and to pass the midterm and final exams.

The SMU Health Center’s Class Excuse Policy (http://www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/HealthCenter/) includes a PDF file that you can download and submit to me for consideration of an excused absence. This form must be filled out fully for me to consider your absence as excused. If you consult a physician for an illness and receive specific certification for a recovery time, absences will be excused if I am given a form from the physician's office.

Ethics: The following ethical guidelines apply to all written and multimedia work for this course and student media.

• Don’t cover a story on any activity in which you are involved or to which you have a close personal connection. Don’t use family members or significant others (boyfriend, sibling, parent, roommate, etc.) or friends as primary sources.

• Rely entirely on YOUR OWN reporting and journalistic curation skills. When blogging, verbatim material from another source must be directly quoted with explicit attribution, as well as a link back to the original source. Even if paraphrasing, ALWAYS LINK to the original sources that inform your blogging. If background information or quotes are taken from a website, proper attribution is required, including explicit attribution and a link to the original source.

• Inform all sources that you are working on a story for Web publication. You must always tell your sources that the story you are reporting could be published or aired on multiple platforms. Your work could appear on news sites both on and off campus. Your stories, in other words, are for public consumption and your sources must know that.

• Do not use anonymous sources unless approved by the instructor. • Missing deadline will be penalized harshly. Unapproved late stories will receive an

automatic F. Exams: For your midterm and final exams, you will evaluate professional news sites and multimedia packages under deadline conditions, based on principles discussed in class.

Grading: Specific criteria on each of the below items will be discussed later, but here is the overall structure for how your grade will be determined in this course: Multimedia storytelling: 300 points 30%

• 1 radio story (100 points) • 1 photo slideshow (50 points) • 1 audio slideshow (150 points)

Social media presence: 100 points 10%

• 20 Power Tweets (Two per week - 5 points each)

HTML coding: 50 points 5% (Self-paced homework assignment using the game CodeAvengers)

Blogging/real-time reporting: 150 points 15% • Two published posts (50 points each) • Two Speed Team shifts (25 points each)*

* You may work two extra 2-hour Speed Team shifts in place of your second blog post.

Class participation (Class/lab assignments, 100 points 10% & assignments guest speakers, discussions,

pre-class tweets, attendance) Personal branding: 100 points 10%

• Portfolio website (75 points) • LinkedIn assignment (25 points)

Midterm exam (News site assessment) 100 points 10% Final exam (Interactive news package assessment) 100 points 10% __________________________________________________________________ Total possible 1,000 points Semester grades: 935-1,000 A 895-934 A-

865-894 B+ 825-864 B 795-824 B- 765-794 C+ 725-764 C 695-724 C- 665-694 D+ 625-664 D 595-624 D- Less than 595 F

“A”s are rare and are awarded only for truly excellent work. Very good work receives a “B”; average work a “C”; below average a “D.” This is in accordance with SMU regulations. I am happy to discuss your grade for any project. If you wish to protest a grade, a formal process is available.

Guest speakers: Professional journalists and other relevant speakers will be invited to class during the semester. Active participation is required and graded. Classroom computers and cell phones: Please follow common courtesy. Yes, this is a Digital Journalism class. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to play games on Facebook during class, or to catch up on e-mail. Computers should be used for in-class assignments only. Check your e-mail, Facebook or other social networking sites before the start of class, when class ends or if there is a break during class. But out of courtesy to your classmates and to the instructor, texting, e-mailing, Web browsing, Facebooking and Tweeting should be avoided during class unless they are germane to a course activity. I welcome tweets that offer questions or comments during a class lecture or activity – just use the hashtag #j4398. Turn your phone off during class. If a cell phone rings during class, I get to answer it. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in an automatic deduction of at least 10 points from your class participation grade. If you are caught more than three times failing to adhere to this policy, you will receive an “F” for your class participation and attendance grade. Headphones: Always bring headphones or earbuds to class, particularly when we get into the multimedia section of the course. You will frequently need headphones for in-class activities. Saving your work: Save and back up all of your work on an external hard drive. Academic dishonesty: Plagiarism, fabrication and resubmission or double submission of work performed for another class all are considered to be acts of academic dishonesty and a violation of the SMU Honor Code. Any of the above violations will result in an automatic failing grade on the assignment and a written referral to the SMU Honor Council and Dean of Student Life.

The Division of Journalism has adopted the following policies. By enrolling in this class you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions: Reporting standards for all media projects Your story will be graded on content: is it fair, is it newsworthy, is it well sourced? Is the story organized, are all questions answered, and is all information properly attributed? Are direct quotes preceded by strong transitions in print stories? At least 5 points may be taken off for problems like these. For errors of fact, expect 10 or more points off. How to earn an "F" on any media project Miss a deadline. Misquote or misrepresent someone. Rewrite or submit a story or package that was produced for another class. Fabricate or plagiarize. Plagiarism and Fabrication Plagiarism is stealing someone's words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Fabrication is making stuff up. Both strike at the heart of the journalistic process, where proper attribution and fact checking are paramount. As mentioned above, plagiarism and fabrication in this course will be addressed in the harshest manner possible, including referral to the honors council. Reporting and Sourcing You are required in all cases to fully disclose your identity and purpose to sources, and any promises of anonymity or other special arrangements with sources must be discussed with your instructor before such agreements are made. Under no circumstances should you grant a source the right to review or approve your story (though you may agree to check quotes for accuracy). You must always tell all of your sources that the story you are reporting could be published or aired on multiple platforms. Your work could appear on news sites both on and off campus. Your stories, in other words, are for public consumption and your sources must know that. Friends, colleagues, and family members are not acceptable sources. Unless you have cleared the source with your instructor, expect at least 5 points to be taken off for each unacceptable source. A special note: This policy provides academic guidance to students regarding work in Journalism classes and is not in any way intended to impose a legal standard of care for student journalists. Grants of Anonymity* Students should avoid using unidentified sources whenever possible. There are times, however, when the only way to get a story is to offer anonymity; such offers should be a last resort after repeated attempts to go on the record have failed and the student has received permission from the instructor. Information may be on the record, on background, not for attribution or off the record. These are prearranged agreements between a reporter and a source, which govern how specific information can be used. These deals must be agreed to beforehand, never after. A source can't say something then claim it was "off the record." That's too late. Most sources—and even many journalists—do not understand what these terms mean. If a source requests some degree of anonymity, the journalist should make sure the terms are clear, as follows. * with thanks to the NYU Journalism Handbook for Students

On the Record Anything the source says can be reported, published, or aired. All conversations are assumed to be on the record unless the source expressly requests -- and the reporter explicitly agrees -- to go off the record beforehand. The reporter should be sure to mark notes clearly so that it's possible to see what's on the record and what is not at a later date. Never rely on memory and always try to get back "on the record" as quickly as possible. On Background This means you may use what the source gives you without using the source's name. In effect it confers anonymity on your source, but allows you to work with the information the source has provided. Not for Attribution This means that a reporter agrees not to identify a source by name. Identification is provided only by reference to the source's job or position. That identification must be agreed upon by the reporter and the source, and is almost always given in a way that prevents readers from discovering the source's specific identity. The reporter should make sure the attribution is accurate and should press the source to allow the attribution to be as specific as possible. For example, a reporter would want to attribute information to "a high-ranking official in the Justice Department," rather than "a high-ranking law enforcement official," if the source agrees beforehand. Off the Record You may not use the information unless you can confirm it with another source who doesn't insist on speaking off the record. The information is offered to explain or further a reporter's understanding of a particular issue or event. In general, it is best to avoid off the record conversations; another option might be to converse off the record and then try to convince the source to agree to waive the agreement. Excused absences for extracurricular activities

If you are participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled university extracurricular activity, you will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments. It is your responsibility to make arrangements with your teacher prior to any missed assignment. (See University Undergraduate Catalogue.)

Religious observance Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. (See University Policy No. 1.9.) Disability accommodations Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first register with Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS). Students can call 214-768-1470 or visit http://www.smu.edu/Provost/ALEC/DASS to begin the process. Once registered, students should then schedule an appointment with the professor as early in the semester as possible, present a DASS Accommodation Letter, and make appropriate arrangements. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and require advance notice to implement.

CLASS SCHEDULE / SPRING 2016 Each week’s updated readings will be listed on the course blog; schedule may change. Week One: Jan. 19 and 21 Introduction/class structure. The “Four Pillars” of online news. Overview of Speed Teams.

Week Two: Jan. 26 and 28 Tweeting with purpose. Basics of SEO, Web headlines, analytics. Power Tweets begin.

Week Three: Feb. 2 and 4 Social journalism and the art of blogging. Guest speaker: Tiney Ricciardi fromThe Dallas Morning News. Week Four: Feb. 9 and 11 Engaged journalism and approaching news as conversation. Web design, HTML, CSS.

Week Five: Feb. 16 and 18 Live blogging and real-time reporting. Week Six: Feb. 23 and 25 Branding yourself for job opportunities in digital media. ePortfolio + LinkedIn assigned. Week Seven: March 1 and 3 Introduction to multimedia storytelling. Midterm exam. (NO CLASS MARCH 7-11 – SPRING BREAK) Week Eight: March 15 and 17 (CodeAvengers assignment due by 11:59 p.m. Friday) Principles of audio gathering and editing. GarageBand practice exercise. Week Nine: March 22 and 24 More on audio storytelling. Guest speakers: Stella Chavez and Eric Aasen from KERA-FM. Week Ten: March 29 and 31 Principles of photojournalism. Working lab for radio stories (due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 31). Week Eleven: April 5 and 7 Working lab for photo slideshows (due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 7). Soundslides practice. Week Twelve: April 12 and 14 Storyboard meetings. Week Thirteen: April 19 and 21 Sourcing and attributing digital images. Digital Journalism Job Summit, featuring recent alumni. Week Fourteen: April 26 and 28 Working lab for audio slideshows (due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26). Course wrap-up. FINAL EXAM on Thursday, May 5, at 8 a.m.

KEY ASSIGNMENT DATES – DIGITAL JOURNALISM, SPRING 2016 Week of Jan. 25

• Weekly Power Tweets begin. Week of Feb. 8

• Blogging assignments begin. First post due no later than Friday, March 4. Thursday, March 3

• Midterm exam. Friday, March 18

• CodeAvengers assignments must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 31

• Radio stories due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 7

• Photo slideshows due by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 26

• Audio slideshows due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 29

• Finalized Web portfolios and LinkedIn assignments due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 2

• Last call for second blog posts by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 5

• Final exam, 8 a.m.