JOUR 609 Publication Laboratory Fall 2011 9:35 to 10:50 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays

P r o f e s s o r s / A d v i s e r s : News Adviser: Rachele Kanigel Office: HUM 344 E-mail: kanigel@sfsu.edu Office phone: (415) 338-3134 Home: (510) 530-0593 Cell: (510) 421-1613 Office hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to noon and by appointment. Advises news reporters and editors Magazine Adviser: Don Menn Office: HUM 525 E-mail: Don_menn@yahoo.com Office phone: (415) 338-7431 Home: (650) 283-7578 Office hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m. Advises the magazine staff Photo Adviser: Scot Tucker Office: HUM 308A E-mail: tucker@sfsu.edu Office Phone: (415) 338-1858 Cell Phone: 415 412-9306 Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to noon Advises the photo staff for all three publications Welcome to the Fall 2011 staff of Golden Gate Xpress. This is more than just a class. This is real-world journalism -- an opportunity to get your work published and to be part of a dynamic and much needed publication. As a member of the Golden Gate Xpress staff you will be writing, editing, photographing and producing stories that will be seen by thousands of people. The Xpress magazine, website and newspaper are the only publications that regularly cover the campus of San Francisco State University. If you do your job well, you will educate, inform, entertain and possibly enrage people about what's going on here. The newspaper, magazine and website also give you a chance to show what you can do. The clips and experience you collect here may help launch your career. Think about each story you write or edit, each photo you shoot, each multimedia piece you produce as work you can show potential employers. Pay attention to details. A misspelled name, an inaccuracy or a typographical error can make an otherwise good piece of work a useless clip.

Approach this class as you would a journalism job or internship. The more seriously you take your work, the more you will get out of this course – and the more fun you will have. P r e r e q u i s i t e s To be eligible to take this course:

• Newspaper staffers must have completed JOUR 300 Reporting with at least a C+ (or a C if this course was taken before Fall 2010).

• Magazine staffers must have completed JOUR 300 Reporting and JOUR 595 Magazine Writing with at least a C+ in both (or a C if these courses were taken before Fall 2010). (Students who have earned an A or A- in Reporting may join the magazine staff before completing JOUR 595 only with special permission from Magazine Adviser Don Menn.)

• Photojournalism students must have completed JOUR 221 Newswriting and JOUR 335 Photojournalism II, all with at least a C+ (or a C if these courses were taken before Fall 2010).

C l a s s a n d N e w s r o o m O r g a n I z a t i o n The Xpress workshop comes in two parts -- the publications and the class. While the publications are officially published by the Journalism Department, the students run them. When you have ideas for stories, photos, design elements, new features or the website, take them to your editors. They make the assignments and decide what goes in the publications. The advisers lead the class sessions, offer guidance, resolve crises, spot minefields, monitor your progress and give grades. When you have questions or problems concerning the class, your grade or your relationships with other staffers, consult your advisor. We’re here to guide and counsel you, to let you know how you're doing, to help you if you're having problems. By the first day of class you will be assigned to a publication – the magazine or the news organization – and an adviser. If you are assigned to the magazine, Don Menn will be your adviser and you will be subject to the specific requirements of the magazine class (see supplemental magazine syllabus). If you are a writer, multimedia producer or editor on the newspaper you will be assigned to a team and your adviser will be Rachele Kanigel (for publication requirements see supplemental syllabus). All photographers will be assigned to the photo desk and be advised by Scot Tucker (see supplemental photo syllabus). C o u r s e P o l i c i e s Consider these classrooms your workplace and this course a part-time job. Like professionals, you will be expected to come prepared, be on time and be inquisitive.

♦ Attendance Because of the collaborative nature of this class and the student publication experience, attendance is mandatory. If you have to miss a class on account of illness or emergency, please e-mail or call your adviser in advance. Two excused absences during the course are

allowed. If you miss more than two classes, it will affect your final grade for each missed class. Do not schedule assignments during class hours. Class time is for you to be in class, not out reporting. ♦ Deadlines One of the most meaningful lessons you can learn this semester is the importance of meeting deadlines. Your editor will set a deadline for each story, photo or multimedia piece you are assigned. If you are having trouble meeting that deadline, tell your editor well in advance -- days, not hours. Late stories or photos will be marked down unless you get an extension from your editor. ♦ Sources All newspaper and online stories must have at least three sources and magazine features should have many more than that (see magazine syllabus). Each source should provide a unique perspective. Showing multiple points of view is a fundamental part of the journalistic process. One- or two-source stories are prone to inaccuracy and bias and usually offer an incomplete account. All stories should be accompanied by a source list for the editors and fact checkers. The source list should include the name, title and phone number and/or e-mail contact information for people, institutions, companies, online resources and other sources used in your word or photo stories. Reporters may not interview friends or relatives. Students must have at least two degrees of separation from their sources (i.e. you can interview your roommate’s cousin – as long as that person isn’t a friend of yours -- but you can’t interview your cousin or your roommate. ♦ Website All stories, photos and graphics judged publishable will be posted on the Golden Gate Xpress website (http://xpress.sfsu.edu) by the newspaper’s online editors and producers. If your story has not been posted, please check in with your editor. Most stories should include links to at least two or three websites that will lead readers to more information.

♦ Breaking News The Xpress website offers the opportunity to publish breaking news stories and up-to-the-minute coverage of events, such as demonstrations, speeches, games, etc. If you’re covering an event you should plan to write the story for the website that day. A spot news story is one that is published within three hours of the event. All reporters on the newspaper must cover at least three spot news assignments during the semester. Magazine writers are also encouraged to contribute breaking news stories.

A c a d e m i c I n t e g r i t y

The university, the Journalism Department and your advisers all expect students to operate under basic rules of academic integrity and honesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating on exams and assignments, failing to cite borrowed work and ideas, and using unauthorized aid to complete an assignment or exam. Any student who engages in plagiarism, falsification, cheating, copying, passing off someone else’s work as their own, or facilitating another student’s act of dishonesty may be given an F for the assignment and disciplined according to the guidelines and policies of SFSU and the California State University System. Journalism Department Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is a serious offense in any discipline and at any university. In journalism, it is considered a crime. The SFSU Journalism Department policy reads:

In journalism, the object is to develop one's own original body of work, based on one's own reporting and research, and delivered in one's own "voice"-- in one's own writing -- in an effort to give the reader as faithful a rendition of the truth of things as we are capable. By contrast, plagiarism delivers what someone else has researched and written under the pretense that it is one's own work. The plagiarist lies to the reader by pretending the stolen writing is original, deprives the real author of credit, and denies readers the right to form an opinion based on the real source of information. To call this a disservice to journalism is putting it in mildest terms. When a journalist steals someone else's work, it damages the credibility of all of his or her associates, and calls into question the integrity of the newspaper or magazine in which the plagiarized work is published. Plagiarists fail their readers, their profession, and themselves. San Francisco State University calls plagiarism "literary theft," and treats it as a disciplinary issue. Any student suspected of plagiarism can expect, first, a conference with the instructor and the department chair. If they conclude that plagiarism has occurred, the student’s conduct may be reported to the dean’s office and, ultimately, the university’s Student Judicial Officer, who may take further action. The student’s case will be made known to the department’s faculty, so that they can watch the student’s future work closely for any more transgressions. Journalism Department professors regard plagiarists as liars and thieves and will read their assignments with a disbelief beyond skepticism. The College of Humanities Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents the work of another as his or her own. Plagiarism may consist of using the ideas, sentences, paragraphs, or the whole text of another without appropriate acknowledgement, but it also includes employing or allowing another person to write or substantially alter work that a student then submits as his or her own. Any assignment found to be plagiarized will be given an “F” grade. All instances of plagiarism in the College of Humanities will be reported to the dean of the college, and may be reported to the university judicial affairs officer for further action. For more information about plagiarism, please check out these websites:

• Plagiarism Resources College of Humanities, SFSU http://www.sfsu.edu/~collhum/plagiarism.html

• Excerpts from Newspaper Ethics Codes on Plagiarism Journalism.org http://www.journalism.org/resources/ethics_codes

If you must use information from a website, another newspaper or magazine, or any other source, ATTRIBUTE it. S p e c i a l N e e d s Your advisers want to make this course as accessible as possible to students with disabilities or medical conditions that may affect the completion of course assignments or participation. Students with disabilities who may need accommodations should talk with their adviser about that. You should also contact:

The Disability Programs and Resource Center Student Services Building, Room 110 Phone: 415/338-2472 (Voice/TDD) http://www.sfsu.edu/~dprc/student.html Psychological and Counseling Services Student Services Building, Room 208 Phone: 415 338-2208 http://www.sfsu.edu/~psyservs/

R e s o u r c e s

College Journalism Websites

College Media Advisers -- A professional association dedicated to serving the needs of collegiate student media programs and their advisers. CMA will hold its an annual fall convention in Orlando, Florida Oct. 27-31. http://www.collegemedia.org/ Student Press Law Center – An advocacy organization for student press rights that provides Information, advice and legal assistance to students and the educators who work with them. http://splc.org/ Associated Collegiate Press – A division of the National Scholastic Press Association, this is the largest and oldest membership organization for college student media in the United States. It will hold its an annual fall convention (with CMA) in Orlando, Florida Oct. 27-31. http://www.studentpress.org/acp/index.html California College Media Association – A group of students and advisers working in media organizations at four-year colleges and universities around the state. The organization sponsors contests and workshops for college journalists. http://calcollegemedia.org

College Media Matters – a blog about issues in college media sponsored by Associated Collegiate Press. http://collegemediamatters.com/

Innovation in College Media – a blog about new developments in college media sponsored by College Media Advisers http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/

Professional Journalism Websites The Journalist's Toolbox -- Contains more than 12,000 websites and resources for people doing research on topics in the news. http://www.journaliststoolbox.com/ The First Amendment Handbook – A guide to press freedom published by the Reporters

Committee for the Freedom of the Press http://www.rcfp.org/handbook/viewpage.cgi A F i n a l N o t e This may be your last year – or even your last semester – as a student journalist. Take advantage of the power you have. Explore new journalistic paths. Watch, listen, smell, taste. Try something different. Be observant. Be skeptical. And, most of all, have fun!

JOUR 609 Publication Laboratory Supplemental Syllabus for Reporters and Editors

Fall 2011 Adviser: Rachele Kanigel Office: HUM 344 Phone: 415 338-3134 Email: rkanigel@gmail.com Office hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to noon, and by appointment

Welcome to the staff of Golden Gate Xpress, a news organization that produces a news website that’s updated daily and a weekly print newspaper. This semester we are committed more than ever before to become the go-to online and print publication for the SF State community and a vital source for breaking news.

B e a t s By the first day of class you will be assigned to a section, an editor and a beat. You will work with your section editor and be expected to cover your beat throughout the semester. However, you are in no way limited to your beat. If, for example, you are assigned to a Campus beat covering police, you may also write reviews for the Arts and Entertainment section, game stories and features for the Sports section, lifestyle stories for the Features section, etc. However, if there’s a series of break-ins on campus or the campus police chief resigns, you’re expected to stay on top of the story and be in touch with your editor to make sure it’s being covered – either by you or someone else.

You are expected to get to know key sources and become aware of the major issues and events on your beat this semester.

R e a d I n g s Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (required)

The Student Newspaper Survival Guide, Second Edition by Rachele Kanigel (recommended) The San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times, daily, as well as other online and print publications that cover the Bay Area, including The Bay Citizen, The Oakland Tribune, The Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, etc. O u t c o m e s This course is considered the capstone of the Journalism Department. It’s a way for you to demonstrate what you’ve learned in the other courses you’ve taken in the department and to develop your skills, your portfolio and your professional identity. Expected outcomes for reporters and multimedia producers include:

Report stories thoroughly and completely, seeking out multiple sources and varied perspectives

Produce clear, compelling, thoroughly reported and accurate stories that are suitable for publication

Employ the highest ethical standards in reporting and writing; demonstrate your familiarity with the basic principles of journalism law and ethics

Demonstrate news judgment and critical thinking skills to find and pitch stories Expected outcomes for editors include:

Demonstrate news judgment and critical thinking skills in assigning and editing stories Employ journalistic ethics and critical thinking skills to make sound editorial decisions Demonstrate editing skills by catching errors, coaching reporters and helping reporters

improve their stories Use critical thinking and management skills to evaluate staff

M i n i m u m R e q u i r e m e n t s

To pass this course each reporter must:

1. Publish, on average, at least one story per week (at least 13 text stories plus at least two multimedia pieces -- video, audio slideshow, interactive map, timeline, etc. A major project may count as two stories at the adviser’s discretion.)

2. Submit 2 story ideas to your editor each week via WordPress 3. Work at least 20 production hours, including 5 distribution hours 4. Work at least news shifts

Each editor must:

1. Assign and edit stories for their section each week (Copy editors must edit stories assigned to them in a timely way)

2. Attend editorial meetings regularly 3. Publish at least 5 text or multimedia stories

G r a d i n g Your grade will be based on the quality and quantity of your contributions to the publication. You will turn in a portfolio of your work three times during the semester on the following dates:

Sept. 26 Oct. 31 Dec. 12

Your portfolio should include:

1. The original and final draft of each story you’ve produced. The final draft can be a clip from the newspaper or magazine or a printout of an online story

2. A story memo detailing your experience producing each story you work on 3. A self-evaluation form assessing your work for that third of the semester

4. An evaluation form for each of the editors you have worked with closely 5. Printouts of your weekly beat memos 6. A log of your production hours

Each portfolio will be given a grade based on:

Quality of reporting and research (to earn a high grade you should use a multitude of sources, answer major questions, demonstrate thorough reporting)

Quality of writing (strong ledes and nut graphs, evocative descriptions, good use of quotes, clear writing, fairness and balance)

Quality of multimedia storytelling (effective use and appropriateness of the medium, creativity, images and text working together)

Quantity of work (for each grading period you should have at least 4 medium-length stories or a comparable mix of short and longer pieces)

Quality of copy (few grammar, spelling, punctuation, typographical errors) Beat coverage Your story ideas Your ability to meet deadlines

Your adviser will return your portfolio with comments 1-2 weeks after you turn in your work. You should meet with your adviser at least twice during the semester to discuss your progress. It’s up to you to make an appointment. Each portfolio will be given a letter grade, worth 25 percent of your final grade (up to 25 points each). The remaining 25 percent of your grade will be based on:

Beat reports (up to 5 points each) Production hours (1/2 a point per hour, up to 15 points) Attendance and class participation, effort and commitment (up to 5 points) Bonus points given for exemplary work

G r a d i n g P o l i c i e s

• Your adviser may lower your grade for misspelled names, major errors or sloppy copy. • Reporters will generally get half credit for double-bylined stories. Your adviser may decide to give full credit to each contributor on multiple bylined stories for special projects and circumstances. People who produce multimedia stories in teams may get full credit, depending on their contributions to the project as described in their story memo. • Reporters will generally get credit for stories only if they are published. If a complete, publishable story was turned in on time but not published, the reporter should submit a note from the editor explaining the circumstances. Keep in mind it’s the reporter’s responsibility to follow up on stories and make sure they are published. • Reporters who update stories for the Web and print editions may get extra story credits, depending on the amount of additional reporting and writing involved.

P r o d u c t i o n All reporters are required to work at least 20 production hours. Production hours may be fulfilled by:

• Copyediting stories (copyeditors will be selected by editors the first week of class)

• Helping with layout and design • Participating in promotional activities (such as passing out newspapers and fliers and organizing promotional events) • Delivering newspapers and magazines • Preparing photos, graphics or stories for the Web site. This may include scanning images, adding links, finding maps, etc. • Factchecking • Helping with headlines, captions, proofreading or other production duties • Writing calendar announcements. • Working on a staff manual or ethics code. • Preparing photographs for publication. • Other duties assigned by editors.

Keep a running log of your production hours and turn it in each time you submit your portfolio to your adviser. A spreadsheet program, such as Excel, works well for this: DATE ACTIVITY HOURS 2/2 Delivered papers 2 hours 2/17 Copyedited two stories 1 hour 2/29 Wrote headlines and proofread stories 2 ½ hours TOTAL 5 ½ hours You should complete at least 10 production hours by the middle of the term, Oct. 16. B e a t R e p o r t s One of the first assignments for reporters and multimedia producers is to write a beat report that will help you and your editor know what to cover this semester.

A beat offers you an opportunity to specialize in a certain topic or area of coverage and to really get to know a set of people and issues. You are Xpress’ eyes and ears on your beat. You need to let your editors and your readers know what's going on.

Your beat report, due Wednesday, Sept. 7, should include:

• Two or three paragraphs summarizing what you know or what you're learning about your beat.

• A list of at least 20 sources you plan to use this semester. This list should include the names, titles, phone numbers (home and work if possible) and e-mail addresses of students, administrators, faculty members, staff members, organization leaders and others you expect to interview for stories this semester. This source list will be a valuable resource as you start reporting stories.

• A calendar of events happening on your beat this semester. Include meetings, arts events, rallies, speeches and other events.

• A list of at least six usable story ideas – some on your beat and some off your beat – that you’d like to work on this semester. You should have a mix of news stories,

profiles, features and issue stories. Each story idea should be two to three sentences. Multimedia producers should detail how they would use multimedia elements to tell each story.

Turn one copy in to your adviser and one copy to your editor.

You will also be required to submit two copies of a final beat report at the end of the semester – one copy to your adviser for grading, one copy to the managing editor of the paper for next semester. This beat report will give details on sources, upcoming events and story ideas to aid next semester’s staff and help with continuity of coverage. Details about what’s required for your final beat report will be covered in the second half of this semester.

Reporter Evaluation

Reporter: _______________________________________________________________

Beat Report

/5

Portfolio 1 /25

Portfolio 2 /25

Portfolio 3 /25

Production Hours (1/2 point for each hour worked)

/20

Bonus points 0

Total /100

Please rate the reporter’s contributions in each category according to the following system:

4 Exceeds expectations 3 Meets expectations 2 Needs some improvement 1 Needs significant improvement

Meeting deadlines (story pitches, stories, rewrites, etc.) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Quality of research and reporting ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Quality of copy (spelling, punctuation, grammar, AP style) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Quality of writing (ledes, nut graphs, story organization, sentence structure) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Commitment and attitude ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Beat coverage ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Story ideas ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Ability to accept feedback ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3 4

Other comments ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________

Editor Evaluation

Editor: __________________________________________________________________

Please rate the editor’s contributions in each category according to the following system:

4 Exceeds expectations 3 Meets expectations 2 Needs some improvement 1 Needs significant improvement

Leadership/management skills ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Coaching reporters through stories ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Editing copy ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Ability to handle stressful situations or conflict ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Ability to give constructive criticism ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Organizational skills ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2 3

4

Communication ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 2

3 4

Other comments ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________