Communication 143/146                    Tentative Syllabus                           Spring 2005

 

INSTRUCTOR: James Torrence

OFFICE: C212

OFFICE HOURS:  by appointment

MY OFFICE PHONE: 564-2168

JIBSHEET PHONE: 564-3183

MY EMAIL ADDRESS: jtorrenc@bcc.ctc.edu

  • If you send me email, please identify yourself in the subject window

 

CLASS MEETS: in C-225 from 10:30 to 11:20am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS: (Comm. 143) The Associated Press Style Book

                                                    Microsoft Word, MacWord, or Open Office (software)

 

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS: Cameras, cassette recorders, floppy disks, etc.  However, if you borrow Jibsheet resources, you must return them by the end of the quarter to get credit for this class.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Comm. 143 (Editing Techniques): This course will cover AP Stylebook formats, news headline writing, editing practices for newspapers and other types of writing, and editing for libel in accordance with the ethics and laws which govern mass media.

 

Comm. 146 (News Staff): The purpose of this course is to demonstrate the various roles and activities in the production of a small newspaper.  This also involves the technical aspects (using scanners, computers, email, etc.) of putting a newspaper together.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

(Comm. 143 Editing Techniques)

  • Understand and practice the journalistic process, namely information gathering, publication, and distribution
  • Apply libel laws, ethics, and judgment in the editing of material
  • Use the AP Stylebook in the editing of peer writing
  • Refine punctuation, grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills to achieve error-free text
  • Recognize and critically read professional journalistic writing

 

(Comm. 146 News Staff)

·         Become reporters by learning about the ethics and methods that govern effective journalism

  • Communicate efficiently and work cooperatively to reach publication before deadlines
  • Perform research when necessary
  • Write various types of journalistic articles
  • Develop graphics to accompany those articles

 

COURSE CONTENT: We will spend our time

(In class)

  • Discussing the text and its practical applications
  • Critiquing current issues of The Jibsheet and other newspapers
  • Brainstorming, writing, and revising stories

(Out of class)

  • Collecting information for news stories (some from campus beats)
  • Writing articles for The Jibsheet
  • Assisting each other with the revision and editing of articles
  • Reading outside copy and bringing the best and worst in for dissection
  • Editing and proofing The Jibsheet
  • Helping with distribution

(please note: it is widely assumed that college students do two hours of homework for every hour spent in class)

 

GRADING: For more info on how I evaluate assignments and participation, see the “Grading Criteria/Paper Format” info below

  • EIGHT ORIGINAL ARTICLES - two pages each (Comm 146): 70%
  • FOUR ORIGINAL ARTICLES - two pages each (Comm 143): 40%
  • NEWSSTORY EDITING (Comm 143): 30%
  • DISCUSSION + PARTICIPATION: 20%
  • FINAL PORTFOLIO: 10%

 

GRADE SCALE:

A             94-100%

A-           90-93%

B+           87-89%

B             84-86%

B-            80-83%

C+           77-79%

C             74-76%

C-            70-73%

D             66-69%

F              00-65%

 

ATTENDANCE: Your presence is not strictly required, but it does account for part of your grade for the course.  If you plan to be in class, please be here on time.  Here are some other things you should keep in mind:

  • Each absence lowers your course grade by 3%
  • Arriving more than 15 minutes late will be considered an absence
  • If your cell phone or pager goes off in class, I will count you absent
  • Late arrivals or early departures need to made inconspicuously
  • Assignments, handouts, and announcements will not be repeated

 

PLAGIARISM:  CHEATING IS AN ISSUE I TAKE SERIOUSLY.  PLAGIARISM OR ANY OTHER KIND OF CHEATING, WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR NOT, WILL EARN THE OFFENDING STUDENT(S) AN “F” FOR THE QUARTER.

 

Please review the Arts & Humanities division standards http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/policy.html

 

OBSCENITY: The Jibsheet staff work under a district-wide obscenity clause, so we should avoid abide by this district policy by avoiding obscenity in print.  Editors may lose their jobs by running obscene stories and/or language.