COMM 328: NEWS EDITING
FALL 2007 w SECTION 1
MEETING TIME: M-W-F, 2 – 2:50 p.m.
MEETING PLACE: 464
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Matthew M. Reavy
OFFICE: 4126 Communication Wing
OFFICE HOURS: M-W-F, 1 - 2 p.m. (and by appointment)
E-MAIL: mreavy@epix.net
WELCOME TO NEWS EDITING!
Catalog copy: Preparing
copy for publication. Correcting, improving and trimming stories. Headline
writing, layout, graphics. Wire
services, printing process.
This course has been designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of news editing. You also will be expected to:
w Prepare copy for publication.
w Correct, improve and trim news articles.
w Recognize and correct violations of grammar and/or Associated Press style.
w Learn how to write headlines and layout copy.
We will meet three times a week, for approximately 50 minutes each time. Quizzes covering grammar and Associated Press style will be given throughout the session. No more than one quiz will be given in any class. In general, each class will be a mixture of lecture and hands-on editing.
Editing can be an extremely difficult job. It can
also be quite rewarding. The primary duty of an editor is to edit – to
determine what the audience sees and what it does not. Too often people think
of this work only in terms of basic copyediting tasks, such as checking for grammatical
correctness, accuracy, violations of AP style and so on. But being a good
editor means being a good journalist and applying news judgment in selecting
what stories will appear and how they will be treated. It means being a good
writer, whether creating a front page headline or adding some punch to a hard
news lead. It means being a good designer—part artist and part engineer. And it
means being a good manager, one who can select the right person for an
assignment and then ensure that person does the best job possible. This class
provides you with the basic skills needed to make yourself into that kind of an
editor.
COURSE
Associated Press Stylebook & Libel Manual
Daily reading of the J-Student blog at http://jstudent.wordpress.com
Additional course readings
will take two possible forms: 1) readings on reserve in the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Memorial Library;
and 2) readings on various Web sites.
GRADING
Assignment/Exam Value
Quizzes 5 percent
Graded Editing Assignments 30 percent
Pass/Fail Lab Assignments 20 percent
Midterm Examination 20 percent
Final Examination 20 percent
Class Participation 5 percent
QUIZZES
Quizzes on Grammar and AP style will be given throughout the session. You will be permitted to drop one low quiz grade at the end of the semester.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Journalists must be reliable. Missing assignments can cost you your job. Class attendance is not mandatory. However, if you miss a class, you are likely to miss a graded assignment, which will adversely affect your final grade.
The instructor will determine whether to allow
you to make up work you missed because of an absence. In general, makeup work
will only be permitted if the instructor is notified of an absence prior to the
day on which class will be missed. You should have a compelling reason for any
absence.
Late assignments will not be accepted for a grade without prior approval by the instructor. You may turn in a late assignment for the instructor’s review. It will be corrected and returned to you; however, the grade received for that assignment will be an “F.” Note that quizzes cannot be made up, though you will be permitted to drop one low grade at the end of the semester.
GRADE CHANGES
If you believe a mistake has been made in a grade, you must see me within one week after the paper has been returned to you.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Journalists are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards. Any instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the provost’s office.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
L Plagiarism (copying work written or published by others).
L Inappropriate eye movements during quizzes or exams.
L Looking at or copying another student’s work, or allowing another student to look at or copy your work.
L Talking or otherwise communicating with another student during quizzes or writing assignments, unless instructed to do so.
L Removing test materials or attempting to remove them from an examination room without permission.
These rules apply to all quizzes as well as both in-class and outside-class assignments. Failure to meet these standards will result in zero points for the quiz or writing assignment. You also risk failing the course. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate university officials.
COURSE
SCHEDULE
Aug. 27 Introduction to Editing Class
“Ten Things Copy Editors Want from Line Editors”
http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=78083
Aug. 29 The Job of an Editor
1. “In Search of the Perfect Copy Editor”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5438
2. “What Exactly is a Copy Editor?”
http://www.theslot.com/copyeditors.html
3. “What’s a Slot Man?”
http://www.theslot.com/slotman.html
4. “How Can I Become a Copy Editor?”
http://www.theslot.com/howto.html
5. “How a Copy Desk Works”
http://www.theslot.com/structure.html
6. “When the ‘Last Line of Defense’ Failed”
http://www.theslot.com/captain.html
Aug. 31 Editing Protocols
1. “Copy Editing Protocols”
www.editteach.org/downloads/?download_id=95&filename=protocols.pdf
Sep. 3 LABOR
DAY
Sep. 5 What is News?
1. “What is News?”
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=1&aid=2831
2. “News Elements”
http://taje.org/fortaje/PDF/elements.pdf
Sep. 7 Developing News Judgment
Sep. 10 Introduction to Associated Press Style
1. “AP Style Quick Reference”
http://www.bu.edu/com/writingprgm/ap_styleguide1.pdf
2. “A Handful of New Usage and Style Guides”
http://www.eeicommunications.com/eye/watchful.html
Sep. 12 Newspaper Style
1. “The UC Davis
Style Guide”
http://ucomm.ucdavis.edu/downloads/styleguide.pdf
2. “The UC Davis
Style Guide”
http://ucomm.ucdavis.edu/downloads/pubguide.pdf
AP Style Quiz #1: Numbers
Sep. 14 Editing Lab #1: AP Style
Sep. 17 Fact Checking
“Yes. Sweat the Small Stuff.”
http://www.freep.com/legacy/jobspage/academy/credibility.htm
AP Style Quiz #2: Abbreviations
Sep. 19 Using the Internet
“Accuracy Checklists”
http://www.freep.com/legacy/jobspage/academy/accuracy.htm
Sep. 21 Editing Assignment #1: Fact Checking
Sep. 24 Avoiding Libel
1. “SPLC Legal Brief: Libel Law”
http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?id=27
2. “A Dozen Tips to Avoid Being Burned By a Hot Story”
http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?id=26
3. “Word Watch: Allegedly Innocent Suspects”
http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=83900
Sep. 26 Protecting Privacy
“SPLC Legal Brief: Invasion of Privacy Law”
http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?id=29
Sep. 28 Copyright and Trademarks
“The Student Media Guide to Copyright Law”
http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?id=32
AP Style Quiz #3: Punctuation
Oct. 1 Fair Use
“What’s in a nAME(cq)?”
http://www.theslot.com/webnames.html
Oct. 3 Editing Lab #4: Copyright and Fair Use
AP Style Quiz #4: Capitalization
Oct. 6 TBA
Oct. 5 Editing News Service Copy
“Localizing the Story”
www.cerritosjournalism.com/news/2002/05/15/101Newswrtng/
L.Localizing.The.Story-607698.shtml
Oct. 8 Editing Lab #5: News Service Copy
AP Style Quiz #5: Grammar, Spelling and Usage
Oct. 10 Midterm Exam
Oct. 12 TBA
Oct. 13-16 FALL BREAK
Oct. 17 Editing Assignment #2: Editing Copy
Oct. 19 Introduction to Headline Writing
“Today’s Headline Styles”
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=47&aid=77003
Oct. 22 Headline Writing Hints
1. “Head Hints”
http://www.copydesk.org/headhints.htm
2.
“Headlines: Bigger is Better”
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=33&aid=3269
Oct. 24 Editing Lab #6: Headline Writing I
“1,000 Headlines in 460 Days”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=58928
Oct. 26 Introduction to Typography
1. “Choosing Type”
http://www.will-harris.com/use-type.htm
2. “Typography: Less is More”
http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=33&aid=3308
Oct. 29 Typography in Headlines
1. “Headline Formats”
http://www.utexas.edu/coc/journalism/SOURCE/journal_links/headline/Head4.htm
2.
“Headline Display and Typographic Voice”
http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4874
Oct. 31 Editing Lab #7: Typography
Nov. 5 More Headline Writing
1. “Tips for Good Headlines”
http://www.notrain-nogain.org/Train/Res/CopyD/htips.asp
2. “Headline Writing”
http://www.notrain-nogain.org/Train/Res/CopyD/man.asp
3. “Stuck for a Headline? Try These Tips”
http://www.copydesk.org/headtips.htm
Nov. 7 More Headline Writing
“Headlines Are Easy, Aren’t They?”
http://www.copydesk.org/words/headlines.htm
Nov. 9 Editing Assignment #3: Headlines
Nov. 12 Photography and Cutlines
1.”Hot Tips for Writing Photo Captions”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4865
2. “The Art and Language of Photojournalism”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5657
Nov. 14 Editing Photographs
“Ten Things Never to Say to or About a Photojournalist”
http://www.ronreason.com/personal/photonever.html
Nov. 16 Editing Lab #9: Editing Photography
Nov. 19 Basic Principles of Page Design
1. “Ten Tips for Visual Thinking”
http://www.ronreason.com/personal/writers.html
2. “Training Editors in the Evils of Page Design”
http://www.ronreason.com/asne/evils.html
Nov. 20-25 THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov. 27 Evaluating Design
“Headlines on Hold: When Nobody Knows the News”
http://www.poynterextra.org/Extra/election2000/showcase/index.htm
Nov. 28 Editing Lab #10: Page Design
Nov. 30 Ethics
and Editing
1. “Personal Responsibility for Copy Editors”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5462
2. “The Seven Deadly Copy Editing Sins”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5441
Dec. 3 The Editor’s Job
1. “It’s a Terrible Time for be a Copy Editor. Or Is It?”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5453
2. “Start at the Copy Desk”
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=35366
Dec. 5,7,10 TBA