Digital & Broadcast News Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

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Course

COMM-2332-001 Digital & Broadcast News

Prerequisites

Course Description

Gather, edit, present and analyze news for broadcast stations; examine news department organization and philosophy. Presentation of regularly scheduled newscast on KACV-FM and/or development of television package news stories.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 2 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Reading will be assigned through Blackboard but there is no required textbook.  The following textbooks are recommended:

• Freedman, W. (2003). It takes more than good looks to succeed at TV news reporting. Chicago, IL: Second Edition—ISBN: 978-0-9843125-3-5 (softcover) http://awealthofwisdom.com/authors/wayne-freedman

 Dobbs, G. (2004). Better broadcast writing, better broadcast news. Allyn & Bacon.ISBN: 0-205-35994-9

Supplies

• Reporters notebook (available at Amarillo College Bookstore)
• Minimum 2G jump drive (AKA thumb drive, AKA USB drive)
• One terabyte portable hard drive (available at the AC Bookstore) (S

  Student Performance

  COURSE OBJECTIVES: After completing the required course activities, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of broadcast newsroom structure and available careers and positions in the industry
  • identify newsworthy stories and exercise news judgment
  • write proper script format for TV and radio
  • develop accurate, concise, clear and conversational writing style for broadcast news media
  • research and conduct interviews for broadcast news stories
  • write and produce radio readers, readers with soundbites and packages.
  • properly script a TV reader, vo, vo/sot and package.
  • write compelling leads
  • write teases for TV and radio news
  • prepare and shoot a television stand-up
  • prepare and carry out a television live shot
  • demonstrate an understanding of the impact of convergence on broadcast news
  • produce an accurate and quality radio newscast
  • demonstrate an understanding of the professional ethics and responsibilities of a professional broadcast journalist
  • demonstrate an understanding of basic shooting and editing techniques for TV news and the importance of visual story-telling
  • generate story ideas
  • analyze TV and radio news

  Students Rights and Responsibilities

  Student Rights and Responsibilities

  Log in using the AC Connect Portal

  In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

  If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

  Expected Student Behavior

  PROFESSIONALISM:  Students will be expected to behave professionally at all times.  Professionalism includes:

  • Being responsible. Being punctual and attending all classes. Being prepared for class and participating actively. Avoiding disruptive behavior. Approaching your assignments with resourcefulness, and with the goal of completing them as thoroughly as possible. Doing your share when working on group projects. Taking the initiative to ask for help from the course instructor when you need it.
  • Being respectful. Recognizing that you need to be respectful of the opinions of others. Being courteous in class and on assignments.  Treating news sources with respect.
  • Being accountable. Remembering that when you are on assignment, your behavior, attitude and dress reflect not only on you, but also on the department and the College.
  • Being ethical.  Following ethical guidelines for professional broadcast journalists as explained at http://www.rtdna.org/content/rtdna_code_of_ethics#.Usi1x_uAoic  and http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp . Recognizing that faking quotations, faking facts or reporting things that did not happen is unacceptable and will be considered serious academic misconduct.

  CLASS POLICIES:

  Students will arrive for class on time.  Consistent late arrival and/or early departure will impact class participation grade.

  No substance or equipment in violation of the AC Student Code of Life will be permitted in communications courses.

  Turn off cell phones or put them on silent ring during class.  No text messaging will be permitted during class.

   Plagiarism is considered serious academic misconduct.  All written assignments presented in this class must be original work by the student.  Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating will receive a failing grade. Students must abide by high standards of journalistic integrity.  Faking quotations, faking facts or reporting things that did not happen will be treated as plagiarism and dealt with in the same manner as other scholastic dishonesty.

  No form of scholastic dishonesty will be tolerated.  Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.

  “Cheating on a test” shall include:

  --Copying from another student’s test paper.

  --Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test. -------Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator.

  --Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test.

  --The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test.

  --Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.

  --Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test.

  “Plagiarism”shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.

  “Collusion”shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements. 
  
  A complete statement regarding scholastic dishonesty can be found in the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

  Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services, located in the Student Services Center 119, phone number: 371 5436 as soon as possible.

  No administrative withdrawals will be initiated by the instructor.  It is each student’s responsibility to drop a class or withdraw from school in the event he/she decides to quit attending class.

  Every student is required to comply with the policies published in the “Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook”

  Grading Criteria

  ASSIGNMENTS:

  Reading: Students will be assigned online reading and may be given handouts.

  Daily Homework: Students must immerse themselves in both local and national news.  Students are expected to watch at least one local and national television newscast daily, listen to radio news on local stations and National Public Radio and read a daily newspaper or news website.  Unannounced quizzes on assigned reading and current events will be given.

  Quizzes: Weekly 10-point quizzes will be given.  Quizzes will cover local and national current events, reading assignments and material from course lectures.  Missed quizzes cannot be made up and will be counted as a zero.  The two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

  Radio Newscast: During the first half of the semester, lab time will be used to produce and record radio newscasts that will air on the college radio station, FM-90.  All students will participate in the production and recording process.  Two students will be chosen to anchor each newscast.  Students must sign up to anchor the newscast at least once during the semester and must assist with producing the newscast at least once during the semester.

  Radio Writing: Each student will complete a minimum of six radio news stories.  Students who complete more than six stories will be able to drop their lowest grade(s).  Stories turned in after deadline may receive an automatic zero. 

  Video News Cut-ins: Each student must assist with and anchor the video news cut ins at least once during the semester.

  Television Packages: Each student will write, shoot and edit two television news packages that include a minimum of two sound bites from two sources and an on-camera stand-up.  Students will work in pairs to assist one another with shooting video.  Students will turn in edited videos and final scripts.

  Video Newscast: Students will be assigned specific responsibilities that will contribute to the production of a half-hour video newscast, which will air online.  Anchors will be chosen by audition.  Grading on this assignment will be based on quality of finished product, ability to complete work by deadline and ability to work effectively in a team.

  Comprehensive Final Exam: This exam will be given online.  Students who miss NO MORE than two class meetings and NO MORE than one lab meeting will be exempt from this Final Exam)

  Extra Credit Assignments: Three extra credit assignments are available.  Each extra credit assignment can be used to replace one absence or add ten points to the final course grade.

  GRADING CRITERIA:

  ·       Class participation/attendance/in-class exercises/anchoring radio newscast/video news updates: 10%

  ·       Quizzes: 10%

  ·       Radio Writing: 30%

  ·       TV packages: 30% (2 stories worth 15% each)

  ·       Video Newscast: 10%

  ·       Comprehensive Final Exam: 10% (students who miss NO MORE than two class meetings and NO MORE than one lab meeting will be exempt from this Final Exam)

  TRACKING CLASS PROGRESS: Each student is responsible for keeping track of his or her progress in the class.  Students must save all graded assignments until the end of the semester.  Students are encouraged to schedule meetings with the instructor outside of class time to discuss their progress and grades in the course.

  Attendance

  ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement; therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class. Daily attendance will be recorded.  Points will be deducted from final course grade for more than two absences--regardless of the reason for the absence--from lecture class and for more than one absence—regardless of the reason for the absence—from lab. No official warnings will be given to students when excessive absences jeopardize their successful completion of the course.  Students who miss classes are responsible for contacting their classmates to obtain notes and assignments covered during the missed class period.  Consistent late arrival to class or early departure will be recorded as absences.

  Calendar

   

   

  Broadcast News Course Calendar Spring 2016 (tentative calendar, subject to change)

  Week Date Topic of Study assignment (due in class) 1 Jan 20 (W) Introduction to Course/Review Syllabus/Defining News The Basics of Broadcast Writing     Lab Radio News Writing Basics/ Interviewing Techniques and Attribution   2 Jan 25 (M) Recording Audio. Hand out story assignments for Newscast 1 Radio Production Techniques.      Jan 27 (W) Writing Good Leads / Producing a Radio Newscast/ Story Flow and Teases     Lab Work on story assignments/practice using radio production equipment   3 Feb. 21(M) Reporting Techniques/ Generating Story Ideas     Feb. 3 (W) Prepare for Newscast 1/ Work on stories for Newscast 2  Newscast 1 stories due   Lab Radio Newscast 1   4 Feb 8 (M) Ethics and Objectivity     Feb 10 (W) Prepare for Newscast 2/ Work on stories for Newscast 3  Newscast 2 stories due   Lab Radio Newscast 2   5 Feb 15 (M) Types of stories: Breaking and Hard News/Feature Stories and Soft News/Writing Revisited Proofreading your writing Enterprised story ideas due   Feb 17 (W) Prepare for Newscast 3/ Work on stories for Newscast 4  Newscast 3 stories due   Lab Radio Newscast 3   6 Feb 22 (M) Broadcast News Careers and Controversies     Feb 24 (W) Prepare for Newscast 4/ Work on stories for Newscast 5  Newscast 4 stories due   Lab Radio Newscast 4   7 Feb 29 (M) TV (Video) News     March 2 (W) Prepare for Newscast 5/ Work on stories for Newscast 6  Newscast 5 stories due   Lab Radio Newscast 5   8 March 7 (M) March 9 (W) TV Script Formats Prepare for Newscast 6    Newscast 6 stories due     Lab   Radio Newscast 6   9 March 14 (M) Spring Break     March 16 (W) Spring Break   10 March 21 (M) Writing to Video/The TV package/Writing Exercises     March 23 (W) Shooting News Video     Lab Videography Exercises   11 March 28 (M) Editing News Video     March 30 (W) No class meeting—work on editing exercises Package topics due   Lab Editing Exercises   12 April 4 (M) Stand-ups, Voicing and Performance Techniques Anchoring and live-shots     April 6 (W) Work on Video Packages (No in-class meeting)     Lab Work on TV Packages   13 April 11 (M) Work on Video Packages (No in-class meeting)     Lab Work on Video Packages (No in-class meeting)     April 13 (W) Work on Video Packages /Anchor Auditions     Lab Work on Video Packages Package One due by end of day April 13 14 April 18 (M) Producing a TV/video newscast/ Assign responsibilities for newscast     April 20 (W) Work on Video Packages/Newscast Assignments (No in-class meeting) April 21: last day to withdraw   Lab Work on Video Packages/Newscast Assignments   15 April 25 (M) Work on Video Packages/Newscast Assignments Package Two due by end of day April 25   April 27 (W) Work on Newscast Assignments All rundowns and scripts due April 27   Lab Work on Newscast Assignments   16 May 2 (M) Work on Newscast All edited video for newscast (packages, VOs and VOSOTS) due   May 4 (W) 1:30-4:30 Newscast Taping Newscast Taping 17 Final Exam Week Wed. May 11   Final Exam will be given online.  Students with no more than two absences from class and no more than one absence from lab will be exempt from the final. Wed. May 11,  9 a.m.-11 a.m. Showcase and critique session will be held during scheduled final exam time.  All students must attend.  Final Exam opens Mon. May 9 and closes Wednesday May 11

  Additional Information

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  Syllabus Created on:

  11/30/-1 12:00 AM

  Last Edited on:

  11/30/-1 12:00 AM