teaching with writing - journalism syllabi - designing syllabi

teaching with writing

journalism syllabi

In many journalism courses, producing media-ready copy is acknowledged as a primary objective; therefore, frequent attention to good writing is expected. Journalists may specialize in a range of writing-based activities, including print or broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising, or online media. Practicing journalists become experts in a range of skills such as researching information, interviewing, organizing, drafting and revising, writing for specific audiences, and judging the quality of current publications. Effective journalistic writing often has criteria different from other kinds of writing: it must be clear yet sophisticated, artful yet free of obvious embellishment. It must establish a voice of its own, yet be a window to credible facts. In addition, formatting skills require practice, and thus most programs offer students opportunities to try their hands at layout design, headlines, subheads, pull quotes, graphics, and photographs. In addition, debates over subjectivity and objectivity, the ethics of civic journalism, and the introduction of terms such as "stimulus-response," "association," and "information theory" provide background for the writing-related issues that are important in the field. Writing-intensive courses in journalism provide students with practice in producing the many kinds of journalistic prose.

sample syllabi

Journalism 110, Media Writing and Information Gathering: an introductory course with three sample syllabi incorporating diverse writing assignments. The right-hand sidebar links to specific journalistic writing suggestions.

Journalism 112.10, Advanced Reporting: an upper-level course requiring students to write in-class exercises and outside assignments to hone the writing skills needed to bring clarity, context, and objectivity to news in a world of converging media.

Journalism 5606, Literary Aspects of Journalism: an upper-level course that studies the literary aspects of journalism as exemplified in, and influenced by, works of British and American writers. The syllabus requires a course review, a travel article, a profile of a local bar, and a literary analysis.

Journalism 3173, Magazine Writing: an upper-division course focusing on researching and writing articles for magazine publication. Assignments target specific skills and emphasize writing to a well-defined audience.

syllabus resources

The Journalist's Toolbox: a menu of resources including a two-part series on how to incorporate online research tools into your syllabi and lesson plans. Part I covers some basic search tools, and Part II explores government databases, crime databases, and more.