JOUR 3451: Writing and Reporting for Electronic Media
View this Course Profile in PDF
Basic Information
Prerequisites
Course Description
Expected Competencies
Competency Goals
Assignments and Activities
Workload
JOUR 3451: Writing and Reporting for Electronic Media (3 credits)
- Multi-section course
- Lecture & class discussion twice a week
- Lab session once a week
Prerequisites
- Major status
- JOUR 3004W and JOUR 3101
Course Description
In J3451, students will learn how to research, write and report different forms of electronic news stories including anchor readers, voiceovers and packages within a framework of news judgment and news ethics. Students will become familiar with the basics of shooting and editing electronic news stories; and produce two full news packages for television. The course will compare and contrast television news writing with news writing for radio and online.
Expected Competencies
Students who enroll in 3451 must have taken Jour 3004 and 3101. All students should have the following skills:
- An understanding of news values (relevance, proximity, timeliness, impact, prominence)
- An understanding of techniques for reporting, interviewing, and building sources
- An introductory understanding of how to access public records and other documents
- An ability to write clearly, with concise word choice and sentence construction
- A command of proper grammar
- An understanding of the importance of news source credibility, of fairness in news coverage, and of critical thinking skills applied to news events and information
Competency goals for 3451
Jour 3451 is the introductory electronic news writing and reporting course. It is the student’s introduction to
- the very different style of broadcast news writing
- digital video camera operation
- non-linear digital video editing
News writing
- broadcast news writing style, learning to distinguish between the writing styles required for electronic news and that which is acceptable or expected in print journalism
- ability to write various forms of electronic news stories (including anchor readers, voiceovers, packages for television
- ability to produce stories matching copy to video, using clean, concise, conversational copy and video/audio that captures and conveys the message
- ability to exploit video and audio storytelling potential of the electronic news-gathering tools
- ability to report on a range of story types, including hard news, events and features
- ability to understand how a story would be reported differently in print, television, radio and online
Video photojournalism & editing
- how to operate digital video cameras
- match-cut sequences of wide shot, medium shot, tight shot
- match-cut sequences of action
- emphasis on steady-sequenced video (avoiding pans, zooms, tilts unless there is a sound reason for employing such camera/lens movement)
- use of neutral cutaway shots to avoid jump cuts in action
- proper video and audio transitions in shooting and editing
- honoring screen direction and the 180-degree rule (draw an imaginary line between two people involved in an interview or conversation; all camera angles should be taken from only one side of that line.)
- importance of natural sound in video scenes
- importance of composition of scenes (including the composition of interview framing)
- methods for working on and off the tripod
- pacing in the shooting and editing of a television news story
Reporting
- ability to report on a range of story types, including hard news, events and features
- ability to understand how a story would be reported differently in print, television, radio and online
Assignments and activities
Writing assignments
Students will be expected to write at least 15 television news stories (in and out of class) in the course of the semester. The breakdown might be as follows:
- 10 anchor readers
- 3 voiceovers or VO/SOTs (:30-:45 each)
- 3 complete packages (1:30 or longer)
Story ideas
For video projects, (at least four, as many as six), students will generate and research their own story ideas; they will not be assigned by the instructor.
Video photojournalism and editing assignments
- Students will shoot and edit 4-6 video stories (voiceovers, voiceovers with soundbites (VO/SOTs), and complete self-contained stories or packages.)
- Students will shoot using digital video cameras available in the School’s Digital Media Studio, and edit using Final Cut Pro software on computers in the Studio.
Quizzes and other assignments
Students may be given quizzes on current events throughout the semester and/or on assigned readings. Students may also be asked to write an analysis of a newscast.
Workload
Students work independently through the course and spend most of their time outside of class (approximately 8 hours a week) putting together video news stories.
- Developing story ideas and reporting/researching a story: 30%
- Writing: 20%
- Video photojournalism and editing: 40%
- Other: 10%