JEM 230                                                                                            

Dr. Lori Amber Roessner

Semester: Fall 2010                                                                                            

Lab: Room 309 COM                                                                      

Time: 11:10-12:25 p.m.

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-4 p.m. or by appointment                 

E-mail: aroessne@utk.edu

Office Location: 339 COM

Course Communication: aroessne@utk.edu

Course Administration: Online@UT

Course Web site: http://www.jem230.com/

Discussion Forum: JEM 230 Facebook Page

Publishing Opportunities: JEM 230 Blogger Page, Tennessee Journalist, TVC, WUTK, The Daily Beacon and other local media outlets  

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This lab provides students with real world experiences in public affairs reporting. The guidance and practice that you receive in this lab is supplemented by the instruction that you receive in JEM 230 lecture. In this lab, you will cover public affairs on campus and in the surrounding Knoxville area. You will learn the art of storytelling in a multiplatform journalistic world.

Course Goals:

The goal of JEM 230 is to:

• prepare students in techniques of gathering and disseminating information in a multiplatform journalistic world
• emphasize the importance of professional and ethical practices
• increase the awareness among students about the importance of journalism to the democratic process
• develop a greater appreciation of the First Amendment freedoms of speech and press
• allow students to develop experience with tools of information presentation: text, pictures, audio and video
• develop students’ understanding of the three sources of information: personal, stored (public records) and observational
• provide students with experience using standard hardware and software of multimedia reporting

Course Objectives:  

By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

·      produce an audio slide show

·      interview public officials (i.e. individuals in city and county government, university officials, school boards and other quasi-public bodies)

·      cover governmental or political meetings or events (i.e. regularly scheduled meetings, press conferences, openings or announcements, political rallies, etc.)

·      produce a multiplatform package based on review of public records

·      produce a multiplatform profile of public official or public figure

 

Course Prerequisites: JEM 200—Media Writing

Required Texts:

·      AP Stylebook

·      All journalists are required to stay abreast of current news through local, state, and national media outlets.

Course Communication:

Students are required to maintain an active T-mail account for electronic mail. In addition, this is an Online @ UT course in which administrative communication between professor and students take place online. Student records (i.e. attendance, test scores, etc.) will be available through Online @ UT. Students are also required to check the course Web site at http://jem230.com, as well as the course Facebook and Blogger pages for supplemental course communication and information.

Course Grading:

Your comprehensive JEM 230 grade is composed of lecture (30%) and lab (70%) evaluations. Below is the grade rubric for this lab. No extra credit is available for this course.

Lab Grade Rubric:

Attendance (28): 10%

Weekly In-Lab Assignments (28): 10%

Pop Quizzes (3 or more): 10%

AP Style Test (1): 5%

Coverage of Public Affairs Events (5): 35%

Public Official Profile (1): 15%

Trend/Investigative Piece Based on Public Records: 15%

Assignment Grades:

Grades are NOT negotiable. Grades are final; they are my subjective interpretation of your performance on the assignments. That said, all major assignments are graded based on an assignment-specific rubric provided to students no less than one week before the assignment is due.

Assignment Overview:

These are basic assignment descriptions. More detailed assignment descriptions and guidelines will be provided in lab.

Attendance: See course policies below.

Pop Quizzes: Throughout the course of the semester, you will have three or more pop quizzes over current events and material covered in the lab.

Weekly In-lab Assignments: You will be required to complete weekly in-lab assignments, which range from “mock interviews” to profiles of other students and coverage of breaking news.

AP Style Test: You will be required to successfully complete the AP style test.

Public Affairs Coverage: Throughout the course of the semester, you will be required to report on and produce five multimedia pieces on governmental or political meetings/events. More detailed instructions will follow.

Profile: You will be required to produce one multimedia profile on a public official. More detailed instructions will follow.

Trend/Investigative Piece: You will be required to produce one trend/investigative package on a public affairs issue, which includes analysis of public records. More detailed instructions will follow.

Course Policies:

Attendance:

Students who enroll in JEM 200 have three responsibilities:

• prepare
• attend
• engage

Central to these responsibilities is attendance. Students are expected to attend every lab section. Plan to attend every class and be on time. If you must be absent, please notify me in advance. Tardiness is not accepted for any reason. Students that fail to arrive on time for class will be asked to leave and will be counted absent. We also expect students to prepare and participate in labs in an appropriate way.

 Because this is a professional course, part of the evaluation of students is based on their professional behavior and the extent to which they live up to the responsibilities listed above.

Every time a student misses class for any reason, that student misses valuable information and experience and is likely to lose points that accumulate toward the awarding of a final grade. We will try to structure the grading system so that a single absence does not affect the grade, but we cannot promise that this will always be the case. And in fact, such a structure defies reality. When you miss class, you miss something that cannot be recalled or gained elsewhere.

Too many absences, of course, negate any evaluation scheme. More importantly, it negates the learning process. More than one lab absence will lower your final lab grade by 10 percent.

Late Assignments/Make-ups:

Late assignments are unacceptable. Students who turn in late work will not receive a grade higher than a D on the assignment. Make-up work is not accepted.

Cell Phones/Electronic Devices:

All electronic devices that may disrupt class activities are to be turned off until deemed appropriate by the instructor. Electronic disruptions include e-mailing or playing computer games on laptop computers during class time. If electronic devices become a disruption, individual or entire class “electronic device bans” may be issued. When an “electronic device ban” is issued, all electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, iPODs, iPADs, laptops, etc., will be left in a box by the door before every class.

Academic honesty:

Academic dishonesty is unacceptable.

Plagiarism is a serious offense – both in this course and in media professions. You must attribute information you use. Lifting quotes from another published source and passing them off as having been obtained by you through interviews is a form of plagiarism. In addition, making up information is grounds for failure of the assignment or, in more serious cases, the course. Other examples of academic dishonesty include cheating on tests or quizzes, being aware of cheating but failing to report it, etc. All activity deemed as a breach in the honor code will result in an investigation by an impartial panel and due process will be guaranteed to any individual whose behavior may be questioned. When in doubt about any of this, just ask the instructor in advance. Please also see Hilltopics (p. 11) for the UT statement about plagiarism and academic honesty.

Disabilities:

The University of Tennessee is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws including the American Disabilities Act. If you have a disability that requires accommodation(s), make an appointment with the Office of Disability Services (974-6087) to discuss your specific needs and also discuss the problems with the instructor. In addition, let us know about potential medical emergencies.

Diversity:

The University of Tennessee is committed to providing inclusive classroom experiences. Please review & adhere to the CCI Diversity Statement (College of Communication and Information Bylaws, Section II-C): The College of Communication and Information recognizes that a college diverse in its people, curricula, scholarship, research, and creative activities expands opportunities for intellectual inquiry and engagement, helps students develop critical thinking skills and prepares students for social and civic responsibilities. All members of the College benefit from diversity, and the quality of learning, research, scholarship and creative activities is enhanced by a climate of inclusion, understanding and appreciation of differences and the full range of human experience. As a result, the College is committed to diversity and equal opportunity, and it recognizes that it must represent the diversity inherent in American society. The College is acutely aware that diversity and fairness are foundations that unite the College’s faculty, staff, students and the larger communication and information community (see http://www.cci.utk.edu/diversity-statement for CCI's full Diversity Statement).

 

Tentative Schedule:

*All in-lab exercises are due at the end of lab, unless otherwise specified by the professor.

**All outside assignments are due at the beginning of lab. Assignments turned in at 8:11 a.m. will not be accepted.

***This is the tentative lab schedule. Since this is a new course, I have constructed a flexible schedule that is subject to change.

 

Date	Topic	Assignment Due
Week 1 (Aug. 19)	Introductions/Class Operation/Intro. to News
Week 1 (Aug. 24)	Basics of Reporting
Week 2 (Aug. 26)	Brainstorming	Slideshow Due
Week 2 (Aug. 31)	Tools of the Trade
Week 3 (Sept. 2)	Research	AP Style Test
Week 3 (Sept. 7)	The Art of the Interview
Week 4 (Sept. 9)	The Art of the Interview
Week 4 (Sept. 14)	Ethics/Diversity
Week 5 (Sept. 16)	Local, State & National Government
Week 5 (Sept. 21)	Covering Speeches & Press Conferences
Week 6 (Sept. 23)	Covering Meetings	PA No. 1
Week 6 (Sept. 28)	Public Records/Online Databases
Week 7 (Sept. 30)	Working with Numbers
Week 7 (Oct. 5)	Courts & Law Enforcement	Profile
Week 8 (Oct. 7)	No Class! Have a fun & safe Fall Break!
Week 8 (Oct. 12)	Acquiring Good Images	PA No. 2
Week 9 (Oct. 14)	Acquiring Good Video & Audio
Week 9 (Oct. 19)	Trend Stories
Week 10 (Oct. 21)	Investigative Journalism	PA No. 3
Week 10 (Oct. 26)	Civic Journalism
Week 11 (Oct. 28)	TBA
Week 11 (Nov. 2)	TBA	PA No. 4
Week 12 (Nov. 4)	TBA
Week 12 (Nov. 9)	TBA
Week 13 (Nov. 11)	TBA	PA No. 5
Week 13 (Nov. 16)	TBA
Week 14 (Nov. 18)	TBA
Week 14 (Nov. 23)	TBA	Trend Piece

 

I have carefully read and reviewed the syllabus. I understand all information and policies outlined in the document, and I promise to the best of my ability adhere to all course policies.

I understand that the lab schedule is tentative and subject to change. The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes through T-mail communication and Online@UT.

                                                                                

Student Signature                                                                                 Date

Assignment 1:

Take the learning style inventory test at http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html. Print out the results and turn them in at the beginning of the following class. Then, review how to strengthen your learning styles below:

Strengthening Your Learning

There is no one best way to learn.  As unique individuals, we all have different learning styles and preferences.  However, in the course of our lives, we must adapt to a wide range of learning situations-- and it is highly likely that some of these situations will not conform to our strengths.  The trick is to continually to build on our strengths while developing other strategies and skills.

The table below provides explanations for some of the major categories of learning styles and suggests strategies for effective learning.

 

Learning Styles and Preferences	Strategies to Strengthen These Learning Styles
Visual Visual learners learn best from what they see: diagrams, flowcharts, time lines, films, and demonstrations.	·      Add diagrams to your notes whenever possible. ·      Organize notes so that you can clearly see main points and supporting facts and how ideas are connected. ·      Use visual organizers (graphs, charts, symbols, etc.) to help show relationships between concepts/ideas. ·      Color-code notes to help you to see categories of information ·      Use visualization as a way to study/prepare for tests and to retrieve information.
Verbal Verbal learners gain the most learning from reading, hearing spoken words, participating in discussions, and explaining things to others.	·      Attend lectures and tutorials. ·      Ask questions to hear more information. ·      Read the textbook and highlight no more than 10%.  (See annotating text.) ·      Record lectures. ·      Rewrite your notes and add what you missed from the tape. ·      Recite or summarize information.  (See chunking.) ·      Talk about what you learn. Work in study groups. ·      Review information by listening to tapes you have recorded.
Active/Tactile Active learners need to experience knowledge through their own actions either by "doing" or by getting personally involved in their learning.  They prefer quick paced instruction-- and instructors that keeps things moving.	·      Utilize as many senses as possible while learning. ·      Go to labs, exhibits, tours, etc. to experience the concepts being learned. ·      Try out example problems and questions. ·      Study in a group. ·      Relate the information to concrete examples as you read or listen in lectures. ·      Think about how you will apply the information being presented.  (See questions.) ·      Pace and recite while you learn. ·      Act out material or design learning games. ·      Use flash cards with other people. ·      Teach the material to someone else.
Reflective Reflective learners understand information best when they have had time to reflect on it on their own (and at their own pace).	·      Study in a quiet setting. ·      When you are reading, stop periodically to think about what you have read. ·      Don't just memorize material; think about why it is important and how ideas are related.  (See questions and visual organizers.) ·      Write short summaries of what the material means to you.
Factual Factual learners prefer concrete, specific facts, data, and detailed experimentation.	·      Ask the instructor how ideas and concepts apply in practice. ·      Ask for specific examples of the ideas and concepts.  (See questions.) ·      Brainstorm specific examples with classmates or by yourself. ·      Think about how theories make specific connections with the real world.
Theoretical Theoretical learners are more comfortable with big-picture ideas, symbols, and new concepts.	·      If a class deals primarily with factual information, try to think of concepts, interpretations, or theories that link the facts together. ·      Because you become impatient with details, take the time to read directions and test questions before answering, and be sure to check your work.  (See test-taking strategies.) ·      Look for systems and patterns to arrange facts in a way that makes sense to you.  (See visual organizers.) ·      Spend time analyzing the material. (See questions.)
Linear (Left Brain) Linear thinkers find it easiest to learn material presented step by step in a logical, ordered progression.  They can work with sections of material without fully understanding the whole picture.	·      Choose highly structured courses and instructors. ·      If you have an instructor who jumps around from topic to topic, spend time outside of class with the instructor or a classmate who can help you fill  the gaps in your notes.  (Use mapping techniques for taking notes.) ·      If class notes are random, rewrite the material according to whatever logic helps you to understand it. ·      Outline the material.
Holistic (Right Brain) Holistic thinkers progress in fits and starts.  They may feel lost and unable to solve problems, until they can see the big picture and the relationships between ideas.  They need to make sense of details.  They tend to be creative.	·      Recognize that you are not slow or stupid. ·      Before reading the chapter, preview it by reading all the subheadings, summaries, and any margin glossary terms.  ·      Instead of spending a short time on every subject every night, try immersing yourself in just one subject at a time. ·      To concentrate on one course at a time, take difficult subjects in summer school or when you have fewer courses.  (Warning:  Make sure you have enough time to study and to prepare projects and papers.  The same amount of material is covered in a shorter time in summer and intersession classes.) ·      Relate subjects to things you already know.  Ask yourself how you would apply the material.  (See questions.) ·      Use maps and visual organizers to help yourself get the big picture.

 

Source: Bucks County Community College.