[a4.9] school of journalism studies and graphic communications

Appendix A4.9

School of Journalism Studies and Graphic Communication

School of Journalism & Graphic Communication

Responses to Questions from Governor Rick Scott

A. The School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) is comprised of two divisions—Journalism and Graphic Communication. Both divisions are accredited by their respective accrediting associations. Journalism is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) and Graphic Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communication (ACCGC).

It is appropriate to mention the Division of Journalism is scheduled for a re-accreditation site visit in February 2012. The division faculty is currently involved in preparations for that visit. A self-study is near completion which contains information from industry representatives about the preparation of the program’s graduates. The school, in addition, benefits from an advisory board which is comprised of industry professionals who are familiar with students in the program and, of course, with the needs of the industry. Attachment A to this response identifies the members of the school’s Board of Visitors. Attachment B to this response identifies the professional competencies in the journalism accrediting association’s guidelines.

B. The school’s faculty is thoughtful in its preparation of students. Indeed, the school has recently completed a restructuring of its curriculum to enhance the preparation of its students for the world of work.

In addition to the faculty’s constant monitoring of the curriculum, the school regularly reviews objectives from key courses and assesses student performances in these courses. The findings of these assessment efforts lead to discussions that focus on strategies to enhance student performance. The accrediting agency’s competences have been identified in the response to item A.

C. Indeed, the school has writing proficiency and critical thinking competencies evidenced in its annual assessments efforts. Copies of the 2010-11 reports have been included in Attachment C.

Given the pedagogical focus of the school, an emphasis on writing proficiency and critical thinking is required and is indeed evident. Syllabi reflecting this emphasis have been provided in Attachment D.

E. The SJGC curriculum provides a strong emphasis on writing proficiency and critical thinking into all its courses. As discussed previously, focusing instruction on writing proficiency and critical thinking is central to the school’s mission. This emphasis is reflected in the school’s mission, its courses and again the accrediting agency’s guidelines.

The school’s annual assessment reports reflect on-going monitoring and strategies to strengthen students’ writing and critical thinking ability.

F. The SJGC has named one of its faculty members as its coordinator of internships and placement. The faculty member provides information on internships and employment opportunities for students/graduates. Each year, the faculty member identifies internships that SJGC students have experienced. Students who take internship for credit are required to have a supervisor provide a report on the intern’s performance. The faculty member shares the results of such critiques with the rest of the faculty.

The faculty member also maintains a website that identifies opportunities for internships and employment for students and alumni.

M. Each year, some 20 to 30 recruiters visit the school to interview students for internships and employment opportunities. The school also holds an annual career fair that features list of regular recruiters such as CNN, Gannett, ESPN. Q. The FAMU SJGC is nationally recognized for its outstanding graduates. Just this year, CBS agreed to fund a visiting professorship in the name of Harold Dow, to Support the school’s efforts to educate the next generation of journalists. CBS, like other companies, knows journalism/communications industry continues to have a need for qualified African Americans. The FAMU SJGC has a reputation for providing that talent. During a recent meeting of the school’s BOV, one board shared a story that identified Florida A&M as the only school in the historically black college community worth looking to for qualified graphic designers.

Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication

Board of Visitors Joseph Brown III Enterprise Photography Team Leader Tampa Tribune 200-202 S. Parker St. Tampa, FL 33606 813-259-7711 [email protected] Carolyn Fennell Director of Public Affairs Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Orlando International Airport One Airport Boulevard Orlando, FL 32827 407-825-2055 [email protected] Kim Godwin Senior Producer CBS Evening News with Katie Couric 524 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 212 975 3691 [email protected] Princell Hair Senior Vice President of News Operations Comcast SportsNet One Comcast Center, 28th floor Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838 215-286-5792 [email protected] David Ibarra Business Operations Manager ESPN ESPN Plaza Bristol, CT 06010 [email protected] Betsy Helgager-Hughes President/CEO BLH Consulting, Inc. 502 Pryor Street, Suite 301 Atlanta, GA 30312 404-688-0415 [email protected] Dr. Judi Moore Latta Professor Department of Radio, TV and Film School of Communication Howard University 525 Bryant Street, Room C230 Washington, DC 20059 202 806 7927 [email protected]

Ethan “Tony” Loney Vice President, Diversity Compliance and Campus NBC Universal 30 Rockerfeller Plaza New York, NY 10112-0015

212-664-3263 [email protected]

Jerry Lopes President of Program Operations and Affiliations America American Urban Radio Networks 960 Penn Avenue, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-456-4041 [email protected] Brian A. Rice Design Leader, North American Fabric Care Household Care Design The Procter & Gamble Company One P&G Plaza C-7, Box 15 Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-983-3468 [email protected] Charles Rosenberg President/National Sales Manager Rose Printing 2503 Jackson Bluff Road Tallahassee, FL 32304 850-576-4151 [email protected] George Ryan President Printing Association of Florida 6275 Hazeltine National Drive Orlando, FL 32822 407-240-8009 [email protected] Ron Sachs President Ron Sachs Communications 114 S. Duval Street Tallahassee, FL 32301 850 222 1996 ext. 105 [email protected]

Bryan E. Simmons Vice President Client and Industry Communications IBM Corporation 1133 Westchester Avenue MD 250 White Plains, NY 10604 914-642-4359 [email protected] Annetta Wilson President Annetta Wilson Media Training and Success Coaching 7025 CR46A, Suite 1071 #344 Lake Mary, FL 32746 407-333-4744 [email protected] Terrence B. Williams Vice President Human Resources and Organizational Development New York Times Regional Media Group Corporate Center One 2202 North West Shore Blvd. Suite 370 Tampa, FL 33607 813-864-6010 [email protected] James L. Winston Executive Director National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters 1155 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 202-463-8970 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]�

















FORMER MEMBERS Bolanson “Tony” Adeshina

Cedric Bryant

Nancy Cardea

Ellen Gorringe

Mike Pate

Louis “Skip” Perez

Nissa Walton Booker

Revised 1/2011

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Florida A&M University Fall 2011

School of Journalism & Graphic Communication JOU 2100 Reporting & Writing I (previously known as MMC 2100 Mass Media Methods) Lecture: JOU 2100 (MMC2100) Section 001 Class # 7227 with lab included Class meets in room 2072. Mondays & Wednesdays - lecture 9:05-9:50 am

E-mail:

Mondays & Wednesdays - lab 10:10 - 11:00 am

Professor: Dorothy Bland

[email protected] Phone: 850 599-3719

Blog: www.multimediajourney.blogspot.com

Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Tuesday & Thursday: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Office Location: Room 4029 SJGC Building

Syllabus is subject to change as the professor sees the need to do so, and some readings will be posted on FAMU’s Blackboard so check this account each week.

1. Reporting for the Media (Ninth Edition) by John R. Bender, Michael W. Drager, Lucinda D. Davenport and Fred Fedler. Published by Oxford University Press, New York.

TEXTBOOKS and Other supplies

2. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2011 (2011 edition. Yes, social media updates will be included in quizzes.)

3. Elements of Style (Fourth Edition) by William A. Strunk & E.B. White 4. Mobile smart phone, camera or flip camera. If you do not have one, then you will be allowed to

check out a flip camera for a 24-hour period. 5. Jump drive for all coursework. (You are responsible for saving your work while in class.) 6. 9 x 11 manila folder to keep your writing assignments. 7. Reading and digesting news are daily class requirements. You are required to read the

Tallahassee Democrat, The Famuan, Journey and one reputable online national news site such as www.cnn.com, www.nytimes.com, www.usatoday.com or www.npr.org daily. You also are encouraged to watch local news on WCTV-TV or WTXL-TV. The Tallahassee Democrat and USA Today are free on campus, and there is a newspaper box at the SJGC building’s main entrance


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To learn more about FAMU’s Academic Learning Compact go to:

http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?Assessment&CurrentALCs

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course serves as an introduction to basic storytelling and writing techniques for all media forums, especially news organizations. This class includes a lab that immediately follows the lecture portion of the class.

1. Conduct interviews as well as use library and Internet resources to gather information for news stories.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

As a course in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, Reporting & Writing I focuses on writing, grammar and style while providing exposure to multimedia forms. The competencies students are expected to have upon completion of this course include learning to:

2. Write lead sentences and organize news stories in at least two styles such as inverted pyramid and feature under deadline pressure.

3. Understand the basic legal and ethical principles of mass communications. 4. Write for print, broadcast and Internet news formats. 5. Be familiar with how key media outlets such as books, magazines, newspapers and online

services use Associated Press style guidelines. 6. Demonstrate basic language skills such as active and passive voice, subject-verb agreement,

spelling, etc. 7. Increase awareness of current news events and social media tools for gathering news.

QUIZZES, LAB AND HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS PLUS EXAMS:

Quizzes, lab and homework assignments will be used to reinforce textbook information and lectures. This course will include five AP style quizzes, at least 10 homework/lab assignments, two news stories for student media, a team project reviewing journalism practices in Africa and a comprehensive final exam. All lab and homework assignments must be turned in on time. There will be no makeup quizzes or exams without a note from the dean. The format for most quizzes and the final exam will include true/false, multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.

Wednesday, Nov. 2 - Stylebook entries S-Z (AP QUIZ #5)

AP STYLEBOOK QUIZ DATES

Wednesday, Sept. 7 - Stylebook entries A-C (AP QUIZ #1)

Wednesday, Sept. 21 - Stylebook entries D-G (AP QUIZ #2)

Wednesday, Oct . 5 - Stylebook entries H-O (AP QUIZ #3)

Wednesday, Oct. 19 - Stylebook entries P-R (AP QUIZ #4)

http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?Assessment&CurrentALCs�

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HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

The first story proposal for student media will be due in writing on Sept. 14 with at least 10 questions and five sources that you plan to contact. Key components within a story proposal will be posted on Blackboard and reviewed in class. If a similar story was written within the last school year then that does not qualify. If you do not turn in a story proposal, five points will be deducted from your story package. A summary of story proposals will be loaded on Blackboard for the class. The first 400-word story package will be due on Sept. 28 (with phone numbers for sources at the end of the story) in class. Any rewrites will be due on the following Wednesday. You are to email a copy to

There will be at least 10 homework assignments graded and each graded assignment will be worth 10 points. Up to 20 bonus points will be included in the homework assignments.

In lieu of a mid-term exam, each student will be expected to write at least two stories and collect data for an informational graphic, photo or breakout box related to each of the two stories that could be considered for publication in The Famuan or Journey. Accuracy, spelling and grammar matter in journalism. Five points will be deducted for each fact error or name misspelled, so please proof your work.

[email protected] or the appropriate section editor after the professor has provided you feedback.

Your first evergreen story must be related to a local event, research or topic outside of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. You cannot pitch a story or write a story about classmates, roommates and issues within the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. Journalists must be curious and often cover topics outside of their comfort zones.

The second evergreen story proposal will be due in writing on Oct. 12 with at least 10 questions and five sources that you plan to contact. That 400-word story package will be due on Wednesday, Oct. 26, including phone numbers for sources at the end of the story. Any rewrites will be due on the following Wednesday. You are to email a copy to [email protected] or the appropriate section editor after the professor has provided you feedback.

Each of the story-related assignments for student media is worth 25 points or a total of 50 points. Failure to turn in a photo or information box, will result in 5 points being deducted from each assignment for student media.

Students in this class will collaborate with the International Press Institute in Vienna, Austria to produce stories about press restrictions, censorship and the daily practice of journalism in Africa. You will be paired with another student and as a team you will research and produce an 800-1,000 word report on the state of journalism/media in that country. You also will produce an information fact box that includes the country’s population, a “domestic overview” or mini-summary of the economic/political situation in that country and a “beyond borders” or mini-summary of key foreign relations. The 10 countries assigned to this class are Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Africa journalism project package is worth 50 points. Failure to turn in an information box, will result in 10 points being deducted from the Africa assignment.



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FINAL EXAM

The final exam will be comprehensive and will cover all class materials, including lectures, the textbook and AP style.

1) Attend each class meeting;

CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Each student is expected to participate in class. Please remember that your input during class discussion is just as important and necessary as the comments of your fellow classmates. PLEASE ARRIVE TO CLASS ON TIME having read the day’s assigned readings. When listening to lectures, please feel free to ask clarifying questions and to offer constructive or illustrative comments. You are expected to be constructive critical thinkers and present your best in all verbal and written activities.

THE BEST GRADES ARE GENERALLY ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS WHO:

2) Submit high quality, honest work ON TIME.

Adherence to the professor’s expectations presented in this syllabus will increase each student’s chance of receiving the grade you desire. The syllabus will be reviewed during the first class meeting. Each student also is expected to read the complete syllabus.

**Please turn off your cell phone, MP3 player and all other electronic devices prior to the start of the class. Pop quizzes on current events and/or assigned reading materials will be given for the entire class if a cell phone, MP3 player or other electronic device is used inappropriately in class. Pop quizzes cannot be made up so you must be present to participate.

Dress Code

Students are required to dress appropriately for class. This means no baseball caps, hats, halter tops, short shorts, belly buttons, underwear, excessive cleavage or other inappropriate attire during class.

Students with special needs because of a physical or mental ability should contact the Center for Disability Access and Resources (CeDAR). The center has been established to assist students with disabilities attending FAMU. The staff has close contact with federal and state agencies that provide services to disabled individuals. The staff will work with each student individually in order to develop solutions to meet his or her needs. For more information about services available to FAMU students with disabilities, please contact the CeDAR, 667 Ardelia Court, FAMU, Tallahassee, FL 32307. Email:

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy statement

[email protected]. Phone: 850 599-3180.


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Class Attendance and Absences

Attendance is very important. This course allows for three unexcused absences. Any absences beyond 3 absences must be excused by the Dean with written documentation. Based on university rules, a student who accumulates more than two unexcused absences may automatically receive an “F” for the course. All student illnesses and emergencies that may lead to an absence(s) should be reported to the instructor as soon as possible with appropriate documentation based on university guidelines upon returning to class following the absence(s).

Deadlines and Format of Written Homework Assignments

Journalists are expected to make deadlines. All assignments should be submitted in a typewritten format and on time. No handwritten homework assignments will be accepted. Unless you have a documented medical emergency or an excused absence approved by the dean, no late homework assignments will be accepted. All assignments should include the following information in the order listed below:

Your Name:

Course Title:

Date:

Homework #:

All assignments should be typed in double-spaced format using 12 point Arial type.

Students are urged to visit the professor during office hours to discuss questions and concerns they may have about the class, assignments, etc. Telling the professor that you did not understand an assignment at the time the assignment is due is unacceptable. Please review all assignments ahead of time to make certain that you understand what the assignment is asking you do to. If you do not understand an assignment, you are urged to ask questions prior to the due date of the assignment.

All work from printed sources or interviews must be attributed. This is a basic requirement in journalism. Plagiarism, or ‘the using of someone else’s work and pass it off as one’s own, without giving that work proper credit or attribution.” This is includes material copied from someone’s paper(s) or form the Internet (including quoted material lifted from someone else’s news stories) with attribution. A violation of that requirement will be reported to the Dean’s office. Each assignment should be the work of the student whose name appears on the completed task.

AVOID PLAGIARISM

Material copied from classmates will be considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is the most serious academic offense that you can commit and can result in a failing grade for course or expulsion. Penalties for plagiarizing and cheating activities at a minimum will result in receiving a zero grade for the assignment. For more serious cases, students may fail the course and/or be referred to the Academic Conduct Committee and our Dean

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for possible expulsion. All students will be required to sign and submit to the professor a copy of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication Honor Code.

- Awkward, wordy phrases and sentences.

GRADING

All written assignments including news stories/articles and homework assignments will be graded on how well you follow the directions for the assigned task. Please avoid the following common writing errors:

- Misspelled words. - Factual errors. - Grammatical errors - Incorrect choice of homonym (words that have the same sound and sometime the same

spelling, but differ in meaning. Examples of homonyms include: their and there, here and hear, stationary (unmoving) and stationery (writing paper), your (possessive of you) and you’re (contraction for you are), assent (agreement) and ascent (a movement upward).

Grade Assessment Categories:

1) Stylebook Quizzes (5 worth 10 points each) = 50 points

2) Top 10 Homework/Lab Assignments (worth 10 points each) = 100 points

3) Two Stories for Student Media with Info Box or Photo = 50 points

4) Africa Journalism Project = 50 points

5) Class Participation (includes pop quizzes) = 40 points

6) Final Exam = 60 points

TOTAL = 350 points

• 315-350 = A

Final Grade Scale

• 280-314 = B • 245-279 = C • 210-244 = D • 209 & below = F

Aug. 29 Introductions. Syllabus is distributed. Course objectives, assignments, grades and expectations are discussed.

Draft Schedule of Class Readings/Lecture Topics and Home Work Assignments

Date Topic

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Go to www.typingtest.com and take the 2-minute test. Results are due at at the end of class.

Register for www.famusjgc-oip.com.

Lab/Homework Assignment #1 (10 points): Complete student information sheet. Write a 200-word essay summarizing your career goals and what you’d like to achieve in the next 10 years. Use the magazines provided to develop a storyboard to showcase your goals. What skills do you need to develop to live your dreams? What networks and resources do you need to develop? Identify three online resources that can help you. Google is not an acceptable answer. (This written assignment is due at the end of class and your storyboard is due Wednesday at the start of class.)

Aug. 31 Lecture: Video Moment with Chapters 1 and 2

Why Journalism Matters and the Basics; Newsmania exercise

YouTube moments: “The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoM-3wBvXhE

Reading: “The Future of News” - link posted on Blackboard

Lab: Pretest; Discussion of Assignment #1 and AP review for A-C

5 Bonus Points: Go to www.blogger.com or wordpress.com, create a blog and plan to attend the FAMU Convocation on Sept. 2. Take notes and then post a 200-word summary of what you learned from the convocation and print a hard copy or link to turn in on Sept. 7 at the start of class.

Sept. 5 NO CLASS – HAPPY LABOR DAY!

Sept. 7 Lecture: Chapter 3 - Grammar and Spelling; www.newsroom101.com

Guest Lecturer: Gloria Woody on Information Literacy

Lab: Chapter 3 grammar and spelling exercises with AP Quiz #1

Review expectations for Africa Journalism Project, select teams and assign countries.

Book Check Time!

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Homework Assignment #2: Plan to attend the opening session of the FAMU NABJ Multimedia Short Course in the SJGC Lecture Hall on Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. On your blog, post at least a 200-word summary of what you learned from the speaker, print the hard copy or link to turn in on Sept. 12 at the start of class.

Sept. 12 Lecture: Chapter 4 - Newswriting Style; Story Proposal Basics

Lab: Chapter 4 grammar, sentence structure and spelling exercises with AP review. Brainstorm story proposals.

Sept. 14 Lecture: Chapter 5 - Language of News

Lab: First story proposal due. Chapter 5 exercises.

Homework Assignment #3: Write a 200-word story to advance a news event that will take place between Sept. 21 and Oct. 8.

5 Bonus Points: Plan to attend “The Secret to Successful Time Management Workshop” at noon on Sept. 16 in the SJGC Lecture Hall. Post a 200-word summary of what you learned from the speaker, print the hard copy or link to turn in on Sept. 19 at the start of class.

Sept. 19 Lecture: Chapter 11 Interviewing Basics

Lab: AP review; Chapter 11 exercises.

Homework assignment #3 due = 10 points

Sept. 21 Lecture: Chapter 10 Quotes & Attribution

Lab: AP Quiz #2; Chapter 10 exercises

Sept. 26 Lecture: Chapter 6 - Selecting and Reporting the News

Lab: Chapter 6 exercises and writing assignment

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News homework assignment #4 due = 10 points

Sept. 28 Lecture: Chapter 7 - Basic News leads

Lab: Focus on leads.

Evergreen Story Package #1 Due = 25 points

Oct. 3 Lecture: Chapters 8 and 9 – Alternative Leads and Body of the Story

Lab: Alternative leads

Homework assignment #4 due = 10 points

Oct. 5 Lecture: Continue with Leads and Body of Story

AP Quiz #3

Lab: Discussion/revision of writing assignments

Oct. 10 Lecture: Chapter 20 - Bias, Libel and Slander

Lab: AP review and Chapter 20 exercises. Brainstorm story proposals.

Homework assignment on bias #5 due = 10 points

(Print out and review at least three recent articles about a major news event in the last week or an environmental issue. Write a blog post about what you learned about biased coverage in the media and what you suggest be done differently.

Check out http://www.350.org.

Oct. 12 Lecture: Chapter 21 – Ethics

Lab: Evergreen story proposal #2 is due.

Chapter 21 exercises

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5 Bonus Points: Plan to attend “The New York Times Editing Workshop” on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the SJGC Lecture Hall. Establish a Twitter account and tweet about what you learned and bring documentation to class on Oct. 17.

Oct. 17 Lecture: Working in the Digital Newsroom

Reading: Digital Survival Guide – see link on Blackboard

Lab: Assignment to be determined.

Don’t forget the FAMU SJGC Career Fair is Oct. 18.

Oct. 19 Lecture: Social Media Basics for Media Professionals

Read: Reporter’s Guide to Multimedia Proficiency” online

http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/now-printable-reporters-guide-to-multimedia-proficiency/

Lab: AP Quiz #4

Homework #6 (blog posts) due = 10 points

Oct. 24 Lecture: Writing for Broadcasting

Guest speaker: TBA

Lab: Homework #7 due – Digital Nation Posts = 10 points

Oct. 26 Lecture: Sunshine Laws and Why the FOI Matters

Guest speaker: TBA

Lab: Evergreen Story Package #2 due = 25 points

Oct. 31 Lecture: Chapter 12 – Obituaries

Lab: Obit Assignment

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Nov. 2 Lecture: Chapter 13 – Speeches & Meetings

Lab: AP Quiz #5

Live writing assignment

Homework #8 to be determined = 10 points

Nov. 7 Lecture: Chapter 14 – Specialized Stories

Lab: AP review; Chapter 14 writing exercises

Nov. 9 Lecture: Chapter 15 – Features

Lab: AP Style Quiz #5; Chapter 15 writing exercises

Nov. 14 Lecture: Chapter 16 – Public Affairs Reporting

Lab: Chapter 16 writing exercises

Public Affairs Bonus Assignment = 5 bonus points

Nov. 16 Lecture: Chapter 17 – Advanced Reporting


Nov. 21 Lecture: Chapter 18 – Writing for the Web

Lab: Homework #9 - = 10 pts.

Nov. 23 More Writing for Broadcasting

Lab: To be determined

Homework Assignment #10: This is your mojo moment. Using your mobile phone or a clip camera, create a 1:30 news package on a topic that interests you with at least five sources. This assignment will be due Nov. 28.

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Nov. 28 Lecture: Chapter 19 – The Media and PR Practitioner


Nov. 30 Lecture: Chapter 22 – Becoming a professional

Lab: Africa Project Papers Due

Dec. 5 Africa Project Presentations

Dec. 7 Posttest and review for final exam

Dec. 12-16 Final Exam – Date to be determined based on Academic Calendar

[a4.9] school of journalism studies and graphic communications

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