Highly Anticipated Syllabus Excerpt

Reading, research, required activities:

Your textbook is News Reporting and Writing, The Missouri Group, 9^th edition and workbook

Also required: Journalism 2.0, Mark Briggs.

Recommended: AP Stylebook

This class is supported by Blackboard and you will be able to check your grades online. HOWEVER, course announcements and course readings will be posted on an informal class blog: www.nabobs.blogspot.com. You are asked to contribute to the blog on an informal basis by asking questions, making comments and/or introducing written or visual materials. Everyone, including me, should be constantly dumping story ideas here. I will read and respond on the blog at least once EACH DAY. I may have you post some assignments here as well; I will announce which ones.

More on blogs: You will work as individuals or with a partner to set up a blog for your own use. This will be the main vehicle for your final class presentation, which is a multimedia reporting project. Parameters, deadlines, etc., will be discussed in class.

As part of your ongoing reading in the class, you need to monitor blogs of interest to you and your project. You will set up RSS feeds to Google Reader or Netvibes.com that include feeds from mediabistro.com, the Howard Kurtz media column in The Washington Post, Romenesko from poynter.org, E-Media Tidbits from poynter.org, Capture the Conversation and other sites from your own searches. Try to find a writer in the media or among your blogs who inspires you. Follow his or her writings and be prepared to talk about the appeal. We will discuss developments within journalism from these sites.

Additional readings will be handed out in class and/or posted on the nabobs blog. You are responsible for obtaining copies of all handouts before readings are due. Not all readings may be available in electronic format.

It should go without saying that you will read The Washington Post daily and the Eagle twice weekly (Mondays and Thursdays).

You may be required to view videos in the Media Services area of the library. These must be viewed before the class in which they are being discussed.