Mass Communication 326

News Editing

Spring 2005, 4T

 

Instructor: Dr. James Stewart

Office: 102 Talbot Hall

Office Hours: 3M, 4M, 7M, 2T,

Phone: 448-4578

E-mail: james.stewrt@nicholls.edu

 

Goals

The primary goal of this class is to instruct students in the fundamentals of editing for newspapers and related publications, with emphasis on copy editing, layout and design, use of graphics and photos, and writing cutlines and headlines.

 

Objectives

Students will be able to demonstrate a proficiency in editing skills by their performance on class projects which require the implementation of these approaches and techniques and also by written examinations.

 

Prerequisites

Completion of Mass Communication 252 and 322.

 

Materials

Text: The Art of Editing, 8th ed., Baskette, Sissors & Brooks

Other: AP Stylebook

 

Course Requirements

Students will each produce a newspaper and a magazine layout. In addition each student will work two days at the campus paper and two days at the Nicholls Worth or a local daily newspaper. They will also take two exams and daily quizzes.

 

Grading

Student performance will be evaluated on a 10-point grading scale (90-100=A, 80-89=B, etc.). Each exam will be worth 100 points. The cumulative average of daily exercises will be worth 200 points. The magazine and newspaper layouts will be worth 100 points each. Students will earn up to 25 points each for dates worked at the newspapers (students will lose 15 points for each missed date for the first three missed dates. Students will receive a zero if they miss all four). The total points earned will be divided by the number of possible points.

Other:

Deadlines--Any out-of-class assignment turned in after the first 10 minutes of the class will be assessed a 10 percent penalty, with an additional penalty for each day it continues to be late.

Make-up Work--Students will be allowed to make up only major exams, and it is the student's responsibility to arrange a time for the make-up within one week of returning to class.

 

•        Plagiarism and other forms of dishonesty will be dealt with severely, the minimum penalty being an F on the assignment.

 

Magazine and Special Section

Students will edit the departmental feature magazine Chez Nous, which focuses on the unique qualities of South Louisiana culture. They will also edit a special newspaper section dealing with the changing role of women in Louisiana’s legal and political arenas.

 

 

Attendance

Students are expected to attend each class meeting. Excessive absences will have a negative impact on the student's final grade. Students who miss class are responsible for finding out, before the next class meeting, what material was covered and what assignments were made. Tardiness will not be tolerated.

 

 

Course Outline

Copy Editing Overview                      Chpts. 1-4                                  Week 1

Copy Editing Skills                             Appendix II, Chpts. 5, 6, 7        Weeks 2-3

Tools for Copy Editors                                                                          Week 4

Headline/Cutline Writing                     Chpts. 10, 11                              Week 5

Graphics                                              Chpts. 12, 13                             Week 6

Magazine Design                                Chpt. 17                                     Weeks 7-9

Newspaper Design                              Chpts. 14-16                              Weeks 10-12

Broadcast Editing                                Chpt. 18                                     Week 13

Legal/Ethical Issues                             Chpt. 8                                       Weeks 14-15

Future of Editing                                 Chpt. 19                                     Week 16

 

Note: Last date to drop this course with a “W” is March 28.

 

Bibliography

Kessler, L., & McDonald, D. (1988). When words collide: A journalist's guide to grammar and style (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

 

Brooks, B. S., & Pinson, J. L. (1993). Working with words: A concise handbook for media writers and editors (2nd ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press.

 

Berner, R. T. (1991). The process of editing. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.