COMM DM 2653:01 MWF 9-9:50 a.m., Fall 2021
Lang Hall 212
Catalog Description
Principles and practice of writing, editing, and compiling news for the print media. Prerequisite(s): COMM COR 1010; COMM DM 1620.
Texts
- Required: The Associated Press Stylebook, 2020. (Basic Books, 2020). This is the essential resource for journalism style. Updated annually, with rules on grammar and word usage. ISNB 978-1541647572
- Required: Read every day The Morning, a daily compilation of major stories from the New York Times by David Leonhardt, send to your mailbox between 4:30 and 6 a.m. CT. Here is what it looks like: https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/NN_sample.html. Here is where you sign up: https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters.
- Highly Recommended: CNN Reliable Sources newsletter. A daily newsletter from Brian Stelter and the CNN Media Team. Covers politics, business, technology, pop culture, entertainment, and journalism. If you want “insider” information on news and entertainment media, this is an excellent source. You can sign up at https://www.cnn.com/specials/media/reliable-sources.
- Recommended: The Journalist’s Resource web site from the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School. Great resources for journalists on public policy issues. See https://journalistsresource.org/
- There will be additional handouts and readings on the course UNI eLearning site.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the elements of journalism and the cultural values behind what is determined newsworthy.
- Understand how information can be transformed into a news story.
- Write in various news story formats, and news styles for different media, using AP style.
- Write leads for stories.
- Cover news beats.