Great Modern Journalists: Fall 2013
ENGWRT 1399-1040
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Honors College; 3504CL
Instructor: Cindy Skrzycki
Office: 453CL
Mailbox: 5th fl. CL, English Department
Office Hours: M: 11:30-1; Tu: 2-3. By appt.
Course Description
This course is designed for students who are interested and curious about the men and women who have made significant contributions to the craft of journalism and to society’s understanding of how history unfolds. The course is suitable for those interested in non-fiction writing as well as any other major. There are no prerequisites.
Students will read and discuss works by and about great journalists, beginning turn-of-the-century and ending with more contemporary works. Selections will highlight the contributions made to journalism and society, while also documenting the evolution of the press and how it experienced and presented signal events to the American public. The class will explore the role journalists have played in shaping the public’s understanding of history and how events may have been influenced by coverage. Speakers and outside assignments will augment readings and discussion.
Students should not view the syllabus as a document that is set in stone. If important events that bear on the class occur, we will examine them. If there are opportunities to add material that enhances learning, we will consider them. Similarly, if students wish to bring material to the attention of the class, that will be welcomed. Please check your email frequently.
Students who love reading, writing, history, public affairs and the practice of journalism would benefit from the course. Students who wish to be journalists or writers of any kind would be enriched. Anyone with a curious mind of any major is welcome.
Assignments and Grades
Participation--The class is run as a seminar and it depends on the contributions you make to it. You should be prepared to discuss the readings and topics of the day as well as ask questions and prompt discussion. It is essential that you follow the daily news (the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New York Times, Washington Post, etc.) and be aware of current local and world events. You must subscribe/or pick up a hard copy of the New York Times daily. There may be occasional discussion prompts and other messages on Blackboard.I do not allow electronic devices to be on in the classroom during regular class time. Your in-class contributions are worth
Approx. 10 pts.
Team Project--A key part of your grade is working on a team project with a number of your classmates. Students will work in team to prepare a short presentation on the topic of the day, exploring areas beyond the syllabus. Students are strongly encouraged to read beyond assigned material to learn more about the period and the journalists under consideration. They also may distribute any materials they wish to discuss in class. Students not on the presenting team are expected to askquestions to prompt informal discussion and debate. Both presenters and non-presenters will hand in their work for the assignment. All materials should be saved for your final portfolio. See team projects in course materials listed in Blackboard.
Approx. 20 points.
Reading Journal--Students will keep a journal that reflects on the readings and answers prompts. It should be kept up to date and it should be with you in class. You are responsible for keeping a copy of your entire journal for your final portfolio.
This is an opportunity for you to reflect on the readings and answer the assignment prompts. The journal should not be a summary, but a critical look at the readings and how they relate the rest of the course. They can be as short as two pages or as long as you like.
When we have guest speakers, students will prepare three written questions for discussion to be handed in on the day of the visit.See Reading Journal in course materials listed on Blackboard.
Approx. 20 points
Final paper--A minimum 15-page research paper on a great journalist or a signal event/topic in journalism will be due at the end of the term. I do not require students to submit drafts of their papers, but I encourage you to approach your final paper doing drafts and revisions. Students will present their papers to the class.
Approx. 50 points.
Format
All written assignments, including journal entries, team projects, speaker questions, must be double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font. Every written assignment must have your name, the date, and the name of the assignment in the top, left-hand corner. Pages must be numbered and stapled. I will not accept hand written assignments, single-spaced assignments, unstapled, e-mail or late assignments.
I expect you to have a command of grammar, punctuation and wordusage. Your writing should be proofread and free of error. If you are unsure of the conventions of grammar and punctuation, consult with a tutor at the Writing Center, 317B O'Hara Student Center,4024 O’Hara Student Center. To make an appointment, go to
Portfolio
Keep a copy of all your written assignments, including journal entries, work on team project, questions for speakers, etc., in a folder to be handed in at the end of the class. I use this for grading, so please make sure it is complete.
Office Hours
I am on campus most days except Fridays. Please set up an appointment with me if you cannot attend office hours. I encourage you to come see me with any questions about the class, your work or to chat. I am here to help with anything you need regarding the course. Please avoid trying to get complicated questions answered directly after class.
Absences
You are expected to be in class unless you have an emergency. Please contact me prior to class if you will be absent, either by phone or e-mail. If you miss more than one class for medical reasons, please bring a note from a medical professional. You are responsible for getting all assignments from one of your colleagues if you are not in class and completing them by the next class. Unexcused late assignments will not be accepted. Please come to class on time, especially when we are hosting speakers. More than one unexcused absence will result in a failing grade since we meet only once a week.
Policy on Multiple Submissions
You may not submit a paper or project—or versions of a paper or project—to fulfill the requirements of more than one course. If you plan to substantially revise a project or paper from another course to fulfill the requirements of this course, you must first get permission.
Classroom Recording: To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.
Plagiarism
I give a failed grade for plagiarized work. Students suspected of violating the University
of Pittsburgh Policy on Academic Integrity will be required to participate in the outlined procedural process as initiated by the instructor. A minimum sanction of a zero score for the quiz or exam will be imposed.
Please read the English Department's academic integrity code, before the add/drop deadline for this course. Students and instructors are bound by this code so I urge you to read it and ask questions if you have any. Also see
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textural similarity review for the detection of plagiarism.
University Email Policy
Each student is issued a University e-mail address () upon admittance. Students are expected to read e-mail sent to this account on a frequent and at least daily basis. Failure to read and react to University communications in a timely manner does not absolve the student from knowing and complying with the content of the communications. Students who choose to forward their e-mail from their pitt.edu address to another address do so at their own risk. If e-mail is lost as a result of forwarding, it does not absolve the student from responding to communications sent to their University e-mail address.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890/412-383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
Required Books (available at Pitt Book Center)*
*If you buy these on your own, please make sure you purchase the edition that has been ordered for the class.
Covering America: A Narrative History of a Nation’s Journalism, Christopher B. Daly.
A Bohemian Brigade: The Civil War Correspondents, Mostly Rough, Sometimes Ready, James M. Perry.
Muckraking: Three Landmark Articles, Ellen Fitzgerald.
Reporting World War II: American Journalism 1938-1946, Library of America.
Buried by The Times: The Holocaust and America’s Most Important Newspaper, Laurel Leff.
Reporting Vietnam: American Journalism 1959-1975, Library of America.
Once Upon a Distant War; David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, Peter Arnett: Young War Correspondents and Their Early Vietnam Battles, William Prochnau
Daily print version of the New York Times. Available on campus.
Speakers
Henry Payne, a daily cartoonist, weekly columnist, and editor of the Detroit News Politics blog
Vaughn Wallace, producer, Time LightBox
Laurel Leff, author, Buried by The Times: The Holocaust and America’s Most Important Newspaper
Cheryl Hatch, freelance photojournalist and reporter
About the Instructor
Cindy Skrzycki is a senior lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and a correspondent for Global Post. Prior to coming to Pittsburgh 10 years ago, she spent 25 years in Washington, D.C., as a professional journalist, primarily at the Washington Post where she wrote a column about business and government called The Regulators. She also was a reporter at US News and World Report, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Washington Bureau, and the Buffalo News.
Skrzycki is married to David Shribman, editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They have two daughters. She hopes through this course she will hook unsuspecting souls on journalism and that the rest of you will have a new appreciation for the press and its role in a free society.