TELEVISION NEWS REPORTING JAMS 342
Spring, 2018
Instructor: Jessie Garcia (Marble)
Office Hours: Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 or by appointment
Goal: To introduce you to television writing, reporting and editing and prepare you to work in television newsroom.
You will leave with a comfort level on camera and a strong ability to craft a compelling story. In addition to reporting, we will talk about anchoring, producing and every other duty that goes into making a television newscast. This class will include writing, reading, interviewing, shooting video and editing.
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
--Utilize various storytelling techniques to draw the viewer in.
--Take a large amount of video and condense it into smaller bits.
--Shoot video, write copy and edit.
--Learn interview techniques and the best ways to “draw people out.”
--Make decisions about how to organize a story quickly.
--Analyze and sort stories into a well-produced newscast.
--Write great bumps and teases.
--Be comfortable talking on camera.
You willbe expected to stay abreast of current events by reading newspapers and watching local and national newscasts.
Good writing is the basis of good television and we will do a lot of writing in this class.
GRADING
Your grade will be based on a total number of points.
10 points for every class you attend and give me your full attention. You will only hurt yourself on days you are absent or lacking effort by missing out on those points. Promptness and deadlines are extremely important in TV news. Being late to class automatically deducts one point (less than 10 minutes late), two points (10-15 minutes late) or 3 points (15 or more minutes late). Illness and bereavement earn 5 points/day up to two days. After that, talk to me if circumstances warrant or you will default to zero points after two missed class days.
Guest speaker days count an extra 5 points if you ask questions and engage with our speaker. Guest speaker days are the most important attendance days because our speaker is taking time out of their schedules to share their knowledge and experiences with us.
The rest of the points will be based on homework, a “lingo” quiz and assignments we will do both in and out of class.
Attendance is critical. You need to be dedicated and professional, just as you are expected to be in the real world. Much of our work is hands-on and you need to be here.
ABSOLUTELY NO TEXTING, FACEBOOKING, PHONE CALLS OR SURFING THE INTERNET DURING CLASS. This will automatically deduct points from your daily participation grade. I want you to get as much out of this class as possible.
Your final grade will be an accumulation of points and the following scale:
Above 94%= A
Above 90%=A-
Above 87%=B+
Above 83%=B
Above 80%=B-
Above 77%=C+
Above 73%=C
Above 70%=C-
Above 67%=D+
Above 63%=D
Above 60%=D-
Below 60%=F
STATEMENT OF TIME INVESTMENT
This class meets twice weekly for 75 minutes for a total of 37.5 hours of lecture time over the semester. You should expect to spend at least 30 hours doing homework, shooting video, writing and editing outside of class time for a total of 67.5 hours at a minimum this semester.
Semester schedule:
We will start with learning the basics of television news, from how to shoot video to how to do a standup. Every day there will be “reporter lingo” terms as well as tips and advice. We’ll do warm-up writing exercises occasionally and will often be out shooting video and interviewing people. As the semester progresses, expect to be producing high quality television news pieces which have the chance to be shown on WTMJ’s Sunday morning show. This is going to be a very hands-on experience. The best way to learn about television reporting is to be in the field and to experience it firsthand and we plan to do just that. You can walk out of here with several pieces for a resume reel too.
Textbook and other written assignments:
We will not have a textbook in this class. There will be occasional chapter assignments out of a book but I will post those chapters on D2L for you to read and respond to.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and student responsibility. Students are expected to inform faculty [me] of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [I], will work either directly with the student [you] or in coordination with the Accessibility Resource Center to identify and provide reasonable instructional accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student's educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism can result in an F for the assignment or the class, and/or referral to the university system for academic misconduct.
Copying the words of others from the Internet or any source is plagiarism. If you have a question about use of any material, contact the instructor. Don’t risk the consequences of stealing words or ideas belonging to someone else.
University policy on plagiarism and academic misconduct:
Finally, Important Reminders for each story:
--Does my lead hook the viewer into the story and make them want to see more?
--Does the rest of my story unfold in an interesting way?
--Am I letting pictures and sound help tell the story?
--Are my standups visual and exciting?
--Is my story fair and balanced?
--Are my sources solid and my information accurate?
--Is my copy clear and concise?
Specific details of this syllabus are subject to change at the professor’s discretion as the semester progresses but this will serve as our guideline.