1. Read, read, read: Newspapers/newspaper websites and analyze
   the leads.
2. Remember the 5Ws! 
3. Keep sentences short. Keep sentences short and simple. Shoot
   for 20 words or less
4. Simple, not complex. Use simple sentence structure and simple
   words.
5. Use familiar words. But don’t use that as an excuse to avoid
   building your vocabulary.
6. Avoid unnecessary words. Make every word count. Read what
   you write.  If it sounds wordy to you, it’s wordy to your reader,
   too.
7. Use active verbs.  Don’t use the passive voice.  Make the reader
   use all of his or her five senses.
8. Write in a conversational tone.  Stay away from jargon. Write
   like you were telling one of your friends what happened.
9. Use terms your reader can picture. Avoid the abstract and make
   each word, each sentence, each paragraph bring the reader
   closer to the story, to the experience.
10. Translate jargon. Use everyday English to explain the
    special language every trade and profession has.
11. Be original. Develop a style of your own. Avoid clichés. 
    Think about how each sentence relates to each. Ask yourself,
    “How can I make this read better?”
12. Express, not impress.  The best writers can make the very
    complex sound very simple.  Make your message clear by writing
    clearly.

1. People – private citizens
2. Government agencies
3. Civic Associations
4. Government bodies
   1. Elected or appointed officialsLocal, state, regional
   2. Law enforcement
   3. Police, FBI,DEA
5. Courts
   i. Trials
   ii. Court documents (lawsuits)
6. Documents/Records
   a. Police reports
   b. Public records
   i. Court cases
   ii. Minutes of public hearings
   iii. Property taxes
7. Breaking News
   a. Car crash
   b. Plane crash
   c. Shooting
   d. Building collapsing
   e. Dog mauling kid
8. Press Conferences
9. Press Releases
10. Staged Events
    a. Tamale/hot dog eating contest
    b. State Fair
    c. Grand opening of business
    d. Conference on Steroid Usage

Instructor: Neil Foote, Instructional Assistant Professor, GAB 109
Phone: 214.448.3765
Email: neil@neilfoote.com (preferred)
Office hours: By appointment or immediately following class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Class Meetings: Throughout the course of the semester we will meet in two difference classroom/labs:
GAB 319 and GAB 101 (NewsLab). 

Text: Convergent Journalism: An Introduction–Writing and Producing Across Media (Paperback) by Stephen Quinn (Editor), Vincent Filak (Editor)

Additional readings will be made available online or be held on reserve at the library.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED:
* 3 DVD-R Blank Discs
* 1 CD-R to record your audio stories
* A one (1) OR (2) gig flash drive
* Sony MDRV 150 Headphones

Course Objectives
The purpose of this class is help you strengthen your reporting, writing and editing stories to produce stories for the web, and enable you to combine your traditional journalism skills with the digital media tools of the 21st Century. This will be a very hands on class where you will be using your basic journalism skills as well as learn the basics of integrating audio, photographs, graphics and video to enhance your
articles. There will be regular and timely assignments where you will analyze, critique and discuss current practices of interactive tools on media websites. Your in-class work will be used on the student media websites of KNTU-FM, NTTV and NTDaily. You will be required to post at least weekly entries on current issues in electronic media issues on the Yahoo! Group.

Getting the Most Out of This Class
Since the goal of this class is to prepare you for a potential career in electronic media, you will be expected to become as knowledgeable as possible about the current media trends and issues.  To help you get the most out of this class, there are several websites throughout the course of the semester to which I will be referring and you are encouraged to review on a regular basis.  Here are several of the major ones. Others will be identified throughout the course of the semester:

* Local/regional media sites, e.g. dallasnews.com, startelegram.com, dentronrc.com, NTDaily.com, KRLD.com KNTU.com.
* National/international sites: cnn.com, nytimes.com, msnbc.com, BBC (bbc.co.uk),
washingtonpost.com
* CyberJournalists.net: http://cyberjournalist.net
* Poynter Institute: http://poynter.org
* American Press Institute: http://www.mediacenter.org/ and
http://www.mediacenter.org/convergencetracker/search/
* Editor & Publisher: http://mediainfo.com
* Wired Magazine: http://wired.com
* Media Week: http://mediaweek.com
* Broadcasting & Cable: http://broadcastingandcable.com
* MediaPost.com: http://mediapost.com

University Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism, in a nutshell, is using other people’s written words as your own. Some people consider the use of seven to ten words in a row, copied from another source, as plagiarism.  Be sure to include citations when using other people’s writing, because plagiarism is a serious offense in any discipline, especially journalism.  It’s a firing offense in the professional world. In the Department of Journalism and Mayborn
Graduate Institute of Journalism at UNT, students face a range of penalties for plagiarism (depending on the importance of the assignment):

* A grade of ‘F’ on a minor assignment;
* A request that the student drop the class;
* Withdrawal of the student form class, initiated by the professor;
* An ‘F’ for the course;
* A referral to the UNT Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities;
* A notation on the student’s transcript; and,
* Expulsion from the university.

A combination of these penalties may also be used.  If you need more information or have questions about plagiarism, ask your nearest journalism professor or visit the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities.

DISABILITIES.  The Journalism Department, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you require any such accommodation, please contact the instructor within the first three weeks of class.

Course Outline

Week 1: Aug. 28 & 30th
Introduction: Review syllabus, grading, class rules.
Overview: Discuss evolution, role and importance of online journalism.

Week 2:  Sept. 4th & 6th
Types of Convergence
Characteristics of Online News

Week 3: Sept. 11th & 13th
Components of the Online News Story
Writing for the Web

Week 4:  Sept. 18th & 20th
Defining the Audience: Who’s Reading/Viewing/Clicking?
News Websites: Producing Timely, Relevant Content

Week 5: Sept. 25th & 27th
Developing Story Ideas
Hooking Your Readers/Viewers

Week 6: Oct. 2nd & 4th
Online Layout & Content Management
Editing & Posting Online News

Week 7: Oct. 9th & 11th
Defining/Discussing Digital Storytelling
Tools of the Digital Journalist/Final Project Discussion

Week 8: Oct. 16th & 18th
Mid-Term Exam
Using Graphics and Links

Week 9: Oct. 23rd & 25th
Adding Dimension to Online News: Photos & Videos
Blogs, Podcasts and V-casts

Week 10: Oct. 30th & Nov. 1st
User-Generated News
Searching/Research: Search Engines & Other Resources

Week 11: Nov. 6th & 8th
Online News Distribution: The Old & The New
Legal/Copyright: Knowing What’s Right
 
Week 12:    Nov. 13th & 15th
Ethics: Doing the Right Thing
Online News – Who’s Doing What?

Week 13:   Nov. 20th – Nov. 22nd (No Class – Thanksgiving Break)
Innovation & Ideas – Mobile Technology

Week 14:  Nov. 27th & 29th
Final class presentations

Week 15:  Dec. 4th & 6th
Final Class presentations

GRADING:
You may earn up to 1000 points in this course.  Every student starts with a zero, and you will earn points based on the following:

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS – 400 points
BLOG ENTRIES – 100 points
MID-TERM EXAM – 150 points
FINAL PROJECT – 275 points
TEACHER EVALUATION – 75 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE …………………………1,000 points

FINAL GRADE SCALE:
1000 – 900 = A
  899 – 800 = B
  799 – 700 = C
  699 – 600 = D
  599 – Below = F

NOTE:  The work you do in this class must be original and may not be turned in for any other class. You are allowed to use only the equipment assigned to this class. You may NOT use personal equipment or gear from NTTV or KNTU for any assignments unless specifically approved by your professor.

WRITING ASSIGMENTS: 20 points each
Your in class and homework assignments include writing from wire copy, newspaper/magazine/e-zine articles, notes, tapes/CDs, lectures, your own interviews and textbooks.  Since this class is preparing you for a real-life journalism experience, you must follow the rules accuracy, clarity, conciseness, spelling, usage, grammar. You must meet all deadlines.

YAHOO! GROUP ENTRIES: 100 points
Part of your experience of becoming a journalist of the 21s Century is that you constantly practice the craft. A Yahoo! Group will be created on the first day of class.  On this site, you must write a weekly item that discusses any issue related to electronic media, which may discuss and/or analyze topics we discuss in class or items you find in the news or on media websites.  Your weekly posting must be made BEFORE the Thursday class at 11am.

MID-TERM EXAM: 150 points
This exam will include questions over the text, lectures, notes, speakers, writing assignments, exercises, handouts, speakers, and class discussions.

FINAL PROJECT: 275 points
This project is going to reflect a culmination of all your coursework. You will divided into teams and work together on a project that will require you to write and produce original material for the web, incorporating videotape, wire reports, e-zines, interviews and original reporting and news gathering. You and your team must demonstrate good news writing, accuracy, clarity, style and creativity.  The project must be original,
innovative, and thoughtful. You must meet all deadlines and present at your designated time.

TEACHER EVALUATION: 75 points
You will be judged throughout the semester on your participation, creativity, energy, ideas and improvement.