Syllabus

J202 Fall 2017

Lecture: Monday 9:30 to 10:55 a.m.
2195 Vilas Hall

Introduction

Welcome to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison! I hope you have rested up over break and are prepared to work hard, because we’re going to cover a lot of ground this semester. We’re going to work together to provide you with the practical and conceptual toolkit you’ll need to work in a professional media role. Much of our time will be spent on various forms of media writing, critical thinking and developing your ability to take what you know and adapt to changing scenarios. You will also develop skills for both informative and persuasive communication, such as research, writing, editing, analysis, as well as video, audio and Web production. By the end of the semester, you’ll be ready to use those skills in higher-level classes in the school.

You’ll be able to find everything you need to know for this class on the course website (yes, the one you are currently reading) at https://202.journalism.wisc.edu. It will be updated regularly with more information about assignments, readings, tip sheets, quiz keys and more. Check the website regularly. We’ll only use Learn@UW for grading.

Goals
By the end of this semester in J202, you should be able to do these things:

• Write clearly, concisely, effectively and efficiently for a variety of media platforms and formats
• Think critically (asking the right questions in interviews, collecting and analyzing information, and putting together information)
• Review information, decide what is important and communicate it in an appropriate way
• Create professional, ethical work that uses proper grammar and style
• Work well in partnership and teams
• Speak and write with authority about current events and trends
• Meet deadlines and competing demands
• Evaluate how to best present stories in a variety of formats, including audio, video and online — and produce them that way

Expectations

The rumors about J202 are true: you’re going to work hard. Very hard. But by the end of the semester, you will be proud of all that you’ve accomplished and have to show for the work you’ve done. Most students feel pretty pressured right out of the gates. But by Week 12, you’ll be looking back and marveling at how far you’ve come. Reaching that level of achievement will require a strong commitment from you.

You are expected to be in every class — that means every lecture and lab — and to be an active participant when you’re there. J202 involves a mix of individual and group work, and you have a responsibility to be a strong contributor across the board. Participating in class discussions, group work and other assignments will translate to higher grades, but you’ll also get more out of the class. Everything you do in J202 has a purpose. You won’t find any busywork here. So actively engaging with everything asked of you will result in better preparation for later J-School coursework, as well as internships and jobs.

You’re not going to do this alone, of course. I’m ready and available to be part of your learning experience. I love learning from all of you, and I’ll make every effort to get to know you this semester. Please come visit me during my office hours (I’ll announce more than my regular weekly hour at certain times in the class), and email me or contact me on Twitter at any time. (Just know that I’m not always as active and available between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.) Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email, our Facebook group or phone at any time, but please understand that I often do not respond in the evening. With my teaching and “real life” schedule, it may take 24 hours to get back to you. Plan ahead, so you’re not left hanging. My favorite part of my job is getting to know you and building a relationship with you. This is a hard course with a ton going on, and I can only help you succeed if I know who you are and how things are going.

Grading
Here are the elements that make up your grade:

1. Individual assignments (15 percent, lowest score dropped)
2. Midterm writing assignment (5 percent, no drop)
3. Group projects (10 percent, no drop)
4. Individual story (30 percent, lowest score dropped)
5. Final project (25 percent, no drop)
6. Quizzes (10 percent, lowest score dropped)
7. Engagement and participation, including portfolio site and blog (5 percent, no drop)

Every assignment is graded from 0 to 100. By showing up, doing the work and turning it on time, you start with a 70 and earn and lose points from there. The better you do on meeting the expectations for the assignment, the higher your grade will be. Any fact errors, spelling or grammar mistakes, poor analysis, style issues or other problems that take away from the quality of your piece will mean fewer points.

You will get a zero if you fail to turn in an assignment, submit it after the appointed deadline, or miss a class when an assignment is given, critiqued or turned in. So, don’t miss class or deadlines. In the real world, there is no excuse for not turning in a story or assignment when it’s due. I spent more than a dozen years in my professional career hitting deadline after deadline — it can be done with proper planning and hard work.

I know many of you track your grades closely, but there are so many assignments coming at you this semester, you will find it difficult to keep track of your grade at any given time. No one assignment will make or break your grade, so you’ll want to consistently do well over the entire semester. In case you oversleep or forget about an assignment, remember that some of the lowest scores are dropped. If you have any questions about how you are doing, please seek me out to discuss it.

You may make up an assignment under two related conditions:

• 1. You have an excused absence (such as an illness documented by a health care professional; participation in a UW-sponsored activity, such as a sports team or artistic performance; or observance of a religious holiday).

AND

2. You notify your TA and me in advance of your absence.

If you need an excused absence for a planned event (obviously not illnesses or deaths in the family), you must notify your TA and me by email within the first two weeks of class. Make sure to send me your name, section number and TA, date of absence and the reason you’ll be absent. Personal plans, such as family travel, don’t qualify as excused absences.

If you need learning accommodations for disabilities of any kind, please bring me a visa from the McBurney Center within the first two weeks of class. I’m happy to work with you and your TA to make any necessary arrangements.

Here is a rough idea of how course grades will be calculated: