TV NEWSCAST

Thursday, 3:30pm-6:15pm

Spring Spring 2024

 

 * There is no book for this class.

 

   *  We are doing a dress rehearsal the second week (1/19) of class, and we are going LIVE with the newscast during the third week (1/26) of class.

 

   *  Everyone is required to wear make-up when they are on camera.

 

   *  You cannot switch positions (You will see learn your position for each week for the whole semester when I see you)

 

   ATTENDANCE: There is a very strict attendance policy. Over the past 11 years I have had a total of 7 absences for this class. People generally do not miss this class.

 

    NO SOCIAL MEDIA, NO PHONE & NO TEXTING: This is a very strict rule that I will abide by. If you use your phone, social media and are texting during the class for anything, you will be asked to leave and MUST LEAVE FOR A PERIOD OF 5 MINUTES. You will also give up your phone for the rest of the class. Even if you are on set ready to go live with the newscast, you will be asked to leave the set. YOUR PHONES CANNOT BE ON or OUT. You cannot look up news on your phone and you cannot step out to take calls and entertain your significant others, siblings, Mom, Dad or work. You cannot have your phone ON.

 

Course Overview:

TV Newscast is a dynamic, highly interactive class that will provide you with the basics of presenting the news. We will cover many aspects of traditional television news reporting, newscast construction and interview production. Your talents will be displayed in a simulated newscast.

 

Please take note that taking a role in a newsroom is very team-oriented.  You will have to rely on other people, and other people will have to rely on you, so please be dependable because we are counting on you.

 

Book:

*THERE IS NO REQUIRED TEXT FOR THIS COURSE

 

Objectives of the Course:

Get excited! When you complete this course you will be able to understand the construction of a newscast, how stories are selected for air, and how the process of television news tends to favor selection of certain types of stories.  But be creative as you take on various positions.  You are getting prepared to deal will all types of media. Watch TV and you will see that there are work various news outlets with different agendas.

 

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

 

- Write in a disciplined way, putting facts into a concise broadcast style.

- Gather facts from a variety of sources and integrate those facts into a cohesive coherent TV presentation

- Write and assemble a television news package

- Integrate video clops into the script

- Perform the basics of many positions involved in presenting a television newscast, writing copy, gathering news, producing programs, running camera, anchoring and more.

 

Grading

 

In class Performance: 80%

Eighty (80%) of your grade will be based on the assessment of your performance in all of the assigned positions.  In addition to accuracy and style of writing, news judgment, use of social media, your overall contribution to the team effort, attendance, level of effort expended, attitude and cooperative spirit.  

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I will monitor your accomplishments by questioning you during the week about assignments, progress in carrying out those assignments, and by observation of your work and reading of your scripts.  I will also monitor your capacity and willingness to accept responsibility and closely observe the improvement of your skills during the semester.

 

Attendance 20%

Each class you are late, you will receive 12 points off

Each class that you miss, you will receive 12 points off of your attendance grade

 

Social Media

Each time you use social media when you are not supposed to, you will receive 12 points off of your class grade for the day.

 

January 18          Meet in Classroom TV Studio- Bozorth

 

January   25        LIVE DRESS REHEARSAL

 

February 1         LIVE Newscast! (same positions as 1/27)

 

February 8         Live  Newscast! 

 

Every Thursday we will put on the newscast every Thursday until April 25 except for March 14, 2023.

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ROWAN UNIVERSITY'S ACADEMIC POLICIES:

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Students are expected to read and abide by all University policies, including:

Student Conduct

https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Student+Code+of+Conduct

Attendance Policy

https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Attendance+Policy

Academic Integrity https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Academic+Integrity+Policy

Classroom Behavior https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Classroom+Behavior

Mobile Electronic Device Usage https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Mobile+Electronic+Device+Policy

 

All policies are outlined in the University Policies website

https://confluence.rowan.edu/display/POLICY/Home

 

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION:

Rowan affords equal opportunity to all and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected class in its educational programs, activities, or employment policies and practices. 

 

ACCOMMODATION POLICY:

Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have an impact upon your work in this class, please contact me at the beginning of the semester. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to receive official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer questions regarding accommodations or assist you in your pursuit of accommodations.  

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY:

The University has made it a practice to hold classes during inclement weather whenever possible. As the Attendance Policy states, it is the student's decision, based on his or her assessment of the situation, whether or not to attend class. Students will not be penalized for missing classes because of inclement weather; however, they must contact their professors prior to class and make up any work assigned. 

 

JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT CODE OF CONDUCT:

The Department of Journalism Code of Conduct was created to serve as a practical guide for students as they advance in their academic careers. These policies are meant to encourage students to meet the high standards in the news industry and earn the privilege of becoming a journalist with ethical standards. It is a compliment to Rowan University’s Academic Integrity Policy, which students are required to read and follow.

 

Journalism is by its nature a public act. As stated in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, journalists must recognize that the work of “gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort” to others and must do all they can to “minimize harm” and ensure their work is “accurate, fair and thorough.” Therefore, student journalists must always be clear, upfront and honest about who they are and what they are doing. They are expected to abide by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Students must take full responsibility for their conduct and work.

 

The policy below is not all-inclusive, but identifies situations that frequently arise among Journalism students.

 

Prohibited Conduct

Plagiarism is a serious offense. Do not use words, phrases, or ideas without proper attribution. This includes copying content from the Internet. When in doubt, ask if it is acceptable or see the Rowan University Student Information Guide http://libguides.rowan.edu/c.php?g=248143. Essentially, plagiarism means trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own. It does not necessarily mean copying an entire paper, although that would clearly be plagiarism.

 

For example, you plagiarize if you:

 

Use an interview someone else did or use a quote someone else obtained and don’t credit the source.

Cut and paste a variety of sources and cobble them together without proper citation and with no evident thought on your part as to the thrust of the piece.

Lift a segment verbatim without citation.  A few words here or there are permissible – there are only so many ways to say “Edward R. Murrow died of lung cancer” – but you can’t drop in even a sentence of somebody else’s work verbatim into your piece if you don’t credit it. Just listing the title of a source in a bibliography is not sufficient. You must be very clear about the source of words that are not yours, put quotes around verbatim usage, and cite the source in the text of your paper or article. Remember, if you take a direct quote from another source, word-for-word, you must not only cite but you must put it in quotation marks. Failing to put quotation marks around something you have appropriated is a serious issue and could result in lowering of your grade or a formal referral for academic discipline.

Use facts and figures that are not common knowledge without citing the source, creating the impression you gathered the information yourself.

Use your own work from another context without citing that it was used previously. If you are researching or reporting on a topic that you have written on before, you must clear it with the professor before hand.

In addition, under the Journalism Department’s Code of Conduct, students may not:

 

Fabricate – Deliberately invent or alter information with the intent to deceive.

Cheat – Misrepresent one’s mastery of material on an academic exercise or help someone else do so.

Misrepresent oneself or work.

Submit late work without penalty.

Use others’ words or media without proper attribution and copyright permission; it is always best to use third-party content that is licensed under Creative Commons.

Use friends or relatives as sources for stories.

Submit work, in part or in full, from another class.

Pitch same story or assignment in multiple classes.

Conduct interviews via email without prior approval from instructor.

Submit assignments in alternate form than required (i.e. via email when required to submit in person).

Act unprofessionally to the instructor or other students in the classroom.

Habitually leave class early or arrive late.

Repeatedly fail to participate in class.

Use cell phones or electronic devices in class for non-class activity.

Consequences for Violations of Journalism Department Code of Conduct

Instructors will use their discretion to ensure that these policies are met. The consequences for violating the Code of Conduct will be based on the seriousness of the offense and be determined by the instructor, and when necessary, in consultation with the chair of the department.

 

For serious violations (i.e., plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, lying), students may:

Fail the course.

Have the incident reported to Academic Integrity Review Board for further disciplinary action.

 

For major violations, (i.e., violating copyright, improper sourcing, submitting work from another class), students may:

Receive no credit for the assignment.

Be required to attend a workshop on academic integrity.

Have incident reported to Provost’s office.

 

For significant violations (i.e., submitting late work, failure to attribute facts, using friends or family as sources), students may:

Lose points or fail an assignment.

 

For minor violations, (i.e., using cell phone in class, failing to participate, or repeatedly arriving late) students may:

Be asked to leave classroom.

Lose points for participation/attendance.