Ms. Sackstein room 325 (pub lab) and 351 (office)
ssackstein@wjps.org
Newspaper is a course designed to give CTE elective credit in Journalism, keeping within all of the learning standards for NY City and NY State. This class will be run like a real newspaper and publication will be its intention from day one. Everything we do is for the good of the paper. This year there will be a focus on fine tuning writing and editing and well as continued variety of coverage. We will begin to consider the business side of newspapers with the addition of advertising and development of design.
Supplemental texts:
- Newsday and/or NY Times subscriptions
- Relevant magazine articles and newspaper articles
- Self-paced reading on relevant issues
- Field Trips, possible JEA convention, field work
OVERALL COURSE GOALS:
• To teach the student skills necessary in communication in the print media today with emphasis on writing, but including interviewing, observing, reporting, reacting and synthesizing.
• To help the student to become an intelligent consumer of mass media
• To give the student the opportunity to discover and explore the various forms of writing utilized in journalism
• To provide students with opportunities to critique their own writing, the writing of others and to have his writing evaluated by a teacher
• To help the student understand and accept the legal, moral and ethical responsibilities inherent in a free press
• To help the student learn the copy rules and tools necessary for preparation of copy for newspapers, yearbooks and broadcasting
• To help the student to develop responsibility for punctuality in meeting deadlines
• To teach the student the necessity of research to add validity, emphasis and depth of writing
• To teach the student the practical aspects of producing a school newspaper and yearbook, including financial and advertising problems
• To help the student develop the verbal, written, personal and social skills needed to publish a school newspaper.
• To give the student an outlet for creativity not found in other classrooms
• To awake in the student an awareness of the world around him, both social and political
• To stimulate an interest in journalism as a career
Topics that will be covered:
- Technology - indesign/google.docs/email/photoshop
- Teamwork - working together is essential
• Laws, Ethics and Policy
• Editing for newspaper
• Source checking/ fact checking
• Interviewing – getting quotable bites
• The News Story
• The Right Way to Quote
• In-Depth Reporting
• Journalistic Style
• Features
• Editorials
• Columns and Reviews
• Sports writing
• Photojournalism
• Headlines
• Copyediting and production
• Advertising and Business
GRADING:
This course is designed primarily (not everything) as a group project based course. There will be several projects assigned over the course of the term. Because this is a project based course, students are expected to use their class time wisely in order to complete their projects on time. I am available to answer questions and to provide help to those students who are actively working on their assignments. Many of your projects will be writing based. Learning how to write journalistically is different than essay writing, therefore all assignments are subject to revision. You can always rewrite an article or assignment if you aren’t pleased with your grade. There will also be several opportunities for self-evaluation. We will be using google.docs for everything… all submissions will be electronic. You are responsible for checking the class blog www.newspaperatwjps.blogspot.com daily (here)
Deadlines are a major part of producing publications. Therefore, journalism students should think of assignment due dates as deadlines. If a student (group) needs and extension of time, they must request it from me in advance of the stated deadline. Extensions will be granted at my discretion. Late work causes problems (not to mention fees) for everyone.
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