Final Project Groups

Group 1:
Alex Aguerre
Jared Funk-Breay
Max Heidt
Laura Mishkind
Veronika Shemigon

Group 2:
Danielle Allen
Brady Grabowski
Emma Hussey
AJ Moseley
Kendall Richter

Group 3:
Carl Barnes
Emilee Greager
Nick Kendrick
Alec Moylan
Colin Rush

Group 4:
Bria Burgamy
Sarah Greer
Laura Kuczkowski
Leah O’Malley
Gavin Scharig

Group 5:
Tori Cooper
Ian McTigue
Erin Pettis
Ashley Schuett
Yuri Yi

Group 6:
Emily Headden
Ashley Rafkind
Leisl Breuner
Sammy Valenteen
Stephanie Quon

Final Project Instructions

Final Project Instructions

Due 4/19/13

This project will bring together several elements discussed in class throughout the semester. You and your assigned group will come up with a story idea about 4/20 in Boulder this spring. You will present in recitation your idea. Basically, you will be doing a story pitch.

What you will need to include in your presentation:

1. An ORIGINAL story idea about 4/20, 2013. You need to come up with something fresh, a new approach to take on covering 4/20 in Boulder this year.
2. Discuss how your story is ethical. What ethical philosophy would you follow when covering this story? Under what theory could the story be run? Explain why you chose that ethical philosophy. Identify the various stakeholders and address whether and how their concerns will be considered.
3. The details of your story. What will you discuss in the story? When will you do it? Is it a long, in-depth piece or something shorter and timely? Who will you need to interview? What data do you need to collect? What else do you need? Plan out how you are going to write/create your story. Identify, specifically, potential obstacles and how you plan to work around them.
4. Your story MUST be told using new media that Steve Outing talked about in lecture or another form of new, alternative structure storytelling. Explain what the new media is, why you chose it, and why it is a better option than a traditional, written story.

Your presentation should be 6-8 minutes long and should include some type of visual, whether you use PowerPoint, Prezi, or even the “new media” you would use for your story idea, etc. Please email me your presentation by Thursday, 4/18, so it’s loaded and ready to go on Friday. In addition, you need to dress up for your presentation. Wear business casual clothes (NO jeans, t-shirts, miniskirts, leggings, short shorts, sweatpants or sweatshirts). Imagine you are at a real newsroom pitching your idea to the publication. I’m the editor. What would you wear to that?

Bonus: If your group feels so inclined, and follows through with the idea and has their story published (try any local publications, especially the CU Independent), you will get extra credit!

 

Book Review Assignment

Due BEFORE CLASS  on Friday, April 5

(email as a Word document)

Worth: 20 percent of recitation grade

You will write a critical essay on a book of literary journalism from the book list page. You may write about another book if I approve it beforehand. Your essay will be 3-5 pages, double spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font. Pay attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation—I will not take off a ton of points for these, but mistakes will be the difference between an A and a B.

Your book review should include the three bullet points below. I’ve included some questions to ask yourself as you write, but don’t get too attached to this list. You don’t necessarily have to answer all of them, and there are a lot of other things you could write about, too. Use your best judgment to decide what kind of analysis your book deserves.

• Briefly summarize the book you read.
• Analyze the journalism described in the book, using what you’ve learned in class. What methods were used by the author/reporter? What values or ethics did the journalist exhibit? How and how well did the journalist perform his/her obligation to the truth? How and how well did s/he serve the public? Were there conflicts of interest? Other challenges? How did the journalist deal with them?

• Explain your reaction to the book. Did you learn anything? Do you agree or disagree with the methods, values or ethics of the journalist? Why? How could the journalist have been more truthful or more accurate? How could s/he have served the public better? Would you have reported this story the same way?

The essay must include in-text citations from both the book and the outside sources used to justify your observations.  Either MLA or APA style citations are acceptable.

ETHICS PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

ETHICS PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

Due: Friday, March 15 – IN class!
Worth: 15 percent of recitation grade

***NOTE: PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR TOPIC PROPOSALS AND A LIST OF YOUR GROUP MEMBERS BY MONDAY***

As a group, you will research an actual news story that was at the center of a journalistic ethical dilemma. You can choose which type of story you’d like to research – such as a sports, photo, political or crime story – as long as there is an ethical dilemma involved. You’ll analyze the situation using the various ethical theories we discuss in class. Then you’ll create a presentation about your dilemma, which you’ll present during lecture.

What to turn in

1. A PowerPoint presentation that summarizes/analyzes the ethical dilemma. E-mail to me.

2. Each individual group member will write a one-page minimum, two-page maximum (that means that the whole first page should be filled and likely spilling onto a second page) double-spaced personal analysis of your group’s dilemma. Briefly remind me of the situation. Then launch into why you think it was handled well or poorly, using one of the ethical frameworks we discuss in class.

3. Each individual will give a quick run-down of who did what within the group. Please list each group member’s name and then a sentence or two detailing their participation. Email to me.

Grading

Presentations, 75 percent: Is the presentation orderly? Does everyone in the group have a chance to talk? Did you fully cover the eight criteria listed below? Are there links to on-line sources that might be valuable to your audience’s understanding?  Other requirements: the presentations will each last 10 minutes to allow for questions and analysis; everyone must speak; dress for a presentation: no sweatpants, nappy t-shirts, etc.

Individual Papers, 25 percent: Did you briefly describe your ethical dilemma? Does your paper express your thoughts on the topic fully, critically and concisely? Did you explain the ethical approach you chose and why you chose it? Did you apply it directly to your example?  DID YOU EDIT YOUR PAPER FOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR?

Some examples of ethical dilemmas: (though this list is not exhaustive)

– Conflict of interest

– Confidentiality of names for minors/sexual assault victims

– Endangering police investigations

– What to do when you or someone else gets the story wrong

– Going undercover

– Getting the story

– Invading privacy

– Controversial photos

– Politics and the military

– Protecting sources

– Workplace issues (ie: when you and your editor don’t agree on how something should be covered or seeing someone you work with doing something unethical)

– Getting the story out first

Here are some useful Media Ethics Links that also have case studies you can choose from:

Poynter Online: Has tips on how to approach ethical dilemmas, what it means to be ethical

http://www.poynter.org/subject.asp?id=32

Indiana University

http://journalism.indiana.edu/ethics/

Society of Professional Journalists: Has helpful resources about ethics, case studies, trends in journalism, what it means to be ethical

http://www.spj.org/ethics.asp

In your project you should:

1. Summarize the story and what happened.
2. What was the dilemma and why was it a dilemma?
3. What were the alternatives?
4. Who were the major players and what were their points of view? (What were their individual dilemmas? What were their options for dealing with the situation? Put yourselves in their shoes.)
5. Based on the outcome, what was the ethical “school of thought” used by the decision makers (reporter or editor)?
6. Take each “school of thought” and describe what would’ve been done in this case. For example, “Based on the practice of utilitarianism, the reporter would’ve done X because Y …”
7. Now decide which ethical approach you would have ultimately followed. (You can either present this as one agreed upon course of action, or you can each choose what you would’ve done, and then briefly explain your choice.)
8. Look for other news stories that involved the same dilemma. Did they do the same thing?

Also make sure to:

Include web links to the original story/dilemma whether it is from a newspaper, photograph, a YouTube video, a blog, etc. Also include a works cited page listing all of the sources you used. Attribute any information or ideas that weren’t your own in the body of the project.

Questions to ask yourself (from Poynter Institute) when thinking about ethical dilemmas in journalism:

1. Why am I concerned about this story, photo or graphic?
2. What is the news? What good would publication do?
3. Is the information complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge?
4. Am I missing an important point of view?
5. What does my reader need to know?
6. How would I feel if the story or photo were about me or a member of my family?
7. What are the likely consequences of publication? What good or harm could result?
8. What are my alternatives?
9. Will I be able to clearly and honestly explain my decision to anyone who challenges it?

 

Exam Review

Here are some studying recommendations for Wednesday’s test.

Go over Tom’s slideshows. The majority of test questions are answered in the presentations.

Read Elements and the State of the Media report in particular. Read Elements thoroughly.

Key phrases, topics and terms to know:
watchdog journalism
Watergate
investigative journalism
the First Amendment
freedom of speech
freedom of the press
theory of interlocking public (the involved public, interested public, and uninterested public)
the fourth estate
clerkism
libel
functional truth
the Pentagon Papers
infotainment
truth

If you have a good grasp of those terms and the ways they’re used in Elements and the lectures, I think you will do well.

Gun Control Media Comparison

We’ll be looking at gun control for this assignment and comparing how the various media outlets are treating the issue. For this assignment, please reprise the same media group you were in before except those who covered the blogs for the Super Bowl assignment, use magazines this time, please.

You will be assigned to one of the groups of media below.

National print: New York Times, Huffington Post and Drudge Report (compare all three)

State print: Denver Post, Colorado Independent and Colorado Peak Politics (compare all three)

National broadcast: CBS, NBC, ABC nightly news, OR CNN (choose one);  Bill O’Reilly and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (choose one); and Colbert Report or Daily Show (choose one) — compare all three of your choices

Radio: NPR, BBC, and Rush Limbaugh (compare all three)

Magazines: Time or Newsweek (choose one), National Review and American Prospect (compare all three)

Compare the coverage of the debate in a 550-600 word essay.

Some things to think about:

1. Compare the content: What are they talking about?  Are they talking about gun control, mental health, etc. Are they using facts or statistics to back up their assertions?

2. The tone: what is the tone of the coverage?  Is it straight forward? Incredulous?  Mocking? Slanted?

3. The amount of coverage: How much play is the debate over gun control getting overall? Is it comprehensive?  In proportion to its actual importance, overblown or undersold?

4. Are there visuals, text, multimedia, etc.?: How do the specific outlets use visual aspects to communicate certain points?

5. Contrast headlines, news content and multimedia aspects of coverage; offer links if you’d like.

In your essay, please use at least two reading materials from the past five weeks as sources and include a bibliography (MLA or APA): think about the principles; think about journalism’s role in a democracy and whether that role is being upheld or undercut by the coverage; think about the kind of information being parsed from the debates and what it says about the individual outlet; and most importantly, think about verification: which outlets are verifying what was said versus simply repeating it?

Please EMAIL me the assignment.

Length: 500-600 words

Due: Friday, Feb. 15

Super Bowl Media Comparison Assignment

This assignment will be due by 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8 as a COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, Feb. 3. For this assignment, you will be comparing two media outlets in a specific category.

You will be assigned to one of the groups of media below. Compare the coverage of the Super Bowl in the two publications. Be sure to check before and after.

National print: New York Times, Huffington Post

State print: Denver Post, Boulder Daily Camera

National broadcast: (CHOOSE TWO) CBS, NBC, ABC

Blogs: Bleacher Report, ESPN’s NFL Nation(http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation)

Compare the coverage of the Super Bowl in a short 400-450 word essay.

Some things to think about:

1. Compare the content: What are they talking about?  Which aspects of the Super Bowl are being discussed?

2. The tone: what is the tone of the coverage? Is it straightforward? Sensational?  Mocking? Slanted?

3. The amount of coverage: How much play is the Super Bowl getting overall? Is it comprehensive? In proportion to its actual importance, overblown or undersold?

4. Are there visuals, text, multimedia, etc.?: How do the specific outlets use visual aspects to communicate certain points?

5. Contrast headlines, news content and multimedia aspects of coverage; offer links if you’d like.

In your essay, please use at least two reading materials from the past five weeks as sources and include a bibliography (MLA or APA): think about the principles; think about journalism’s role in a democracy and whether that role is being upheld or undercut by the coverage; think about the kind of information being parsed from the Super Bowl and what it says about the individual outlet; and most importantly, think about verification: which outlets are verifying what was said versus simply repeating it?

Obviously, one could potentially get away with not watching the game, but I encourage you to check out at least part of it.

 

For your personal blog:

Please link to a news article on your overall topic and offer some analysis. You may use examples from the reading to critique the quality of the piece if you choose.

Blog Assignment, Week 2

Find and link to one news article related to your blog topic that you think exemplifies the first element of journalism: “Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.” Explain your reasoning, citing specific examples from the article and evidence from the book.

Next, find and link to one news article that does NOT exemplify the first element of journalism. Explain your reasoning, citing specific examples from the article and evidence from the book.

Length: 300-400 words

Due: Friday, Feb. 1, 2013

Week 1 Assignments

We’ll be doing three short assignments this first week, but don’t worry. These are short, and they’ll make your life easier later  in the semester.

DUE: Wednesday, Jan. 23 , by email (BEFORE lecture)

Write a brief profile of the person you interviewed in class (150-200 words) and email it to me by Wednesday.  I will send you comments and suggest revisions.

DUE: Friday, Jan. 25, (BEFORE Class)

Create a WordPress.com account, create your blog, choose a topic, and post a short description of what you’ll be writing about (50-100 words).  For details, see the “Welcome” note on the homepage of the blog.

DUE: Friday, Jan. 25, on class blog (BEFORE class)

Instructions: Buy, beg, borrow, or scrounge (but do not steal) a print copy of a newspaper and read the whole thing from front to back—every page, every article.

The choice of newspaper is up to you, but it must be a full-length, multi-section daily that covers local & international news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, etc. Examples of acceptable local papers include the Daily Camera, Denver Post and Longmont Times-Call; for national papers try the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post. Although they have their merits, the Onion, the Colorado Daily and the Boulder Weekly are not acceptable for this assignment.

When you’ve finished reading your paper, complete the following sheet and email it to me BEFORE class: Newspaper Assignment 2pm Jess.

Bring your newspaper with you to next week’s class.