COURSE SCHEDULE for JRN 3315 — Advanced reporting
Dates, readings, assignments and deadlines for spring semester 2017

Watch this page — and listen in class — throughout the term for changes and additional assignments. This schedule definitely will change because of circumstances and opportunities that arise. Some items referenced may not be available until the weeks for which they are assigned. Current events, a standing assignment: Throughout the semester, follow the news by reading newspapers, magazines and the Internet, and by watching and listening to broadcast news. As you read the news, analyze where and how the reporters and editors obtained and presented their information. Suggested news sources include The New York Times, CNN, Fox, AL.com, the Montgomery Advertiser, the Dothan Eagle, the Troy Messenger, Montgomery's Channel 8 and Channel 12, the Tropolitan, TrojanVision, Troy University public radio, and npr.org. You are required to follow the #jlabnews Twitter feed and to contribute at least two stories to it per week. The #jlabnews feed is on the right side of this page. You can also access it from twitter.com and from various Twitter apps. Technical notes: If a link does not work, try right-clicking (or, on a Mac, Control-clicking) on the link. Select the option to open the file in a new browser window or a new browser tab. You may find that Firefox is a better browser to use than Safari. You may also need software that can play .mp3 and .mp4 files of audio and video. Many computers already have such software installed; if yours doesn't, look for a free download such as RealPlayer. To read .pdf files, you may need to install Adobe Reader or another free download. On a Mac, Preview.app is an excellent tool for viewing and marking .pdfs. You should bring your Associated Press Stylebook to every class and use it constantly for reference. You will be expected to know and use AP style. If you have questions or need help, contact the professor: Steve Stewart, 103-E Wallace Hall, 334-672-3192, sstewart71298@troy.edu. Use this cellphone number instead of his office telephone.

Tweets about "#jlabnews"

Week No.	Week of	Outside class (complete readings and assignments prior to the week’s first class unless other deadlines are specified)	In class
1	Jan. 8	Read or watch the following: —The course syllabus (in Blackboard) —The video on how to use the #jlabnews Twitter feed —How to give an oral report on current events —Submitting assignments electronically —How to fail this class. —Setting paragraph indentions and line spacing. (The second page illustrates exactly what you are expected to do.) Read Punctuation and attribution of direct quotes. (Print this sheet out for reference; you will need to know every detail for multiple assignments.) Sign up for a Twitter account if you do not already have one. By 7 p.m. on Thursday: Read Chapter 3 of "Inside Reporting," ("Newswriting basics"). Complete the JRN 3315 Pretest (in Blackboard under Assessments). This Pretest covers the readings listed above, as well as important writing and reporting concepts covered in prerequisite courses. You may use your textbook, your Stylebook and other materials for reference. You may also consult the professor. You must make 90 or higher on this Pretest in order to receive any credit for it, but you may take it as many times as you wish before the deadline. Before Friday’s class: Browse the pages and stories of the 2016 IMPACT Trop. Browse the 2016 Camp War Eagle edition of The Auburn Plainsman, which has a similar theme. Read "Tips and reminders about IMPACT Trop stories." By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15: File your list of 10 IMPACT story ideas. (See the detailed assignment in Blackboard under Assignments.) During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least once this week to #jlabnews.	First class will be Wednesday, Jan. 11. Wednesday: Orientation Complete the Student Information Form (in Blackboard). Discuss stories we'll do during this semester: —IMPACT Trop story —Hometown newspaper story —Local government meeting story —Enterprise story (preferably a published one) —Others (See details for each story in the Assignments section of Blackboard.) Distribute copies of the 2016 IMPACT Trop. Discuss senioritis and spring fever. Discuss plans to attend Troy City Council meeting on Jan. 24.
2	Jan. 15	Before Wednesday's class: Complete the Twitter setup assignment (in Blackboard). Select your first, second and third choices of stories to write from the tentative list of IMPACT Trop stories. Bring these choices to class with you Wednesday so that we can discuss them and make assignments. (This list incorporates many of the ideas that students submitted.) During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	No class Monday (Martin Luther King holiday) Wednesday: Discuss IMPACT Trop; make story assignments. Begin working with your student editor from the Advanced Editing class. Friday: Discuss IMPACT Trop, including how to shoot photos and write captions.
3	Jan. 22	Work with your student editor to plan your IMPACT Trop story. Read the following: —"What makes a story interesting to readers," p. 19 of "Inside Reporting" —Chapter 4 of "Inside Reporting" ("Reporting basics") Tuesday, Jan. 24: Attend both the Troy City Council’s work session (4 p.m.) and its formal meeting (5 p.m.) as a group at City Hall. (The first session will be in the council's conference room, not its formal meeting room.) This visit will help you prepare to write a story about similar meetings in February. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews. Other events this week: Friday, Jan. 27, noon to 12:50 p.m.: Pike Piddlers free Storytelling performance by Josh Goforth in the Trojan Center Theatre. Saturday, Jan. 28: Storytelling festival (all day, charge for admission)	Monday: Discuss plans to attend the next day's two Troy City Council meetings. Look at this week's agenda and a recent Troy Messenger story about similar meetings. Select accountability partners. Wednesday: Discuss the previous day’s Troy City Council meeting and the story published in The Messenger. No class Friday. Work on your IMPACT Trop story.
4	Jan. 29	Read Chapter 8 of "Inside Reporting" ("Digital journalism"). Read “Separating fact from fiction and opinion in a news story.” (The first paragraph contains a typographical error. Be prepared to discuss the article and identify the typo in class.) Read “What is fake news? How to spot it and what you can do to stop it” from The Guardian. By 11:59 p.m. on Monday: Submit the mandatory draft of your IMPACT Trop story. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday: Troy Messenger reporter Jacob Holmes speaks to class. Wednesday: Writers and editors confer with Professor Stewart in his office about IMPACT Trop stories. Schedule and details are here. Friday: Discuss fake news: the problem; why it occurs; how to deal with it; the dangers it poses for society and journalism; how a reader can tell fake news from real news; why journalistic standards for reporting, editing and ethics matter. Evaluate a story about plans to put Obama's picture on the $1 bill. Take Quiz 1 (in Blackboard under Assessments).
5	Feb. 5	Browse the newspaper directory on the website of the Alabama Press Association, looking for a newspaper for which you would like to write and an editor you can contact. Also, click here to see the names of some Alabama newspaper executives who may be especially interested in working with you. Browse the following online resources: —Legislature's home page (including lists and contact information for House and Senate members) —ALISON (Alabama Legislative Information System Online) —Professor Stewart’s letter to your editor, explaining this project (you can send this letter to the editor) Read Chapter 5 of "Inside Reporting," especially "Covering politics," pp. 110-111. By Friday: Select a newspaper editor for your hometown story, get the professor's approval of this editor, and contact the editor. Click on "Helpful links" at the bottom of this page to find examples and resources. By 11:59 p.m. on Friday: Submit your finished IMPACT Trop story with photos, captions, etc. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday: Discuss pending projects, deadlines and trips. Discuss #jrn3315 Twitter feed. No class Wednesday or Friday (some students and the professor will be attending Alabama Press Association's Journalism Summit in Montgomery on Friday)
6	Feb. 12	Troy students visit Goat Hill (the seat of state government) in Montgomery on Feb. 24, 2016. At the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, discusses issues and the legislative process. Read the tentative schedule and linked documents about our trip to Montgomery. Read at least five of the following legislative stories, written by our students in previous years, which will give you some ideas about the kinds of stories you could write: —" 'Common sense' law: New bill would make most abortions illegal in Alabama" by Jacob Holmes —" 'State Cake' bill introduced" by Hunter Hansen —"Bill would allow 2-year college students to transfer, receive degrees" by Will Reinert —"No discussion about charter schools in Enterprise" by Emily Beckstrom —"Accountability Act still under discussion" by Ngoc Vo —"Geneva County sales tax bill pending in Senate" by Yang Bai —"Issue coming to a head -- Hobbyists hope home brewing makes final hurdle: the Senate" by Brittany DeLong —"Bill to restrict funeral protests garners support" by Cody Muzio —"Some say immigration law could harm state's economy" by Laurel Akin —"Taxes could go up in the county" by Ryan McCollough —"Legislators facing tough decisions in regular session" by Jennifer Harrison Review current ideas for legislative stories prepared by the professor. (Check this list periodically for new ideas and updates.) By 11:59 p.m. on Thursday: Submit your report about our visit to Montgomery (in Blackboard under Assignments). Submit your story about Steve Flowers' speech to our class. (But if you submit an optional draft by Wednesday, your deadline for the final story will be Friday.) By Friday: File a written report (in Blackboard under Assignments) about your contact with a newspaper editor.	Monday: Guest speaker: political analyst Steve Flowers, a former Alabama legislator (you will be required to write a story) Discuss Wednesday's trip to Montgomery. The tentative schedule is here. Wednesday: Visit the Legislature and media in Montgomery (joint trip with the Advanced Editing class). Friday: Discuss what we learned in Montgomery. Discuss digital journalism, including how it's practiced at the Montgomery Advertiser and AL.com. Plan for next week’s trip to Montgomery. Report orally and compare notes with other students on your contact with a newspaper editor. Discuss hometown newspaper stories.
7	Feb. 19	This student-written story won a regional award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Read "Tips and reminders about hometown newspaper stories." Work on your hometown newspaper story (you may submit a draft at any time). During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday: Take Quiz 2 (in Blackboard under Assessments). No class Friday
8	Feb. 26	Tuesday, Feb. 28: Cover the Troy City Council meeting and work session as if you were a reporter for The Messenger. File your story in Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. (The assignment is in Blackboard: "Cover a local government meeting.")  By 11:59 p.m. on Friday: Submit finished multimedia for your IMPACT Trop story. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Classes will not meet this week because the professor will be teaching for Troy in Malaysia. Use this time to do the following: —Complete all assignments, including those in the column to the left. —Do assigned readings, and catch up with any readings that you missed. —Prepare for what we’ll do after spring break. —Watch your email and Blackboard for news and assignments from the professor. Wednesday, 9 to 11 a.m.: Take Quiz 3 (in Blackboard under Assessments). You can take it from anywhere with good internet access. You will have 1 hour to take the quiz once you start. The password was announced in class Feb. 22. The professor may not be available by cellphone, but you can reach him through email. He will be monitoring your progress and grading papers through Blackboard.
9	March 5	NO CLASSES (spring break)
10	March 12	During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday: Review for midterm exam. Discuss remainder of semester. Wednesday: Take the midterm exam (in Blackboard under Assessments).
11	March 19	Read "Covering a speech." Read “A lament for Gary Dickey” and “Freedom of speech for all?” — Tropolitan stories published in 2014 about Troy State College’s effort in 1967 to expel Dickey, a Tropolitan editor, regarding an editorial he wanted to publish. A federal judge sided with the student. Dickey’s lawyer, Morris Dees, will speak on campus this week, and you will cover it. Read the description of the Southern Poverty Law Center from its website. Also read about our speaker, Morris Dees, SPLC’s co-founder and chief trial attorney. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews. Wednesday, March 22: Cover Morris Dees and the journalism symposium. See the two assignments in Blackboard, and follow instructions. Note the deadlines in Blackboard. By Sunday at the end of the week: Complete your blogging assignment for this week (see Blackboard for details). Morris Dees	Monday: Discuss IMPACT stories. Discuss legislative stories. Wednesday: No class (cover journalism symposium) Friday: Students hold individual conferences with professor during the class period in his office, 103-E Wallace Hall. Click here to see the schedule.
12	March 26	Read Chapter 6 of "Inside Reporting" ("Beyond breaking news"). By 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday: Submit the mandatory draft of your hometown newspaper story (unless your editor has given you a different deadline and you have informed the professor of it). During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Discuss enterprise stories.
13	April 2	Read "Court reporting tips" from Ken Tuck, former managing editor and regional editor of The Dothan Eagle (Page 2 of the linked document). Read pp. 104-105 (or nearby) in "Inside Reporting." The topic is covering courts. Read or watch the following: —"Lindsay Lohan Sues over 'Milkaholic' E*Trade Ad —"Text of Lindsay Lohan's Complaint (Suit)" —The milkaholic ad —A capital murder indictment from Pike County Circuit Court. —The criminal complaint in an Arizona congresswoman's shooting. — Canon 3 of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics By 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday: Submit your finished hometown newspaper story (unless your editor has given you a different deadline and you have informed the professor of it). During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday: Compare notes and report progress on stories. Wednesday: Discuss covering the courts.
14	April 9	By 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday: Submit the mandatory draft of your enterprise story. Read Chapter 7 of "Inside Reporting," Second Edition ("Law and ethics"). In the AP Stylebook under "Briefing on Media Law," read "Introduction," "Legal Principles of Newsgathering" and "Legal Principles of Publication." During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Discuss law and ethics. (See notes here.) Evaluate status of stories. Friday: Take Quiz 4 (in Blackboard under Assessments).
15	April 16	Read the 2003 citation for the Pulitzer Prize in public service, awarded to the Boston Globe for the stories described in the “Spotlight” movie. Read at least five of the Globe’s stories, linked from the Pulitzer page. By 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 23: Submit your report on the "Spotlight" movie. (See Assignments in Blackboard for details.) During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Watch the movie “Spotlight” — the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered a massive child-abuse scandal and cover-up in the Roman Catholic Church. Take notes; prepare to give a written or oral report.
16	April 23	Read the report by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism about a flawed story in Rolling Stone concerning an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia. Read these two documents from a New York Times workshop for student editors in New York: —Editing, writing, information sources —Internships and resources for students Before Wednesday’s class: Read at pulitzer.org and elsewhere about the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes in journalism (not the prizes in letters, drama and music), announced April 10. Read the winning story or stories in the categories of Public Service and Investigative Reporting. Select one of these winners, and prepare to discuss the following if you are called on in class: What was the gist of the winning story or stories? Who reported and wrote them? What were his or her sources? How were the stories organized (including lede and structure)? By 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday: Submit your finished enterprise story, along with all required materials. During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews. Another event this week: Thursday, April 27: HSJC annual forensics tournament, Trojan Center Theatre (informative speech, persuasive speech, prose, poetry, storytelling, Spanish prose, Spanish poetry)	Monday: Students report on what we learned from “Spotlight.” Discuss investigative reporting. Discuss the Columbia University report about Rolling Stone's rape story. Wednesday: Discuss the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes, announced April 10. Friday: Take Quiz 5 (in Blackboard under Assessments).
17	April 30	By Monday: Report on your #jlabnews tweets during the semester (in Blackboard under Assignments). During the week: Follow current events, including #jlabnews, and contribute at least twice this week to #jlabnews.	Wrapup and review
Friday, May 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Take the FINAL EXAM. This exam will be given in the regular classroom.

Helpful links