Journalism 4624/5624 - NewsTeam
Fall 2012 Syllabus
Tuesday/Thursday 8:45-12:50, Armory 209
Friday 1-2:50, Armory 218
Course Instructors
Paul Daugherty Marguerite Moritz, PhD
Office: Armory 203E Professor & UNESCOChair
Office Hrs: Wed. 9-11 a.m. (or appt.) Office: Armory 203C
Phone: (Office) 303-492-0867 Hours: Wed 3- 5p.m. (or appt.)
(Cell) 303-588-5894 Phone: (Office): 303.492.1610
Paul.Daugherty@colorado.edu Moritzm@colorado.edu
Teaching Assistants
Emilie Johnson Lauren Peterson
esjohnso@colorado.edu Lauren.Peterson@colorado.edu
Phone: 970-450-1071 Phone: 540.908.0150
Equipment Check Out
Armory 214; Phone: 303-492-0681
NewsTeam Newscast website:
NewsTeam Course Resources Website:
What is NewsTeam?
Boulder’s only live television newscast, NewsTeam Boulder is produced entirely by students who are enrolled in the course. The show has been in production since the late 1980’s and has won two Emmys, one in 2001 and the other in 2012. Alums from this course include NBC News Reporter Tom Costello, 9News Anchor Kim Christiansen, Roots Sports Correspondent Alana Rizzo, Denver Post Photojournalist/Producer Anne Herbst, 9News Reporter Chris Vanderveen, and many others who have made a name for themselves in the profession.
Course Objectives
In this class you will learn to work in a television newsroom environment. You will gather information, write, shoot and edit stories for a live 30 minute newscast which student teams organize and produce.
You will also create stories for the show’s website, www.newsteamboulder.org. Your program and your website are important resources for the campus and the Boulder community. The course goal is to create original news content that is journalistically credible and engaging.
You will be expected to offer diverse perspectives and avoid misrepresentation or harm to individuals, groups, or alternative points of view. The course is designed to help advance your professional skills. If you hope to work in news, there is no better experience than being part of a live newscast and its website. If you hope to work in some other aspect of broadcast production or communication, these skills will prove valuable in those settings as well.
Emmy Award Winning
The Newsteam class of Fall 2011 recently won an Emmy for their work. One of your goals as a class should be to repeat that win next year.
Class Organization
Be prepared to make a significant time commitment to NewsTeam. In addition to regularly scheduled news programs, we will cover the 2012 elections. All students (Tuesday and Thursday groups) will be assigned to election coverage on November 6th , which will run from 7 to 10pm.
For the first three weeks of the semester all students will meet on all three class days: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Beginning in week four our live programming begins and you will work in your assigned Tuesday-Friday group or Thursday-Friday group. From that point on, you will meet twice a week.
Reporting
Your reporting assignments are divided into two distinct categories: 1) SOJO packages and 2) Same-Say or Look Live packages.
SOJO packages refer to solo-journalist pieces also called one-man-bands. These packages are researched, shot and edited over at least a three-week time frame and all elements of the package, including the standup (s/u), are produced by one reporter who works solo. These pieces are expected to run between 2:00 and 3:00 and include a reporter s/u bridge.
Same-day or look-live packages are produced by 2-person reporter/photographer teams. These stories are expected to have running times of about 1:00 and, as the name indicates, they are done the morning of the news program. Same-day pieces are expected to have a su/open and a su/close (donut).
Weeks 1-3 - "Boot Camp"
You will review writing and reporting techniques, digital editing, camera operations and web basics. You will also learn the basics of producing shows with EZNews software. Each student will also practice on-air performance in the ATLAS studio. During the week before live newscasts, we will have dress rehearsals. At that time, you will be assigned to work either Tuesday or Thursday news programs.
Friday afternoons remain mandatory for all students all semester. Friday classes are used to review the week, plan upcoming newscasts (news meetings), and discuss contemporary issues in broadcast news. This is also our time to meet with special guests.
Election 2012
Not only is there a presidential election this semester, but also NewsTeam Boulder has been selected to partner with the PBS Newshour to cover election stories. Details will be discussed in class, but all SOJO reporter packages throughout the semester are REQUIRED to be on political issues. Sports SOJO packages, of course, are exempted from this requirement.
Sports Coverage
NewsTeam has two passes to cover CU varsity sports. Check them out in Paul’s office.
Weather Segments
Students will be assigned to do weather reports in the studio during the live newscast. This report will be shot in front of the green screen. The student will be responsible for producing the graphics.
Please remember that whenever you are out on news or sports stories, you represent NewsTeam, the journalism program and the university. We expect you to dress and act professionally.
Required Materials
· Flash drive (USB Drive) with at least 1 gig of space
· External hard drive*
· One or two SDHC Card – Class 6 or higher (see JVC GY-HM100U instruction guide for card recommendations
· 1 SDHC card reader (you can find several on Amazon – usually no more than $10)
· One or two 9-volt batteries (for wireless mics)
· 6 AA batteries – to use with Sun Gun video lighting for camera
*Paul recommends the LaCie Rugged Drive. Consider getting one that has at least 250 GB with dual FireWire and USB connections. You can shop for these drives online, including Amazon, where the prices might be more reasonable. The price has really come down in recent months! Amazon is selling a 500 GB version for $150, not including shipping. A 320 GB drive costs just over $100. A 250 GB drive is about $100.
It will be more imperative that you get a personal portable drive because you will not be allowed to leave work on the edit bay computers. Any work that remains on the desktop will be deleted automatically when you log off.
Texts
There are no required texts. However, we recommend three that we think you would find helpful:
Broadcast News Handbook: Writing, Reporting & Producing in a Converging Media World, C.A. Tuggle, Forrest Carr, Suzanne Huffman, McGraw-Hill (2nd edition 2004; 3rd edition 2006).
The Broadcast Journalism Handbook: A Television News Survival Guide, Robert Thompson and Cindy Malone, 2004, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.
It Takes More Than Good Looks To Succeed at Television News Reporting, Wayne Freedman, 2003, Bonus Books.
Read, Watch and Listen
You are required to keep up with the news. You are expected to know the details of important events at local, state, national and international levels. As is the case in professional settings, you will often be writing about events that require this kind of familiarity. As part of your class preparation, you are expected to read newspapers, consult on-line news sources, listen to radio news (such as campus radio 1190AM or NPR), and watch television news.
Grading
NewsTeam does not operate like a traditional class. There will be no mid-term or final exams. For most of the semester, your time will be devoted to producing material for your newscasts and website.
Grades will be based on your contribution to the weekly newscasts, and other assignments throughout the semester. You can earn extra credit for extra packages, VO/SOT's or VO's, or for volunteering to fill in if necessary. Spot news, exceptional enterprise reporting, or breaking a story will be rewarded.
Deductions will be made for not doing your share of the work, tardiness and unexcused absences (see below).
Grading will be as follows:
SOJO packages 30% (3 packages @10% each)
Camera & editing 20%
Producing, anchoring, same-day reporting 30%
Portfolio and website 20%
Script Review on Packages
To help you improve your stories before they air, script review with Meg or Paul is REQUIRED on all packages, both news and sports. You may do this in person, by phone, or by e-mail. Sojo story ideas are due two weeks before air; sojo scripts are due one week before air. If you have an event that happens after deadline and need an extension, you must clear this with us ahead of time. You will usually be asked to do revisions on your script and you may even need to shoot additional elements. Don’t take it personally! This is to help you create stronger material and to maintain high standards. You must get script review before editing. Failing to get script review on time will result in a major deduction from your weekly grade. By consulting fully on your story ideas, we can help you in the process of developing well-balanced, well-sourced reports and minimize the need for significant revisions.
Attendance/Punctuality
Attendance and punctuality are important in any profession and they are especially critical in journalism. We expect you to be in class and on time, contribute to discussions, and do your weekly job to the best of your ability. Unexcused absences will result in a deduction for your grade. If you have a genuine emergency, please notify us prior to class, if possible. Assignments missed due to unexcused absences may not be made up. If you will miss class due to religious observances, please notify us beforehand.
Deadlines
Meeting deadlines is a fact of life in broadcast news. Assignments not turned in on time will receive an automatic reduction in grade.
Academic Honesty
CU has adopted an honor code to promote a culture of academic integrity within the University. The code can be found at http://spot.colorado.edu/~adler/honor_code.htm
Turning in work that is not your own will result in failure on the assignment, possible dismissal from the class and/or other actions provided for in the honor code. You are not allowed to have people outside of NewsTeam do any of the work on your stories without prior approval, including shooting, editing and any other creative/editorial work. Plagiarism also includes turning in written assignments in which you represent someone else's work as your own and/or do not properly attribute source material. You may not turn in work from another class, including Sports Mag, for credit in NewsTeam.
Special Accommodations
If you qualify for academic accommodations because of a disability, please submit a letter from Disability Services (DS) early in the semester so that your needs may be addressed. DS determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. For more information, contact 303-492-8671, Willard 322, http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/
About Our Newscasts
NewsTeam airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays live at noon and is replayed at 6 and 10 p.m. on Boulder cable, Comcast 120.3, and Campus Channel 3. We cover primarily campus and Boulder news since viewers have other options for national and Denver news.
We hope to be their best option for truly local television news. We stream our newscasts on our website, www.newsteamboulder.org (newscasts can be viewed on-line at the same time they are on the air), and reporter packages are uploaded to the web site so friends and family can watch your stories!
About the Teaching Staff
Paul Daugherty
Paul is an award-winning producer and founder of Doghouse Productions in Boulder. He has a master's degree in broadcast journalism from CU. He has over 20 years of television experience, the majority of which took during his employment at Rocky Mountain PBS, where he produced numerous documentaries and public affairs shows. His specialty is producing nature and science documentaries and educational videos. Paul is the faculty adviser for the Emmy-winning student-produced video podcast series, CU Science Update. He also produced original documentaries, including Jump Steak, a “web-based doco” covering the issues and concerns surrounding the human consumption of kangaroos; the reality series Zoo Keeper Journal, (shot in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand); Space Class, an educational series for middle- and high-school curriculums and produced in conjunction with NASA partners; Project Pisces, a NASA/ University of Hawaii at Hilo collaboration to develop habitation structures that can be used on the moon; Urban Ark – The Story of the Denver Zoo; and the Emmy-winning Colorado.Now public affairs series and Rocky Mountain Legacy, both Rocky Mountain PBS productions. . Paul worked with Meg as a videographer/editor for her documentary Covering Columbine and he went to New Orleans with her one month after Hurricane Katrina to shoot footage for a show about trauma and journalism. Paul is a Colorado native, but has family in New Zealand and Australia. He has an adopted koala named Belvedere, who lives in Australia's Ballarat Wildlife Sanctuary just north of Melbourne.
Meg Moritz
A former news and documentary producer for NBC, Meg is Professor and UNESCO Chair in International Journalism Education. She has presented her films and her research in more than 20 countries and has been a visiting scholar at major universities in Shanghai, Xian and Beijing as well as in Paris, Strasbourg, Stockholm and Versailles. From 2002 to 2008 she was a Fulbright Senior Specialist and carried out research and consulting projects with media companies and universities in South Africa and in Malta. In Fall 2009 she was Visiting Scholar at JMK, University of Stockholm. Her research looks at professional codes and practices in contemporary news and entertainment media. She examines the creation and use of images in the digital era and has written extensively on the intersection of race, class and gender in visual depictions of women, gays, Muslims and other marginalized groups. In "Hate Speech Made Easy: The Virtual Demonization of Gays" (2006) she examines the proliferation of homophobia on the Internet. Scout’s Honor (2001), for which she was writer and story consultant, looks at the Boy Scouts of America's anti-gay policies. The film won the audience award for best documentary and the Freedom of Expression Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Her work on crisis reporting began more than a decade ago when she wrote, produced and directed the documentary Covering Columbine which examines journalistic ethics inreporting school shootings. It has been screened in the United States, Canada, France, Turkey, Sweden and South Africa. In “Students as Creators and Consumers of E-News: The Case of Virginia Tech,” (2009) she looks at the use of blogs and social media following the worst school shooting in US history. Her work on school shooter videos in Finnish news media appears in Amateur Images and Global News forthcoming in 2011. Her recent op-ed in the Denver Post is on media coverage of the James Holmes trial in Aurora.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_21175741/trial-will-not-be-tweeted
Teaching Assistants
Emilie Johnson
Emilie Johnson is a colorful Colorado native. After graduating from CU in 2008 with her degree in Broadcast Production Journalism, Emilie began her production work for both CBS News and radio. She worked at KCNC News 4 while also working for CBS Radio in Denver. Emilie was a co-host/producer for the Bo Reynolds Saturday Night syndicated radio shows on 92.5 The Wolf. Emilie was fortunate enough to work with Magical Elves Productions while they were shooting Top Chef in Aspen, Colorado. In 2009 Emilie earned her Final Cut Pro certification. While content with her career in Denver, Emilie jumped on the opportunity to work for Carnival Cruise Lines. During her time on ship, Emilie would shoot and edit videos of events, tours, shore excursions, and weddings. Now Emilie is back on land and excited about the new life that awaits her in Boulder, She is a first year graduate student in the News Gathering Combination sequence. She has a deep passion for music of all genres and eras. Emilie is looking forward to working with Radio 1190 now that she is back on campus. This is one fun loving, easygoing gal who is willing to help anyone...so just ask her. She loves to teach and help people, which is why she is super excited to help students learn the joys of journalism. In her free time Emilie plays roller derby and loves every minute of it. Therefore, it is in your best interest to turn your assignments in on time to avoid derby outbursts…just kidding.
Lauren Peterson
Lauren Peterson hails from Virginia where she received her degree in Media Arts and Design with a concentration in Digital Video, Post Production. After graduating from JMU in 2008, Lauren landed a winter internship at Plum TV Vail where she braved sub-zero mornings uncoiling XLR cables and positioning lights, cameras, a jib and talent for the live morning show. She spent her days shooting, editing and producing short vignettes about mountain events and people in the Vail Valley. Soon after, Lauren moved to TV-18 in Steamboat Springs where she continued to strengthen her "preditor" (producer/editor) skills and biceps by capturing the action at rodeos, ranches, art festivals and other local happenings. Her quick edit turn around earned her a position as director of the Steamboat Today morning show. After a season of running three computers, ten monitors and an audio board before 9 am, Lauren picked up freelance edit work composing spherical video for ski-industry based company, "Slopeviews.com".
In the summer of 2010, she worked as a producer for a small film company. She hired a crew of professionals for a two-day shoot on super 16mm film as well as oversaw editing and color correction for a 17-minute flick. You can see some samples of her edits at LaurenPeterson.com.
This is Lauren’s second year working for NewsTeam. This past summer she worked for CU Science Discovery teaching kids nine and up how to create video shorts with iMovie. While kids are fun, she is looking forward to working with undergrads again. She is a whiz at Final Cut and loves to help out around the lab.
Schedule Fall 2012
Week One
Tues 28 Aug (Armory 218) General introduction, preference forms.
CU campus policies for interviews, photography
(Bronson Hilliard, Malinda Miller-Huey)
Assignment: Courtesy visit to a CU official.
Th 30 Aug Group A- (Edit Lab) Photography basics
Group B - (Armory 209) Writing for NewsTeam
(groups switch locations at 10:15)
Fr 31 Aug (Armory 218) Writing for the NT website,
(Edit Lab) uploading to the NT website, resume
websites
Week Two
Tu 4 Sept A - (Edit Lab) Video editing and camera quiz
B - (Armory 209) Producing news and sportscasts –
using EZ News
(You will stay with your group the entire morning.)
A & B – 10:20 Everyone meet in Room 206A with
TV 2 and TV 3 students
Th 6 Sept B - (Edit Lab) Video editing and camera quiz
A - (Armory 209) Producing news and sportscasts –
using EZ News
Assignment: readings for Friday’s class
Fr 7 Sept (Armory 218) Developing story ideas on local, national
and regional politics.
Guest Speaker: David Bernknopf, former CNN VP
Week Three: Labor Day Monday Sept 5
Tu 11 Sept A - (ATLAS Production Studio) TV anchor performance
B – (Edit lab) Working on deadline – VO/SOT and
Look Live assignments
(You will stay with your group the entire morning.)
Th 13 Sept B - (ATLAS Production Studio) TV anchor performance
A – (Edit lab) Working on deadline - VO/SOT and Look
Live assignments
(You will stay with your group the entire morning.)
Fr 14 Sept (Armory 218)
Due: Story ideas
Week Four
Tu 18 Sept (Armory 209 and ATLAS Studio) Dress Rehearsal
Th 20 Sept (Armory 209 and ATLAS Studio) Dress Rehearsals
Fr 21 Sept (Armory 218) News meeting and preparation for first
newscasts
Weeks Five-
Tu 25 Sept First Newscast Tuesday group
Th 27 Sept First Newscast Thursday group
Fr 28 Sept Review, critique first newscasts; planning
meetings
October 26 Portfolio@ Midterm – 3 items from NT
What you can choose from to turn in:
SOJO/Sports Reporter PKG; Look-Live PKG; Anchoring; Sports Anchoring; Weather Segment; Producing; Web Stories. Among these items, choose 3 that represents your best work. You could choose two SOJO packages, two anchoring segments, and so on if you had the opportunity to do more than one.
Additionally, you will be required to write a one-page critique of your work.
How to turn in the portfolio:
Edit the 3 items into a single video. Include a slate at the beginning of each item, identifying what it is - make sure your name accompanies each slate. Then upload the video to YouTube. Email the YouTube link and an electronic version of your critique to both Meg and Paul.
How we will evaluate your work:
The work will be evaluated according to the professional merits of writing, photography, originality, creativity, and editing. All work should meet the standards of broadcast excellence.
What we consider to be superior work:
Enterprising reporting, excellent stand-ups and technical execution will be considered highly.
What could cause you to lose points:
Poor photography and editing, awkward story construction, inability to follow the instructions just provided.
Tues 6 Nov ELECTION DAY
The regular noon news program is cancelled and replaced by evening
coverage. Students will be assigned to cover stories throughout the day and our
Special Election Coverage will begin at 7pm and conclude at 10pm.
Crew Call: 6p in ATLAS - pizza and refreshments will be served!
Fri 16 Nov No class session!!!!
Nov 19-23 Fall Break and Thanksgiving Holiday!!!!
Tu 4 Dec Last Newscast Tuesday group
Th 6 Dec Last Newscast Thursday group
Fr 7 Dec No class – work on final portfolio / Website
See the Website construction guidelines under Resume Reel Guidelines
Tu 11 Dec No class – work on final resume tape / Website
Th 13 Dec No class – work on final resume tape / Website
December 14 Last day of classes. Final resume tapes & websites
due during class
Additional Important Phone Numbers
Journalism School Office 303-492-5007
Studio Master Control 303-735-2043
Editing Suite (Armory 216) 303-492-4556
If the phone in the editing suite rings, please answer it.
Steve Jones (production staff) 303-492-8919