Assignment for May 7

• Just a reminder that the short-answer portion of the Final Exam begins in class on Wednesday.
• Part two of the exam is a take-home test. You will be writing an inverted-pyramid story. The deadline to submit that story by email is 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 14.

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Assignment for May 5

Be sure to attend ... class on Monday for important announcements about the final examination. Bring your questions for a review session.

Extra credit ... stories are still being accepted as well as rewrites of stories if you are interested in raising a grade.

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Assignment for April 30

Read the media law section of the AP Stylebook on pages 335 - 337. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for April 28

1) Read and view the two "Dancing Rocks" emails sent to you separately.

2) Review Chapters 13 and 14.

3) Review and pay special attention to appendix pages 501 - 513.

4) Review the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics at http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.

5) Keep up with the media current events postings on the class blog, http://moorparkmedia.blogspot.com/

6) Turn in any extra credit assignments you may have written. Remember that rewrites of any assignment will be accepted if you wish to try to raise a grade. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for April 23

1) Write a speech story based upon the talk of guest speaker Rip Rense who addressed the class on Monday. For more on Rense, see http://www.riprense.com/
Riprense.htm.

2) Read Chapters 13 and 14.

3) Read and pay special attention to appendix pages 501 - 513.

4) Review the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics at http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.
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Assignment for April 16

1) Complete the in-class exercise. First read the Wall Street Journal editorial that criticized the Pulitzer committee for awarding the prize to journalists who exposed the actions of White House aides who "outed" a covert CIA agent. Then read the column by Tim Rutten of the LA Times, in which he takes the WSJ editors to task. Both opinion pieces were emailed to you earlier. Decide with which position you agree. Make some notes and come to class ready to discuss.

2) Read Chapters 11 and 12 on web and broadcast journalism.

Looking ahead:

3) Review the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics at http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.

4) Read ahead to Chapters 13 and 14. Also, read and pay special attention to appendix pages 501 - 513.

5) Plan to attend class on Monday, April 21. Attendance is required to hear guest speaker Rip Rense, photo right . Be prepared to ask questions You will write a story based upon his talk. For more on Rense, see http://www.riprense.com/Riprense.htm. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for April 14, Arrrrgh...

Avast me hearties,

Remember that the final version of your feature story is due by Monday. That is the DEADLINE. Remember to type double-spaced, check spelling, grammar and AP style, and email a version to yer instructor as a Word document. Students who miss the story deadline are subject to a fate so horrible to contemplate that my fingers tremble as they touch the keyboard. Woe to them who stare into the bloodshot eye of Deadline... and blink. Telling of it will make your blood run cold. Arrrgh, Cap'n Deadline takes no prisoners. You could ask his parrot Polly, except she oddly disappeared last Thanksgiving when the roast turkey was late in arriving. His brother in arms, Cap'n Hook had two hands when... but I'd better not tell you that one. Let this be a warning to ya!

Arrrrrgh... Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for April 9

Any member of the class who missed the Monday deadline for the rough draft of his or her feature story, needs to immediately email it to your instructor and to be prepared to present that draft to the class on Wednesday. A final version is due on Monday, April 14. Sphere: Related Content

Assignments for April 2... And Beyond

1) After reading the "Enrique's Journey" feature story, be prepared to discuss one good feature technique you found. Go deep into the story so that everyone finds different examples. Note how the technique was used, why you liked it, and then write a couple of paragraphs explaining your choice.

2) Email the rough draft of the feature story you "pitched" prior to class on April 7. The earlier you send it, the more time your instructor has to critique it and make suggestions.

3) Consider writing one or more extra credit stories based on the events of Multi-Cultural Day, April 15.

4) Don't miss class on April 21 when feature writer and author Rip Rense will be a guest. You will be writing a feature story based on his talk.
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Assignment for March 31

1) Prepare a story pitch for the Student Voice based upon the format which was sent to you in a separate email. Email your pitch or revised pitch to your instructor prior to the next class meeting. You have been granted a final extension until then. Offering a story to the Student Voice is one of the requirements of this class.

For this assignment, you will come up with your own idea for a feature story which we will discuss in class. You are not locked into that idea and in fact, are encouraged to alter it if need be based on your colleagues' comments.

One of the best ways to come up with a feature story topic is to have the assignment in the back of your mind as you go about your daily work, studies and interactions. When you encounter a cool new gadget, hear someone's interesting tale of overcoming adversity, notice a new trend or hear a great speech, all of these things should trigger the reaction: Hey, that would make a great story! Then you've got a good feature topic. You can also use this story to answer your own curiosity about something.

For instance, early in a colleague's reporting career, she injured a knee playing softball and knew she would eventually have to have surgery. So she pitched and wrote a story on knee surgery. It was a perfect topic at Lake Tahoe where she was working since there are so many knee injuries from skiing there. She interviewed a couple of surgeons, including the doctor who was the U.S. Olympic team surgeon, and watched another in action. It was very interesting and answered her own curiosity. And it was a fun feature for that audience.

2) Consider doing an extra credit assignment. Everyone in the class needs some extra points.

3) Review Chapters 8 and 9 in the text. Continue to review contents of the AP Stylebook. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for March 26

1) Continue to monitor this class blog . Several interesting and important media news items were posted over the Spring Break.

2) Read Chapter 8 in the text. Review Chapter 9 which was previously assigned.

3) Prepare a story pitch for the Student Voice based upon the format which was sent to you in a separate email.

For this assignment, you will come up with your own idea for a feature story which we will discuss in class. You are not locked into that idea and in fact, are encouraged to alter it if need be based on your colleagues' comments.

One of the best ways to come up with a feature story topic is to have the assignment in the back of your mind as you go about your daily work, studies and interactions. When you encounter a cool new gadget, hear someone's interesting tale of overcoming adversity, notice a new trend or hear a great speech, all of these things should trigger the reaction: Hey, that would make a great story! Then you've got a good feature topic. You can also use this story to answer your own curiosity about something.

For instance, early in a colleague's reporting career, she injured a knee playing softball and knew she would eventually have to have surgery. So she pitched and wrote a story on knee surgery. It was a perfect topic at Lake Tahoe where she was working since there are so many knee injuries from skiing there. She interviewed a couple of surgeons, including the doctor who was the U.S. Olympic team surgeon, and watched another in action. It was very interesting and answered her own curiosity. And it was a fun feature for that audience.

4) Continue to review contents of the AP Stylebook. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for March 12

Here are the stories your instructor would like to see in your portfolio on Wednesday:

• Interview
• Bank Rob
• Primary Advance
• Primary
• Nude on Fwy.
• Cockatoo
• Wild Party
• Fire Dog
• Seeing-Eye Dog
• Rocketdyne (or alternate meeting/speech)
• City Council
• Kurt

No need for a fancy presentation. A cheap binder will suffice. If you are missing a graded story but have the original in your computer, make a fresh printout. Remember, your instructor will aways accept a rewrite when you are seeking to improve your writing as well as your grade. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for March 10

1) Remember to turn your clock AHEAD one hour on Sunday morning.

2) Do exercise 11 on page 150 of the text. Don't miss the deadline.

3) Consider doing an extra credit assignment. Anything offered to the student paper and accepted for publication gets double points.

4) Continue gathering all your written work into a portfolio for presentation and one-on-one discussion on March 12.

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Assignment for March 5

1) Continue to review your AP Stylebook.

2) Consider doing an extra credit assignment. If you offer the story to the campus newspaper and it gets published, you get double points.

3) Read the Kurt Vonnegut bio at http://www.vonnegut.com/artist.asp .

4) Do exercise 1 on page 147. Yes, style, spelling and grammar count. Don't miss the deadline.

5) Continue preparing your portfolios for one-on-one sessions during the class prior to Spring Break. Your portfolios need to include all in-class and homework writing assignments. Collect them in a three-ring binder. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for March 3

1) Continue to check this blog for media news and assignment updates.

2) Re-read your AP Stylebook and apply style to everything you write for this class.

3) Read Chapter 9 in the text.

4) Do exercise 1 on page 206. Remember that deadlines will now be strictly enforced. All work should be typed and double-spaced. Work submitted via email should be formatted as a Word.doc attachment.

5) Prepare for an open-book quiz/test covering the text, AP Stylebook, class lectures and perhaps some current events and media news from the class blog.

6) Start gathering all of your classwork for a portfolio. Nothing fancy required. A three-ring binder will suffice. We'll have some one-on-one sessions before the Spring Break. More details to come. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for Feb. 27

Assignment due Feb. 27

Following class discussion Monday about covering speeches and meetings, plan to attend this Tuesday event and turn in your story in class on Wednesday. If you have a conflict, please contact your instructor for an alternate assignment.

Politics, Environmental Health, and History of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site will be discussed this coming Tuesday night, Feb. 26th at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

A flyer was emailed to you.

For questions, here's the faculty contact:
Lori Clark
Professor of Environmental Science
Moorpark College
Office: PS - 238
Campus ext. 1753
E-mail: loriclark[at]vcccd.edu

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Assignment for Feb. 25

1) Continue to review your AP Stylebook.

2) Read Chapter 18 in the text: "Speeches, News Conferences and Meetings."

3) Rewrite the "Hungry pet starts kitchen fire" story sent to you in a separate email.

4) Consider reporting an extra credit story. You get double points if you offer the story to the campus newspaper and it gets published.

5) Catch up on any reading you have failed to finish.

6) The deadline for submitting any past-due assignments is class time on Feb. 25. Any missing assignments not submitted by that time will get a grade of zero. After Feb. 25, deadlines will be strictly enforced.

7) You may rewrite any assignment to try to raise a grade. Submit the rewritten assignment with the original graded story attached. For clarity, when you convert any number grade to a letter grade, you can use this key:

A = Publishable quality
B = Publishable with editing
C = Substantial editing needed
D = Marginal quality
F = Unacceptable

8) Be prepared for a possible open-book test covering class notes, readings in the text and AP style on Feb. 27. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for Feb. 20

Note that there is NO class on Feb. 18 in honor of Presidents Day.

Using these videos, class "press conference," and the Word.doc attachments sent to you by email, write a new news story for next class.





You are not bound by the story structure we began in class. It was a work in progress. Feel free to tweak, modify, change and improve the story in any way. Remember, you are writing a second-day story and you want to propel the events forward. Don't forget the 5Ws and an H, inverted pyramid, quotes, nut graf, gritty detail and descriptions (from the video?), and the ethical considerations.

You can file your story by email if you want your instructor to critique it and give you a chance to rewrite. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for Feb. 13

If any of the media news items in this blog prompt questions, please bring them to class.

1) Continue to refresh your knowledge of the AP Stylebook. Everything you write should follow AP style. Yes, accuracy, grammar and spelling count.

2) Catch up on your reading if you have fallen behind. Make sure you have read these links about juvenile offenders and journalism ethics in order to participate in the next class:

• Taking Back a Fact
• Identifying Juveniles
• Doing Ethics: Ask Good Questions to Make Good Ethical Decisions
• Should the news media reveal the name of a juvenile murder suspect before the police have charged him?
• Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
• Juvenile Justice

3) Do exercise 1 on page 427. Remember to type, double-spaced. If you email you work, send it as an attachment.

4) Be prepared for some press conference role-playing with the "police chief" during our next class. Don't be reluctant to ask pointed questions. Sphere: Related Content

Assignment for Feb. 11

Continue to review the contents of the AP Stylebook.

Read Chapter 20 in the text.

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The newsroom ethics policy of the Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., includes:

Because of our community's concern about youth crime, we will name juveniles age 15 or older charged with a violent crime. We will consider naming juveniles younger than 15 or those of any age charged with non-violent crimes in certain newsworthy circumstances.

Before identifying the victim of a crime without their consent, consider any further harm that the naming of a victim might do. In routine, minor crime stories, we will typically not name victims. In higher profile stories, we typically will. In the case of sex crimes and those involving juvenile victims, we will not identify the victim without consent. We will withhold exact addresses of residences, unless there is a compelling reason to print them.

In light of that, click on these links and also read:

• Taking Back a Fact
• Identifying Juveniles
• Doing Ethics: Ask Good Questions to Make Good Ethical Decisions
• Should the news media reveal the name of a juvenile murder suspect before the police have charged him?
• Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
• Juvenile Justice

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