The
course blends lectures and readings with hands-on exercises and other practical
applications. In this semester, students will report and write stories
drawn from the unfolding story of the 107th Congress and the new Bush administration.
The approach will be that of a regional correspondent in Wasington writing
for a audience outside of the Beltway. Students should remain flexible
to take advantage of the upcoming events.
As
in a modern newsroom, computer literacy will be expected along with writing
competency. Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, all
outside class assignments will be posted as Prometheus files in a word
processing format that can be edited by the instructor. Students will use
Word in the lab and should be familiar with it. Students who are unfamiliar
with Word should enroll in short courses offered by GW's Information Technology
Services. See above link to ITS.
Tests:
There will be a midterm on readings and lectures in the course.
There will be no final examination with a story assignment in lieu of an
exam.
Class
Assignments: Writing and reporting assignments will occur periodically.
They often will involve live events. Quizzes may also occur periodically
and would count in this category. The AP stylebook should be
brought to each class meeting.
Beat
Stories: Each student will select a member of the U.S. House to report
on as part of their beat. To maximize access, it is recommended that the
student select the House member who represents their hometown or a member
from the Washington area. The choice of the House member must be
approved by the instructor. Students will write stories about their House
members following specific assignments. All stories must be double
spaced with standard margins and type size.
Final
Project: The final third of the semester will be devoted to the subject
of the role of money in Washington. Students will use campaign finance
data, voting records, lobbying reports and other sources to produce a final
in-depth story.
Students
are encouraged to read news media coverage of their beat but any use of
such material in stories must follow the rules of attribution. Be prepared
to produce original notes and explain how each story is reported. Plagiarism
will not be tolerated, and students should be familiar with university's
Code of Academic Integrity and journalism's generally accepted ethical
rules. A copy of the Society of Professional Journalist's code is linked
above. Unless otherwise specified, deadlines are the start of class on
the designated date. |