COURSE: Journalism
202 – Editing for the Mass Media
Tuesday/Thursday 10 a.m.
–11:50a.m
Room 3103
OFFICE HOURS:
Room 4116
Thursday: 3:15 p.m. –
4:00 p.m. (Check weekly for changes)
OR BY APPOINTMENT
PHONE: Tu/W/Th (301) 405-6366
M/W/F and Evenings/Weekends (301) 229-8089
E-MAIL: Dhuffman@jmail.umd.edu (work)
DidiHuff@aol
(home)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course
will introduce you to editing for print publications, and to a lesser extent,
online and broadcast media. The course will emphasize basic editing skills
including: copy editing, word usage, grammar, punctuation, style and editing
for content and space. In addition, we
will cover headline and caption writing, layout and design, and use of photos
and infographics. We also will address other
responsibilities of an editor including story development, news judgment and
legal and ethical issues.
REQUIRED TEXT:
1. “Creative Editing” by Bowles and Borden, 4th
edition.
2. Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual
3. Paperback
dictionary
YOU MUST BRING STYLEBOOK AND
DICTIONARY TO EVERY CLASS
4. A daily national newspaper -- You must read a daily
national paper
(Washington Post, New York Times,
CLASS PROCEDURE: Reading
assignments should be read before class.
We will discuss the basics of each editing skill in class, but most of
the time will be spent on exercises using those skills. The fundamentals of
each skill are discussed in the text, and I will assume you have familiarized
yourself with that material. Pop quizzes will cover material in the reading, as well
as skills practiced during class. You will also
regularly be required to bring an example of good or bad editing to class. The example should be attached to a piece of
paper and include an explanation. You should
be prepared to discuss your example in class.
ATTENDANCE: I do not take attendance. However, your
grade in this class will in large part be determined by your grades on labs,
quizzes and tests given in class. Quizzes, labs and tests may not be made up
unless you have notified me in advance of class, and I have approved your
absence. IF YOU DO NOT NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO MAKE UP
THE ASSIGNMENT. TAKE-HOME ASSIGNMENTS MUST
BE PICKED UP ON THE DAY NOTED IN THE SCHEDULE AND TURNED IN BY OR AT THE
BEGINNING OF CLASS ON THE DAY NOTED IN THE SCHEDULE UNLESS YOU MAKE OTHER
ARRANGEMENTS WITH ME IN ADVANCE.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Students
have a responsibility to behave honorably in an academic environment. You must
do all the work for this class yourself.
Although you will be given take-home assignments, COLLABORATION WITH
CLASSMATES OR OTHERS IS NOT PERMITTED ON ANY GRADED ASSIGNMENT. Academic
dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism and facilitating
academic dishonesty by another student, will not be tolerated. Violations will immediately be reported to
the Dean’s office. The following is the from the University Honor Council:
"The University of Maryland , College Park Maryland
3 TESTS: 150 POINTS, 50 POINTS
EACH
8 LABS: 150 POINTS, 25 POINTS
EACH (LOWEST 2 DROPPED)
1 PAPER: 60 POINTS
10
QUIZZES: 50 POINTS, 5 POINTS EACH
(These
pop quizzes will cover editing skills and current events)
8 EDITING MISTAKES: 40 POINTS, 5
POINTS EACH
FINAL:
130 POINTS
TOTAL POINTS: 580
A+
562-580 POINTS C+ 446-463
POINTS F
Below 348 POINTS
A 545-561 POINTS C 429-445
POINTS
A- 522-544 POINTS C- 406-428 POINTS
B+
504-521 POINTS D+ 388-405 POINTS
B 487-503
POINTS D 371-387 POINTS
B- 464-486 POINTS D- 348-370 POINTS
CLASS SCHEDULE (SUBJECT
TO CHANGE)
TH 8/31 Introduction
To Course
Distribute
Syllabus
Practice
Quiz
Copy
Editing: Grammar/Punctuation
Take-home
practice exercises
TU 9/5 Grammar/Punctuation
– discuss take home exercises
In-class
exercises
TH 9/7
Copyediting:
Usage, Spelling Redundancy
Practice Exercises
TU 9/12
In-class copy-editing exercises
Copyediting:
Consistent Style
Practice Exercises
EDITING
MISTAKE 1 DUE
TH 9/14 Style exercises BRING AP STYLEBOOK TO
CLASS
TAKE-HOME
COPY EDITING/STYLE LAB
(DUE TUESDAY 9/19)
TU 9/19 COPYEDITING/STYLE
LAB DUE
Practice
exercises
TH 9/21 Discuss
Copyediting/stylebook lab
Fact checking
exercises
TAKE-HOME
COPYEDITING STYLE TEST
(DUE TUESDAY, 9/26)
EDITING
MISTAKE 2 DUE
TU 9/26 COPYEDITING/STYLEBOOK
TEST DUE
Content
Editing: Ledes
Practice exercises
TH 9/28 Content
Editing: Missing information/unanswered Qs
Practice exercises
EDITING
MISTAKE 3 DUE
TU 10/3 DISCUSS
COPYEDITING/STYLEBOOK TEST
Content
editing: Fairness/Stereotypes
Practice
exercises
TH 10/5 Content
Editing: Fairness
Editing
for length
TU 10/17 DISCUSS
CONTENT EDITING LAB
News Judgment
Practice Exercises
TH 10/19 IN-CLASS CONTENT EDITING TEST
TAKE-HOME
NEWS JUDGMENT LAB (DUE TH 10/26)
TU 10/24 GUEST LECTURER (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
EDITING
MISTAKE 4 DUE
TH 10/26 NEWS
JUDGMENT LAB DUE
TU 10/31
Headline
Writing
TH 11/2 Headline practice
IN-CLASS
HEADLINE LAB
Photos
and Captions
Practice
exercises
EDITING
MISTAKE 5 DUE
TH 11/9 IN-CLASS
CONTENT/COPYEDITING TEST
TU 11/14
Graphics
Practice Exercises
Discuss
Content Test
TAKE-HOME
PHOTO LAB (DUE TH 11/16)
TH 11/16 PHOTO LAB DUE
Graphics
Layout
EDITING
MISTAKE 6 DUE
TAKE-HOME
GRAPHICS LAB ASSIGNED, DUE TUESDAY, 11/21
TU 11/21 TAKE-HOME GRAPHICS LAB DUE
Practice exercises
DISCUSS
PHOTO LAB
TU 11/28 DISCUSS
GRAPHICS LAB
Online
editing
EDITING
MISTAKE 7 DUE
TAKE-HOME
LAYOUT LAB/ DUE THURSDAY, 11/30
TH 11/30 LAYOUT
LAB DUE
Story
Development
TU 12/5 Reading Bowles Chapter 6, Libel section
of AP Stylebook
LIBEL
Libel exercises
EDITING
MISTAKE 8 DUE
TH 12/7 IN-CLASS
LIBEL LAB
DISCUSS
LAYOUT LAB
DISTRIBUTE
PART I/FINAL EXAM, DUE FRIDAY DEC. 15
TU 12/12 DISCUSS
LIBEL LAB
ETHICS
QUIZ
10
FINAL EXAM PART II
DISTRIBUTED/DUE FRIDAY, DEC. 15
FINAL EXAM DUE
FRIDAY, DEC. 15 AT 10 A.M.
IN
UNDERGRADUATE JOURNALISM OFFICE