CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE TV
Jour
367/667 - Fall 2006
TWThF, 9 am – 7 pm, or as story needs demand
INSTRUCTORS:
Cassandra Clayton, Director, CNS-TV cclayton@jmail.umd.edu
Newsroom: (301) 405-2405
Office: (301) 405-7249
Cell: (202) 306-4304
Home: (202) 829-0472
Sue Kopen, Executive Producer, Maryland Newsline ssukiekk@aol.com
Office: (301) 405-7526
Cell:
(443)-421-2727
Home: (410) 269-5676
Kevin Swift, Lecturer, Technical Manager, Maryland Newsline kswift@jmail.umd.edu
Office:
(301) 405-7249
Cell: (859) 494-3664
Home: (301) 738-2074
INTRODUCTION:
Welcome to the Fall
2006 semester of Capital News Service Television. This is a full-time reporting job, one that
gives you the unique opportunity to report, edit and produce a nightly
newscast.
You can enroll in up to 12 credits this
semester: 6 for your work in CNS, and
three each for the journalism and public affairs seminars which meet every
Monday.
Because of the hours, do not attempt to work
another job or internship, or take other classes this semester. Each of you will receive a $500
non-negotiable stipend at the end of the semester to defray your travel costs
(less, if you do not use your own car).
EXPECTATIONS:
We expect you to treat CNS as you would a
professional job. You will report four
days a week -- Tuesday through Friday -- unless assigned otherwise -- on timely
and breaking news related to your beats, as well as other political and human
interest stories in
Please report to the newsroom each day no later
than 9 a.m., unless you have already gotten an assignment, a camera, and crew
the night before. Lateness is
inexcusable and WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR GRADE. Attendance is mandatory and absences WILL
ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR GRADE. If an
emergency arises and you cannot get in on time, or if illness will prevent you
from getting in at all, you must call before 9 a.m., so we can juggle
assignments.
Normally, you will work 8–10 hour days. If you have a particularly late day because
of a late-breaking story, we will try to let you come in late or leave early on
another day.
COURSE
MATERIALS:
You are required to purchase three (3) 60 minute DVC-Pro tapes, which are available at the
University Bookstore. You should use one of the tapes as your
master for saving packages - the other two as raw tapes for video footage.
REQUIRED
All CNS students should be well read on issues
in
or
The (
Please listen to WTOP (WTOP
103.5 FM/820 AM)) at every opportunity (driving to and from shoots) to
stay abreast of breaking news www.wtop.com.
WBAL radio and website www.wbal.com
are also great resources.
You should own a copy of the Broadcast News Stylebook by Robert
Papper for your use in the bureau this semester and in your careers. The bureau does not supply stylebooks.
Also, please read Make it Memorable by former NBC News Correspondent Bob Dotson for
valuable insights on writing and shaping a compelling news story.
GRADES:
You will receive separate grades for your work
in CNS and in the seminars. The CNS
Director grades your work for Maryland Newsline. Your seminar instructors grade your seminar
performances.
You will get an informal mid-term evaluation,
during which we will discuss your strengths and weaknesses. Your final grade will be based on: reporting, initiative, interviewing and writing
skills (including writing to your pictures, story construction, and style);
translating complex subjects into a cogent script; accuracy; meeting deadlines;
generating story ideas; delivering those stories; videography; editing; work
habits (time management, attendance, punctuality and attitude); and, any
improvement you make during the course of the semester.
Students
are expected to research and PITCH story ideas regularly
– not just wait for assignments. Learning to
GRADUATE
STUDENTS:
Graduate students enrolled in Journalism 667 are
required to submit a “broadcast quality” resume tape, complete with stand-up
montage, packages and anchoring, due at least one week before the end of
classes. The DVC-Pro tape must be at least 10 minutes in length and no longer
than 20 minutes. This tape will be
reviewed by the CNS Broadcast Director and will account for approximately 5% of
your final grade. This resume tape is a
REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION. No tape, no
graduation. No tape, no job.
Grad students must submit story ideas for, and
report on one investigative or long form package. They must also handle dubs and entries for
awards.
SPECIAL
PROJECTS:
Undergraduate students must produce a resume
tape and handle dubs and entries for awards.
They are also encouraged to submit proposals and report a long form
package.
DRESS
CODE:
Dress for your story - like a professional
reporter. When covering the Hill or the Statehouse, men must wear long pants, a
sports jacket and tie, or a business suit. Women should wear a skirt or dress
slacks. Men cannot get onto the floor of
the State House or into the floor-access area in the Capitol without the jacket
- sneakers or jeans are never appropriate,
for men or women.
For more casual stories, a shirt without tie, or
a polo shirt are fine. Dress for safety
and comfort: a hurricane will require
special clothing, as will a story about outdoor camping.
EMAIL:
Much of our communication will be via
email. Your address will be added to the
CNS list serve, and you will receive media advisories from elected officials,
political candidates, and local government offices. Please make sure you are added to any
necessary email lists on your beat.
Please
check your email every night before going to bed, and every morning first thing
for messages, especially from the CNS Director and Assignment Editor.
YOUR
DAILY ROUTINE:
Each day you will work as a reporter, a
photographer or an assignment editor.
Most weeks, you will report or crew every other day. Each CNS’er will have the opportunity to
perform in the assignment editor position, during two separate 2-day shifts.
The
assignment editor is part of the management team and will
assist in story development and crew and gear assignments. Often, the assignment editor will make story
and crew assignments the night before. The assignment editor should arrive in
the newsroom at 8 am.
During the day, the assignment editor will
monitor breaking news and developments, and assist reporters in setting up
interviews and finding locations (when necessary). When the director or
assignment editor assigns you a story, you will discuss the elements needed for
the package – the sources you might call, the interviews you should effort, the
video to shoot.
Reporting
crews will work in pairs, one as reporter, the other as photographer.
Each crew will turn at least one package a day, as well as a VO or
VO/SOT. As the semester continues, you
will also learn how to one-man-band - shoot your own stories.
Reporter/shooters should report to the newsroom no later than 9 am. If you do not have an immediate assignment,
log-on to the ENPS computer system and check for assignments, messages, and the
latest news. Check the “Chesapeake
Calendar” and the “Daybook” - listings of the day’s events on the AP wire. Make calls to sources on your beat to check
for any breaking news or updates on previous stories.
If you learn something, please let the Director
and/or assignment editor know about it.
Don't assume we know everything that's happening in the area. The desk/reporter relationship is a
partnership, and reporter initiative is vital.
The assigned photographer is responsible for
signing out the gear for the shoot and making sure the bag is fully
equipped. Both crew members are
responsible for the care of the equipment, and, as per UMTV policy, if you lose
it or break it – you buy it.
CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION:
Field crews are required to stay in contact with
the bureau. You must call the CNS Director or assignment editor when you GET to
your shoot, and immediately after completing it. If news breaks, or if a story is falling
through, we must be able to react quickly.
Leaving a cell phone in a car, a bag, or at the bureau is not an
acceptable excuse. We are in the
communications business – let’s COMMUNICATE.
Make sure you get a business card from people
you interview. That will ensure you have
the correct spelling for your CG’s, and the ability to reach sources if you have
follow-up questions later that day, and to follow any subsequent developments
in the story. If they don’t have a
business card, be sure to write down the correct spelling of the name and the
phone number. Make sure you know how to
pronounce the name correctly. You can
record their name and title when you’re doing your mike check.
You will be given CNS business cards – pass them
along to sources, so they know how to reach you.
SCRIPT
WRITING GUIDELINES:
Reporters face daily deadline pressures: good time management is a necessity. Know how long it takes you to write and
edit a PKG, VO or VO/SOT, and plan your day accordingly.
Begin thinking about and writing your story from
the moment you get the assignment until your script is completed. Make notes throughout the day about your
interviews, your B-roll. Reporter and photog should talk constantly
about the shots you are planning to get, and what you’ve gotten. Call the Bureau Director during your shoot
for guidance on stand-ups and teases.
When you return to the
newsroom after shooting, talk with the Director about the elements in your
package. Screen and log your tapes, and time your sound
bites before writing your script.
All scripts are written on the ENPS system and
include a lead-in, video information, supers (CG’s), SOT verbata, and a
tag. Once you finish writing your
script, a faculty member must approve it before you can begin editing. If we suggest changes, please rework your
copy, and re-submit it for final approval.
Scripts and rundowns are automatically recorded
in the ENPS searchable archive. You must
enter your scripts into the nightly Maryland
Newsline rundown after it is created, filling in all required fields,
including slug, name, date, length, and Master tape number (very important).
After your tape is edited, it must be approved
by a faculty member before it goes on air.
It should then be edited onto a master tape (F06***) for the show. Master tapes MUST NEVER leave the
building. If you want a copy of your
story, make a dub.
Straight packages usually run 1:30 in
length. If your package is well beyond
or well short of your target time, your story may be dropped from the newscast.
SHOW
DEADLINES:
3:00 PM - ALL REPORTERS BACK IN NEWSROOM
4:30 PM - SCRIPT DEADLINE - approved script,
ready to edit
5:45 PM - PACKAGE DEADLINE - ready for final
approval
6:00 PM - PLACES – all positions manned on set
and in control room (tapes cued and in master control, director run-through,
equipment check
6:30 PM – SHOWTIME
THE
SHOW
Maryland
Newsline uses a dual anchor format, and over the course
of the semester, you will have the opportunity to anchor and perform most of
the duties required to produce a newscast.
CNS students (and producers and volunteers) will direct, run audio, coordinate
tapes (gather, organize and keep track of packages, VO’s and SOT’s), operate
studio cameras, run prompter and CG’s, and floor direct. Students in our broadcast producing course
(J362) will handle producing duties for Maryland
Newsline.
After each newscast, we’ll gather ‘round the set
to discuss what we learned that day.
PARKING:
As you know, parking at UMTV is at a
premium. We now have three 30 minute
“courier” passes to use on the loading dock for loading and unloading gear,
which may be checked out from the bureau director. You should get a
TELEPHONES:
We have no office secretary or receptionist --
everyone is expected to share in answering calls and taking messages for each
other. When answering calls to the
newsroom, please use a professional greeting:
“Capital News Service, this is [your full name]”. When taking a message, be sure to get the
caller's name, phone number, message, day and time of call.
If someone asks who we are, you may respond:
“Capital News Service, or CNS is a student-staffed
news service operated by the
Personal
long-distance calls may not be made on CNS lines. We get
monthly printouts of all calls, and enforce this rule.
Newsroom main number (301) 405-2405
Equipment desk (301)
405-2404
Fax (301) 405-4599
CNS
PRINT BUREAUS:
The
Main number (301)
858-5431
Fax (410) 626-1013
Tony Barbieri, Annapolis Bureau Director tbarbieri@jmail.umd.edu
Office: (410) 626-1008
Cell: (410) 916-2280
Home
(410) 243-4503
The
Main
number (202)628-1677.
Fax (202) 628-1676.
Adrianne Flynn, Washington Bureau Director aflynn@jmail.umd.edu
Office: (202) 628-1677
Cell: (301) 512-0074
Home: (301) 949-9139
JOURNALISM
STANDARDS:
You are expected to abide by the university
honor code and follow the highest ethical standards of journalism and
scholarship. Any instance of plagiarism
or fabrication will result in an automatic F for the course and a referral to
the Office of Judicial Programs, with a recommendation that the student be
expelled.
Sources should be named in nearly every case. An
unnamed source will be allowed ONLY
if he or she is essential to your story, and you have exhausted every other
potential source who might speak on the record.
If you do use this unnamed source, you must find a second one who will
independently verify the information.
You must identify any unnamed source to your editor -- it will go no
further -- and be prepared to justify why your source should be granted anonymity.
Occasionally, sources will ask to speak to you
“on background” or “off the record”. Before agreeing to either condition,
discuss the ground rules with the source beforehand, so you are sure you both
understand the limits (see below), and honor any such promises. Then talk to your editor, but know that he or
she may not allow you to use information gained in this way.
Make sure you and your source understand the
terms the same way:
“On
background” means you will use their quotes or information in the story, but
will not name them. Typically, you will
negotiate an identifying title with the source, such as “a Democratic House
staffer”.
“Off
the record” means a source wants to give you guidance for your story, but does
not want the information to appear in your story. However “off the record” comments often lead
to another source who will give you the same information on the record.
To repeat: You must make sure that you and your
source understand EXACTLY what it is that you can use and in what way prior to
broadcast.
A
FINAL NOTE:
Any students with disabilities requiring special
accommodations should talk to their editor privately.
The
you to be aware of
the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For
more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor
Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.
To further exhibit your commitment to academic
integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and
assignments: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any
unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment)."