The following curriculum was prepared for the University of MA, Boston:
English 307 – Writing for Print and Online Media
Week one –
What we know about journalism – a guided discussion to establish student knowledge/interest level
Introduction to journalism – historical overview so students can see where the practice came from, what required it to be created, and how it has grown and developed
Introduction to journalistic terminology
Introduction to major figures in journalism (e.g., Franklin, Douglass, Pulitzer, Hearts, Morrow, Cronkite, etc.)Week two –
The First Amendment – why it was created, why it is important, how it has been used/challenged
Censorship – what it is, where and when it can arise, famous cases (e.g., Tinker v. Des Moines)
Week three – What a newspaper is – an exploration of the facts about who does what and what happens when in a modern publication setting
Exploration of a newspaper -section-by-section investigation/engagement to support student choices regarding topics for stories, etc.
Week four –
What a news story includes – exploration of elements that set journalism apart from other forms of writing
The differences between print and online publications (e.g., protocol, practice, appearance, preparation, etc.)
Week five –
The Inverted Pyramid – standards of journalistic structure
The 5 W’s (and one H)
How to prepare an interview – key questions and consideration and ways to prepare for the actual event
Week six –
Preparing a story proposal – what needs to be considered/planned out while coming up with a story idea
Peer review of proposals – students support each other in fine-tuning proposals/ideas
Week seven –
Researching a story – the processes involved with research and finding appropriate material and information
Journalism ethics – an exploration/application of moral rules/standards, including those related to plagiarism
Week eight –
The Writing Process – understanding how to use the steps of this statistically-proven standardized writing method
Week nine –
The AP handbook – understanding rules of style for journalistic writing and how to use them in revision/editing
Editing marks – learning standard symbols for journalistic editing
Week 10 –
Layout – getting comfortable with software p
