JOUR 102
Lecture (Sect. 1)
Juanita Greer White Life Sciences Building
WHI 197, 2:30-3:45pm

Discussion Sections

Sect. 2: (T) 11:30am-12:45pm, GUA 1126
Sect. 3: (Th) 8:30-9:45am, GUA 1126
Sect. 4: (W) 11:30am-12:45pm, GUA 1126
Sect. 5: (T) 4-5:15pm, GUA 1126

Gregory Borchard, Ph.D.
gregory.borchard@unlv.edu
Office: 702-895-4868
Office Hours
(M) 9-11am; (W) 9-11am; (R) 11-noon;
and by appointment
2134 Greenspun Hall (GUA)

Amaya Worthem
Graduate Assistant
worthem@unlv.nevada.edu
Office: GUA 1306 and GUA 1120
Office Hours by appointment

Welcome to JOUR 102

News Reporting and Writing will help you develop writing and reporting skills in deadline situations while introducing you to a variety of multimedia scenarios that rely on professional interviewing and reporting. You will develop media literacy and learn to evaluate the credibility and value of sources as you practice writing hard news, soft news, Web content, broadcast script, and press releases. This class explores contemporary careers in journalism and requires students to demonstrate proficiency in news writing, a commitment to reporting facts, and a general understanding of First Amendment principles and media law.

Please be Advised: Journalism instructors designed this class for pre-major journalism students. While non-journalism majors are encouraged to take the class for fulfillment of various credit requirements, JOUR 102 focuses almost exclusively on material that serves as fundamental instruction for upper-level journalism courses.

Readings

Textbook readings will apply to class discussion and writing assignments. You will be expected to be familiar with material as assigned and tested on comprehension of the readings throughout the semester. You must keep the AP Stylebook as a reference for in-class exercises, and it will be essential for open-book quizzes.

Required Texts

• News Reporting and Writing, 11th ed., The Missouri Group, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014.
• The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2015.

Attendance

All excused absences require instructor approval. Without such approval, there is no guarantee that your absence will be excused, and as such you are subject to receiving a zero ("0") on any exam, quiz, or assignment.

The following situations with proper notice are generally grounds for excused absences.

Medical: We want healthy students and healthy classrooms, but medical excuses require official documentation from your physician in advance when possible.

Military: We thank you for your dutiful service, and expect your military superiors to provide you with necessary paperwork so we can make appropriate adjustments. We appreciate your consideration in letting us know in advance of a pending absence.

Religious Holidays: University policy (see below) allows students observing holidays to make up missed work.

Family: We understand sometimes life is more important than a single grade. Such situations generally come with ways to verify the sincerity of a student's need without impinging on a family's privacy.

Athletic and Extracurricular Events: Students shall have the opportunity to make up any graded assignments, quizzes, or exams missed due to university-sponsored events with official written notification provided no less than one week in advance.

Note: Simply leaving a phone message or sending an email does not constitute prior contact. Your absence will not be excused without prior confirmation from the instructor. In almost all cases, work-related scheduling conflicts are NOT excused.

Grades

To succeed in this class you must already be proficient with basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your instructor will teach particular media writing techniques, but you are expected to have a strong command of English before taking this course.

To determine your grade, you will receive points for the following:

• Seven (7) graded assignments (7 x 100 pts. = 700 pts.)
• Four (4) AP Style quizzes, 25 pts. ea (4 x 25 pts. = 100 pts.)
• Midterm Exam (100 pts.)
• Final Exam (100 pts.)

Total points = 1,000. Your percentage of these points at the end of semester will constitute you grade.

Note: AP quizzes are timed and open book. The exams are also timed, but NOT open book. For quizzes and exams alike, you will receive most or all of the time allotted for class. I will post a study guide before administering them to help prepare for the questions.

A = 93-100
A- = 90-92	C- = 70-72
B+ = 87-89	D+ = 67-69
B = 83-86	D = 63-66
B- = 80-82	D- = 60-62
C+ = 77-79	F = 59 and below
C = 73-76

How I Grade Your Assignments

This class requires attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy. Your grade on each writing assignment consists of points earned for content that shows understanding of specific concepts, minus points deducted for mechanical errors. Multiple AP style errors and even a single, small misstatement of fact can severely affect your final grade.

The following two-tier approach is generally used by leading journalism schools throughout the nation.

Step 1) Content: Most assignments have a rubric -- a list of grading measures -- with specific goals and requirements that determine your performance. Your content grade may often depend on clarity, organization, and the specific journalistic tools associated with a particular assignment.

Step 2) Mechanics: Upon determining a content grade, points may be subtracted for mechanical errors:

• Grammar & punctuation errors = -5 pts
• Spelling errors & typos = -5 pts
• AP style errors = -5 pts
• Factual errors = -25 pts

Note: If you make the same error repeatedly, we will subtract points only once for that item. Fact errors that can lead to the painful loss of 25 points include misspelled names, inaccurate numbers and dates, and misattributed quotes. Even a poorly chosen word can prompt a 25-point deduction for conveying inaccurate information.

Extra-Credit Opportunities

To help your grade and professional career, publishing an assignment from class will increase your final grade by half a letter (for example, from a B to an A-, or a D+ to a C). Not only will you receive a healthy bump to your final grade, you will also have a valuable clip for your portfolio.

Your instructor must approve your use of classwork for publication, and in most cases will help you find an appropriate outlet for your story. The published story must be based on an assignment completed for JOUR 102.

In line with professional journalistic practices, you may NOT submit a story to different editors for consideration at the same time; additionally, Extra Credit will NOT be awarded for stories published after the final exam. A student may receive extra credit points for publication only once per semester.

You may (might) have opportunities for additional Extra Credit points throughout the semester, but these opportunities will be extended to the entire class, not just individual students, and they will be at the instructor's discretion. Remember: Extra Credit is designed to reward exceptional performance and not simply help failing students pass.

University Policies

Religious Holidays Policy
Any student missing class quizzes, examinations, or any other class or lab work because of observance of religious holidays shall be given an opportunity during that semester to make up missed work. The make-up will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It shall be the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor no later than the end of the first two weeks of classes of his or her intention to participate in religious holidays, which do not fall on state holidays or periods of class recess.

Incomplete Grades
The grade of "I" can be granted when a student has satisfactorily completed three-fourths of course work for that semester/session but for reason(s) beyond the student’s control, and acceptable to the instructor, cannot complete the last part of the course, and the instructor believes that the student can finish the course without repeating it. The incomplete work must be made up before the end of the following regular semester. If course requirements are not completed within the time indicated, a grade of F will be recorded and the GPA will be adjusted accordingly. Students who are fulfilling an Incomplete do not register for the course but make individual arrangements with the instructor who assigned the I grade.

Classroom Policies
University protocol provides instructors the discretion and prerogative to determine what is and is not acceptable classroom behavior (i.e., late arrival, wearing hats, and cell phone use). Classroom occupants are at the discretion of the instructor (per UNLV General Counsel). University policy considers bringing children to class a potential violation of the Student Conduct Code, Sections III.K. and L. relating to "disrupting" the classroom and/or university operations.

Academic Misconduct
Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of the campus community; all share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and professionalism. By choosing to join the UNLV community, students accept the expectations of the Student Academic Misconduct Policy and are encouraged when faced with choices to always take the ethical path. Students enrolling in UNLV assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with UNLV’s function as an educational institution. An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism. Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another, from the Internet or any source, without proper citation of the sources. See the Student Academic Misconduct Policy, approved Dec. 9, 2005.

Nevada Revised Statutes 207.320
Any person who prepares for sale or sells any term paper, thesis, dissertation or similar writing intending such writing to be submitted to an academic institution as the work of any person not the author in fulfillment of a requirement for completion of a course of study, award of a degree or other academic credit is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Copyright
The University requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves with and to follow copyright and fair use requirements. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The university will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability, as well as disciplinary action under University policies.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)
The UNLV Disability Resource Center (SSC-A 143, http://drc.unlv.edu/, 702-895-0866) provides resources for students with disabilities. If you feel that you have a disability, please make an appointment with a Disabilities Specialist at the DRC to discuss what options may be available to you. If you are registered with the UNLV Disability Resource Center, bring your Academic Accommodation Plan from the DRC to the instructor during office hours so that you may work together to develop strategies for implementing the accommodations to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. Any information you provide is private and will be treated as such. To maintain the confidentiality of your request, please do not approach the instructor before or after class to discuss your accommodation needs.

Tutoring
The Academic Success Center (ASC) provides tutoring and academic assistance for all UNLV students taking UNLV courses. Students are encouraged to stop by the ASC to learn more about subjects offered, tutoring times and other academic resources. The ASC is located across from the Student Services Complex (SSC). Students may learn more about tutoring services by calling 702-895-3177 or visiting the tutoring web site.

UNLV Writing Center
One-on-one or small group assistance with writing is available free of charge to UNLV students at the Writing Center, located in CDC-3-301. Although walk-in consultations are sometimes available, students with appointments will receive priority assistance. Appointments may be made in person or by calling 702-895-3908. The student's Rebel ID Card, a copy of the assignment (if possible), and two copies of any writing to be reviewed are requested for the consultation.

Rebelmail
By policy, faculty and staff should e-mail students' Rebelmail accounts only. Rebelmail is UNLV's official e-mail system for students. It is one of the primary ways students receive official university communication such as information about deadlines, major campus events, and announcements. All UNLV students receive a Rebelmail account after they have been admitted to the university. Students' e-mail prefixes are listed on class rosters. The suffix is always @unlv.nevada.edu. Emailing within WebCampus is acceptable.

Note: It is important, especially in a writing class such as JOUR 102, to use good writing practices when sending emails:

• Use proper English, including correct capitalization, grammar, and spelling;
• Identify your name in your email;
• Include a header in the subject line;
• Check your email daily. Allow at least a 48-hour response time for an email message, and be aware your messages may not be returned during weekends or university holidays.

Additional Class Considerations

Computer Expectations
You will be expected to use a Mac computer in the writing lab, as well as Word, to write, save, and print. Some assignments may require you to bring a draft of work to class. For these assignments, you should bring a hard copy of your draft. You should also email yourself a draft of the assignment or bring a document saved on a USB drive for backup.

Preparing for Class
Your success on assignments will directly correlate with what you do to prepare for them. Read and analyze media writing, including newspaper articles, websites, public relations news releases, and broadcast script. For some news-writing assignments, you will be expected to prepare for class in advance, such as conducting an interview and/or writing a draft of an article. Do follow the News Reporting and Writing text, as it will accentuate lecture materials, as well as supply answers for the midterm and final exams.

Office Hours
Dr. Borchard will be available during regular office hours or by appointment. Office hours are a way for you to get more personalized attention to address specific problems, go over past assignments to see how to improve them, and discuss any other issues of concern. An instructor generally will NOT discuss individual grades in class, so if you have a question about a specific grading issue on an assignment, please bring it to Dr. Borchard's attention within two weeks of the assignment deadline.

Class Rules
JOUR 102 students are expected to conduct themselves like adults in a professional environment. Disturbing other students will not be tolerated, which includes using technology in class for non-class activities.

• Please turn off phones and other intrusive technology before class starts.
• Food and open drink containers are not allowed in the writing labs.
• Computers, laptops, tablets, phones and other digital devices may be used for note-taking and class activities only. Checking email, instant messaging, or other unrelated web or phone browsing is grounds for ejecting a student from class and forbidding use of such personal technology in the future.