MC 302 Electronic Journalism
TEXTS: BROADCAST NEWS by David Keith Cohler and A BROADCAST NEWS MANUAL OF STYLE by Ron MacDonald

MC 302 is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of broadcast journalism techniques, disciplines and ethics. There will be story assignments dealing with radio and television which will require the students to gather the information, write it and produce it into the proper story formats and media. We will study and discuss the journalists' responsibilities, their constitutional rights and their professional tricks of the trade. We will listen to audio tapes and view video tapes, as well as visit local news organizations. The primary goal of the class is to furnish students with written, audiotape and videotape portfolios, while simultaneously educating them on the many aspects of electronic journalism. There will be two take-home tests and one paper (3-5 pages) dealing with an issue or an electronic journalist.

GUIDELINES: Since the class only meets once a week, students must do the bulk of the work outside the classroom. The class time will be used for production of TV newscasts (which involve a team effort), discussion of assignments and group analyses of various news stories. There are no cuts permitted; if an absence is unavoidable, the student must arrange for the assignments to be turned in by any means necessary. If the student cannot show up for class, he or she must call me at work OR the department secretary OR me at home. Projects which do not meet deadlines lose points in the following manner: