JR 251 - News Writing and Reporting

Description
This course covers the basic skills needed for successful reporting and news writing in today’s new media age. Students learn research, interviewing, reporting and writing techniques, basic photography skills, and the legal and ethical responsibilities of a journalist. Students use these skills to produce news and feature stories for The Collegiate, GRCC’s web-based student publication. Students are asked to cover events and conduct interviews outside of class to submit for publication to The Collegiate.

Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corequisite(s): None
Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: Yes
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Course is a Requirement:
Pre-Multimedia Journalism, Pathway Degree with Humanities, English, Language, and Communication Studies

Other Courses Where This Course is a Prerequisite: JR252
Other Courses Where this Course is a Corequisite: None
Other Courses Where This course is included in within the Description: None

General Education Requirement:
None
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
NA
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key moments in Journalism history.

2. Use effective interviewing skills.

3. Compose accurate news stories using appropriate story structure.

4. Utilize Associate Press Style.

5. Identify and utilize appropriate sources for new stories.

6. Compose a basic news lead.

7. Utilize an editor’s comments to improve news stories.

8. Understand and demonstrate different approaches used when covering a variety of news events such as sports, politics, meetings, crime, and accidents and disasters.

9. Create a written summary of the main ideas extracted from information gathered.

10. Create and/or organize data and information into meaningful patterns in order to interpret and draw inferences from it.
Course Outline:
I. The nature of news, and the language of news writing

II. Interviewing basics

III. Quoting and attributing sources

IV. Fairness

V. Where to get story ideas

VI. Story introductions (leads)

VII. Alternative leads

VIII. Story organization

IX. Feature story basics

X. Opinion writing basics

XI. Basics of newspaper page design

Approved for Online and Hybrid Delivery?:
No
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture: 30-40%

Facilitated discussion: 10-20%

Mediated instruction: 10-20%

Group work: 10-20%

Fieldwork: 30-40%
Mandatory Course Components:
None
Equivalent Courses:
None

Accepted GRCC Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Credit: None
AP Min. Score: NA
Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: None

Course prepares students to seek the following external certification:
No
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with ARW/IRW Pairing: IRW 99

Mandatory Department Assessment Measures:
None

Course Type:
Elective- Offering designed to expand learning opportunities for degree seeking students. May or may not be required for students in a specific GRCC program.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1
Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 3
People Soft Course ID Number: 100725
Course CIP Code: 09.04
Maximum Course Enrollment: 25
General Room Request: None

High School Articulation Agreements exist?: No
If yes, with which high schools?: NA
Non-Credit GRCC Articulation Agreement With What Area: No
Identify the Non Credit Programs this Course is Accepted: NA

School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Language & Thought
Discipline: JR
Faculty Credential Requirements:
18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details:
Knowledge and experience in journalism: researching, interviewing, reporting, writing, and editing Knowledge and experience in uses of multi-media reporting using photo slideshows, video, and audio as modes of reporting Knowledge of newspaper page design and software Knowledge of photo journalism and software Ability to teach and manage groups of students with varying skills and abilities Ability to act as liaison between students and other staff at college

Major Course Revisions: N/A
Last Revision Date Effective: 20250228T14:44:04
Course Review & Revision Year: 2029-2030