Journalism Editing and Design
EN/W 222A
Tuesdays and Fridays:
Instructor: Marcy Mangels
Office: DMH 149
Home phone: (203) 878-0808
E-mail: Mcubed333@aol.com
Textbooks: Contemporary Editing by Cecilia Friend, Don Challenger, Katherine C. McAdams
Recommended: Associated Press Stylebook
Course Content: This course focuses on the skills editors need to perform their most important task: handling stories. In this class, students learn to edit, headline and lay out stories with style, accuracy, clarity and tightness. The goal is to help students develop the editor’s double vision: the ability to see the story as a whole and, line by line, as a collection of parts. The course is designed not only for students who want to become editors, but also for those who want to become better writers. While the primary focus will be on the development of writing and editing skills, students will also learn current trends, critique news-gathering sources, and discuss current events.
Final project: For their final project, students will plan, write, edit and design one page of a prototype of a publication.
Grading:
1. In-class exercises: 45%
2. Final project: 45%
3. Class participation: 10%
Wildcards: Students should be prepared to discuss the news of the day, every day of class. The news of the day may be an international, national, regional, business or sporting event. Therefore, students should make every effort to monitor news sources and understand any part of the syllabus may be changed to accommodate breaking news.
Class schedule:
Tuesday, Jan. 20 Read
chapter 1 and 2.
Writing assignment. Write a news story for Feb. 3.
Friday, Jan. 23 Discussion on readership and the changing definition of news.
Making
news decisions. Read
chapter 3.
Tuesday, Jan. 27 The lead: Working on the lead, and the copy
editor’s approach to a story.
Read chapter 4, study for quiz on
punctuation.
Friday, Jan. 30 Editing quiz:
punctuation.
Discussion: The
chronology of a major news story; different kinds of leads.
Tuesday, Feb. 3 Lab: Editing for grammar.
Read
chapter 5.
Friday, Feb. 6 Discussion: Editing for style and clarity.
Read:
Handouts on word usage
Tuesday, Feb. 10 Quiz: Open-book on
grammar.
Read chapters 6, 11; Blair handouts for Feb. 17
Writing assignment due.
Friday, Feb. 13 Class: Skeptical editing: If your mother says she loves you ….
Read chapters 7, 8
Tuesday, Feb. 17 Discussion: The media and ethics: The Jason
Blair case.
Read chapter 9.
Friday, Feb. 20 Lab: Editing wire copy; writing briefs.
Read chapter 10.
Tuesday, Feb. 24 Class: Looking for different ways to tell the story.
Lab: Editing and organizing multiple story packages.
Friday, Feb. 27 Editing quiz
Tuesday, March 2 Lab: Headline writing
Read: Chapter 12
Friday, March 5 Lab: Headline writing.
Spring break, March 7 through 11
Tuesday, March 16 In class: Headline writing on the big stories, chronology of a news story in headlines, and newspaper branding.
The type: Points, picas and typography with handouts, modern typography vs. old typography, and type and readability.
Read:
Handouts on headlines.
Friday, March 19 Class: The type: Points, picas and typography with handouts, modern typography vs. old typography, and type and readability.
Read: Handouts on typography
Tuesday, March 23 Lab: Editing and headline writing.
Friday, March 26 Class: Bring in a newspaper or online report for critique of newspaper/online coverage of a big story.
Writing assignment. Rewrites due.
Tuesday, March 30 Intro to news design: The world’s best designed newspapers.
Critique of design by the New York
Times, USA Today, etc.
Friday, April 2 Workshop: Laying out a news story. (Bring pencils and rulers) Critique: A local newspaper’s layout.
Read: Handouts.
Tuesday, April 6 Wildcard breaking news
Easter
break
Tuesday, April 13 Lab: Computer editing and layout
Friday, April 16 Lab: Computer editing and layout
Critique: Design of local newspaper
Tuesday, April 20 Lab: Computer editing and layout
Critique: Design of local newspaper
Friday, April 23 Discussion: Graphics.
Read: Chapter 13.
Tuesday, April 27 Discussion: News judgment and ethics in photo
display.
Handouts: Editing and packaging a
news story.
Friday, April 30 Discussion: Packaging the news for today’s readers
Additional
reading:
The following professional web sites contain appropriate content for this class:
www.poynter.org A nonprofit organization studying the news business, with a concentration in design.
www.snd.org A nonprofit association of news designers.
www.theslot.com A Washington Post curmudgeon who grinds an ax online.
www.cjr.com
www.thepaperboy.com A web site connection to national and international newspapers.