J-462 -- Reporting II: Public Affairs Journalism

University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication

Monday, 6 p.m. 9 p.m., 302 Allen

Brent Walth

503-780-9868, mobile; 503-294-5072, work; 503-231-5591, home

Office hours: Mondays, 4 p.m. 6 p.m., 310 Allen

OVERVIEW. This course seeks to elevate the quality of your journalism by challenging you to
sharpen your newsgathering skills, broaden your reporting experiences and hone your writing.
In the classroom and through hands-on experience, we will think in innovative ways about how
journalists find stories, conduct interviews and dig out information. We will pay special
attention to the civic role of the journalist: to seek truth, uncover injustice and give voice to the
voiceless all with an eye to having an impact with your work.
REQUIREMENTS. At least eight reporting assignments, a final watchdog journalism project, a
newspaper journal, assigned readings, a brief presentation during the final class meeting, and
class participation. Attendance in class is mandatory.
PLAGIARISM, FABRICATION and HONESTY. Plagiarism and fabrication are not tolerated
in journalism or this class. Your work here must be original.
If you have any questions about plagiarism or the proper use of sources and attribution,
please feel free to contact me at any time.
The UO Student Conduct Code defines academic dishonesty as academic plagiarism
(submission of the work of others for academic credit without indicating the source), or
knowingly furnishing false information to University faculty or staff. The Society of
Professional Journalists Code of Ethics puts it this way: Never plagiarize.
I will levy appropriate grade penalties and pursue disciplinary action against any student
who violates these standards.
DIVERSITY. The School of Journalism and Communication statement on Building and
Maintaining a Diverse University Community: The goal of building greater social, political,
cultural, economic and intellectual diversity among our students, staff, and faculty as well as in
our curriculum, public scholarship, and communities is central to the mission of the School of
Journalism and Communication. Only by achieving this goal can we become professional
communicators, critical thinkers and responsible citizens in a global society. The promotion
and practice of freedom of expression and intellectual inquiry is an integral part of our long
and proud tradition of academic excellence. Discrimination of any kind, disrespect for others,
and inequity in educational opportunity are not acceptable. Students, faculty, and staff are
expected at all times to maintain the School of Journalism and Communications high
standards of ethical and compassionate conduct.
REQUIRED TEXTS
The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect,
by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel. Three Rivers Press, 2001.
Writing Tools, by Roy Peter Clark. Little, Brown, 2006.
Best Newspaper Writing 2006-2007, Aly Colon, ed. CQ Press, 2006.

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REPORTING ASSIGNMENTS. Ill seek to replicate as best I can the assignments and
expectations you will face as a reporter on a community or metropolitan newspaper. I will
expect your stories to be accurate, thorough, comprehensive and fair and written with
precision and clarity. Please follow AP style.
You must also work quickly: Unless otherwise noted, the assignment is due by 11:59 p.m.
on the day its carried out.
GRADING. I will grade your reporting assignments based on how close your work is to being
ready for publication in a newspaper. You will receive two grades: one for quality of your
reporting, and the other for the quality of your writing. The grades will carry equal weight
when blended for your final grade. Overall, reporting assignments represent 70 percent of your
final grade.
For the reporting portion, I will grade based on this standard: A if the reporting is
thorough and complete; B if the story requires a moderate amount of additional reporting;
C if the story requires a significant amount of new reporting; D if the story could not be
published without starting over; F if the story shows no understanding of basic reporting.
For the writing portion, I will grade based on this standard: A if the story is well organized
and largely free of grammatical, style and punctuation errors; B if the story contains basic
elements but requires moderate rewriting and editing; C if the story lacks basic elements and/or
needs significant rewriting and editing; D if the story lacks basic elements and requires
significant rewriting and editing; F if the story could not be published without a complete
rewrite.
CLASS PARTICIPATION. Class participation includes a newspaper journal, exercises,
reflection papers, and overall preparedness for class. I will assign point values and score your
work and participation based on the quality of the critical thinking and analysis you apply to
our readings and classroom topics. At the end of the course, Ill add up the possible points you
could have earned, tally your score, and convert your total to a grade point for calculating your
final grade. No late work is allowed. Work that contains an error of fact or comes in after
deadline will receive a zero. No exceptions. Class participation represents 30 percent of your
final grade.
PENALTIES. Accuracy and precision matter. So do deadlines.

A verifiable fact error will earn you an F for the entire assignment.

No late work is allowed.

REVISIONS. I may require you to revise or even redo an assignment. Or you may seek to
improve your grade by submitting a revised version of a graded story. You may not use a
revision to get around an F for a fact error for failing to get your assignment in on time.
Getting upgraded is subject to these conditions:

You may revise up to three of the reporting assignments. Choose wisely.

The revision must show substantial improvement.
The rewrite is due 72 hours after you get your graded assignment back from me.

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WEEK ONE, April 2 -- 8: The Duty of the Journalist

Readings:
SPJ Code of Ethics, http://www.spj.org/ethics.pdf.
Elements of Journalism, Introduction, pp. 9 14.
Writing Tools, Introduction, pp. 3-8 and Tool # 25.
DEADLINES:

Wednesday, April 4: Reflection paper, due via e-mail

by 9 p.m.
Saturday, April 7: Reporting Assignment #1, due via
e-mail by 11:59 p.m.

WEEK 2, April 9 -- 15: Public Records

Readings:
Elements of Journalism, Chapter 1, pp. 1535,
and Chapter 2, pp. 3649.
Writing Tools, Tools # 1, 2 and 3.
DEADLINES:

Monday, April 9: Journal #1, due in class.

WEEK 3, April 16 -- 22: Interviewing

Readings:
Elements of Journalism, Chapter 3, pp. 50 68.
Writing Tools, Tools # 4, 5 and 14.
DEADLINES:

Monday, April 16: Oregon Public Records and

Meetings Manual exercise,
due in class.
Monday, April 16: Journal #2, due in class.
Friday, April 20: Last day to turn in Reporting
Assignments #2 and #3.
Sunday, April 22: Watchdog reporting ideas, by
9 p.m. via e-mail.

Syllabus <> Reporting II <> Walth <> Page 4

WEEK 4, April 23 -- 29: Watchdog Reporting

Readings:
Elements of Journalism, Chapter 6, pp. 111-132.
Writing Tools, Tools # 11, 12 and 20.
DEADLINES:

Monday, April 23: Journal # 3, due in class

Friday, April 27: Reporting Assignment #4,
due by 11:59 p.m. via e-mail.
WEEK 5, April 30 May 6: Building Better Stories
Conferences this week:
Schedule to be
announced.
Readings:
Elements of Journalism,
Chapter 4, pp. 70-92.
Writing Tools, Tools #
22, 24, 32 and 39.
DEADLINES:

Monday, April 30: Journal # 4, due in class

Friday, May 4: Story proposal for Watchdog Assignment, due via e-mail by 9 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignment #5.
WEEK 6, May 7 -- 13: Vision and Revision
Readings:
Elements of Journalism, Chapter 8, pp. 147 161.
Writing Tools, Tools # 10, 23 and 37.
DEADLINES:

Monday, May 14: Journal Part 6, due in class

Friday, May 18: First draft of Watchdog Reporting
Assignment, due by 9 p.m. via e-mail.

Syllabus <> Reporting II <> Walth <> Page 5

WEEK 7, May 14 May 20: Narrative

Readings:
Writing Tools, Tools # 26, 27, 34 and 35.
DEADLINES:

Monday, May 7: Oregon Blue Book exercise,

due in class
Monday, May 7: Journal # 5, due in class
Friday, May 11: Last day to turn in
Reporting Assignments #6 and 7.

WEEK 8, May 21 May 27: Getting a Job in Journalism

Conferences this week: Schedule to be announced.
Readings:
Writing Tools, Tools 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47.
DEADLINES:

Monday, May 21: Journal Part 7, due in class

Friday, May 25: Public Records Derby,
due in instructors box by 1 p.m.
WEEK 9, May 28 June 3: No class due to Memorial Day holiday
DEADLINES:

Friday, May 25: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignment #8

WEEK 10, June 4 -- 10: Lessons learned, going forward
Readings: Readings to be announced.
DEADLINES:

Monday, June 4: Presentations, in class

Monday, June 4: Journal Part 8, due in class
WEEK 11, June 11 17: .
DEADLINES:

NO CLASS THIS WEEK

Monday, June 11: Final and revised Watchdog

Reporting Assignment, due 9 p.m. via e-mail.

Syllabus <> Reporting II <> Walth <> Page 6

Summary of J462 Deadlines

April
Wednesday, April 4: Reflection paper, due via e-mail by 9 p.m.
Saturday, April 7: Reporting Assignment #1, due via e-mail by 11:59 p.m.
Monday, April 9: Journal #1, due in class.
Monday, April 16: Oregon Public Records and Meetings Manual exercise, due in class.
Monday, April 16: Journal #2, due in class.
Friday, April 20: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignments #2 and #3.
Sunday, April 22: Watchdog reporting ideas, by 9 p.m. via e-mail.
Monday, April 23: Journal # 3, due in class
Friday, April 27: Reporting Assignment #4, due by 11:59 p.m. via e-mail.
Monday, April 30: Journal # 4, due in class

May
Friday, May 4: Story proposal for Watchdog Assignment, due via e-mail by 9 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignment #5.
Monday, May 7: Oregon Blue Book exercise, due in class
Monday, May 7: Journal Part 5, due in class
Friday, May 11: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignments #6 and 7.
Friday, May 18: First draft of Watchdog Reporting Assignment, due by 9 p.m. via e-mail.
Monday, May 21: Journal Part 7, due in class
Friday, May 25: Public Records Derby, due in instructors box by 1 p.m.

June
Friday, June 1: Last day to turn in Reporting Assignment #8
Monday, June 4: Presentations, in class
Monday, June 4: Journal Part 8, due in class
Monday, June 11: Final and revised Watchdog Reporting Assignment, due 9 p.m. via e-mail.