Assignments
This page provides an overview of the work that contributes to your final course grade, and connects you to descriptions for those projects and workshops through the links below. (Note that no descriptive detail appears on SVSU Canvas for any of these assignments.) I typically activate assignment pages as we need them, so do not worry if you cannot access all of the descriptions at the beginning of the semester.
Your course grade is computed from the points you earn on 4 projects and 10 workshops. Combined, these assignments total 1300 points.
You can read more about grading and what factors might influence your grade on the Policies page.
Projects
I use the term projects to categorize assignments that are significant undertakings, and that require development and refinement time that may span several weeks of the semester. You will complete 4 projects this semester that collectively contribute 800 possible points to your course grade.
Each project description details several elements of the work, including content and design requirements and submission guidelines. Use the links below to access those descriptions.
- Article Analysis & Reflection (AAR). 200 points. The AAS project results in a video or podcast (you may choose the medium you prefer to work in) that examines and reflects upon content that you encounter during the first half of the semester. The AAS is challenging because it requires you to consider how the content you engage with helps you explore your professional goals and career strategies relevant to journalism.
- News Clusters 1-3 (NC1, NC2, NC3). 600 (200 points for each cluster). Each of the News Cluster (NC) projects results in the production of 3 stories in 3 different media (digital ink, podcast, videocast), that explore different dimensions of the same news event. The NC series is challenging because it requires you to develop, research, craft, and publish topically stories in 3 complementary-but-different media in the same news cycle.
Workshops
I use the term workshops to categorize assignments that are smaller scale than projects, work that can be completed in the space of a single class session, or within the space of a single class week. The concepts, strategies, and practices examined through workshops build and reinforce your working knowledge for the course. You will complete 10 workshops this semester that collectively contribute 500 possible points to your course grade.
Each workshop description details several elements of the work, including design and discussion requirements, and submission guidelines. Use the links below (when available) to access those descriptions. Descriptions for workshops not linked from this page will appear in the Canvas Discussion forums dedicated to each of those assignments.
- Journalism Goals. 50 points. Based on in-class discussion of journalistic media and strategies, you set goals for the semester that you will then have the opportunity to explore through the assigned projects.
- Planning a Story. 50 points. We examine strategies and processes for planning a news story.
- Interviewing Strategies. 50 points. We examine strategies and processes for interviewing people connected to a news story.
- Implementing AI. 50 points. We explore tools and strategies for implementing artificially intelligent (aka, smart) tools into journalistic research. writing, and production processes.
- Crafting a Story. 50 points. We examine strategies and processes for writing and recording news stories.
- Editing Strategies for Print. 50 points. We practice strategies and processes for editing text- and image-based news stories.
- Editing Strategies for Audio. 50 points. We practice strategies and processes for editing audio news stories.
- Editing Strategies for Video. 50 points. We practice strategies and processes for editing video news stories.
- Publishing Processes. 50 points. You contribute to the design of a publishing venue for your upcoming News Cluster project series.
- Final Assessment. 50 points. You reflect upon your work to date and its place in your current academic / professional development.