Office Hours
Before/After class Mondays-Thursdays in Holliday Forum or by appointment
**Phone: 225-344-7179** **This is my home phone, but I do NOT answer it. All calls go to message and I return calls that are important.
Email: fyarbroughdunne@lsu.edu
TEXT AND COURSE MATERIALS:
REQUIRED: “Reporting for the Media,” by Bender, Davenport, Drager, & Fedler; 10th edition, Oxford University Press. This book is not optional. You cannot complete the course work without it. An e-book version, which is about half the price of the book, is available through CourseSmart at this link: http://www.coursesmart.com/IR/1490669/9780199846412?__hdv=6.8
CourseSmart also has a free app that allows you to access your book on your iPhone/iPad/Android device and keep track of any notes you have. You will be using exercises from the book in class.
REQUIRED: Associated Press Stylebook (2014 edition). Online and iPhone app versions are currently available for $24.99 each for an annual subscription. See http://www.apstylebook.com
SUGGESTED: “Working with Words” by Brooks, Pinson and Wilson, Eighth edition. This textbook on grammar, spelling and media writing is one of the easiest to follow; “The Elements of Style” by Strunk & White. This is an inexpensive book of grammar rules and FAQs you can keep indefinitely.
ALSO REQUIRED:
Notebook for in-class notes and interviews (no laptops for taking notes, unless specifically required for an assignment.) Take notes from lecture on anything you want. Take notes for writing assignment on either a reporter’s notebook or a steno pad. These two notebooks are the most commonly used by media and the most commonly paid for by employers. A Steno notebook has either a soft or hard back and has more room than a reporter’s notebook that has a hard back and good to use when you have to stand up to take notes. It’s your choice.
Access to a camera (Phone camera is fine.)
Money on your Tiger Card for printing on school printers.
Access to writing lab printers. You are responsible for meeting with the Manship IT staff the first week of class to sync your computer to the printer.
Twitter and Facebook accounts by midterm.
Manship Writing Essentials & A Manship Education (Attached to the syllabus.)
I USE MOODLE
While I haven’t conquered Moodle completely, I use Moodle.
I put each class plan on Moodle with any needed notes, links, PDFs, etc.
If needed, I will email you via my LSU email account to your LSU email account using Moodle. If you reply to me using another personal email account, I’ll likely reply to that account. HOWEVER, I will continue to use Moodle to email to your LSU email account for any alerts to you. Look at your LSU email!
I will post alerts on test changes or reminders of upcoming events deadlines on Moodle. In case of a last-minute emergency, I’ll email from Moodle, so check your LSU email before class.
COURSE OBJECTIVE/GOALS
Objective
MC 2010 is the beginning writing course for mass communication majors and minors. It introduces skills associated with writing, grammar, style and information gathering and is meant to prepare students for advanced writing courses in all Manship School concentrations. (Students must make an A or B in MC 2010 before being considered for admission to the Manship School of Mass Communication.)
Manship School goals for this class:
At the end of this semester, you should be able to do the following:
Develop skills in writing lead sentences and in organizing news stories in an inverted pyramid and hourglass structure under deadline pressure
Develop skills in conducting interviews and using the Internet and the library for information gathering
Develop a basic understanding of the legal and ethical principles of mass communication,
