Guidelines for Final Portfolios and Grading

Your final portfolios are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16. This deadline is absolute. No extensions. There will be a drop box outside my office (208 FOB).

Your final portfolio should be compiled in a binder or a folder. It should include the following seven or eight items (in this order):

1. A final revision of one piece you've done this semester. The revision should reflect your understanding of all the concepts we've covered. It will be graded on AP Style, grammar, thoroughness of reportage (5Ws/1H), effective use of sources and quotes, and overall journalistic technique (smooth transitions, organization, sense of news-worthiness, etc.). It should show evidence that you've revisited your subject, conducted more in-depth interviews as needed, and applied the feedback you received during in-class lectures and workshops.

ALSO include:

2. A one-page statement discussing your approach to revision of the piece. What steps did you take to make the piece better? Why? What guided your organization of the piece (what you chose for the lede, how you focused the story, etc.)? What did you struggle with? What did you enjoy about writing the piece? What, if anything, would you still like to improve upon (you may discuss your reportage, your interviewing techniques, etc.)?

Then include original versions of the following pieces (labeled accordingly) in this order:

3. Q&A
4. Terkel Assignment
5. Profile Piece
6. Second news brief
7. First news brief

Also include:

8. Any clips you have from The Insider, if applicable (print out and include here)

(Note: Only original copies are required. However, you may opt to revise each piece if you'd like to try and boost your grade. Staple revisions to original copies and be sure to label the revision as REVISION. Revising pieces doesn't guarantee that your grade will improve. Grading will be based on the quality of the revisions.)

Your final grade will be calculated this way:

1. 60 percent -- quality of written work/final portfolio
2. 30 percent -- quiz and test grades
3. 10 percent -- citizenship (attendance, participation, professionalism, conduct)

Post-Turkey Joy: Written/Spoken Reading Tuesday, Nov. 30 features Stacey Waite

The 2010-2011 Pitt-Greensburg Written/Spoken Reading Series continues with November speaker Stacey Waite on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Coffeehouse.

After receiving her MFA in poetry in 2003, Waite has published two collections of poems, both of which were recognized with awards. Her poetry collection “Choke” won the 2004 Frank O’Hara Prize in Poetry, and her collection “Love Poem to Androgyny” was the winner of the 2006 Main Street Rag Chapbook Competition.

Waite’s most recent work has been published in “The Cream City Review,” “Interim,” “Knockout,” and “Black Warrior Review.” Her newest collection of poems, “The Lake Has No Saint,” has just been released from Tupelo Press. In addition, her poem “Trans,” which appears in the anthology “I Go to the Ruined Place: Contemporary Poems in Defense of Global Human Rights,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Originally from New York, Waite currently teaches courses in Composition, Women’s Studies, Literature, and Creative Writing as a PhD Candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. Her full length collection “Butch Geography” will be published by Tupelo Press in 2012.

Opening readers for Stacey include UPG poet Kim Wolff and nonfiction writer Montana Miller.

The Written/Spoken series offers readings on the last Tuesday of every month, and brings local and nationally-known poets and writers to campus for readings and workshops. The series is sponsored by the University’s writing program and is free and open to the public. All readings in the series begin at 7 p.m. in the campus coffeehouse, located in Village Hall. Book signings and receptions follow all events.

For more information about the series or about Waite’s visit, contact Lori Jakiela, associate professor of English, at 724.836.7481 or email loj@pitt.edu

Class canceled tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 16

Our class tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 16, is canceled. We'll pick up
on Thursday with an open-book quiz on Joan Didion's work. Please continue
reading Vintage Didion to prepare for the quiz.

Also, unless you were a member of Team 1 (the winners of News Jeopardy), there
will be a news section on your quiz. Please be familiar with this week's
headlines.

And remember to bring your Q&A to class (one hard copy + e-copy).

Thanks!

Thursday, November 4

More Terkel! We'll watch some short interviews with Studs himself, then move on to workshop of your own Terkel-inspired pieces.

Your next piece won't be due until Thursday, Nov. 18. It will be a Q&A piece. Base your work on the CITY PAPER handout I'll give you today in class. Pick a timely, news-worthy subject. AP Style. Grammar. All of it counts. Approximately 500-700 words. Bring an e-copy and a hard copy to class on November 18.

Also begin reading Joan Didion. I'll lecture a bit on her next week. We'll be focusing mostly on news next week, though, so be sure to read the headlines and follow the big stories.

Conferences on Tuesday, Nov. 2

Remember we won't meet in the classroom on Tuesday, Nov. 2. There's a sign-up sheet on my office door (208 FOB). Please sign up for individual conferences. The conferences aren't mandatory, but they're highly recommended. During the conferences, we'll go over your work one-on-one. Please be sure to bring any of your old stories with you if you'd like to review them; I'll have your profile piece on hand. I can let you know where you stand mid-term grade-wise.

Extra credit roster

The following folks will receive extra credit for attending the Written/Spoken series on Tuesday, Oct. 26:

Nicole H., Tiffany B., Phoebe N., Natalie S., Corey Fl., C.J. S., Jordan H., Eric R., Michelle W., and Justin M.

Happy bonus!

Extra credit opportunity!

If you'd like extra credit for our class -- or if you'd just like to enjoy a great night with wonderful writers -- please come to tonight's Written/Spoken reading. It's at 7 p.m. in the coffeehouse. We're celebrating Alumni Night, so all the guest writers will be graduates of Pitt-Greensburg's Writing Program.

The line-up includes our own Corey Florindi as the opening reader. Guest writers incude nonfiction/memoirist/poet Adam Matcho; poet/fictioneer Carrie Smith; and Dave Newman, whose novel Please Don't Shoot Anyone Tonight was just published by World Parade Books.

The reading is free and open to the public. Village credit. A reception and booksigning will follow the reading. We'll also have a raffle -- you can win signed copies of books by Pitt-Greensburg's faculty authors.

Your extra-credit points can buy your way out of one news brief.

Hope to see you all there!

The Art of the Interview -- Oct. 26 -28

This week we'll focus on the art of interviewing. A powerpoint lecture will advance your understanding of the basics, and we'll watch and listen to some of today's greatest interviewers at work.

We'll watch Larry King tangle with Jon Stewart, and compare King's style with NPR's Terry Gross' technique on her show "Fresh Air." We'll watch Barbara Walters as she re-visits Fidel Castro 25 years after their first interview. More!

On Thursday, we'll trace everything back to the master -- Studs Terkel. Over the weekend, you'll practice Terkel's interviewing technique with a subject of your choice.

Terkel Assignment details:

* Choose a subject whose job interests you. Preferably talk to a stranger.
* Record your conversation.
* Transcribe your conversation using Terkel's technique (as covered in class; use the handout as an example)
* E-mail your transcription -- complete with a "bingo" moment -- to me by 5 p.m. next Wednesday. E-mail your piece as a Word attachment. Put your name on your e-mail and on your piece. Send to: lljakiela@gmail.com.
* We'll use selected transcriptions for workshop in class on Thursday

Keep your edited transcription short -- 500 words. Use good grammar and AP Style. Be sure to meet the deadline.

Sample Profile Pieces

Here are the samples/models we covered in class. Also, check out Lillian Ross' Portrait of Hemingway for a book-length example (and to learn more about those 52 cats).

Standard Profile: Novel Explores Desperation of Teens

Q & A: Breakfast with Shannen Doherty

Class Schedule: Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 21

On Tuesday, we'll be workshopping your profile pieces. Please be sure to bring an electronic copy of your work as well as one hard copy. I'll collect your hard copies. Please be sure to also bring your AP Stylebook to class. You'll need it for workshop.

On Thursday, we'll have a quiz on Rick Bragg. Please be sure to finish reading the book. You'll be able to use your book as a reference for the quiz. The quiz will also include concepts we've already covered in class re: Bragg's technique.

Be sure to bring your book and Stylebook to class on Thursday.

Class canceled for tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14

I'm out with the flu. We won't have class tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14. We'll pick back up on Tuesday.

Thanks!

Week of October 4: Rick Bragg, Possum Trot and Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

This week, please read Rick Bragg's "Somebody Told Me." I'll lecture on Bragg and his work on Tuesday.

For Thursday, please come to class with the following:

* The name and contact information for someone you'd like to do a short profile piece on. The person should be newsworthy (per all our discussions about what makes news). The person should not be related to you or be a close friend. Please be aware of your own biases. Remember objective method.

* The name and contact information of at least one (more is preferred) secondary source you can use for the story. This person/these persons should have insider knowledge of your story subject. Try to go for both expected and unexpected sources. Again, this person/these persons should not be directly connected to you in any way.

* A rationale for why your subject is newsworthy now. (A few sentences addressing the 5Ws/1H; what this person is involved in now that's newsworthy; what makes this person interesting/extraordinary; etc.)

* A rationale for how you'll do the interview and where/why.

Once your subject is approved, you'll write a short profile piece. Your piece will be due in class on Thursday, Oct. 14. Bring an e-copy of your piece and your interview notes to class. You'll work with one of your classmates and with me to polish your story for The Insider.

Your story should be structured something like this:

First paragraph: Lead (you can be more creative/follow Bragg's style/color)
Second paragraph: Follow-up information for lead
Third paragraph: Quote from primary source
Fourth paragraph: Weave (we'll discuss in class -- background info)
Fifth paragraph: Quote from primary source
Sixth paragraph: Weave and introduction of secondary source
Seventh paragraph: Quote from secondary source
Eighth paragraph: Weave
Ninth paragraph: Final quote from source

Approximately 500 words. AP Style. Grammar counts. Accuracy counts.

Plans for Thursday, Sept. 31

Don't be sad. We won't have a news quiz tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 31).

Instead, we'll informally check out the day's big stories, review your second news briefs, polish and send these to the Insider, AND (if there's time) have a fascinating powerpoint lecture on interviewing skills.

Don't miss it!

Class canceled for tomorrow -- Tuesday, Sept. 28

Our class for tomorrow -- Tuesday, Sept. 28 -- is canceled. Please use this time to work on your second news briefs. We'll stay on schedule, so be sure to e-mail your news briefs to me at lljakiela@gmail.com by midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 29. We'll workshop your stories in class on Thursday. Guidelines for the news briefs are on the blog (see list of assignments from last week).

Pendulum, UPG's Literary Magazine, Accepting Submissions

Pendulum, the literary magazine of Pitt-Greensburg, is now accepting submissions for the Fall 2010 issue. The editors are looking for poetry, prose, artwork and photography. Multiple submissions are fine (no more than three please). All writing submissions should be kept to 1,000 words or fewer.

Submissions can emailed and attached as Microsoft Word documents, then sent
to UPGPendulum@gmail.com.

New Novel from UPG Writing Program Graduate (Our First-Ever!)

Dave Newman, a 1993 graduate of the UPG Writing Program, has a new (and first) novel out now. His novel, "Please Don't Shoot Anyone Tonight," is a crime and coming-of-age story set in nearby Irwin, Pa. It's the first-ever book by a UPG Writing Program grad. Ever. Check it out here. And for more about Dave, visit his website here.

National Undergraduate Lit Mag Seeks Submissions

Here's a great chance for you lit-writer types. The inaugural edition of Catfish Creek, a national undergraduate literary journal based at Loras College, needs submissions.

The details from the magazine's editors:

"Catfish Creek, the national undergraduate literary journal of Loras College, is pleased to announce the release of its inaugural edition, slated for Spring 2011. Catfish Creek is intended as a showcase for undergraduate writers from across the country and around the world. We are welcoming submissions of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction.

"Any student currently registered in an undergraduate program is eligible to submit. If we accept your work, we will ask for proof of your current enrollment.

"Our reading period is September 1-November 15. Any manuscripts received outside of that time will be deleted unread. Simultaneous submissions are welcome as long as we are informed if the work is accepted elsewhere.

"Submission Guidelines:
All submissions should be sent electronically, as MS-Word (.doc or .docx) or RTF attachments, to Catfish.Creek@loras.edu. Please specify the genre of your submission (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) in the Subject line of your message.
Ex: Fiction submission—“Story Title”

"For more submission guidelines please see our website

"We are excited at Loras College to be starting a new tradition, and equally excited to read the incoming submissions. Welcome to Catfish Creek!"

Job Opp -- Examiner.com

Turn your journalism pieces into a little extra cash by writing for Examiner.com. This hyper-local news and entertainment blog runs on freelance writers who bring expertise in specialized topics and coverage areas. (For instance, sports writers: see here to apply to be a Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats Examiner.)

Atomic Cafe and Dr. Strangelove

THE ATOMIC CAFE is a both terrifying and hilarious film released in 1982 as a reminder of cold-war era paranoia in the U.S. The film, which has since become a classic must-see, includes collages of newsreels, military training films and government archives -- all set to a 1950s soundtrack. The film captures a panicked nation and offers an account of life during the atomic age -- complete with duck-and-cover drills and fall-out shelters and government propaganda campaigns. Critics compare it to both "Reefer Madness" and Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" -- another classic film about bomb-love and fear. Here's an online glimpse at The Atomic Cafe.

Some Background: Hiroshima

This video from the BBC includes commentary from survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima. The approach -- a focus on individual, human stories -- is similar to the one Hersey takes.

This actual footage from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki represents the kind of coverage that was more common before Hersey's reportage. (Note focus on the bombs' power.)

Sept. 21, 23: Focus on John Hersey's Hiroshima

HERSEY
This week, we'll be focusing on John Hersey's "Hiroshima." On Tuesday, we'll have a presentation on the book and Hersey's particular style of reportage. On Thursday, you'll have a quiz on the book. This quiz will replace our usual news quiz.

LAST WEEK'S NEWS BRIEFS
If we didn't review your first news brief in class last week, I'll get to you first thing on Thursday. If your story will be old news before Thursday, please let me know and we'll get to it sooner.

Those of you who have already had your news brief workshopped, please be sure to send it to The Insider. You should slug your stories as follows:
Subject line: News Brief -- Your Name -- Subject

Send to the editors:

Rachel Kuskie, editor in chief, at rak57@pitt.edu
CJ Simpson, assistant editor, at cjs112@pitt.edu

NEXT ASSIGNMENT:
E-mail to lljakiela@gmail.com by midnight Wednesday, Sept. 29

A second news brief -- very similar to the first news brief, with one exception. This time, you'll have two relevant sources quoted and present in the piece.

Structure your story like this:

Paragraph 1: Lede
Paragraph 2: Extension of Lede (extra Ws/Hs)
Paragraph 3: Quote from first source (most relevant source; best quote)
Paragraph 4: Additional Ws/Hs, transition
Paragraph 5: Introduction of secondary source
Paragraph 6: Quote from secondary source (strong, good quote)
Paragraph 7: For more information, contact

Choose from the list of upcoming events on the campus calendar OR cover an upcoming event that falls within your coverage area (a.k.a. Greensburg and nearby sites). Be sure to contact your sources now so you don't get stuck later. Go for strong, burst-of-life quotes. Use basic AP Style. Good grammar counts. Accuracy -- both factual and technical -- is essential.

We'll workshop these pieces on Thursday.

FINAL PORTFOLIO REMINDER
Remember to print and save a copy of all your stories and revisions. Use a folder or a binder and keep your stories in chronological order, newest pieces on top. If your story runs in the Insider, print a copy of that version, too, and keep it in your portfolio. You'll turn in your portfolio at the end of the term.

Internship Opportunity: Social Media Writer

Technology Publishing/Paintsquare is seeking a motivated student intern to assist with social media initiatives. Obtain hands-on experience while earning college credit in a fun and casual environment at our office in the heart of Pittsburgh’s exciting South Side neighborhood. Interested candidates should send cover letter, resume and 1-3 social networking profiles to Pam Simmons at psimmons@paintsquare.com.

Duties:

• Monitor postings and interactions on social media platforms
• Comment and contribute to the growth of our current social media tools used (Twitter and Facebook)
• Measure and enhance the impact of our online social media strategy
• Develop creative ways to promote the company utilizing social media

Qualifications:

• Completion of at least one year of undergraduate studies desired
• Must be self-starting and able to work independently
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Creative thinker
• Experience with Facebook and Twitter is required
• Experience with MySpace, Orkut, LinkedIn, blogs or mobile apps is a plus
• Experience in communications, marketing or journalism is helpful.

Benefits:
* Build your resume
* Letters of recommendation upon successful completion of the internship

Compensation:
Unpaid and for academic credit(s) only
Hours per Week:
Flexible

Reminders for Thursday, Sept. 16

Please check your e-mail. If you turned in your story on deadline, great job! And you'll have track-changes versions back from me. Please be sure you have access to these in class. We'll go over your stories one-on-one and you'll have a chance to polish them before you send them to the Insider (and before I give you a letter grade). Don't be overwhelmed by the track-changes comments. You're not supposed to be perfect at this point. You're not even supposed to be very good. We're working on that. :)

Remember the Insider editors will be visiting class. I'll bring doughnuts.

We'll have a very short news quiz after the editors' visit. Be sure to check the headlines.

Readings for Tuesday, Sept. 14 Class

Picnic Revives Memories of Life on the North Side -- Example of post-event coverage

Zoo Announces Birth of Tiger Cubs -- example of simple event announcement

Gist Street Series Ending -- example of complex event announcement

Attack Theatre Season Opening -- example of multi-sourced complex event announcement

Think News Quizzes are Hard?

You're not the only ones. Check out this week's On-the-Street News Quiz.

AP Style

This Saturday, Sept. 11 beginning at 11 a.m., the Southwest Pennsylvania Tea Party will rally supporters at Bushy Run Battlefield in Harrison City, Pa.

Insider Editors' Visit

Insider editors will visit class next Thursday, Sept. 16. They'll fill you in on what they do and how you can help.

Also, we'll have snacks.

News Notes, Updates, and Assignment for Sept. 14, Sept. 16

* Please rely on the blog for updates and assignments. Since we're short a textbook, please disregard the assignment schedule from our syllabus. I'll be lecturing on what we would have covered in the textbook, so be sure to come to class. I'll also post some (but not all) lecture notes on Blackboard.

* We'll have a quick news quiz tomorrow -- Thursday, Sept. 9. Don't forget to check out this week's big stories.

* Please begin reading John Hersey's Hiroshima. We won't get to it until Thursday, Sept. 23, but it's good to begin now.

* Your first news story is due next Wednesday, Sept. 15 by 2 p.m. The assignment is below. I'll go over details in class.

****************


Assignment #1: Basic News/Event Piece

Write your first news story. This story will be about an upcoming event on campus. Choose an event that interests you. You can find events and details on the campus calendar (www.pitt.edu/~upg).

Before you try to write the story, be sure you have all the necessary information (5Ws/1H). Be sure to contact and interview one relevant source. Be sure your source is the most relevant contact. Be sure to identify the source, quote him/her directly in your story, and provide contact information (phone number and e-mail address) for fact-checking purposes.

Structure your story like this:

Paragraph 1: Lede (most essential Ws/H or feature/attention getting move)
Paragraph 2: Add lede (other essential Ws/H)
Paragraph 3: Quote from the most relevant source for the story.
Paragraph 4: Any lingering Ws/H
Paragraph 5: Quote from source
Paragraph 6: For more information...

Again, you can bobble around a bit and make mistakes, but I do expect you to write clearly and well. Grammar and common-sense elements count. Basic AP Style (titles, dates, numbers) counts. 300- 500 words.

E-mail your story to me by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Email to: lljakiela@gmail.com

I’ll bring in copies of select stories for workshop on Thursday.

Assignment for Thursday, Sept. 9 -- Two Rewrites

Rewrite your lede from Tuesday's class. Follow the AP Style basics we covered in class.

Also, try reworking the lede from this recent P-G story. Use your understanding of news values and reader interest. See what you can do.

Post your revised P-G lede here. Keep a copy of your rewrite of Tuesday's lede in your class portfolio.

***********


Benedum will host Bob Marley benefit concert
Monday, September 06, 2010
By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Benedum Center will be the site for "A Bob Marley Celebration" on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., featuring members of the reggae legend's family.

The Benedum (formerly the Stanley Theater) is the last venue where Bob Marley and The Wailers performed publicly on Sept. 23, 1980 before his death.

Confirmed performers include Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Julian Marley, Cedella Marley and The Marley girls. In addition to the Marley children his wife Rita Marley will be traveling from her home in Ghana to be part of this event. Appearing with Rita will be former I-3 member, Marcia Griffiths.

Proceeds from the event will be go to support the One Love "Not-For-Profit" Foundation.

Reserved seats are on sale now at The Benedum Center Box Office, Theatre Square Box Office, Downtown; by phone, at 412-456-6666; and on line at www.pgharts.org.

Tickets are $49.50, $40.50 and $35.50. Limited gold circle seats also available for $79.50.

Stylebook Check

For class on Tuesday, please check your AP Stylebook for rules on:

* Dates
* Time
* Numbers
* Titles (capitalization rules)

We'll review these and apply them to your ledes.

Post Your Ledes Here

Please post your ledes in the comments section below. The deadline is 2 p.m. Sunday.

Stylin'

Introduce yourself to the wonders of the AP Stylebook through these fun (yep, I said fun) quizzes. AP Style

News Quiz

Visit The New York Times Daily News Quiz to keep up-to-date.

Orwell's Rules for Good Writing

In his essay "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell offers six simple rules for good writing. The full essay is posted on our class Blackboard site. If you haven't read it before, please do.

And here are the rules. These rules are as essential as looking both ways before you cross the street. Memorize them. Live them. Love them. Post them on your fridge. On your mirror. On your forehead. Everywhere.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never us a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "How to Write With Style"

Here's the brilliant Kurt Vonnegut's take on what makes writing good. The quick version: he has some rules.


1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers

Below, is the explanation for these rules.

And so it goes...

****

from "How to Write With Style"
by
Kurt Vonnegut

Newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writings. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to readers. We call these revelations, accidental and intentional, elements of style.

These revelations tell us as readers what sort of person it is with whom we are spending time. Does the writer sound ignorant or informed, stupid or bright, crooked or honest, humorless or playful --- ? And on and on.

Why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it? Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you're writing. If you scribble your thoughts any which way, your readers will surely feel that you care nothing about them. They will mark you down as an egomaniac or a chowderhead --- or, worse, they will stop reading you.

The most damning revelation you can make about yourself is that you do not know what is interesting and what is not. Don't you yourself like or dislike writers mainly for what they choose to show you or make you think about? Did you ever admire an emptyheaded writer for his or her mastery of the language? No.

So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head.

1. Find a subject you care about
Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.

I am not urging you to write a novel, by the way --- although I would not be sorry if you wrote one, provided you genuinely cared about something. A petition to the mayor about a pothole in front of your house or a love letter to the girl next door will do.

2. Do not ramble, though
I won't ramble on about that.

3. Keep it simple
As for your use of language: Remember that two great masters of language, William Shakespeare and James Joyce, wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound. "To be or not to be?" asks Shakespeare's Hamlet. The longest word is three letters long.

Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and as glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story "Eveline" is this one: "She was tired." At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those three words do.

Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred. The Bible opens with a sentence well within the writing skills of a lively fourteen-year-old: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

4. Have guts to cut
It may be that you, too, are capable of making necklaces for Cleopatra, so to speak. But your eloquence should be the servant of the ideas in your head. Your rule might be this: If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate your subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out.

5. Sound like yourself
The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo the speech you heard when a child. English was Conrad's third language, and much that seems piquant in his use of English was no doubt colored by his first language, which was Polish.

And lucky indeed is the writer who has grown up in Ireland, for the English spoken there is so amusing and musical. I myself grew up in Indianapolis, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as unornamental as a monkey wrench.

In some of the more remote hollows of Appalachia, children still grow up hearing songs and locutions of Elizabethan times. Yes, and many Americans grow up hearing a language other than English, or an English dialect a majority of Americans cannot understand.

All these varieties of speech are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language, you should treasure it all your life. If it happens to not be standard English, and if it shows itself when your write standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green and one that is blue.

I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am. What alternatives do I have? The one most vehemently recommended by teachers has no doubt been pressed on you, as well: to write like cultivated Englishmen of a century or more ago.

6. Say what you mean
I used to be exasperated by such teachers, but am no more. I understand now that all those antique essays and stories with which I was to compare my own work were not magnificent for their datedness or foreignness, but for saying precisely what their authors meant them to say.

My teachers wished me to write accurately, always selecting the most effective words, and relating the words to one another unambiguously, rigidly, like parts of a machine. The teachers did not want to turn me into an Englishman after all. They hoped that I would become understandable --- and therefore understood.

And there went my dream of doing with words what Pablo Picasso did with paint or what any number of jazz idols did with music. If I broke all the rules of punctuation, had words mean whatever I wanted them to mean, and strung them together higgledy-piggledy, I would simply not be understood.

So you, too, had better avoid Picasso-style or jazz-style writing, if you have something worth saying and wish to be understood.

Readers want our pages to look very much like pages they have seen before. Why? This is because they themselves have a tough job to do, and they need all the help they can get from us.

7. Pity the readers
They have to identify thousands of little marks on paper, and make sense of them immediately. They have to read, an art so difficult that most people don't really master it even after having studied it all through grade school and high school --- twelve long years.

So this discussion must finally acknowledge that our stylistic options as writers are neither numerous nor glamorous, since our readers are bound to be such imperfect artists. Our audience requires us to be sympathetic and patient readers, ever willing to simplify and clarify --- whereas we would rather soar high above the crowd, singing like nightingales.

That is the bad news. The good news is that we Americans are governed under a unique Constitution, which allows us to write whatever we please without fear of punishment. So the most meaningful aspect of our styles, which is what we choose to write about, is utterly unlimited.

8. For really detailed advice
For a discussion of literary style in a narrower sense, in a more technical sense, I recommend to your attention The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. E.B. White is, of course, one of the most admirable literary stylists this country has so far produced.
You should realize, too, that no one would care how well or badly Mr. White expressed himself, if he did not have perfectly enchanting things to say.

In Sum:

1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers

from: How to Use the Power of the Printed Word, Doubleday

Welcome, Syllabus, Assignments and More

Welcome to Intro to Journalism!

Now, our first lesson: See that exclamation point? Here's the rule in journalism. Use one exclamation point once every seven years and then only when you mean it. So there goes seven years' worth of exclaiming. Still, it feels worth it. Welcome.

(BTW, There are no rules with exclamation points when it comes to e-mails and tweets and most non-news blogs, so you can always get your emoting out that way.)

Our course syllabus appears below. It's also available on Blackboard. Please feel free to print a paper copy, though it's good to be green, even if it's not easy. Ask Kermit the Frog.

Please check this blog site regularly for schedule updates, assignment details, news and useful links and more. Register as a follower of this blog now -- you'll be posting responses to assignments and more throughout the semester.

Here's to a great semester. Note: I had to repress that exclamation point. Limits are limits.

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Introduction to Journalism / English Writing 0550 / CRN 54843



Professor Jakiela
208 Faculty Office Building
Office Extension: #7481 (724-836-7481)
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays Noon-1 p.m. and by appointment
E-Mail: lljakiela@gmail.com, loj@pitt.edu

Required Texts:
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual
The Associated Press Guide to News Writing
Hiroshima, John Hersey
Somebody Told Me, Rick Bragg
Vintage Didion, Joan Didion
Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer

If you’re not already familiar with the on-line versions of major newspapers, you’ll want to start with www.postgazette.com, www.triblive.com and www.nytimes.com. You’ll need to register to use the Times site, but registration is free. News blogs are also good sources of information. A few you should check out include The Huffington Post, Slate , and The Atlantic's/Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish are just a few. You should also be familiar with The UPG Insider, Pitt-Greensburg’s online newspaper. Checking these sites regularly will help you with the weekly news quizzes in this course.


***
When asked why he rewrote the final chapter of A Farewell to Arms 44 times, Ernest Hemingway answered: “To get the words right.”

Hemingway was a journalist before he was a great novelist. All journalists – if they’re dedicated to their craft – struggle to master the techniques and skills that became Hemingway hallmarks. The precise use of language and surprising, luminous details. Sharp, unflinching reportage. Meaningful dialogue recorded by a well-tuned ear. A clean, well-ordered story crafted by a critical and an inquisitive mind.

But how does one begin?

This class does not promise to churn out Hemingways, but it will help you to do several things you may not have been able to do before:

* You will learn the basics of journalism – the 5 Ws/1H; how to get it right, write it fast, write it well.
* You’ll learn how to use standard industry techniques – including the classic Inverted Pyramid and Associated Press Style – to shape stories.
* You’ll take a close look at the different kinds of articles that appear in newspapers and will develop critical skills that will help you both as a writer and consumer of news.
* You’ll craft basic news stories, features, and editorial pieces.
* You’ll discover how the Internet is changing the way we write and receive news, and how old media and new media are working together to change the information landscape.
* You’ll begin to understand the ethical and legal responsibilities of the profession, as well as the role of the media in American society.


One thing all serious writers agree on: you can’t be a writer if you don’t read. And so, as you can tell from the list of required texts, we’ll be doing a lot of reading in this class. Through our readings, I hope you’ll develop a sense of the history of the profession and begin to imagine your own place in it.

As for our primary textbook, The AP Guide to News Writing – consider it the drill instructor for the course. We’ll do quite a lot of writerly push-ups. The exercises should help you develop basic news writing and reporting skills. While all good writing has much in common, journalism is a very particular version of the virus, and it’s one that requires repeat exposures.

In addition to all of this, we’ll spend considerable time reading and critiquing the work of journalists in the local, national, and student press. And you will, of course, be writing, revising and editing your own work and offering feedback regarding your classmates’ work throughout the term.

Ideally, once you get the hang of things, your work will be passed to the UPG student newspaper, The Insider, for possible publication. Editors from The Insider will visit early in the semester to talk about the kinds of stories they’d be interested in, and about what they think makes for good campus news.

The Details


Deadlines
One of the primary lessons in journalism is that a deadline is sacred. Therefore, I will not accept late work.

A Few Words About Content
You need to take your work seriously. If you’re bored with what you write, your readers will be bored, too.

Care enough to go beyond mediocrity. Good journalists do not work by rote.

An important note: When you need to interview sources for your stories, do not interview friends and family members. Do not make up quotes or facts. Be precise when you quote a source. Use a tape recorder or other recording device if you can. In this class, you will be held to professional journalists’ ethical standards. Failure to uphold ethical standards in your work will result in failure in the course.

Technically Speaking
Be accurate. Observe proper formats. Consult the AP Stylebook, a composition handbook, and/or a dictionary each time you encounter problems with spelling, grammar, or style.

Assignments should be free of technical errors. Assignments containing grievous technical and/or factual errors will be returned to you unread. You will need to correct the errors and return the work to me by the next class period in order to receive credit for the assignment.

Quizzes

As beginning journalists, it is important that you keep up with the news (how’s that for obvious?). Newspapers are available free on campus and the Internet provides wide access to a variety of news sources. To ensure that you keep current, we will have news quizzes (sometimes disguised as News Jeopardy! -- more fun, same concept).

We will also have several quizzes based on the assigned readings. You’ll note that readings-quizzes usually come after a weighty reading assignment. The combined quizzes will account for 25 percent of your grade in the course.


Attendance and Participation
You must attend class and complete all written assignments. If you must miss class due to an emergency or an illness, it is your responsibility to contact me.

If you miss more than three classes during the semester, your grade will drop by one letter for each additional absence. Also, I expect you to come to class on time and to be prepared. Failure to do so will result in a recorded absence.

Your participation in class is essential, and 25 percent of your grade will depend upon it.

In short, please come to class, be prepared, speak up, and take an active interest in your own progress.

Final Portfolios
You’ll need to save the original copies of all the stories you do this term. At the end of the semester, you’ll return these pieces to me, along with at least one dramatic revision of a piece of your choice.

(Note: I may ask you to revise any piece at any time. This revision would be mandatory, and would be included as part of your portfolio. It would not, however, replace your final revision.)

Your final portfolio, along with successful completion of your initial drafts and completed written exercises, will account for the remaining 50 percent of your grade in the course.


Conferences
We will meet in conferences once during the term. The conference will give us a chance to talk one-on-one about your work. The conferences are mandatory. Time-permitting, I will cancel our regular classes during a conference week. Failure to attend your conference will be recorded as a class absence.

Office Hours
Please stop by my office during office hours, or schedule an appointment for another time. I’m happy to meet with you to discuss your work at any time during the term.

Written Work
Once again, your written work will account for 50 percent of your grade in this course. Although the following list is subject to change at any time, here’s roughly what your workload will be:

Exercises and short assignments: 10
Analysis Piece/Short Critique: 2
Articles: One or more of each of the following (subject to change)--

Event/speech/meeting coverage
Obituary
Simple news story
Complex news story
Profile
Commentary and/or Gonzo piece

Total of seven pieces at approximately 300-800 words each


Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Lou Ann Sears in the Learning Resources Center located on the first floor of the Faculty Office Building. You should do this as early as possible in the term. The LRC will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

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Tentative Schedule of Assignments for the first month – This will change.


Tuesday, Aug. 31
Course Introduction/review of syllabus

Assignments:
1. Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2/Guide to News Writing

2. Find one example of good writing (according to the guidelines in your text and according to you as a consumer of news/words) and one example of awful writing. Clip and bring to class. Be prepared to discuss. (Save examples for your portfolio.)

3. Remember to register for nytimes.com and, if you still subscribe or regularly read print news, bring a newspaper to class.


Thursday, Sept. 2
News and readings quiz
Lecture: What makes writing good?
Introduction to using the AP Stylebook (make sure you bring your stylebooks to class for every class meeting)
Small group work – Writing samples

Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 3/Guide to News Writing (Leads)

2. Find two examples (you guessed it). One great lead. One cruddy lead. Bring both to class and be ready to discuss. (Save examples for your portfolio.)

3. Also, practice writing a lead of your own. Choose an event from the UPG Campus Calendar as the subject for your lead. Follow the guidelines in the AP text. Try to answer as many of the 5 Ws/1 H in your lead as necessary (that’s Who, What, When, Where, Why, How/How Much). Have fun and don’t worry – you can make mistakes.

4. Post your lead to this blog by 2 p.m. Sunday. We'll review select leads in class.


Tuesday, Sept. 7
Leads
Small group work: More leads
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 4/Guide to News Writing (Periods).

2. Now, write your first news story. This story will be about an upcoming event on campus. Choose an event that interests you. You can find events and details on the campus calendar (www.pitt.edu/~upg). Before you try to write the story, be sure you have all the necessary information (5Ws/1H). Be sure to contact and interview two relevant sources. Be sure to identify the sources, quote them directly in your story, and provide contact information (phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses) for fact-checking purposes.

3. Again, you can bobble around a bit and make mistakes, but I do expect you to write in the English language. Grammar and common-sense elements count. 300- 500 words. E-mail your story to me by 2 p.m. on Sunday. Email to: lljakiela@gmail.com

Also, bring a hard copy of your story to class on Tuesday. I’ll bring in copies of select stories.


Thursday, Sept. 9
News and readings quiz
Lecture and discussion: Writing that first news story
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 5/Guide to News Writing (Journalese).

2. Continue to work on your first news story. Remember, your story is due via e-mail by 2 p.m. on Sunday. Don’t miss your deadline.


Tuesday, Sept. 14
Review first news stories/workshop
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 6 and Chapter 7/Guide to News Writing (Tone/Attributions)
2. Begin revising your first news stories based on readings and class discussions.
3. Begin reading Hiroshima


Thursday, Sept. 17
Continue discussion and workshop of first news stories
Assignments:

1. Continue reading Hiroshima
2. Finish revising your first news story. E-mail your revisions to me by 2 p.m. on Sunday. E-mail to lljakiela@gmail.com. Bring your finished draft to class on Tuesday. I’ll bring in a few select revisions for discussion.


Tuesday, Sept. 21
News story revisions
Lecture: Background on Hiroshima
Assignments:

1. Finish reading Hiroshima
2. Read Chapter 8/Guide to News Writing (Quotes: Your Words or Mine?) and be ready to discuss Hersey’s use of quotes in Hiroshima

Thursday, Sept. 23
Quiz on Hiroshima and news
Discussion of Hiroshima
Assignments:

1. Read Chapter 9 and Chapter 10/Guide to News Writing (Color and Pseudo-Color)

3. Find two examples (again): one that reveals the power of vivid, luminous writing and the other that reveals the flaccid nature of clichés. Clip and bring to class. Be ready to discuss.

Tuesday, Sept. 28
Color vs. Pseudo-color/Lecture and Discussion
Assignments:
1. Attend an event and cover it. 500 words. E-mail your story to me by 2 p.m. next Sunday. Your focus should be on vivid quotes, color/luminous details and description (as well as the usual 5Ws/1H).

2. Begin reading selections from Somebody Told Me.

October Preview: Begin Beat Coverage. Each of you will be part of a team of reporters assigned a beat for one month. Beats will include campus events, SGA, administration, faculty, student life, sports and more.