Tuesdays and Thursdays 8-9:15 a.m. Room D326. We will watch and analyze two movies in this class. The dates are provided in your course calendar. Please check those dates and plan ahead to ensure your attendance at these showings.
The student will examine an overview of the historical development of journalism followed by study and practice which emphasizes the development of professional news gathering and writing. Students will study and write each of the following: news stories, sports stories, feature articles, book reviews, interviews, publicity releases and organizational newsletters. IAI: MC 919 Mass Communications.
Appropriate assessment score or ENGL 1422 with a grade of C or better - Must be taken either prior to or at the same time as this course.
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
“Introduction to Journalism was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program. For the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to U.Select Illinois at www.transfer.org.”
Faculty Contact Information
Faculty: Jennifer Hays Huggins, Dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences
Office Hours: R308
Faculty office hours are for YOU. Your instructor’s sole purpose during office hours is to be available to
you to help you with questions, course related problems, or just to chat. Taking advantage of this one-on-
one time with your instructors is highly recommended, and it’s also a great way to help ensure your
academic success. I am on campus every day from 8-4:30, so please stop by if you need to see me. If I’m
not in, please reach out and we can find a time to talk in-person, on the phone, or virtually. I am always
available by e-mail.
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Trace the evolution of journalism through time.
- Develop a conceptual understanding of what journalism is and isn’t and why it matters in a democratic society and apply that understanding to a critique of 21st Century journalism versus journalism practiced in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Compare the writing style associated with journalism against other various forms of writing.
- Incorporate reporting, writing, and editing fundamentals in multiple news stories.
- Discuss the ethical responsibilities and values journalists bring to their work.
- Examine the First Amendment struggles, triumphs, protections, and interpretations of landmark cases.
- Evolution of journalism through time.
- Tenets of good journalism.
- Ethics in journalism.
- Mass media law.
- The First Amendment and journalism.
- Journalism's purpose in society.
- Writing styles across various media.
- Editing fundamentals.
There is no required text for this course.
Writing Assignments 50%
The largest percentage of your grade in this course will be based on writing clear, concise, accurate, and objective news stories in a variety of types. Assignments will include writing news leads as well as complete news stories (using the inverted pyramid) and feature stories after having gathered the information necessary to write such stories. You will also understand the difference between opinion pieces, news stories, and feature stories by writing all three.
Exams and Quizzes 30%
In addition to a “Monday Morning Quiz” every Monday, which consists of 10 questions regarding current events from the previous week, you will also be given content exams at the end of each unit. To prepare for the Monday morning quizzes, you should be reading/watching the news daily. To prepare for the content exams, I recommend printing the lecture slides from each unit and taking great notes.
Mid-Term and Final Papers 20%
You will write a mid-term and final paper in this class based on two movies we will watch as a class. The papers are addressed in the course calendar included with this syllabus. The assignment prompts will be available to you in Canvas.
You will write a lot in this course to demonstrate the skills you’re learning. All writing assignments must be submitted electronically through Canvas in addition to handing in a printed copy for grading in class at the beginning of class on the date it is due. Only assignments submitted in Canvas will be graded. Meeting deadlines is an integral part of a journalist’s life, so be sure to be aware of when assignments are due and get them in on time.
Plagiarism: Ensure all assignments submitted are your work. Plagiarism is defined as representing the words or ideas of another writer as one’s own. Plagiarism will result in an immediate final grade of F in the course without exception with no chance for withdrawal. All information taken from a source must be properly cited. Because this is a journalism course, all principles guiding the proper use of or attribution of information gathered, as well as the process of gathering that information, will apply. Anyone found to have fabricated a story or included information in a story that is not factual or in fact just pure fiction will immediately fail this course. Submitting work from Internet sites and databases as your own original work will result in an immediate final grade of F in the course without exception. Similarly, students must obtain permission from me before using AI composition software (like ChatGPT) for any assignments in this course. Using these tools without my permission puts your academic integrity at risk. In addition, work written for other courses or submission of work that has been acquired from other students or written by family members or friends will result in a final grade of F in the course without exception. Other instances of academic dishonesty, such as changing fonts and type sizes of letters or punctuation to lengthen papers, will result in an immediate grade of F in the course without exception with no chance for withdrawal. Any incidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will be reported to the LAS Dean, the Director of Student Success, and the Vice President of Student Affairs and may result in additional academic discipline and possible academic suspension. (See College Catalog 17.6). I will also ask that the incidence be noted in your permanent academic record.
Grading Scale
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 59% and Less
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Strategies for Success
What follows are strategies to help you successfully complete this course mixed in with some expectations I have of you.
Attend and Complete Work on Time
Attendance: Attending class every time we meet and arriving on time is important to your success in this course. Being on time in the journalistic world is often the difference being getting a story and missing out on valuable information. Attending every day ensures that you are always aware of assignments due and receive the benefit of instruction on topics with which you may need additional help. This course moves quickly, and we cover a lot of ground each week. When you miss class, you miss valuable information you will need to succeed. You are expected to attend every class. However, I understand that sometimes life can throw you a curveball. Therefore, each student will be allowed three (3) absences. I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. An absence is absence. Your final grade in the course will be reduced by 10 percentage points for each day missed after the three absences you are allowed, beginning with your fourth absence. That deduction will be taken at the conclusion of the course. I am not responsible for notifying you of the number of absences you have taken. You must keep track of your attendance record. It is equally important that you participate in our course discussions both in person and in Canvas. Should you need to be absent, please let me know so we can discuss what work you may be missing.
Assignments and Late Work: The ability to meet deadlines is a must in the journalistic world; therefore, respecting assignment deadlines in this course is also a must. Submitting completed work on time and in the way specified in the assignment prompt is important to your success in Journalism. You will have ample notice of when assignments are due. Don’t procrastinate. Begin your assignments as soon as I’ve given them to you and pace yourself and your work to meet all deadlines. If for any reason you will be absent on the day an assignment is due, be sure you’ve submitted your assignment in Canvas/handed it in to me prior to the beginning of the class on the date on which the assignment is due. Please note that when submitting an assignment online, you will be allowed to only submit documents ending in .doc or .rtf. Use these file forms to ensure your work can be opened and graded. I can’t grade what I can’t see J.
Be Prepared for Class and Study for Quizzes and Exams
Be Prepared for Class: You have been given a course calendar that describes the work we’ll be focusing on each week. Be sure you check that regularly and think about the information we’ll be discussing. What do you know already? What questions do you have? How does the information relate to your own life? Read anything you’ve been assigned. It will most likely come up again in the course (maybe even on an exam). Take notes. Don’t sit by passively. Be ready to receive the information and write down information you can refer to when studying for exams/completing assignments. Read all directions. I will be explicit in what I’m looking for when I give you an assignment prompt. Read that prompt thoroughly and ask questions if you have them when you get the prompt. Print the lecture slides in our Canvas modules prior to class so you won’t feel the pressure to write down all you see on the screen which will take away your ability to actually listen to the information being shared.
Quizzes and Exams: You will have plenty of notice of when you’ll be taking quizzes and exams. Scheduling study time to review your notes and re-read information provided in class can only contribute to your success. If you are listening carefully, I will most likely be giving you clues throughout our discussions regarding information that will most likely appear on a quiz or exam. Be sure to take note of that information. Creating a study guide – most professors won’t give you one – will also help you focus on vital information.
Make a Friend in Class
Missed Classes and Questions: Connecting with a peer in class has many benefits. Research tells us that students who successfully build community with one another are more successful academically. You can form study groups, ask each other clarifying questions on assignments, etc. If you happen to miss a class, you can find out what you may have missed so you’re prepared for our next class meeting.
Understand Technology
Technology: We will use Canvas in this course quite extensively, so understanding how to move around in that system is important to your success. You have access to the Student Passport to Online Learning in Canvas which contains lots of helpful information on how to navigate through a course. I suggest you review that content. You can also visit with a tutor in the Miner Memorial Library Student Success Center for help with all things Canvas and technology related.
Respect Yourself and Each Other
Cell Phones and Texting: Cell phone use in class not only distracts you from paying attention and staying on task, but also distracts your peers and even me. Do yourselves a favor, ditch the phone. If you are waiting for an important call (doctor, child’s teacher/school, employment), let me know you’ll be leaving your phone out on the table on silent and slip out if you need to take a call.
Advocate for Yourself
Using Resources and Asking Questions: You are responsible for your success, but you’re never in this alone. Use your resources, beginning with your professors and your classmates. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and visit tutoring. Those are great strategies that will help you be successful.
The course calendar will be provided in class and is subject to revision at the instructor's discretion.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.