Objectives:
To get you working with basic design software used in journalism courses
To learn how to manage yourself and team members on a class project
To demonstrate a basic understanding of writing, editing and design skills introduced
To plan and execute a formal professional presentation during a given time limit
Due Dates: Envelope with project elements submitted: TBA. Presentation on: TBA
The Assignment:
Most news products are not produced in one-person operations. Rather, journalists have to work in teams to accomplish the goal of getting their product to readers. In this vein, you can expect to do many team projects and presentations as a journalism major. Team projects are generally HARDER to do because you have to coordinate schedules and depend on every members input and cooperation. Such is the case here.
Final projects include the following elements:
One news story written from material provided (each student writes his or her own story - this is not a group effort)
One frontpage layout (will be built using Adobe InDesign)
One penciled layout on a dummy sheet
One two-page explainer (double-spaced) of your decision-making in choosing the five stories and three photos for the front page (each student writes his or her own paper discussing the relative newsworthiness of the stories).
A group member evaluation sheet
The news story:
The instructor will divide students into groups of three. Each student in group is given a packet of information that includes "reporter's notes," a press release, a fact sheet and a link to an informational Web site. You can print out your packet from WebCT. Students are to write a short news story from these materials. Students are also to check facts, AP style, syntax and grammar, and should write a headline of six-to-eight words. These story assignments are to be done individually.
Each group is given 16 stories from which the group must select four or five for the front page of The Tuscaloosa News. The stories written by students are also possibilities for the front. Each group will also receive a number of news photos from which to choose three to four for the page. These stories and photos are available on WebCT.
Paper on news decision-making:
Each student turns in a written paper (two pages, double-spaced) explaining:
* The story choices -- specifically, why group members thought the community or individuals in the community would benefit from these stories, and why they were newsworthy. If there was disagreement with the group's final selection, individuals should discuss why they disagreed, or simply provide their own thoughts about the relative worth of the stories.
* The photo choices -- why were these the best photos to use, and what important information did they convey? Again, individuals should discuss their own thinking about the photos.
Frontpage layout and presentation:
Each group will design a newspaper front page in Adobe InDesign that includes the selected five stories and selected photos. Assume you are editors for The Tuscaloosa News. The instructor will provide students with several page "templates" that are partly built in Adobe InDesign. These page templates will be available on WebCT. Students may look over the selection of page templates, then dummy their layout using pencil and paper. Students may produce their own designs from scratch if they wish, but this is only recommended if students feel strongly confident in your Adobe InDesign abilities because lab access will be minimal. Students should write headlines for these pages, put cutlines on the photos, and each student must turn in a page dummy, a printed InDesign page and an electronic version of the InDesign page uploaded to FINAL PROJECT assignment module in by FridayTBA
Before the presentation days, the instructor will produce PDF copies of all InDesign pages in a folder on the instructor's computer in Room 327 (the regular classroom) ,and each group will present their page and their story and photo decisions. These decisions should be explained in light of class concepts, particularly from the beginning of the semester. It is up to the group to decide how to divide the presentation -- you may have one speaker, or four. If you have four, each person must make their parts very brief. I will "yank" your group at the end of 10 minutes in order to make time for class discussion.
Four projects will be presented each day.
Group member evaluation:
Each student will receive individual grades for the news story and the news selection essay. Each student will receive a group grade for the page layout and the class presentation. These grades will be averaged for your final grade on the team project. The instructor will give each group a form for evaluation of group members and will take these evaluations into consideration in the grading of the group component of the projects.
