J462: Reporting II

School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon

Winter 2019

Instructor: Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, Professor of Practice

Office: 201 Allen Hall
Office hours: 11am-12pm Tuesday, 4pm-5pm on Thursday. Other times by appointment.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 541-346-7643 (voicemail). SMS/Text 541-972-5531 from 9am-9pm.
You can also email or DM me on Twitter @damianradcliffe
Class Hours: 2pm – 3.50pm Tuesday and Thursday, 306 Allen Hall.

Course Description

Background
J462 Reporting II is a compulsory course. I know some of you are only taking this because you
have to. But, whatever the area of journalism you want to work in, the themes we will explore in
this class will be essential to becoming a better reporter and journalist.

Having an understanding of the rudiments of public affairs and community reporting is a key
focus of this class. It is the underpinning of the journalistic profession, with skills and knowledge
which transfer to all beats.

Developing these journalistic muscles will therefore make you a better journalist, photographer,
editor and storyteller.

Approach
Over 10 weeks you will undertake a wide range of individual and group tasks, designed to give you a
strong foundation in the skills journalists need in 2019.

The course purposefully explores a wide range of topics and skill areas, giving you a taster for
different types of journalism.

You can further explore these areas in future terms, by taking more specialist classes.

The class will also challenge you to be able to critically evaluate what makes for good reporting.

Being able to discuss the tenets of good journalism, different types of journalism and storytelling,
as well as having your own clips to shows these skills and knowledge in action – all of which you
will be able to do by the end of term – are the foundation of successful job interviews.

This class does focus on writing, but I hope you all understand that the ability to write – and to do it
well – is essential for all journalists and content creators, whatever your specialism.

1
Learning Outcomes
10 things you can expect to learn and hone:

1. Where to look for a story

2. Developing – and finding – sources for stories

3. Advanced interviewing skills

4. Advanced writing skills

5. The ability to write more quickly

6. Practice at refining and revising your work (based on personal reflection and feedback)

7. Understanding what public affairs and community reporting is

8. How to find and use public records

9. How to push back against the “fake news” narrative and demonstrate why journalism matters

10. “Journalist as a brand” - the importance of portfolios and your digital footprint

Learning Methods
These will include:

 Class lectures and guest speakers

 Reading – and critically evaluating – content
 In--‐class assignments and tasks (writing, reading, listening, pitching etc.)
 Out of class assignments (story development, interviewing, writing etc.)
 Writing--‐up key lessons from our classes (e.g. on a Google Doc and then shared on Medium)

Estimated student workload

The course features two classes a week + assignments. In addition to compulsory class attendance,
you will also be set a combination of individual and group assignments.

Tasks will include: reading, identification of case studies, preparation of presentation materials and
papers, fieldwork (interviewing, creation of content) and portfolio development.

Some assignments, and work for this class, will run concurrently. You will need to manage your time
accordingly, to balance competing workloads from this class and others. Time management – which
includes juggling competing priorities – is an ability you will always need.

Undergraduate Courses
Under the UO quarter system, each undergraduate credit reflects c.30 hours of student engagement.
Therefore, this 4-credit course is akin to approximately 120 hours total of student time.

With 40 hours of class time (10 weeks at 4 hours per week), readings and assignments will account for
another c. 80 hours of your time this term.

Graduate Courses
Graduate students are expected to perform work of higher quality and quantity, typically with forty hours

2
of student engagement for each student credit hour. Therefore, a 4-credit graduate course would
typically engage students c. 160 hours.

For graduate students, with 40 hours of class time (10 weeks at 2 hours per week), readings and
assignments account for another c.120 hours of your time this term.

How this class works

Attendance
Reporting II is designed to give you a foundation in some of the key skills needed in today’s
journalism market. Attendance of classes, and completion of assignments -‐‐ on time -‐‐ is essential.
Miss the first and/or second class of the term, and you will be asked to withdraw.

Non--‐attendance and failure to complete assignments on time will result in an F for that task.

Please notify me, in writing and with as much prior notice as possible, if you must miss a class or if work
will be delivered late.

If you miss a class and you haven’t notified me beforehand, then I expect you to get in contact with me as
soon as possible, to explain your absence and to agree the best way to catch-up on what you missed.

You should treat attendance in class like you would a job – you wouldn’t miss a shift without telling your
supervisor. Please treat this class – and your classmates – with the same level of respect.

Office Hours
11am-12pm Tuesday, 4pm-5pm on Thursday. Other times by appointment.

Do use Office Hours to drop by and talk to me about assignments, ideas for improving the class, feedback
on the things you like, or anything else you want to discuss.

Outside of my regular office hours, I’m always happy to schedule additional meetings with students. Email
me, or pop by my office, so that we can arrange time to talk.

Free Writing Coaching at Writing Central

Looking for help with your writing? I encourage you take advantage of the opportunities provided by
Writing Central. Trained undergraduate coaches at Writing Central, the SOJC’s peer writing program, are
available every day of the week, either during drop-in hours or by appointment.

The coffee and conversations about writing are free. Writing coaches can help with everything from
fleshing out story ideas to crafting stronger sentences to improving your grammar and AP style.

Drop-in hours (Allen 314, Weeks 2-10): Monday-Thursday: 3:30-5:30 p.m.

One-on-one appointments: Visit http://journalism.uoregon.edu/sojc-writing-central/

Participation
Classes will include a mixture of the occasional informal lectures, in-class creative assignments,
discussions with industry professionals, sharing lessons and learning from your own writing and reading,
collective feedback on assignments, reflections on previous talks etc.

3
We are a small – but full – class of 18 students, which is a perfect size for meaningful, valuable, discussion
with your peers.

Our classroom is an active learning space. It is an arena for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. There
are no wrong answers and bad ideas, only answers and ideas which could be developed better. It’s our
job to work together to enable everyone to deliver the best possible outputs from the course.

You should treat it like a newsroom and a production office. This means that you need to be comfortable
pitching ideas, receiving – and giving – feedback, and treating everyone in the room with due respect.

It also means doing your prep. For example, researching guest speakers in advance of us talking to them.
These people are giving up their valuable time to talk to us, we want to make it worth their while. To help
with this, each student will be assigned a guest speaker where you – and another student – will take the
lead in asking questions to ensure we get the best out of the session.

Your active participation is vital. And this is reflected in the grade structure for the term.

Assignments
These will require original research, analysis, reporting and writing. This may involve additional reading,
conversations/interviews, and information-gathering that takes place off campus and a different days and
times.

Like all journalists, you’ll find some tasks easier – and more enjoyable – than others. This will ebb and
flow throughout the term. That’s normal! Sometimes, ideas and concepts might take some getting used
to. Other times, they won’t. Plan your time, energies and resources accordingly.

Feedback and Rewrites

A number of assignments will include opportunities to rewrite and edit materials, following feedback
from me and/or your peers.

You will sit down 1-1 with me to review and discuss: a) your rewrite assignment, b) your draft Big
Issue story (which you will also review with one of your peers, before meeting me), c) your portfolio.

This reflects the reality of many newsrooms and will almost always result in your revised work being
of a higher standard. These exercises will help you to improve your skills and news sensibilities.

I believe that a 1-1 discussion about your work is more valuable than one-way written feedback. This
personal 1-1 teaching will take place during class time, office hours and other times. These 1-1 sessions
will typically last for 15 mins each.

You will be expected to take notes during these sessions; and to action – or at least consider – the
recommendations given.

Where class time is reassigned to allow for this 1-1 feedback, you are encouraged to use the class time to
work on other assignments for this class. I may also assign some reading during this period, which will be
discussed at the start of the next full class.

Your assignments, academic + journalistic integrity

See the Course Policies at the back of this syllabus for more information. Below is an explanation
for what these mean for your creative and journalistic work. Thanks to Lori Shontz for this
wording, she’s said it better than I could, so I’ve reproduced this from her Reporting II syllabus.

4
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The University Student Conduct Code (http://dos.uoregon.edu/conduct) defines academic

misconduct.

Students are prohibited from committing or attempting to commit any act that constitutes
academic misconduct.

In J462/562—and in any journalism class or environment—that means the following:

• Do not plagiarize: Do not copy someone else’s work and pass it off as your own. That
includes the work of professional reporters as well as the work of your classmates,
friends, family, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters, teammates, roommates, fellow club
officers, etc. You get the picture.

• Attribute your work properly: Use first and last names for everyone you quote or
paraphrase in a story. Quotations are direct quotes—don’t tweak what someone said to
make the sentence sound better. If you use information from another news source,
attribute it to that source.

• Don’t copy directly from websites or other background sources: This is plagiarism, too.
Don’t think you can fool me—or your readers—by changing a word or two around. That
doesn’t fly. Again: Attribute your work properly.

• Do not make things up: Don’t invent sources, facts, people, scenarios, scores, quotes,
etc. I truly hope this is self-evident.

• Do not interview family, friends and/or acquaintances: Credibility is everything. If you

use people you know well as sources, your readers have cause to doubt whether you
are being fully truthful or withholding information that would be damaging to those
close to you.

• IF YOU AREN’T SURE, ASK.

If you plagiarize or otherwise violate these principles of academic integrity, you will
flunk this class. Period.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

The best journalism reflects the community it covers. That’s why I am passionate about
increasing and maintaining diversity in newsrooms. If everyone is the same gender, race, ethnic
group, sexual orientation, religion, etc., you’re going to produce a homogenous publication that
is at best boring, at worst riddled with errors of fact and/or omission.

In this class, I will encourage open inquiry, freedom of expression and respect for difference.

I expect you to respect the differences among you and your classmates and between the class
and me. I will respect yours. We can certainly disagree—in fact, I expect that we will at times.
But we can all respect each other, and we can all learn from each other.

5
If anything in this class makes you uncomfortable, let me know ASAP. Let’s talk about it.

Damian says: We’ll also explore what this means, tools and techniques for addressing it (e.g. your
own in-built biases) etc. in this class.

I recommend the “What is Journalism?” section on the American Press Institute’s website:
https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/

The code of ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) outlines, and explains, key
journalistic principles: https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp - we will talk through this in Week
One.

Notes on graded assignments

You’ll be given a detailed brief, on Canvas and in class, for each assignment. This will include clear
directions of what’s expected and by when. I will also post a discussion board for each assignment on
Canvas. So, if anything is unclear, please ask there, so that everyone can see my response(s).

- Writing

Reporting I rewrite (10%)

You're going to be a better writer now than you were when you took Gateway or Reporting I, even if
Reporting I was last term! This assignment gives you a chance to prove to yourself - and me - just
that!

Task: You have one week to rewrite a previous piece of work from these classes (chat with me if you
want to do this for non-class work e.g. something from the Emerald, Ethos etc.).

For help with this assignment, I encourage you take advantage of the coaching opportunities
provided by Writing Central: http://journalism.uoregon.edu/sojc-writing-central/

Zombie apocalypse (10%)

Your task is to produce 500-600 of descriptive, visceral, reporting. You will use your descriptive
powers to the max when sharing what this calamitous event looked like, where it took place etc.

You might:

 Be reporting from the middle of this global infestation

 Be reporting after the event on the horrors and how mankind survived
 Or another angle you want to explore

However you approach it, I want to feel like I am living through what you are reporting on.

“Big Issue” / Profile (20%)

This is your showcase feature for this class, exploring a topic/person/institution of your choice. As
such, it is worth 20% of your grade. You’ll pitch a couple of ideas to class – akin to pitching a story to
an Editor - and be commissioned to write the best one.

6
Students will submit a draft, and then produce a final rewrite based on my feedback.

Rewriting is an important part of the learning process. This includes the possibility of doing additional
reporting to improve your story. I will give you an indicative grade for the draft, but only your final
submission will be graded.

- Research and Critical Thinking

Data Journalism/Storytelling - group project (10%)

Data driven journalism and storytelling is an increasingly important – and in demand - skill for
journalists to possess. This assignment enables you to learn more about how data storytelling is used.

In the process, you will also critically evaluate what makes for good (and bad) data driven storytelling.

You will work in groups to do this, and your will be graded as a group (i.e. you all get the same grade).

This reflects the fact that journalistic work can, sometimes, be a team effort. (Especially in the data
space.) Learning to manage group dynamics is therefore an important skill to develop.

My intention is that the work from each group will make up the bulk of a book chapter, focused on
"how US media is using data to tell stories," which will be published later in the year.

I'll write an introduction and conclusion - in partnership with you - to tell this story and to pull out
general principles for aspiring data journalists/storytellers.

Paper trail “sleuth” assignment (10%)

Working in pairs, you will be required to conduct a public records and documents search of a selected
public official in Lane County. This involves using public records, websites and other sources to gather
specific information about the public official.

Detective work like this is a core skill for most public affairs reporters, and is also applicable to other
beats too.

- Other (40%)

Attendance (10%)
Is mandatory. The importance I attach to this is reflected in the weighting given to this.

Participation (15%)
As I’ve mentioned at several points in this syllabus; our classroom is a newsroom. This means that you
need to be comfortable pitching ideas, receiving – and giving – feedback, and treating everyone in the
room with due respect.

You'll ask questions of guest speakers, share - and produce - work in class (much of it against the clock,)
throughout the term. This work feeds into this grade.

This includes, for each guest speaker, two students who will be assigned (you will be selected at random,
with names taken out of a hat) to take the lead in asking questions of our guest.

7
Professional portfolio (15%)
Having a strong online presence is vital for prospective employers; and represents a great opportunity for
you to showcase your personal brand - and work - online.

To encourage you to establish this presence online, this task will ensure that you have the following in
place by the end of term:

1. A personal portfolio website

2. A LinkedIn profile
3. An About.Me page

Grading
Tasks/Weighting (subject to revision/changes)

Activity Tasks % of Points

Grade
Writing 1. Reporting I / Gateway rewrite 10% 100
2. Zombie apocalypse 10% 100
3. “Big Issue” / Profile piece 20% 200
40% 400
Research 4. Data Journalism/Storytelling (group) 10% 100
/ Critical 5. Paper trail (pairs) 10% 100
Thinking 20% 200
Other 6. Attendance 10% 100
7. Class participation (incl. in-class work) 15% 150
8. Professional portfolio 15% 150
40% 400
TOTAL 100% 1,000

Grade/Percentage/Point ratios
▪ A 93-100 percent ▪ C+ 77-79 percent
▪ A- 90-92 percent ▪ C 73-76 percent
▪ B+ 87-89 percent ▪ C- 70-72 percent
▪ B 83-86 percent ▪ D 60-69 percent
▪ B- 80-82 percent ▪ F 0-59 percent

Expectations and Standards:

▪ An A story is one that could be published with very minor editing. Or no editing at all.
▪ A B story is publishable, but it would need some fixes first.
▪ A C story would need major revisions to be published.
▪ A D story would not be published; it has significant flaws.
▪ An F story has one or more major fact errors, is plagiarized or is exceptionally late. Or
all three. Or it may simply have more significant flaws than a D story.

8
Deadlines

Journalists have to delivery work on time. You’re a journalist, so that principle applies to this
class. If you submit work late, you will be docked one full grade for every 24 hours past deadline.

If there’s a legitimate reason for this, we will – together – agree a revised date, provided you
discuss it with me first, and at the earliest possible point.

I’ll treat you the same way any Editor would. However, they will expect early communication in
the event of any problems. Treat me like you would your Editor/Commissioner.

9
How Grades Will Be Determined – the mechanics

Grading Grid:

Category A B C D F

Strong lead: Vivid, telling Provides Essential Not a direct Factual

Informative detail. essential information lead and/or error(s).
hard information. but lacking important
(summary) clarity, information
news lead or conciseness missing.
compelling and/or detail.
anecdotal
opening.

Essential Who, what, 5 Ws covered Essential Essential Does not tell a

information where, when and but story not information information story.
covered. why organized provided but missing and/or
answered. clearly with disorganized. disorganized.
Story / most
Analysis important
logically information
organized. at the top.

Appropriate Strong use of Appropriate Quotes and Quotes or Quotes and

use of quotes quotes, with best use of quotes attribution attribution attribution
and quote high in and provided. missing missing
attribution. story. Attribution attribution.
provided when
needed.

Clear and Clear and concise Basically clear Thorough Writing style is Unintelligible.
concise writing. and concise. editing inappropriate
writing. Appropriate needed to for a news
news-‐‐writing style meet story.
Appropriate (i.e., short standards.
news-‐‐writing paragraphs,
or analytical descriptive detail,
style. active verbs, no
first-‐‐person).

Factually Mechanically 1-‐‐2 minor 1 major error 2 major errors Fatal flaws:
accurate. sound, no errors. errors. Style such as a and multiple Factual errors,
Correct inconsistent. fragment, minor issues. misspelling of
grammar, run-‐‐on, proper names,
spelling and comma splice, multiple
punctuation. or more than grammar,
two minor spelling errors.
errors.

Other things which come into the mix:

 Layout, formatting, for digital submissions, this matters.
 Are you telling a story I’ve not heard before.
 Does your story have the X-‐ Factor (it can be solid, but does it zing?)

10
How Grades Will Be Determined – story checklist

Your work will be reviewed in the same way as any Editor would review the content submitted to
them. I will be looking for good writing, strong images, interesting stories, clarity of message,
breadth of sources used, fairness and balance, accuracy, good grammar, spelling and style.
(h/t Lance Robertson for the excellent list below).
That translates into:

REPORTING

 NEWS JUDGMENT: The story identifies and focuses on the most compelling news values
(timeliness, proximity, importance, etc.) of the event, meeting or issue.

 THOROUGHNESS: The story demonstrates an intellectual command of the broader topic or

issue, and adequately addresses the story’s central question.

 CONTEXT: The story places the events and issues into a context that helps the reader see
how the specifics fit into a larger picture.

 RESEARCH: The story draws on reporting from an appropriate range of sources.

 INTERVIEWING: The story provides an appropriate range of voices that express

meaningful thoughts, observations and responses to important questions.

 DETAIL: The story uses detail to bring illustrate the central point or theme.

WRITING

 THE STORY’S OPENING: The story has a strong, engaging opening (lead), and promptly
frames its central question and context to create meaning for readers. The choice of lead
format (summary, descriptive, narrative, etc.) is reflective of the event or meeting you are
covering, and the time frame you have to cover it.

 CLARITY: The story uses clear language, favors the active voice, and avoids jargon and
unneeded complexity.

 STRUCTURE AND FLOW: The story has a logical, seamless organization, including
transitional elements that moves the reader from beginning to end.

 VOICES: The story demonstrates an excellent selection of voices and quotes that convey
meaningful ideas, opinion and emotion.

 DETAIL: The story effectively uses detail about people, places or situations that illustrate the
central theme or focus of the story.

 TECHNICAL: The story has trouble-free grammar, punctuation and usage.

11
Course policies
Attendance
All journalism courses are covered by the university’s mandatory attendance policy:

“Academic departments may require students to attend the first and/or second meetings of designated
classes. … Students who do not attend the first two sessions of these classes may be directed by the
academic department to drop the course so that the seat may be given to another student. Students are
responsible for dropping the class; there is no automatic drop. The university refund schedule applies.”

As outlined above, this is mandatory for this class. I don’t expect to have to chase you up about any
absences. Be proactive. Treat me, and this class, as you would do a job.

Accessibility
The University of Oregon is working to create inclusive learning environments. For more information or
assistance, you are also encouraged to contact the Accessible Education Center, 346-1155; website:
http://aec.uoregon.edu/

Basic needs
Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who
lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged
to contact the Dean of Students Office (346-3216, 164 Oregon Hall) for support.

Furthermore, if you are comfortable doing so, please let me know about your situation so I can help point
you in the right direction for assistance.

Crisis Center
The University of Oregon Counseling Center provides students with confidential telephone crisis
intervention 24/7. The number is 541-346-3227.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is supported and valued at the University of Oregon. We respect the dignity and essential worth
of all individuals; reject bigotry, discrimination, violence, and intimidation; practice personal and
academic integrity and expect it of others; and promote a diversity of ideas, opinions, and backgrounds.

Open inquiry, freedom of expression, and respect for differences are fundamental to a comprehensive
and dynamic education. SOJC is committed to upholding these ideals by encouraging the exploration,
engagement, and expression of divergent perspectives and diverse identities.

Discrimination of any kind, disrespect for others, and inequity in educational opportunity are not
acceptable. Students, faculty, and staff are expected at all times to maintain the School of Journalism and
Communication’s high standards of ethical and compassionate conduct. Please see me if you need help
or have any questions.

Academic integrity
The University Student Conduct Code (available at conduct.uoregon.edu) defines academic misconduct.
Students are prohibited from committing or attempting to commit any act that constitutes academic
misconduct. By way of example, students should not give or receive (or attempt to give or receive)
unauthorized help on assignments or examinations without express permission from the instructor.

Students should properly acknowledge and document all sources of information (e.g. quotations,
paraphrases, ideas) and use only the sources and resources authorized by the instructor. If there is any

12
question about whether an act constitutes academic misconduct, it is the students’ obligation to clarify
the question with the instructor before committing or attempting to commit the act.

The U of O policy on academic dishonesty will be observed throughout this course. Plagiarizing and/or
cheating will result in an automatic failure of the course. To avoid this, you should read:
http://researchguides.uoregon.edu/citing-plagiarism

We will also talk about the importance of proper attribution of your sources and providing credit where it
is due. In the digital arena, this is more important than ever, as the lifting of quotes or the creation of
false content, nevermind plagiarism can all be easily identified. Careers can – and have been – destroyed
as a result of breaking these rules. Don’t be foolish and make the same mistakes!

Technology
All assignments will be submitted via Canvas. Please submit via MS Word or Google Doc for written work,
to give me the opportunity to add comments/track changes.

In a few instances, you will be asked to contribute to a Google Doc. You will need a Google account for
work in this class.

Mobile phones should be turned off in class, unless we’re using them for a task.
Only use a PC/laptop, if we are using it for a task.

If I find you’re using your phone/PC for something else, I will pick you up on it, and reserve the right to do
so in front of everyone. Please don’t make me be that person!

I encourage you to take notes by hand, as retention – multiple studies have shown - is better this way.

Questions
If you want to know more about anything mentioned here, or anything which you think is missing, then
please do not hesitate to email me! [email protected] (or pop by Allen Hall 201) at any time.

Instructor bio http://journalism.uoregon.edu/member/radcliffe-damian/

Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, and a Professor of Practice, at the
University of Oregon.

Alongside holding the Chambers Chair at the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), he is
also a Fellow of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research
Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, and a fellow of the Royal
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

An experienced digital analyst, consultant, journalist, and researcher, Damian has worked in editorial,
research, policy, and teaching positions for the past two decades in the UK, Middle East, and USA.

This includes roles in all media sectors (commercial, public, government, regulatory, academic, and
nonprofit/civil society) and all platforms (print, digital, TV and radio).

Damian continues to be an active journalist, writing monthly columns for ZDNet (CBS Interactive)
and What's New in Publishing, and frequently appearing in journalism.co.uk. He writes about digital
trends, social media, technology, the business of media, and the evolution of journalism.

13
These themes are also at the heart of the Demystifying Media speaker series, which Damian curates. He
launched the series in January 2016, with the goal of bringing leading academics and industry
professionals to the SOJC. To date, more than 30 experts have participated in the program.

Outside of this series, Damian has chaired sessions, provided training, and spoken at events, around the
world including: USA (New York, Portland, Philadelphia, Colorado Springs, Albany; New York, Chicago and
Washington D.C.), UK (London, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol), Europe (Paris, Strasbourg,
Vienna, Barcelona, Istanbul, Amsterdam, various cities in Germany) and the Middle East (Doha and
Dubai).

Before joining the University of Oregon in 2015, Damian previously worked full-time for The Local Radio
Company, BBC, Volunteering Matters, Ofcom (the UK communications regulator), and Qatar’s Ministry of
Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR).

He has also written, spoken to, or provided consulting services, for a wide range of additional industry
and academic organizations, such as:

Abramis Academic Publishing, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, Association of Information and

Communication Media (AMIC, Spain), BBC Media Action, BBC Monitoring, BBC World Service,
Carnegie UK Trust, Cass Business School, Centre for Research on Communities and Culture
(Canterbury University), City University London, Cognizant, Eyewitness Media Hub, FJUM (forum
journalism and media, Vienna), German-American Institutes, The Guardian, IBC Content
Everywhere, IMedia Development Investment Fund, Middle East Broadcast Network (MBN),
NESTA, Northwestern University in Qatar, Online Journalism Blog, Qatar Today, Street Fight,
TEDx Reset (Turkey), The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University and
Your Middle East.

Other outlets to feature Damian's work include: BBC College of Journalism and BBC Academy (36
bylines), The Conversation (6 bylines), Digital Content Next (6 bylines), Huffington Post (12 bylines), IJNet
(9 bylines) and - prior to their closure - MediaShift (14 bylines) and TheMediaBriefing (35 bylines).

Additional bylines can also be found in Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Nieman
Lab, Poynter and elsewhere.

Find out more about him on his website.

In case you forget, or don’t know, what I look like…

14
Course Schedule and Assignments
This schedule is a draft and is subject to amendment. Items in red are not yet confirmed.

Week Date Activities

1 Tues Introductions. Expectations. Why this matters.

8 Jan
 Walkthrough syllabus
 Lessons from Reporting I
 Where do you get the news from?
 Getting to know each other

Task 1: Reporting I / Gateway rewrite. Due 23:59 on 17th Jan.

Thurs Principles and Types of Reporting

10 Jan  Syllabus recap
 What are the components of reporting? (SPJ Code of Ethics)
 Content review.

Tues Intro to Live Reporting.

2 15 Jan  In class exercise: Live Reporting x 2.
 Guest speaker 1: Francesca Fontana, Wall Street Journal

Thurs 17 Guest speaker 2: Alice Bonasio, Editor & Founder Tech Trends
Jan
Task 2: Zombie Apocalypse. Due 23:59 31st Jan.

3 Tues No class. Story Conference sessions instead with Damian to review your
22 Jan rewrite assignment. Sessions will be during class time and Office Hours
(Tues/Thurs) to be booked online (Google Doc)

Thurs Descriptive writing/reporting exercises.

24 Jan
 Guest speaker 3: Kenny Jacoby, Scripps Howard investigative reporting
fellow at Scripps News and Newsy.

4 Tues  Guest speaker 4: Jonathan Bach, Statesman Journal

29 Jan
Task 3: Data Storytelling. Due 23:59 12th Feb

 Telling stories with data. Case studies, group assignment

Thurs 31  Introduction to Portfolios.
Jan  Guest speaker 5: Tess Novotny, Herald and News (Klamath Falls)

Task 4: Portfolios (draft). Due 23:59 10th Feb

Final submission 23:59 21 Feb

5 Tues Big Issue pitches.

5 Feb
Task 5: Big Issue. Due 28 Feb for peer review.
Revisions to Damian by 23.59 on 3rd March. 1-1 reviews on 5th March.

15
 Thurs You’ve done your interview, now what? Making sense of transcripts
7 Feb  Discussion and in-­­class exercise(s).

6 Tues No classes this week. Instead, book time slots for 15 min draft portfolio reviews
12 Feb with Damian. These will take place in class time + Thurs Office Hours.

Final submission 23:59 21 Feb

Thurs
14 Feb

7 Tues 19
Feb  Guest speaker 7: Brigid Schulte, a Pulitzer-winning journalist and
author of “Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When
Nobody has the Time.”

Thurs 21  Guest speaker 8: Tom Bowman, Pentagon Correspondent, NPR

Feb  Paper Trail assignment – pairs, targets etc.
 Review About.Me pages (Batch 1)

8 Tues 26 Begin Paper Trail / Sleuth assignment. Meet offsite at 2.30pm – be on time!
Feb
Meet at Lane County, OR Public Records. Circuit Court 125 E 8th Ave Eugene,
OR 97401 http://courts.oregon.gov/Lane/Pages/i . Hours: 8AM-4:30PM PST

Task 6: Paper Trail. Due 23:59 8 Mar.

Thurs 28 Guest speaker 9: Cherie Hu, Billboard, Forbes etc.

Feb  Hour 2 - Peer review of Big Issue story (in pairs).

9 Tues No class. Story Conferences all afternoon on your Big Issue story.
5 Mar
Task 5: Big Issue. Final submission due 23:59 12th March.

Thurs  Presentations/discussions on Data Storytelling task.

7 Mar
 Guest speaker 6: Caitlyn May, Editor, Cottage Grove Sentinel

10 Tues Paper Trail feedback/results.

12 Mar Student presentations: Portfolios (Group 1)

Thurs Student presentations: Portfolios (Group 2)

14 Mar Wash-‐‐up: lessons learned from Reporting II.
End of term evaluation. Next Steps.

16