Syllabus

Idaho State University
MC 299 -- Introduction to Sports Writing
Spring Semester 2008
T-Th 1-2:15 p.m. LA 161

Class Instructor: David Schreindl
James E. Rogers; Dept. of Mass Communication Room 128
Office hours: by appointment or T-Th 3-5
Office Phone: 282-4572

E-mail: schrdave@isu.edu Please use this e-mail address for all assignments and communication about the course.

Course Purpose
If anything is central to the study of and practice of communications it is writing. In its professional application, good, clear writing, with active verbs and a crisp style, is the stock in trade for print, electronic, and broadcast journalists and professionals in public relations, marketing, and advertising. While this course is slanted toward the journalistic approach to sports writing, most of the skills learned are easily transferred to all areas of sports communications. This course is also designed to require you to gather, analyze, and organize information for presentation to a general sports audience in a timely manner. The goal by the end of the semester is ultimately to give you real world experience and gives you help to understand the challenges faced as a sports reporter.

Course Format
Writing and reporting are skills that can be improved only through constant practice. It is this knowledge that has led this course to be designed in a manner that will give you multiple opportunities to gain skills through writing.

Required Texts: The Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook by Steve Wilstein / Paperback / Aug 2001 / ISBN 0071372180

The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, Norm Goldstein, editor, Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Publishing, 2004, 5, 6.

Sports Journalism: A Practical Introduction by Phil Andrews / Paperback / Apr 2005 ISBN 1412902711

Sports Journalism: Context and Issues by Raymond Boyle / paperback/ 2006/ ISBN 1-4129-0798-5

USA Today (newspaper)/Online Version

Backing up work: It is suggested that all students back up their work.

Grading: Your grade will be based on the number of points you earn throughout the term. There are 700 points possible. Please record all of your grades on the attached grade record sheet. Save hard copies of all returned assignments in a personal file until final grades have been posted at the end of the semester. This protects you against possible grade loss.

Other requirements: Read The Bengal, Idaho State Journal and other online or hard copy newspapers. Watch or listen to sportscasts such as those on ABC, NBC, CBS, and ESPN and Fox Sports.

Attendance: I will follow the departmental guidelines on attending class, which means that you can miss no more than three lectures before I will lower your final grade one letter and five missed classes will result in a zero for the course.

THERE ARE NO MAKEUPS for those who miss class without proper notification.
You must speak with me and make arrangements at least TWO HOURS BEFORE missing a class period. Notification by e-mail or voice mail is not sufficient unless it is time stamped 2 hours prior to the start of class. I have the discretion to dock points for students who arrive late to class frequently.

Participation: There are points (50) associated with attendance and participation. With only a maximum of 15 students, you won’t be able to hide and sports journalism, like other forms of journalism, is not for the shy. It is expected that you provide your opinion and speak up in class. As the sportscaster Jim Rome likes to say “Have a take and don’t suck.” While I’m not as grating as he can be I expect you to have a take every class period. That’s the beauty of sports journalism is that you are expected to have an opinion and you have an outlet to share it. Coming to class unprepared to participate will result in lost points and is up to the instructors discretion how to handle the situation.

Late assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no makeups, no exceptions. You are adults preparing for employment in the journalism field where late or missed assignments are not tolerated and often result in termination of employment. Please see “Deadlines” policy statement policy. Problems will arise so do not wait until the assignment is due to ask for help.

Sources: Please only use only original interviewed sources for assignments that require evaluation of news reporting. Do not lift quotes or information from any other media source. Do not use roommates or family members as sources in reporting assignments. *For all sources please provide names and phone numbers for verification purposes at the end of the assignment.*
Deadlines
The Mass Communication Journalism faculty have identified meeting deadlines as a significant learning outcome for this class. This learning outcome reflects the fact that the communications industries are deadline-driven and that meeting deadlines is an essential component of this program. The content of this class is intended to help you be prepared for this demand of the work world. The ISU faculty have determined that in classes teaching to this learning outcome, such as this one, the ability to meet deadlines is essential and will not be waived, modified or accommodated, except in rare cases to be determined by the instructor. In deciding whether extra time will be given for an assignment in this class, the instructor will apply a professional standard such as whether an extension would be reasonable in a professional setting.

Course courtesy
Please turn off cell phones during lectures and labs. Please do not check e-mail, do outside work, play games or surf the Web during labs unless directed as part of an assignment. Please avoid conversations and excessive talking during lectures other than as part of the class discussion. However, please feel free to bring up topics of interest from your reading, assignments and homework during the course for discussion. Please avoid leaving lectures early and arriving late.

Other Course policies:
You are expected to participate in class. Inappropriate behavior such as reading non-course materials, checking email, instant or text messaging, studying for other classes, sleeping, or surfing the web will result in dismissal from the day’s class and count as an unexcused absence and any points for the day will be subtracted.

Grading scale
Percent Letter grade
93.3 A
90 A-
86.3 B+
83.3 B
80 B-
76.3 C+
73.3 C
70 C-
66.3 D+
63.3 D
60 D-


MC 299 ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
When due Points Possible Score
Assignments
Weekly Blog Every Week 10 X 15 weeks = 150
Weekly Blog response Every Week 10 X 15 weeks = 150
In-class Blog Presentations (three) As called upon 30 (10 each)
Professional Interest Paper Thursday Jan 17 10
Article critique 1 Jan 31 50
Television critique Feb 7 50
Article critique 2 Feb 21 50
Online Journalism Critique Feb 28 30
Game Story 1 Mar 6 20
Movie Review Mar 13 15
Sports Column Mar 20 15
Feature Story April 10 15
Game Story 2 April 23 15
Final project Book Review May 8 5 p.m. 50
Attendance and Participation 30
Book Review presentations April 17, 22, 24 20
Total 700

Explanation of Assignments
All assignments are to be typed in 12 point Times Roman and double spaced. The audience for your assignments are the students and fans of Idaho State University athletics.

Weekly Blog – I have set up a blog for this class that you will all become members of in order to complete this assignment. Your task is to write an opinion piece (surf the web to get ideas from other blogs) or blog about any topic of your choosing regarding Idaho State University Athletics. Now if you want to use this site to also comment on national sporting events and happenings you are more than welcome to do so. However, I will only be counting the blog entries on ISU sports for grading purposes. Your blog should be well thought out before it is written. The entry should be from 150-300 words but can be more. Remember anyone and not just members of this class can read this blog. The desired goal of this blog can develop into a forum for the campus and allow students and alumni and faculty to get involved. This blog can also be used as resume material when looking for a job.

Weekly Blog Response – In the same vein, you are required to respond to at least one entry from one of your classmates once a week. Remember to be respectful and try not to write or take anything personal. You are also more than welcome to respond to more than one entry each week.

In Class Blog Presentation – Thrice throughout the semester you will be called upon to lead a brief class discussion on one of you blog entries.

Professional Interest Paper – In a page or two outline several of your goals and aspirations surrounding sports journalism. Outline what you think sports journalism as well as tell me what you expect to learn from this class.

Online Journalism Critique – I want a two to three page review of a blog or story or sports package found on the web such as on the sites of ESPN or Yahoo. I want you to tell me the good and bad, what you learned from it, and what you might do differently.

Television critique – I want a two to three page review of a sports cast on television as seen on ESPN, Fox Sports or a local news channel. I want you to tell me the good and bad, what you learned from it, and what you might do differently.

Article critique 1 & 2 -- I want a two to three page review of a newspaper or magazine sports story. I want you to tell me the good and bad, what you learned from it, and what you might do differently. For all four critiques you need to summarize the article and answer the following: why did it grab your attention, why is it newsworthy, who’s the audience, is it fair and balanced, were the main topic questions answered, were there holes in the story, would you write it differently, were the quotes used effectively, stats used properly or at all, and as an editor what would be your follow-up assignment.

Feature/Enterprise Story – You will be required to write a feature article on a sporting event or sports figure or sporting trend. You will be required to conduct interviews with at least two or more sources. The story should be at least 600 words (about two pages 12 pt Times Roman double spaced). You are encouraged to seek publication of your article or post it to the class blog. (This one may be done broadcast style)

Game Story 1 & 2 – You will need to attend two sporting events of your choosing but will need to sign up which event you will attend so that we avoid having more than two students at the same sporting event. Each story needs to be at least 500 words and have interviews from at least two sources including coaches and athletes. You are encouraged to seek publication of your article and must post it to the class blog. (One of these may be done broadcast style with my permission) One of these stories may also be a high school sporting event.

Sports Column – You will write a sports column of no less than 400 words on any topic of your choosing. You are encouraged to seek publication of your article and must post it to the class blog.

Movie Review -- I want you to watch a movie or a television program (example: Bronx is Burning or Sports Night) that looks at both sports and journalism. I want a minimum 300-word review (1 page) looking at how sports journalists are portrayed and how the general public’s opinions might be changed or reinforced as a result of watching the program. This also must be posted to the blog.

Class Presentation – You will need to present a 5-10 minute outline of the book you read and what you learned. You can also talk about what you have learned overall from this class.

Book Review – I want a 4 to 10 page review of a book of your choice. But you need to ok the book with me before starting. I’m not looking for anything fancy just a run of the mill book review. However, you do need to include your thoughts and opinions on how you feel the reading experience changed your perception of sports reporting. Below are some suggestions:

• Stop the Presses (So I Can Get Off): Tales from Forty Years of Sportswriting by Clyde Bolton / Oct 2005
• The Brushback Report All the Sports News That's Unfit to Print by Dave Saraiva / Aug 2006
• Real Sports Reporting by Abraham Aamidor / Paperback / Oct 2003
• Sports Journalism A Multimedia Primer by Rob Steen / Paperback / Oct 2007
• Inside the Sports Pages by Mark Douglas Lowes; Robert A. Stebbins / Paperback / Mar 1999
• Anything by Rick Reilly
• No Time Outs: What its really like to be a Sports Writer Today by Christopher Walsh
• The Best American Sports Writing of the Century by David Halberstam
• Now I can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons
• Sports Writing: The Lively Game by Conrad Fink
• Sports Illustrated Reality by Leonard Koppett

Course overview
The following is a tentative overview including topics, assignments and deadlines. This syllabus is a good-faith effort to describe the quarter’s plans, but the instructor reserves the right to change the schedule or modify the content to enhance learning. The instructor will notify students in advance of any changes. Any updates will be announced in lectures and through the Blackboard Web site. Absent students must find out about changes and comply with the new deadlines.
AP=Wilstein; B=Boyle; A=Andrews book in regards to reading assignments
Week Lecture/Reading
(Readings due before lecture) Lecture/Reading
(Readings due before lecture) Homework
Week 1
1/14-19 Tue Jan 15
Course intro-syllabus Thu Jan 17
Blogging
A-1,10; B-6; AP-1 Blog; Blog Response Professional Interst Paper
Week 2
21-25 Tue Jan 22
Organizing a story/Leads Thu Jan 24
Organizations/relationships
AP-5; Sports and Society-12 Blog; Blog Response
Week 3
1/28-2/1 Tue Jan 29
Interviewing
A-8, AP-6 Thu Jan 31
Interviewing/Sources
A-4 Blog; Blog Response
Article One Critique
Week 4
2/4-8 Tue Feb 5
Beats
AP 2,3 Thu Feb 7
Print reporting
A-5 Blog; Blog Response
Television Critique
Week 5
11-15 Tue Feb 12
AP Style
AP style sports section Thu Feb 14
Broadcast reporting Blog; Blog Response
Week 6
18-22 Tue Feb 19
Sports Photography
A-6 Thu Feb 21
Columns
AP-4 Blog; Blog Response
Article two Critique
Week 7
2/25-29 Tue Feb 26
Features Thu Feb 28
Critiques Blog; Blog Response
Online Journalism Critique
Week 8
3/3-7 Tue Mar 4
Advanced Reporting
AP-7 Thu Mar 6
Sports Public Relations Blog; Blog Response
Game Story #1
Week 9
10-14 Tue Mar 11
Sports Marketing Thu Mar 13
Issues in sports Blog; Blog Response
Movie Review
Week 10
17-21 Tue Mar 18
Issues in Sports Thu Mar 20
Trends Blog; Blog Response
Sports Column
Week 11
24-28 Tue Mar 25
Spring break Thu Mar 27
Spring break Blog; Blog Response
Week 12
3/31-4/4 Tue April 1
Ethics Thu Apr 3
Ethics Blog; Blog Response
Week 13
7-11 Tue Apr 8
Gender Thu Apr 10
Books/Movies Blog; Blog Response
Feature Story
Week 14
14-18 Tue Apr 15
Getting a job
Ap-Chapter 8 Thu Apr 17
Class Presentations Blog; Blog Response
Week 15
21-25 Tue Apr 22
Class Presentations Thu Apr 24
Evals and Presentations Blog; Blog Response
Game Story #2
Week 16
4/28-5/2 Tue April 29
No class closed week Thu May 1
No class closed week
Week 17
5/3-9 finals May 8
Final Project Book Review due by 5 p.m. to my email (if you want a hard copy returned to you please provided one to my mailbox prior to 5 p.m. There is no penalty for turning it in early