Lahore University of Management Sciences

SS233MediaWriting
Fall20152016

Instructor SyedJavedNazir
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OfficeHours TBA
Email
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Secretary/TA
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COURSEBASICS
CreditHours
Lecture(s) 2lecturesper Duration 1hr50mins
week
Recitation/Lab(per NbrofLec(s)Per Duration
week) Week
Tutorial(perweek) NbrofLec(s)Per Duration
Week

COURSEDESCRIPTION
WelcometoSS233MediaWriting!Thiscourseintroducesstudentstowritingformassmedia.Theseformsinclude:
newsandfeaturestories,columns,editorialsandarticlesforprintandbroadcastmedia.Fundamentalsofmedia
writingwillalsosurveynewsstyles,policyandethicalissueswhiledeliveringnews.

TheMediaWritingisnotdestinedtobeaninertlectureandreadingclass.Itismeanttoengageyou,makeyou
thinkcriticallyabouttheworldandaboutthepeoplewhobringittoyoueverydayviatheprinted,spokenandvisual
word.Studentsshouldkeepupwithreadingassignmentsandcurrentevents.Whenyouhavequestions,pleaseask
them.Astheysay,theonlydumbquestionistheonenotasked.

Important:someclasseswillbeginwithdiscussionofnewsmediacoverageofacurrentcolumn,feature,newsstory,
editorialorarticle.Studentswillbegivenatopicinadvanceandshouldbringexampleandopiniontotheclass.

Specificgoalsforthiscourseinclude:preparingstudentstowritefactually,persuasivelyandeffectivelyinkeeping
withthedesiredstandards.Alongside,itwouldenablethemtodistinguishmodesofmediawritingstylesbetween
radio, television news and print (newspapers, magazines and internet) journalism. There would be some
opportunity to explore the convergence of print and online media. Students would learn to use some key
professionalstylebooksandlibrarysources.Thecoursewillfeatureguestlecturesaswell.

LEARNINGOUTCOMES
Uponcompletionofthecoursethestudentsareexpectedto:
Writenewsstories,features,columns,editorialsandcritiquemediawritingeffectively,includingsomeofthefinest
awardwinningstuffsuchasPulitzerwinners.Theywouldgetahandonthebasicnutsandboltsofwriting.

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COURSEMETHODOLOGY
28sessionsof110minuteseach(4creditunits).Interactivediscussionbasedteachingwouldbepreferred.
Therewillbeamidtermandfinalexamination.

REQUIREDTEXTBOOKS
a)Susan,Page.FeatureWriting,SagePublication,2006.
JamesJ.Stoval.WritingfortheMassMedia,2004.



(b)Readingpackagewithselectedtextsandexercises.


(c)DailyInternetaccesstoamajornewspaperofyourchoiceisrecommended.Youshouldreadamajordaily
newspaper,especiallycolumns,featurestories,editorialandsignificantnewsstories.


RequiredViewings:(1)DyingtoTellaStory(2)Outfoxed(3)AnnenbergMediaWritingVideos(4)Writingforthe
ElectronicMedia,byDrBruceKlofenstein(5)WritingVideosbyApostolicMedia.Therearethreefeaturefilms
aroundgreatreportersandcorrespondentsIwillabsolutelyurgeyoutowatchduringthesemester.Alistwould
beprovidedtostudentsatthestartofsemester.

GRADING
WritingAssignments:50%
CPA:10%
MidtermExam:(essaytype)20%
FinalExam(essaytype)20%

COURSESCHEDULE
Week1

Session1:Introductiontothecourse;corevaluesofmediawriting;icebreaker

Session2:FiveWsandthepyramidwritingstyle;writingleadsandopenings;balance,accuracyandspeed;
avoidingclichsandusingtricksofthetrade.

Reading:TheBasicNewsStory(Page124)

Week2

Session3:Actualnewswriting;stylebooks;studentsanalysenewsreports.
Reading:LeadsandNutGraphs(2577)

Session4:Writingforclarityandcoherence;active/passive,adjectives,organization,sentencestructure,
paragraphingandquotingsources.


Week3
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Session5:StudentstostudytwospecializedweeklyormonthlynewspaperssuchasFridayTimes&Heraldand
presentananalysisofthecontents.Theyneedtodeterminethenewspapersaudience(young,old,upscale,etc)
andqualityofreporting.

Session6:Informationgatheringandwritingstoriesbasedonspeeches,newsconferencesandmeetings.
StudentstostudyandcritiquesomePulitzerAwardwinningstories.
Reading:Speeches,NewsConferencesandMeetings(7893).

Week4

Session7:Writingsoftstories(features);whatmakesagreatprofilestory?
Reading:Curiosityandstoryideas(94130)

Session8:Studentstostudyandanalysesomenewsfeaturesdrawnfromforeignandlocalmedia;researching
subjectsforfeature;addingcolourandbackground
Reading:FeatureWritingToday(131143)

Week5

Session9:Studentstobringanalysisoftwoselectedfeaturestotheclass;theQ&Astructure;thehowtostory;
thebrainstormingmethod;layingitout.
Reading:Profile&PersonalitySketches(144167).

Session10:FeatureArticleIdeas
Reading:TravelWriting(168194)
Reading:FindingGoodFeatureArticleIdeas(195215)

Week6

Session11:Writingcolumns;whatmakesagoodcolumn;findingyourvoice;styleandlanguage

Session12:Thehumorouscolumn;studyingthecraftofsometopcolumnists;task(writeyourowncolumn)

Week7

Session13:CritiquingPultizerAwardwinningColumns

Session14:Writingformagazines;editingandproofreading;factchecking.

Week8

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Session15:Editorial;whatmakesagoodandeffectiveeditorial;credibilityandauthenticity;guestspeaker
(editorialwriter)

Session16:StudentstostudyandanalysetwoeditorialsrepresentingaforeignandPakistanipublication;

Week9

Session17:studentstobringtheirwritteneditorialstoclass;tidinguplooseends;finalchecking;peercritique

Session18:ThestructureofOpEdpieces;howtoresearchandwriteaneffectivearticle

Week10

Session19:Writingbookreviews,filmsreviewsandtheatrereviewsforthemedia

Session20:Studentsbringtheircritiqueofoneofthefinestpublicserviceandwatchdogjournalisticpiecesto
class;documentaryonforeigncorrespondents

Week11

Session21:mediaconvergence;workingtowardamultimediajournalism;writingablog

Session22:Onlinewriting;guestspeaker
Reading:ChangingConceptsofNews(217225)

Week12:

Session23:OnlineWritingcontinues
Reading:WebWriting(319338)

Session24:Ethics,gatekeeping,sourcingandmediascelebrityculture;documentaryonFoxTV
Reading:MediaEthics(226240)

Week13

Session25:WritingforTVandRadio(news,features,analysis,script)
Reading:BroadcastWriting(241272)

Session26:WritingforTVcontinues;guestspeaker
Reading:WritingBroadcastNewsScripts(272297)
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Week14

Session27:Writingforradio;currentaffairs;facetofaceinterviewwithcelebrity
Reading:InterviewingTechniques(298318)

Session28:Stylebook,AccuracyandLibel.

Reading(339350)