Wm. A.
MULLIGAN Ph.D.
A Web site for students and friends of journalism
© 2010 William A. Mulligan, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Professor of Journalism, former department chairman
California State University, Long Beach
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Journalism 331
course objectivesThe following learning objectives will enable the successful student in this course to develop: The following Journalism 331 learning objectives will enable the successful student to develop and demonstrate:
1. The ability to understand the copyeditor's role and skills needed in the preparation of materials for publication and news Web sites.
2. The judgment and tools needed for quality publications.
3. Editing skills, including copy editing, headline writing, photo editing, layout and design.
4. An understanding of legal issues facing copy editors and editors with a focus on the First Amendment.
5. An understanding of ethical issues facing copy editors and editors.
6. Strong skills for communicating clearly with newspaper and magazine readers.
Grades
Grades follow the university catalog:
A — Performance has been at the highest level, showing sustained excellence in meeting all course requirements and exhibiting an unusual degree of intellectual initiative.
B — Performance of the student has been at a high level, showing consistent and effective achievement in meeting course requirements.
C — Performance of the student has been at an adequate level, meeting the basic requirements of the course.
D — Performance of the student has been less than adequate, meeting only minimum course requirements. (However, no D story will be accepted. Such a story or work should be redone as time permits.)
F — Performance of the student has been such that minimal course requirements have not been met.
Unacceptable work or story, which would not be publishable, is poorly organized,
contains factual errors (including misspelled proper nouns) and newspaper style and grammatical errors.
A final grade of F shall be assigned as the result of cheating or plagiarism. The student also is subject to dismissal from the department and the university.
Grade breakdowns usually are:
Lab work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
News quizzes . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Mid-Term Exam . . . . . . . . 20%
Grammar Test . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . 5%
Final Exam and Project . . . 30%
Style Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cr/nc*
*A comprehensive AP and local style test will also be administered. The score on this test is not counted as part of the final grade; however, to pass the course, students are expected to score at least 75 percent on the test.
"The Art of Editing in the Age of Convergence," 2009, above, is the main text. The related student workbook is used in the class lab and for homework. The classic "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White is recommended. The book was first published by William Strunk in 1918 and is used by professional editors and students alike. The AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, 2009, below, is required and used regularly in the class.
Schedule
The professor is required to comply with university and class shutdown days for furloughs of staff and faculty, due to the state budget crisis. The shutdown days for this class are noted in the schedule.
News quizzes are usually on Wednesday each week. Note: Readings are from 2009 editions of AP Stylebook and 2008 editions of “Art of Editing” text and workbook.
Dates Topics Reading assignments
Week 1 — Jan. 26, 28 (furlough day; no class)
Introduction — The text, “Art of Editing (2008)," Chapters 1-2 (changing media and audience), copy editing symbols, proofreading symbols; Glossary; AP Stylebook, style key (Page vi) and four major areas of AP style, abbreviations (Pages 1-2), capitalization (43-45), numerals (197-199), punctuation (352-363); “Working with Words,” Appendix, Pages 355-365. Lab.
Week 2 — Feb. 2, 4
Editing process — Text (Brooks), Chapters 3-4; AP, entries A-D; “Words,” Chapters 1-2. Lab.
Week 3 — Feb. 9 (furlough day; no class), 11
Editing for legality, ethics — Brooks, Chapter 5; AP, 350-391, entries E-F; “Words,” Chapters 3-4.
Week 4 — Feb. 16, 18
Editing for language precision — Brooks, Chapter. 6 and Pages 378-419; AP, entries G-H; “Words,” Chapters 5-6. First quiz Tuesday; lab.
Week 5 — Feb. 23, 25 (furlough day; no class)
Holistic editing — Brooks, Chapter 7; AP, entries I-J; “Words,” Chapters 7-8. Quiz and lab.
Week 6 — March 2, 4
Headline writing — Brooks, Chapter. 8; AP, entries K-L: “Words,” Chapters 9-10. Quiz and lab.
Week 7 — March 9, 11
Midterm Exam — Review on Tuesday and test on Thursday; covers all previous. Quiz.
Week 8 — March 16, 18 (furlough day; no class)
Required library session is Tuesday in the University Library, in the Spidell Room, 113, with the journalism librarian, Carol Perruso. A zero is recorded for this activity if absent. No quiz this week.
Week 9 — March 23, 25
Photographs and graphics — Brooks, Chapter. 9; AP, entries M-N; “Words,” Chapters 11-13. Quiz and lab.
March 29-April 2, Spring Recess.
Week 10 — April 6 (furlough day; no class), April 8
Editing newspapers — Brooks, Chapter. 10; AP, entries O-S; “Words,” Chapter 14. Quiz and lab.
Week 11 — April 13, 15
Editing magazines, newsletters — Brooks, Chapter 11; AP, entries T-Z. Grammar test on Thursday. Focus of test on Chapters 1-10 of “Words” and related practice exercises. Quiz and lab.
Week 12 — April 20, 22
Editing for the Web — Brooks, Chapter 12; AP style test (open book) on Thursday; final AP review on Tuesday. Final project available by Thursday, Nov. 19. Quiz and lab.
Week 13 — April 27, 29
Editing in other fields — Brooks, Chapter 13-14; “Words,” Chapters 15-16. (Thursday, Nov. 26, is fall break, no classes. ) Thanksgiving is Nov. 26. Quiz and lab.
Week 14 — May 4, 6 (university furlough day; no class)
Editor as coach, manager, leader — Brooks, Chapter. 15-16. Final project. Quiz and lab.
Week 15 — May 11 (furlough day; no class), 13
Final project. Final Exam review Tuesday. Final project due, as assigned, Thursday. Quiz and lab.
The Exam is Tuesday, May 18, from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in 005 SSPA.
EDITOR-IN-RESIDENCE, below: Bill Elsen, above, who retired from the newsroom of The Washington Postafter 33 1/2 years, meets with students attending the CMA meeting in New York, on March 17, 2009. He is now the career development director and an editor forreznewsorg, an online Native American college newspaper. Photo by Wm. A. Mulligan. © 2009. All rights reserved.
The professor is required to comply with university and class shutdown days for furloughs of staff and faculty, due to the state budget crisis. The shutdown days for this class are noted in the schedule.
News quizzes are usually on Wednesday each week. Note: Readings are from 2009 editions of AP Stylebook and 2008 editions of “Art of Editing” text and workbook.
Dates Topics Reading assignments
Week 1 — Jan. 26, 28 (furlough day; no class)
Introduction — The text, “Art of Editing (2008)," Chapters 1-2 (changing media and audience), copy editing symbols, proofreading symbols; Glossary; AP Stylebook, style key (Page vi) and four major areas of AP style, abbreviations (Pages 1-2), capitalization (43-45), numerals (197-199), punctuation (352-363); “Working with Words,” Appendix, Pages 355-365. Lab.
Week 2 — Feb. 2, 4
Editing process — Text (Brooks), Chapters 3-4; AP, entries A-D; “Words,” Chapters 1-2. Lab.
Week 3 — Feb. 9 (furlough day; no class), 11
Editing for legality, ethics — Brooks, Chapter 5; AP, 350-391, entries E-F; “Words,” Chapters 3-4.
Week 4 — Feb. 16, 18
Editing for language precision — Brooks, Chapter. 6 and Pages 378-419; AP, entries G-H; “Words,” Chapters 5-6. First quiz Tuesday; lab.
Week 5 — Feb. 23, 25 (furlough day; no class)
Holistic editing — Brooks, Chapter 7; AP, entries I-J; “Words,” Chapters 7-8. Quiz and lab.
Week 6 — March 2, 4
Headline writing — Brooks, Chapter. 8; AP, entries K-L: “Words,” Chapters 9-10. Quiz and lab.
Week 7 — March 9, 11
Midterm Exam — Review on Tuesday and test on Thursday; covers all previous. Quiz.
Week 8 — March 16, 18 (furlough day; no class)
Required library session is Tuesday in the University Library, in the Spidell Room, 113, with the journalism librarian, Carol Perruso. A zero is recorded for this activity if absent. No quiz this week.
Week 9 — March 23, 25
Photographs and graphics — Brooks, Chapter. 9; AP, entries M-N; “Words,” Chapters 11-13. Quiz and lab.
March 29-April 2, Spring Recess.
Week 10 — April 6 (furlough day; no class), April 8
Editing newspapers — Brooks, Chapter. 10; AP, entries O-S; “Words,” Chapter 14. Quiz and lab.
Week 11 — April 13, 15
Editing magazines, newsletters — Brooks, Chapter 11; AP, entries T-Z. Grammar test on Thursday. Focus of test on Chapters 1-10 of “Words” and related practice exercises. Quiz and lab.
Week 12 — April 20, 22
Editing for the Web — Brooks, Chapter 12; AP style test (open book) on Thursday; final AP review on Tuesday. Final project available by Thursday, Nov. 19. Quiz and lab.
Week 13 — April 27, 29
Editing in other fields — Brooks, Chapter 13-14; “Words,” Chapters 15-16. (Thursday, Nov. 26, is fall break, no classes. ) Thanksgiving is Nov. 26. Quiz and lab.
Week 14 — May 4, 6 (university furlough day; no class)
Editor as coach, manager, leader — Brooks, Chapter. 15-16. Final project. Quiz and lab.
Week 15 — May 11 (furlough day; no class), 13
Final project. Final Exam review Tuesday. Final project due, as assigned, Thursday. Quiz and lab.
The Exam is Tuesday, May 18, from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in 005 SSPA.
EDITOR-IN-RESIDENCE, below: Bill Elsen, above, who retired from the newsroom of The Washington Postafter 33 1/2 years, meets with students attending the CMA meeting in New York, on March 17, 2009. He is now the career development director and an editor forreznewsorg, an online Native American college newspaper. Photo by Wm. A. Mulligan. © 2009. All rights reserved.
Description
Journalism 331 is a course in newspaper and magazine copy editing designed to train students for entry level editing positions.
In addition to developing editing skills, students learn the many facets of the editor's role, including headline and title writing, use of photographs and principles and techniques of layout and design.
Students enrolled in the class should already be acquainted with basic newspaper style, story structure and newsroom operation from introductory journalism courses.
Students are expected to meet course prerequisites or have consent of the instructor for the course.
Class meetings will be devoted to lecture or class discussion or lab work, some of which may require the use of computers.
Students will sometimes be assigned take-home assignments — some practice exercises and some graded — and similar in-class exercises, some on the computer.
Attendance
Cal State Long Beach requires class attendance. (Grade points will be deducted for absences, lateness, leaving room, cell phone use.)
Late assignments are not accepted. Absences from class, assignments or quizzes shall result in an F grade unless the absence is for serious and compelling reasons.
Still, students are usually required to finish the work in accordance to the requirements. In such cases, the student should present proper documentation to the instructor at the next class, who will make the final decision.
In the case of a team project or editing assignment, the student is responsible for making arrangements with another copy editor to have the work covered.
Points are also deducted for arriving late to class or leaving the room during a class (unless otherwise excused by the teacher) or class disturbance such as the use of a cell phone inappropriately.
Student
participation
The required lab portion of the class includes homework and in-class assignments. This lab work involves both exercises from the Workbook as well as other assignments.
In addition to your “Workbook,” and “AP Stylebook,” students should bring sharp No. 2 pencils for the lab part of the course. When the layout portion of the course begins, after mid-semester, students should also bring a pica pole (available from art supply stores) and a calculator to each class session.
Contributions
This course recognizes the contributions of ethnic groups and women to journalism and incorporates the professional standards of fairness as outlined in The AP Style and Libel Manual and the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Additional information -- including department policies, notices -- is posted under Information on the Website.
Reminders
Please avoid cell phones, iPods, arriving late and leaving class (attendance points may be deducted). If emergency, see instructor.
Plagiarism equals zero in course. CSULB requires attendance.
Documentation required for excused absences. Department policy information is available on syllabus addendum.
Additional information is under Policies and updates are posted. This schedule is subject to change. Assistance is available on campus at the Learning Center (time management) and Writing Lab (language difficulties).
Required
readings, tools
Required
1. AP Stylebook (latest), Brooks, Pinson, Sissors, 2. “The Art of Editing: in Age of Convergence (2008 9th edition),” 3. “Student Workbook” (2008, ninth edition). and 4. Brooks, Pinson, Wilson, “Working with Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors” (2006, sixth edition). This language book is a required supplemental grammar and style text.
Readings for these books are listed below under Schedule.
A pica stick and calculator also will be needed for the course after midterm. The “Workbook” and “Stylebook” will be used extensively and should be brought to each class. “Art of Editing” is the basic text.
Recommended
The Wall Street Journal, which is optional, will also be used in the class as a teaching tool. News quizzes, usually each Tuesday (beginning the third week of the course) are based on this newspaper, text readings.
Brooks, Pinson, Wilson, “Exercise Book for Working with Words” (6th edition). Style and grammar extra credit exercises will be from this book.
Bowles, Borden, “Creative Editing” (2004, 2007).
Strunk and White, “Elements of Style.”
News quizzes are each Wednesday. Note: Readings are from 2009 editions of AP Stylebook and 2008 editions of “Art of Editing” text and workbook. Syllabus updates are posted at wmulligan.net.
Journalism 331 is a course in newspaper and magazine copy editing designed to train students for entry level editing positions.
In addition to developing editing skills, students learn the many facets of the editor's role, including headline and title writing, use of photographs and principles and techniques of layout and design.
Students enrolled in the class should already be acquainted with basic newspaper style, story structure and newsroom operation from introductory journalism courses.
Students are expected to meet course prerequisites or have consent of the instructor for the course.
Class meetings will be devoted to lecture or class discussion or lab work, some of which may require the use of computers.
Students will sometimes be assigned take-home assignments — some practice exercises and some graded — and similar in-class exercises, some on the computer.
Attendance
Cal State Long Beach requires class attendance. (Grade points will be deducted for absences, lateness, leaving room, cell phone use.)
Late assignments are not accepted. Absences from class, assignments or quizzes shall result in an F grade unless the absence is for serious and compelling reasons.
Still, students are usually required to finish the work in accordance to the requirements. In such cases, the student should present proper documentation to the instructor at the next class, who will make the final decision.
In the case of a team project or editing assignment, the student is responsible for making arrangements with another copy editor to have the work covered.
Points are also deducted for arriving late to class or leaving the room during a class (unless otherwise excused by the teacher) or class disturbance such as the use of a cell phone inappropriately.
Student
participation
The required lab portion of the class includes homework and in-class assignments. This lab work involves both exercises from the Workbook as well as other assignments.
In addition to your “Workbook,” and “AP Stylebook,” students should bring sharp No. 2 pencils for the lab part of the course. When the layout portion of the course begins, after mid-semester, students should also bring a pica pole (available from art supply stores) and a calculator to each class session.
Contributions
This course recognizes the contributions of ethnic groups and women to journalism and incorporates the professional standards of fairness as outlined in The AP Style and Libel Manual and the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Additional information -- including department policies, notices -- is posted under Information on the Website.
Reminders
Please avoid cell phones, iPods, arriving late and leaving class (attendance points may be deducted). If emergency, see instructor.
Plagiarism equals zero in course. CSULB requires attendance.
Documentation required for excused absences. Department policy information is available on syllabus addendum.
Additional information is under Policies and updates are posted. This schedule is subject to change. Assistance is available on campus at the Learning Center (time management) and Writing Lab (language difficulties).
Required
readings, tools
Required
1. AP Stylebook (latest), Brooks, Pinson, Sissors, 2. “The Art of Editing: in Age of Convergence (2008 9th edition),” 3. “Student Workbook” (2008, ninth edition). and 4. Brooks, Pinson, Wilson, “Working with Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors” (2006, sixth edition). This language book is a required supplemental grammar and style text.
Readings for these books are listed below under Schedule.
A pica stick and calculator also will be needed for the course after midterm. The “Workbook” and “Stylebook” will be used extensively and should be brought to each class. “Art of Editing” is the basic text.
Recommended
The Wall Street Journal, which is optional, will also be used in the class as a teaching tool. News quizzes, usually each Tuesday (beginning the third week of the course) are based on this newspaper, text readings.
Brooks, Pinson, Wilson, “Exercise Book for Working with Words” (6th edition). Style and grammar extra credit exercises will be from this book.
Bowles, Borden, “Creative Editing” (2004, 2007).
Strunk and White, “Elements of Style.”
News quizzes are each Wednesday. Note: Readings are from 2009 editions of AP Stylebook and 2008 editions of “Art of Editing” text and workbook. Syllabus updates are posted at wmulligan.net.
