| Here
is the outline of a four credit course that met three mornings a week in the 1977 fall semester at Rutgers, Camden, NJ. The instructor was Dick Standish, KYWNewsradio, Philadelphia. While this course was offered at a time when radio news was much stronger, and television news was much different than it is today, we feel this syllabus is still potentially useful as a starting point for introducing students to broadcast journalism.
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Description: |
An introduction to broadcasting, utilizing lectures, discussion, professional guests, taped broadcast excerpts and field trips. The course will combine the theoretical with practical applications, with the emphasis on individual writing. |
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Requirements: |
All students must listen to one radio newscast each morning, and three television newscasts each week. | |
Equipment: |
Two cassettes or small reels of tape. | |
Books: |
CBS: Reflections In A Bloodshot Eye, Robert Metz,
Signet, New York, 1976 The Boys On The Bus, Timothy Crouse, Ballantine Books, New York, 1973 |
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| 1. | Introduction | ||||||
| Overview of Broadcasting | None | ||||||
| The Oral Tradition | |||||||
| A brief look at folklore, songs, tall tales, the spoken word | |||||||
| 2. | Broadcast Writing | ||||||
| Structure and content of newsroom writing and outside reports. |
Write and tape a :60 second story based on a taped excerpt played in class. Miss America 1972 is chosen. | ||||||
| 3. | Broadcast Writing 2 | ||||||
| Discuss: Miss America stories Specific do's and don'ts of writing. |
Story: Governor visits an institution. |
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| 4. | Radio Production and Editing | ||||||
| Discuss: Governor at institution. Techniques of using sound to enhance impact; integrating sound and script. |
Story: Hammonton celebrates Festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. | ||||||
| 5. | The Live Shot | ||||||
| Discuss: Hammonton festival Techniques of ad-lib live news reports and commentary. Remotes. |
Reading: CBS p.3-36. |
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| 6. | Newsroom Procedures | ||||||
| Gathering and packaging news at the broadcast newsroom. | Reading: CBS p. 37-69. |
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| 7. | History of American Broadcasting | ||||||
| A brief look at the background and traditions of broadcasting. Emphasis on lessons from old shows that apply today. | Reading: CBS p. 136-144. |
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| 8. | History of American Broadcasting 2 | ||||||
| "War of the Worlds." Impact of the program. Lessons for the potential impact of radio/TV today. | Reading: CBS p. 87-107. |
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| 9. | History of American Broadcasting 3 | ||||||
| News 1920-1960. Edward R. Murrow and World War II. The rise of
electronic newsgathering. |
Reading: CBS p. 69-74 Story: Majority Day in Trenton (Annual women's rally). |
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| 10. | Women and the Media | ||||||
| Past images presented. Coverage of women's issues. Women and jobs in the media. | Prepare a list of possible stories on the status of women at Rutgers. | ||||||
| 11. | Women at Rutgers | ||||||
| Organizational session. Student reporting teams (5-7 persons each) plan a series of reports on women at Rutgers. | Prepare reports for the project. |
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| 12. | Women at Rutgers 2 | ||||||
| Execute reports as though they were on the air. | Critique: WCAU or KYW Radio. | ||||||
| 13. | Newsradio | ||||||
| Examination of the all news, all the time format as heard today at KCBS San Francisco, KNX Los Angeles, WBBM Chicago, KYW Philadelphia, WCAU Philadelphia. Taped excerpts. | Critique: WIP or WFIL news. |
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| 14. | Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay | ||||||
| Music and news radio stations. Their approach to journalism. | Reading: CBS 346-364 Critique: Network TV news |
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| 15. | Field Trip | ||||||
| 4 hour visit to KYW Radio, TV, Mike Douglas show studios at 5th and Market, Philadelphia. Replaces two classes later in the year. | Critique: Local TV coverage. |
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| 16. | Network News Today | ||||||
| Television news across CBS, ABC, NBC. | |||||||
| 17. | Local Television News | ||||||
| The approach of the Philadelphia stations and New Jersey Public
Television. |
Critique: The World Series. Compare Garagiolia-Kubek on TV with Scully on radio. | ||||||
| 18. | Sports Coverage | ||||||
| Live sportscasting. TV vs. radio. Critiqueing the World Series. | Reading: Boys on the Bus, Chapter 1 |
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| 19. | Politics: Sources, Off the Record and Otherwise | ||||||
| Problems of reporting political news. Guest: Hon. Ernest Schuck, Democratic Leader, New Jersey Assembly Introduce Neighborhood Political Coverage Project. Each student will report on the 1977 New Jersey Governor's race as seen through his or her local election district. |
Reading: Boys on the Bus, Chapter 2 Election District: Student must find
out which one he lives in.
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| 20. | Politics: The National Political Conventions | ||||||
| History of broadcasters and the conventions. How to cover them,
problems and procedures. |
Reading: Boys on the Bus, Chapter 7 Election District: Profile of the neighborhood and its voters. |
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