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TVRA 4040 Spring 2015

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TVRA 4040 Spring 2015 BROOKLYN COLLEGE Department of Television and Radio TVRA 4040 (Section RQ2): Convergent News Platforms Spring Semester 2015 Professor John Anderson Class meets Thursdays, 2:15-6:45 PM / 302 Whitehead Hall (Radio Lab) Contact: 404S Whitehead Hall / (608) 395-4389 / [email protected] / @diymediadotnet Office Hours: Wednesday 4:00-5:30 PM / Thursday 12:30-2:00 PM in 404S Whitehead or by appointment Course Description Catalog Description: Exploration of online platforms that extend the reach of broadcast media. Introduction to the tools and techniques of online newsgathering and production, with special focus on the effective use of social media and livestreaming. Production of content for the Brooklyn News Service. Detailed Description: Media convergence is loosely defined as the blurring of previously distinctive media systems, and the settlement for all of them on a unified distribution platform— today, we call this the Internet. Convergence has been an incredibly disruptive force in the field of journalism, but it has also created new opportunities to find and tell stories. This class is an introduction into the tools and techniques for doing journalism on convergent news platforms. First, the good news: this is an emerging field where there are no hard-and-fast work-protocols (save for those traditionally defined by the standards of quality journalism, which are the same regardless of platform), so we have a lot of latitude in how we navigate this course. This is also the challenge: because journalists are effectively making up the workflow for these new platforms as we go along, there very few definitive “lessons” to be taught regarding convergent news reporting. Therefore, you should think of this class as an experiment—and all of us are the lab mice. We’ll focus our inquiries in two particular directions: social media and streaming media. Both of these subjects are now robust enough to have their own degrees; in fact, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism just launched a master’s degree in Social Journalism this year, and I would strongly encourage you to read the program description and think about it in the context of what we might do here: http://www.journalism.cuny.edu/academics/social-journalism/ Course Objectives 1. You’ll gain a rudimentary understanding of the basic principles behind journalism on convergent news platforms, including their broader social implications. (DO3) 2. You’ll acquire a basic proficiency in the use of tools, applications, and services used in convergent journalism, and use this creatively to generate worthy content. (DO4, DO9) Grades will not be discussed via e-mail, but anything else is fair game, although detailed questions about assignments are best discussed in person. All questions regarding readings, assignments, etc. may be answered during class. I am also available for questions immediately after class or during office hours, and am quite flexible about making special appointments to meet with you. Please note: In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services: http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/disability/ Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell, at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services please provide me with the course accommodation form and I will make every effort to accommodate you. Course Materials There is no single assigned text for this course; instead, a series of readings will be made available through the course’s Blackboard site on the CUNY Portal system (https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/). Please make sure that I have your most-used e-mail address on file so that I can communicate with you on class business throughout the semester. This course requires a mobile media device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop capable of wireless Internet access and audio and/or video recording. Though TVRA 4040 is classified as a production course, a significant portion of the work we will be doing will be on these devices. I also strongly encourage you to explore the markets for newsgathering peripherals and applications to use with your devices. You should also establish a Twitter account, if you have not done so already. We will be using Twitter as a primary means to explore journalism in the context of social media, and participation is mandatory. As the semester progresses, you may very well find it advantageous to explore and subscribe to other online services to help manage your online workflow (such as Storify, SoundCloud, etc.), many of which allow for auto-login via Twitter. Although convergent news reporting has introduced new styles of communication, the basic rules of coherent writing still apply. This is why you should also have a copy of Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, 6th Edition (New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007). This is a required text for all TV/Radio classes, so please retain it. You should consult this book concerning all style and grammar questions in your writing for this course. You may also use Andrea Lunsford, Easy Writer: A Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition (New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005), if you have already bought it. Department e-Group You should subscribe to the Yahoo! Group for BC majors in TV & Radio: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BCTVR-Majors/ This list posts announcements about departmental and campus events, guest speakers, scholarships, internships, and more. All TV/Radio majors should join this Group: to do so, send a blank message to [email protected]. It’s also a good idea to subscribe to the department’s Yahoo! Group for job opportunities: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TVR_Jobs/ This will be especially helpful as you near graduation. To join, send a blank message to [email protected]. Course Requirements and Grading Attendance is required. Attendance will be recorded for each class. Please be on time. Persistent tardiness will diminish your grade for class participation. If you must be absent, you must either inform me beforehand or submit valid excuses immediately upon returning to class. Excuses for absences accrued during the course will not be accepted at the end of the semester. The only exception to this policy is that afforded by state law due to religious beliefs. Two unexcused absences will automatically lower your final grade by a half-letter. Four unexcused absences will automatically lower your final grade by a full letter. Six or more unexcused absences will result in automatic failure, barring divine intervention. All readings in the course are required. You should bring copies of all readings to class, and come to each class ready to answer questions about them. Assignment-wise, over the course of this semester you will be responsible for: 1. Regular participation in the course’s Twitter hashtag, #4040. There are a variety of ways to do this; some include reacting to or summarizing weekly readings, notions and/or reportage from a story you have under development, or even relevant observational information, including live- tweeting the class. 2. A series of in-class exercises where we will explore tools, techniques, and trends related to online newsgathering and production. 3. A contribution to the Brooklyn Listening Project, a new interdisciplinary initiative designed to chronicle life-experiences in Brooklyn through subject interviews and observation. The configuration and duration of these stories will depend entirely upon the subject you propose and the most effective means you believe are available to tell the story. 4. A review of an application, site, or service that is useful in the practice of convergent journalism. This will consist of a short paper in conjunction with a short presentation to the class on your chosen subject, in which you will demonstrate the app/site/service’s functionality. Each of you will conduct your own review (no duplicates allowed). This assignment effectively constitutes the course’s final exam. Your reviews, as well as some of your contributions to the Listening Project and perhaps some selected weekly assignments, may be published to the Brooklyn News Service (http://brooklynnewsservice.info/), a collaborative blog maintained by the Journalism programs here on campus (ours and the one in English). Late assignments will not be accepted without good cause. If you expect to turn in an assignment late, please see me to determine whether we can work out a mutually beneficial solution. Grading Scale I grade on a 100-point system. Participation in the course hashtag (#4040) is worth 10 points, while in-class participation is also worth 10 points. The in-class exercises are collectively worth 40 points (8 assignments @ 5pts each). Your contribution to the Brooklyn Listening Project is worth 20 points, and your review and presentation is worth 20 points. A+ = 100+ B = 84-86 C- = 70-73 A = 94-99 B- = 80-83 D+ = 67-69 A- = 90-93 C+ = 77-79 D = 64-66 B+ = 87-89 C = 74-76 D- = 60-63 In Summary Grade Breakdown: 1. #4040 Participation 10% 2. In-class Exercises 40% 3. Brooklyn Listening Project Contribution 20% 4. App/Site/Service Review and Presentation 20% 5. In-class Participation 10% 6. Attendance Required 7. Readings Required Grade Reductions: 1. 2 unexcused absences grade reduction of half letter (5 points, e.g. B to B-) 2. 4 unexcused absences grade reduction of one letter (10 points, e.g. B to C) 3. 6 unexcused absences F 4. Failure to complete/late assignment automatic zero for the assignment Extra Credit: There will be extra credit opportunities to be announced later in the semester.
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