MDS 2200, Visual Journalism (3 credit hours) Spring 2007

11. a.m.-12:15 p.m.,T/TR Media Studies Lab, 201-F, Gabhart

Instructors: Linda Quigley 460-5441; [email protected] 203-B Gabhart Angela Smith 460-6445 [email protected] 203-A Gabhart Office hours are posted. Individual meetings may be scheduled at other times.

About the course: Visual Journalism offers an introduction to nonfiction storytelling in multiple visual media, including photojournalism, page layout, type, illustration and information graphics. In short, the objective of this course is to teach you how to think visually and to gather information with words and graphic images. There will be discussion, lectures, projects and group work as well as optional labs that will allow you to further explore the processes and potential of visual storytelling. Why? “The signs are everywhere--for those who can read them,” visual literacy consultant Lynn Burmark wrote. “Because of television, advertising, and the Internet, the primary literacy of the 21st century will be visual. It’s no longer enough to read and write text. Our students must learn to process both words and pictures. They must be able to move gracefully and fluently between text and images, between literal and figurative worlds.”

Course requirements: n There is no required textbook. When you write, however, you will be expected to follow Associated Press style, so you will be well-served by keeping the Associated Press Stylebook at hand. A bit later, you will also need a sketchbook; we’ll bring in some examples to show you the attributes it needs. n There will be frequent handouts and you may be asked to buy a newspaper or magazine from time to time. n You will need access to a simple digital camera. If you are not able to get one when you need it, please let one of the instructors know in advance and we’ll make one available to you. n After we get going, there will be a course blog that you will be expected to read and contribute to during the semester.

Attendance: Belmont is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. Your instructors are also committed to that idea because showing up is an essential practice for good journalism and for life. You may miss two classes during the semester without consequence to your grade. After two unexcused absences, your final grade will be lowered five points per absence (if your grade is a B and you have one additional unexcused absence, it would drop to a B-). In the case of both excused and unexcused absences, however, you are responsible for making up all class work missed. If a class absence is necessary because of an activity by another class or university organization, you will bring your excuse for the absence from your sponsor or coach prior to the absence. We recognize that occasional issues may affect your attendance or ability to complete assignments by deadline. We will try to negotiate those if you come to us in advance; if you come after the absence or deadline, however, there is no flexibility.

When the number of absences for any reason exceeds four times the number of scheduled class meetings per week, the student is involuntarily dropped from the course. For this class, that number is eight.

Grading: There will be no traditional midterm or final exams. Each of you will complete three individual projects, and you will also be graded on presentations, quizzes on readings and other daily assignments. You’ll get a detailed list of projects and deadlines in the early weeks of class.

Letter grades will be used for all assignments. The breakdown for final grades is as follows

Projects (3 @ 20% each) 60% Daily assignments, quizzes 30% Attendance and participation 10% Class Schedule: The following topics will serve as a general outline of material to be covered in Visual Journalism: I. Visual Thinking: Tools Package planning Idea maps II. Components of Visual Journalism Design Basic Design Principles Page Layout Type Photojournalism Story illustration Information graphics III. Application of principles

Conduct You are adults; we expect a reasonable degree of maturity and attention in class. You should arrive on time. Repeated late arrival will be treated as an absence. Inappropriate use of lab computers, such as checking e-mail, surfing Internet sites that are not relevant to the current classwork, or playing games during class may result in dismissal from that class period and count as an absence. Ditto for cell phones: Text messaging and checking voicemail, for example, are inappropriate and you’ll face the same consequences you do for misuse of lab computers. Cell phones should be off or silenced while you are in the classroom.

Belmont’s Honor Code The Belmont community values personal integrity and academic honesty as the foundation of university life and the cornerstone of a premiere educational experience. Our community believes trust among its members is essential for both scholarship and effective interactions and operations of the University. As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff, and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors, which compromise this value. In order to uphold academic integrity, the University has adopted an Honor System. Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for honorable academic work. Following is the Student Honor Pledge that guides academic behavior: “I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge.” Accommodation of disabilities

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable accommodation of all medically documented disabilities. If you have a disability and would like the university to provide reasonable accommodations of the disability during this course, please notify Tammye Whitaker, Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of Student Affairs (460-6875) as soon as possible.