JMC 231-N: Photojournalism Spring Term 2017 Class meets: Wednesday evenings: 6:30-9:30 pm – Lied Art Center, Rm 101 Instructor: Kirk Hirota Phone: 879-0670 (cell--preferred) Email: [email protected] Office hours: Wednesdays 6:00-6:30 p.m., Lied Art Center, Rm 101 Introduction: This course gives students an introduction to newspaper photojournalism and will develop the photographic and visual skills needed to create a compelling news image. Each week students will shoot a variety of documentary-style assignments that will be viewed and critiqued at the following week’s class. In general, these assignments will require the students to produce storytelling images from real situations as opposed to set up or staged photos. Students will also learn the critical importance of meeting a deadline, accurate caption writing skills, and professional presentation of a portfolio. Prerequisites: Students must possess a working knowledge of the basics of photography and the operation of their own camera. While having a digital SLR would be ideal, a point-n- shoot of at least 4 megapixels will suffice. A working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop or Elements, or other imaging program would be helpful. Students will need a USB thumbdrive to transfer/submit their digital files. Course objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to: Understand the concept of photojournalism and how it differs from other forms of photography. Interact effectively with their subjects to create compelling, storytelling images and complete and accurate caption information. Apply learned advanced photographic techniques to improve their images. Successfully capture images in the areas of news, feature, sports, portrait and picture story categories. Honestly and effectively provide a well-written self-evaluation of each assignment. Photography is fun—especially when you combine your knowledge of the subject, your camera, the lighting and environment to capture that “magic” moment. Even if you don’t pursue a career as a photojournalist (but I hope a few of you might) the knowledge you gain from this course will serve you well each time you press the shutter button, no matter what you’re taking a picture of. This course will focus on the following Communication Studies departmental goals: 1. Be aware of the relationships between the theory and practice of journalism or speech communication and the student's faith or worldview. Students will be able to articulate the relationships between their faith or worldviews and communication theories and practices. Students will explain how their values, beliefs, and attitudes inform their approach to human communication. Students will explain how their understanding of human communication theory and practice informs their faith or worldview. 2. Demonstrate writing skills required to excel in an entry-level communications- related job and/or graduate school. Students will be able to gather information and present it clearly, concisely, accurately, coherently and creatively to a target audience. Students will present information both to more formal academic and to mass audiences. Students will demonstrate careful, honest and imaginative work at each stage of the writing process: in generating ideas, gathering and organizing information, and revising their work. 3. Demonstrate public speaking and presentation skills required to excel in an entry- level communications-related job and/or graduate school. Students will be able to gather information and present it to culturally diverse audiences. Students will be comfortable and confident in delivering successful oral presentations that inform or persuade their listeners. Students will be able to represent themselves and their own viewpoints, as well as the viewpoints of others. Students will demonstrate preparation at each stage of the speaking process: in generating ideas, gathering information, focusing their thoughts coherently and logically, preparing a draft, rehearsing delivery, utilizing language, visual aids, and presentation technologies effectively, and critiquing presentations. 4. Demonstrate interpersonal skills required to excel in relational, cultural, and technological contexts. Students will be able to accurately analyze interpersonal communication situations, and to make appropriate communication decisions based on those assessments. Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in human perception, verbal and nonverbal communication, listening, self-presentation, conflict management, and relationship development. 5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills required to excel in the intellectual, professional and personal dimensions of life. Students will be able to apply higher level thinking skills to human communication situations. Higher level thinking skills include: application of communication principles in the classroom and beyond; analysis of the parts, organization, arrangement, relationships and principles of communication; synthesis of parts of communication to produce unique communication messages; and evaluation of communication by making appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative judgments of communication; practice defining, resolving and defending sound ethical decisions. 6. Understand fundamental historical, theoretical, sociological, and legal concepts underlying communication. Students will be able to assess and explain the significant of primary historical and contemporary influences shaping communication. Students will be able to critically examine and analyze the effects of technological developments. Students will be able to articulate the value of free expression for communication professionals and for our democratic society. Resources: Photojournalism: The Professionals’ Approach by Kenneth Kobré, 6th edition, Focal Press, 2008 The Spokesman-Review The Whitworthian Instructional handouts, readings, URL links and video presentations are included in the Course Documents and Assignments sections of Blackboard. Deadlines: In the real world if you’re a newspaper photographer that continually misses a deadline, you’ll quickly find yourself out of a job. They’re not called “dead” lines for nothing. So in this class, deadlines will be taken very seriously. Assignments are to be turned in on or before the due date. However, if you have a special or unavoidable circumstance that is approved by the department chair, a short extension might be considered. Assignments not turned in by the deadline will not be accepted and will receive 0 points. Photos will not be accepted unless they have complete and accurate captions and meet size and presentation requirements. Grading: Attend class, participate in class discussions and submit your work on time and you should receive a passing grade. Most of your grade will be based on the quality of your submitted photographs. Photos will be evaluated for content, quality and whether the learning objectives for the particular assignment were met. I’ll be looking at subject matter, news value, photo quality (in focus, good contrast, properly cropped) and composition. Accuracy and content of your caption information will also be evaluated. There is a total of 1500 points possible in this course. Each photo, caption and self- evaluation submitted will be graded on a 100-point scale, except for the photo story assignment which will be worth 200 points. Quizzes will be worth 50 points each. Class participation throughout the course will also be worth 100 points, and attendance will be worth 50 points. Here is the point breakdown: 9 regular assignments 900 pts. 1 Photo Story 200 pts. 5 quizzes 250 pts. Class participation 100 pts. Attendance 50 pts. Total points 1500 pts. Other than the photo story and multimedia response assignments, students may reshoot any assignment in an effort to replace a lower grade. If you missed a deadline on an assignment and received a 0, you may reshoot the photo for a maximum of 25 points. An extra credit option may or may not be offered by the instructor. Attendance: In the real world if you’re a newspaper photographer that doesn’t show up for work, you’ll quickly find yourself out of a job. So attendance, like deadlines, will be a critical factor in your grade. Since we will meet only once a week, you will be excused from class only if: Give advanced notice that you’re participating in a Whitworth-sponsored activity. Assignments must be submitted prior to deadline. Personal illness or family emergency. Contact me prior to class. Unexcused absences will lower your final grade. Plagiarism: Presenting another’s work as your own, or staging photographs (other than portraits) to appear as documentary news, feature or sports photos will result in a failing grade for that assignment and potentially for the course. “Please note that I take extremely seriously the university’s policy on the need for academic honesty in all your work. I refer you to the Whitworth Catalog, and the current Student Handbook, where guidelines on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are spelled out. Any form of dishonesty in an assignment will lead to a zero on the assignment, and I reserve the right to give a grade of F for the course as well. In addition, instances of plagiarism can either be reported directly to the associate provost of instruction or submitted through an Early Alert from. Special needs and accommodations: Whitworth University is committed to providing its students access to education. If you have a documented special need that impacts your ability to learn and perform to