Lahore University of Management Sciences
SS233MediaWriting
Fall20152016
Instructor SyedJavedNazir
RoomNo.
OfficeHours TBA
Email
Telephone
Secretary/TA
TAOfficeHours
CourseURL(if
any)
COURSEBASICS
CreditHours
Lecture(s) 2lecturesper Duration 1hr50mins
week
Recitation/Lab(per NbrofLec(s)Per Duration
week) Week
Tutorial(perweek) NbrofLec(s)Per Duration
Week
COURSEDESCRIPTION
WelcometoSS233MediaWriting![Link]:
newsandfeaturestories,columns,[Link]
writingwillalsosurveynewsstyles,policyandethicalissueswhiledeliveringnews.
[Link],makeyou
thinkcriticallyabouttheworldandaboutthepeoplewhobringittoyoueverydayviatheprinted,spokenandvisual
[Link],pleaseask
[Link],theonlydumbquestionistheonenotasked.
Important:someclasseswillbeginwithdiscussionofnewsmediacoverageofacurrentcolumn,feature,newsstory,
[Link].
Specificgoalsforthiscourseinclude:preparingstudentstowritefactually,persuasivelyandeffectivelyinkeeping
[Link],itwouldenablethemtodistinguishmodesofmediawritingstylesbetween
radio, television news and print (newspapers, magazines and internet) journalism. There would be some
opportunity to explore the convergence of print and online media. Students would learn to use some key
[Link].
LEARNINGOUTCOMES
Uponcompletionofthecoursethestudentsareexpectedto:
Writenewsstories,features,columns,editorialsandcritiquemediawritingeffectively,includingsomeofthefinest
[Link].
Lahore University of Management Sciences
COURSEMETHODOLOGY
28sessionsof110minuteseach(4creditunits).Interactivediscussionbasedteachingwouldbepreferred.
Therewillbeamidtermandfinalexamination.
REQUIREDTEXTBOOKS
a)Susan,[Link],SagePublication,2006.
[Link],2004.
(b)Readingpackagewithselectedtextsandexercises.
(c)[Link]
newspaper,especiallycolumns,featurestories,editorialandsignificantnewsstories.
RequiredViewings:(1)DyingtoTellaStory(2)Outfoxed(3)AnnenbergMediaWritingVideos(4)Writingforthe
ElectronicMedia,byDrBruceKlofenstein(5)[Link]
[Link]
beprovidedtostudentsatthestartofsemester.
GRADING
WritingAssignments:50%
CPA:10%
MidtermExam:(essaytype)20%
FinalExam(essaytype)20%
COURSESCHEDULE
Week1
Session1:Introductiontothecourse;corevaluesofmediawriting;icebreaker
Session2:FiveWsandthepyramidwritingstyle;writingleadsandopenings;balance,accuracyandspeed;
avoidingclichsandusingtricksofthetrade.
Reading:TheBasicNewsStory(Page124)
Week2
Session3:Actualnewswriting;stylebooks;studentsanalysenewsreports.
Reading:LeadsandNutGraphs(2577)
Session4:Writingforclarityandcoherence;active/passive,adjectives,organization,sentencestructure,
paragraphingandquotingsources.
Week3
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Session5:StudentstostudytwospecializedweeklyormonthlynewspaperssuchasFridayTimes&Heraldand
[Link](young,old,upscale,etc)
andqualityofreporting.
Session6:Informationgatheringandwritingstoriesbasedonspeeches,newsconferencesandmeetings.
StudentstostudyandcritiquesomePulitzerAwardwinningstories.
Reading:Speeches,NewsConferencesandMeetings(7893).
Week4
Session7:Writingsoftstories(features);whatmakesagreatprofilestory?
Reading:Curiosityandstoryideas(94130)
Session8:Studentstostudyandanalysesomenewsfeaturesdrawnfromforeignandlocalmedia;researching
subjectsforfeature;addingcolourandbackground
Reading:FeatureWritingToday(131143)
Week5
Session9:Studentstobringanalysisoftwoselectedfeaturestotheclass;theQ&Astructure;thehowtostory;
thebrainstormingmethod;layingitout.
Reading:Profile&PersonalitySketches(144167).
Session10:FeatureArticleIdeas
Reading:TravelWriting(168194)
Reading:FindingGoodFeatureArticleIdeas(195215)
Week6
Session11:Writingcolumns;whatmakesagoodcolumn;findingyourvoice;styleandlanguage
Session12:Thehumorouscolumn;studyingthecraftofsometopcolumnists;task(writeyourowncolumn)
Week7
Session13:CritiquingPultizerAwardwinningColumns
Session14:Writingformagazines;editingandproofreading;factchecking.
Week8
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Session15:Editorial;whatmakesagoodandeffectiveeditorial;credibilityandauthenticity;guestspeaker
(editorialwriter)
Session16:StudentstostudyandanalysetwoeditorialsrepresentingaforeignandPakistanipublication;
Week9
Session17:studentstobringtheirwritteneditorialstoclass;tidinguplooseends;finalchecking;peercritique
Session18:ThestructureofOpEdpieces;howtoresearchandwriteaneffectivearticle
Week10
Session19:Writingbookreviews,filmsreviewsandtheatrereviewsforthemedia
Session20:Studentsbringtheircritiqueofoneofthefinestpublicserviceandwatchdogjournalisticpiecesto
class;documentaryonforeigncorrespondents
Week11
Session21:mediaconvergence;workingtowardamultimediajournalism;writingablog
Session22:Onlinewriting;guestspeaker
Reading:ChangingConceptsofNews(217225)
Week12:
Session23:OnlineWritingcontinues
Reading:WebWriting(319338)
Session24:Ethics,gatekeeping,sourcingandmediascelebrityculture;documentaryonFoxTV
Reading:MediaEthics(226240)
Week13
Session25:WritingforTVandRadio(news,features,analysis,script)
Reading:BroadcastWriting(241272)
Session26:WritingforTVcontinues;guestspeaker
Reading:WritingBroadcastNewsScripts(272297)
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Week14
Session27:Writingforradio;currentaffairs;facetofaceinterviewwithcelebrity
Reading:InterviewingTechniques(298318)
Session28:Stylebook,AccuracyandLibel.
Reading(339350)