News writing
We see news writing sections taught be instructors with a varying range of experience and knowledge. We see different sections of the course with vastly different standards for performance and work quality. We see students putting little effort into the class, not because they lack ability but because they lack motivation. If the work isn't published and the grade is a guarantee, what's the point? While a basic news writing class is very important, the current course addresses a broad range of topics, including how to make a Web site and shooting video. Although these multimedia skills are increasingly vital teaching them during a news writing course, pushes aside the valuable writing skills the course is designed to teach. Some students leave the class without being able to write a nut graf.
We propose that news writing remain a core curriculum course, but that several changes be made to the its curriculum so that students enter into university newsrooms and ad projects with more preparation. Current senior Josh Wolff writes, "The news writing class had potential, but when the classes are taught so differently and have no relevance to your future work, it's just mind-numbingly boring."
Creation of a separate multimedia class would allow the news writing class to actually focus on news writing skills.
The creation of a multimedia class would allow for a revitalization of news writing, including a greater emphasis on information gathering. The course would have more concrete curriculum for each section centered around the soon-to-be-launched (the)CoMoYouKnow wiki project. The project is a new branch of the Missourian brand; in short, it is an online encyclopedia of everything Columbia. The project will require field reporters, and news students would be required to contribute to entries on (the)CoMoYouKnow. No longer would a student be writing about his or her roommate; a student would be venturing out into the Columbia community, getting to know areas outside of campus and coming away with an actual clips.
We propose that news writing remain a core curriculum course, but that several changes be made to the its curriculum so that students enter into university newsrooms and ad projects with more preparation. Current senior Josh Wolff writes, "The news writing class had potential, but when the classes are taught so differently and have no relevance to your future work, it's just mind-numbingly boring."
Creation of a separate multimedia class would allow the news writing class to actually focus on news writing skills.
The creation of a multimedia class would allow for a revitalization of news writing, including a greater emphasis on information gathering. The course would have more concrete curriculum for each section centered around the soon-to-be-launched (the)CoMoYouKnow wiki project. The project is a new branch of the Missourian brand; in short, it is an online encyclopedia of everything Columbia. The project will require field reporters, and news students would be required to contribute to entries on (the)CoMoYouKnow. No longer would a student be writing about his or her roommate; a student would be venturing out into the Columbia community, getting to know areas outside of campus and coming away with an actual clips.
