Your mission this semester is to serve as the design and production team for UNBOUND,the online magazine created by students in the Journalism/Professional Writing Program. In this capacity, you will make fundamental decisions related to the design, marketing and content of this publication. You will also expand your understanding and mastery of such new communications technologies as the World Wide Web, e-mail and presentation software. These technologies have become de rigeur for those seeking to earn a living as professional communicators.
You will also experience the ways in which these new technologies affect the ways in which organizations work, both in theory and in practice. For example, each of you comes to the class with varying levels of prior experience with these technologies. Some of you will be more knowledgeable about these technologies than I am. I plan to call upon your expertise in this regard. Also,you will be heavily involved in structuring the class schedule, and in determining the roles of yourself and other class members. I will have a dual function in the class: I will serve both as your teacher and as the publisher of UNBOUND. It may take some of you a while to understand this conflation of roles, but that will be part of the learning process as well. You will read queries, make story assignments (and perhaps) edit articles from the other section of this class. You will also write at one article.
An E-Mail Address must be obtained by 1/22 class session
Readings and assignments are due for next class, unless otherwise specified.
Editorial, production duties -- 40 points
Homework assignments -- 20 points
Monthly e-mail memos -- 20 points
Teamwork and professionalism -- 20 points
Required:
UNBOUND operations manual-- pay copying fee in class
In class handouts
Reserve readings as announced
We will:
January........................................................................ ............................................................................
1/22 -- Review and critique UNBOUND. Read Media In Cyberspace -- chapters on the growth on online media, as well as "Philosophy"section of Yale WWW Style Guide. Discuss UNBOUND structure, job descriptions. Form personnel committee. Application and resume due for 1/24 class. Consult Resume Workshop
24 -- Discussion of HTML fundamentals.
27 -- Announcement of staff positions. Distribute stories, assignment lists, queries.
29 -- Analyzing audiences. See Magazine Writing section 1 assignment for 2/4 Complete for 2/10.
FEBRUARY
3 -- Editing Fundamentals. Discussion of production schedule
5 -- Review requirements and rationale for departmental planning memos, including timekeeping requirements. Refer to Memo Writing Memo style departmental reports should be e-mailed to me by 2/12
2/10 -- Analyzing Magazine audiences. Further discussion of departmental reports.
2/12 -- Review status. Review The Slot, a great site for copy-editing tips.
2/17 -- Fact-checking and libel
2/19 Narrative devices in non-fiction
Follow production schedule Links, cleanup, job evaluations.
Performance evaluations Syllabi archive