Broadcast Journalism Assignment

Hi Everyone,

I am very pleased at the progress all of you are making with your broadcast projects. Please remember that the projects are due by the end of class on Friday, December 10th. Presentations will begin the following Monday, December 13th. No videos will be accepted after this date and I will announce what order each of you will present. Each video should be approximately 5 minutes in length. You may use clip art, music, or anything else that you believe will enhance the quality of your production. I would also like to see titles and credits attached to the beginning and end of your videos. We will continue to meet in Room 328 through December 10th. If you have any questions or concerns please speak to me in class and/or e-mail me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Below is the best link I could find for an IMovie 09 tutorial. I appreciate your patience with the set up of IMovie and am very impressed with how all of you are adapting to is use. Keep up the great work!

http://mactutorial.wikidot.com/imovie09

Letter to the Editor

Greetings Everyone,

We are going to take a brief respite from our broadcast projects to complete our next Letter to the Editor for this latest edition of The Blazer. This will be due on Wednesday, November 24th, and must be e-mailed to Ms. Sackstein and myself.

Ms. Sackstein's e-mail address is ssackstein@wjps.org. Please put the title of the e-mail as Letter to the Editor. All letters must be sent as either a google doc or MS Word document. Below is a format to follow for how to write an opinion piece.

Script Deadline Postponed

Greetings Everyone:

I hope you are all enjoying your day off!

It has come to my attention that some, if not many of you, have not completed your broadcast scripts that are due tomorrow. I am therefore postponing the due date until this Monday, November 15th. Failure to have completed your script by this point will result in a failing grade for this project.

Let's review what is required for the assignment:

1. A description of your settings: locations, people you will interview, who will be speaking in front of the camera, and anything else that is relevant to the set-up and design of your broadcast.

2. Your script: Each script should include your narratives (this is what the narrator, anchor person or field reporter says in front of the camera when they are not interviewing a subject), your interview questions, and directions for the camera people as to where and when they should be filming.

3. Interview Questions: interview questions should reflect the research you have done regarding your topic. If you are conducting an interview on bullying you should ask your subject a question that reflects your knowledge of bullying. For example a very poor interview question would be "What do you think about bullying here at WJPS?" That shows a lack of hard work on your part. A better question would be something like this, "According to the New York City Department of Education, bullying in New York City High Schools has increased by 75% since 2005. Do you feel that bullying has increased since you've been at WJPS?" A follow-up question might then be, "How would you define bullying?" And depending on the person's answer you could then ask them if they thought bullying matched with the definitions that you have come across in your research.

You have to control the interview. This does not mean that you censor what the interviewee says, but your knowledge and research of the subject allows you to ask questions which guide the direction of the interview.

All scripts must be submitted by Monday. We will spend tomorrow writing and editing. If certain group members are not contributing, I need to know this for grading purposes. I am not asking anyone to "snitch" on their fellow group members, but if I find that one person has done all the work, then that one person will receive the good grade and the rest of the group will not.

These are the basics that all broadcast scripts must have in order for the broadcast to function successfully. Some of you are doing a good job with this and others seem lost. What I have not received, and have asked for repeatedly, is feedback from all of you. No one has submitted a script before the deadline that I could provide constructive criticism for, nor have I received any e-mails from any groups asking for help. This is your responsibility.

Therefore instead of a tutorial on how to use the flip cameras, I will work with each group during class to see what progress you have made with your scripts. Please have something resembling a script with you tomorrow. If it's not typed then it has to be legible.

Below are some links for conducting interviews. Please, please, please read them. The second link should be especially helpful since it is an archive of broadcast news videos from high schools all across the country!

http://www.ehow.com/how_4577240_conduct-newspaper-interview.html

http://hsbj.org/videos/index.php

See all of you in class tomorrow.

Broadcast Project

Hi Everyone,

After speaking with many of you during class, I feel that some of you are ready to start filming and others are not even close. Let's go over what you should be dong and how to get there.

1. By now you should have a clear angle. This means that you have a topic and you know what you want to write and say about it. What is it about bullying that you want us to know? What is it about music that you want us to know? By answering this question you will focus the direction of your broadcast.

2. You should have your settings mapped out. Where will you film? Who will you film? How will you use data and visuals? What soundtrack music, if any, will you use? We worked on this last week and it should be completed by now.

Let me make this clear? All story angles and settings should be completed! You should now be working on and completing your script.

Which brings me to my next point: The Script.

I am posting a link of script writing basics which I hope you will use. They are simple and should steer you in the right direction.

Script writing for a broadcast should be more conversational than literal. You are telling a story, not reciting facts and figures. The way you effectively tell a story is by getting straight to the point. Don't hesitate and don't waste time. Think how boring it is to read a book or listen to a teacher that never gets to the point. You don't want your broadcast to sound or look that way.

Read the handout I am posting and watch these video samples.

http://www.mashell.com/~parr5/news_writing.htm

http://www.school-video-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=738:the-mini-documentary&catid=32:student-fare&Itemid=48

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml

Broadcast Journalism Assignment

Hi Everyone,

I will be out of school on Thursday and Friday so here is what we should be working on:

1. Finishing the setting of your script. Make sure that you have thought through your locations, lighting, wardrobe, weather, and all the other nine points that we discussed in class yesterday. It is important that every member of your group is "on the same page" with this.

2. I you have completed this then it is time to start your scripts. I will discuss script writing on Monday, but for now here a a few guidelines you should follow. I have also included three links that should be helpful. Please study them while you are writing your scripts.

a) Make sure your script is conversational but uses does not drag. You need to get to the point of your story quickly and in a way that everyone can understand. Practice reading aloud what you write to to the rest of your group members.

b)For now, write your scrip chronologically. This means start at the beginning of your story and work through to the middle and then the end in that order. Don't start skipping around just yet. That will come later

c) Don't focus on interview questions just yet. Concentrate on writing your story and your angle. what is sit that you want to say about your topic. That is your first task.

OK, have a great week and a great weekend and I will see you all on Monday. E-mail me if you have any questions.

http://www.cybercollege.com/tvp006.htm

http://www.cybercollege.com/fire.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/writing-for-news-radio-a62727

Letter to the Editor

As I stated in class, this letter is due on Monday, November 1st by the beginning of class. It must be a letter to the editor of The Blazer and it must be submitted to me and the school newspaper. Since there seems to be problems with Google docs, I will accept letters written in Microsoft Word. Below is one link that will help your write your letter and another link that contains two examples of well written letters to the editor. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me over the weekend.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4525199_write-opinion-letter-editor.html

http://www.snapnetwork.org/letters_editor/sample_letters.htm

For Wednesday's Class (10/27)

Tomorrow we will get back to working on our broadcast projects. Remember that we meet in Room 360 so please be on time.

Tomorrow's class will be spent working in your broadcast groups. I want you to brainstorm ideas for your project. Some things you should be thinking about are:

1. The angle of your story as well as the 5W's and H.

2. Your visual locations. Where are you going to shoot your interviews and settings? Start making a list of possible locations.

3. Who are you going to interview? When interviewing remember that you need to ask questions that will allow your subject to illuminate the angle of your story. Choose people who have an emotional and intellectual stake in your project.

4. Your script. A broadcast news script is different than a newspaper article. You must understand that you will be speaking into a camera. You have to get your point across quickly and clearly.

5. Research and data. Your video will have to include data and facts that support your angle. You are going to want to present this data in a way that does not bore the viewer but draws them in. Start by thinking about what facts will not only support, but enhance your presentation.

OK, that's all for now. check out the websites below for some advice on how to make great news videos.

http://newsvideographer.com/

http://makeinternettv.org/

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5524382n

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/resources_for_teachers/8472052.stm

Town Hall Assignment

Hi Everyone:

Please write a brief, two to three paragraph, article on today's Town Halls. You should write a complete review on the High School Town Hall, and write about what occurred at the Middle School Town Hall until you were dismissed for lunch. Your articles should include a headline, byline, lead paragraph, and explanation paragraphs. All articles must cover the 5W's and H and include an angle. These articles are due at the start of tomorrow's class and must be Google doc'd to me. They then will be forwarded to Ms. Schneider. Remember to check and edit for spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

Tomorrow's classroom work will include working in your groups to make a presentation about our Roadtrip Nation experience at Jamaica High School. Therefore, you might want to write some notes for yourself about this experience. Did you enjoy it? Was is worthwhile? What were the 5W's and H about this trip? You will be working in your broadcast groups to put together an in-class visual and written presentation. I will explain more about this tomorrow.

See you tomorrow and have a good night!

Broadcast Journalism Assignment

Greetings Everyone,

As you all know by now, I will not be in class tomorrow due to the Safe School Ambassador training that is taking place in the I.S. 25 Library. However, as I stated in class, I want you to begin work on your broadcast journalism assignment. I will give you a more detailed set up of the assignment on Monday, but for now you are to follow these directions:

1. You will work in groups of 3 and at least 1 group member must be someone with whom you have never worked previously. Groups will only be allowed to work together subject to my approval.

2. You must choose 3 topics that that are related to WJPS. They can be academic, social, cultural, or a combination of all of the above, but they must be directly connected to school.

3. At this point you are just brainstorming your ideas, but your brainstorming should include the following:

a) A script that includes a narrative (where your story starts, its middle, and it end), locations you might want to use for camera shots, people you will want to interview, and research you will want to include (as well as visuals that will accompany that research such as graphs, charts, photos, etc.). You may also wish to include a musical soundtrack that will enhance the visual and audio aspects of your narrative.

These issues and more will be discussed during class next week. For now, form your groups and work together to put your ideas into action. I am really looking forward to what all of you will bring to the table. If you are struggling with this please e-mail me tomorrow or over the weekend so we can iron out any doubts or concerns that you may have.

Enjoy tomorrow's class and enjoy your weekend!

Two Reflections due Tuesday

Greetings Everyone:

First of all my congratulations to everyone who came and participated in sports night. It was an awesome finish to Spirit Week. Secondly, my congratulations to the students who played in the basketball game. You were all amazing and deserved your win!! However, the teachers are hungry for revenge and we are going to try to get another game, hopefully in December, so be ready!!

Now, for your assignment. Please write two reflections each about a page in length. The first should be about what you have learned so far regarding print journalism. What have you learned about writing articles? How does it differ from essay writing or fiction writing. How is it similar? What have you enjoyed about the two articles you have written and what have you disliked or struggled with?

The second reflection is to discuss the 60 Minutes episode we watched in class on Bill and Melinda Gates. I will post the link to the episode on the blog if you wish to see it again. What are some of the differences between print journalism and broadcast journalism? Which style do you prefer and why? Which style allows you to gain more information and insight into a news story? Did you think that the 60 Minutes episode was well done? Why or why not and what could have been done differently?

As you write these reflections try to keep in mind that they should be a way for you to learn from your current assignments and improve your writing for future assignments. You may hand write these reflections, but do not discard them as they will become part of your portfolios. As I stated in class, both reflections are due at the start of class on Tuesday. Enjoy your Monday off!!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6923498n&tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.4

Bring Your Drafts Tomorrow!!

Everyone must bring their drafts to tomorrow's class. I do not want to have a repeat of Tuesday's class, so please bring your draft with you. At this point you should be nearing completion of this assignment and I should see a draft which incorporates a headline, byline, lead paragraph, explanation paragraphs, quotes and research. Remember that your final drafts are due by the start of class on Friday and must be Google doc'd to Ms. Sackstein and myself.

Next Assignment

Hello Everyone,

Hope you all had a fun class without me. Needless to say I missed seeing all your smiling faces. Your next assignment is due Friday, October 10th, by the start of class. I realize that this comes during Spirit Week, so use your time wisely and plan accordingly.

The topic will be one of the ideas which you e-mailed me the other day, or a topic that is available on Ms. Sackstein's spreadsheet which I posted on the September 27th link. All articles must meet the standards set by Ms. Sackstein and myself. These standards are also posted on the September 27th link so please read them carefully. We will spend tomorrow's class analyzing and explaining them.

The first draft of your assignment is due Tuesday, October 7th by the start of class. This is not an outline, but an actual draft. I should be receiving a Google document that has a headline, byline, lead paragraph, and explanation paragraphs. I should also see quotes and research. All articles need to be at least 2 typed and double-spaced pages, and must be submitted as a Google document. You will need to bring a print out/hard-copy of your article with you to class on Tuesday because they will be peer reviewed by your partners. Failure to submit your first and final drafts on time along with not bringing a hard copy of your first draft with you to Tuesday's class will result in either a failing or very poor grade.

I have faith in all of you, so if you feel that you are struggling with this assignment please let me know sooner rather than later so I can give you the help and support you need to do a great job!

If you have any questions you can always e-mail me and, of course, ask them during class.

Links for WJPS Newspaper Publications

https://docs.google.com/a/wjps.org/Doc?docid=0AQ0xifVbglb6ZDRxNXJjNl8zOWYzNHBxMmZw&hl=en

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/wjps.org/ccc?key=0Ag0xifVbglb6dFhVdkNrb3l1azVzVndjbmlFUzBObnc&hl=en

These links will provide you with our WJPS Newspaper publication guidelines as well as the spreadsheet we looked at in today's class. Regarding the spreadsheet, any article that is does not have a writer or editor posted to it is open to you. Just fill in your name under the reporter column, and my name under the Conferenced with Editor column and you are good to go.

Once again I strongly encourage all of you to submit your work to the newspaper for publication!!

Send me an e-mail

Just a reminder to e-mail me your ideas for your next article. I need two ideas and they have to be clearly spelled out. You will not simply tell me that you are writing about sports or entertainment. What, precisely, are you going to write about? This is due at the start of tomorrow's class.

Deadline Extended

I have had a chance to look at most of your first and final drafts. There are many good efforts, but most of you are still not where I would like you to be. Therefore I am extending the due date to this Monday at the start of class and I will use class time over the next two days to conference with each of you individually and go over what you have accomplished so far and where you can improve.

2nd Part of First Assignment

As I stated in class on Friday your first draft is due on Tuesday September 21st by the start of class. It must be submitted to me as a Google document. I will not accept any other type of submission. If you cannot submit the draft to me as a Google doc then you need to let me know no later than Monday during class. All articles must be at least two (2) typed, double-spaced pages in length.

Your first draft must include a headline, byline, lead paragraph, and as many explanation paragraphs as you feel are necessary to adequately describe the event. Please refer to and use the pdf link I posted on September 14th. If you have any questions or comments please contact me at my WJPS e-mail and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Good luck and try to have fun with this.

An Example of Free Speech Issues in our High Schools

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/05/students-booted-from-school-for-wearing-american-flag-tshirts.html

Please read the following Los Angeles Times article and accompanying video as an example of how to write and research your articles on free speech at WJPS.

Project One - Freedom of Speech Article

Announcement: All students in Mr. Nisonoff's 3rd Period Publications Class will report to the auditorium tomorrow for a Town Hall Meeting.

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/teachers/pdf/language/Newspaper_Article.pdf

Your first project is due Friday September 24th. All articles are due on September 24th by the start of class and must be submitted to me as a Google document. All articles should be typed and double-spaced. As discussed in class this is an article about your personal experiences with free speech or your how you feel your free speech was denied to you at WJPS. Remember this is a newspaper article so your writing must be objective and your article must be supported by facts and credible research. We will break down the writing of the article into steps which shall be discussed and worked on in class.

The first step is to identify the 5W's and H (who, what, when, where, why and how) of your article. This is due Thursday, September 16th, at the beginning of class and should be e-mailed to me as a Google document. The information required is as follows:

1. Who: who are the main players or people involved in this incident? Think carefully about all the people who play a role in your article. You need to include lead and supporting people.

2. What: What happened? What took place? Be precise and careful when describing the incident. Do so chronologically (that means from the beginning to the end of the incident), and try not to leave out any details. At this stage we want to get all our information written down and then decide during the drafting and editing stages what stays and what is deleted from the final draft.

3. When: when did this incident take place. Be very specific. Strive to remember the exact date, time and place that all of this occurred.

4. Where: again, be specific. Where did this happen, what classroom, what floor, what part of the classroom (front, back, right or left side). Details are what bring an article to life and hold the reader's attention.

5. Why: why did this event occur? What prompted it and what happened in class and perhaps outside of class to make this event take place the way it did. This part of the article will require the most research and we will discuss this in great detail later in class. For now try to recall what you and the other people were doing to create the backdrop for this article.

6. How: how did this event happen? How did all the pieces come together to create the incident about which you are writing?

Each section should be a short paragraph in length (4-6 sentences). The 5W's and H will be the foundation of your article and what you will refer back to as you are composing your first and final drafts. I have included a pdf link that should help you to further organize your thoughts and give you some idea about how your final drafts should look. We will discuss this further in class, but if you have any questions please e-mail me at robert.nisonoff@wjps.org.

Discussion Questions for Tomorrow's Class (9/14)

Please read and review these discussion questions for tomorrow's class. You do not have to hand in or e-mail me your thoughts, but please be ready to share them at the start of tomorrow's class.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where did the term "freedom of speech" originate?

2. What is the Constitution of The United States of America and how does it affect freedom of speech?

3. Do you think we have freedom of speech in the United States? Why or why not?

4. Should we have complete freedom of speech, so we can say anything we want? Why or why not?

I am looking forward to hearing and discussing your responses.

Basic Journalism - TeacherVision.com

Basic Journalism - TeacherVision.com

Grading Policy

My grading policy is very straightforward. Simply put, you will be assessed and evaluated on the amount and quality of your work. I do not give extra credit assignments because if you complete each assignment, there is no need for extra credit. If you haven't completed your assignments by the time grades are due, then extra credit will not do you any good.

Most importantly, do not fall behind in your work. I do penalize for lateness and will not accept assignments after one day's lateness. Below is the official grading policy for the this year's publication class.

1. Attendance and Punctuality (15%): Coming to class and coming to class on time is necessary. Failure to do so insures that you will miss important work and disrupts the class. This is an easy 15 points and there is no reason why any student should be habitually absent or late.

2. Assignments and Exams (60%): It is rare that I will ever give an exam, however at times I reserve the right to give pop quizzes. The vast majority of your work will come in the form of publication projects and homework assignments. You will most often be working in groups and will receive individual and group grades. Both sets of grades will be calculated when determining your trimester grades for this class. Again I cannot stress how important it is for you to submit your assignments on time!

3. Behavior (25%): Behavior includes not just how we speak to and treat each other in class, but of equal importance, your willingness to participate in the class discussion. I place great emphasis on a student's ability and desire to participate in the class discussion. This is always an opportunity for you to display your knowledge, curiosity and passion. I look forward to hearing all of your ideas and encourage you to email me and share ideas with your classmates.

Class Rules

I appreciate all the input from today's class. It helped me to refine our class rules and, hopefully, gave you a sense of ownership about this class and your role in it. The rules listed below apply to everyone (myself included). They exist so that class can be open and friendly, as well as a place where everyone feels welcome and safe. I truly want our class to be a place where everyone feels secure enough to express their opinions (not always an easy thing to do), and respect the opinions of our classmates. OK, so here they are:

Class Rules:

1. Come to class on time.
2. Always treat yourselves and others with courtesy.
3. Give respect in order to earn respect.
4. Always come to class prepared to work.
5. Always give your best effort.

Following these rules will make this class more enjoyable and can only help your grade. Failure to follow these rules will make this class that much more difficult and will most certainly hurt your grade.

First Week of Class

Hi Everyone:

Welcome to our website/class blog. This is where you will find all your assignments, projects, syllabus, grading policy, questions and comments posted throughout the school year. It is your responsibility to check this site for any and all information pertaining to Publications. Failure to do so will result in your falling behind or even failing the class, so please keep up. I strongly recommend that you bookmark this site as soon as you are on it! I will post my grading policy, class rules and expectations, and your first series of assignments over the next several days. Please pay careful attention to all of these posts as they will be your guidelines to successfully completing the class and receiving a good grade.

Now, on a lighter note, there is no reason that this class should not be enjoyable and thought provoking. You will have the opportunity to express your ideas in print, on-line, broadcasting and podcasting. I encourage you to tackle controversial subjects, and to use this class as a springboard to exploring opportunities for your life in and after WJPS (more on that later). As for now this first week will be used for establishing class rules and routines, and assessing your current journalism skills.