English News Reading and Writing
Syllabus
Name: English News Reading and Writing    
Instructor: Chen Xianying
Code: 08H52                Credits：2                               
Classroom: 1411             Class Time: Wednesday 10:20-12:00 
Office: Journalist dep. office   Office Hour: Wednesday 13:00-14:00
Phone: 13879147568          Email: chen.xianying@sina.com
 
 
Objectives:
In this multi-purpose course, participants will:
1. Develop and evaluate assignments English for English news reading and listening
2. Learn and practice English news writing skill
3. Understanding and comprehending the deeper meaning of news
4. Learn the difference between Chinese news writing and west
 
Methods
During this course, participants will consistently practice reading, writing and analyze English news. Participants will practice their news reading and writing by:

  1. participating in in-class reading and discussions
  2. completing the small in-class test
  3. Hold one Press conference and writing the reports.
  4. edit one English newspaper each team (about four persons each group)
  5. explain the newspaper your group design in class.
 
Materials:
  1. textbook: Reporting for the Print Media, Fred Fedler,     
  2. Additional Readings
(1) Fedler, Fred et al (2005) Reporting for the Media (8th Ed); Oxford University Press, Oxford
(2)  Mencher M,(2006) News Reporting and Writing, MacGraw-Hill
(3) Manning, Paul (2001) News and News Sources: A Critical Introduction; Sage Publications; London
(4) Boyd Andrew, Techniques of Radio and TV News
(5) Julian Haris et al (1984) The Complete Reporter, New York, Macmillan
(6) Dobson Chrisopher (1998) The Freelance Journalist: How Survive and Succeed. Oxford, Focal Press.
  1. newspaper: china daily
  2. internet: www.cnn.com ,www.bbc.com, USA today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal
 
Policies
  1. Participants must complete their own work.
  2. All the work must be hand in at the beginning of class, or it will be marked late.
  3. please be actively involved in our in-class activity.
  4. The final will be worth 30 percent of your grade, the paper 30 percent, the mid term 20 percent, and class performance and the exercises 20 percent.
 
Assessment:
Participants will be evaluated on:
1. English news writing skill
Writing mews title, lead, body and news story, commandments
2. English competency:
Learn some special vocabularies used on newspaper
 
Workload:
By the time the class is over you will :
  1. write at least 10 news report
  2. read 50 news story
  3. hold one Press conference
  4. design one newspaper
Initial Schedule:
Chapter1 Format and Style   1
Chapter2 News Writing Style   2
Chapter3: Selecting and Reporting The News   3 ,4
  Press Conference   5
Chapter4: Basic News Leads   6
Chapter5: Alternative Leads   7
Chapter6: The Body Of A News Story   8
Chapter7: Improving Newsgathering And Writing Skills   9, 10
Chapter8: Specialized Types of Stories   11, 12
Chapter9: Feature Stories 13
Chapter10: Advanced  Reporting Exercises   14
  Design a Newspaper   15
 
  
 
Table of Content
Chapter1 Format and Style      
Reporters have developed a unique format for their stories, and each story you write should follow the guidelines suggested in this chapter.
Chapter2 News Writing Style   
Newspapers have consequently developed distinctive writing style, and every element of that style serves a specific purpose. Uses simplify words, sentences and paragraphs, eliminate unnecessary words, are precise, and remain objective.
Chapter3:      Selecting and Reporting the News
Reporters consider a story newsworthy. they determine which story can flow into the nation’s news channels according to the time, importance, prominence, proximity, oddities, and other characteristics.
Press Conference
Chapter4:      Basic News   
The lead is the most important part of a story---and the most difficult part to write. A concise, specific, unusual, objective leads is what the editors appreciates.
Chapter5:      Alternative Leads    
The previous chapter described basic summary leads. While experienced reporters are using newer and more controversial types of leads.
Chapter6:      the Body of a News Story    
The portion of a news story that follows the lead is called the “body”. The formal body styles is the inverted pyramid style, then add the background.
Chapter7:      Improving Newsgathering and Writing Skills      
Write your report more clearly, specific, detailed, and thorough , more explain
Chapter8:      Specialized Types of Stories      
Bright, followup, roundup, sidebars
Chapter9:      Feature Stories  
Feature stories place a great emphasis upon facts that are interesting ---fact like to amuse and entertain the readers. There are profiles features, adventure features and so on.
Chapter10: Advanced Reporting Exercises    
Design a Newspaper