FEATURE WRITING

FEATURE WRITING
MCOM 356
Instructor: Prof. Beth Haller
Phone: 704-2442
Office: Van Bokkelen 205B
E-mail: bhaller@towson.edu

Who should take Feature Writing?

Students who have already taken MCOM 255 (Newswriting). You CANNOT take this class concurrently with Newswriting. The records of all students on the class list will be checked in the computer to verify that they have the prerequisite. Please drop the class if you do not meet the prerequisite.
Students who have learned basic news writing style and Associated Press style. Feature Writing uses all the "tools" of Newswriting and adds and expands upon them.
Students who are self starters and have their own ideas. As an upper level writing class, the majority of the grade for this class comes from writing lengthy articles based on your own ideas. Students interested in writing for newspapers, magazines, or online publications will need these abilities to work independently.
Students who can meet deadlines and follow directions. Because you will be learning to how to market ideas and articles, each assignment includes several components in addition to the actual feature story.
Precision writers who like a challenge. Sloppy writers are doomed because every typo, spelling mistake, grammar mistake, AP style mistake loses points and with long assignments that can mean a very low grade very quickly.
Students with plenty of time outside of class to devote to interviewing, researching, and writing your feature stories.

Advanced Writing credit:
This course fulfills the Towson University General Education advanced writing requirement and will give students extensive writing practice on feature articles for newspapers and magazines. Students should learn to develop ideas for articles, to find a market for articles, to write query letters to sell those articles, and to research and write the articles themselves. (Three other MCOM classes also fulfill the advanced writing requirement: PR Writing, History of Film, and Broadcast/Film Writing).

Required Textbooks/Supplies:
Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines, by Friedlander and Lee
Lapsing into a Comma by Bill Walsh
An active student computer account for Electronic mail correspondence
A box of High Density, PC-formatted, computer disks
Associated Press Stylebook
Recommended: Writer's Market

Grading:
Story Ideas List: 5 percent
Grammar/Writing Skills test: 5 percent
Newspaper feature story: 10 percent
Midterm: 15 percent
Student's choice feature story: 20 percent
Final long-form feature story: 25 percent
Feature quizzes: 10 percent
In-class assignments/Attendance/class participation: 10 percent

Grading criteria:

90 - 100 ("A" & "A-")) Publishable work. It is a story that is clear, interesting, and well written. It has good organization, effective quotes, smooth transitions and no spelling, grammar, or accuracy errors.

80 - 89 ("B+", "B", & "B-") Publishable with some editing. It may have some minor spelling or grammatical errors. The lead is effective. The body is cohesive and well organized.

70 - 79 ("C+" & "C") Requires extensive editing to publish. Several sections must be rewritten. The lead may be buried or fail to focus on the most important aspects of the story. The body of the story is disorganized and contains many minor errors. (Note: You must make a C in this class to receive credit for it in the MCOM major.)

60 - 69 ("D") Needs a complete rewrite to be published. The facts are presented ineffectively. The story contains an unacceptable number of spelling, grammar, or accuracy errors. (Note: You can make a D in this class and receive credit for it as the advanced writing requirement.)

Below 60 ("F") Contains major factual error(s). Names are misspelled. The facts are so distorted that they could not be rewritten and published.

("FX")* This is an administrative failure for non-attendance or failure to withdraw. If you do not withdraw from the course by Towson's preset deadlines for the semester and stop attending the class, this is the grade you will receive.

("I") Incomplete. At Towson University, students may only receive an Incomplete with "verifiable medical reasons or documented circumstances beyond their control" (Towson University Undergraduate Catalog, p. 25).

* If you receive an F or FX, you may only repeat the course once. After repeating the course, students will only receive credit for the course once and the highest of the grades will be calculated. The lower grade will remain on the transcript with an "R" before it to indicate the course was repeated. For the transcript to reflect the repeated course, students MUST submit a Repeated Course Form to the Records Office. Transcript adjustments are NOT automatic (Towson University Undergraduate Catalog, p. 26).

Form/content:
On the major writing assignments, two grades will be given, one for form and one for content. This enables students to see specific areas where they may need more improvement. Also, it allows students to be rewarded for good story ideas or interviews, although they have not mastered all the technical skills of form. Form refers to spelling, grammar, punctuation, readability, order of information, general accuracy, etc. Content refers to topic selection, organization, use of quotes, completeness, good transition, appropriate sources, effective lead, accuracy, etc.

Rewrites:
You can do rewrites on all writing assignments except the final draft of the final feature. Rewrites are due up to one week after the class period when the assignment was returned. They will NOT be accepted after that. The original MUST be turned in again with the rewrite. Up to one full grade can be added to the original grade for a well-done rewrite. Be prepared to revise an assignment several times before turning it in the first time. Also, if you are experiencing any difficulties with any assignments, please make an appointment with me. I always have time for someone who makes an effort.

Students with Disabilities:
If you are registered with the Office for Disabled Students Services (DSS), please see your instructor during the first two weeks of class to arrange your specific accommodations. If you believe you may need accommodation and have not registered with DSS, please do so by calling ext. 42638.

Student Athletes:
You must have a letter from the coach explaining your place on the team and a schedule of any away games or competitions during the semester. You must take any tests or prepare any assignments that conflict with this schedule before the test or due date, not after.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN WORK IN FEATURE WRITING:

Papers are due within the first 10 minutes of class. Any late papers will be docked a grade for each day they are late unless a verifiable excuse is attached. The written excuse only counts for the exact day(s) the excuse covers; the paper is then due in my box to avoid late penalties.
NO late papers will be accepted after the last day of classes for a semester.
Make sure you submit a source list with each story assignment.
Do not plagiarize, fabricate, or submit work you have done for another class. You may only submit stories written during the current semester.
Stories must be typed, double-spaced, in correct form and style.
Proofread and correctly copy edit your copy! All spelling. punctuation, grammar, AP style, and factual errors will cause you to lose grade points.

EXTRA CREDIT:
Clips of your published works will make you more marketable in the "real world." I, therefore, give much reward to published stories. You can receive up to 5 points added to your final grade for features published during the semester. The points given for extra credit will be based on the length and placement of the feature article published during the semester. For example, if your feature is the cover story for the Baltimore City Paper, a section of the Sun, or in a magazine, you would receive all the points. If your feature is a smaller feature for The Towerlight, you might only get 2 points. In that case, you might try to get three Towerlight feature stories published during the semester for all 5 points.

The article must be a feature story, NOT a letter to the editor, opinion piece, or entertainment review. Your published clip should follow the criteria of a feature story presented in this class. (i.e. it should not be a rewrite of a press release or a rehash of another publication's story.) Clips are due the day of the final. You may publish the assignments you do for this class and receive the extra credit.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
I DO NOT tolerate plagiarism or fabrication of any kind. Journalists value their integrity and strive to present the truth to their audiences to the best of their ability. You will be asked to live up to these standards as well. You should adhere to Towson's policy on cheating and plagiarism. If you are caught breaking this policy, you will prosecuted to the full extent that the policy allows.

What is Plagiarism in Print Journalism:

* Not citing the source of information used in a story.
* Using other people's reporting notes. (You may, however, double check the accuracy of your facts and quotes with other reporters who attended the same interview or event.)
* Using sentences or paragraphs from other people's stories or writings without giving credit.
* Turning in someone else's story and pretending it is yours.

What is Fabrication in Print Journalism

* Making up direct or indirect quotes in stories. Quoted material should be what a real person actually said.
* Making up people, events, or facts in a story.
* Making up an entire story from an event that never happened.
* Making up a story from an event or interview you attended in the past. You must represent the information in a story accurately.
* Making up a story from other people's notes or other people's accounts of an event.

The Penalty:

* The penalty for plagiarism and/or fabrication of any assignment in this class is an automatic F in the course. If there is any dispute about whether the offense occurred, the case will be referred to a disciplinary hearing. The penalty for these offenses in stiff in journalism because if you commit these in a most media workplaces, you would be fired.

ASSIGNMENTS:
(All assignments must be written during the semester you take the course.
Do not recycle work from previous classes.)

All assignments are more than just a writing assignment. They contain several components such as the market potential, query letter, photo ideas, source list, etc. Consult the Writer's Market in the library to help find markets for your stories. Note: You should make a serious effort get your stories published. If successful, you can earn some money, as well as getting some clips that can help you obtain internships and jobs.

Newspaper feature story:
A feature for coverage will be arranged by your professor. It will be written based on interviews, your research, and other materials provided by the professor. This assignment has the following components:
* 20 questions for in-class and outside class interviews
* The completed story (1000-1500 words)
* Source list (Names, titles, phone numbers, possibly age and address if relevant) of all people or information used in the story.
* Illustration/photo potential. Make the photo or art assignment that might go with the story. What will best illustrate your story?
* Query letter to the appropriate publication you have chosen.
* Attach all your notes and other materials used.

Student's choice feature story:
Choose any type of feature stories: Profile, How-to, Travel, Lifestyle, Trend, Human Interest, Seasonal/Anniversary, News-feature, etc. It should have at least 3 different human sources, as well as sources from library research.
* Reason for the story idea (To be turned in at least a week before the stories are due).
* Source list (Names, titles, phone numbers, possibly age and address if relevant) of all people or information used in the story.
* The completed story (1500-2000 words)
* The reason for the focus. You should also write an explanation of the reason for your story's focus, why you used the quotes you did, etc.
* Publication potential. Describe what type of publication might publish it & why.
* Illustration/photo potential. Make the photo or art assignment that might go with the story. What will best illustrate your story?
* Query letter to the appropriate publication you have chosen.
* Attach all your notes and other materials used.

Final long-form feature story:
This will be a lengthy feature story on a topic of your choosing, although it must be approved by your professor. It should have at least 5 different human sources, as well as thoroughly researched library sources. It may be written magazine style or newspaper style.
* Reason for the story idea and expectations for its focus and sources. (To be turned in with outline).
* Source list (Names, titles, phone numbers, possibly age and address if relevant) of all people or information used in the story.
* The completed story (2500-3000 words)
* The reason for the focus. You should also write an explanation of the reason for your story's focus, why you used the quotes you did, etc.
* Publication potential. Describe what type of publication might publish it with this focus.
* Illustration/photo potential. Make the photo or art assignment that might go with the story. What will best illustrate your story?
* Query letter to the publication you have chosen.
* Attach all your notes and other materials used.
DEADLINE: Last day of classes

Grammar/Writing Skills Test:
As part of Towson University's General Education advanced writing course requirement, students must show they have advanced skills in English language grammar, usage, and writing. Because feature writing is a non-fiction writing style, students need to master the writing techniques of newspapers and magazines. Therefore, these skills partially will be assessed by your mastery of the concepts presented in Lapsing into a Comma, by Bill Walsh of The Washington Post. You will be given a grammar/usage/writing test based on the book early in the semester. If you do poorly on it, you will re-take the test toward the end of the semester.

Feature quizzes:
Quizzes will be given on most of the features required from the textbook, as well as a few that your instructor will give as handouts. The quizzes will test for your knowledge of the factual information in the article as well as writing style and techniques. You may be asked to critique the feature in detail as part of the quiz, applying information from textbook chapters and class lectures. Read the feature carefully and take notes on both the information and your impression.