Journalism

Journalism I

COURSE NUMBER 1703

In a high school journalism class, students move from being passive consumers of media to active, ethical creators. The focus is on finding the "truth" and communicating it effectively across various platforms.

Foundational Reporting Skills

• Defining News: Learning the "News Values" (Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict, etc.) to determine what stories are worth telling.

• The Inverted Pyramid: Mastering the structural art of placing the most critical information at the top of a story.

• Interviewing: Developing the "soft skills" to ask open-ended questions and build rapport with sources.

• Fact-Checking: Learning the rigors of verification to avoid libel and maintain public trust.

Journalistic Writing & Style

• AP Style: Adhering to the Associated Press Stylebook for consistent grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

• Lead (Lede) Writing: Crafting compelling opening sentences that hook the reader while delivering the "5 W’s and H" (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How).

• Feature Writing: Learning to write longer, more descriptive narrative pieces that focus on the "human interest" side of news.

• Opinion & Editorial: Understanding the difference between objective reporting and persuasive writing, including how to build an evidence-based argument.

Law, Ethics, and Literacy

• First Amendment Studies: Exploring the rights and limitations of student speech and the press.

• Media Literacy: Analyzing news sources for bias, "fake news," and logical fallacies.

• Journalistic Ethics: Navigating "gray areas" using the SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists) Code of Ethics.

Digital & Visual Literacy

• Caption Writing: Writing "cutlines" that provide context beyond what is visible in a photograph.

• Mobile Journalism: Using smartphones to capture high-quality audio, video, and photos for immediate digital publication.

• Headline Design: Creating "click-worthy" but honest headlines that perform well in search engines.