Anne-Marie Cusac
Assistant Professor
Roosevelt University
Communication
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| Office |
Chicago Campus |
Schaumburg Campus |
| Room |
505J
(Gage Bldg.)
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808c |
| Phone |
312-281-3225
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847-619-8592
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| Hours |
M 4-6, W. 4-6, and by appointment |
by appointment |
| E-mail |
acusac@roosevelt.edu |
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| Classes Taught |
Magazine Writing
Magazine Production
War and Media
Communication in the Information Age
Advanced Reporting Methods
News Reporting
Topic: Exploring InvestigationsClick here to browse my folders and files
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| Bio |
Anne-Marie Cusac, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, is. a George Polk Award-winning journalist. For ten years, she was an editor and investigative reporter for The Progressive magazine. Cusac won the George Polk Award for her article “Stunning Technology,” an investigation of the use of the stun belt in U.S. prisons. She has won the Project Censored Award three times—in 1997, for “Shock Value: U.S. Stun Devices Pose Human-Rights Risk,” in 1998, for “Nuclear Spoons: Hot Metal May Find its Way to Your Dinner Table,” and again in 2003 for “Brazen Bosses.” She has also been recognized with a second-place John Bartlow Martin Award, and a 2002 Milwaukee Press Club Award for magazine reporting.
Cusac's nonfiction book, Cruel and Unusual: The Culture of Punishment in America, was published by Yale University Press in 2009. Cusac is also the author of two books of poetry: The Mean Days (Tia Chucha, 2001) and Silkie (Many Mountains Moving, 2007).
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| JOUR 355/455 syllabus, fall 2009 |
JOUR 355-24/455-24
MAGAZINE WRITING
Roosevelt University
Fall 2009
Mon., 6:00-8:30 p.m., Chicago Campus, Gage Building Room 509
Instructor: Anne-Marie Cusac, Department of Communication Assistant Professor
Phone: (847) 619-8592 (Robin Campus, Schaumburg), (312) 281-3225 (Chicago Campus)
e-mail: acusac@roosevelt.edu (I am easily available by e-mail.)
Office hours:
Monday, 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, 4-6 p.m., room 505 J, Chicago Campus.
And by appointment.
Course description:
From the catalog: Research and writing of articles for the contemporary magazine.
Prerequisites: JOUR 220
This course aims to equip you with the skills you need to write for magazines. During the semester, you will acquire knowledge of the magazine industry, magazine styles and structures, and magazine audiences. Our explorations will include mainstream news and consumer magazines, but also ethnic and minority magazines and the alternative press. You will practice developing story ideas with particular publications and audiences in mind. You will practice in-depth research, reporting, and interviews, and you will learn how to tell a nonfiction story. You will learn to be cognizant of diversity, cultural awareness, and fairness issues in magazine reporting, design, and editing. Finally, you will learn how to write an effective query letter.
This is an intensive and challenging course. It encourages you to develop your critical faculties, to hone your interview skills, and to become skillful reporters and eloquent writers. This course considers close, careful reading and regular writing and reporting practice as an integral part of the preparation of any magazine journalist.
This course will require weekly writing and will place significant emphasis on revision. This work, while demanding, will also teach the rewards of regular writing.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, you should have
1. A basic comprehension of magazines as an industry.
2. An awareness of different magazine audiences and a sense of how to approach them as a writer.
3. An understanding of the basic structure of most magazines.
4. The ability to develop story ideas for specific magazines and their audiences.
5. Practice in research techniques and interview skills necessary for different kinds of magazine writing.
6. The ability to report and write longer stories that use such techniques as extensive reporting and narrative.
7. The ability to write a thoughtful query letter appropriate to both your project and the magazine where you are seeking publication.
Books
The Best American Magazine Writing 2008
Selected online resources and handouts
(In resource library: The Chicago Manual of Style)
Assignments
1. Written assignments
You will complete two major written assignments: a short department piece (book review, opinion piece, cultural criticism, etc.) and a longer magazine feature. You will also write two query letters to magazines pitching your articles. In addition, you will complete five take-home writing assignments and numerous ungraded in-class written exercises.
2. Discussions, workshops, and presentations
Discussions of the examples of work by practicing reporters are critical to your development as a writer. I expect all members of the class to participate in discussions. Such participation is a significant portion of your grade.
Finally, during the last weeks of class, you will each be responsible for a presentation of a magazine idea you have designed. Your design should include a magazine title, profiles of your editorial aims and your intended audience, a table of contents with brief descriptions of each article, and sample stories from at least two sections of your magazine. I will provide guidance on this project during the semester.
3. Quizzes
You will take two quizzes on style based on The Chicago Manual of Style. There may also be current events quizzes.
4. Revisions
You will turn in two substantial revisions—of your feature and your department articles—in the last weeks of class.
Good writing and revision are inseparable, and I expect you to revise your work for this class. Some of the assignments require revisions, but for those take-home writing assignments without required revisions, you are welcome to submit a rewrite if you do so one week after you receive your grade. If significantly improved, your revision can lift your assignment grade by one letter.
5. Make certain that you are keeping up on the news. Good magazine reporters rely on print, radio, online, and television news as sources for their own stories. Examples of news sources: The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, WGN radio, Public radio, BBC television or online edition, foreign newspapers in English such as the London Guardian of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn . . .. There are also online editions of many of these publications and broadcasts. We may have periodic current events quizzes.
6. Graduate Students
If you are a graduate student, then, in addition to the course requirements listed above and below, you are responsible for one in-depth, extended written magazine project to be determined in consultation with me at the beginning of the semester. The project will include an outline, list of sources, reporting plan, first draft, and edited draft. The final revision will be due on the last day of class.
In addition, graduate students will also be responsible for leading some discussions on current news items that could lead to magazine story ideas. Please come to my office hours or arrange to meet with me during the first three weeks of class in order to make plans for both your written and your oral projects.
Class Policies
Late work
Editors of magazines depend on reporters to submit their work on time. If you turn in late work to a magazine, your behavior can have a disastrous effect on your career. Given the importance of on-time writing to magazine journalism, tardy work will lose an entire letter grade for every week that it is late.
Absences
Please communicate with me as early as possible in advance of any planned absence. In case of emergency, you may contact me by e-mail on the day of class. Lateness and/or unexcused absences will result in a lower grade. I expect you to make up any work you miss. You should make preparations to obtain notes and other information that you miss in class from your fellow students.
Noise
Please turn off any pagers, music players, or cell phones during class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, invention of sources or information, and the borrowing of quotes without attribution will not be tolerated in this course, just as it is not tolerated in media careers. Please familiarize yourself with the Roosevelt University policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty, which is attached to this syllabus. It is also available at: http://www.roosevelt.edu/plagiarism/default.htm.
Accommodation of students with disabilities
Any student with a disability requiring any special accommodation in this class (class lectures, assignments, taking tests, etc.) should speak with the teacher and/or the Academic Success Center as soon as possible. We are committed to providing all students with the support and services needed. However, registration with the office of Disability Services is imperative. Learn more online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/dss/default.htm .
Preparing your assignments
Your assignments should be typewritten, double-spaced, and proofread. Please send me an electronic copy of your papers, in addition to the hard copy you turn in during class.
Assignments
All assignments should by typed and double-spaced and should be written in the appropriate magazine style. See the Chicago Manual for style questions.
Grading
Quizzes: 10%
Department Story: 20%
Feature Story: 20%
Query Letters: 10%
Take-home assignments: 10%
Final project: 20%
Discussion: 10%
Standards
A: Stories need almost no editing and are of publishable quality
B: Stories are acceptable in quality, but need editing
C: Stories are average in quality, but need more reporting and editing
D: Below-average stories that need major editing and re-reporting
F: Seriously flawed stories with problems in style, factual errors, and holes in their reporting. Make sure you fact-check your stories. Factual errors can give you a failing grade.
Although I give letter grades, these correspond to numerical values. These are:
A 4.0 B- 2.67 D+ 1.3
A-3.67 C+ 2.33 D 1.0
B+ 3.33 C 2.0 D- 0.67
B 3.0 C- 1.67 F 0
Note: I will provide comments on your in-class assignments but will not grade them.
Withdrawal
The last day to withdraw from the course with a grade of W is Nov. 5. If you withdraw by that date, your grade for the course will be a “W” for withdrawal. After that date, if you wish to withdraw from the course, you will need to petition the registrar for late withdrawal. If you have any issues or concerns about succeeding in this class, please talk to your teacher.
Tentative Class Schedule
Week One, August 31
Introduction
Magazines, audiences, and mission statements
Magazine styles and structures
How to investigate a magazine
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “Introduction,” by Jacob Weisberg, pp. xi-xiv.
Take-home assignment (ungraded)
No Class September 7 for Labor Day
Week Two, September 14
Bring chosen magazines to class
Mini-presentations: observations from your magazine investigations
History of magazines
Interview techniques
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: Playboy Mother Jones, and Progressive interviews; review the Chicago Manual of Style
http://www.playboy.com/magazine/20q_archive/playboys20questions.html
(This site will give you only the last several years of Playboy interviews. To get more—and there are many older strong interviews on the site—type “20Q” into the search engine for the web site. There are also several different book collections of Playboy interviews.)
www.progressive.org (type the word “interview” into the search engine)
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2006/03/interviews.html (type the word “interview” into the search engine)
Week Three, September 21
Quiz on Chicago Manual
Profile writing
How to generate ideas, find a story and start developing it
How to choose an angle
What separates ordinary writers from excellent ones?
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “Present at the Creation,” by Matthew Scully, pp. 49-76
Take-home assignment
Begin feature story research
Week Four, September 28
The graceful query and how to talk to an editor
How to get sued, and how to avoid it
Your rights as an author, contracts
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Chicago Manual; The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “Casualties of War,” by Steve Oney, pp. 453-490
Department story idea due
Week Five, October 5
Second quiz on The Chicago Manual of Style
Descriptive writing
Feature story idea due
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: “You Have Thousands of Angels Around You,” by Paige Williams, pp. 157-188
Take home assignment
Week Six, October 12
Effective, detailed reporting and writing
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “Betrayed,” by George Packer, pp. 327-376
Take-home assignment
Week Seven, October 19
Investigative, social justice, and public interest stories
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008; The Black Sites by Jane Mayer, pp. 77-106
Week Eight, October 26
Reviews and cultural criticism
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “Babes in the Woods,” by Caitlin Flanagan, pp. 377-394
Week Nine, November 2
Culture writing, continued
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “The Autumn of the Multitaskers,” by Walter Kirn, pp. 307-326
Take-home assignment
Week Ten, November 9
Essays and nonfiction stories
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: “I Am Joe’s Prostate,” by Thomas E. Kennedy, pp. 427-444
Graduate Students: The first draft of your final project is due today.
Week Eleven, November 16
First-person narrative
In-class writing exercise
Reading assignment: The Best American Magazine Writing, 2008, “So Many Men’s Rooms, So Little Time,” by Christopher Hitchens, pp. 491-496; “Obama’s Moment,” by Matt Tabibi, 189-198; and “American Roulette,” by Kurt Andersen, 445-452
Take-home assignment
Week Twelve, November 23
Columns and editorials
Department story first draft due
Week Thirteen, November 30
Feature story first draft due
Department story query letter due
Week Fourteen, December 7
Presentations
Feature story query letter due
Department story final draft due
Week Fifteen, December 14
Presentations
Closing day, debriefing, what else do you want to know?
Grad Student final projects due
Feature story final draft due
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| JOUR 411 Syllabus, fall 2009 |
JOUR 411-10
ADVANCED REPORTING METHODS
Roosevelt University
Fall 2009
W 6:00-8:30 p.m., Chicago Campus, Gage Building 507
Instructor: Anne-Marie Cusac, Department of Communication Assistant Professor
Phone: (312) 281-3225 (Chicago Campus)
e-mail: acusac@roosevelt.edu (I am easily available by e-mail.)
Office hours:
Monday, 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, 4-6 p.m., room 505 J, Chicago Campus.
And by appointment.
Course description:
This course takes students beyond the reporting preparation offered in more basic courses, and includes introductions to math for journalism, computer-assisted reporting and database analysis, developing a beat, research methods, and investigations. Students will also learn more advanced techniques for story development, interviewing, and uncovering primary documents. Students will choose and explore a beat, then use that beat to develop leads, research, and write an investigative story. The course also provides students with reading knowledge of a range of investigative journalism. We will read deeply as reporters—learning techniques, strategies, and writing styles from the best practitioners of the journalistic craft. We will explore this work as potential beat and investigative reporters ourselves, attempting to understand how the journalists we study found their stories and reported them. We will attend to such common issues as: story complications, ethical and legal questions, and the role (or problem) of narrative and style in investigative work. Having developed both a beat and an analytical strategy for considering the work of established investigative journalists, students will carry out investigations of their own.
From the catalog: Use of statistics, census data, and original research in journalistic writing; emphasis on social science and computer research methodology and on advanced reporting techniques.
Prerequisites: JOUR 405
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, you should have
1. A basic comprehension of statistics and math for journalism.
2. An awareness of computer-assisted reporting programs and how these can bolster stories.
3. An understanding of in-depth research and interviewing techniques.
4. The ability to develop story ideas, cover a beat, and use your beat to develop investigations.
5. Practice in research techniques and interview skills necessary for both beat and investigative reporting.
6. The ability to write clearly, concisely, and gracefully in beat stories and in longer, in-depth investigative forms.
Books
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, Houston et. al., Fifth Edition
News and Numbers, Cohn and Cope, Second Edition
Selected online resources and handouts
Assignments
1. Written assignments
You will complete four beat stories. You will also develop, research, and write an investigative article.
2. Discussions, workshops, and presentations
Discussions of the examples of work by practicing reporters are critical to your development as a writer. I expect all members of the class to participate in discussions. Such participation is a significant portion of your grade.
Each student will do four presentations—a presentation on leading economic indicators, a presentation on a chapter from The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, a brief presentation and discussion of the paper trail assignment, and a final report on the outcome of the student’s own investigative project. I will provide guidance on these projects during the semester.
3. Exams and Quizzes
The course includes a midterm exam. There may also be current events quizzes.
4. Revisions
You will turn in at least two substantial revisions—
Good writing and revision are inseparable, and I expect you to revise your work for this class. You are required to complete a revision of your investigative story, and of one beat reporting assignment of your choosing. In addition, for those writing assignments without required revisions, you are welcome to submit a rewrite if you do so one week after you receive your grade. If significantly improved, your revision can lift your assignment grade by one letter.
5. Make certain that you are keeping up on the news. Good reporters rely on print, radio, online, and television news as sources for their own stories. Examples of news sources: The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, WGN radio, Public radio, BBC television or online edition, foreign newspapers in English such as the London Guardian of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn . . .. There are also online editions of many of these publications and broadcasts.
Class Policies
Late work
Editors depend on reporters to submit their work on time. Given the importance of on-time writing to journalism, tardy work will lose an entire letter grade for every week that it is late.
Stories do sometimes run into troubles—sources who won’t talk, inaccessible documents, etc. If and when you hit such bumps in your project, you should get in touch with me as soon as possible, just as you would an editor.
Absences
Please communicate with me as early as possible in advance of any planned absence. In case of emergency, you may contact me by e-mail on the day of class. Lateness and/or unexcused absences will result in a lower grade. I expect you to make up any work you miss. You should make preparations to obtain notes and other information that you miss in class from your fellow students.
Noise
Please turn off any pagers, music players, or cell phones during class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, invention of sources or information, and the borrowing of quotes without attribution will not be tolerated in this course, just as such behavior is not tolerated in media careers. Please familiarize yourself with the Roosevelt University policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty, which is attached to this syllabus. It is also available at: http://www.roosevelt.edu/plagiarism/default.htm.
Accommodation of students with disabilities
Any student with a disability requiring any special accommodation in this class (class lectures, assignments, taking tests, etc.) should speak with the teacher and/or the Academic Success Center as soon as possible. We are committed to providing all students with the support and services needed. However, registration with the office of Disability Services is imperative. Learn more online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/dss/default.htm
Preparing your assignments
Your assignments should be typewritten, double-spaced, and proofread. Please send me an electronic copy of your papers, in addition to the hard copy you turn in during class.
Grading
Your final grade will be based on:
Your beat reporting assignments 20 percent
Other assignments, including weekly questions 10 percent
Your investigation 35 percent
Your midterm 15 percent
Your attendance, participation, and professionalism 20 percent
Standards
A: Stories need almost no editing and are of publishable quality
B: Stories are acceptable in quality, but need editing
C: Stories are average in quality, but need more reporting and editing
D: Below-average stories that need major editing and re-reporting
F: Seriously flawed stories with problems in style, factual errors, and holes in their reporting. Make sure you fact-check your stories. Factual errors can give you a failing grade.
Note: I will provide comments on any in-class assignments but will not grade them.
Although I give letter grades, these correspond to numerical values. These are:
A 4.0 B- 2.67 D+ 1.33
A-3.67 C+ 2.33 D 1.0
B+ 3.33 C 2.0 D- 0.67
B 3.0 C- 1.67 F 0
Note: I will provide comments on your in-class assignments but will not grade them.
Withdrawal
The last day to withdraw from the course with a grade of W is Nov. 5. If you withdraw by that date, your grade for the course will be a “W” for withdrawal. After that date, if you wish to withdraw from the course, you will need to petition to registrar for late withdrawal.
Tentative Class Schedule (We are likely to have several class speakers, who will discuss beat reporting, database analysis, and investigative reporting. These events may cause adaptations to the schedule.)
Week One, September 2
Introduction
What is beat reporting? What is investigative reporting? What is not investigative? Where do you find investigative reporting? Active reading and watching, reading like a journalist. A.I.R. discussion
Reading assignment:
Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapters 1 and 2
Pulitzer Prize selection: www.pulitzer.org
2002 prize in investigative reporting, Sari Horwitz, Scott Higham and Sarah Cohen of Washington Post
2000 prize in public service, Katherine Boo of The Washington Post
For Next Week: Figure out what economic indicators are and be prepared to tell us. Use a reliable source for the information and record the source.
Week Two, September 9
How in the world do I find my own good investigative story? Developing your beat
A basic primer on watchdog journalism. Finding a story where you least expect it.Finding a story when you’re used to the turf. Getting started. A.I.R. discussion
Presentation:
Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 13
In-class exercise
Begin story and beat research
Reading assignment:
Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapters 3 and 5
Pulitzer Prize selection: www.pulitzer.org
2004 winner in public service, David Barstow and Lowell Bergman of The New York Times
2009 winner in public service, Alexandra Berzon of the New York Sun
For Next Week: Bring chosen investigative article to class.
Your beat memo and your investigative leads are due next week
Week Three, September 16
Doing a press check. Intro to the IRE website and the Reporter’s desktop. Background research: how to do it, how much to do, and when to move on. How to choose an angle. What separates ordinary reporters from excellent ones? A.I.R. discussion
Due: Your investigative leads and your beat memo
In-class exercise
Presentation:
Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 11
Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 19
Reading assignment:
Read Phil Meyer on statistics: http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/book/
[This is a downloadable book, which is well worth your reading time. For the purposes of this class, you can skip the preface, and chapters 4, 8, and 10]
Week Four, September 23
Initial interviews. How deep do you go? What to save for later. Who to save for later
A.I.R. discussion
In-class exercise
Presentation:
The Investigative Reporter’ Handbook, chapter 9
The Investigative Reporter’ Handbook, chapter 21
Reading assignment:
News and Numbers, chapters 10 and 11
For Next Week:
Your investigative proposal and reporting plan are due next week
Your first beat story is due next week
Week Five, September 30
Sources you might not consider. Building the document trail. Primary vs. secondary sources. A.I.R. discussion
Due: Your investigative proposal and your reporting plan
Your first beat story
In-class exercise
Presentation The Investigative Reporter’ Handbook, chapter 16
Reading assignment:
The Investigative Reporter’ Handbook, chapter 7
Census Reading (handout)
Pulitzer Prize selection
2008 winner in Public Service, Dana Priest and Anne Hall of Washington Post
2005 winner in public service, Los Angeles Times series
For Next Week:
An outline of your planned investigative report is due next week
Your second beat story is due next week
Week Six, October 7
Effective, detailed reporting
The golden source, or just how good does that source have to be?
That many sources? Really?
Those tricky, important interviews: How to get and keep a critical source
A.I.R. discussion
Due: Beat story #2; outline of your investigative report
In-class exercise
Presentation:
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 10
NO READING THIS WEEK—Prepare for your exam
For next week:
Your mid-term exam is next week
Week Seven, October 14
How to sift the important details from everything else. Introduction to computer-assisted reporting. A.I.R. discussion.
Mid-term exam
In-class exercise
Reading assignment:
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 6
Pulitzer Prize Selection:
2005 winner in national reporting, Walt Bogdanich of New York Times
2008 winner in investigative reporting, Walt Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of The New York Times; Staff of Chicago Tribune
For next week:
Beat story #3 is due next week
Week Eight, October 21
Individual conferences. Interviewing strategies
Due: Beat story #3
In-class exercise
Presentation
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 8
Reading assignment:
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 4
Pulitzer Prize selection: www.pulitzer.org
2008 winner in National Reporting,
Jo Becker and Barton Gellman of The Washington Post
2007 winner in National Reporting
Charlie Savage of The Boston Globe
2005 winner in investigative reporting
Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week, Portland, Ore.
For Next Week:
Any revisions of your first papers are due next week
A summary of your discoveries for the investigative report is due next week
Beat story #4 is due next week
Week Nine, October 28
Fun with FOIA
How to deal with a reluctant source
A.I.R. discussion
Due:
Beat story #4
In-class exercise
Presentation
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 14
Reading assignment:
Pulitzer Prize selection: 2004 winner in national reporting, Staff of Los Angeles Times
2003 winner in investigative reporting: Clifford J. Levy of New York Times
For next week: The lead paragraphs to your investigative article is due next week
The paper trail assignment and presentation is due next week
Week Ten, November 4
How to structure your investigative story
Aesthetic questions and investigative journalism
Temptations, questions, and violations: ethical travails and troubles in investigative reporting
A.I.R. discussion
Due: The lead paragraphs to your investigative article
In-class exercise
Presentation:
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 15
Reading assignment:
Pulitzer Prize selection:
2007 winner in public service, the staff of the Wall Street Journal
Week Eleven, November 11
A.I.R. discussion. How to know if you’ve really got the goods
In-class exercise
Presentation:
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 12
Reading assignment:
Pulitzer Prize selection: www.pulitzer.org
2007 winner in investigative reporting, Brett Blackledge of The Birmingham (AL) News
2000 winner in beat reporting, George Dohrmann of St. Paul Pioneer Press
For Next Week:
Your investigative report is due next week
Week Twelve, November 18
A.I.R. discussion
Due: Your investigative report
Presentation: The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 18
Reading assignment:
Pulitzer Prize selection: www.pulitzer.org
1998 winner in investigative reporting, Gary Cohn and Will Englund of Baltimore Sun
No class November 25, for Thanksgiving
Week Thirteen, December 2
Presentation: The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 20
Presentations of your projects begin
Reading assignment:
Seymour Hersh’s Abu Ghraib reporting
David Protess and his students
Week Fourteen, December 9
Presentations of your projects
For next week: your revision of your investigative story and any revisions of your papers are due next week.
Week Fifteen, December 16
Presentations of your projects
Due: revision of your investigative report, any paper revisions
Presentation: The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, chapter 17
Closing day, debriefing, what else do you want to know?
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| JOUR 390/450, spring 2009 |
JOUR 390/450-01
Special Topics: War and Media
Roosevelt University
Spring 2009
Fri. 9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Chicago Campus, Gage Building 108
Instructor: Anne-Marie Cusac, Department of Communication Assistant Professor
Phone: 847-619-8592 (Robin Campus, Schaumburg), 312 281-3225 (Chicago Campus)
e-mail: acusac@roosevelt.edu (I am easily available by e-mail.)
Office hours: Chicago, Gage Building room 505J: Tuesday, 4-6 p.m., Friday, 1-2 PM
Schaumburg, Room 808C: Saturday, 12-1 p.m.
And by appointment
Course description:
From the Catalog: Course content varies by semester but always focuses on current issues and/or diversity, alternative media, and social justice as they relate to media.
This course explores the rich, varied, and sometimes troubled relationship between war and media. We will read deeply in the writings of war correspondents, both past and contemporary, as well as political pamphlets, investigative stories, and the alternative press. We will consider war photography, war ads, war propaganda, as well as television, radio, and film evocations of conflict. In doing so, we will cultivate an awareness of the many roles media can play in a time of war. We will explore this work as aware citizens and as reporters ourselves. We will attend to such common issues as: story complications, access to both the conflict and to powerful sources (and the compromises that can result from those), ethical and legal questions, and the role (or problem) of narrative and style in war reporting. Having developed an analytical strategy for considering the work of media in wartime, students will conduct their own reported stories on a current conflict. We will also have visits by guest speakers. Our guests will discuss their individual specialty areas, such as propaganda, document research, or photojournalism in relation to war and to media treatments of war.
Prerequisites:
Undergraduate students: JOUR 220 with a minimum grade of C and one additional 300-level course.
Graduate students: JOUR 405
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, you should have
1. An understanding of the range and history of media responses to war.
2. A greater understanding of how the media, the government and the military interact during war time, and how these interactions have changed since the time of the first war correspondents.
3. Increased familiarity with important genres in war media including on-site reporting, human-interest, investigative journalism, as well as persuasive pamphlets, analyses, and opinion pieces.
4. The ability to read media responses to war closely and critically, with an eye to craft, techniques, sources, formal considerations, aesthetics, objectivity, bias, access, and ethical concerns.
5. The ability to analyze critically the relationship between images and meanings in wartime ads, cartoons, photographs, propaganda, televised and film images, and other visual materials.
6. Knowledge of ethical and other challenges pertinent to War and Media. The ability to apply such principles to your own work.
7. The ability to write both a journalistic account of war from the home front and a critical paper analyzing important book-length or comparable works of wartime journalism or other media.
8. The capacity to understand and apply knowledge of the First Amendment and its legal and theoretical principles to the topic of war and media.
9. The ability to use high-quality critical, independent, and creative thought in relation to the topic of war and media.
Texts
• Phillip Knightley, The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Iraq, 3rd edition (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004).
• Selected online resources and photocopies
• Outside primary text research
• At least two book-length volumes, or their equivalent, chosen from the bibliography I will provide you or determined in consultation with me.
1. Written assignments
You will complete two major written assignments: a reported story and a critical analysis of two book-length works. You will do your reported project in several pieces, so that you have an understanding of my expectations.
Similarly, a shorter version of the paper, concentrating only one book, will prepare you to proceed to the longer comparison-contrast of two books in the second paper. I will expect you to incorporate the first paper into the second.
In addition, you will do biweekly brief analyses of primary text research for class.
2. Discussions, workshops, and presentations
Discussions of primary text examples of wartime media are critical to your development as journalists and critics of media. I expect all members of the class to participate in discussions. Such participation is a significant portion of your grade.
Each week, students will bring in examples of either historical primary text media or contemporary war media and will discuss their offerings with the class. I expect students to offer their perceptions of the news in relation to their developing stories.
Finally, during the last weeks of class, you will each be responsible for two presentations of the work in your ongoing projects: both the report and the critical paper. I will provide guidance on these projects during the semester.
3. Quizzes
There may be current events quizzes.
4. Revisions
You will turn in a substantial revision of your reported feature in the last week of class.
Good writing and revision are inseparable, and I expect you to revise your work for this class. You will also have the opportunity to revise your critical papers. You are welcome to submit a rewrite if you do so one week after you receive your grade. If significantly improved, your revision can lift your assignment grade by one letter.
5. Make certain that you are keeping up on the news. Good reporters rely on print, radio, online, and television news as sources for their own stories. Examples of news sources: The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, WGN radio, Public radio, BBC television or online edition, foreign newspapers in English such as the London Guardian of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn. . . . There are also online editions of many of these publications and broadcasts.
Make sure that you are also trolling the unexpected places for examples of wartime media. I will provide guidance in the first weeks of class on how to do this.
6. Graduate Students
If you are a graduate student, then, in addition to the course requirements listed above and below, you are responsible for an additional written project to be determined in consultation with me at the beginning of the semester.
In addition, graduate students will also be responsible for leading some discussions. Please come to my office hours or arrange to meet with me during the first three weeks of class in order to make plans for both your written and your oral projects.
Class Policies
Late work
Editors depend on reporters to submit their work on time. Given the importance of on-time writing to journalism, tardy work will lose an entire letter grade for every week that it is late.
Reported stories do sometimes run into troubles—sources who won’t talk, inaccessible documents, etc. If and when you hit such bumps in your project, you should get in touch with me as soon as possible, just as you would an editor.
Absences
Please communicate with me as early as possible in advance of any planned absence. In case of emergency, you may contact me by e-mail on the day of class. Lateness and/or unexcused absences will result in a lower grade. I expect you to make up any work you miss. You should make preparations to obtain notes and other information that you miss in class from your fellow students.
Noise
Please turn off any pagers or cell phones during class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, invention of sources or information, and the borrowing of quotes without attribution will not be tolerated in this course, just as such activities are not tolerated in media careers. Please familiarize yourself with the Roosevelt University policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty, which is attached to this syllabus. It is also available at: http://www.roosevelt.edu/plagiarism/default.htm.
Preparing your assignments
Your assignments should be typewritten, double-spaced, and proofread. You should write your reported project in either A.P. or Chicago Manual style (please specify which) and your paper in APA style. Please send me an electronic copy of your papers, in addition to the hard copy you turn in during class.
Grading
Paper 1: 20 %
Paper 2: 20%
Reported story: 20%
Weekly assignments: 15%
Major presentations: 10%
Discussion and attendance: 15%
Quality Point Values Assigned to Grades
A 4.00
A - 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.00
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.00
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.00
D- 0.67
F 0
Standards
A work is well-written and carefully structured, coherent, and contains original observations and arguments. A work contains few spelling and grammatical problems and makes use of standard source attribution
B work shows troubles in one of the above areas.
C work exhibits weaknesses in more than one of the above areas to an extent that the problems decrease the quality of the work overall.
D work shows problems in all of the above areas, or its difficulties in one or more areas are so considerable that they bring the overall quality of the written project down to below the average for students at this level.
F work either has grave problems in all areas listed above or does not satisfy the assignment.
Withdrawal
The last day to withdraw from the course with a grade of W is Monday, April 6.
Accommodation of students with disabilities
Students with disabilities or other conditions that require special accommodations should let me know or contact the Academic Success Center/Office of Disability Services at (312) 341-3810 as soon as possible.
Tentative Class Schedule (open to change depending on the availability of our visitors, etc.)
Week 1, January 30
Introduction to the class and to “The Fog of War.” Reading “Custer’s Last Stand”
Assignments: Group 1 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 2 current media
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, preface and Chapters 1 and 2
Week 2, February 6
The Beginning of the War Correspondent and War Photojournalism:
The Crimean War and the U.S. Civil War
Assignments: Group 2 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 1 current media
Begin story research and bring in your lead next week
Choose your first book
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 3 and 4
Week 3, February 13
The “Golden Age” and the Boer War
Due: Your leads
Title of book for first analytical paper
Assignments: Group 1 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 2 current media
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 5 and 6
Week 4, February 20
World War I
Assignments: Group 1 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 2 current media
Your proposal for your reported story is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 7 and 8
Week 5, February 27
The Russian Revolution and the Second Italo–Abyssinian War
Due: Your proposal for your reported story
Assignments: Group 2 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 1 current media
An outline of your reported story is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 9 and 10
Week 6, March 6
The Spanish Civil War and the beginning of World War II
Due: Outline of your reported story
Assignments: Paper #1 is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 11 and 12
Week 7, March 13
World War II
Brief Presentations from your papers
Due: Paper #1
Assignments: Group 1 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 2 current media
A summary of your discoveries for the reported story is due next meeting (March 27).
Reading: for March 27, read The First Casualty, chapters 13 and 14
March 20 Spring Break! No Class
Week 8, March 27
World War II and the Korean War
Due: Summary of discoveries
Assignments: Group 2 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 1 current media
Bring the title of the second book for your final paper next week
Any revisions of your first papers are due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty chapters 15 and 16
And, in the Pulitzer Prizes, read: 2004 winner in investigative reporting Michael D. Sallah, Mitch Weiss and Joe Mahr of The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
Week 9, April 3
The Algerian War and Vietnam
Due: title of second book for final paper
Revision of paper 1 (optional)
Assignments: Group 1 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 2 current media
The lead paragraph to your reported article is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 17 and 18
And in the Pulitzer Prizes, read: 2003 winner in national reporting: Alan Miller and Kevin Sack of Los Angeles Times
Week 10, April 10
Vietnam and the Falklands Crisis
Due: The lead paragraph to your reported article
Assignments: Your reported article is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapters 19 and 20
Week 11 April 17
The Gulf War and the Balkans
Due: Your reported article
Assignments: Your second paper is due next week
Reading: for next week, read The First Casualty, chapter 21.
And, in the Pulitzer prizes, read:
the 2008 winner in Public Service, The Washington Post
the 2008 winner in International Reporting, The Washington Post
In The New Yorker, read:
Seymour Hersh, “Torture at Abu Ghraib” (http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/10/040510fa_fact)
Jane Mayer, “The Black Sites,” (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/13/070813fa_fact_mayer)
Jane Mayer, “The Memo” (http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02/27/060227fa_fact)
Week 12, April 24
The Iraq War and Occupation
Presentations
Due: Your second paper
Assignments: Group 2 Primary text scavenger hunt; Group 1 current media
Week 13, May 1
Presentations
For next week: your revision of your reported story and any revisions of your papers are due next week.
Week 14, May 8
Presentations
Due: your revision of your reported story and any revisions of your papers
Bio:
Anne-Marie Cusac, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, is. a George Polk Award-winning journalist. For ten years, she was an editor and investigative reporter for The Progressive magazine. Cusac won the George Polk Award for her article “Stunning Technology,” an investigation of the use of the stun belt in U.S. prisons. She has won the Project Censored Award three times—in 1997, for “Shock Value: U.S. Stun Devices Pose Human-Rights Risk,” in 1998, for “Nuclear Spoons: Hot Metal May Find its Way to Your Dinner Table,” and again in 2003 for “Brazen Bosses.” She has also been recognized with a second-place John Bartlow Martin Award, and a 2002 Milwaukee Press Club Award for magazine reporting.
Cusac is also the author The Mean Days, a book of poems published by Tia Chucha Press in 2001. A second book of poems, entitled Silkie, was published by Many Mountains Moving Press in 2007.
Cusac’s Cruel and Unusual: Punishment in America, is forthcoming from Yale University Press in March 2009.
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Roosevelt University
Chicago 430 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
Schaumburg
1400 N. Roosevelt Blvd, Schaumburg, IL 60173 |
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