Prerequisite
MEDPL 20200
Course description
This course teaches students how to report and write a variety of audio news stories and podcasts for a live radio newscast.
Students will be required to produce news content for a live radio broadcast. Each student will report, write and produce three audio stories as well as scripts for a one-hour live newscast produced by a team of four students. This newscast will showcase student work and air live on Hunter College’s radio station, WHCS (Where Hunter College Speaks). In addition, students will publish their work on their own website and use social media (Twitter: #hunterjourpgm, Instagram: hunterjourpgm, Facebook, and Snapchat) to promote their podcasts and team newscast.
Expected Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this class, students should be able to:
- Research, report, write and produce a wide range of podcasts including hard news, features and opinion journalism geared to a Hunter College audience
- Write and produce a live newscast
- Research and interview relevant sources
- Record nat sound and nat pops in the field
- Edit and mix sound elements with Adobe Audition to produce audio news stories
- Use social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat) to break news and promote podcasts and the live radio broadcast
- Demonstrate sound news judgment to achieve fairness, balance and diversity in all the coverage generated
Method of Evaluation
1. Hard News Podcast: 10 percent (5 percent-first draft, 5 percent-final draft)
You will research, pitch, report, write and produce a 1:30-2 minute podcast on a current and newsworthy issue or event that is relevant to a Hunter College audience.
2. Feature News Podcast: 10 percent (5 percent-first draft, 5 percent-final draft)
You will research, pitch, report, write and produce a 3-3:30 minute feature story that focuses on the arts or athletics at Hunter College and incorporates multiple sources and sounds to bring this story alive for the listener.
3. Opinion Journalism Podcast: 15 percent (5 percent-first draft, 10 percent-final draft)
You will research, pitch, write and produce a 4-4:30 minute opinion journalism podcast in the style of “This I Believe” on an issue relevant to a Hunter College audience. You will be required to meet one on one to review this podcast and talk about your final project during Week 12.
4. Quizzes: 5 percent
There will be five pop quizzes on current events, lectures and reading assignments worth 1 percent each.
5. Homework: 10 percent
There will be 10 homework assignments worth 1 percent each.
6. Final Project: 40 percent
You will work in a four-person team to produce a one-hour show for a live radio broadcast on Hunter College’s radio station, WHCS. You will be graded on the organization and quality of elements of your 15-minute individual segment: opening, taped or live interview, scripts setting up one or two of your podcasts, and a close that introduces the next host of the show. Your grade will also reflect the overall quality of the team broadcast.
7. Personal Website: 10 percent
You will publish all your podcasts and your team’s newscast on your personal website and include written introductions and visual elements to introduce and complement your audio.
If you don’t turn in your assignment at the start of class, you will lose a full letter grade (10 points) for every day the assignment is late. You are a day late if you turn in your assignment after the start of class on the day it is due, even if you turn it in later the same day, two days late on the following day, etc. After seven days, you’ll receive an F on the assignment.
On-time arrival at every class is also expected, so tardiness will lower your grade. Each late arrival after attendance is taken will reduce your final grade by 2.5 points. Attendance is expected and required. Each student will be allowed two unexcused absences for a class that meets twice a week. Each unexcused absence after those will result in a 5-point deduction from your final grade. Only legitimate and documented emergencies and serious illnesses will be considered for an excused absence. Official documentation must be presented the day you return to class.
Required Readings:
Alexander, Ray and Stewart, Peter, Broadcast Journalism: Techniques of Radio and Television News, Third Edition, Routledge Press (2016) chapters 16-19 on Blackboard
Geller, Valerie, Beyond Powerful Radio, Second Edition, Focal Press (2011)
Papper, Robert, Broadcast News Writing Stylebook, McGraw Hill Education (2012)
You are also required to listen to a wide range of radio programming on a daily basis, including NPR, SiriusXM, local radio and at least one podcast of your choice like “This American Life”, TED Radio Hour or Planet Money or Radiolab.
| Date | Weekly Topic | Readings | Assessments |
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Week 1:
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Course Introduction and Overview
History of Radio from Marconi to Present Day | Watch Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (director Ken Burns) and read Pew Research’s State of the News Media Report on Podcasting, Audio, and Public Broadcasting |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #1: Write a 500-word essay on the state of the radio industry. |
| Week 2: |
Writing tor Radio
Guest Speaker: WNYC reporter |
Listen to Debatable on Radiolab.org
Geller, chapter 17, 23 Papper, chapters 3-7 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #2: Write three news stories in broadcast style. |
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Week 3:
| Soundbites and Interviews | Geller, chapter 15 Papper, chapters 9-10 Alexander, chapter 17 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #3: Record three interviews on a Hunter College issue |
| Week 4: |
Audio Editing: multitrack non-linear editing
Guest Speaker: Sirius XM Engineer and Producer Anthony Smizaski | Alexander, chapter 18 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #4: Edit sound from your interviews into three soundbites |
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Week 5:
| Voice and Delivery | Geller, chapters 18, 24 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #5: Prepare a pitch for your hard news story |
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Week 6:
| Hard News Story Structure and Hard News Podcast pitches | Papper, chapters 8, 11 Alexander, chapter 16 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #6: Prepare a pitch for you feature story podcast |
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Week 7:
| Sports and Entertainment Programming and Feature Story Podcast Pitch | Papper, chapter 28 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #7: Write a 1-minute sports or entertainment segment for a newscast Hard News Podcast due |
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Week 8: |
In-class Critique Hard News Podcasts
Tour WNYC |
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Attendance and Participation
Homework #8: Prepare a pitch for your “This I Believe” podcast |
| Week 9: | Talk Shows and Opinion on the Radio and “This I Believe” Podcast Pitch | Geller, chapters 1-6 |
Attendance and Participation
Feature Story Podcast due. |
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Week 10:
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In-class Critique Features Story Podcasts
Guest Speaker on Powerful Radio: Valerie Geller, author of Beyond Powerful Radio |
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Attendance and Participation
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Week 11:
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Newscast Programming: Morning and Afternoon Drive | Geller, chapter 19, 25 |
Attendance and Participation
Opinion Journalism Podcast due |
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Week 12:
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Workshop on Final Project: Creating a rundown and writing scripts for a live broadcast
Mandatory one on one meetings during office hours to review “This I Believe” podcast and discuss final project |
Geller, chapter 11-12
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Attendance and Participation
Homework #9: Submit a rundown for your team newscast and schedule your live broadcast at WHCS during Week 14. |
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Week 13:
| Tour of WHCS and Rehearsals for Live Broadcast | Alexander, chapter 19 |
Attendance and Participation
Homework #10: Submit scripts for approval for your segment of your team newscast. |
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Week 14: |
Tour SiriusXM
Integrating Social Media into your podcasts and newscasts | Geller, chapter 28 |
Attendance and Participation
Final Drafts of all Podcasts and Team Newscast due (must air before last class.) |
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Week 15: | Class Party and re-broadcast of Live Newscasts during slot scheduled for final exam |
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Attendance and Participation
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