JOUR 531: Fall Digital News Immersion4 Units

Fall 2017 – 9-11:50 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays Section: 21547D Location: ANN: 409AB

Instructor: Shaya Tayefe Mohajer Office Hours: By appointment Contact Info: shayamohajer@gmail.com

Instructor: Tina PatelOffice Hours: By appointment

Contact Info: tina12patel@yahoo.com

Instructor: Alan MittelstaedtOffice Hours: By appointmentContact Info: amittels@usc.edu

I. Course DescriptionStudents will learn how to write, report, produce, publish and promote (through social media) multimedia stories they complete on a daily deadline in a Cross-Platform news environment. Students will develop these skills in their Fall Digital Immersion Course (a team-taught classroom environment) and in Annenberg’s Media Center (MC).

Students will have a multifaceted experience and emerge as versatile, self-sufficient reporter/producers/writers. They will also learn critical thinking, decision-making, ethical responsibility, teamwork and communication skills. The goal is for students to acquire a full set of storytelling tools that can be applied to any topic on almost any media platform as they move forward in the Master of Science curriculum and their professional careers.

II. Overall Learning Objectives and AssessmentBy the end of this course students will be able to produce work that is written and/or produced in a clear, concise, accurate, engaging and fair manner for a variety of media platforms that all use distinct writing styles and production techniques. Students will learn the right way to aggregate and curate information, develop sources and pitch stories. Instructors will introduce students to Data Visualization concepts, Data Journalism methods, Search Engine Optimization principles, Mobile Tools and Social Media Storytelling.

Besides in-class assignments and homework, students will turn in completed cross-platform field-reporting stories that meet MC and Fall Immersion requirements every week. Students

will also complete a Long-form Text Piece, a Midterm Project and a Final Project as part of the Fall Digital News Immersion.

III. Description of Assignments, Classwork and MC Shift Work

THE MEDIA CENTER (MC) EXPERIENCEM.S. students work weekly shift of at least eight consecutive hours in the MC on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Shifts begin with the morning editorial meeting, which may start at 8:15 a.m. or at the MC Faculty’s discretion. M.S. students are expected to be at the morning meeting on the day of their shift unless given permission to miss it by the MC Faculty or a senior MC Editor/Producer. During their MC shift, students will work in content coverage teams, rotating duties every week. For example, depending on the size of a student content team, a different student each week will take on the role of Text/Web, Video, Audio and Social Media reporters. Teams of three will share Social Media responsibilities.

In Week One of the fall semester, content teams will work with the MC faculty to draw up a master schedule that details each team member’s role every week. Every student will receive a copy so they know exactly what they are supposed to be doing on their assigned MC Shift day. By the end of Week One, every student needs to present their schedule (or a link to that schedule) to their Fall Immersion instructors.

Each week, students should plan on arriving at 9 a.m. sharp and joining the MC Morning Editorial Meeting in progress, but they are encouraged to come for the start of that meeting at 8:30 a.m. That discussion gives all students and content teams the chance to provide input into which stories are pursued and what role they may have in the coverage. And, to be frank, the early bird gets the better story. Teams may pitch stories before or at this meeting. Attendance at -- and completion of -- all MC shifts is required for a passing grade in this course.

At the start of each MC shift, content team members will confer with the outlet or desk to which they are responsible on that day. That may be Video (ATVN), Audio (ARN), Text/Digital (AnnenbergMedia.Com), Social Media and/or various topic desks within the MC. Students (and their team) may be asked to produce elements for one story or elements for several stories. Students must complete their work by the deadlines set by MC Faculty and Student Producer/Editors. Failure to meet deadlines will be communicated to Classroom Instructors and can result in a grade of “F” for the assignment(s) in question. Students and their content teams must stay in touch with the MC while on assignment and even those who post or publish elements from the field must return to the MC to complete most stories and check in with the Assignment Desk. Bottom Line: MS Student presence in the MC is required. There is no telecommuting in this course.

NOTE: You may work on Fall Immersion requirements in the MC on other days of the week if you have the time. You must arrange this ahead of time with the producers/editors at the outlet you wish to work for. All the same deadlines and story submission rules (see below in Section V) rules apply to any extra days you schedule in the MC.

About Content Teams: Teams will work together to cover a story for the MC and should help each other create deeper, more comprehensive stories. For example, a video interview may yield quotes that help an online text piece or a text interview may result in information that is needed for narration track in a video or audio piece. All content should be shared. The Text/Web reporter is the team leader each day and has the largest responsibility. That person must make sure that all required elements for the web site are delivered (in a usable fashion) by other team members. These elements could include video, audio, digital interactives/multimedia and infographics. In other words, if you are the Audio reporter, your job is not done with the radio broadcast. All reporters need to make sure that the web and other online/mobile/social platforms have the multimedia elements they need.

MC ASSIGNMENTS:All MS students must be primary authors of three assignments in five media areas over the course of the fall semester. This results in a total of fifteen assignments that must be done for the MC and then turned in to the Fall Immersion instructors for grading. A small number of these may possibly be completed in Week Two with Prof. Alan Mittlestaedt and in Week Three with Prof. Willa Seidenberg. Most work will be done when regular MC Shifts begin in Week 4. The MC assignments are:

VIDEO: THREE ASSIGNMENTS that require reporting, shooting, writing and editing for the daily broadcast. In order to fulfill the Fall Immersion Video requirements students must: --COMPLETE ONE DAY-OF-AIR REPORTER PACKAGE WITH ANCHOR INTRO, SOTS, A STANDUP AND VOICE TRACK--And at least TWO of the following:

--INTRO - VO - SOT- TAG (may be for an anchor or for a reporter live shot)--INTRO – SOTVO (may be for an anchor or for a reporter live shot)--INTRO - PACKAGE (another reporter package that may include live shot)--INTRO - NAT SOT PACKAGE for video broadcast.

NOTE: The only story forms you can do more than once are the REPORTER PACKAGE AND the NAT SOT PACKAGE. (Students may, with faculty permission, do video pieces for the magazine shows produced in the MC.) AUDIO: THREE ASSIGNMENTS that require reporting, collecting audio, writing and editing for a daily audio broadcast must be completed by the end of the Fall semester. In order to fulfill the Audio requirements students must: --COMPLETE ONE REPORTER DAY-OF-AIR PIECE WITH HOST INTRO, VOICE TRACK, AMBIENT, AND ACTUALITIES -- And at least TWO of the following:

--HOST INTRO WITH AUDIO Q&A --HOST INTRO WITH SOUND PORTRAIT --A LIVE ON-AIR HIT WITHIN A RADIO BROADCAST

--AN ANCHOR APP HIT/STORY NOTE: The only story forms you can do more than once are the REPORTER PIECE and the LIVE ON-AIR HIT(Students may, with faculty permission, submit podcast work produced in the MC if they are the reporter in a piece that is similar to those listed above.)

SOCIAL MEDIA: THREE ASSIGNMENTS that require reporting and producing content on a daily deadline for social media must be completed by the end of the Fall semester. Assignments may also involve incorporating social media and/or mobile tools into reporting for other stories when appropriate. Some assignments will be for MC Social Media Accounts. Others may be done on personal accounts. In order to fulfill the Social Media requirements students must:--COVER AT LEAST ONE STORY LIVE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA (this is not the same as a live broadcast hit)

--Live-Tweeting an event AND engaging an audience. It is not a one-way conversation as in broadcast.

--Use Facebook or Twitter Live to cover an event AND engage an audience. It is not a one-way

conversation as in broadcast.-- WRITE, SHOOT AND EDIT AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO for a non-broadcast platform. --And Complete at least ONE of the following:

--Publish an Instagram Story or a photo series on Instagram with accompanying copy that tells a story

(and is more than just a name, a locator and a hashtag. The number of photographs per series is up to the

MC Editors, but to qualify as a Fall Immersion requirement, a series should have at least 5 photos posted

over the course of the day/story coverage)--Tell a story using Snapchat that utilizes at least 5 snaps as part of your coverage.

TEXT: THREE ASSIGNMENTS that require reporting, interviewing, and writing on a daily deadline must be completed by the end of the Fall semester. All three assignments will be 500-1000 word articles for USCAnnenbergMedia.com. Students must follow web text best practices when writing AND reporting on a very tight timeframe. That means, at a bare minimum, all pieces (despite the daily deadline nature of this work) should include links and stills. Some may also require infographics, polls, quizzes, interactives, etc. (see below for more on this). The student Text Reporter in the content team should confer with his or her teammates and their editors about what other elements should be added (embedded audio or video, for example), but ultimately the student Text Reporter is responsible for making sure all the needed elements make it into the story. Any story that is text only (unless it is breaking news) will likely be rejected. Stories may be constantly updated, expanded and/or rewritten over the course of the day. The reporter must upload the story to the CMS and the story is not considered complete until a reporter participates in a one-on-one editing session with a web editor. THE MC

EDITORS WILL DETERMINE DAILY DEADLINES, BUT THE FIRST STORY SHELL IS DUE AT NOON. FINAL DRAFTS THAT ARE NOT TURNED IN BY 6 P.M. WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. REPORTERS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY UNTIL THE STORY IS PUBLISHED/POSTED.

MULTIMEDIA/GRAPHIC ELEMENTS: THREE ASSIGNMENTS that require reporting, designing and creating relevant graphics and multimedia interactives on a daily deadline that enhance a posted story on social media or USCAnnenbergMedia.com must be completed by the end of the Fall semester. Students can choose from a long list of story forms (from infographics to Google Maps to Juxtapose to TimelineJS) that will fulfill the Multimedia/Graphic Element requirements, but over the course of the semester, EACH MS STUDENT MUST COMPLETE AT LEAST ONE MULTIMEDIA INTERACTIVE AND ONE INFOGRAPHIC AS PART OF THEIR THREE REQUIREMENTS.

Students can and should complete more than one assignment during most MC shifts. For example, reporters may do a text piece with a digital element, an online video piece paired with text (or a digital element) or an audio piece that uses an infographic as part of the web presentation. The MC Faulty and your Classroom Instructors may offer advice on how to complete the assignments. They may also advise students to do more assignments in a particular medium or may advise them to focus on improving a specific set of skills. Students unsatisfied with a grade on an Assignment may do another similar assignment to try to raise their grade.

Since it is expected that students will do more than three of each type of story during the fall semester, you and your instructors will pick the three stories with the highest grade for each required assignment area. To be clear, that means that if you get a low grade, you can do another similar story and if you get a higher grade then that is the one that will count toward your requirements.

IMPORTANT: The Fall Immersion program is focused on producing original work. No assignments that are curation or aggregation work may be turned in for a grade.

A NOTE ON MC PUBLICATION: There are no guarantees that the MC will publish your shift work. You should strive to produce work on every shift that will be published, but if it does not meet MC standards then it will not be posted, streamed or aired. Students can still turn in completed (but not published) work to their Fall Immersion instructors for a grade, but they should be prepared to explain why the story was not accepted published. There is also a chance that technical difficulties, news events or other factors may result in a story being reduced (for example, from a broadcast news package to a vo-sot) or not being published/aired at all. This has happened to all professional journalists and students should still submit their completed work to their Fall Immersion instructors for grading with an explanation of what happened.

THE FALL DIGITAL IMMERSION CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

The classroom portion of this course will meet twice a week for direct instruction, writing drills, quizzes, in-class assignments, guest lectures, and a review of student work completed during the eight-hour MC shift. The first class of the week is designated as “A” and the second class of the week is designated as “B.” However, they are of equal importance and you must attend both classes each week.

In this course, the first half of the semester builds on the introductory text, digital, audio and video skills students learned in the Summer Digital News Immersion. The second half of the semester focuses on reporting specific types of stories, such as courts and crime.

News Quiz: Once a week (either in Class A OR Class B), an instructor will conduct a news quiz of five to 10 questions. They will consist of topics in the news that could be found online, in a newspaper, on TV or on radio. Students are responsible for maintaining the “news awareness” necessary to pass these quizzes.

Homework: Instructors will be assigning homework that must be completed by the stated deadline. When possible, instructors will go over submitted and/or graded homework in class.

Class Projects: Students pitch and produce a Midterm and Final Project during the Fall semester. The Midterm project must include text (a piece or series of pieces of at least 1200 words) and at least three multimedia elements. The Final Project must include text (a piece or series of pieces of at least 1500 words) and at least four multimedia elements. Multimedia elements include (but are not limited to): infographics, interactives, polls/quizzes, roll-overs, Google Maps, data visualizations, timelines, storymaps, soundcites, thinglink, etc. Students can focus on their areas of interest if they wish. They must just convince their instructors the story is worthy with a strong pitch. Students may also build their projects around the type of media they wish to work with. For example, students interested in audio/video may complete a news package with an accompanying Web article that includes expanded interviews and an infographic. Instructors have final say on the breakdown of projects and will make templates available to students.

Long-form Text Piece: Over the course of the fall semester, all students will also complete a longer text piece of at least 1,200 to 1,500 words. This piece may be done as part of a student’s Final Project or may be a stand-alone story that is pitched to the MC (or an outside outlet) for publication. This piece does NOT count toward the required MC shift assignments.

All students must complete the course evaluations and the MS Fall mid-term & final surveys. These must be done for a student to pass the course. No final class grade will be posted for a student until these are done.

IV. Gradinga. Breakdown of Grade

Assignment Points % of Grade

Weekly MC Shift Assignments (15 total) 20

Class Participation 10

Homework, In-Class Assignments and News Quizzes 15

Long-form Text Piece 10

Midterm Multimedia Project 20

Final Multimedia Project 25

Course Evaluation, Mid-semester & Final Survey, Self and Peer MC Content Team Review

Completed/Not Completed

Required To Pass Course

TOTAL 100%

b. Grading Scale95 to 100: A 77 to less than 80: C+ 60 to less than 63: D-

90 to less than 95: A- 73 to less than 77: C 0 to less than 60: F

87 to less than 90: B+ 70 to less than 73: C-

83 to less than 87: B 67 to less than 70: D+

80 to less than 83: B- 63 to less than 67: D

c. Grading StandardsAll assignments will be edited on a professional basis and, you will be judged first on the accuracy, fairness and objectivity of your stories. You will then be evaluated for broadcast style, editing, production value, originality and the ability to meet deadlines. Bottom line: the closer your stories are to air, publication or posting the higher the grade may be. The more editing a piece requires, the lower the grade may be.“A” stories are accurate, clear, comprehensive stories that are well written and require only minor copyediting (i.e., they would be aired or published). Video work must also be shot and edited creatively, be well paced and include good sound bites and natural sound that add flavor, color or emotion to the story.

“B” stories require more than minor editing and have a few style or spelling errors or one significant error of omission. For video, there may be minor flaws in the composition of some shots or in the editing. Good use of available sound bites is required.

“C” stories need considerable editing or rewriting and/or have many spelling, style or omission errors. Camera work and editing techniques in video stories are mediocre or unimaginative, but

passable. Sound bites add little or no color - only information that could be better told in the reporter’s narration.

“D” stories require excessive rewriting, have numerous errors and should not have been submitted. Camera work is unsatisfactory or fails to show important elements.

“F” stories have failed to meet the major criteria of the assignment, are late, have numerous errors or both. Your copy should not contain any errors in spelling, style, grammar and facts. Any misspelled or mispronounced proper noun will result in an automatic “F” on that assignment. Any factual error will also result in an automatic “F” on the assignment. Accuracy is the first law of journalism. The following are some other circumstances that would warrant a grade of “F” and potential USC/Annenberg disciplinary action:

• Fabricating a story or making up quotes or information.• Plagiarizing a script/article, part of a script/article or information from any source. • Staging video or telling interview subjects what to say. • Using video shot by someone else and presenting it as original work.• Shooting video in one location and presenting it as another location.• Using the camera to intimidate, provoke or incite a person or group to elicit more “dramatic” video.• Promising, paying or giving someone something in exchange for an interview either on or off camera.• Accepting gifts or payments from interview/reporting subjects and/or creating an appearance that could endanger the credibility of your story and your reputation as a journalist.• Missing a deadline.

V. Assignment Submission Policy All MC Shift Assignments will be reviewed in class that same week and be graded by Fall Immersion classroom instructors. For all MC Shift stories, students are required to turn in the initial (or draft) work they submit on deadline to producers/editors/faculty during their Media Center shift AND the final edited piece (this may be the actual final story or a link to that story). To be clear:

THE PUBLICATION DEADLINE DURING A STUDENT’S MC SHIFT IS ALSO THE CLASSROOM SUBMISSION DEADLINE. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

When a student turns in an initial text piece or script to an MC editor/producer, it should also be sent by email, Blackboard or the Fork/XChange system to the Classroom Instructors at the same time. After publication or airing of a story by an MC outlet, the student should immediately send the final work (or a link) to the Classroom Instructor. Digital Classroom Instructors will provide submission procedures for digital work. Students’ pre-edited work will be graded and compared to final aired/published pieces.

All assignments are due on the dates specified. Lacking prior discussion and agreement with the instructor, late assignments will automatically be given a grade of “F.” Assignments must also be submitted via the method selected by your instructor. Possible methods include Blackboard, the MC’s Multimedia Asset Management (MAM), WordPress blog entries, Quip, Slack, USC email, etc. Make sure you are clear on your instructors’ submission policies, especially for social media assignments.

VI. Required Readings and Supplementary Materials 1. “Broadcast News and Writing Style Book,” Robert A. Papper, Pearson (6th edition) 2. “Inside Reporting: A Practical Craft of Journalism,” Tim Harrower (current edition)

3. “The Associated Press Stylebook,” 2017 Edition

VII. Laptop/Smartphone PolicyAll undergraduate and graduate Annenberg majors and minors are required to have a PC or Apple laptop that can be used in Annenberg classes. Please refer to the Annenberg Virtual Commons for more information. To connect to USC’s Secure Wireless network, please visit USC’s Information Technology Services website.

Students should also have a recent smartphone that can be used with the apps that are taught in the Fall Immersion. The equivalent of an iPhone 5 or better will suffice.

For work involving video, all students will have been issued Annenberg kits containing cameras, microphones, cables, a tripod, and other equipment at the start of the Summer Immersion. This equipment is on loan to you, and you are responsible for it. You must return it at the end of this course. Even if you have your own equipment, you need to use this kit unless you have permission from an instructor.

To fulfill the Fall Immersion requirements, students MUST bring to EVERY MC shift the ability to take on ANY story and to quickly shift gears in the field when opportunities present themselves. At all times, students must be prepared to capture stills, audio, video and (of course) collect information. Students must bring their complete Annenberg-issued camera kit (and tripod), their self-purchased headphones, and personal field audio recorder to their shift. Not having the right equipment is no excuse for not being able to accept an assignment.

VIII. Course Schedule: A Weekly BreakdownImportant note to students: Be advised that this syllabus is subject to change based on the progress of the class, news events, and/or guest speaker availability.

Before the first class of the Fall Digital News Immersion, please read the following:1. What is news? News worthiness & story selection:

--Papper, Chapter 2 “News”

--Harrower, Chapter 2 “How Newsrooms Work” pp. 18-34

2. Leads: --Papper, Chapters 3, 4, 7

--Harrower, Chapter 3 “Newswriting Basics” pp. 36-64

--Briggs, Introduction, pp. 8-10

Topics/Daily Activities Due Today Readings/HomeworkNOTE ON WEEK 1

MC Shifts:

WEEK 1: NO NEWS GATHERING MEDIA CENTER SHIFTS FOR MS STUDENTS, BUT STUDENTS ARE STILL REQUIRED TO REPORT TO THE MC AT 9 .M. ON THEIR SHIFT DAY TO WORK WITH FACULTY.

During MC shifts, students and faculty will finalize the Student Content teams for each day and draw up team schedules for the Fall semester. Each student must give their team schedule to their Fall Immersion instructors before the end of Week 1.

Prof. Alan Mittlestaedt may brief teams on the Week 2 Project or launch it this week.

Week 1Class A8/21

Introductions--REVIEW SYLLABUS: Projects, MC shift, requirements and responsibilities--Practice News Quiz

Cross-Platform News Literacy:--30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Elements of Newsworthiness--Framing The Story: News Pegs--Why This Story Now?--Determining the best platform and

Homework:Leads Assignment

Readings for Leads:

Papper:--Chapters 5, 6, 7

Harrower:--Chap 3 “Newswriting Basics” pp. 36-64--The Morgue, pp. 264-268

audience for a story--IN-CLASS: Use factsheets to determine news angles and pegs. These may vary depending on the medium.

Finding The Story:--Where do you start?--Research Methods: online, in the library, on the phone, and in the community--Pick your unofficial “beat” (a favorite topic) and develop it

IN-CLASS Leads exercise: write video & text leads from wire copy or factsheets

Week 1Class B8/23

News Quiz(For the rest of the semester these will be unannounced)

Review of Summer Immersion Topic: LEADS--Go over Leads Homework--How to support leads--Leads across all platforms: digital, text, audio & video

IN-CLASS Leads exercise: write broadcast & text leads from wire copy or factsheets--write one set as a group--write one set as individuals

The “Nut Graph”--What is it?--Why do you need it?--How do you find it?

IN-CLASS Writing exercise:Using the leads you wrote and the fact sheets, figure out the nut graph for the webtext version of the story.

Leads Homework Assignment Due

Homework:Leads and Nut Graph Assignment

Readings for Text & Webtext:

USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)--Digital Journalism Terms, pp. 150-154--Text/Print Terms, pp. 155

Briggs:--Chapter 4 “New Reporting Methods” pp.41-51--Chapter 6, “How to Report News for the Web” pp.62-68

Papper:--Chapters 14, 15, 16

“Alternative” (rarely used) Leads for text, video & audio

NOTE ON WEEK 2 MC Shifts:

WEEK 2: MS CONTENT TEAMS REPORT AS USUAL FOR THEIR MC SHIFT AND WORK ON A PROJECT WITH PROF. ALAN MITTLESTAEDT AND A STUDENT EDITOR (TBD). EACH DAY’S CONTENT TEAMS WILL RECEIVE EMAIL INSTRUCTIONS AND/OR BRIEFINGS ON WHAT THEY WILL BE DOING DURING THEIR SHIFTS AND WHAT TIME TO BE IN THE MC.

Workshops also begin this week in the MC. The REQUIRED WORKSHOP FOR MS students this week is: Advanced Editing. Please check the MC schedule and register. The MC will share a list of students who attended with Fall Immersion instructors.

Students may attend other workshops as needed. Sign up instructions will be posted on Facebook & will be available in the MC.

Week 2Class A8/28

LEADS QUIZ#1(text & video/audio leads)

Go over Leads & Nut Graph Homework

Writing Basic Text & Webtext Stories--Structure, Elements, “Rules” to learn (and later break)--Captions & Headlines

IN-CLASS Writing exercise:Using the same fact sheets from the Leads and Nut Graph homework assignment, now write the text version of those stories – complete with a lead, nutgraph, and supporting information

Leads and Nut Graph Homework Assignment

Homework:Find an off-campus news story and write a 300-400 word webtext article with links & visuals (photos, infographics, etc.). Also write the broadcast lead for your off-campus story.

Readings for Interviewing:

Harrower: --Chapter 4, pp. 74-85--Papper: Chapter 10

Text vs. Webtext--leads, structures, content, clickbait

The “Best Practices” of good webtext: links, stills, digital elements

IN-CLASS Writing exercise: Now do some online research and write the webtext version of the story (add in links and ideas for photos that would illustrate the story)

Readings for Critical Thinking:

News Now: --Chapter 1, pp. 19 --Chap. 12, pp. 217-238

Harrower: --Chap. 4, pp. 67-75, 81 --Chapter 7, pp. 150-156

Briggs: --Chapter 3, “Tools and Toys” pp. 34-40

Papper: --Chapter 18, “News, Weather and Sports” pp. 205-207

Week 2Class B8/30

Review of Leads quiz

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: InterviewingAdditional Interviewing Topics--Interviewing for different platforms--Finding/interviewing “characters”--Direct quotes vs. paraphrasing--Taking notes and recording--Email, Phone and Skype interviews

In-Class: Students go out for 30 minutes and interview a stranger. Record it as an audio file (for class and the homework). What is their “story?” Discuss and listen to interviews in class. What questions, techniques worked? Which failed?

Journalism vs. PR:--The Role of a Journalist

Off-Campus story for text & webtext with broadcast lead due.

Homework:Write a short Q&A (text or an audio script) based on your quick street interview. Based on our discussion of pitches, include at the top, before the article, 2-3 sentences explaining to your editors why this person warranted an interview and why it would be good to do a story on them.

--Professional code of ethics review--How to write news and not PR copy--The things we don’t say in a news piece--Know your job: providing information vs. advocacy promotion--How to read news releases, cover news conferences and watch out for Spin.

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Pitching across all platforms--How to answer the editor/producer’s eternal question: Why should we spend time on resources on this story NOW?Additional Pitching Topics:--The Freelance Pitch--Thinking visually for pitches: video, stills, slideshows, graphics, animations-- Diversity Issues: how to build a diverse network of sources and tell the narrative of your community

Midterm Projects:--discuss Midterm Project & project pitches --Discuss Reporting/Research for Midterm Project Pitch--Pitches are due Week 4. Come with two pitches (one fully developed and one to fall back on) and a text leave behind.--Completed Midterm Project due Week 7--NOTE: Your projects are not “features” nor are they “breaking news.” They need to be “Evergreens” (stories with a “shelf life”).

NOTE ON WEEK 3 MC Shifts:

MS CONTENT TEAMS REPORT AS USUAL FOR THEIR MC SHIFT AND SPEND THEIR DAY WORKING ON AN AUDIO/PODCAST/ MULTIMEDIA

Workshops also continue in the MC and are open to all students.

PROJECT WITH PROF. WILLA SEIDENBERG AND A STUDENT EDITOR (TBD). TEAMS WILL BE BRIEFED OR EMAILED ABOUT THE WEEK 3 PROJECT AHEAD OF TIME AND WILL BE TOLD WHAT TIME TO REPORT TO THE MC.

Week 3Class A9/4

NO CLASS Q&A with pitch due via email to instructors.

[Labor Day: Monday, September 5]

Week 3Class B9/6

LEADS QUIZ#2

Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Digital Elements, Apps, Web Elements & Interactives (Timeline JS, Gifs, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.)Additional Topics:--Advanced Google Maps--The “Journalism” of Interactives/Graphics--Curation/Aggregation: attribution and the correct way to use links--User-Generated Content--Crowdsourcing: social media and real-time reporting

Breaking/Spot/Day-of News:--Writing for breaking news/spot news and news briefs--The best research/reporting methods for breaking and in-depth stories--How to quickly size up a scene and gather background, using direct observation--Intro to Live Shots/Live Streaming (with FB Live or Periscope) as scene-setters--Real-time Reporting--Social Media & Real-time Reporting

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT: Real-Time Drill: Students watch a pre-recorded news event and live blog & tweet (off-

Homework:Create an interactive graphic for a story you are working on or one that has been published by MC outlets or that you may use in your midterm project. Use the various online tools you have been trained in (Google Maps, TimelineJS, etc.) and your advanced writing skills.

REMINDER: Midterm Project Pitches are due in the next class.

line) their own coverage of the event and then write a short story or news brief with highlights and quotes as if for the Web.

--Verify Information: Getting it first vs. Getting it right.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

NOTE ON WEEK 4 and all future Fall MC Shifts:

REGULAR MC SHIFTS BEGIN: MS Content Teams report for their MC shift at the morning editorial meeting. After student teams pitch (or are assigned) a story during that meeting, they begin the first of their regular Fall newsroom shifts. This will be the procedure for the rest of the semester.

Week 4Class A9/11

Midterm Project Pitch Due--Students will pitch their project plan to the entire class and receive feedback from Instructors and peers.--Classroom Instructors will approve most pitches during this meeting.--The Midterm Project is due at the start of Class A in Week 7.

Advanced Text (one hour if time permits):--discussion of semester long-form assignment--long-form story strategies and planning

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Interactive Graphic due.

Week 4Class B9/13

Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Social Media--Key apps and platforms--Audience Engagement--Research/Reporting with

Homework:--Finish your infographic--Bring audio gear, phone and mics to next class.

--Social Media and Verification

Brief Review of Infographics for Midterm Project Planning:--Best Practices--Ethical Guidelines--Current tools--In-Class: Create an infographic for a story you are working on or for a story of yours that has already been published by an MC outlet.(Possibly more on Digital for classes that were off on 9/4)

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Readings for Audio:Papper: Chapters 9, 11

Harrower:Chapter 9, 182-183

Briggs:Chapter 7, pp. 69-79

USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)Audio Journalism, pp. 118-142

Week 5Class A9/18

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Audio Reporting & Writing AND Audio Slideshows

Additional Audio Topics:--New Storyforms such as First Person (no narration) stories, the Voicer and short wraps--Sound portraits: Producing a sound portrait with ambient sound-- ROSer (Radio On-Scene Report) /Day-of-Air/Spot News Story--The rise of the podcast

IN-CLASS Assignment: Go out and collect sound and possibly a ROser for a 45 second Wrap.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Infographic due. Homework:Complete your Wrap script, voice it and edit it.

Bring your camera kits and tripods to the next class.

Readings for Writing To Video:USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)“Glossary of Radio and TV Terms” pp. 143-149; Broadcast/Video Journalism Section, pp. 156-226

Broadcast Shooting & Video Editing Glossary (handout)

Harrower:--Chapter 9 “Broadcast Journalism” pp. 182-192

Papper: Chapters 8, 9, 12, 13

Briggs:--Chapter 9 “Shooting Video for News and Feature Stories,” pp. 89-99

Week 5Class B9/20

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Video Shooting & Editing Techniques for Broadcast, Web & Mobile

Additional Video Production Topics as needed, Student Q&A

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Video News Writing

Additional Video Writing Topics:--Writing to video and natural sound, writing in and out of SOTs--Writing day-of-air news stories vs. feature stories--Best Practices for Scripting--Best Practices for Logging

IN-CLASS Assignment: write lead-in & package scripts with video and sound provided on Blackboard.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Radio Wrap due.

REMINDER: Bring your camera kits and tripods to the next class.

Homework:Package Script Writing Assignment using video & fact sheets on Blackboard.

Readings for Investigative & Enterprise Reporting:Harrower:--Chapter 6, 126-131--The Morgue: 276-285

Readings for Video Performance Techniques:Papper:--Chapter 2--Review Chapters 5, 9, 12--Chapter 20, pp. 228

Briggs:--Chapter 10, pp. 100-114--Chapter 11, pp. 115-120

Week 6Class A9/25

Advanced Storytelling for Video--Enterprise, Investigative, Long-form video

NatSnd Packages:--Advanced uses of SOTs and audio editing --Interviewing and preparation is

Package Script due.

Homework:NatSnd Package Script Assignment based on video and fact sheets that will be provided on Blackboard.

Readings for Profiles &

different --Better use of characters, finding better characters, going beyond stock characters

Video Performance Techniques:--Standups/Live shots: conceptualizing, preparing and writing standups & live hits.--Tracking & Narration for video/audio(IN-CLASS training)

--IN-CLASS Assignment: Standup assignment or Live Shot drill

Mobile/Web Video in daily reporting:--Difference between broadcast, Web and mobile (apps)--Discussion of app & social media video consumption

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Obits:

Harrower:--Chapter 5, pp. 96-97--Chapter 6, pp. 116-117,124-125--The Morgue: 228-229, 270-275

Week 6Class B9/27

Advanced Text (90 minutes):Profiles

Advanced Profiles & Obits--How to produce profiles, Q&As and obits for the Web, mobile, and audio/video.--Preparing an Obit in advance for well-known persons. Considerations & pitfalls.

Classic Obits & Profiles:

Jimmy Breslin’s maxim for original reporting was to go where other reporters do not: “Find The Grave Digger.” Here is his classic column on the burial of JFK:http://www.newsday.com/opinion/digging-jfk-grave-was-his-honor-

NatSnd Package Script due.

Homework TBD

jimmy-breslin-1.6481560

The Economist does some of the best obits. Below are a couple of examples:

--Benson, England’s Best-Loved Fish: http://www.economist.com/node/14209766

--Alex, The African Grey: http://www.economist.com/node/9828615

IN-CLASS Assignment: Prepare a plan for an advance obit for a person in the news. What interviews, story points, multimedia elements, etc. are needed? How do they come together? Even though the person is not dead yet, write the video and text leads. What is the most newsworthy thing about this person that has to be in the lead no matter how or when they die? What types of photos might you include in a slideshow about that person’s life?

Advanced User Engagement & Design Thinking (90 minutes)

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 7Class A10/2

MIDTERM PROJECT PRESENTATIONS DUE

Time permitting we will also Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital (MC assignments must still be turned in during the Midterm period)

Week 7Class B

Presentation of Midterm Projects continues

10/4Once presentations are complete:--Introduction to Final Project requirements and deadlines.--Discussion of Final Project Pitch Process. Pitches are due in Class A, Week 10.

--Introduction to the Capstone Project

Time permitting: Review MC Shift Work: Text, Audio/Video, Digital(MC assignments must still be turned in during the Midterm period)

Week 8Class A10/9

Advanced Text:--More discussion of long-form text--In-Class writing exercises

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Homework TBD

Week 8Class B10/11

Mobile/Social Video--social video best practices--audience--production best practices

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Homework TBD

Readings for Courts & Justice:

Harrower:--Chapter 5, pp. 104-105, 141

Readings for Police & Crime:

Harrower:--Chapter 5, pp. 99, 102-3, 106-109, Morgue: 240

Papper:--Chapter 20, pp. 232-5

Week 9Class A10/16

Crime, Courts and Public Records:

Elements of Police & Crime Reporting:

Readings for Numbers:Harrower:--Chapter 4, pp. 86-87

Keeping Crime stories in perspective. Cities and communities can be cast in a false light by irresponsible or over-hyped crime reporting.

Legal Issues for Crime Stories:--Don’t CONVICT anyone in your copy, graphics, etc.--Be careful about using “suspect,” “person of interest” and “defendant.”--Beware of names: Is the person you’re reporting on the same person as in the clips, Google search, previous criminal record files, etc. (If not, you could be in for a libel suit.)

Rights & Responsibilities as a reporter while working with police and at crime scenesCovering Police News Conferences: Picking the best quotes/sound from news conferences/public statements

Advanced Interviewing with a focus on Police & Crime Stories: Victims/Real People vs. Officials/Experts

Covering Courts:Rights & Responsibilities:--Getting clearance to record audio/video in courts--Pool Cameras--Media Access--Reporters in the Courtroom, access to court records--Using social media to cover court cases.--What to do when you’re not allowed to have a camera or audio recorders in court: figuring out the visuals and how to tell the story.

Covering events from out of Court:--Picking the best quotes/sound from

USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)pp. 12-53

Readings for Education:Papper:--Chapter 20, pp. 236-8

news conferences/public statements

The difference between daily court coverage of a trial and coverage of major events, like a verdict or sentencing. It is important to stress that these are not necessarily covered in chronological order.

Review of Public Records:--Advanced FOIA requests--Advanced State Public Records Act Requests--Sunshine/Open Meeting Laws--How to request data

Use of FOIA and Public Records

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 9Class B10/18

Data Journalism & Data Visualization

Data Journalism:--Principles of…--Reality of…--For use on the Web, in Mobile Apps, in Broadcasting and for Text--Google Fusion Tables--Excel Tutorial

Schools, Districts & Education Issues:--Dealing with Minors and parents/guardians in Education stories.

IN-CLASS Assignment: Using Dataquest (http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/), develop a story using school data. At the site, choose California School Directory, Subject Level “District,” Subject “Dropouts.” Then select District “Los Angeles Unified,” Dropouts by "Grade, Ethnicity.” Hit

Homework:Video and Text leads from database story.

“Submit.” You may then also sort by Gender. Import these reports into Excel, then use the data to answer: How much more likely are boys to drop out of high school than girls? How do African-Americans, Pacific-Islanders and Whites rank in the dropout rate?

Caveats:--Numbers & reporting:--“Figures lie and liars figure.” Mark Twain--Checking your math.--Avoid number confusion.--Don’t fall for numbers games: cherry picking, falsification, fabrication and deceit.--Avoid creating misleading stories, graphics & animations with math mistakes.

IN-CLASS Assignment: Using the story you found in that Excel spreadsheet (or fact sheet) full of numbers, now write the video and text leads for that story.

Review of Data Visualizations:--tips, tools, techniques

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 10Class A10/23

Final Project Pitches Due:Students will pitch their project plan to the entire class and receive feedback from Instructors and peers. Classroom Instructors will approve most pitches during this meeting. Once the pitch is approved, students will present it to the proper MC Faculty member and formulate a plan for eventual publication. Students must then email that plan to the

Video and text data leads due.

Readings for Government Issues:

Harrower:--Chapter 5, 110-111

Papper:--Chapter 20, pp. 243-4

Classroom Instructors.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 10Class B10/25

Final Project Pitches Continue if needed.

Covering Government/Elections--Covering government issues, including elections, for the Web, audio and video

Humanizing Numbers--People make numbers real. Numbers without people have NO impact.--How to achieve this with words, video, infographics, and data visualizations

IN-CLASS Assignment: Turning a number-heavy story into a story with impact about people. What are the best practices for Web, mobile, audio/video, and text?

--How to understand government budgets, get good stories from them and keep government agencies honest.

--Gaining the trust of public officials and organizing them into a database of sources.--How to spot circumstances that warrant investigative reporting i.e. a story that might cost your source his or her job or send someone to prison.

Advanced Text (90 minutes):--Lecture--In-Class exercise

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Homework TBD

Week 11Class A10/30

Advanced Video

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Homework TBD

Week 11Class B11/1

Advanced Story Project Development

Best practices for longer or more advanced digital, video or text projects including:--Outlining, Storyboarding, Mindmapping--Sketching, Wireframing, and technical considerations for mobile and tablet presentation--Self-editing: KILL YOUR DARLINGS--Finessing Audio--Color, Sounds, Images.--Transitions--Writing in blocks/chunking--Innovating Story Elements (VR, AR, Drones, AudioViz/Data Sonification, etc.)

--IN-CLASS Assignment: Sketch out a Web, mobile and tablet story presentation for an in-depth story with interactive elements. Provide reasoning for your choices.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Readings for Diversity:

Harrower:--Chapter 4, pp. 88-89

USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)pp. 5-11

Week 12Class A11/6

Diversity Issues & Best Practices (90 minutes)--Faultlines

Advanced Text (90 minutes)--Lecture--In-Class exercise

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Homework TBD

Readings for Crisis Coverage:

Harrower:--Chapter 5, pp. 98-101

Week 12Class B11/8

Presidential election coverage: discussion

Crisis Coverage & Trauma--Covering events such as mass shootings, fires, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and civil disorders for the Web, video/audio, text and mobile.

--How, in the midst of chaos, to determine the main stories, sidebars, unique angles.

--Using Social Media to gather information, interview subjects, etc.

--Use of drones to cover disasters; legal issues of drones.

--How to stay safe. NO STORY IS WORTH DYING FOR.

--How to keep your credibility intact. Getting it right when all hell is breaking loose.

--Setting the scene with descriptive writing, on-the-spot reporting, best practices for breaking news live shots (show, don’t tell), social media contacts.

IN-CLASS: Review Videos on covering trauma from dartcenter.org

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 13Class A11/13

Advanced Text:--Lecture--In-Class exercise

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video,

Homework TBD

Readings for Sport, Arts & Entertainment:Harrower: 112-113,

Text or Digital if possible. 250-7

Papper: Chapter 18, 212-227

Week 13Class B11/15

Covering Sports & Entertainment

IN-CLASS Real-Time Drill: Students watch a pre-recorded sports or entertainment event and live-blog & tweet (off-line) their own coverage of the event and then write a short story with highlights and quotes as if for the Web.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Readings for Photography:USC Course Reader:(provided by instructors)82-117

Week 14Class A11/20

30-Minute Review of Summer Immersion Topic: Photography, Captions, Tools (Photoshop, LightRoom, etc.)

Additional Topics:--Photo essays and framing of still photos--The ethics of Instagram from a photojournalism perspective

IN-CLASS Assignment:Using a smartphone, shoot and post at least five photos to Instagram that deal with the theme/story of “campus life” or you may shoot photos that relate to a story you are working. You will need to take many photos to get five publishable ones. Do not take any photos inside the journalism buildings. Photos are required to have one person or more in them and must have full caption/post information. You will be graded on photographic composition and quality, as well as complete caption/post info. You will

need full names and no typos.

Review MC Shift Work: Audio, Video, Text or Digital if possible.

Week 14Class B11/22

NO CLASS[Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday – Sunday, November 22-26]

Week 15Class A11/27

Final Projects Due

Projects critiqued in class

Self and Content Team assessments Due

Course Evaluations (in-class)

MS Final Survey (in-class)

Week 15Class B11/29

Final Projects Due

Project critiques continueFINAL EXAMSDate: TBD

Revised Final Projects Due during exam date and time set by USC.

Date: Graded work (exam, paper, project, etc.) must be due on the scheduled final exam date: TBD

IX. Policies and Procedures

CLASSROOM AND MC ATTENDANCE POLICYAttendance is required for all classes and MC shifts. If a student expects to miss class or an MC shift due to a family emergency, a medical problem or a religious holiday, he or she must contact their Classroom Instructor and their MC Executive Producer/Editor-in-Chief beforehand. Students cannot miss an MC shift to study for an exam or do work for another class. Within two weeks of an absence, students must coordinate with the relevant MC Producer/Editor to make up the shift.

If a student misses a class meeting he or she should get any notes from a classmate. In-class assignments cannot be made up. Students cannot make up a class by going to another one in the same sequence because the classes themselves are slightly different and move at varying paces.

MC shift attendance records and comments will be provided to M.S. Coordinator Vince Gonzales and distributed to Classroom Instructors at the midterm and final points of the semester. Home Mentors and management teams may alert Classroom Instructors to serious problems, errors and missed deadlines at any point during the semester.

CLASS PROTOCOL AND PROFESSIONAL DRESS CODEThis is a professional degree program. As such, students are expected to deal with each other and with their instructors in a collegial manner. For purposes of this class, you are a bona fide member of the working press. If you expect to be treated with all of the normal courtesies and privileges afforded to the news media then you should represent the profession in a dignified and appropriate manner. That means dressing like a professional, not a college student. Business casual is best. No skimpy or tight clothing, shorts, wrinkled t-shirts or flip-flops. Avoid clothing with any sort of logo, including USC logos.

WRITING COACHESWriting coaches for text, broadcast and digital are available during office hours and by appointment.

NEWS CONSUMPTION/RESOURCESAs journalists, it is imperative that you become news consumers. You can’t be a good producer of news if you are not a good consumer of news. You must follow the news and be familiar with what is going on around the world, the country, throughout Los Angeles and in your neighborhood. For the aspiring writer/reporter, reading news stories thoroughly every day, listening to radio news, and watching television and Web newscasts are essential and strengthen your skills. Read at least one major daily news publication or its website, as well as listen to and/or watch local and weekly news radio and broadcast websites. Listen to NPR, either Morning Edition or All Things Considered (listen on KPCC, 89.3 FM so you will also hear the local cut-ins). Those of you with smartphones or tablets should also use news apps such as AP, Reuters, L-A Times, CNN, CBS LA, NBC News, and/or ABC News. Please avoid aggregators

and go straight to the source organizations. These are free apps. You should also develop a list of other news sources that you check daily; these could include The Los Angeles Times, LA Observed, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Sacramento Bee, among others.

Outside work and InternshipsThe value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism, but due to the intensity of the M.S. program, they are not recommended for students in the fall semester. The spring semester is much better suited to such programs. It is also recommended that students not attempt to work full time in the fall semester.

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systemsa. Academic ConductPlagiarism Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words - is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards (https://policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b/). Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct (http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/ ) .

USC School of Journalism Policy on Academic Integrity The following is the USC Annenberg School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity and repeated in the syllabus for every course in the school:

“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found plagiarizing, fabricating, cheating on examinations, and/or purchasing papers or other assignments faces sanctions ranging from an ‘F’ on the assignment to dismissal from the School of Journalism. All academic integrity violations will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Affairs & Community Standards (SJACS), as per university policy, as well as journalism school administrators.”

In addition, it is assumed that the work you submit for this course is work you have produced entirely by yourself, and has not been previously produced by you for submission in another course or Learning Lab, without approval of the instructor.

b. Support SystemsEquity and DiversityDiscrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity (http://equity.usc.edu/) or to the Department of Public Safety (http://dps.usc.edu/contact/report/). This is important for the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community -

such as a friend, classmate, adviser, or faculty member - can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services (https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/) provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage (https://sarc.usc.edu/) describes reporting options and other resources.

Support with Scholarly Writing A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute http://ali.usc.edu/ which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs (http://dsp.usc.edu/) provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations.Students requesting test-related accommodations will need to share and discuss their DSP recommended accommodation letter/s with their faculty and/or appropriate departmental contact person at least three weeks before the date the accommodations will be needed. Additional time may be needed for final exams. Reasonable exceptions will be considered during the first three weeks of the semester as well as for temporary injuries and for students recently diagnosed. Please note that a reasonable period of time is still required for DSP to review documentation and to make a determination whether a requested accommodation will be appropriate.

Stress ManagementStudents are under a lot of pressure. If you start to feel overwhelmed, it is important that you reach out for help. A good place to start is the USC Student Counseling Services office at (213) 740-7711. The service is confidential, and there is no charge.

Emergency InformationIf an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/ will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.

X. About Your Instructors

Shaya Tayefe Mohajer has worked as a reporter and editor for major news organizations, including spending nearly a decade at The Associated Press where her assignments spanned a wide gamut of topics, and included covering poverty in Appalachia, political chaos in the Middle East, and breaking news in Los Angeles. Most recently, Shaya has written media criticism for The Columbia Journalism Review, discussing topics of gender and equality in newsrooms and

coverage. Shaya is currently co-producing a documentary on Iranian-Americans and the so-called Persian Palaces of Beverly Hills—which she wrote about in longform for Curbed. Shaya worked as an editor covering social justice, race and gender issues for TakePart.com. A Southern California native, Shaya holds bachelor's degrees in English and political science from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.

Tina Patel is currently working as a reporter for KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, focusing on the rapidly growing Inland Empire region. She also contributes to the station’s news radio partner, KNX 1070. Tina has worked as a reporter and anchor for local television stations in Seattle, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. She also helped launch news operations in San Bernardino, CA and Wichita Falls, TX, and served as the news director for a television station in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tina is a graduate of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She also holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from USC Dornslife. She is originally from New Jersey.

Alan Mittelstaedt started as an adjunct in 2003 and joined the full-time faculty in Fall 2009 to coach students at Neon Tommy, the school of journalism’s 24/7 news website. He now advises students working on projects at Neon Tommy’s successor, uscannenbergmedia.com. For much of the previous decade, he was news editor at Los Angeles’ alt-weeklies, including seven years at the L.A. Weekly, handling 800-word stories exposing politician’s screw-ups to 4,000-word investigative pieces. He's worked at mainstream newspapers. He was city editor at the Portland (Maine) Press Herald and at the Pasadena Star-News and was an investigative reporter and later an assistant city editor at the San Bernardino County Sun, where he somewhat surprisingly was named Employee of the Year even though he was outspoken and questioned many decisions of Gannett brass.