A. Course Objectives:

• To expose students to the various news media and create in them an awareness of current events;
• To familiarize the students with how news is produced and help them understand, analyze and appreciate it;
• To develop in them a critical voice by training them to give feedback to the news media.

B. Course Outline:

1. What makes news NEWS Weeks 1 - 3

1. Definition of news

• sections of a newspaper/news program/news website

1. Factors that shape the news

• timeliness, significance, prominence, proximity and oddity
• gatekeepers: owners and publishers

1. Role of Journalists/Editors

• What goes on inside the newsroom

1. The Traditional News Industry Weeks 4 - 9

1. Newspapers and Wire Agencies

• presentation and delivery of print news
• analysis of content, audience impact

1. Television and Cable News

• presentation and delivery of TV news
• analysis of content, audience impact

• presentation and delivery of radio news

• analysis of content, audience impact

1. Online News Weeks 10 - 12

1. Introduction to the WWW

• intelligent surfing

• presentation and delivery of news sites

• analysis of content, design, audience impact

1. Credibility of Online News

• techniques of looking for information

• evaluating effective sites

1. Rights and Wrongs in Journalism Weeks 13 - 16

1. Understanding Press Freedom

• what the Bill of Rights provides
• limitations

1. Journalism Code of Ethics

• what are journalists guided by
• frequent violations

• gender and ethnicity issues

C. Course Activities:

Lectures, discussions, film showing, field trips to news organizations and surfing the net.

D. Course Requirements:

Attendance/Class Participation 10%

Quizzes/Seatwork 30%

Papers 30%

Finals 30%

100%

E. References and Readings:

• Daily newspapers
• Philippine Journalism Review, current issues.
• Santos, Vergel. Basic Journalism: An ASEAN Handbook. ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information, 1992.
• Chua, Yvonne. Uncovering the Beat. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Manila, 1997.
• Tan, Abby and Thomas Stehling. The ASEAN Media Directory. Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, 1998.
• Alexander, Alison and Jarice Hanson. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Mass Media 2^nd ed. Dunskin Publishing Group, Connecticut, 1993
• Dizard, Wilson. Old Media, New Media. Longman Publishers, London, 1994.
• Marsh, Harry. Creating Tomorrow's Mass Media. Hardcourt Brace College Publishers. Florida: 1995.
• Mencher, Melvin. News Reporting and Writing. 7^th ed. Brown Benchmark Publishers, New York, 1999
• Outing, Steve. "The Old Rules Don't Apply on the Web" in MediaInfo.com. February 1999 issue.
• Pike, Mary Ann. Using the Internet. Que Corporation. Indianapolis: 1996
• Schudson, Michael. "New Technology, Old Values and a New Definition of News," Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, 1996.
• Video: 1. "Digital Debate: Journalism in the New Century"