This is not a course for beginners! Students taking this course should have already developed basic skills in news reporting, videography, writing and editing — the stuff you learned in JOUR 3280 and prior Grady courses.
The focus of this course is on developing advanced skills in both news reporting and video storytelling. All assignments should be enterprise stories that can be distributed to local viewers through Grady College’s student media outlets such as Grady Newsource.
Assignments (download the document for each assignment and carefully study the requirements)
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- Camera Test (SWEFF checklist)
- Editing Test
- P1 script – (two-column video script)
- P1 – 1st beat story (PKG w/narration)
- P2 – COVID-19 PKG w/narration (focus on family/household effects)
- P3 – COVID-19 PKG (w/narration or w/out) focus on effects outside of household
- Reporting guidelines for the rest of the semester will not permit direct contact with news sources or locations that are not within the safety of your home/household.
Choosing a Beat
In addition to developing better video production skills, you’ll be sharpening your reporting skills in this course. A good way to do that is by concentrating on a specific beat for the semester. All four of your PKGs will deal with local people and issues within that beat. You will immerse yourself in your beat, developing relationships with key sources and learning more about the issues and events that affect them. You’ll have to produce compelling video stories, so choose carefully! Here are a few examples of news beats in the Athens area you could pick:
- Politics/Government
- Housing
- Transportation
- Business/Work
- Money/Finance
- Education
- Race/Gender
- Health/Medicine
- Crime/Courts
- Music/Arts
- Food/Farming/Cooking
- Environment/Sustainability
- Weather/Climate
- Sports/Recreation
Participation and Professionalism Assignment
Consider this to be an ongoing assignment, beginning the first day of class and continuing to the bitter end. Your grade will be based on several factors including the following:
1. Your participation in class discussions and activities. Just showing up isn’t enough. You need to be active in class discussions and activites. DO NOT let your cell phone or laptop distract you! I will be watching and will deduct points when I see you getting distracted or just tuning out. You must also come to class prepared every day. Bring proper equipment and make sure you’ve completed any homework assignments.
2. Your ability to work effectively with partners on class projects when assigned. Cooperation and flexibility is crucial. I don’t care if you and your partner are BFFs or mortal enemies. You’ve got to work with them to get the job done.
3. Your adherence to FESR (equipment) policies. This means following proper check-in and check-out procedures. Also your ability to take care of the equipment you check-out. I communicate daily with FESR staff and they will notify me if a student breaks protocol, or is careless with equipment.
4. Your adherence to policies governing the use of computer labs and production facilities in Grady College (including the Digital Journalism Laboratory, the Newsroom, and the TV studios). Policies will be posted in the labs or will be communicated to students by their professors and Grady College staff.
5. Your professionalism as a journalist and your adherence to the Code of Ethics and other guidelines included in the syllabus. These are based on core ethical principles of journalism.
Video Journalism 