2021 - 2022 COURSE SYLLABUS
JOURNALISM / NEWSPAPER
(JOG448/JOG449; 10 total credits)
Mr. Gleason
Room B-12 (p.4A; also C-314)
916-395-5090 x506112
Google Classroom code available via SCUSD
The Kennedy Clarion: www.jclarion.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Journalism/Newspaper offers you an opportunity to learn about the foundations of
journalistic practice, to analyze the role of journalism in a free society, and to produce
Kennedy High School’s student-run news source, The Clarion, in a modern workplace
environment.
The Clarion reaches students and the community through its website and social media
accounts. In professional news outlets, reporters work hard, collaborate, and innovate to
keep the public informed; likewise, you in Journalism/Newspaper must do the same to
keep our school newspaper relevant and vital to Kennedy and the larger community.
The newspaper is essentially a legitimate business concern: you have a mission to keep
audiences and advertisers engaged by asserting yourself, being involved, and reporting
well. Some staffers will be hired to leadership positions, including Editor-in-Chief,
Managing Editor, and Photo Editor.
You contribute to the larger Kennedy story by proposing and writing news articles for the
main sections of News, Features, Opinions, Arts/Entertainment, and Sports. Contributions
include reporting, writing, editing, taking photographs, designing, cartooning, and -- as
resources allow -- basic video production and podcasting. In addition, you will help
promote the paper with marketing strategies and, as needed, sell advertising to raise
money.
Arguably, The Clarion is even more important during COVID-19: we must keep the campus
present in the minds of all readers, and help to reintroduce Kennedy to students. We can
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play a huge role in rebooting Cougar life amidst the changes brought on by the lingering
pandemic.
Your work published in the Clarion may additionally be submitted for publication in
regional news sources, due to our connection to the Sacramento State Hornet and the
Student Educator Reporting program (Sacramento County Office of Education).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The class comprises five ongoing strands, by which students learn about journalism and its
role in free society. Students also practice the cra of journalism -- alone and in teams --
with a variety of resources under consistent deadlines.
STRAND 1
THE KENNEDY CLARION:
STUDENT-RUN KENNEDY
NEWS SOURCE
Find stories, set deadlines, gather information and
quotes, write articles, work in teams, edit/revise,
add visual elements, produce video/audio
segments, and devise marketing strategies to
promote the Clarion.
STRAND 2
JOURNALISM, a.k.a.
“THE FOURTH ESTATE”
Learn the foundational elements and modern
history of journalism, and analyze how a free press
serves the public by keeping citizens informed in a
democratic society.
STRAND 3
FIRST AMENDMENT,
ETHICS, AND THE LAW
Study the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution and our ‘five freedoms’ while
analyzing ethical considerations and legal
precedents which affect news reporting.
STRAND 4
NEWS COVERAGE
& MEDIA LITERACY
Dissect elements of the vast news landscape, how it
presents itself, and how it affects how readers and
viewers consume information.
STRAND 5
CONNECTING TO OUR
NEWS COMMUNITY
Learn from adjacent news programs, such as the
Sacramento State Hornet, the Sacramento Bee, and the
Sacramento County Office of Education (via the
Student Educator Reporting program, formerly
Sac Breeze).
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS / GRADING
CATEGORY
20%
Daily
In-class journals and tasks
Quizzes on strand content & current events
Professionalism: punctuality, badges, setting & keeping
deadlines and appointments
30%
Minor
Group work, presentations
News-story pitches, initial story development, and setting
reasonable but efficient deadlines.
50%
Major
Projects, research, production work
News-story progress -- research, scheduling and shooting
photos/video, interviewing, writing and editing. Things
to avoid: missing deadlines, taking too long to finish a
story, wasting time and having to redo elements due to
technical mistakes.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
I’m looking forward to a productive, insightful, and enjoyable school year working with
you. Some days can be better than others, so we learn to “do the work even on a bad day”
and persevere.
EFFORT
Students must complete all in-class writing exercises and promotional efforts. In
addition, they must submit writing and/or photographs for consideration for each
Clarion post. Students must contribute a variety of writing formats within and
beyond their areas of interests including news, opinion, sports, and reviews as well as
photography. Work must meet publication standards, journalistic ethics, and
include proper coverage and caption information.
This class requires students to manage their own time and to be a valuable team
member by contributing to class discussions and team efforts. Students must be
available to attend and report on school social, academic, and sporting events that
occur outside the school academic schedule.
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BEHAVIOR
You are expected to maximize our shared
time together with enthusiasm and energy,
but not disruption. Don’t waste class time.
Please also understand that your personal
needs – while important to you – cannot
overtake the class agenda. Refer to the John
F. Kennedy High School Discipline Policy
Handbook for campus-wide rules for
behavior and expectations.
PLAGIARISM
If a student is caught plagiarizing (copying someone else’s work and turning it in as
your own), making up sources, or fabricating direct quotes, they will receive an “F”
for the assignment. The misconduct will be reported to the Discipline Office. This
also pertains if information is copied without giving proper credit (attribution) from
the Internet.
ATTENDANCE & TARDIES
Take attendance seriously -- missing multiple days of class in a semester, whether
excused or unexcused, can endanger earning course credit. As the bell rings, you are
expected to be in your seat with necessary materials, ready to start. If you arrive
late, don’t break the flow – enter quietly without distraction. Absences and tardies
erode your participation potential and leave you stranded on the runway while
everyone else takes off.
DEVICES
Be truly present. Your mobile devices need to be kept out of reach and out of sight
in the classroom, unless I specifically allow their use in a lesson.
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