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Syllabus
COMM 271: Principles of Journalism
COMM 271 Principles of Journalism (3 credits): The course introduces how journalists work with the tools of multimedia and how multimedia is changing journalism. Journalists have never had better tools to cover the news than they do today. Every news organization can now tell stories with text, video, sound, and images. Reporters can interact with their audience while covering stories in real time. Audiences have unprecedented choice in when and where they access information. These innovations are allowing the news industry to reinvent itself, but there are major challenges. What does it take to be competitive in a 24/7 news cycle? What is the best way to work with text, video, still images, and sound? How much do reporters and editors need to know about these tools? What role does social media have in this mix? Are ethical standards being lost in the scramble to gain audience and grow revenue? This course will introduce multimedia news and be a foundation for skills-based courses. It will examine the latest platforms and tools of the trade, ways to add value with multimedia, the roots and development of multimedia, working in a cross-platform environment, multimedia reporting and editing, data visualization, intellectual property rights, ethical issues, citizen journalism, social media and the news, business models for multimedia journalism, finding a job, and other subjects.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accommodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
Overview
Journalists have never had better tools for telling stories. This class will examine how these tools are being used to report the news and how journalism organizations are innovating and evolving in today’s rapidly changing media environment.
COMM 271 is very much about what is happening right now. This syllabus will be revised as news events warrant. Although class topics may change, test dates will remain as scheduled.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to do the following things:
- Understand how journalists are using multimedia to engage and inform audiences across a variety of platforms.
- Identify which tools are best suited to different types of stories.
- Understand how to prioritize human and technical resources to cover the news.
- Demonstrate at all times knowledge of journalists' rights and responsibilities to sources and to the public when reporting and producing the news.
Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Special Notice to Students
The journalist’s job is to report the story, whatever story that may be. Consequently, they may have to cover unpleasant or upsetting events.
Because our aim is to explore what it's like to be a journalist working with multimedia, this course does not shy away from what can often be the ugly realities that journalists face. Stories on war, crime, and death—complete with sometimes graphic images and video—make headlines almost daily.
Please know that this course will discuss such stories, including related photojournalism and video projects, which may be disturbing to some students.
Trigger warnings have been included throughout the course on pages that contain potentially distressing visuals. In addition, if at any time you feel you need support, you are able to
- speak with your advisor,
- text LIONS to 741741 (the Penn State Crisis Text Line) for urgent matters,
- call the 24/7 Penn State CrisisLine at 877-229-6400 for urgent matters, · access on-demand mental health resources, or · call 814-863-0395 or use the Counseling and Psychological Services form to make a general inquiry or schedule a consultation with a case manager, who can evaluate your situation and provide appropriate resources. (Note that this is not the same as a counseling appointment.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Help | If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
There are several ways to earn points in this class:
- As you progress through each course module you will be asked to answer questions in Quick Quizzes (QQ) to keep proceeding. By submitting an answer you will be able to continue, even if your response is incorrect. However, if you submit the correct response you will earn five points. You may keep answering the question until you get the correct response (and the points).
- At the end of most modules there will be an assignment designed to show you have mastered the concepts covered in the class. These assignments are worth 10 points. After you have submitted your response you may continue to participate in a discussion on Canvas.
- Most of the points in this class come from multiple choice tests. There are four shorter tests that are worth 395 points total. There are two longer tests, the midterm and final, that will have 40 questions and will be worth 200 points each. The shorter tests focused on material covered since the previous exam. The midterm and final focus on most recent material and content covered in the previous shorter tests.
- Exams are considered the intellectual property of the instructor. Any attempt by a student to retain an exam in their possession or photograph an exam question(s) shall constitute to a breach of Academic Integrity. In such instances, the instructor shall submit an Academic Integrity form and the case shall be reviewed by the College of Communications' Academic Integrity Committee.
- We will cover Packback and points earned by initiating discussions between yourselves in announcements. Packback will be worth 150 points over the course of the semester.
Assignments
Assignment | Points | Grade Percentage |
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QQ (Quick Quizzes) (49) | 5 points each | 16% |
Assignments (35) | 10 points each | 23% |
Packback (15) | 10 points each | 9% |
Tests (4) | 1 @ 95 points 3 @ 100 points | 26% |
Midterm Exam | 200 points | 13% |
Final Exam (cumulative) | 200 points | 13% |
Total | 1,540 points | 100% |
Writing and Reading Assignments
All writing assignments are graded on the basis of your
- ability to shape material for an intended audience and adhere to conventions of the discipline,
- successful employment of organizational strategies and integration of research sources,
- development of both content and reasoning, and
- demonstrated use of proper grammar, spelling, syntax, and diction.
Periodically, reading assignments may be provided to illustrate topic relevance to current news and events.
Friday Lab Activities
Friday Lab Activities will appear throughout the semester to provide you the opportunity to apply knowledge obtained from the lectures. There will be a total of 10 graded Friday Lab Activities, to be completed individually (not in a group). Each Friday Lab Activity must be completed by 10:00 a.m. (ET) on the Monday following the Friday lab session.
To set proper expectations, these weekly activities are not intended to be extremely difficult or impossible to complete. The primary objective is for you to apply concepts from the lectures, leverage the vast array of Penn State resources, and build your technical capabilities.
Grades for Friday Lab Activities will be one of three possible scores:
- 0: The student did not attempt or submit an activity.
- 75: The student submitted an incomplete or late activity (within two hours of due date and time).
- 100: The student submitted a complete activity on time.
Exams
Once each exam is over, the instructor will determine whether a curve should apply. Absent a curve, the course grading scale shall apply.
Make-up exams will only be considered on an exception basis. You are required to notify the instructor of an exam conflict before the exam date. At the instructor's discretion, you may be provided an opportunity to make up an exam. Please note that make-up exams that occur after the exam date will result in a point deduction commensurate with the amount of time past the exam date. The instructor is under no obligation to provide make-up exam opportunities. It is your responsibility to notify the instructor of exam conflicts before the exam date.
The final exam is cumulative.
Exams are considered the intellectual property of the instructor. Any attempt by a student to retain an exam in their possession or to photograph an exam question(s) shall constitute a breach of academic integrity. In such instances, the instructor will submit an academic integrity form, and the case will be reviewed by the College of Communications Academic Integrity Committee.
Weekly Quizzes
To help you prepare for the exams, there will be weekly quizzes. These quizzes will help summarize the material that was reviewed during the lectures. The first two quizzes will be practice quizzes, with no associated point values. Beginning in Week 3, quizzes will be worth 100 points each. There will be a total of 10 graded quizzes, with the top five scores counting for 10% of your grade (2% per quiz). Given that only five out of 10 quiz scores are counted, there will be no opportunity to make up weekly quizzes. Each weekly quiz will contain 10 questions, and you will have 10 minutes to complete them. A grade will be given, but your answers will not be revealed; feedback will direct you to the content to review if you answered a question incorrectly.
You are responsible for covering all the work in this class. At the discretion of the instructor, your grade may be lowered because of classwork-engagement absence.
Grading Policy
Letter grades will be based on the following scale.
Letter grade | Percentage |
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A | 92.5%–100.0% |
A- | 90.0%–92.4% |
B+ | 87.5%–89.9% |
B | 82.5%–87.4% |
B- | 80.0%–82.4% |
C+ | 77.5%–79.9% |
C | 70.0%–77.4% |
D | 60.0%–69.9% |
F | Below 60.0% |
The numeric course grades above are the actual grades required to earn the accompanying letter grades. You should not expect any rounding of the numeric course grades.
All assignments are to be submitted in the appropriate locations no later than 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET) on the due dates shown in the Course Schedule, unless stated otherwise. After you submit one late Friday Lab Activity, subsequent late assignments will receive a zero grade. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the due date of an assignment if you are aware of extenuating circumstances that will impact your ability to meet a deadline. The instructor will determine if alternative arrangements may be made.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Veterans and Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
Report Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.