THIS IS A 13-WEEK COURSE, SO IT WILL BE ORGANIZED IN FOUR UNITS OF THREE WEEKS
EACH, WITH ONE WEEK LEFT AT THE END FOR FINISHING UP ASSIGNMENTS.
EACH THREE-WEEK UNIT WILL FOCUS ON A NEWS BEAT - TOWN GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS,
POLICE AND THE COURTS. YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE AN
IN-DEPTH STORY
OF 1,000 TO 1,200 WORDS
FOR THREE OF THESE BEATS.
YOU WILL BE DEVELOPING YOUR OWN IDEAS FOR THESE STORIES BUT IF YOU NEED HELP I
CAN HELP YOU.
THIS CLASS IS ABOUT DOING IN-DEPTH STORIES
ABOUT SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE
DEALING WITH IN EACH OF THE BEATS OUTLINED BELOW.
UNIT ONE - TOWN
GOVERNMENT
WEEK ONE
ATTEND A TOWN GOVERNMENT MEETING (OR WATCH A
LIVE OR ARCHIVED ZOOM VIDEO MEETING) IN THE TOWN OF
YOUR CHOOSING. FROM THIS MEETING AND FROM TALKING TO LOCAL OFFICIALS, DEVELOP A
LIST OF ONE OR TWO POSSIBLE STORY IDEAS THAT YOU COULD DO FOR THIS CLASS. SEND ME
THESE IDEAS AND WE'LL DECIDE WHICH STORY YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
READ THIS ON CALCULATING PROPERTY TAXES:
http://faculty.bucks.edu/rogerst/jourproptaxes.htm
READ THE CHAPTER IN THE MENCHER TEXTBOOK ON
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION AND TAKE
THIS QUIZ.
DO THIS
CITY COUNCIL
NEWSWRITING EXERCISE
WEEK TWO
WORK ON YOUR IN-DEPTH TOWN GOVERNMENT STORY.
CHECK IN WITH ME TO DISCUSS HOW IT'S GOING AND TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE HAVING
ANY PROBLEMS.
DO EXERCISE THREE, PAGE 78 IN NEWSWRITING ON
DEADLINE.
WEEK THREE
TURN IN YOUR TOWN GOVERNMENT STORY
DO EXERCISE FIVE, PAGE 79 IN NEWSWRITING ON
DEADLINE.
UNIT TWO - SCHOOLS
WEEK FOUR
ATTEND A
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN THE DISTRICT OF YOUR CHOICE OR WATCH A MEETING ONLINE.
MANY SCHOOL BOARDS HAVE VIDEO ARCHIVES OF PAST MEETINGS. I RECOMMEND DOING ONE IN
THE DISTRICT YOU ATTENDED. FROM THIS
AND FROM TALKING TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS, DEVELOP A LIST OF TWO POSSIBLE
STORY IDEAS THAT YOU COULD DO FOR THIS CLASS. SEND ME THESE IDEAS AND WE'LL
DECIDE WHICH STORY YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
DO EXERCISE FOUR, PAGE 79 IN NEWSWRITING ON
DEADLINE.
WEEK FIVE
WORK ON YOUR IN-DEPTH SCHOOLS STORY.
CHECK IN WITH ME TO
DISCUSS HOW IT'S GOING AND TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE HAVING ANY PROBLEMS.
DO EXERCISE SIX, PAGE 80 IN NEWSWRITING ON
DEADLINE.
WEEK SIX
TURN IN YOUR IN-DEPTH SCHOOLS STORY.
UNIT THREE - POLICE
WEEK SEVEN
INTERVIEW A POLICE OFFICER OR DETECTIVE AT A
LOCAL POLICE STATION TO GET SEVERAL IDEAS FOR AN IN-DEPTH STORY ABOUT LONG-TERMS
PROBLEMS OR TRENDS THE POLICE IN THAT COMMUNITY ARE DEALING WITH. DEVELOP A LIST
OF TWO POSSIBLE STORY IDEAS THAT YOU COULD DO FOR THIS CLASS. SEND ME THESE
IDEAS AND WE'LL DECIDE WHICH STORY YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
READ THE CHAPTER IN THE MENCHER TEXTBOOK ON THE
POLICE AND TAKE THIS
QUIZ.
DO A STORY BASED ON THIS
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE.
WEEK EIGHT
CONTINUE WORKING ON YOUR POLICE STORY. CHECK IN
WITH ME TO LET ME KNOW HOW IT'S GOING.
DO A STORY BASED ON THIS
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE.
WEEK NINE
TURN IN YOUR IN-DEPTH POLICE STORY
DO A STORY BASED ON THIS
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE.
UNIT FOUR - THE COURTS
WEEK TEN
IF YOU ARE DOING A COURT STORY, ARRANGE TO
VISIT A LOCAL COURTHOUSE, PREFERABLY THE STATE SUPERIOR COURTHOUSE IN
DOYLESTOWN, AND INTERVIEW A JUDGE OR COURT OFFICIAL TO DISCUSS AN ONGOING
PROBLEM OR ISSUE THE COURTS ARE DEALING WITH. DEVELOP A LIST OF SEVERAL POSSIBLE
STORY IDEAS THAT YOU COULD DO FOR THIS CLASS. SEND ME THESE IDEAS AND WE'LL
DECIDE WHICH STORY YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
READ THE CHAPTER ON THE COURTS IN THE MENCHER
TEXTBOOK AND TAKE
THIS QUIZ.
DO A STORY BASED ON EXERCISE FIVE, PAGE 40 IN
NEWSWRITING ON DEADLINE.
WEEK ELEVEN
IF YOU ARE DOING A COURT STOORY, CONTINUE
WORKING ON IT. CHECK IN WITH ME TO LET ME KNOW HOW IT'S GOING AND TO DISCUSS ANY
PROBLEMS YOU MIGHT BE HAVING.
DO A STORY BASED ON EXERCISE SIX, PAGE 43 IN
NEWSWRITING ON DEADLINE.
WEEK TWELVE
TURN IN YOUR IN-DEPTH COURT STORY OR A STORY
FROM ANOTHER BEAT.
WEEK THIRTEEN (FINAL WEEK)
TURN IN ANY REMAINING WORK YOU HAVEN'T YET
COMPLETED.
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