JMC004 The Editorial Process

15 lectures   3 credits

Course description

The course will  teach students  how to edit stories, photojournalism, layout and design. Students will also learn web publishing.

Course objectives

At the end of the course students will  be able to function  in various capacities as editors.

They will be able  to make important editorial decisions on what to publish. They will also be able to think visually, applying visual dimensions to a story. Students will  be able to do layout and design.

Course outline

Lecture 1 - 2

Introduction to the editorial process and the role of the editor in Africa to day.

The editor’s responsibilities.  Students will learn about the roles of  an editor, a copy editor, news editor, etc.

Management structure of a newspaper. Students will learn how a newspaper or magazine is managed

Lecture  3 - 4

Basic elements  of editing.

Students will learn how to edit for content, grammar, style and accuracy.

Lecture 5

Writing headlines

Students will learn the techniques of writing headlines

Lecture 6 -  7  

Photojournalism

Students will be taught how to select pictures that tell a story. They will also learn how to crop and scale pictures

Lecture 8  - 10

Layout and Design

Students will learn principles of, and how to do, layout and design.

Students will produce a paper based on stories from the earlier classes.

Grading.

Quizzes will account for 20 percent of the final grade

Editing assignments will account for 20 percent of the final grade

Headline writing assignments will account for 10 percent of the final grade.

Photojournalism assignments will account for 20 percent of the final grade.

The final project will account for  30 percent of the final grade.

 A = 90 percent and higher

B = between 80 and 90 percent

C = between 70 and 80 percent

D = between 60 and 70 percent

F = under 60 percent.