News 201

General Required Texts/Resources Course Format Final Project Grading Rules, Regulations & Stuff You Better Know Course Schedule Assignments

Final Project: Community Profile

The final project is an in-depth community profile that explores economic, political or social issues affecting Ball State University, Muncie and/or Delaware County. Students will be assigned to multiple-person teams. Each team will be expected to use a mix of reporting and information-gathering techniques, including multiple-source (minimum four) interviews, database research (including Lexis-Nexis), census data, poll/survey information.

Comprehensive proposals must be submitted to the instructor for evaluation prior to the start of the assignment. As the capstone project for the term, the community profile will be written and produced in print, broadcast and online formats:

  • 1,000-word print story (group project).
  • A 90-second audio package by each individual member of the group (incorporating the voice of the student reporter, bites from at least three participants or experts interviewed for the project and natural sound).
  • Web site with text, audio clips, digital photos, links.

Final projects will be presented to the class during the final exam time:

Sections 3 & 4: Saturday, December 16 ... 9:45 am - 11:45 am.

NOTE THAT ALL STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THE FINAL PRESENTATION.

Although this story will be focused locally, you must have a national and/or international context for your story. This will require you to research articles from national publications, databases and other resources while using localization in your reporting. You may select a general topic from the list (below) or generate your own idea for a community profile. Deadline: You must submit an individual, written 200-word query/proposal to your instructor of record by Thursday, September 21.

This query/proposal should include a rationale for why you selected a particular topic, a discussion of potential interview sources, and a review of sources for background research. It must be approved by the instructor. Queries/proposals will be returned on Thursday, September 28. At that time, you are to meet with your assigned groups and decide on your final project. You must inform your instructor of record of your decision in person or in an email no later than Thursday, October 12.

Reminders: The story must be written as a journalistic story not a term paper. Attribute your research sources, but do not use citations or footnotes. Do not editorialize or insert your opinion/advocacy. Do not use first-person point of view.

Sample Community/Campus Issues: crime on campus, diversity on campus, political correctness, student-athletes, student stress/depression, unemployment, homelessness, economic development/redevelopment, loss in jobs and/or population.

At the same time you turn in the final project, each student will fill out and turn in an INDIVIDUAL group evaluation form.