Required Text: Copywriting for the Electronic Media, 4th ed. by Milan Meeske
Due Dates: All assignments must be submitted ON PAPER and are due at the BEGINNING of class on the dates listed below. A 5% grade penalty will be assessed for each class period an assignment is late. NO work will be accepted after the last regular class period of the semester. In order to make up quizes, oral presentations and other graded activities, the absence must be documented by a written note from a physician, counselor, etc.
Grading: The course grade will be based upon the following-
PSA 5%
Radio spot 10%
TV spots (10% each) 20%
News copy 5%
Promotional materials 5%
Final project 20%
Campaign presentation 5%
Final project presentation 5%
Media criticism project 5%
Quizes (10% each) 20%
Tentative Course Schedule and Assignments:
DATE TOPIC AND ASSIGNMENT (Meeske)
Jan 12 Course introduction
14 The craft of scriptwriting, Ch. 1
*20 (*Note: Tues. Class) Basic elements of style, Ch. 2
21 Using MS Word "templates" or other word processors
26 Advertising basics, Chs. 4-5
28 PSAs and PSA assignment, Ch. 13
Feb 2 Organizing the broadcast commercial, Chs. 6-7
4 Radio copywriting, radio spot assignment, Chs. 8-9, (Optional PSA 1st draft due)
9 Television copywriting, Chs. 10-11
11 Quiz #1, PSA assignment due
18 The broadcast campaign and TV spot assignments, Ch. 14
23 News writing, Ch. 15 (Optional Radio Spot 1st draft due)
25 Writing promotional materials and news writing assignment, Ch. 12
Mar 1 Writing for the Web, Ch. 16. Radio Spot assignment due
3 Legal and ethical implications of media writing, Ch. 3
15 NO CLASS--SPRING BREAK EXTENDED
17 Informational programming, Ch. 17. (Optional TV Spot 1st drafts due)
22 Quiz #2
24 TV Spot assignments due, Present and discuss campaigns
29 The narrative, Ch. 18, Intro. final project, (Optional News 1st draft due)
31 Media criticism assignment.
Apr 5 News copy assignment due, discuss news style
7 Present and discuss criticism assignment
12 Optional individual meetings, Optional Quiz #3
14 Final Project treatment due
19 Discuss final projects (Optional Final Proj. promo. materials 1st draft due)
21 Optional individual meetings
26 (Optional Final Project 1st draft due)
28 Present Final Projects. Promotional materials for Final Project due
May 7 Final Project due NO LATER THAN 1:00 pm, after which no projects will be accepted!
