JMC 3023: Trend assignment

Goal

Provide a better understanding of an important or notable phenomenon.

Key dates

• Monday, Nov. 16: Launch + be familiar with reading list
• Wednesday, Nov. 18: Individual story-selection and pre-reporting conferences
• Monday, Nov. 23: Trend work day
• Monday, Nov. 30: Trend work day
• Wednesday, Dec. 9: Draft shared in Google Drive; peer-review day
• Wednesday, Dec. 16: Final version turned in by 11:59 p.m.

Reading list

For each style of feature I will ask you to complete I will provide some examples that we can discuss in class to help jog your creative muscles and that you can refer to for inspiration while you work on yours. Please read, listen or watch at least three of them — some by the pros, some by the students — before we launch each segment.

• Wesley Lowery on Longform Podcast #222
• 13, right now by Jessica Contrera, The Washington Post
• Town vs. gown by Kayla Branch, The OU Daily
• Students turn to sugar dating to fund university education by Steven Zoeller, The OU Daily
• OU athletic department monitors student-athletes’ social media usage by Joe Mussatto, The OU Daily

The assignment

A trend piece, in the words of a previous instructor of this course, provides specific, anecdotal examples of a broader topic with inherent news value. The objective is to find one or more colorful and informative microcosms that help readers better understand an important trend, event, study, statistic or other notable phenomenon in the news. The story will require a combination of extensive authoritative and anecdotal source material. Multiple sources are required

You will

• Write a 1,000-word (digital) or 4-minute package (broadcast) piece that…
• Appeals to an audience on an explanatory level…
• Is fully-developed in examining the subject in depth via research and at least three sources (more may be necessary to be successful)…
• And is relatable to a clearly defined audience.

Rubric (250 points total)

• Topic | 50 percent
  • Clearly appeals to an audience on an explanatory level
  • Is explored in significant depth via research and at least three sources (more may be necessary to be successful)
  • Is relatable to a broad audience
• Writing | 50 percent
  • Meets the word-count or script-length minimum
  • Uses clear, conversational language
  • Fully examines the subject
• Deductions
  • Fact errors: -50 percent
  • Spelling: -10 points
  • Grammar, punctuation, AP style: -1 point each