Media Journalism English 302

Grading Policies: Media Journalism
English 302/COA 302

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Grading Policies

Sample Gradesheet

Tentative Schedule of Assignments

Current Assignments

Saving a file to disk

Missing Deadline
One of the most important lessons one can learn from working on a newspaper is about how vital it is to meet deadlines. Therefore, I will impose heavy deductions for failure to get your story in on time. If the problem is that you cannot get to a computer in time to get the story on disk, you should still hand me a xerox of your hand-written copy; you can then put it on disk later and get it to me (no penalty).
Handed in late on the day it is due: 10 point deduction.
Handed in after the day it is due: 30 point deduction minimum; when an assignment is part of a class project that has an actual publication deadline (Homecoming project and PR project), you will receive no credit at all if the assignment is in too late for inclusion in the project.
One free extension is granted. The extension does not apply to project assignments. You must submit a statement IN WRITING at the time you are taking the extension to indicate that you are doing so. This statement must also include the new deadline date. I reserve the right to set deadlines for each individual, rather than for the class as a whole; I also reserve the right to extend deadlines under extraordinary circumstances. However, no student may use the fact that another student had an extension as a justification for missing the imposed deadline.

Grading Scale
For each assignment, I will make up a grading grid that represents the elements of the assignment. Though there will be variations depending on the assignment, the basic categories of evaluation are these:
Lead (15 pts.) The lead (the opening paragraph) should give concrete information that introduces the reader to the story and grabs our attention. It should be written with attention to style and clarity.
Structure/Organization (20 pts.) The story should use an appropriate structure (inverted pyramid or chronological, as appropriate). It should put background information in the background, keeping the emphasis on important, timely information. The most important information must come early in the story. Use short paragraphs, and use concise transitions when needed.
Development (20 pts.) You should not leave any obvious questions unanswered. You should develop the story to reach the assigned length; it is always better to have a story that is too long than one that is too short. Editors can cut a story; they can’t make up additional information when it comes up short.
Use of Sources (25 pts.) Careful use of source material is vital. You should have multiple sources. All your information must be carefully collected and attributed. You may not include any unattributed opinion. You must try to represent various perspectives, especially when dealing with a controversial subject.
Style (20 pts.) Write clear, short sentences using strong, active verbs. Conciseness is a virtue. The tone must suit the content. You must follow stylebook rules.
These points, added up, form your preliminary grade. After that, an unlimited number of points can be deducted for grammar errors and factual errors.
Check the class web site for the gradesheets for assignments.

Deductions
Major grammar error (comma splice, sentence fragment, subject/verb agreement error, verb form error, run-on): 10 points minimum for each error.
Sentence structure errors (including--but not limited to--errors such as faulty parallelism, tense shifts, misplaced modifiers, faulty predication): 5-10 points each error, depending on severity of error.
Minor grammar errors (including--but not limited to--errors such as pronoun agreement, apostrophe use, spelling errors): 1-5 points each error, depending on severity of error.
Factual errors: 5 points is the minimum deduction for a factual error (including such things as using an incorrect title, misspelling a name, etc.--though penalties can be higher even for these errors, depending on severity). For significant errors that demonstrate a lack of attention to journalistic principles, I reserve the right to impose the "death penalty" (a 100-point deduction). Other errors can fall between the minimum and maximum penalties.

Grading Policies for ENG/COA 302:
Good News Version

Beating Deadline
When stories are handed in before the deadline, it can ease the burden of editors (and graders) who need a chance to evaluate the work before putting it in the paper. I don’t want to encourage hurried or slipshod reporting, but when you get your story done early, I think you deserve some credit.
Handed before the day it is due: Up to 10 points bonus.

Grading Scale
For each assignment, I will give extra credit in certain areas for extraordinary achievement. In other words, a good, basic, well-written story that fits the assignment can earn a maximum of 100 points. But if you go beyond the basic requirements in any of the following areas, I will increase your score accordingly:
Lead (normally a maximum of 15 pts.) If you come up with a truly extraordinary lead, I could give you up to 20 points for the lead (up to 5 points extra credit).
Structure/Organization (20 pts.) When a complex story structure is attempted, you can earn up to 5 bonus points if I decide that you have taken risks above and beyond the call of duty.
Development (20 pts.) Content difficulty bonuses go here. If you cover a breaking news story, you can receive up to 10 bonus points. If you develop an investigative story, you can receive up to 10 bonus points in this category (and you’ll get more in the next category). If you deal effectively with controversial material, you can receive up to 10 bonus points in this category. In other words, if you do an investigative report on a controversial breaking news story, you could earn yourself an extra 30 points in this category alone.
Use of Sources (25 pts.) When you develop a story that uses multiple in-depth interviews, you could receive up to 10 extra points (getting a couple of comments from friends in the cafe does not qualify as an in-depth interview). When you handle a hostile interview effectively, you could receive up to 10 bonus points. If I decide that you have taken a story to an unexpected level of excellence as a result of the extent of your research and interviews, I could award you up to 25 additional points.
Style (20 pts.) Excellent style is expected of everyone. I might award up to 5 bonus points for a style that is extraordinarily effective and completely suited to the material being presented.

Additions
A story written for class that is printed in The Georgetonian (not counting the Homecoming stories): up to 10 points (depending on quality of story, amount of editing that had to be done, etc.) YOU DO NOT GET PAID FOR THESE STORIES.
Additional stories NOT written for class that appear in The Georgetonian (this does not include articles that page editors write for their own pages--sorry, Jamie): up to 10 points (depending on quality of the story). YOU CAN be paid for these stories.