57014 Advanced Print Features

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Journalism
Credit points: 8 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 57011c Research and Reporting for Journalism
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Handbook description

This subject aims to develop skills in feature story writing for the print media by a comparative approach to the work of exemplary contemporary practice. The emphasis is on developing and improving research and writing skills. Students aim to produce publishable work. The subject offers students insights into the breadth of style and genre available to non-fiction writing, including social-realist writing, essays, columns, profiles, 'new journalism' and more complex in-depth features. A range of techniques of researching, interviewing and writing are practised and critiqued. Ethical considerations are explored in the context of particular examples of production.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

Demonstrate the ability to write feature articles whose standard is equal to those of professional writers.
Have developed insights into the breadth of style and genre of feature writing, including essays, columns, profiles, 'new journalism', and more complex in-depth features.
Understand the links between journalism and broader styles of writing such as non-fiction and fiction.

Contribution to graduate profile

At the completion of this subject, students will:

have strong research and reporting skills and be able to effectively retrieve and analyse information from a range of sources
have a knowledge and critical understanding of the media
develop the ability to be self-reliant and pro-active, flexible and innovative
have an understanding and commitment to ethical journalism practice.

Teaching and learning strategies

Internet technology including UTS Online is used to provide and develop learning resources and to facilitate communication with other students and the lecturer between classes.

Teaching will include lectures and discussions, exercises and debates, special location exercises and practical journalistic assignments. The readings will form the basis of class discussions and relate to the theme of each class.

Content

This subject aims to develop skills in feature story writing for the print media through a comparative approach to the work of contemporary practitioners.

This is the kind of journalism where your imagination and creativity play an important part. Be a writer 24-hours a day: in your daily life, look out for story ideas, angles, anecdotes from your friends, relatives, the local shopkeeper, whoever. Be curious. Watch the rest of the media with a writer's eye. Look for follow-ups.

Start thinking now about feature story ideas and subjects for feature profiles. And remember that if, for example, the person you have in mind to profile is a minor (or major) celebrity, you may need to make many telephone calls, negotiate with agents or deal with countless other roadblocks well ahead of the interview.

Your lecturer will be your editor. He/she will discuss and approve (or not) your story ideas and suggest lines of inquiry. In story conferences in class, as in the workplace, you will be expected to bring forward story ideas, sourced from newspapers and your own observations and experiences. You can follow up topics that are in line with your own interests, but be aware of the dangers of relying on interviewing friends or exploring topics about which you already know a lot. Explore. Think beyond your certainties. Parachuting into a story based on curiosity and instinct often leads to better stories.

Your final assignment should be up to professional standard and be potentially publishable. So you should always be thinking of the publication/audience to whom you might successfully pitch your story.

Students are expected to read the daily newspapers (at a minimum for reference in class the Sydney Morning Herald every day) and identify potential follow-up features from news stories. As a baseline for the wide reading of features that is essential for this course (and because these features may be highlighted by lecturers or in students' weekly presentations) students are also required to read and retain each week The Good Weekend and the Weekend Australian Magazine.

Students will also need a copy of the selected readings prepared for this subject. The readings will form the basis of class discussions and relate to the theme of each class. Students may be asked at random to give their opinion of any of the articles to the rest of the class. There is also a set text for this course: The Writer's Reader, edited by Susie Eisenhuth and Willa McDonald, available from the Co-op Bookshop.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: A 1,000-word feature story

Objectives	Prepare a follow-up feature story based on recent events.
Value	25%
Due	TBA
Task	To source, research and write a feature story of potentially publishable quality. This story should be based on some aspect of a recent news event or demonstrate currency in its terms of reference and narrative.
Assessment criteria	Includes: quality of the idea quality of the introduction and the degree to which it demands attention, demonstrates newsworthiness and narrative value the breadth of source material a demonstrated understanding of the subject matter and the issues involved the imaginative shaping of the content the quality of structure, clear writing and correct English expression.

Asessment item 2: A short profile of 800 words

Objectives	Demonstrate an imaginative and discerning eye for the details, quotes, anecdotes that make for a strong profile. Demonstrate interviewing skills.
Value	20%
Due	TBA
Task	The aim of this task is to develop an imaginative and discerning eye for a potential story; to be aware of people, their lives, their ideas, their feelings; to learn to engage in conversation with a person with the intention of seeking out his or her story.
Assessment criteria	Includes: imaginative projection narrative value use of colour and quotes.

Asessment item 3: A 1,500 word feature

Objectives	Develop a potentially publishable feature story.
Value	35%
Due	TBA
Task	To identify a strong feature story with a currency that recommends it for publication. The story should involve several interviews, background research and lively writing. This is the major assignment and should be of such quality as to potentially find publication in a magazine or newspaper.
Assessment criteria	Includes: quality of the idea quality of the introduction and the degree to which it demands attention, demonstrates newsworthiness and narrative value the breadth of contacts a demonstrated understanding of the subject matter and the issues involved the imaginative shaping of the content the quality of structure, clear writing and correct English expression.

Asessment item 4: Class presentation

Objectives	Demonstrate an imaginative and discerning eye for a potential story. Engage in critical discussion of the quality of feature articles in magazines and newspapers.
Value	20%
Due	To be determined in Week 1
Task	Students will evaluate a major feature in a magazine or newspaper. In preparing the evaluation of the feature story, students are asked to consider target audience, types and length of feature, themes covered in the feature, variations in style of feature writing, the length, tone and style of lead, quality of ending. Magazines and newspapers to be evaluated would usually be published locally. Students may also be asked at any time to give a spontaneous evaluation of a current feature in the Sydney Morning Herald or SMH/Australian weekend magazines, and contribute to editorial discussions and workshops. The main aim of this exercise is to stimulate students to read a wide variety of magazines and journals, to heighten their awareness of writing styles and choices, and to sharpen their critical eye and discernment.
Assessment criteria	Includes: regular class attendance lively participation in discussion and exercises evidence of wide reading and thorough research demonstrated awareness of feature content in local newspapers and magazines quality of presentation.

Minimum requirements

Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Indicative references

Learning from other writers is established methodology in this discipline. Extensive reading of a wide range of features in a wide range of publications is expected. As well as the Course Reader, available from UTS Printing, there is a set text for this course: The Writer's Reader, Understanding Journalism and Non-Fiction, edited by Susie Eisenhuth and Willa McDonald. It is available from the UTS Co-Op.

The following texts are recommended as useful references for this subject (some of the excerpts in the Course Reader are from these texts.)

Bell, P. & Van Leeuwen, T. 1994, Confession, Contest, Conversation: The media interview, UNSW Press

Blundell, W. 1988, The Art & Craft of Feature Writing, Plume, New York

Carey, J. (ed.), 1987, The Faber Book of Reportage, Faber

Didion, J. 1993 (originally pub. 1968) Slouching Towards Bethlehem, (features collection, many reprints) Flamingo

Dunleavy, M. 2002, Feature Writing, Deakin University

Fallaci, O. 1968, The Egotists: Sixteen amazing interviews, Henry Regnery

Garner, H. 1996, True stories: Selected Non fiction, Text

Hurst, J. 1988, The Walkleys, Australia's Best Journalism in Action, Richmond

King, S. 2000, On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft, Hodder & Stoughton

Leser, D. 1999, The Whites of Their Eyes: A Collection of Feature Stories from the Good Weekend, Allen & Unwin

Malcolm, J. 1990, The Journalist and the Murderer, Bloomsbury

Miller, A. (ed) 2003, Esquire's Big Book of Great Writing, Hearst Books

Mitford, J. 1980, The Making of a Muckraker, Quartet

Perl, S. & Schwartz, M 2006, Writing True, The Art and Craft of Creative non-fiction, Houghton Mifflin Co, USA

Ricketson, M. 2004, Writing Feature Stories, Allen & Unwin

Sheridan Burns, L. 2002, Understanding Journalism, Sage

Silvester, C. 1993, The Penguin Book of Interviews, Penguin

Strunk, W. & White, E.G. 1972, The Elements of Style, Macmillan, New York. (Complete copy also published on the internet.)

Wilson, R. 2000, A Big Ask: Interviews with Interviewees, New Holland

Wolfe, T. 1973, The New Journalism, Harper and Rowe

Zinsser, W. 2001 (6th edition), On Writing Well: An informal guide to writing non-fiction, Harper Collins

Students must also ensure they have access to a good quality dictionary, a thesaurus and a book of English expression such as Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Oxford Uni Press.