Writing for Strangers

Monday, March 10, 2008

Assignment 4.0 March 11, 2008

A. Write a 300-word feature on one of these movies:

Questions to answer with your feature:

What can I learn from these films as a journalism student?
Define and explain what type of journalism each movie espouses.

Deadline: March 18, 2008*

B. Write a 600-word profile feature one of these bands:

Typecast
Urban Dub
Taken by Cars
Sinosikat
Radioactive Sago Project

Questions to answer with your feature:

Explain the musical genre of the band, the origins of the genre
What makes their music Filipino?
Describe their songwriting process. Are their songs fictional or confessional?
Is their exploitation in the music business? Are bands making money?
What does it take to publish an album these days? What does it take to sell/market the album?

Deadline: March 25, 2008*

C. Complete all previous requirements listed in this blog.

Deadline: March 18, 2008*

* Post all works on your school blog and print out copies for all for workshop in class.

Attendance March 11, 2008

Arnela Almirez
Franco Attento
Allane Chiong
Mike Dimaano
Gwen Kangleon
Rem Lucio
Aileen Tandang
Aki Menor
Eiroll Manalo

Yuri Aguilar - ABSENT
John Basco - ABSENT
Katrina Guevarra - ABSENT
Yna De Leon - ABSENT
Tomi Uysingco - ABSENT

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Summary of class activities for March 11, 2008

Activities:

The back story behind every story: Discussions on the feature writings of Prof. Rome Jorge and how each article was made despite limitations and difficulties
Beyond spoon-fed press releases: Researching and achieving a balanced interview
The art of the interview: Tips on how to prepare, what to bring, what questions to ask, how to establish rapport, empathy and trust with interviewee

Objectives:

To prepare students for actual interview and feature writing for mid-term exam
To provide practical lessons derived from real life situations
To learn how to overcome common constraints

Requirements:

Read: http://writing4strangers.blogspot.com/2008/03/feature-writing-by-rome-jorge.html
Fulfill all previous requirements

Announcement

To all tardy students:

Do not make things worse for yourself. Being absent is even worse than being late. Come to class even if you do not have the complete requirements.

Class participation in discussions, workshops, and other activities is a huge portion of your final grade. Attendance is vital.

Better late than never. Please comply with all previous requirements and post them all on your respective class blog. I will still consider late postings and submissions, though I will make deductions to your grade.

Do not make up excuses, non-existent web addresses and other such nonsense. You will be treated as adults. There is no shame in admitting the truth. This class, like the real world, is results oriented. I do fail students. But I would much rather you learn, pass and prove yourselves worthy of your tuition.