You managed to keep me amused and informed through a variety of feature articles. Some had extremely clear writing. Some had in-depth reporting. The top ones, the most memorable pieces, had both.
Kudos to the authors of the articles about dorm cooking (Jett), triples (Tasha), farmers markets (Carol), costume designers (Franziska), re-learning to walk (Mitchell), culture shock for students from abroad (Jess) and Swine flu in Room 607 (Stevia), which was the very easiest to read in the class.
You may all go on your Thanksgiving holiday without worrying about school. And please know how thankful I am to have such a creative and funny set of students.
Professor Eisman
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
This may look a lot like Franziska's.... Media Law & Ethics for Monday
Class begin with a lively discussion of the Women's Resource Center (Carmen I saw your response in the Eagle, very well done) and an update on what's ahead in the World of Writing For Mass Comm 200.
1. Grammar Quiz on Thursday - all grammar in the textbook will be fair game, or as Stevia put it "all grammar ever".
2. No class on Monday! - But, the time should be used to work on our "Something New" assignment which is due after break. The piece will cover something that is new this semester on campus (professor, event, class, etc...). You can write up the assignment in any style you want (PSA, feature, press release, broadcast, etc...).
After the above updates, the lesson on Media Law and Ethics began!
Libel -publishing something, on purpose, that is both false and can hurt someone's reputation.
-defamatory - ruins a person's reputation
- you can identify that it is specifically plaintiff who is being talked about
- the defendant is guilty of negligence (being sloppy, not checking over facts)
or malice- intentionally trying to hurt someone's reputation with false information
How do Avoid Libel - ALWAYS CHECK YOUR FACTS! Wait for additiontional information before running a story if you are not sure of something. Also, check with a person before you write something questionable about him or her.
See "Print it or Pull it" examples
Copyright Law - images, music, text all have copyrights establishing who owns the creative work
Privacy -
Ethics - what you can publish, and what is ethically sound to publish, are two different things.
For more information on all of this- see the class hand out sheets!
1. Grammar Quiz on Thursday - all grammar in the textbook will be fair game, or as Stevia put it "all grammar ever".
2. No class on Monday! - But, the time should be used to work on our "Something New" assignment which is due after break. The piece will cover something that is new this semester on campus (professor, event, class, etc...). You can write up the assignment in any style you want (PSA, feature, press release, broadcast, etc...).
After the above updates, the lesson on Media Law and Ethics began!
Libel -publishing something, on purpose, that is both false and can hurt someone's reputation.
- Living people can sue, dead people can't
- Usually the publication gets sued, not the individual reporter (but in some cases he/she can)
- To be libelous, a statement must be:
-defamatory - ruins a person's reputation
- you can identify that it is specifically plaintiff who is being talked about
- the defendant is guilty of negligence (being sloppy, not checking over facts)
or malice- intentionally trying to hurt someone's reputation with false information
How do Avoid Libel - ALWAYS CHECK YOUR FACTS! Wait for additiontional information before running a story if you are not sure of something. Also, check with a person before you write something questionable about him or her.
See "Print it or Pull it" examples
Copyright Law - images, music, text all have copyrights establishing who owns the creative work
- The safest way to avoid copyright infringement is to always check with the author/publisher before reprinting something
- Remember to not use trademarks when writing (Band -Aids, Xerox etc...) , it's not illegal, but it is sloppy.
Privacy -
- Don't intrude - no hidden camera, or trespassing to gain information -you ARE NOT James Bond
- Don't portray someone in a false light - no using old pictures for new stories (that have nothing to do with the original context of the picture)
- Don't disclose private facts - it really can't get any better than that hemorrhoid example in text.
- Don't appropriate - for instance, don't use a picture of me in an ad for a Miley Cyrus concert. I'm not one of her biggest fans, and would be upset that you did not check with me first.
Ethics - what you can publish, and what is ethically sound to publish, are two different things.
- Don't assume that people do not want to talk to reporters when there is a tragedy. For
- reporters it is always worth it to seek out new information.
- Show compassion for victims of tragedy
- Don't stereotype or make general assumptions
- Be careful when identifying underage suspects or victims of sexual crimes
- Don't charge someone with a crime before the police have
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Bring to light ethical violations you may know about
For more information on all of this- see the class hand out sheets!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Media Law and Ethics (Nov. 16, 2009)
Announcements:
1. There will be a grammar quiz this Thursday about all grammar ever covered.
2. There will be no class meeting on Nov. 23.
3. The “Something New” assignment (see syllabus and add press release and speech to the possible formats) will be due after Thanksgiving.
4. Take John Watson’s class! Next semester, he will be teaching COMM-320 Reporting and COMM-504 Journalism Ethics.
After we (more or less successfully) tried to find out what Professor Eisman did during her day off and discussed the new Women’s Resource Center (follow the debate at http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/feminist-err-womens-center-wastes-money), we started discussing media law and ethics.
1. Media Law
Libel is a false statement that intentionally damages somebody’s reputation, and any alive party can sue for libel. For example, if a journalist accuses someone in his story to be crazy, the person accused can sue for being labeled a mentally ill person.
Usually, it is the publication that will be sued, but in some cases, journalists themselves will get sued. In some cases, it can be difficult for the court to decide whether or not the libel was actually deliberately damaging reputation.
For examples on risky statements that fall into the grey zone of publishing or not publishing, refer to the in-class “Print it or pull it” exercise.
Other important issues in media law are privacy and copyright law. For example, if you want to find pictures online that can be used without paying a royalty or copyright fee, you can use flickr’s creative commons. This application will tell you which images are free, which ones are free if you credit the photographer, which ones you can only use if you pay a fee etc.
For more information on how to avoid legal risks, you can check out the “Top Ten Rules for Limiting Legal Risks” by the Knight Citizen News Network. This link is also on our syllabus:
http://www.kcnn.org/legal_risk
If you are interested in media law, you should also read the brief on media law in the AP stylebook, which can be accessed via the stylebook online (through the AU library’s website or through http://www.apstylebook.com/ if you have a subscription).
2. Ethics
Ethics is a very broad field, that includes many grey areas and has become increasingly concerning with the growth of digital imaging software. Today, it is easier than ever before to alter images and produce text that has little factual bases.
In class, we discussed the New York Times coverage of the 9/11 attacks as an example of ethics. Whereas newspapers around the U.S. as well as international papers published pictures of people falling out of the buildings, the New York Times, as the local newspaper of the New York community, did not publish such pictures until several days after the attacks. This is an example of very ethical behavior.
Also, we talked about the question whether or not it is ethical to interview family members of murder victims: always interview them! It can be difficult and uncomfortable at first, but you never know what they might have to add to the story. As an ethical journalist, you can never assume anything. This is why it is important to talk to people and get as many positions on an issue covered as possible.
Different publications have different codes of ethics.
For example, the New York Times’ code of ethics (that we looked at in class) can be found here:
http://www.nytco.com/press/ethics.html
1. There will be a grammar quiz this Thursday about all grammar ever covered.
2. There will be no class meeting on Nov. 23.
3. The “Something New” assignment (see syllabus and add press release and speech to the possible formats) will be due after Thanksgiving.
4. Take John Watson’s class! Next semester, he will be teaching COMM-320 Reporting and COMM-504 Journalism Ethics.
After we (more or less successfully) tried to find out what Professor Eisman did during her day off and discussed the new Women’s Resource Center (follow the debate at http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/feminist-err-womens-center-wastes-money), we started discussing media law and ethics.
1. Media Law
Libel is a false statement that intentionally damages somebody’s reputation, and any alive party can sue for libel. For example, if a journalist accuses someone in his story to be crazy, the person accused can sue for being labeled a mentally ill person.
Usually, it is the publication that will be sued, but in some cases, journalists themselves will get sued. In some cases, it can be difficult for the court to decide whether or not the libel was actually deliberately damaging reputation.
For examples on risky statements that fall into the grey zone of publishing or not publishing, refer to the in-class “Print it or pull it” exercise.
Other important issues in media law are privacy and copyright law. For example, if you want to find pictures online that can be used without paying a royalty or copyright fee, you can use flickr’s creative commons. This application will tell you which images are free, which ones are free if you credit the photographer, which ones you can only use if you pay a fee etc.
For more information on how to avoid legal risks, you can check out the “Top Ten Rules for Limiting Legal Risks” by the Knight Citizen News Network. This link is also on our syllabus:
http://www.kcnn.org/legal_risk
If you are interested in media law, you should also read the brief on media law in the AP stylebook, which can be accessed via the stylebook online (through the AU library’s website or through http://www.apstylebook.com/ if you have a subscription).
2. Ethics
Ethics is a very broad field, that includes many grey areas and has become increasingly concerning with the growth of digital imaging software. Today, it is easier than ever before to alter images and produce text that has little factual bases.
In class, we discussed the New York Times coverage of the 9/11 attacks as an example of ethics. Whereas newspapers around the U.S. as well as international papers published pictures of people falling out of the buildings, the New York Times, as the local newspaper of the New York community, did not publish such pictures until several days after the attacks. This is an example of very ethical behavior.
Also, we talked about the question whether or not it is ethical to interview family members of murder victims: always interview them! It can be difficult and uncomfortable at first, but you never know what they might have to add to the story. As an ethical journalist, you can never assume anything. This is why it is important to talk to people and get as many positions on an issue covered as possible.
Different publications have different codes of ethics.
For example, the New York Times’ code of ethics (that we looked at in class) can be found here:
http://www.nytco.com/press/ethics.html
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week #12!
Monday, November 9, 2009.
First on the agenda for Monday was returning the bio assignments. As Professor Eisman put it, “Some of them were wonderful.” She pointed out that those who did well wrote them like bios, not like news features. Congrats to Sam, Alica, and Tasha for writing the best bios! These three did well because they stayed on focus and used vivid details – they also happened to pick really interesting people.
Next we took a news and grammar quiz. Professor Eisman announced that it was also a “no-whining quiz,” but I think we failed that part.
After that, we presented the group PSA assignments. Everyone obviously had fun with these! Professor Eisman told Sam that he made an excellent 40-year-old man, and is making t-shirts out of the tagline Susan and I came up with: “Bad grammar isn't sexy.” Unlike her promise to give us all jobs, she said she plans to stick to this one.
Some tips for good PSAs:
Next, we discussed Yahoo's plan to release a style guide for web writing in 2010. The style guide will be similar to the AP Stylebook, but with some differences, although probably not as many as this. Professor Eisman went over a powerpoint and gave us a pamphlet with several of the tips from the Yahoo guide.
Finally, class was let out 15 minutes early! Hooray!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
One would expect that everyone would have been exhausted on Thursday after writing our features all night, but everyone seemed as lively as usual. Professor Eisman even said we were annoying! Personally, I was more concerned that “math” was listed on the agenda.
Quizzes were returned, and Professor Eisman confirmed that the correct possessive forms are “waitress'” and “Dickens,'” as in, “Sydney Carton was the waitress' favorite character in Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities” - but that sentence is in the passive voice, so don't write it.
Next, our PSA assignments were returned. Professor Eisman said that Fia and Taylor's anti-flip flop ad was the best because of its great tagline, its simple focus, and its relation to the World Series. Stevia and Brittany's chilling medical marijuana ad was a close second – Professor Eisman said that the short sentences as well as the repetition worked well. Professor Eisman said that Susan and I came in third because our tagline was the best, and said she is working on getting us t-shirts!
After that, we started looking at news sites to figure out what makes goods headline and blurbs (sidenote: blurb is NOT a technical term). We encountered some controversy with this video. The title is an incorrect quote – never do this! Professor Eisman said she plans on sending an email about this.
We read a lot of headlines, so I won't list them all, but here are some characteristics of the good ones:
After that, we read a much more concise article on the same subject from BBC. This article listed all of the facts about Bhutan under a map instead of working them into the article. Let's face it, most readers aren't terribly interested in the number of tourists that go to Bhutan every year or the date they first had television, but it's good to have this information off to the side in case anyone is curious. The article also included a subhead, even though it was much shorter, and had a good kicker about the king having several wives. Overall, everyone seemed to find this article much more accessible
Then we did math. I don't know about you all, but I haven't done math since I took stat as a freshman two years ago. I can't even add anymore. However, some of you clearly knew what you were doing, as we got all of the questions on the quiz right! Professor Eisman said she's never had a class do that.
If you want to torture yourself, the quiz is here. Professor Eisman said that we will probably have some math questions on the final.
Finally, some of the Talon editors stopped by because they're looking for writers. They gave out fliers, but in case you lost yours, here are the details:
First on the agenda for Monday was returning the bio assignments. As Professor Eisman put it, “Some of them were wonderful.” She pointed out that those who did well wrote them like bios, not like news features. Congrats to Sam, Alica, and Tasha for writing the best bios! These three did well because they stayed on focus and used vivid details – they also happened to pick really interesting people.
Next we took a news and grammar quiz. Professor Eisman announced that it was also a “no-whining quiz,” but I think we failed that part.
After that, we presented the group PSA assignments. Everyone obviously had fun with these! Professor Eisman told Sam that he made an excellent 40-year-old man, and is making t-shirts out of the tagline Susan and I came up with: “Bad grammar isn't sexy.” Unlike her promise to give us all jobs, she said she plans to stick to this one.
Some tips for good PSAs:
- Keep it short and simple.
- Know your audience.
- Get their attention from the start.
Next, we discussed Yahoo's plan to release a style guide for web writing in 2010. The style guide will be similar to the AP Stylebook, but with some differences, although probably not as many as this. Professor Eisman went over a powerpoint and gave us a pamphlet with several of the tips from the Yahoo guide.
Finally, class was let out 15 minutes early! Hooray!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
One would expect that everyone would have been exhausted on Thursday after writing our features all night, but everyone seemed as lively as usual. Professor Eisman even said we were annoying! Personally, I was more concerned that “math” was listed on the agenda.
Quizzes were returned, and Professor Eisman confirmed that the correct possessive forms are “waitress'” and “Dickens,'” as in, “Sydney Carton was the waitress' favorite character in Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities” - but that sentence is in the passive voice, so don't write it.
Next, our PSA assignments were returned. Professor Eisman said that Fia and Taylor's anti-flip flop ad was the best because of its great tagline, its simple focus, and its relation to the World Series. Stevia and Brittany's chilling medical marijuana ad was a close second – Professor Eisman said that the short sentences as well as the repetition worked well. Professor Eisman said that Susan and I came in third because our tagline was the best, and said she is working on getting us t-shirts!
After that, we started looking at news sites to figure out what makes goods headline and blurbs (sidenote: blurb is NOT a technical term). We encountered some controversy with this video. The title is an incorrect quote – never do this! Professor Eisman said she plans on sending an email about this.
We read a lot of headlines, so I won't list them all, but here are some characteristics of the good ones:
- Make sure the headline fits the story! Deliver what you advertise.
- The headline and blurb should be connected, but shouldn't repeat each other – a blurb should elaborate on the title, not reiterate it.
- While headlines and blurbs should be informative, don't give too much away, because then no one will read the actual article – except, of course, Mass Comm students studying for news quizzes.
- Suggest drama or controversy when practical.
- Use strong verbs.
- Drop names.
- Use humor when appropriate (e.g., when writing for The Onion).
After that, we read a much more concise article on the same subject from BBC. This article listed all of the facts about Bhutan under a map instead of working them into the article. Let's face it, most readers aren't terribly interested in the number of tourists that go to Bhutan every year or the date they first had television, but it's good to have this information off to the side in case anyone is curious. The article also included a subhead, even though it was much shorter, and had a good kicker about the king having several wives. Overall, everyone seemed to find this article much more accessible
Then we did math. I don't know about you all, but I haven't done math since I took stat as a freshman two years ago. I can't even add anymore. However, some of you clearly knew what you were doing, as we got all of the questions on the quiz right! Professor Eisman said she's never had a class do that.
If you want to torture yourself, the quiz is here. Professor Eisman said that we will probably have some math questions on the final.
Finally, some of the Talon editors stopped by because they're looking for writers. They gave out fliers, but in case you lost yours, here are the details:
- Stories should be about something on campus, and must be 350-400 words with 2-3 quotes.
- Meetings are Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. in MGC 250.
- Office hours are Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Monday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Direct questions to talonmanager@american.edu.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Week 11: PSAs and Writing for the Web
Monday- 11/2
Professor Eisman handed back the Press Release Assignment.
Congrats Amy, Jess, and Brittany for doing a fantastic job on them!
Special congrats to Brittany for Eisman's praise of her writing style - "You have the crispest writing style of anyone your age!"
CHANGE IN SYLLABUS: Feature Article is now due Nov. 12th (this Thursday!!!)
Eisman is willing to read the first paragraph of our features, so sent them her way if you are interested!
Some important things to remember about the feature:
Eisman assigned a new PSA project today.
Eisman gave us the last 30 minutes of class to work on our PSAs in groups.
Thursday- 11/5
Class began with Carol exhibiting some Ohio pride and then quickly becoming embarrassed because we had a prospective student and his father sitting in on class.
The topic of class was "The Media Landscape" and we dived into writing for the web.
We discussed with how people read online. Some of us students had some good examples of why web writing is different:
We then discussed the importance of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Eisman told us, "I was very upset when TMZ was right about Michael Jackson on Twitter."
As a class we decided that the most important aspect of writing for the web is to get the reader hooked and keep the reader hooked. According to studies that have been published, people read in an "F' shaped pattern. This means that important information must be right at the beginning, and that the topic sentence has to be very focused, clear, and well written.
Eisman coined the term "visual editing" for the way we must edit writing for the web, because really we are writing for the eye.
We also learned the when people read a webpage they "Glance, scan, then click," so it is VERY important to make websites user friendly.
According to a poll about how in depth people read an article had the following results:
77% online
62% broadsheet
57% tabloid
Here are important tips when writing for the web:
1. Find an intriguing story
2. Break up long blocks of text
3. Deliver what you promise
4. Have one thought per paragraph
5. Avoid lists of numbers, use sidebars
6. Write for the eye
Eisman also dished out some more praise today when she said, "Mitchell I just adore you! You're on fire today!"
Before giving us a short assignment on writing for the web Eisman made it clear she has once again lost control, however she did remind us that she is still going to get us all jobs!
Professor Eisman handed back the Press Release Assignment.
Congrats Amy, Jess, and Brittany for doing a fantastic job on them!
Special congrats to Brittany for Eisman's praise of her writing style - "You have the crispest writing style of anyone your age!"
CHANGE IN SYLLABUS: Feature Article is now due Nov. 12th (this Thursday!!!)
Eisman is willing to read the first paragraph of our features, so sent them her way if you are interested!
Some important things to remember about the feature:
- Length: 5 pages or less
- Include your sources and their contact info at the end
- Don't forget to attribute information and use credible sources
- Audience: AU Students
Eisman assigned a new PSA project today.
- Due Date: Mon. Nov. 9th
- We were split up into group of 2-3 people to either record a 30 second audio PSA or film/storyboard a 20 second visual PSA
- More information can be found on blackboard if needed.
Eisman gave us the last 30 minutes of class to work on our PSAs in groups.
Thursday- 11/5
Class began with Carol exhibiting some Ohio pride and then quickly becoming embarrassed because we had a prospective student and his father sitting in on class.
The topic of class was "The Media Landscape" and we dived into writing for the web.
We discussed with how people read online. Some of us students had some good examples of why web writing is different:
- People can be more selective about what they read
- The transmission of info is instantaneous
- Content can be stolen much easier
We then discussed the importance of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Eisman told us, "I was very upset when TMZ was right about Michael Jackson on Twitter."
As a class we decided that the most important aspect of writing for the web is to get the reader hooked and keep the reader hooked. According to studies that have been published, people read in an "F' shaped pattern. This means that important information must be right at the beginning, and that the topic sentence has to be very focused, clear, and well written.
Eisman coined the term "visual editing" for the way we must edit writing for the web, because really we are writing for the eye.
We also learned the when people read a webpage they "Glance, scan, then click," so it is VERY important to make websites user friendly.
According to a poll about how in depth people read an article had the following results:
77% online
62% broadsheet
57% tabloid
Here are important tips when writing for the web:
1. Find an intriguing story
2. Break up long blocks of text
3. Deliver what you promise
4. Have one thought per paragraph
5. Avoid lists of numbers, use sidebars
6. Write for the eye
Eisman also dished out some more praise today when she said, "Mitchell I just adore you! You're on fire today!"
Before giving us a short assignment on writing for the web Eisman made it clear she has once again lost control, however she did remind us that she is still going to get us all jobs!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Not my week but...
I know it's not my week to blog but I had two things I wanted to share:
1) I told Paula McCabe about our blog, she wanted to check it out. Just a heads up.
2) Just found this on twitter, follow @FakeAPStylebook. It's funny, especially since we're all gaining a love/hate relationship with the real AP Stylebook, which apparently you can follow @APStylebook. There's even a hash tag! #APStyle. wow.
That's all,
Amy
Monday, November 2, 2009
"The Secret to Good Speechwriting Is..."
A preliminary note of gratitude: danke to everyone in class for being understanding about my delay in bloggin'. My family emergency is, henceforth, resolved, and so I bring you a Carmen Rios original about last week's adventurous WMC Curriculum:
"Where is our student blogger?" were the first words heard by the student blogger herself as she settled into her seat, raised her hand, and assauged all fears. No worries- she was here. Professor Darrell Hayes, an American University Public Communication Professor and noted public relations expert, took his seat in response and began a lecture with three main points: ethos, pathos, and logos.
When delivering a speech, he said, it is most important to begin by thinking of your audience. Maybe, he suggested, you have two different audiences in the same arena: athletes, for instance, combined with musicians. There are a lot of things that could divide those groups- perspectives on art high on a list that could also include lifestyle, personality, and background. Hayes, however, took another path and suggested that students begin their speechwriting practice by thinking of what "unites your audience." Teamwork, for example, is something both divisions in that audience understand. The important of practice, cooperation, and the ability to take criticism and direction are also shared experiences among an audience of bass players and basketball ameteurs. Once you have linked your audience, you can find a direction for your speech and target your points to those unifying thoughts.
That's when ethos, pathos, and logos enter the room. Those three elements, in that order, are essential to good speechwriting. Hayes carefully described each: ethos, the credibility of the speaker, should come as an introduction and motivate the audience to listen to what the speaker has to say; pathos, the emotion, comes next in an effort to keep that audience intrigued and often to make them personally hold a stake in your topic; logos comes last, the logical argument formed in time to explain the other elements and close neatly.
The challenge he then posed was for students in the Writing for Mass Communication class to write a speech as if they were AU's own Dean of Students. Their audience? The parents gathered at Family Weekend receptions and events, particularly the one the Dean was speaking at. And the topic? Underage drinking, and why it should be legal. Students split quickly into groups and worked on making the Dean of Students seem rational and not radical, perfecting language along the lines of, "my sons and daughters" and establishing the Dean's credibility not only as someone personally involved in education as an institution, but also in childrearing as a parent. Relating to parents proved easier, however, than the logos- how could lowering the drinking age ever be marketed to parents?
"Family Weekend is a freshman mistake," one student quipped. "These parents will be terrified."
"Can we say 'children?' They're adults by now," one student put forward. "Sons and daughters! Sons and daughters!"
The students all completed the speech outlines by the end of class and printed them out, with Hayes eagerly walking around the classroom to see how the challenges of speechwriting would be overcome by the small group of honors undergrads.
On Thursday, the students reconvened, this time with the familiar face of Amy Eisman at the front of the classroom. AU Professor Dotty Lynch, a recognized pollster and well-known communications professional, came in to judge and evaluate their in-class project for the day: PSAs.
Following a lecture on the nature of PSAs and the elements that make them successful (directing your audience to more resources, speaking concisely and in easy-to-understand language, writing casually and colloqiually in broadcast fashion, and connecting with your specific target audience), the students once again faced down a group project. They were instructed to compose audio PSA's 30 seconds in length on H1N1 prevention. After looking to their student portals and flu.gov, the room was full of feigned coughs and strained voices.
"Best radio voice goes to Carmen," professor Eisman quipped. The most successful group in the exercise was that who put forth tons of coughs and clever references to the importance of hygiene in everyday life for students, focusing on washing hands as key to prevention. Another group used the slogan "do your friends a favor- stay in," and others experimented with allusions to pop culture and the importance of knowing what is not okay to "share" (namely germs). Lynch was impressed overall with the performance of the student groups.
The week ended with printed scripts and the promise of more PSA work in the future, soon to be fulfilled by the recently assigned PSA assignment (DUE NOVEMBER 9).
"Where is our student blogger?" were the first words heard by the student blogger herself as she settled into her seat, raised her hand, and assauged all fears. No worries- she was here. Professor Darrell Hayes, an American University Public Communication Professor and noted public relations expert, took his seat in response and began a lecture with three main points: ethos, pathos, and logos.
When delivering a speech, he said, it is most important to begin by thinking of your audience. Maybe, he suggested, you have two different audiences in the same arena: athletes, for instance, combined with musicians. There are a lot of things that could divide those groups- perspectives on art high on a list that could also include lifestyle, personality, and background. Hayes, however, took another path and suggested that students begin their speechwriting practice by thinking of what "unites your audience." Teamwork, for example, is something both divisions in that audience understand. The important of practice, cooperation, and the ability to take criticism and direction are also shared experiences among an audience of bass players and basketball ameteurs. Once you have linked your audience, you can find a direction for your speech and target your points to those unifying thoughts.
That's when ethos, pathos, and logos enter the room. Those three elements, in that order, are essential to good speechwriting. Hayes carefully described each: ethos, the credibility of the speaker, should come as an introduction and motivate the audience to listen to what the speaker has to say; pathos, the emotion, comes next in an effort to keep that audience intrigued and often to make them personally hold a stake in your topic; logos comes last, the logical argument formed in time to explain the other elements and close neatly.
The challenge he then posed was for students in the Writing for Mass Communication class to write a speech as if they were AU's own Dean of Students. Their audience? The parents gathered at Family Weekend receptions and events, particularly the one the Dean was speaking at. And the topic? Underage drinking, and why it should be legal. Students split quickly into groups and worked on making the Dean of Students seem rational and not radical, perfecting language along the lines of, "my sons and daughters" and establishing the Dean's credibility not only as someone personally involved in education as an institution, but also in childrearing as a parent. Relating to parents proved easier, however, than the logos- how could lowering the drinking age ever be marketed to parents?
"Family Weekend is a freshman mistake," one student quipped. "These parents will be terrified."
"Can we say 'children?' They're adults by now," one student put forward. "Sons and daughters! Sons and daughters!"
The students all completed the speech outlines by the end of class and printed them out, with Hayes eagerly walking around the classroom to see how the challenges of speechwriting would be overcome by the small group of honors undergrads.
On Thursday, the students reconvened, this time with the familiar face of Amy Eisman at the front of the classroom. AU Professor Dotty Lynch, a recognized pollster and well-known communications professional, came in to judge and evaluate their in-class project for the day: PSAs.
Following a lecture on the nature of PSAs and the elements that make them successful (directing your audience to more resources, speaking concisely and in easy-to-understand language, writing casually and colloqiually in broadcast fashion, and connecting with your specific target audience), the students once again faced down a group project. They were instructed to compose audio PSA's 30 seconds in length on H1N1 prevention. After looking to their student portals and flu.gov, the room was full of feigned coughs and strained voices.
"Best radio voice goes to Carmen," professor Eisman quipped. The most successful group in the exercise was that who put forth tons of coughs and clever references to the importance of hygiene in everyday life for students, focusing on washing hands as key to prevention. Another group used the slogan "do your friends a favor- stay in," and others experimented with allusions to pop culture and the importance of knowing what is not okay to "share" (namely germs). Lynch was impressed overall with the performance of the student groups.
The week ended with printed scripts and the promise of more PSA work in the future, soon to be fulfilled by the recently assigned PSA assignment (DUE NOVEMBER 9).
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