SECTION 110.66. Advanced Journalism: Yearbook I, II, III/Newspaper I, II, III/Literary Magazine (One-Half to One Credit)

(a) Introduction.

(1) Students enrolled in Advanced Journalism: Yearbook I, II, III/Newspaper I, II, III/Literary Magazine communicate in a variety of forms such as print, digital, or online media for a variety of audiences and purposes. High school students are expected to plan, draft, and complete written and/or visual communications on a regular basis, carefully examining their copy for clarity, engaging language, and the correct use of the conventions and mechanics of written English. In Advanced Journalism: Yearbook I, II, III/Newspaper I, II, III/Literary Magazine, students are expected to become analytical consumers of media and technology to enhance their communication skills. In addition, students will apply journalistic ethics and standards. Published works of professional journalists, technology, and visual and electronic media are used as tools for learning as students create, clarify, critique, write, and produce effective communications. Students enrolled in Advanced Journalism: Yearbook I, II, III/Newspaper I, II, III/Literary Magazine will refine and enhance their journalistic skills, research self-selected topics, and plan, organize, and prepare a project(s) in one or more forms of media.

(2) For high school students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition and language learning.

(3) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(4) The essential knowledge and skills as well as the student expectations for Advanced Journalism: Yearbook I, II, III/Newspaper I, II, III/Literary Magazine, elective courses, are described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student understands individual and staff responsibilities of coverage appropriate for the publication's audience. The student is expected to:

(A) understand the role and responsibilities of each staff member and the purpose of the publication;

(B) use the skills necessary to plan and produce a publication;

(C) read both professional publications and other student-produced publications to generate story and design ideas for the local publication;

(D) conduct research using a variety of sources such as interviews with primary sources, databases, or published reports; and

(E) conceive coverage ideas for packaged presentations of material, including, but not limited to, copy, infographics, sidebars, photos, art, and multimedia components.

(2) The student understands media law and journalistic ethics and standards and the responsibility to cover subjects of interest and importance to the audience. The student is expected to:

(A) find a variety of credible sources to provide balanced coverage;

(B) compose the story accurately keeping his/her own opinion out of non-editorial coverage;

(C) provide editorial coverage to inform and encourage the reader to make intelligent decisions;

(D) critique the publication to find its strengths and weaknesses to improve products based on those critiques;

(E) seek non-staff opinion on the publication to determine its impact on future publications;

(F) understand the consequences of plagiarism; and

(G) understand and apply copyright law, the fair use exemption, and the ownership of intellectual property.

(3) The student understands all aspects of a publication and the means by which that publication is created. The student is expected to:

(A) identify elements used to create publications;

(B) create and execute a financial plan for supporting publications such as sales and advertising; and

(C) consider finances in making decisions, including number of pages and cost-incurring extras such as color, paper quality, and number of copies for print publications.

(4) The student produces publications. The student is expected to:

(A) determine which events and issues are newsworthy for the audience;

(B) select the most appropriate journalistic format to present content;

(C) apply skills in reporting and writing to produce publications;

(D) design pages for publications;

(E) plan and produce photographs for publications;

(F) incorporate graphics into publications;

(G) write and design headlines for publications;

(H) research and write captions for publications;

(I) produce publications using available technology; and

(J) evaluate stories and coverage for balance and readability.

(5) The student demonstrates leadership and teamwork abilities. The student is expected to:

(A) determine roles for which different team members will assume responsibility;

(B) work cooperatively and collaboratively through a variety of staff assignments;

(C) determine coverage and concepts for publications;

(D) develop a deadline schedule and a regular means of monitoring progress;

(E) listen actively and critically and then respond appropriately to team members;

(F) submit work for editing and critiquing and make appropriate revisions; and

(G) edit and critique work of others.

Source Note: The provisions of this §110.66 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7549; amended to be effective August 22, 2011, 35 TexReg 3261