MMC 2100 Lab 1 May 13, 2003

1. Roll call. 2. Index cards. Each student will provide biographical information for the instructor, including class, area of speciality in the college, e-mail address, telephone number and street address. Please bring a photocopy of an ID next week so I can tape it to your index card. 3. Basics about the nature of the course. 4. Introduction to the tools of MMC 2100 lab, including A.P. Stylebook, reporter's notebook and tape recorder. 5. Media writing skills: (1) news-writing style, (2) interviewing skills, (3) learning to develop sources, (4) writing for an audience and (5) being creative. 6. Media writing values: (1) Working on deadline, (2) learning media writing style, (3) learning types of stories, (4) becoming responsible for your copy and proofreading, and (5) working within a team. 7. The writing process. See Chapter 8 in Carole Rich's textbook (fourth edition), pp. 137-150. 8. The media writer's motto: F-A-T. Fair, accurate and thorough. Our class motto: C-C-C. Clear, concise and consistent. 9. Computer use: How to use the MMC 2100 lab server and Microsoft Word. We will also discuss style and form for each assignment -- that is, file names and slug lines. 10. (a) Syllabus and contracts; (b) other handouts. 11. For Lab 2: Your resume is due at the beginning of class on Thursday. Make sure you have found a media company personnel director with his/her name spelled correctly, official title, snail mail address, e-mail address and telephone number. 12. Writing samples: (1) autobiography (250 words maximum). 13. Bring a photocopy of your Gator1 or driver’s license to Thursday's lab. I will cut out your photo and place it on your index card. This helps me learn about you quickly. Also, purchase a folder to keep class handouts and your printed labs in. 14. Lab 2: Writing a cover letter.

MMC 2100 Writing for Mass Communication University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Weimer Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 Percy23@aol.com ©David W. Bulla 2003 http://www.geocities.com/d_bulla/mmc2100/labs.html Home