Education

Curriculum & Schedule

This study-abroad class will be concerned with travel journalism that shares three qualities

• Emphasis on cultural awareness
• Ambition to provide depth or insight beyond travel guidebook entries
• Complexity of theme, material and structure

This course will explore a range of techniques that travel journalists use to discover and verify information – the “journalism as science” approach. This course also will explore a range of techniques that travel journalists use to tell stories and engage the reader – the “journalism as art” approach.

Students will:

• Report, write or produce one, in-depth travel story, in any format they chose: writing, photography, audio, video
• Report, write or produce one 36-hour in … advice story, in any format they chose: writing, photography, audio, video

The geographic focus of the course is Prague, Czech Republic. Students will live, study and report in and around this Central European capital.

This is a reporting- and writing-intensive course. Each of the 15 class days, students will spend 75 minutes in an early morning class and 75 minutes in a late afternoon class. In between, students will be expected to spend five hours reporting, writing or producing stories – whatever the form.

Work from this course will be published at 36hoursinprague.com, overseen by Program Assistant Carolyn Crist.

Instructor: John F. Greenman, professor and Carter Chair in Journalism, will share methods gathered during 25 years as a journalist, primarily with Knight Ridder, formerly one of the nation’s largest and most distinguished newspaper companies.

Instructor contact information: Office, Room #250. Office  telephone, 706 542 1081. Office e-mail, jgreenma@uga.edu. U.S. Mobile 706 888 4542

Prerequisites, cross-listings
None.

Credit hours
Three.

Readings
John F. Greenman, Introduction to Travel Journalism: On the Road with Serious Intent (Peter Lang, 2012)
Roy Peter Clark, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer (Little Brown, 2008)

Course outline

Tuesday, May 13

Arrive, check in

6:30 p.m. — Welcome dinner, Purple Basil, Marriott Courtyard Prague Flora. Distribute cell phones

Wednesday, May 14

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Introduction to the course, review of the syllabus. What is travel journalism? Who is the travel journalist? Read Greenman, Chapter 1 and its Case Study

Reporting exercise:  Begin preliminary reporting on both stories. Learn to use the subway, trams and buses. Ride the length of Tram #22, the “tourist” tram

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting exercise

Thursday, May 15

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Who is the audience for travel journalism? Read Greenman, Chapter 2

Reporting exercise: Continue preliminary reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting exercise

Friday, May 16

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – How do you reach the audience for travel journalism? Read Greenman, Chapter 3

Reporting exercise: Finish preliminary reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m.

Due: Draft story idea memos for both stories for coaching sessions

Saturday, May 17

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – How to reach … (continued)

One-on-one coaching sessions with Prague experts – Nadia Strakova, Ky Krauthamer, Mark Baker, Rob Cameron, Jeremy Druker, Lacy Meyer and Brian Kenety. Each student will have three coaching sessions, spaced between 10:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Class: 4:30-5:45 p.m. – Debrief coaching sessions

Due: Revised story idea memos for both stories based on coaching sessions

Sunday, May 18

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Monday, May 19

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Tuesday, May 20

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Story approaches and sourcing. Read Greenman, Chapter 4 and its Case Study

Continue reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting (Note: By end of the day, students will receive feedback from Greenman and Crist on their revised story idea memos.)

Wednesday, May 21

Class: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. – Tour of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and briefing  by journalists who cover Iran for Radio Farda

Continue reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting

Thursday, May 22

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Story elements

Continue reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting

Friday, May 23

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Story structure

Continue reporting on both stories

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting

Saturday, May 24

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Drafting and revising

Reporting on best story idea

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief reporting

Sunday, May 25

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Monday, May 26

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Tuesday, May 27

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Wednesday, May 28

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Publishing no longer about query letters: finding opportunities online. Read Greenman, Chapter 5 and 6 and its Case Studies

Writing day on story or 36-hours project; feedback and coaching as requested

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief drafting

Thursday, May 29

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. — Funding at the center of the debate about travel journalism: finding opportunities. Read Greenman, Chapter 7 and its Case Study

Writing day on story or 36-hours project; feedback and coaching as requested

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief drafting

Friday, May 30

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Debrief drafting

Writing day on story or 36-hours project; feedback and coaching as requested

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief drafting

Due: Story or 36-hours project

Saturday, May 31

Class: 9-10:15 a.m. – Debrief revising

Writing day on story or 36-hours project; feedback and coaching as requested

Class: 4-5:15 p.m. – Debrief revising

Due: Story or 36-hours project

Sunday, June 1

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Monday, June 2

Off – Optional, on-your-own, in pairs or larger group, travel away from Prague

Tuesday, June 3

Scheduled, one-on-one evaluations from Greenman and Crist on story and 36-hours project

Wednesday, June 4

Class: 9-10:15 a.m.     Evaluation

Check out, depart for the U.S. or elsewhere

Attendance
Attendance is required for every class and scheduled event.

Style
All writing will conform to AP Style.

Grading
The grade will be determined as follows:
In-depth travel story – 50 percent
36 hours in …  – 50 percent
Note: Without exception, assignments handed in after the deadline will be devalued.

Disclaimers
All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Each student is responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.

The course syllabus is a detailed plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.