20801252World Issues Journalism
Course Information
Description
World Issues Journalism students will engage in news reporting assignments about world issues, such as water, energy, world conflict, and free speech. Students will follow local, national and global current events in the process of reporting world issues to a general audience. Students will learn how to research and investigate world issues, as well as learn how to locate and interview sources using audio recording equipment. The students’ final products will be radio /audio podcast news stories about the global issues of water, energy, world conflict, and free speech. Before producing news podcasts, students will learn how to write radio/audio scripts before orally presenting them using audio podcast recording equipment.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Determine the key water issues occurring today throughout the world
    Assessment Strategies
    Group presentation
    Exam
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Explain how Wisconsin residents get their drinking water
    Identify different methods of supplying a community with drinking water
    Compare and contrast drinking water systems from different continents
    Examine climate change research that applies to both fresh and salt-water bodies throughout the world
    Describe the top five drinking water issues throughout the world today

  2. Determine the key energy issues occurring throughout the world today
    Assessment Strategies
    Group presentation
    Exam
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Explain the energy sources that supply Wisconsin residents with heat and electricity
    Identify different methods of supplying a community with heat and electricity
    Compare and contrast energy production methods from different continents
    Examine climate change research that relates to energy consumption and environmental/ecosystem problems throughout the world
    Describe the top five energy production issues throughout the world today

  3. Determine the key world conflict issues occurring throughout the world today
    Assessment Strategies
    Group presentation
    Exam
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Develop a basic understanding of conflict (war) throughout the world in the past 200 years
    Describe world conflict events in the “post 9/11” era
    Recognize factors that create dangerous conflict situations between nations and/or within nations
    Examine leading academic research studies focusing on world conflict today
    Describe the top five world conflict issues throughout the world today

  4. Determine the key free speech issues occurring throughout the world today
    Assessment Strategies
    Group presentation
    Exam
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast.
    Criteria
    Describe societal factors of 1770's that led to the creation of the United States’ First Amendment
    Analyze the First Amendment’s impact on the U.S. since this amendment was created
    Compare and contrast media systems throughout the world
    Examine leading academic research focusing on free speech issues worldwide
    Describe the top five free speech issues throughout the world today

  5. Articulate the history and evolution of foreign news reporting by U.S. news media outlets
    Assessment Strategies
    Group presentation
    Exam
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Describe the origins of foreign news reporting in the U.S
    Name the key U.S. news media outlets that provided foreign news to U.S. residents throughout history
    Compare and contrast foreign news reporting by developed and undeveloped nations
    Describe the top five issues impacting foreign news reporting throughout the world

  6. Write radio/audio news scripts for broadcast
    Assessment Strategies
    Written product
    Audio podcast
    Criteria
    Identify newswriting styles for audio/radio
    Analyze newswriting for audio/radio
    Evaluate audio/radio newswriting styles
    Write rough drafts and final drafts of a variety of audio/radio scripts

  7. Develop a natural on-air voice for audio podcasts
    Assessment Strategies
    Audio podcast
    Criteria
    Articulate your voice in a natural manner for audio/radio programs
    Evaluate on-air presentation styles by a variety of audio/radio journalists
    Read audio/radio scripts for broadcast
    Create your own podcasts about world issues for broadcast audiences

  8. Interview sources for audio/podcast stories about world issues
    Assessment Strategies
    Written product
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Identify potential sources for world issues podcasts
    Cultivate sources for news reports in podcast form
    Research issues in the pre-production stage of radio news reporting
    Implement a pre-interview strategy to prepare for news interviews
    Conduct news interviews with audio recording devices

  9. Edit podcasts with audio editing software
    Assessment Strategies
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Use the basic functions of audio editing software for podcasts
    Trim audio files
    Manipulate sound qualities of audio files
    Incorporate copyright free soundtracks into news podcasts
    Splice interview actualities into the storylines of news podcasts
    Export final versions of podcast files to audio hosting services

  10. Articulate media law as it applies to audio/radio news
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam
    Group presentation
    Radio/audio podcast
    Criteria
    Correlate media laws to journalism in the U.S
    Describe media law issues in the United States
    Differentiate U.S. media law from media law in nations – developed and undeveloped
    Implement media law practices in radio/audio podcasts