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outline below:

Development Communication Department
College of Agriculture, Xavier University

Course Outline
DC 84

I. COURSE TITLE: Developmental News and Feature Writing

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION: It introduces the students to the concept of development journalism focusing on the principles and techniques of news and feature writing.

III. NUMBER OF CREDIT UNITS: 3 units

IV. NUMBER OF HOURS PER WEEK: 2 hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory

V. PREREQUISITE: DC 1-6 (Intro to DevCom, Fund. Of Community Broadcasting, Fund of Development
Journalism, Fund of Educational Communication, Fund. Of Interpersonal Communication, Fund of
Communication and Society)

VI. GENERAL OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, the student must be able to:
a. Understand the concept of developmental journalism
b. Acquire mastery in the application of the basic technique in news and feature writing
c. Evaluate the effectiveness of news and feature articles.

VII. COURSE CONTENTS

Topic 1: News and Feature Writing

Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Apply with mastery the Inverted Pyramid News Structure
b. Identify and apply the technique in Feature Writing (Blundells’s Technique)
c. Apply News Development Technique
d. Understand the Role of Mass Media

Sub-topic: The Basic Inverted Pyramid News Structure, Feature News Style, Feature Article, News Development Technique
Time Frame: 2 Weeks

Topic 2: Mass Media Laws: Press Freedom and Limitations

Topic 3: Writing for Development: Nature and Scope
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Describe the characteristics of development writing
b. Briefly explain the evolution of development writing
c. Understand the meaning of information in development writing

Sub-topics: Characteristics of Development Writing, Evolution of Development Writing, Development Writers, The Meaning of Information in Development Writing, The New Communication Technology
Time Frame: 2 Weeks

Topic 4: Development Journalism
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Understand the development journalism.
b. Identify the characteristics of development Journalism
c. Differentiate development journalism and conventional journalism

Sub-topics: Characteristics of Development Journalism, Development Journalism and Conventional Journalism compared
Time Frame: 2 Weeks

Topic 5: The What and How of Development Writing
Specific objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Acquire skills in development news and feature writing
b. Discuss reports from secondary sources
c. Apply the methods of information gathering
d. Acquire skills in conducting interviews.
e. Apply the skills in popularizing words

Sub-topic: Development News and Feature Writing, Special Articles, Gathering Information on Development, Techniques of Development Writing

MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Topic 6: The Context of Development Writing
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:

a. Describe the characteristics of underdevelopment.
b. Relate the importance of development writing in the country’s economy

Sub-topics: Characteristics of underdevelopment, Economy
Time Frame: 1 Week

Topic 7: National Development – An Introduction
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Relate economic growth and development.
b. Identify the factors contributing to economic growth
c. Identify the indicators of social development

Sub-topics: Economic Growth and Development, Factors Contributing to Economic Growth, Measuring Economic Growth and Development, Indicators of Social Development, Measuring Philippine Dev’t
Time Frame: 2 weeks

Topic 7: Agricultural News Writing
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Acquire skills in agricultural news writing
b. Understand the nature of news in relation to agriculture
c. Discuss the elements of agricultural news

Sub-topic: Agriculture and National Development, The Craft of Agriculture Reporting, The Nature of News, The News Elements
Time Frame: 1 Week

Topic 8: Techniques for Better Writing
Specific Objective: At the end of the topic, the student will be able to:
a. Explain the elements of Writing
b. Use the right words.
c. Apply sentence clarity and improve transition and punctuation

Sub-topic: Elements of Writing, Using the Right Words, Sentence Clarity, Paragraphing, Improving Transition, Punctuation
Time Frame: 2 Weeks

FINAL EXAMINATION

VIII. LIST OF LABORATORY EXERCISES
a. Beat Reporting (outside and inside Xavier University)
b. Field Interview (outside and inside Xavier University)
c. Monthly production of newsletter
d. Actual News writing and feature writing

IX. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
a. lecture and discussions
b. exercises/workshops
c. field works

X. EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS
a. Quizzes and Exams
b. Assignments
c. Laboratory outputs

XI. REFERENCES
a. Textbook: Jamias, Juan F. Writing for Development. Institute of Development Communication. College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Banos. 1998
b. Any other books on News and Feature Writing
c. Philippine Daily Inquirer Stylebook

XII. GRADING SYSTEM

Ranges
A = 97 -100% C = 80 – 83.999%
A- = 93 –96.999% D = 75 – 79.999%
B = 89 – 92.999% F = below 75%
B- = 84 – 87.999%
EVALUATION
Midterm Grade = 60% Laboratory Activity + 30% Midterm Exam+10% class performance
Final Grade = 50% Midterm Grade + 25% Laboratory Activity + 25% Final Requirement

XIII. CLASSROOM POLICIES
a. In general, unless otherwise stated in this handout, all rules and regulations stipulated in the XU
Student Handbook apply in this subject
b. Overcut on absences and AF rule STRICTLY applies.
c. No student will be allowed to take the Midterm and Final Exam without a valid Admit- to-Exam
permit.
d. Assignments and Laboratory outputs that were not submitted on due date will no longer be
accepted.
e. Students who come in late during laboratory and lecture schedule shall be marked absent when the
attendance is already checked.

XIV. CLASS SCHEDULE
Rm A 503 TTH 4:15-5:05 (lec) Sat 9:00-11:40 (Lab)

XV. CONSULTATION HOURS
Pre-arranged

Team teaching arrangement: Estrella E Taco – Borja (lecture) / Rachelle Tolinero (laboratory)

Submitted by Noted by

ESTRELLA E TACO – BORJA MA THERESA M RIVERA
Instructor Department Chair