This course is designed for first-semester Daily Cal news reporters and other aspiring journalists to gain a breadth of skills applicable to general assignment news reporting. Much of the class will be made up of in-class hands-on learning, using multimedia digital tools and pulling from news articles.

Student reporters, by the end of the semester, should:
-Be familiar with the basics of reporting practices
-Be able to conduct well-researched interviews with sources
-Write ledes and nut grafs in proper Daily Cal style
-Understand Daily Cal style and sourcing requirements
-Deconstruct and critique professional news stories
-Articulate the process of writing as a craft

At the end of the semester, a P (pass) or NP (no pass) will be awarded to each student. To pass the class, students must come to class and participate, and complete all assignments both in-class and take home:.

20% - Participation
20% - Attendance
40% - Assignments
20% - Final project (a feature or enterprise story)

Your grade will be based heavily on participation and attendance, with class assignments making up a small portion of your grade. More than two unexcused absences will result in failure of the course.

Excused absences are permitted, but you must inform the student instructors ahead of time and complete the in-class assignments described above, otherwise the excused absences will be counted as unexcused. Not completing the in-class assignment may also be considered an absence.

**UPDATE — PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEW START DATE IS 2/14 _NOT_ 2/7** While this DeCal course is geared towards those writing at The Daily Californian, anyone interested in learning news writing skills is free to apply via application. Please attend the first day of class (2/14) to get a feel for the course material, and an application link will be shared at the end of class. All first semester general assignment reporters hired by the Daily Cal will be expected to take the course. Those interested in applying for the Daily Cal can do so at http://apply.dailycal.org/ by Jan. 27.