SAMPLE SCHEDULE

TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
DAILY NEWS

Objectives:

  • Understand the differing forms of daily coverage
  • Understand how audience fragmentation has affected daily coverage
  • Understand how the daily new gathering process has changed
  • Understand the mechanics of producing daily news in Washington DC

SCHEDULE

TUESDAY

5.30pm   Meet in the lobby of Washington D.C. ABC affiliate WJLA.
Guided tour of WJLA newsroom, explaining layout, functions and roles.
6.00pm Watch 6pm newscast from control room and set (WJLA had been on the rise to ratings dominance until new ratings systems dropped them back to middle of the pack and the station is trying to revitalize its audience.)
7.00pm  Meet in conference room for meeting with Leon Harris, WJLA Chief Anchor (Harris had been one of CNN’s revolving anchors before WJLA decided that he was key to their future and hired him away. Although the chief anchor who is the face the network, he does not have editorial control although he has sizeable input.)
8.00pm Head back to campus
8:30pm Debrief in SMPA of field trip to WJLA, overview of mechanics of news gathering today.
9:15pm End



FRIDAY

9:30am  Meet at the offices of free daily newspaper,  D.C. Examiner, which has forced the Washington Post to change its style and substance of coverage
9:45am Tour D.C. Examiner bureau, and introduction to business model (the free daily examiner is the brain child of billionaire Phil Anschutz who believes free, quality, local newspapers is the most viable economic model. He has copyrighted the newspaper name Examiner in 60 cities and intends to have franchises in each.)
10:15am Observe Examiner Morning Editorial Meeting
11.00am Question and answer with editors right after the meeting
11:45am Leave Examiner
12:15pm Arrive Market News International (MNI is a journalism that serves bond traders. The subscription wire and pager service gives immediate information that traders use to make their investments. The competition includes other business wire services such as Reuters and Bloomberg)
Speaker: managing editor Denny Gulino
1:30pm Head back to campus
2:45pm Lecture in School of Media and Public Affairs
Lecture: Washington’s Daily Journalism, whence it came and whither it goes: fragmentation, competition, content
4.00pm Speaker at SMPA Rajiv Chandrasakaren, Washington Post, Assistant Managing Editor Continuous News. (Chandrasakaren is the fastest rising start at the Washington Post. He started as an intern, ended up as bureau chief in Baghdad and now is in charge of bridging the gap between the washpost website and the traditional newsroom.
5:30pm End
Semester In Washington Journalism Program, 805 21 Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20052
202.994.7787
siwj@gwu.edu