Weekly reading, watching and listening assignments

J202 uses diverse readings. You'll find the textbook readings you're likely used to. But we also require materials that are simply great stories. You'll learn and grow in your own storytelling by consuming intriguing tales by others.

These materials are covered on the weekly quizzes. They must be completed in the week preceding lecture, so materials listed for Week 3 are on the quiz for the Monday of Week 3.

Anything tagged "Reserve Readings" is available through our electronic reserves in the UW Libraries online, linked in the navigation at left. The Ethics Blog is on WordPress.

Week 1

Text assignment: Review to familiarize yourself: AP Stylebook and Brooks text, Chapters 1 through 10

Related ideas: Ethics blog; and Cleaning Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More (register for an account and course is free)

Storytelling: #1 Party School (This American Life)

Week 2

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapters 1, 2, 5; and Brooks, Chapters 11 and 12

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency and Fair Use Overview

Storytelling: Defend our Freedom to Share (TED talks); and Gene Weingarten Has a Powerful Personal Brand

Week 3

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapters 3, 4; and Brooks, Chapters 13 and 14

Related ideas: Ethics blog

Storytelling: Punched Out: The Life and Death of a Hockey Enforcer (New York Times, read series and companion multimedia)

Week 4

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapters 7, 13

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Ad Campaigns are Dead; and Why We Need the News Environment to Be Chaotic

Storytelling: Who Killed Lard (Planet Money podcast); Wonder Dog (New York Times) and A Facebook Story (Washington Post)

Week 5

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapters 17, 18

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Beyond the Inverted Pyramid: Creating Alternative Story Forms

Storytelling: Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory (This American Life); Days with My Father

Week 6

Text assignment: None

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Spreadsheets: Conquering Numbers (J202 reserves)

Storytelling: The Information Sage (Washington Monthly); and The Greatest TED Talk Ever Sold (TED)

Week 7

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapter 6

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Designing and Conducting Focus Group Interviews (J202 reserves); Loosening Lips: The Art of the Interview; and The Art of the Interview (and Journalism Students Who Don't Practice It)

Storytelling: Troubled Whitefish Bay Recluse Reached Out (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel); and David Brooks: The Social Animal (TED)

Week 8

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapter 10

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Sara Quinn Design Notes (J202 reserves)

Storytelling: Fotoshop By Adobe; and Coming Out (New York Times)

Week 9

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapter 11; and Brooks, Chapter 15

Related ideas: Ethics blog; Scott Simon: How to Tell a Story; and Ethical Guidelines for Editing Audio

Storytelling: Fatal Distraction (Washington Post); and The Giant Pool of Money (This American Life)

Week 10

Text assignment: Tompkins, Chapters 8, 9, 14, 15, 16; and Brooks, Chapter 16

Related ideas: Ethics blog; and Storyboarding

Storytelling: Mexico at War (Washington Post); The Persuaders (Frontline - watch Chapter 4, The Science of Selling, and Chapter 5, Giving Us What We Want)

Week 11

Text assignment: None

Related ideas: The Machine is Us/ing Us

Storytelling: Written on the Body (Foreign Policy); Empty Cradles (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - see "Multimedia/Explore the Issue but also feel free to read any of the text stories)