Reporting Instructor

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Mosaic Journalism Program seeks a reporting and writing instructor for its two-week summer workshop.
The instructor will be responsible for coaching high school students with little if any journalism training.
They will produce at least one news story and have the option of writing additional news, feature, arts,
sports and opinion pieces for our print and online editions. Our instructors offer class lessons on story
conception, reporting, interviewing, photographing, and writing. The bulk of the workshop involves 1:1
instruction to students. Each instructor will oversee three to five students. Instruction will include
but is not limited to teaching how to:

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• Refine an idea into a doable story, write a budget line, and identify and help locate sources.

• Come up with ideas for art.

• Compile interview questions and follow-up questions.

• Introduce oneself to conduct an interview on the phone and in person.

• Take notes on paper, a laptop, and phone.

• Use a recorder and transcribe recordings.

• Review notes, identify what parts to use in a story and what is missing, and draft a story outline.

• Seek missing information and rewrite the story.

• Help with photo captioning.

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Qualifications required

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• 3 years reporting or editing experience at a daily or online news outlet.

• Interest and skills in working with young people.

• Ability to work collaboratively with editors and students.

• Dedication to the values of diversity and equity.

• Ability to meet tight deadlines.

• Capacity to manage, think creatively and strategize.

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Instructors will be responsible for

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• Helping students produce a 700-word story by the deadline that can run in the Mosaic print edition

• and on the Mercury News website.

• Providing suggested headlines for print and online.

• Making sure students are on track with their work and contributing to the group learning.

• Helping present one-hour modules on story conception, reporting, interviewing and writing.

• Assisting the content producer with production.

• Proofreading pages.

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The instructor will work with other writing instructors, the content producer and co-directors; will mentor
editorial assistants; may chaperone a field trip; and will participate via Zoom in training, planning and
evaluation sessions.

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Schedule

June 4, Noon-3 p.m. — orientation
June 12-17, 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. — workshop
June 19-21 and 23, 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. — workshop
June 22 8:45 a.m. -7:30 p.m. — workshop and pizza party

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Location

Spartan Daily Newsroom, Dwight Bentel Hall, San Jose State University

Stipend: $1,200. We will reimburse mileage.

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For information or to apply, please contact the Mosaic managing editor Sharon Noguchi, snoguchinews@gmail.com

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