Chris Roush presents "Deciding What to Teach" during the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism's annual Business Journalism Week, Jan. 2, 2014. Roush is the Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Scholar in business journalism and the founding director of the Carolina Business News Initiative at the University of North Carolina. The annual event features two concurrent seminars, Business Journalism Professors and Strictly Financials for journalists. For more information about business journalism training, please visit http://businessjournalism.org.

1. Deciding what to teach
Chris Roush
Croush@email.unc.edu
Jan. 2, 2014
Business Journalism Professors Seminar

2. The syllabus
— The syllabus should be a contract between the students and
the instructor.
— The instructor agrees to follow the syllabus, and the students
agree to meet the requirements listed.
— Changes in the syllabus should be in writing.

3. The syllabus
— Writing a syllabus is an art.
— A good syllabus effectively
spaces out writing
assignments, guest speakers
and other work so that it’s
not bunched together near
the end of the semester.
— A good syllabus also builds
momentum. It starts out
slow, with easy work, and
then becomes progressively
harder.

4. The syllabus
— I’m also a big fan of a
syllabus working up to a
major final project due at
the end of the semester.
— All of the lectures and
assignments build up to a
student showing what they
have learned during the
semester into that final
project.

5. The syllabus
For “Business Reporting,” syllabus should tell
students why this is going to be a great class to take.
— Think about answering these questions in the
document:
1. What will you cover in this course?
2. What won’t be covered?
3. Why is it worthwhile to study this subject? (What got
you interested in this topic initially?)
—

6. The syllabus
—
More questions to consider with the syllabus:
What is your approach to teaching this content?
2. How will this relate to the material that was covered in the
prerequisite course(s)?
3. Is there any other body of content that it will draw on? (For
example, a this course might draw on business and economic
concepts, even if business and economics courses are not a
prerequisite.)
4. Are there any life experiences that the student might find it
helpful to draw upon?
1.

7. Parts of the syllabus

8. Parts of the syllabus
— Most syllabuses will include
basic information such as
office hours, how a grade
will be determined,
textbooks to be used and
when the class meets.
— But there are other things
to consider when writing
the syllabus.

9. Objectives
— I like to list an objective for my sources.
— For “Business Reporting,” it might state something like
this:
— “The objective of this course is to make you comfortable
writing stories about business and the economy. My goal
is to have each of you call or e-mail me from your first
job when you were asked to write that earnings or IPO
story, and tell me how easy it was.”

10. Readings
— In addition to the textbook,
the syllabus needs to explain
what is expected of outside
readings.
— Most “business reporting”
classes require students to
read TheWall Street Journal or
local business news sections.
— Can also require reading
Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes
and Fortune.

11. Readings
— How do you determine
whether students have
actually done the readings?
— Can have pop business news
quizzes as part of the grade.
— Can also offer bonus points
for successfully answering
questions about current
business news issues.

12. Readings
— As far as textbook
readings, I like to list
what I expect to be read
before each class.
— Accomplishes two things:
Improves class discussion,
and lets you know who
has done the reading
when you ask questions
and they don’t know the
answers.

13. Non-textbook readings
— Like to give students a book to read during the semester in
addition to the textbook.
— Needs to be something that shows them how business
reporters do their job.
— A number of recent books qualify.

14. Non-textbook readings
Here are some suggestions:
1. "24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters
Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate
America." By Rebecca Smith and John Emshwiler.
Harper Collins. 2003.
2. “The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street's Game of
Money, Media, and Manipulation.” By Howard Kurtz.
Touchstone Books. 2001.
3. “The Best Business Writing 2013” Columbia
University Press.
—

15. Non-textbook readings
—
1.
2.
Some other suggestions:
“The Big Short,” by Michael Lewis. Norton: 2010.
“All the Devils are Here,” by Bethany McLean and Joe
Nocera. Penguin: 2010.

16. Non-textbook readings
— If you do assign one of these books to your students,
don’t make them write the typical book report.
— Hold a class discussion one day about the reporting
tactics discussed in the books.
— Or, have the students write about how they may have
reported stories differently than the journalists in the
books.

17. Writing assignments
— Will the writing assignments be done in class, or outside
of class?
— Unless you’re teaching in a room that has computers,
most reporting classes require stories to be written
outside of class.
— Make sure there is a set deadline when stories are due.
Make deadlines realistic, but enforce it strictly.

18. Writing assignments
— The writing assignments
should be assigned at the end
of a class, but they should also
be marked on the syllabus.
— Discuss the material in class,
such as earnings stories. Talk
about how it’s reported and
written.
— Then, assign immediately, so
it’s fresh in their minds.
— Give them real deadlines.

19. Writing assignments
— Also, set guidelines on what the
students can – and can’t – do for
the writing assignments.
— Can they e-mail or call you with
questions?
— Can they look at how similar
stories were written online?
— Can they have another student look
at their work?
— What type of sources are they
supposed to use?

20. Writing assignments
— Also, discuss with the class
how the writing
assignments are going to
be graded?
— Are you more interested in
seeing that they
understand the concepts
that they are writing
about?
— Do you also want to see
good structure and
transitions, for example?

21. The fact error issue
— It’s vitally important to
instill a belief in “Business
Reporting” students that
getting a number or name
wrong can kill their
credibility, especially with
those they’re writing about.
— How much will you count
off for a fact error?
— At UNC, it’s 50 points.

22. Writing assignments
— How much should a
student’s writing
assignments count for
their overall grade?
— I like to give 9 or 10
writing assignments
throughout the semester.
— Make them at least 40
percent of the grade.

23. Class participation
— Will you make part of the
student’s overall grade
how much they
participated in class?
— I’d encourage it, but no
more than 10 percent.
— Gets students involved in
the discussion about issues
and topics.

24. Exams
— How many exams you give
should be up to you.
— I prefer to give exams that
focus on understanding
concepts such as the SEC
and its filings rather than
making them write a story.
— Want to see they
understand what they’re
writing about.

25. Exams
— Give only a mid-term exam, and it counts for 20 percent of
the grade.
— Short-answer questions that makes them think.
— Example: “List six reasons why a company would file a Form
8-K with the SEC.”

26. Using guest speakers
— I like to use guest speakers
to emphasize points made
in class, or as a writing
assignment.
— Will have CEO and CFO
of public company come
be interviewed.
— Or, can have sell-side or
buy-side analyst discuss
reports or portfolio.

27. Using guest speakers
— Also like to have a PR person from
a local company talk about
relationship with business
reporters.
— Downside: How do you know they
do what they tell the class?
— Upside: Can expose students early
to what can be a tense relationship.

28. Using guest speakers
— One of the problems
I’ve run into with guest
speakers is vetting them
beforehand.
— If you’ve never heard
them speak, how do you
know they’re going to be
good?
— Sometimes, have to take
a chance.
— Stay in class, and direct
conversation back on
point.

29. Schedule
— I prefer the syllabus include a calendar of what will be done
EVERY day the class meets.
— Prevents ambiguity.
— Lets students know what to expect each day.
— Lets them know about deadlines.

30. Final points about the syllabus

31. Make it available online
— Having the syllabus easily available on-line will save both you
and students time and frustration later in the quarter, when
paper copies have been misplaced.
— Make sure students know how to access it.
— Blackboard or personal URL?
— Sakai?

32. There is no length issue
— Take as much space as you feel necessary to write the
syllabus.
— If in doubt, it is usually best to err on the long side, to ensure
that important course information is fully covered.
— At the same time, students will appreciate having key
information in succinct form on the first page or two.

33. Show your personality
— Have some fun with the syllabus. It puts students at ease.
— Showing humor will also help show them that business and
economics are not boring topics.
— Example: “April 11: Bonds. Not James. Munis, government,
etc. Chapter 7 in Show me the Money.”

34. Always look to improve
— Don’t use the same syllabus
every year.
— Find new guest speakers.
— Come up with new
assignments, possibly about
breaking news in the area.
— Using same syllabus makes
instructor bored, and
students will notice.

35. Changes for 2013
— My big change in 2011was swapping places with a business
journalism professor from Spain.
— He came to UNC and taught my class for two weeks about
business reporting in Europe.
— I taught his students for two weeks about business journalism in
the U.S.
— In 2012: Exchange with London university that has business
journalism program.
— 2013: Had students write profiles of dead, famous business
journalists.
— 2014: ???