Teaching
Stephen Sheppard is an adjunct professor of journalism in the NYU School of Professional Studies. Now retired after a thirty-five year career at CBS News, he brings to the classroom a wealth of experience, principally with“60 Minutes” and before that, “CBS Reports”. An Emmy Award winning editor and occasional producer, with an MA in creative writing, he has taught courses and given one and two week workshops in journalism and reporting and writing, literally, around the world. He has taught at the Communications University of China, in Beijing, CARACOL TV in Bogota, Colombia, and at the Singapore Media Academy in Singapore. Here at home his teaching credits include the Maine Media Workshops, the University of California and Florida State University. For the past fifteen years he has been teaching researching, reporting and writing, for broadcast and print, at NYU SPS.
Class in Beijing
Reporting, Researching, and Writing in the News
This course is designed to give aspiring journalists a better understanding of what is involved in researching, reporting and writing the news. While we will cover everything from what is news, to the history of news, and the state of the news business today, we will emphasize writing the news. We will research and write investigative pieces and profiles on a weekly basis, explore print and broadcast news reporting, have guest lecturers, do reading, do exercises and have a closer look at print and broadcast news itself. The goal is, for the class, at the end of the semester, to be better writers.
NYU Class
Producing the Magazine Format
The Magazine Format is a longstanding staple
of broadcast journalism. “60 Minutes” and “48 Hours”
use the format because it works; it is a good way to tell a story. This hands on workshop, focuses on producing stories.
Everything from what makes a good story to shooting the studio opening are part of what this course is about. It is for journalists on all levels, a chance to find and produce a real news story in the magazine format. Working with Stephen Sheppard, editor and producer at “60 Minutes” for twenty-five years, the class finds stories, writes questions, shoot interviews then edits it all into a seamless, compelling stories.
To better understand what makes a story seamless and compelling, we will screen and deconstruct “60 Minutes” pieces edited or produced by Professor Sheppard. One result can be a useful audition
tape, with you in front or behind the camera. The idea is to learn by doing and you will do it all.
Student Work
The video is a series of the first four minutes of pieces from various workshops I have taught. I think the four minutes is enough to get a feel for the story telling, which is what the exercise is all about.
Some of the shooting is flat, it is not about the shooting, it is about the story. In the workshop, the pieces are usually around eight minutes.
Keep in mind that these are student pieces and three of the four, one and two week workshops.
Educator
NYU School Of Continuing Education
Adjunct Professor; 15 years, “News Reporting and Writing” and “Legal and Ethical Issues in Journalism” and “Producing the Magazine Format
Beijing, China - Communications University of China
5 years, Hands on Workshops and Lectures in Producing the Magazine Format
Misc. China - Communications University of China
Lecture series on international journalism. Also lectures at CCTV and Fujin TV.
Rockport, Maine - Rockport Media Workshops
8 years, Workshops in “Producing the Magazine Format; “Editing the Television Documentary”
Bogota, Columbia - CARACOL TV
Production Workshop for CARCOL producers
Singapore, Singapore - Media Academy
One week workshop in Producing the Magazine Format
NYU, Tisch School of the Arts
Adjunct Professor, 2 years, Editing the Documentary
California State University Summer Arts Festival
Workshop in Producing the Magazine Format
Palos Heights, Illinois - Primary Focus Productions
2 years, TV Magazine Production, Lecture and workshops, (also, script consultant)
Fresno, California - California State University
Workshop in story telling
Florida State University
Visiting Adjunct Professor, 3 years, Workshops and Lectures in Producing and Editing for Broadcast Journalism.
Savannah, Georgia - Savannah College of Art and Design
Graduate Review Committee, Chair: Cinematography and Film Production Professor, Michael Hofstein
Little Rock, Arkansas - Documentary Film Workshops
For local high school students and faculty, Three years, sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education, at Hot Springs, Arkansas
Bogota, Columbia - Peace Corps
Two years, producing Fourth Grade Social Science programs, in Spanish.