Course Listing
2301. Mass Media and Society. A survey of all print and broadcast media – their backgrounds as well as their current status as industries. Ethics, law, effects of mass media, international communication, advertising and public relations are also treated.
2302. Ethics of Convergent Media. An exploration of the ethical issues that provide the foundation for all communication fields. These issues have become more complex as media and industries have converged. Topics include free speech, privacy, government regulation and censorship.
2303. Writing and Editing for Journalists. Introduction to the fundamentals of working journalism. Students master English grammar, become versed in the Associated Press writing style and develop critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate the news.
2304. Basic Video and Audio Production. Offers students practical training in the fundamentals of broadcast communication. Students learn the basic techniques, including field production and editing.
2312. Reporting I. The division’s rigorous foundation writing and reporting course. Students gain critical skills needed to complete the major, including the fundamentals of gathering, documenting, organizing and writing news stories in an accurate, fair, clear and concise manner. Prerequisites: CCJN 2302, 2303.
2313. Reporting II. Builds on the foundation of Reporting I. Students learn to analyze information quickly and accurately while applying critical thinking skills. Introduces students to the basics of broadcast writing. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312.
2380. Digital Journalism. Students study the convergence of traditional media as they apply to new communication technologies and produce multimedia Web sites that incorporate photography, videography, audio and graphics. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312 or permission of instructor.
3325. Technology Reporting. Helps journalists of tomorrow understand complex technologies like the World Wide Web in a way that will help them foresee the impact of those technologies on society, our culture and our way of life. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
3335. TV News Production. Students work as a crew to create television shows, including producing, writing, directing, anchoring and shooting and editing news packages. Expertise is gained by attending sessions of the division’s morning television news program. The course will help students succeed in other broadcast courses and internships. Prerequisite: CCJN 2304.
3357. Photojournalism. Training in the techniques and execution of digital photojournalism including computer processing of images. Students produce digital photojournalism and have the opportunity to generate photographic images for the division’s convergence Web site. Prerequisite: CCJN 2302, 2303.
3358. New Media News. Focuses on using new media presentation methods and design skills to produce new forms of communication for news outlets. Prerequisite: CCJN 2380.
3360. Computer Assisted Reporting. Emphasizes a hands-on approach through the gathering and organizing of computerized data. Students learn techniques for locating, retrieving and verifying information from electronic sources including libraries, research institutions, government documents, databases, court cases and experts. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
3365. Investigative Reporting. Intensive introduction to the art of generating original news ideas about issues of public significance, developing critical news judgment, unearthing often difficult-to-access information, and organizing the information into focused, well-documented and compelling stories. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
3382. Feature Writing. Emphasizes the conceptual and technical skills needed to develop one’s own voice, bring a literary quality to one’s journalism, and produce professional-level descriptive pieces and features for various media. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
3385. On-Air Reporting. Students work in small groups to produce news and commentary segments for television and radio. Goal is to provide substantive analysis of social, cultural and economic issues of interest to college students. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
3390. Literary Journalism. Students explore and analyze nonfiction through roundtable discussion, book reviews and creative writing. Course requires heavy reading with an emphasis on books and essays of the last 100 years. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
3396. History of Journalism. The story of how American journalism became what it is today.
The course emphasizes the people and events that transformed the media from the colonial printer into 21st century media conglomerates. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4300. Broadcast News Seminar. A small group of selected students conduct an in-depth study of current events, examining and analyzing issues and producing sophisticated television programming. Prerequisite: CCJN 4320.
4306. Business and Journalism. Designed to bridge the gap between journalists and business professionals by providing insight into the inner workings of both professions. Course is team taught by a journalism and a business professor and includes lectures, guest speakers and case studies. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4310. Editorial/Opinion Writing. Examines the role of opinion writing in American journalism and teaches techniques that will help students develop clear and effective editorials and columns on a range of topics. The course emphasizes critical thinking and writing skills.
Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4316. Communication Law. Exploration of the historical and philosophical basis for freedom of expression. Practical applications of the law in such areas as libel, censorship, access, privacy, obscenity, copyright and government regulations affecting broadcasting, advertising and the press. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4320. Broadcast Reporting. Writing, videotaping and editing news reports for television. Includes live reporting. Prerequisite: CCJN 3335.
4321. Radio News. Fundamentals of reporting and news writing are adapted to a radio environment. Students do original reporting, write radio copy from wire and campus sources and read copy on air. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312.
4331. Current Issues in the News. Encourages students to think critically about important issues in journalism today, acquaints them with the classic writings and ideas that have shaped modern journalism, and identifies the key concepts that have formed recent journalism criticism. Goal is to teach communications majors to become more creative problem-solvers as professionals, and more critical as media consumers. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4344. Sports Journalism. Emphasizes the particular narrative style and newsgathering techniques of sports stories and coverage. Students will learn how to interview sports personalities and compose stories relating to the competitive events and social issues surrounding the world of sports. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4345. Media and Politics. Increased understanding of the political and elections process enables students to evaluate and practice political journalism. The course covers campaigns and governance and features analysis of media coverage and practical application. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312.
4360. Women & Minorities in the Media. Examines the impact and representation of women and minorities in the mass media from historical and critical perspectives. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4370. Law and Ethics in a High-Tech World. Encourages students to investigate the real and possible boundaries in cyberspace between open and closed systems of code, commerce, governance and education, while examining the relationship of law and ethics to each. Students will engage with a wide spectrum of Net issues, including privacy, intellectual property, antitrust concerns, content control and electronic commerce. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4380. Objectivity and Bias. Identifies the various forces that critics say bias the news media and looks for evidence of these biases in media products. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4384. Advanced TV News. Students serve as reporters, camera operators, editors, producers, anchors, assignment editors and studio personnel for television newscasts and news magazine and interview programs. Prerequisite: CCJN 4320.
4385. Graphics and Design. Introduction to the principles and processes associated with visual design. Students examine the roles of visual design as both a tool and a medium of communication and cultural production. Assignments include creating, altering, editing and processing images; conceptualizing, formatting, analyzing and refining typography; and preparing materials for production and publication, utilizing one or more media. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312.
4387. Arts Criticism. Students gain experience writing reviews of movies, books, art exhibits, concerts, etc. The course includes sessions with local critics and experts in various areas of arts and literature. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4388. Print Design & Editorial Decision-Making. The fundamentals of newspaper layout and design, including an emphasis on news selection, decision making and publication trends. Prerequisite: CCJN 2312.
4390. Advanced Web Mastery. Builds on the online journalism skill sets of students and trains them to create dynamic online news packages to leverage the flexibility of the Internet in order to increase the public’s understanding of news stories. Students will learn how to compose their own Web sites, how to use technology to assist in newsgathering and how to unleash their creativity in online presentation. Prerequisite: CCJN 2380.
4392. Journalism and Religion. Introduces students to the basics of the world’s major religions and describes how journalists should cover faith-based organizations and interview religious leaders. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4393. Civil Rights and the Media. Prior to the 1950s, the mainstream press was one of the major obstacles to black progress. But during the Civil Rights Movement, the media became a primary force in helping blacks achieve equal rights. Course explores how and why this revolutionary change took place. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4394. Media Effects. A critical study of how mediated messages influence behavior, attitudes and feelings within a society. The course will survey historical research efforts to examine effects on individuals, groups and institutions, as well as contemporary social critiques in the American mass media. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4395. Public Affairs Reporting. Emphasis on skills required for the reporting of news emanating from governmental bodies or politics. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4396. International Reporting. Prepares students to work as foreign correspondents by helping them understand international production processes. Students will profile current American correspondents who work in foreign countries, comparing their work to those of their contemporaries. Students also engage in news-gathering assignments to encourage them to publish on matters of international interest. Prerequisite: CCJN 2313.
4397. Journalism in Latin America. Provides students with an understanding of the practice of journalism in Latin America. Students will profile specific regions, examining the historical, political, economic, cultural, ethnic and even geographical differences, in order to better understand the issues that affect the struggle for the freedom of the press. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
4101-2. Journalism Practica. One credit hour for work at on-campus media positions. Maximum of two credit hours may be earned and counted toward degree requirements. See restrictions on allowable credit hours for practica and internships below. Offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Prerequisites: Junior standing and permission of instructor and adviser.
5110, 5210, 5310. Directed Study. Independent study under the direction and supervision of a faculty member. In close collaboration with the instructor, the student conducts a rigorous project that goes beyond the experience in course offerings. Written permission from the instructor is required and a completed directed studies form must be filed in the Division of Journalism office before the start of the term during which the study is to be undertaken. Prerequisite: Junior standing and permission of instructor.
5301-4. Topics in Journalism. Designed to provide a study and discussion setting for an issue or topic of current interest in the journalism profession. The courses will be offered on an irregular basis, depending on the significance and timeliness of the topics to be studied.
4125, 4225, 4325. Internships in Journalism. Internship credit for off-campus work in the field during the regular term or in the summer. Students will be limited to a total of three credit hours for internships and practica. These three hours will not count toward the six hours of required elective credit in the division. Offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Prerequisites: Junior standing and permission of adviser.
4302-5. Washington Term Directed Studies. Offers students an opportunity to study and practice journalism in the nation’s capital.
4326. Washington Term Internship. Internship opportunities in the nation’s capital.
5308. Honors Thesis. Students research and write a thesis examining an aspect of or an issue in the field of journalism. This course is required for all students wanting to graduate with an honors degree in journalism.