JRN 510: Basic Reporting and Writing for Journalism

An introduction to the basic elements of writing news and feature stories. Students will gain practical experience reporting on campus and community events in the form of breaking-news reports, news features, profiles, and in-depth news stories. Students will learn how to develop story ideas; find, assess, and interview sources; research topics; identify the important elements in a story; and explain information clearly, concisely, and fairly. Students will also explore of the role of the press in a free society.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 520: Multimedia Journalism

An exploration into presenting news and feature stories in a digital era. Students will learn both conceptual and practical skills to help them develop targeted, meaningful stories for a variety of digital platforms (e.g., online news outlets, social media, apps, etc.). They will explore issues raised by the migration of news to the web, including questions of privacy and credibility, challenges to traditional journalistic standards, and the increased presence of public opinion. Students will also practice using digital tools such as photography, video, and information-rich graphics. Note: Students must obtain access to Adobe Creative Cloud and download the following Adobe apps to their personal computers to complete assignments: Audition, Bridge, Camera Raw, Photoshop, Premiere.using digital tools such as photography, video, and information-rich graphics.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 521: Solutions Journalism

An introduction to rigorous, evidence-based reporting on responses to social problems. Students will explore storytelling tools based on the foundations of solutions journalism (e.g., cover a response to a problem and how it happened; provide evidence of impact, consider effectiveness, not just intentions, through qualitative and/or quantitative data; produce insights that can help others respond to the problem; and address limitations or caveats of the response). Students will practice skills developed by the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) to design narratives around conflict and problem-focused news coverage, and produce high quality solutions journalism and investigative stories, both in multimedia and written form. As a SJN hub institution, students will access resources from and submit stories to the Solutions Story Tracker® to assist in the development of the field.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 530: The Big Story

A hands-on experience for students to explore current issues affecting our society, and build stories that highlight their relevance to the public. Students will learn about the context reporters need to provide sophisticated coverage, and take a deep dive into developing a big story about a current topic or issue that they select from a variety of reporting areas (e.g., science, health, environment, politics, culture, technology, sports, business, fashion, communities). Students will practice gathering supporting information from reputable sources and conducting interviews with key stakeholders as needed to produce a solid story.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 544: Freelance Writing

An exploration of the world of freelance writing, focused on teaching skills and competencies to make a living as a freelance journalist. Students will learn to compellingly speak to a completely different set of editors and audiences from one piece to the next; negotiate their compensation and terms of publication, which can vary significantly from one outlet to the next; build a readership and authorial identity that transcends any specific outlet or institution, while also trying to cultivate relationships with readers and editors at publications they repeatedly publish in; and prepare for rejection with strategies for how to learn from and respond to rejection. Students will develop and attempt to place freelance work in mainstream media outlets and begin to develop a portfolio of clips and/or essays in progress that can be used as springboard to help launch a writing career.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 545: Mobile Podcasting

An introduction to podcasting using digital tools. Students will learn skills for creating both scripted and unscripted podcasts, and cover topics such as, developing "intros" and "outros," integrating music and sound effects, and promoting and branding podcasts. Students will collaborate to create a jointly produced podcast that is intended for a broadcast or media company, and/or emerging digital platforms.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 587: Independent Study

Intensive study of a journalism-related special topic or intensive work on a project undertaken with close faculty supervision. Students must secure a faculty mentor and work with them to submit a proposal to the graduate program director to obtain permission to register.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 588: Graduate Internship

A practical, hands-on application of journalistic skills in a real-world setting. Students participate in a semester-long internship with an organization or institution devoted to one or more of the program¿s themes of solutions journalism, data-driven reporting, and/or inclusive communication. The work must allow students to apply journalistic skills related to the educational goals of the program. Student interns will report regularly to a faculty member and will submit a portfolio of their work at the conclusion of the internship.

1-6 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

JRN 590: Special Topics in Journalism

A seminar course on a current topic in journalism. Students enrolled in the MS in Journalism, or the MS in Science Communication may repeat the course as the topic changes. This course cannot be used more than once to satisfy requirements for the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Communication.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

May be repeated for credit.

JRN 600: Master's Project in Journalism

A culminating experience for students in the MS in Journalism. Students will identify and secure a faculty mentor under whom they will work independently to plan, design, and complete a journalistic project of their choice. The project should reflect what students have cumulatively learned in the program and address the needs of an organization, community, or stakeholder group. Each project will have written, visual, and/or interactive components. Students will formally present their work to peers, faculty, and members of the campus/community at the conclusion of the course.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 603: Storytelling and Narrative Design

An exploration of how compelling narratives enable audiences to learn and identify with information in meaningful ways. Students will learn the importance of narratives in not only conveying, but also defining and reinforcing how audiences process cultural information such as gender, class, race and ethnicity, sexual identity, and more. Students will work independently and collaboratively to build and assess a variety of narratives and practice telling powerful, personal stories to accurately capture and spread their audience's perspectives.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 613: International Journalism

An analysis of the role of media, policies, and technology in the communication between countries and across the world. Students will explore political theories of the press and changes in news flow driven by advancing technologies. Students are expected to select a theoretical approach or paradigm that suits their worldview and apply it to class discussions about the ongoing world news flow. Students will practice oral and on-camera presentations in a professional broadcast studio. Each student will select a country to study for the semester, and will serve as a news analyst for that country in discussions and broadcast experiments, thus facilitating the class to act as an international news desk.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 615: Data-Driven Storytelling

A skills-based approach to building data-driven journalistic stories. In a digital age, the public is surrounded by a wealth of information and data, much of which has not been analyzed or interpreted, leaving it open for potential misrepresentation and/or misinterpretation. Students will explore different types of data and learn how this information can be analyzed to discover possible patterns and areas of interest. Students will practice pairing their audience-centered communication and journalistic skills with data-driven storytelling techniques such as data visualization, to create clarity and meaning in their stories, for a variety of public audiences.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

JRN 625: Media Reporting on Crime

An analysis of how crime is reported in the media, including a deep dive into the stakes and relevant stakeholders involved, challenges, and best practices for how to cover this sensitive but perennially important topic effectively. This class will leverage social science research to help students understand the extent to which media coverage patterns influence public perceptions and policy preferences on crime and criminal justice. Students will learn about existing trends in crime reporting, surveying the empirical literature of how media coverage of crime tends to vary in systematic ways depending on the characteristics of the victim and alleged perpetrator, and/or the nature of the crime. Students will develop core competencies to help them deal with bearing witness to some of the worst acts human beings commit and prepare to interview people at the worst moments of their lives. They will learn to present and describe findings in ways that are accurate and responsible, but also accessible, concise, and compelling for lay audiences. They will also learn to balance retaining access to law enforcement officers, judges, politicians, activists, and other stakeholders while also subjecting their claims to scrutiny and, at times, presenting facts that undermine the preferred narratives of their sources.

3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)