JOURNAL 190W: Amherst Wire and The Rebirth Project Seminar
This course brings together journalism students and editors of the Amherst Wire and Rebirth Project to work collaboratively to produce publishable journalistic work. Students will attend editorial meetings once a week over the course of the semester to learn how digital-native storytelling works, brainstorm their own reporting ideas and workshop their story drafts. Over the course of the semester, students will produce at least three original journalistic works that may be published online. (1 credit)
Open to Journalism majors only.
FYS 191SBS: Journalism Success—Thriving as a Major
This course introduces first-year and transfer students to the traditions and expectations of the Journalism major. Students will learn about how the major works, campus resources, the role of internships and campus media in working through the major and other topics intended to help them succeed in their first year at UMass. (1 credit)
Open to first-year SBS Exploratory Track students and Journalism majors. This course is highly recommended for all first-year Journalism students. Upper-class students may also be enrolled via an advisor.
JOURNAL 201: Introduction to Journalism
This course covers the basic principles and practices of contemporary journalism. Students will explore the foundations of journalism, learn key skills involved in reporting and writing and critically evaluate the role of journalism in democracies. Other topics include the changes in the production, distribution and consumption of news; journalism ethics; key legal decisions involving the practice of journalism in the U.S.; and analyzing and critiquing news content. (4 credits)
This course meets the DU and SB general education requirements. Open to Freshmen and Sophomores of any major.
JOURNAL 225: Readings in Journalism
This course invites students to read works of journalists from a variety of genres to gain insights into how they gathered and reported news and information. From the drama of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the impact of the Trump presidency, students will examine the techniques and ethical standards of those who gather, write and broadcast the news. (3 credits)
Open to Freshmen and Sophomores of any major.
JOURNAL 230: The Politician and The Journalist
This course explores the relationships among reporters, publishers and politicians, and how each uses the media. Using historical biographies and other texts, the class will examine past strategies by politicians and media figures. Topics include campaign strategies, Washington politics, day-to-day effectiveness in office, making arguments through the media, and how those not elected use the media. Taught by Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the class offers an opportunity for students to hear how elected officials work with the press. (3 credits)
This course is open to all students of any major.
JOURNAL 235: Introduction to Public Relations
This course introduces students to public relations as a strategic communication management process in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Students will explore the history and modern development of the field, as well as relevant theory, law, ethics and practices targeting various publics and stakeholders. The course also will address career opportunities and skills necessary for successful professional practice. (3 credits)
Open to Freshmen and Sophomores of any major. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level public relations courses.
JOURNAL 250: News Literacy
This course helps students become more discerning consumers of news. Students will use critical-thinking skills to determine what news sources are reliable in the digital world. Through readings, class discussion and written assignments, students will deconstruct stories to determine those that are well-sourced and can be considered real news. Students will also discuss concepts such as objectivity, opinion, bias and fairness, and how all contribute to the mix of news reports in today's digital landscape. (4 credits)
This course meets the DU and SB general education requirements. Open to Freshmen and Sophomores of any major.
JOURNAL 277: Sports Talk Live
This hands-on course will familiarize students with the duties of a sports broadcast journalist. Students will host and appear on "Sports Talk LIVE!" our in-class, live, radio show, and "Amherst Wire," our TV Sports Show. Work includes on-mic and on-camera, calling highlights live, game previews and recaps, analysis and anchoring. Students will gain experience behind-the-scenes production experience, and by the end of the semester, a productive student will have enough material to put together a performance reel. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 290J: Journalism in Jail
This course helps students acquire basic notions of newswriting and reporting, journalism ethics and law, media industries, and journalism history, in the specific context of "jail journalism" that is, reporting produced in jails and prisons by incarcerated individuals and reporting produced by professional journalists about the American incarceration system. The students will read a blend of foundational journalism texts, how-to guides, excerpts from memoirs and biographies, analyses of contemporary news and feature stories that focus on prison journalism, prison systems and prison life. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 293C: Community Journalism I
In this experiential learning course, journalism students work with students at the Springfield Honors Academy on the High School of Commerce campus to collaborate on multi-platform storytelling. By sharing ideas, resources, and knowledge, students engage in an exchange of ideas and insight that engenders what progressive educator Henry Giroux describes as "educated hope." Each Wednesday, students travel to Springfield to work with students in concert with our community partner, New England Public Radio Media Lab. (3 credits)
JOURNAL 300: Newswriting and Reporting
This course introduces students to the basic requirements of newswriting and reporting, including interviewing, covering news events, speeches and press conferences, public records and more. Students will complete a variety of in-class and outside reporting assignments in journalistic style. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: ENGLWRIT 112. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only. This course satisfies the Junior Year Writing requirement.
JOURNAL 301: Introduction to Multimedia Reporting
This hands-on course helps students build on the skills learned in Newswriting and Reporting while gaining the technical skills to tell stories in a digital format. Students produce online news stories using WordPress, digital images, audio podcasts, infographics and social media. They will also learn how to find and use government and other online sources in areas like the environment, climate change, economy, education and other topics. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 310: International Journalism
This course explores the challenges and issues facing journalists covering global affairs. Students will learn about intercultural communication, overcoming biases in reporting, and the use of social media as a platform for news reporting. They will also examine the work of foreign correspondents from a critical perspective. The course will broaden students' understanding of current affairs on the global stage. (4 credits)
This course meets the DG and SB general education requirements. Open to Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores of any major.
JOURNAL 320: History of American Journalism
This course surveys the history of American journalism chronologically, using a series of case studies grounded in historical scholarship and primary sources. Students will consider the ways the practice, institution, technologies and values of journalism have changed over time. Topics include the functions, roles, institutions, practices, standards, norms and values of the U.S. press and the news ecosystem in the United States; the role of journalism in democratic struggle, with attention to the black press and issues of race, gender, labor, immigration and other important social issues across time; the practices of newsreaders; the changing technologies of journalism; and the changing meanings of the speech and press clause of the First Amendment and the consequences for journalism. (4 credits)
This course meets the HS general education requirement. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 326: The Politics of Sport
This course examines how the politics of gender, sexual identity and race play out in the arena of sports. Through readings, writing, documentary viewing and discussion, students will explore how sports either constructs or breaks down barriers among individuals and groups and how journalism is involved in the process. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 328: Sports in Film, Journalism and Literature
The subject of sport has long been the source of inspiration for journalists, novelists and filmmakers. In this class, students will explore some of the most brilliant examples of sports narrative in words and images as they pertain to various pursuits, including a range of endeavors which might include running, baseball, soccer, rugby, basketball, climbing, boxing and football among others. Students may be asked to meet outside of class time on select days as a group to watch longer feature films. Accommodations will be made for individual students in the event of unavoidable time conflicts. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 330: Literary Journalism
This course focuses on the study of what is often called literary journalism, which uses the classic tools of fiction writers — character, plot, conflict, theme — to tell factual, nonfiction stories of the present moment. Students will read some great works of literary journalism and analyze their potential meanings and craft. Students will write critically about the works and write their own works of literary journalism. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 332: Sports Journalism
This course helps students learn to report, write and edit sports stories, ranging from straight game coverage to previews, features and breaking news. Students will read and analyze successful writing styles from sportswriters in all media. Students will need a flexible schedule to cover games outside of classes. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Sports Journalism students.
JOURNAL 333: Introduction to Visual Storytelling
This course introduces students to the concepts and practices of visual storytelling, including visual ethics, aesthetics, representation and the currents of the modern visual journalism ecosystem. This is a hands-on class, in which students will learn the basics of visual storytelling by using a DSLR camera and capturing and editing video. (4 credits)
This course meets the AT general education requirement. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 334: Introduction to Radio and Podcasting
This course introduces students to writing and reporting for radio or podcasting. Students will practice pitching stories, arranging and conducting interviews and writing and mixing radio scripts. This course explores how writing in broadcast journalism differs from print. Students will practice writing in a conversational style that works for "the ear." This is a "hands-on" course that requires students to report, record, and write several stories on deadline. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 336: Writing for Public Relations
This advanced course builds on the fundamentals covered in Newswriting and Reporting to address the development and distribution of client content, including earned, shared and owned media. Students will gain practical, hands-on experience researching, writing, editing and evaluating various public relations materials, resulting in the creation of professional writing samples at the end of the semester. (4 credits)
Prerequisites: JOURNAL 235, JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors enrolled in the Public Relations concentration.
JOURNAL 339: Video Content Creation
This course offers an introduction to visual storytelling, writing for video, videography and editing. Students will create videos that will help build their portfolio for whatever their journalistic goals might be. Students will learn to shoot professional-quality video, how to write for the ear and how to edit with professional software. Students will also produce multimedia stories to expand on their video pieces. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300.
JOURNAL 340: Multimedia Journalism
This course helps students develop their online writing skills through blogging, while learning how to create packages using audio and video. This class focuses on ways to merge traditional storytelling methods with a digital presentation. Students will learn what makes a good web presentation and they'll be introduced to tools to edit photos, video, and audio. (4 credits)
Prerequisites: JOURNAL 333, or JOURNAL 300 and JOURNAL 301.
JOURNAL 343: Data-Driven Storytelling
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to begin gathering, analyzing and visualizing interactive, data-driven stories. Students will work in small groups to tackle questions around ethical data sourcing, data analysis and making data meaningful for the public, and will ultimately produce a digital news story geared at a general audience. Topics include story idea generation using data; finding sources of public data to report stories; managing data sets and using appropriate analytical strategies. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only. Prior experience with statistics, web design or computer programming is neither assumed nor necessary.
JOURNAL 345: Media Criticism
This course examines the ecosystem in which reporters do their work — how the economic, political, infrastructural and regulatory environment affects the media we get. Topics include the influence of media ownership and commercial business models on the news; the impact of public and governmental control of media; the influence of tech platforms on the editorial practices and business models of the news; and networked attempts by "trolls" to manipulate the media and drive the news agenda. Students will also consider strategies — government regulation, media literacy education, etc. — for mitigating various issues facing the news industry. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 352: Public Relations Research and Analytics
This course introduces students to relevant social science research methods and data analytics used by public relations professionals and researchers. Students will learn about the importance of research in communication and business situations, as well as how they can design, conduct and analyze research, which is critical in communication planning, development and evaluation processes. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 235. Open to Journalism majors enrolled in the Public Relations concentration.
JOURNAL 361: Public Relations Ethics
This discussion-heavy course is designed to increase student awareness of various ethical situations and responsibilities related to the professional practice of public relations. Students will learn how to identify, explore and develop their ability to make responsible strategic communication and business decisions. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 235. Open to Journalism majors enrolled in the Public Relations concentration.
JOURNAL 365: Live Digital Sports Production I
This course requires students to work in conjunction with UMass Athletics to produce live video sports content for ESPN+, NESN, web streaming and in-house video. Through lectures, observation, analysis, hands-on labs and working as crew for UMass sporting events, students will gain an understanding of the production elements of a live sports broadcast. (3 credits)
JOURNAL 380: The Black Freedom Struggle and the Press
This history course looks at the Black freedom struggle in the United States across the 19th and 20th centuries, and students will study it through the lens of the news media. The narratives that survive from our past shape our perception of who we are and how our world works. But some narratives get shoved aside and ignored. One goal of this course is to revive some of those discarded stories and present a deeper and more complicated view of American history, with a focus on the Black experience. Students will consider the way African American history has been retold and re-imagined over time by political actors and others who were eager to make use of it in our nation's political discourse. (4 credits)
This course meets the DU and HS general education requirements.
JOURNAL 390C: Live Digital Sports Production II
This advanced course requires students to work in conjunction with UMass Athletics and become deeply involved in the production of live video sports content for ESPN+, NESN, web streaming and in-house video. The course involves a mixture of lectures, observation, analysis, hands-on labs and working as crew for UMass sporting events, and allows students to further advance their understanding of the production elements of a live sports broadcast. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 390B.
JOURNAL 390G: Reporting About Gender and Sexuality
This course examines the relationship between journalism, gender and sexuality in newsrooms, news coverage and news audiences, with attention to both historical developments and modern issues. Students will analyze how news and popular media construct, depict and reinforce public understanding of gender and sexuality with the help of historical artifacts, news coverage, nonfiction books, popular media clips, first-person experts and feminist, queer, political and communication theories. In doing so, we will dive into modern and recurring issues of masculinity, femininity, patriarchy, misogyny and other dimensions of identity and power with a focus on the potential for transformation in media depictions of these critical issues. Together, we will interpret and question predominant cultural understandings of gender and sexuality and think creatively about how journalism might be applied to challenge conventional understandings of gender and sexuality. (3 credits)
Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 390Z: Art of the Profile
Profile writing is among the most useful, most powerful, and most fun genres of journalism. Compelling characters keep readers hooked, helping them feel and better understand stories and, arguably, humanity itself. A well-construed portrait can even lure readers into learning about complicated subjects they might otherwise ignore. In this class, we will discuss the ingredients of ingenious profiles and get plenty of practice creating our own. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300.
JOURNAL 391J: Food Writing
This course approaches food writing from a news-reporting perspective. Students will learn about food storytelling techniques and styles, conduct interviews and collect information to produce multimedia stories. Students will experience the full spectrum of food storytelling including social media, photo and video blogs, magazine articles, reviews, recipe-centered pieces, and cultural and social commentary. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 391PR: Social Media & Public Relations
This course examines the role of today's public relations communicators who are developing new strategic approaches to the practice of PR. Students will learn how to research and evaluate various types of 2.0 collaborative technologies, monitor conversations for reputation and crisis management, develop social media objectives and strategies for integrated communications programs, create and manage the social media communications process, identify opportunities to engage via different networks, develop content for deeper interactions with stakeholders and use different types of measurement to gauge communications success. The class will focus on how to align strategic PR and social media programs with higher level business goals and objectives. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 336. Open to Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores only.
JOURNAL 392S: Opinion Writing: Columns
This course offers basic training in writing editorials, columns and broadcast commentary with an emphasis on political and social policies. It explores how to encourage the persuaded, nudge the neutral and discomfit the opposition. The ability to write quickly will be stressed in this course. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300.
JOURNAL 392T: Issues in Sports
This course covers a wide variety of news topics in sports. The range of issues, including concussions, gambling, cheating, college conference realignment, sex scandals, homophobia, and racism, requires the journalist to be prepared and knowledgeable about ethical, legal and financial questions. Students will be expected to fully participate in weekly discussions on current topics in the news, including ethics, reporting, writing, newsroom management, and diversity. Students will create their own blogs for class and must report, write and present a long-form, multimedia story as their final. (3 credits)
Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 394MI: Media, Technology and Culture
This course provides students with a framework for critically examining the intersections between media, digital technologies and the wider socio-cultural environment. Students will learn to think critically about the technologies of media as containing — and at times enforcing — assumptions about the culture in which they're deployed, as well as about how these assumptions can be manipulated and circumvented by users. The class challenges the notion of technologies as inert tools and encourages students to develop an integrated understanding of media, technology and culture that informs their reporting and consideration of a wide array of societal problems. (3 credits)
This course meets the Integrative and Experience and (IE) general education requirements. Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 395L: Science Journalism
This course helps students learn an array of essential skills for reporting, writing and analyzing news about science and technology. In addition to breaking down how scientific discoveries and controversies are framed and discussed in the news, students will learn tools of the trade, including how to apply quantitative literacy skills to scientific claims; an ability to assess the role of scientific evidence in policymaking; and a detailed understanding of how science is conducted, as well as how the public understands scientific research. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 396: Independent Study
This course allows students to develop an individualized study program with a faculty sponsor for course credit. An independent study in journalism or public relations requires independent reading, research and some type of substantive final project. This project may be academic or journalistic in nature. Examples include academic essays, research papers, a series of journalistic articles around a cohesive topic, an in-depth multimedia storytelling project and a short-form documentary. Students are expected to take the lead in reaching out to potential faculty sponsors to explain their independent study idea and to see if the faculty member is able to supervise a project that semester. (1-6 credits)
JOURNAL 397U: Interviewing Essentials
This course combines the text work of John Brady's anecdotal Craft of Interviewing and The Interviewer's Handbook with decades of reporter tips and scientific studies to provide a framework to develop professional interviewing skills. Students will learn interview preparation skills, reading body language, pacing tactics, the psychiatric basis for information storage and retrieval, listening skills, physiological causes for certain responses and statistical parameters of certain reactions. Police and military interrogation skills are combined with reporters' tips and psychological studies to better prepare students to conduct efficient and accurate interviews. (3 credits)
JOURNAL 398: Practicum
This course allows students to receive academic credit for individual field study and practice over a semester or an intersession in a news organization, public agency or other setting that allows them to apply their education. This course number is also used for all internships applied toward credit within the Journalism Department. While these credits will count toward graduation, they do NOT count toward the major (unless you are in the Sports Journalism Concentration or Public Relations Concentration, both of which require an internship). These credits can only be completed on a Pass/Fail basis. (1-18 credits)
Prerequisites: JOURNAL 300, 45 completed credit hours, and a grade point average of 2.0, or the consent of a Journalism advisor..
JOURNAL 410: Social Justice Journalism I
This explanatory journalism course places an emphasis on the intractable structural issues confronting contemporary American society. Each semester, the course focuses on one such issue (e.g., immigration, mass incarceration, gender inequality, racism in higher education), and will seek to work in collaboration with at least one non-government organization and one media institution. Students will report and produce journalistic stories on the topic. They will also read and discuss professional and scholarly literature on subjects related to social justice/advocacy journalism, including the questions of journalistic objectivity, framing, media effects and agenda setting. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 430: Journalism Launchpad
In this intensive five-week workshop, students will develop their professional credentials and a game plan to help them build a successful post-graduate life. Topics include resumes, career exploration, job search, networking techniques and personal finance. This course provides a structured and supportive environment for helping students define and pursue their career goals. (1 credit)
Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 432: Public Relations and Integrated Communication Cases
This seminar-style course uses research, analysis and discussion of cases and campaigns to expose students to the professional practice of public relations and integrated communication management. Students will explore a variety of strategies and tactics and learn how to identify, explain and apply what they have learned to different publics and stakeholders, as well as communication and business scenarios, through a variety of experiential and other active learning opportunities. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 235. Open to Journalism majors enrolled in the Public Relations concentration. Students should take JOURNAL 336 and JOURNAL 352 before taking this course. Students should also take this course before taking JOURNAL 452.
JOURNAL 433: Photojournalism
This course covers the theory and practice of photojournalism and documentary photography. Students will photograph a diverse range of community events, including news, sports, portrait and photo essay assignments. They will also learn about the history, philosophy, ethics, aesthetics and contemporary multimedia practice of photojournalism. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 333. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 434: Advanced Podcasting
This advanced course allows students to extend the audio interviewing, reporting and productions skills they learned previously to develop and create individual and group audio clips, including the completion of a class-conceived podcast dedicated to a local issue. Students will learn about sound design, new technological tools and advanced audio production techniques as they complete their audio pieces. This course also introduces students to the social and technological history of radio, the business and economics of audio storytelling, as and modern innovation in the audio industry in preparation for pursuing a potential career in audio journalism. This is a dynamic and hands-on course that requires students to work together and individually to complete professional audio stories with a series of strict and rotating deadlines. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 334. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 435: Web Design for Journalists
This course helps students learn basic web design and development skills to better pursue their journalism goals online. Topics include basic design principles, HTML, CSS, working with images, logo design, typography and how to incorporate external plugins and modules. Students will build a personal portfolio website and collaborate on class digital projects while exploring digital ethics, the role of social media in online journalism, mobile issues, data visualization and contemporary trends in design and presentation. (3 credits)
Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 444: Short-Form Documentary
This course is where documentary filmmaking and traditional journalism meets. Students will learn how to shoot, write and edit video while providing viewers with more depth, deeper questions, and alternative perspectives. By the end of the course, students will produce a short, sharp, strong micro-documentary. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300.
JOURNAL 445: Journalism and Law
This course focuses on the principles underlying First Amendment law in a democratic society and the relevant court cases, with emphasis on precedents. Students will explore how the law impacts the way journalists can do their jobs and what information they can report to their audiences — or if they can report at all. Students will become familiar with legal concepts underlying freedom of the press in such areas as sedition, prior restraint, libel, privacy, protecting sources, free press/fair trial, access and copyright. The case study approach generally is used, with emphasis on the principles underlying various aspects of the law as it affects the daily work of journalists. Students will learn to apply the law in a variety of situations common to journalistic work and to identify these issues both in the media and in their own lives as working journalists, as consumers of the news and as citizens in a democracy. (3 credits)
Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 452: Public Relations Campaign Management
This course serves as the final, capstone experience in the public relations concentration. Students will explore and gain practical, hands-in experience with the strategic communication planning process, conducting applied research and developing a comprehensive public relations campaign for a designated client. As part of this intensive, experiential-learning process, students will identify target publics, develop objectives and strategies, craft messaging, as well as create tactics, measurement, timelines and budgets. (3 credits)
Prerequisites: JOURNAL 235, JOURNAL 336, and JOURNAL 352. Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors enrolled in the Public Relations concentration.
JOURNAL 460: Journalism Ethics
This course focuses on ethical journalism—no matter the medium—and its pivotal role in a democratic society. Its aim is to help those who plan to become journalists make ethical decisions and to help those who are consumers of the news recognize responsible journalism at a time when it is more important than ever to give voice to the voiceless and hold the powerful accountable. Students will develop an ability to understand and evaluate the ethical decisions that journalists make every day and the consequences of those decisions. As journalism's role in society, its values and its best practices are all undergoing radical transformations, students will become familiar with traditional codes of ethics in areas such as accuracy, fairness, diversity, sources, conflicts of interest and privacy. But the course also will emphasize the need for students to create their own systems of ethics—principles students have thought through and are always ready to apply, explain and defend. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. This course meets the Integrative and Experience and (IE) general education requirements. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 480: Arts & Culture Journalism
This course enables students to become explorers, arbiters and communicators of culture. That includes a wide variety of journalistic beats, such as music, food, film, television, art, travel and fashion. By developing cultural journalism skills, students will learn how to assess and diagnose what art is worth consuming and what is not, what audiences need to know and what they do not and how best to communicate all of the above. And they will learn how to cover culture in a variety of ways, including reporting, criticism and first-person essay writing. Finally, by studying the history, theory and practice of cultural journalism, students explore how class, race, gender and other identity factors influence how we respond to cultural products and creators. This course combines both theoretical concepts and practical lessons to teach students how to strengthen their critical-thinking skills, their cultural authority and their journalistic credibility while sharpening their authorial voices and their understanding of popular culture. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 485: Narrative Journalism
This course pushes students to explore the history and contemporary landscape of narrative journalism, a form of reportage that uses the tools and techniques of narrative and ask critical questions about its epistemology, conventions and ethical standards. We will read prominent works and analyze their potential meanings and craft. We will practice key techniques and methods in writing workshops. Finally, we will report on and write our own works of narrative journalism, either through individual projects or a collective series, for publication, pursued through a class-based newsroom experience. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 490STA: Covering Race
Racial issues continue to dominate our psychic and social reality. They generate more fear and fireworks than any other topic in life. By taking a hard look at history, this course endeavors to reveal the complexity, nuance and ugliness which is the legacy of racism, colonialism and slavery. That history serves as a foundation for understanding ourselves and for a journalistic prose that both elevates discourse and enlightens readers. This course will provide you a space to report and write about stories involving race that need to be told in our local and regional communities. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only. Students who took this course starting in Fall 2021 may count it toward the Advanced Writing/Reporting requirement of the journalism major.
JOURNAL 491CJ: Community Journalism II
The course is an intellectual exchange with the Springfield Honors Academy on the High School of Commerce campus in Springfield. Undergraduates and high school students form reporting teams to produce projects that get at the nuance and complexity of living with and overcoming poverty and racism. Each Wednesday, students travel to Springfield to work with students in concert with our community partner, New England Public Radio Media Lab. Students may take Community Journalism II without taking Community Journalism I beforehand. (3 credits)
JOURNAL 492M: Magazine Writing
This course introduces students to the different forms of magazine writing, including short features and essays, longer-form pieces, first-person narratives, profiles and human-interest feature stories. Students will generate story ideas, develop research strategies, cultivate sources, research markets and submit queries for publication in print and online formats. Students will read and discuss articles from a range of popular, literary and trade magazines, and, in a community of peer writers, they will write, review and revise several works of their own. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Sophomore, Junior and Senior Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 495BP: Broadcast Performance
This course is designed to help students understand the principles of on-camera presentation, including using the voice, face and body as a tool for communicating. There is an emphasis on performing journalism for television and online media. Through in-class exercises, drills and homework assignments, students will build skills in narration and on-camera news delivery, including field reporting and in-studio anchoring. Upon completion of this class, students should be comfortable performing on-mic and on-camera. They'll understand how a broadcast studio operates, and they'll be well practiced in recording reports as well as doing live broadcasts. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 300. Open to Journalism majors only.
JOURNAL 495N: Video Content Creation II
This course takes students beyond the simple mechanics of visual storytelling and into the area of craftsmanship, where they will take their camera work, lighting, audio and editing to the next level. This class will prepare students for a career in video content creation, and the myriad of situations and stories they'll encounter, whether for a newsroom, website, company or non-profit. Students will learn to produce a professional quality video on deadline. Students will produce 1500-word or longer multimedia web stories to expand on their video pieces. Students will also build a website as an online portfolio of their work, and prepare themselves for the job hunt. (4 credits)
Prerequisite: JOURNAL 339. Open to Journalism majors only.