Students discuss narrative forms for newswriting in light of the changing nature of print journalism and how the changing nature of news affects how journalists can best tell stories. Students read and view models of excellent narrative journalism from newspapers, magazines, web sites, and television. This course focuses on the publication process, with emphasis on copy editing. It will also cover on layout and design, audience analysis, freelancing, and the differences inherent in various print and cyber publications. This study and practice of sophisticated reporting techniques includes covering a beat, investigative and interpretive reporting skills, and use of public documents in public affairs reporting, including the Freedom of Information Act.
Students learn to use computer databases.
Internships would be arranged with regional and community newspapers, non-profit and advocacy organizations, publishers, literary presses, churches, schools, corporations, small businesses, and public radio and television. The ethics and law components of the seminar will rely heavily on case studies from print and broadcast journalism. Frequently, journalists, professionals, and community leaders will be invited to the seminar to give their perspectives on these issues. The sequence of courses in the journalism program begins with a literature requirement. The journalist must have a reverence for words and language.