JOUR 295 - Topics in Journalism and Mass Communications

Credits: 3 credits in Fall or Winter; 4 credits in Spring

Spring 2016, JOUR 295-01: Media Bias: Beyond Right and Left (4). Students from all majors are welcome. “That story was so slanted.” “I never watch them; they’re too biased.” Many of our conversations and opinions on the news media come back to bias, but we rarely take the time to interrogate our own perspectives about it. In this course, students do just that, delving into the history and sociology of journalism and the psychology of our own news consumption to go beyond popular conservative and liberal theories of bias and find out how the news media really works. Students talk with prominent journalists and scholars and conduct their own media content analyses to test their own ideas about how the media covers issues they care about. Coddington.

Spring 2016, JOUR 295-02: Global Media and Communication: A South Africa Perspective (4). Prerequisite: Two-credit preparation course in Winter 2016. Non-majors are welcome, with instructor consent. As one of the world’s youngest democracies, post-apartheid South Africa faces enormous challenges as its people and leaders grapple with ethnic, religious, and language differences, struggle with an influx of immigrants, and cope with disillusioned young people who can’t find jobs in the nation’s fragile economy. This course immerses students in a country with stark contrasts in its politics, its long history of oppression, and its people’s persistent hope for the future. The course is based in Johannesburg, but students also spend a weekend in Cape Town, visiting Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Students explore South Africa’s culture by selecting one of two approaches: journalism or strategic communications. Students on the journalism track report and produce multimedia stories about various aspects of life today in South Africa. Students who choose the strategic communications track work with non-governmental community organizations, assisting them in refining and spreading their messages. Students on both tracks work with digital tools, choosing the most effective ways to tell compelling narratives to raise awareness about issues ranging from social justice and education to crime prevention and health care. Abah, Locy.

Winter 2016, JOUR 295-01: News Media, Race, and Ethnicity (3). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. This course examines how the news media cover race and ethnicity. How accurate is the portrayal of racial and ethnic groups? How do news media deal with clichés, ignorance and fear when it comes to differences? Do they offer a comprehensive and contextual view? The course highlights some of the best examples of reporting on race and ethnicity and how such reporting delves into the complexity of culture that can educate and surprise. Colón.

Fall 2015, JOUR 295-01: Multimedia Storytelling Design: How Do They Do That? (3). Have you ever wondered how The New York Times and The Guardian put together their Pulitzer Prize-winning interactive stories, Snowfall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek and NSA Files Decoded: What the Revelations Mean to You? This course introduces students to digital tools that help them imagine, design, and create powerful, compelling interactive features with audio, video, graphics–and words–that are on the cutting edge of journalism and mass communications. Students learn basic web design and programming skills through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No prior experience is needed. In fact, this course is designed for people with little or no coding experience but who have a burning desire to learn “how they did that.” Locy and Barry. Fall 2015 Planned Offering: Offered when departmental resources permit.