Courses

Required introductory course

JED 30100 | Fundamentals of Journalism

After admission to the journalism minor, all students must complete this gateway course, offered each fall semester. What is news? What are the most effective ways of presenting news to the public? What ethical decisions are involved in gathering and reporting news? These are a few of the questions addressed in this course, which also provides an introductory framework on the use of reporting tools, newswriting techniques, journalism history, and skills needed in print, digital and broadcast media.

Regularly offered electives

JED 30105 | Ethics of Journalism

This class will focus on how print, broadcast and online journalists work - how they think and act as well as the ethical dilemmas they face today in delivering news, analysis, and commentary. We will study the processes involved in the creation of news and the effects or consequences of the news on the public. This is not a course that teaches the techniques of journalism. Rather it is an examination of the practices of professional journalists and a survey of the impact of what they do.

JED 30143 | Broadcasting the News

This course is a practical immersion into the world of broadcast journalism. Class will function much like a television newsroom, with time dedicated to workshopping and exploring a variety of reporting techniques. Students will spend time outside of the classroom engaging with asynchronous materials, practicing on-camera skills, and exploring the many roles that make up a newsroom. Students will build a professional reel or portfolio to demonstrate storytelling techniques essential to broadcasting the news.

JED 30150 | Newsroom Leadership Seminar

This one-credit seminar is open exclusively to students in the journalism minor who are also in leadership positions with student media organizations. Students who meet that criteria may register for this course for up to three semesters, earning a maximum of three credits. The class will meet 10 times throughout the semester with a rotating group of visiting professional journalists who will critique student media work and help cultivate story ideas. In addition to feedback on published and broadcast work, the class sessions will focus on principles of news judgment and editorial decision-making, innovative storytelling approaches, and practical advice for reporting on complex or controversial subjects. The visiting journalists also will provide insights and examples from their own work and offer advice on establishing a career in the news industry.

JED 30142 | Principles of Science Communication

Communicating about science has always been a necessity in public discourse, but communicating complex or ongoing science, health, and technology issues can be a challenge. This one-semester core Writing Intensive course, taught in Spring and Fall semesters, immerses students in the art of communicating about science in many forms, from writing for magazines and newspapers, to institutional writing for universities or medical centers, to giving speeches to lay audiences and creating descriptive museum displays. The areas of focus will be on writing concisely without jargon, workshopping/re-writing/editing, communicating and writing with accuracy, and developing empathy for both the scientist and the science communicator. Each week will include short reading assignments, as reading about science is critical to writing about science. Communicating about science has always been a necessity in public discourse, but communicating complex or ongoing science, health, and technology issues can be a challenge. This one-semester core Writing Intensive course, taught in Spring and Fall semesters, immerses students in the art of communicating about science in many forms, from writing for magazines and newspapers, to institutional writing for universities or medical centers, to giving speeches to lay audiences and creating descriptive museum displays. The areas of focus will be on writing concisely without jargon, workshopping/re-writing/editing, communicating and writing with accuracy, and developing empathy for both the scientist and the science communicator. Each week will include short reading assignments, as reading about science is critical to writing about science.

JED 30134 | Investigative Journalism

This course will explore the techniques of investigative journalism and produce high-quality public service projects. It begins with a survey of the history of investigative reporting, from early 20th century muckrakers like Upton Sinclair to Woodward and Bernstein to new models in today's online world. Students will learn how to identify and judge potential investigative topics, work with databases to find solid documentation, interview a wide range of sources, and write stories appropriate to different journalism platforms.

JED 30132 | Applied Multimedia for Journalists

The main focus of this course is that students will learn how to shoot and edit videos. It will briefly touch on how to produce audio stories and podcasts. Students will also study the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use, creation and publication of digital media. The use of drones and the legal issues surrounding them will also be discussed.

JED 30112 | Persuasion, Commentary, and Criticism

This course will consider the roles of persuasion, commentary, and criticism in contemporary American culture and will explore the techniques of these forms of expression. Students will prepare and discuss their own writing assignments, including opinion columns, editorials, and critical reviews of performances or books. Ethics and responsibilities in contemporary American journalism in expression of opinions also will be explored. Assignments will serve as the examinations in this course, which is taught by the opinion editor at the South Bend Tribune. Non AMST majors and JED minor applicants must submit a writing sample for review for course permission.

JED 30147 | Media Entrepreneurship

A generation ago, students looking to pursue careers in media were likely journalism or broadcasting majors who could aspire to master one platform and work for the same news company for decades. No more. People don't consume news in the ways they once did; the media landscape is changing. There are new challenges -- how to regulate misinformation, how to fund big investigative projects -- but also new opportunities. Digital tools are eliminating ‘start-up' barriers and giving storytellers more control over their fates. Aspiring news writers or producers no longer need to work their way up in a legacy company, hoping to someday catch their big break. You could manage a YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers from your dorm room. Some of you probably already do. But how do you monetize such ventures? How do you turn a side project or a cool idea into a career? In "Media Entrepreneurship," we'll explore how you can combine your passion and skills - skills cultivated as a student of the liberal arts -- to capitalize on media's exciting new frontier. You'll gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to see "being your own boss" or "launching your own brand" as a realistic career possibility. And it's not just about you. When you hear the word "entrepreneur," you might think of a guy pitching an idea to venture capitalists on Shark Tank. But, at its best, media entrepreneurship is an act of service. It's about building trust, meeting community needs, and expanding whose voices we hear as a society. In this course, you'll practice conceiving of a media project and creating your own startup business plan. I look forward to working alongside you.