Journalism Course Descriptions

Fall 2023

Introduction to Media Studies I| 021:086:201 |

What and who is “the media?” How can something as diverse and disjointed as the ways that news is produced by journalists and disseminated to the public be spoken about with such a singular and monolithic term? In this course, students explore the many ways that news has been produced and distributed over the course of American history, and how changes in culture and technology have affected, and continue to affect, the relationship between the organizations that produce the news and the people who consume it. Students will work with a mix of interdisciplinary sources in answering those questions, including primary source journalism in various media from different historical periods, key concepts of media and communications theory, scholarly articles on the social impact of journalism and media, and depictions of journalists in popular films and TV shows.
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Imagery and Culture | 21:086:309
Storytelling and the American Narrative

Instructor: Carla Murphy

This course explores modern era takes on an old conflict in our diverse nation: what is the narrative of the United States of America? Who gets to tell it? Who does not? Is there only one narrative of ‘America,’ or are there many? This experimental and collaborative course seeks to understand what select visual media–journalism, including documentary film, and popular media–communicate about the American narrative, now. Owing to our democratized media age, we’ll pay equal attention to media power and the audience(s) or the public(s) on the receiving end of this type of storytelling. This course does not seek to be a comprehensive overview of the subject matter; indeed, student contributions from their visual media diet are welcome. It urges students to consider that the idea of an American narrative shapes our sense not only of what has happened in this country, but what could or should happen.

Note that this course requires students to also read essays and articles to contextualize and make sense of what we watch. We may touch on the following topics/themes: principles of freedom, liberty or patriotism; ‘class’ (and race); race (and ‘class’); representation; criminal justice; gender (and ‘class’ and race); ‘real’ Americans; centering the margins and The Other; or who determines what The Culture is/isn’t.

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Journalism, Ethics & the Law | 21:086:334

Instructor: Carla Murphy

What is journalism? Is the First Amendment still relevant? – These are fundamental questions of our time. Much, if not most of the U.S. public remains unaware that throughout the 21^st century, the U.S. journalism ecosystem has been in a state of system-wide collapse. Crisis, however, is also an opportunity for innovation, reflection and creation. This real-world course equips students to identify what journalism is, what it is not and most importantly, why knowing the difference matters. Therefore, this course covers the difference between journalism and media; traditional journalistic ethics; the effect of industry instability and social media networks on ethical decision-making when gathering, creating and sharing information; new journalistic ethics for our time; and the past and current role of the First Amendment.

Questions and lively, respectful debate are expected. While all majors or undecideds are welcome, this course is designed for those who want to engage “the public” in the public sphere. As journalism is a profession with unique responsibility to the public and the democracy, attention will be paid to your ideas and how you communicate, with authority, via the written word.

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Basic Reporting and Newswriting | 21:086:337

Instructor: Larry Jaffee

Basic Reporting and Newswriting will provide students with an overview of journalism, how it works, and how it’s changed since the advent of the Internet. We’ll explore how journalism is different from other types of writing and the basics of news reporting and writing (the 5Ws) no matter the medium. We’ll explore the different types of media that provide journalism (newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, Internet, and social media). We’ll explore issues such as the importance of alternative media to disseminating information not covered by the mainstream media, whose standing with the public has diminished. Students will learn how to spot what’s really “Fake News.” You will interview individuals in and outside of class for homework assignments. We’ll learn interviewing techniques: how to ask the right questions, listen carefully to what people tell you (thus prompting other questions), and observe things that deserve further probing. You’re expected to follow the news closely daily, and there might be pop quizzes on the news. We’ll also learn how to use the Internet for research.

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Advanced Reporting | 21:086:338

Instructor: Troy Graham

In this course, students will learn to report and write about the news that matters most to their communities. Students will get the opportunity to choose a beat to cover, such as a local government or school district, and they will produce five to seven articles, including shorter daily stories and longer enterprise stories. They will also incorporate social media and multimedia elements in their coverage. Heavy emphasis will be placed on the reporting – doing in-person interviews and telling the stories of real people. Instruction will focus on news judgment, source development, interview skills, researching and backgrounding, and using data and public records. We will also stress the importance of clear and effective writing by studying examples of excellent journalism from newspapers, magazines, and books. In class, we will examine and discuss each other’s stories and reporting challenges, hopefully creating the kind of collaborative and collegial atmosphere found in the best newsrooms.

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Introduction to Multimedia | 21:086:340

Instructor: Juan Arredondo

Today, journalists face many challenges regarding what stories to cover, how to cover them, and what formats are best for a story. This semester, you will learn how to pitch, produce, edit and choose which medium—video, audio, photography, graphics and text—best suits a story they wish to tell. Through lectures, readings, discussions, guest speakers, and fieldwork, students will explore the elements and forms of multimedia storytelling, learn the skills for newsgathering and story production, and learn the best use of media formats to tell compelling stories.

Over the course of the semester, you will produce several projects —a photo essay, various videos, and an audio project. By the end of the semester, these projects will come together and be part of your final multimedia project.

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Independent Study in Journalism | 21:086:346:01

Instructor: Gaiutra Bahadur

With permission from the instructor, a student pursues an independent course of study, typically resulting in a long form reported piece. Interested students should contact the instructor before registering with a 350-word project proposal along with a list of sources to be interviewed and consulted. The student will produce an outline, a draft and a revision based on instructor feedback, with deadlines staggered over the course of the semester.

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Independent Study in Journalism | 21:086:346:02

Instructor: Carla Murphy

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Independent Study in Journalism | 21:086:346:03

Instructor: Juan Arredondo

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Journalism Capstone | 21:086:400
Magazine Production

Instructor: Larry Jaffee
Students will publish by the end of the semester a magazine that focuses on a central theme. The instructor will focus on how to write compelling feature articles, effective headlines and decks, the importance of copy editing to improve early drafts, and using effective graphics and photography that advances the stories, meets the theme, overall issue flow and article balance.

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Special Topics in Journalism | 21:086:401
Literary Journalism (cross listed with Topics In Literature)
Instructor: Gaiutra Bahadur

Literary journalism is sometimes described as the art of fact, but it is both an art and a science. Telling true stories in ways that capture the attention, the conscience, and the emotions of readers requires both creativity and rigorous reporting and research. This semester, we’ll read journalism that uses the devices and elements of fiction – plot, setting, character, metaphor, symbol – to illuminate invisible or extraordinary lives and urgent social issues such as migration, racism, labor exploitation, and poverty. Many of the books we’ll read first appeared as a series of articles in newspapers or newsmagazines, and some involve the authors immersing themselves in the worlds of their subjects, sometimes by going undercover. The required reading includes Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor, and Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed. We’ll also read shorter works, including Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah’s profile of Missy Elliott and Langston Hughes’ dispatches for the Black press during the Spanish Civil War. We’ll analyze the reporting methods and literary techniques that make the works succeed or fail, discuss the ethics of those methods and techniques, and consider when it’s appropriate and useful to get personal.

Journalism Internship | 21:086:459:01

Instructor: Gaiutra Bahadur

With approval from the instructor, students will intern with journalism organizations, working 120 hours throughout the course of the semester. Supervisors at the organizations will evaluate the work of the students and offer a suggested grade for the semester. Students *must have* secured an internship independently by the registration deadline.

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Journalism Internship | 21:086:459:02

Instructor: Gaiutra Bahadur

Journalism Internship | 21:086:459:03 or 21:086:460:03

Instructor: Juan Arredondo

Newsroom Workshop | 21:086:493

Instructor: Robin Wilson-Glover
In this course, we’ll operate as a newsroom covering the City of Newark. Students will pitch story ideas and we’ll discuss tactics for covering those stories. Students will be assigned at least five stories each for possible publication. We’ll also hear firsthand from some of New Jersey’s best journalists about how they do their job.