Journalism and Media Studies (B.A.)

This undergraduate program is offered by the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty

Mr. Chaz Muth, Assistant Professor and Director of the Trinity Newsroom (program chair)
Dr. Jamal Watson, Associate Dean and Program Director of Strategic Communication and Public Relations

Description

The Journalism and Media Studies program provides students with the in-demand technological, social media, and communication skills journalists and communications professionals need to succeed in news organizations, public relations, advancement and more. Students learn skills and concepts for effective digital storytelling across media platforms while mastering contemporary technologies and media.  The Journalism and Media Studies program offers courses in theory and practice integrating analysis, technique, and application. This innovative curriculum combines strong traditions of history, ethics, reporting and storytelling with modern tools and methods.  Industry employers seek graduates who can write clearly and accurately, think creatively and analytically, possess a strong liberal arts foundation; know how to use technology, and operate professionally in social media spaces. Journalism and Media Studies prepares students for employment in media and communications industries and trains critical analysis of how media frames, informs, and influences the world. Strong writers and storytellers with passion to educate and engage an audience with words, sound, and visuals have a bright future in journalism and media studies.

Every career path is different.  A very competitive field requires industrious self-motivation and willingness to gain practical work experience through internships and other applied experiences, such as the Trinity Times newsroom.   Students take advantage of the many internships and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, National Geographic, other local television stations, the Kennedy Center, lobbying groups, political offices, and public relations firms.

The Journalism and Media Studies undergraduate major consists of 54 credit hours. The Journalism and Media Studies degree program is offered in the School of Professional and Graduate Studies (PGS). In conjunction with PGS, students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) may declare the Journalism and Media Studies major while meeting the CAS general education curriculum requirements and course pre-requisites.  The program offers flexible evening and weekend scheduling, accelerated 8-week courses, and opportunities for experiential learning.

Students who complete the Journalism and Media studies major may consider pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication and Public Relations in the School of Professional and Graduate Studies.

Major Requirements (Total 54 credits)

Required JAMS Courses (24 credits)
ALL of the following courses:

JAMS 200 Multicultural Media HistoryThis course explores the political, social and economic history of media in the United States. Students examine the history and development of the press, with particular emphasis on the Black press, and the ways in which minority groups have been portrayed in mass media and how and why those portrayals have changed over time. Students will compare news coverage of mainstream and ethnic news media outlets with special emphasis on stories which concern or affect diverse populations. Students will acquire an understanding of the critical role of ethnic media in news coverage and analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 201 Fundamentals of JournalismIntroduces the fundamentals of news gathering and journalistic writing, including basic newswriting, reporting, and editing techniques. Develops skills of fact-gathering, observation, writing in journalistic style, understanding freedom of information, and ethics. Focuses on rules and styles unique to journalism utilizing the Associated Press Stylebook for news concepts, feature stories, and more.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 230 Newswriting and ReportingEmphasizes the reporting, writing and editing skills that make up the foundations of storytelling across media platforms. Explores techniques used to research and report complex social, political, and economic issues. Outcomes include researching, reporting, and writing stories suitable for publication, under deadline. 3 credits. Prequisite: JAMS 201 Fundamentals of Journalism OR COM 383 Journalism.
JAMS 251 Video Storytelling I: Reporting, Recording and EditingIntroduces fundamentals of journalistic video storytelling; covers basic filming techniques, writing for journalistic video, on-camera interviewing, gathering b-roll for effective video storytelling, video editing using software, and exporting video to multiple formats. Outcomes include shooting and producing one group and one solo project under instructor guidance.
3 credits
Prerequisite: None
JAMS 301 Media EthicsThis course looks at the tough ethical decisions that journalists and other media professionals routinely face. Using real life case studies students will explore fundamental ethical principles, and seek to understand the conflicts that arise when duties and responsibilities of the professionals conflict with their obligations to their employers and/or their audiences. There are often instances in which there is no right or wrong answer but the use of decision-making processes and standards.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 320 PhotojournalismFundamentals of still photography in the print and audiovisual mass media with primary focus on print journalism. Student must have a digital camera. By the end of the course, students will be able:
To analyze, recognize, and evaluate the elements of a good photograph, photojournalistic image.
To develop the technical skills, comprehend the ethical responsibilities, and discern the social, political, and linguistic implications of being a photojournalist.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 399 Journalist in ResidenceSimulates a professional newsroom environment and the experience of producing content for publication on the newsroom platform or for campus media outlets. 3 Credits.
JAMS 499 Capstone ProjectThe senior capstone project draws on what has been learned in the major and is completed in close consultation with capstone faculty members and the program chair. It requires extensive research and writing, but also offers an opportunity for imagination and creative output. This may be done through an extensive research paper, a multi-media reporting project, or a unique project designed by the student. The student's research proposal must be approved the semester before taking the Capstone Project course.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None

Elective Courses (12 credits)
FOUR of the following courses:

COM 250 Public Relations IFocuses on public relations in various settings (in-house consulting, nonprofit organizations) and the strategies, tools, and skills used by practitioners.
3 credits
COM 370 Publicity and Media RelationsExamines the role of the publicist in various organizations. Also looks at the basics of media relations, testing and evaluating publicity, and using publicity as a tool. Students are expected to produce publicity campaigns.
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 250
COM 392 SpeechwritingConcentrates on the preparation of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style.
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 290
COM 420 Mass Media LawAnalyzes policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC). Examines ethics in mass media, and various cases on such issues as privacy and copyright laws.
3 credits
JAMS 311 Social Media and Audience StrategyCovers how algorithms work and the creation of content that is 1) designed to rank highly and 2) encourages interaction and engagement with the audience. Teaches how to read and understand analytics, techniques for spotting trends in web and social media traffic, and development of strategies steeped in data.media planning. Formerly Social Media, Marketing and Communication.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 340 Broadcast News/Fundamentals of Broadcast Writing, Reporting, and ProducingThis course introduces students to basic television news reporting and production. Students will learn how to write for the ear; the elements of voice and on-camera skills needed to produce audio and video news packages for presentation; examine the decision-making process involved in producing a newscast. Students will write news stories for radio and review television news. By the end of the course, students will be able:
?
JAMS 351 Video Storytelling IIFollows Video Storytelling I by focusing on more advanced filming and interviewing techniques, more diverse writing, and more independent shooting for b-roll and on-camera interviews. Outcomes include the ability to complete all video projects, from shooting to production, self-sufficiently. 3 credits. Prerequisites: JAMS 201 Fundamentals of Journalism or COM 383 Journalism; JAMS 251 Video Storytelling I
JAMS 360 Media and Social ChangeLooks at how past and present social movements (e.g., environmental, civil rights, labor movements) challenge dominant social, economic, and political structures and how they have been portrayed in the mass media. It also examines how current social activists use media technologies to organize themselves and communicate their messages ("I can't breathe" , "die-ins", and "Occupy Wall Street" protests) to wide audiences in order to achieve social change.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 400 Introduction to PodcastingThis course covers the basic steps to creating content, recording and marketing an audio podcast broadcast. The layout of the basic technology and equipment needed for podcasting is reviewed. The podcasting medium is examined as the distribution of specially encoded multimedia content delivered to subscribed devices via the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) 2.0 protocol. Governing and legal implications are discussed. This course is a prerequisite to the JAMS podcasting studio lab course.

3 credits
JAMS 410 Advanced News Reporting and Feature WritingExplores advanced techniques in researching and reporting complex social, political and economic issues, and in crafting compelling feature writing. All content produced in this course will be suitable for publication. Formerly JAMS 410 Advanced Reporting and Writing in Hyper-Local Newsroom.
JAMS 491 Supervised InternshipOn-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs. Internships are supervised by the Communication program faculty.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None

Co-Requisite Courses (18 credits)

ALL of the following courses:
COM 265 Introduction to Mass CommunicationIntroduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
COM 290 Public SpeakingExamines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered.
3 credits
FLC Area I
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
ECON 101 Microeconomics ITeaches how to think like an economist and make more informed decisions. Builds models of economic activity that provide a framework for understanding the real world. Explores the supply-demand model of competitive markets, followed by other models that show how markets operate when they aren't purely competitive. Assesses the proper role of government in the marketplace and how government can improve welfare when markets fail to be efficient. ECON 101 is a prerequisite for all higher-level economics courses and fulfills the Social Science General Education requirement.
3 credits or ECON 102 Macroeconomics IPresents key variables that summarize an economy. Uses economic analysis to explain why economies grow over time but also exhibit repeated cycles of boom and bust. Explores government-level policies that affect an economy as a whole, and models for analyzing their effects. Fulfills the Civic Knowledge General Education requirement and is required for upper level economics courses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 is preferred, but students may take ECON 102 first.
PHIL 103 Reasoning and ArgumentationPresents examples of analysis and argumentation in order to examine what constitutes either a deductive and an inductive argument, the notions of validity and truth, the justificatory power of evidence as well as common informal fallacies. The course provides practice in various techniques of argumentation and critical analysis. Formerly PHI 103 Reasoning and Argumentation.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Foundational Skills Area
FLC Area III
Prerequisite CRS 101 - CAS Only (CAS students take PHIL Values & Beliefs)
POLS 103 The American Political ProcessOffers an introduction to the American political and governmental system, with emphasis on the processes, institutions, and actors involved in the system. Case studies are used to focus on contemporary issues and their backgrounds. Formerly PSC 123 American Political Process
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society (CAS students take ANY POLS course in the General Education curriculum)
SOCY 100 Introduction to SociologyIntroduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society

Minor Requirements (Total 18 credits) – CAS students only

Required Courses (12 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

JAMS 201 Fundamentals of JournalismIntroduces the fundamentals of news gathering and journalistic writing, including basic newswriting, reporting, and editing techniques. Develops skills of fact-gathering, observation, writing in journalistic style, understanding freedom of information, and ethics. Focuses on rules and styles unique to journalism utilizing the Associated Press Stylebook for news concepts, feature stories, and more.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 230 Newswriting and ReportingEmphasizes the reporting, writing and editing skills that make up the foundations of storytelling across media platforms. Explores techniques used to research and report complex social, political, and economic issues. Outcomes include researching, reporting, and writing stories suitable for publication, under deadline. 3 credits. Prequisite: JAMS 201 Fundamentals of Journalism OR COM 383 Journalism.
JAMS 301 Media EthicsThis course looks at the tough ethical decisions that journalists and other media professionals routinely face. Using real life case studies students will explore fundamental ethical principles, and seek to understand the conflicts that arise when duties and responsibilities of the professionals conflict with their obligations to their employers and/or their audiences. There are often instances in which there is no right or wrong answer but the use of decision-making processes and standards.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 320 PhotojournalismFundamentals of still photography in the print and audiovisual mass media with primary focus on print journalism. Student must have a digital camera. By the end of the course, students will be able:
To analyze, recognize, and evaluate the elements of a good photograph, photojournalistic image.
To develop the technical skills, comprehend the ethical responsibilities, and discern the social, political, and linguistic implications of being a photojournalist.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None

Choose one of the following (3 credits)

JAMS 251 Video Storytelling I: Reporting, Recording and EditingIntroduces fundamentals of journalistic video storytelling; covers basic filming techniques, writing for journalistic video, on-camera interviewing, gathering b-roll for effective video storytelling, video editing using software, and exporting video to multiple formats. Outcomes include shooting and producing one group and one solo project under instructor guidance.
3 credits
Prerequisite: None
JAMS 400 Introduction to PodcastingThis course covers the basic steps to creating content, recording and marketing an audio podcast broadcast. The layout of the basic technology and equipment needed for podcasting is reviewed. The podcasting medium is examined as the distribution of specially encoded multimedia content delivered to subscribed devices via the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) 2.0 protocol. Governing and legal implications are discussed. This course is a prerequisite to the JAMS podcasting studio lab course.

3 credits

Choose one of the following (3 credits)

COM 370 Publicity and Media RelationsExamines the role of the publicist in various organizations. Also looks at the basics of media relations, testing and evaluating publicity, and using publicity as a tool. Students are expected to produce publicity campaigns.
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 250
COM 392 SpeechwritingConcentrates on the preparation of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style.
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 290
COM 420 Mass Media LawAnalyzes policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC). Examines ethics in mass media, and various cases on such issues as privacy and copyright laws.
3 credits
JAMS 340 Broadcast News/Fundamentals of Broadcast Writing, Reporting, and ProducingThis course introduces students to basic television news reporting and production. Students will learn how to write for the ear; the elements of voice and on-camera skills needed to produce audio and video news packages for presentation; examine the decision-making process involved in producing a newscast. Students will write news stories for radio and review television news. By the end of the course, students will be able:
?
JAMS 351 Video Storytelling IIFollows Video Storytelling I by focusing on more advanced filming and interviewing techniques, more diverse writing, and more independent shooting for b-roll and on-camera interviews. Outcomes include the ability to complete all video projects, from shooting to production, self-sufficiently. 3 credits. Prerequisites: JAMS 201 Fundamentals of Journalism or COM 383 Journalism; JAMS 251 Video Storytelling I
JAMS 360 Media and Social ChangeLooks at how past and present social movements (e.g., environmental, civil rights, labor movements) challenge dominant social, economic, and political structures and how they have been portrayed in the mass media. It also examines how current social activists use media technologies to organize themselves and communicate their messages ("I can't breathe" , "die-ins", and "Occupy Wall Street" protests) to wide audiences in order to achieve social change.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 399 Journalist in ResidenceSimulates a professional newsroom environment and the experience of producing content for publication on the newsroom platform or for campus media outlets. 3 Credits.
JAMS 410 Advanced News Reporting and Feature WritingExplores advanced techniques in researching and reporting complex social, political and economic issues, and in crafting compelling feature writing. All content produced in this course will be suitable for publication. Formerly JAMS 410 Advanced Reporting and Writing in Hyper-Local Newsroom.
JAMS 491 Supervised InternshipOn-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs. Internships are supervised by the Communication program faculty.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Journalism and Media Studies major.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Journalism and Media Studies major.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass grading:
No course fulfilling major requirements in the Journalism and Media Studies major may be taken Pass/No Pass.

Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Capstone Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include a capstone project as approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better on this project.

TELL Policy:
Students in the School of Professional and Graduate Studies may apply a maximum of 12 credits to major requirements earned through TELL.

Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval. A minimum of four JAMS courses and the Capstone Seminar must be taken at Trinity.

Course Descriptions