Journalism and Media Studies (B.A.)
This undergraduate program is offered by the School of Professional Studies.
Faculty
Dr. Peggy Lewis, Executive Dean, School of Business and Graduate Studies and School of Professional Studies
Description
Journalism continues to undergo a comprehensive evolution prompted by technological advances and social media. The primary focus of journalism is shifting from print and broadcast to digital and online.
This ‘interruption’ offers expanding opportunities for students with excellent communication skills. The Journalism and Media Studies program aims to provide students with the skills in demand today for journalists and communications professionals in news organizations, non-profits, government agencies and corporate entities. Students learn the skills and concepts to engage in effective digital storytelling across media platforms and the most productive ways to use technology. The Journalism and Media Studies program offers practical courses covering technique and application combined with the integration of theory and practice. The new innovative curriculum marries the strong traditions of history, ethics and effective reporting and storytelling with modern tools and methods. Many media industry employers are looking for graduates who can write clearly and accurately; who think creatively and analytically; have a strong liberal arts foundation; who know how to use technology and can operate professionally in social media spaces. The Journalism and Media Studies degree prepares students to work in media-related industries and trains them to critically analyze the way the media represents, informs and influences the world. If a student sees herself as a good writer and storyteller with a passion to educate and engage an audience with words, sound and visuals, then she has a future in journalism and media studies.
We offer flexible scheduling (evening and weekends) and accelerated 8-week courses.
Students need to be mindful that every career path is different. A very competitive field requires students to be self-motivated and industrious and to consider gaining practical experience through internships to gain additional work experience. Students in the JAMS program should take advantage of the many internships and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as National Geographic, CNN, C-SPAN, CBS, the Kennedy Center, as well as other local television stations, public relations firms, lobbying groups, and political offices.
The Journalism and Media Studies undergraduate major consists of 51 credit hours. The Journalism and Media Studies degree program is offered in the School of Professional Studies (SPS). In conjunction with SPS, 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.
Students interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication and Public Relations should consult with program faculty in the School of Business and Graduate Studies.
Major Requirements
Co-Requisite Courses (18 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
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 100 Principles of EconomicsIntroduces the basic principles of economics to students with no prior economic training and provides foundational skills for Economics 101 and Economics 102.
3 credits
General Education Requirement: Knowledge and Inquiry
Prerequisites: successful completion of MATH 102, MATH 108, or MATH 109 is highly recommended
COM 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral ArgumentationThe course is designed to improve the capacity for reasoning and to gain the strategies necessary for assessing the variances in messages in everyday interactions. The course also assists students to construct convincing arguments and critically evaluate the claims and premises in written and oral communication. The course fits into the larger first year curriculum by giving a set of methodological tools with which to critique complex arguments, assess the sufficiency and relevance of social scientific evidence, and prepare creative and well-reasoned arguments in a variety of written and oral communicative contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None or PHIL 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral ArgumentationThe course is designed to improve the capacity for reasoning and to gain the strategies necessary for assessing the variances in messages in everyday interactions. The course also assists students to construct convincing arguments and critically evaluate the claims and premises in written and oral communication. The course fits into the larger first year curriculum by giving a set of methodological tools with which to critique complex arguments, assess the sufficiency and relevance of social scientific evidence, and prepare creative and well-reasoned arguments in a variety of written and oral communicative contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
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
Choose ONE of the following:
COM 201 Interpersonal CommunicationOffers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature
COM 225 Intercultural CommunicationApplies basic principles of intercultural communication to the analysis of specific situations involving cultural differences. Emphasis is on the influence of culture on the communication process, including differences in values, assumptions, and communication. Models of intercultural communication analysis are developed and applied to issues dealing with relations between a dominant society and subcultures, social change, and international relations.
3 credits
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
Choose any ONE political science course:
POLS XXX
Required Courses (21 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
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 JournalismThis course introduces students to the fundamentals of gathering information and journalistic writing. By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate basic journalistic newswri ting and reporting techniques, including writing in journalistic style, fact-gathering, observation, freedom of information and ethics. Students learn writing rules and styles unique to journalism with a focus on Associated Press Stylebook, Yahoo! Style Guide, grammar, punctuation and mathematics for journalists.
3 credits
Prerequisites: 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 420 Media LawThis course explores the legal issues that relate to the telecommunications industry, information technology, broadcasting, advertising, entertainment industry, censorship, student publications, the Internet and online services. Students will analyze policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC) and look at advancing technology issues around intellectual property, First Amendment rights, censorship and defamation become big areas of interest in media law.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
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
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:
JAMS 210 Basic Public Relations WritingThis course is designed to teach professional-quality techniques for writing to persuade in multiple public relations formats, including news releases, news advisories, features, backgrounders, pitch letters and other public relations writing formats in a multi-media environment.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 220 SpeechwritingThis course examines some of the great speeches in history. Students will write a variety of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 302 Multi-media StorytellingThis course emphasizes reporting, writing and editing skills- the foundations of storytelling across media platforms. Students explore the techniques used to research and report complex social, political and economic issues. They will be required to research, report and write stories under deadline and suitable for publication.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 310 Advanced PR WritingThis course is designed to build upon the skills and knowledge a student gained in Public Relations Writing I (Basic PR Writing). Students will develop professional-level writing skills with a special emphasis on writing controlled communications, such as speeches, newsletters, pitch letters, public service announcements, brochures and social media tactics, as a part of a strategic communications plan.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 210
JAMS 311 Social Media, Marketing and CommunicationThis course links communication theory to the practice of marketing and media planning. Students work to analyze current trends in media and marketing while applying skills learned in previous communication courses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 315 Advanced Public SpeakingPublic speaking has become an important force for molding and shaping society. In an increasingly complex world, the need for articulate public speakers, that is, those who can present appropriate, relevant, and clear ideas to listeners in a direct, open and convincing manner has become even greater. This course is designed to provide the advanced student with specific communication principles and skills necessary for effective public speaking in a variety of contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: COM 290
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 322 Sport Reporting and WritingBy the end of the course, students will be able: to write and report about sports, sports-related issues, and sporting events; to describe and identify the issues and events which merit reporting to the public; to analyze and deconstruct the historical, societal, and economic forces that impact sports and our culture.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 323 Science and Health JournalismThis course explores specialized journalism in the areas of science, health and medicine, and meteorology and environmental reporting across digital, print, broadcast and online media. The field of specialized reporting in these areas has become very popular in recent years and continues to expand. This course aims to teach students how complicated scientific topics are turned into interesting narratives and superb storytelling.
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 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 370 Journalism in American FilmThe course is designed to expose students to many of the best known and classic American films about journalism, and to examine how American films have depicted the practice and societal impact of journal ism. Students consider whether popular films depict American journalists accurately or romanticize them. Similarly, students consider whether the image, or the reality of journalistic practice, has changed and the impact film has had on the profession. Students will consider the best and worst of journalism practice as depicted in the films, i.e., for each students to develop a historically informed personal appraisal of the most noble and heroic acts of journalism, as well as the most corrupt and morally reprehensible. And to understand that certain films have had direct impact, either on society, or on the practice of journalism itself.
3 credits
Prequisites: 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 Reporting and Writing in Hyper-Local NewsroomThis class will give students hands-on experience with traditional and digital journalism, including working in both written and multimedia formats, through the creation and management of a news-based website covering stories in Brookland and the DC area. Students will report; write and edit stories; create video, audio, and graphics; take photos; and learn about the various uses of social media within the journalism field. Students will collaborate on a news-based website that will synthesize learned skills, journalistic practices, and knowledge of information and technology. At the end of this course, students will be able to: analyze and prioritize information gathered for dissemination of news to readers and viewers; effectively use various storytelling tools available to journalists in the digital environment, including traditional short- and long-form reporting, video, photo, audio, graphics, and social media; incorporate social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others - to report, tell and market stories, and interact with the community; and demonstrate management, editing, and community-relations skills.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 415 Political Campaign CoverageUsing the Nation's Capital as part of the classroom, students will examine the role of money, media, candidates, interest groups, leadership, gender, race, and political parties in terms of who wins and loses elections. Learning will take place through assigned readings, class discussion lectures, and guest lectures from campaign experts, journalists and political staffers.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 418 Gender, Race, and Class in the MediaThis course is to explore how gender, ethnicity, and race are represented in both news media and popular culture. A particular emphasis is on the representation in media images, texts, and sounds, and on the significance of studying race and gender. The course examines the content, treatment, and effects of women and minority group coverage in television, newspapers, magazines, popular music and film. Since their onset, US mass media industries have been enormously powerful conveyors of meaning, both nationally and internationally. Portrayals of ethnicity, race, class, gender and sexual orientation will be discussed. This course will challenge students to critically reflect on issues of poverty, economic inequality, oppression, and power dynamics in US society.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major.
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication 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:
No course fulfilling major requirements in the communication program may be taken Pass/No Pass.
Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Capstone Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include the preparation of a communication research project on a topic approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better on this project.
Study Abroad:
Students should take advantage of the many communication-related study abroad programs.
TELL Policy:
Students 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.
Course Descriptions
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 JournalismThis course introduces students to the fundamentals of gathering information and journalistic writing. By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate basic journalistic newswri ting and reporting techniques, including writing in journalistic style, fact-gathering, observation, freedom of information and ethics. Students learn writing rules and styles unique to journalism with a focus on Associated Press Stylebook, Yahoo! Style Guide, grammar, punctuation and mathematics for journalists.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 210 Basic Public Relations WritingThis course is designed to teach professional-quality techniques for writing to persuade in multiple public relations formats, including news releases, news advisories, features, backgrounders, pitch letters and other public relations writing formats in a multi-media environment.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 220 SpeechwritingThis course examines some of the great speeches in history. Students will write a variety of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style.
3 credits
Prerequisites: 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 302 Multi-media StorytellingThis course emphasizes reporting, writing and editing skills- the foundations of storytelling across media platforms. Students explore the techniques used to research and report complex social, political and economic issues. They will be required to research, report and write stories under deadline and suitable for publication.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 310 Advanced PR WritingThis course is designed to build upon the skills and knowledge a student gained in Public Relations Writing I (Basic PR Writing). Students will develop professional-level writing skills with a special emphasis on writing controlled communications, such as speeches, newsletters, pitch letters, public service announcements, brochures and social media tactics, as a part of a strategic communications plan.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 210
JAMS 311 Social Media, Marketing and CommunicationThis course links communication theory to the practice of marketing and media planning. Students work to analyze current trends in media and marketing while applying skills learned in previous communication courses.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 315 Advanced Public SpeakingPublic speaking has become an important force for molding and shaping society. In an increasingly complex world, the need for articulate public speakers, that is, those who can present appropriate, relevant, and clear ideas to listeners in a direct, open and convincing manner has become even greater. This course is designed to provide the advanced student with specific communication principles and skills necessary for effective public speaking in a variety of contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: COM 290
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 322 Sport Reporting and WritingBy the end of the course, students will be able: to write and report about sports, sports-related issues, and sporting events; to describe and identify the issues and events which merit reporting to the public; to analyze and deconstruct the historical, societal, and economic forces that impact sports and our culture.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 323 Science and Health JournalismThis course explores specialized journalism in the areas of science, health and medicine, and meteorology and environmental reporting across digital, print, broadcast and online media. The field of specialized reporting in these areas has become very popular in recent years and continues to expand. This course aims to teach students how complicated scientific topics are turned into interesting narratives and superb storytelling.
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 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 370 Journalism in American FilmThe course is designed to expose students to many of the best known and classic American films about journalism, and to examine how American films have depicted the practice and societal impact of journal ism. Students consider whether popular films depict American journalists accurately or romanticize them. Similarly, students consider whether the image, or the reality of journalistic practice, has changed and the impact film has had on the profession. Students will consider the best and worst of journalism practice as depicted in the films, i.e., for each students to develop a historically informed personal appraisal of the most noble and heroic acts of journalism, as well as the most corrupt and morally reprehensible. And to understand that certain films have had direct impact, either on society, or on the practice of journalism itself.
3 credits
Prequisites: 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 Reporting and Writing in Hyper-Local NewsroomThis class will give students hands-on experience with traditional and digital journalism, including working in both written and multimedia formats, through the creation and management of a news-based website covering stories in Brookland and the DC area. Students will report; write and edit stories; create video, audio, and graphics; take photos; and learn about the various uses of social media within the journalism field. Students will collaborate on a news-based website that will synthesize learned skills, journalistic practices, and knowledge of information and technology. At the end of this course, students will be able to: analyze and prioritize information gathered for dissemination of news to readers and viewers; effectively use various storytelling tools available to journalists in the digital environment, including traditional short- and long-form reporting, video, photo, audio, graphics, and social media; incorporate social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others - to report, tell and market stories, and interact with the community; and demonstrate management, editing, and community-relations skills.
3 credits
Prerequisites: JAMS 201
JAMS 418 Gender, Race, and Class in the MediaThis course is to explore how gender, ethnicity, and race are represented in both news media and popular culture. A particular emphasis is on the representation in media images, texts, and sounds, and on the significance of studying race and gender. The course examines the content, treatment, and effects of women and minority group coverage in television, newspapers, magazines, popular music and film. Since their onset, US mass media industries have been enormously powerful conveyors of meaning, both nationally and internationally. Portrayals of ethnicity, race, class, gender and sexual orientation will be discussed. This course will challenge students to critically reflect on issues of poverty, economic inequality, oppression, and power dynamics in US society.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 415 Political Campaign CoverageUsing the Nation's Capital as part of the classroom, students will examine the role of money, media, candidates, interest groups, leadership, gender, race, and political parties in terms of who wins and loses elections. Learning will take place through assigned readings, class discussion lectures, and guest lectures from campaign experts, journalists and political staffers.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
JAMS 420 Media LawThis course explores the legal issues that relate to the telecommunications industry, information technology, broadcasting, advertising, entertainment industry, censorship, student publications, the Internet and online services. Students will analyze policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC) and look at advancing technology issues around intellectual property, First Amendment rights, censorship and defamation become big areas of interest in media law.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
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
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