Examines the gathering, processing and writing of news and opinion on current matters using professional standards in both print and online news production. Analysis of current and historical case studies that illustrate demographic, social, psychological, and ethical aspects of journalism writing in the digital age. Creative problem solving strategies are encouraged throughout the course and culminate with the writing of a feature story in both print and online formats as well as evaluating audience response for that feature story.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
Students will gain an understanding of how to critically analyze writing of reporting, features, news columns, local sports, opinions, editorials, and reviews using standards for both print and online news production. Students will gain critical insights about journalism standards for multimedia news production. Students will learn to:
- Analyze current and historical case studies of news writing in the digital age.
- Gather and process information from a variety of sources.
- Evaluate bias and accuracy of sources.
- Identify and analyze demographics of target audiences.
- Analyze the role of the news media in American society.
- Write a feature story using journalism standards in multimedia.
- Write in both print and online mediums.
- Role of journalism in American society
- Journalism in the digital age
- Use of information technology in gathering and reporting the news
- Journalism standards for writing news online
- Journalism standards for use of social media
- Demographics and target audiences
- Writing news for target audiences
- Use of multimedia in news writing
- Media convergence
- Multimedia feature story
- Evaluate the effectiveness of various forms of writing news.
- Evaluate demographic case studies on target population groups.
- Evaluate sociological and psychological case studies on target population groups.
- Analyze approaches to writing for specific target population groups.
- Examine ethical practices both current and historical in writing news for target audiences.
- Write a feature story for both print and online mediums.
- Evaluate audience response to a feature story.
Students who successfully complete Journalism 132 should have the written and verbal skills to:
- Compose written and oral reports.
- Identify and evaluate bias and credibility in print and visual images through written and oral critical analyses.
- Analyze current issues in writing for news media both verbally and in writing.
- Integrate research material from different sources into a logically and clearly written document.
Note that a grade of C- (minus) is not transferrable and is not accepted by some programs at HFC.
Rationale for de-activation: Low enrollment and course is no longer needed. Course goals and objectives have been added and approved for JOUR 131, which will help the transferability of JOUR 131.
Assessment and Requirements
- Minimum of five news writing assignments (not including the final exam).
- News writing assignments will occur at regular intervals, and will increase in depth of reporting and use of information technology.
- Quizzes on readings will occur at regular intervals leading to a cumulative final exam.
- At least one news writing assignment must be submitted to the Mirror News per the student newspaper's submission guidelines.
- One online, social media, or multimedia project.
- Oral presentation pitching feature story to the class.
- Written feature story that uses journalism standards for both print and online news production.
- Written plan for media convergence of online and social media to complement and promote the feature story.
- Student will create and conduct survey of class for audience response to feature story.
- Final examination.
Instructors have the option of selecting other forms of student achievement.
The curricular committee that oversees this course maintains a list of approved texts.
Credit for Prior College-Level Learning
Credit for prior learning will be evaluated at the discretion of the instructor.