Courses
Journalism
Note:All Journalism majors beginning in Fall 2004 must complete the Journalism foundation courses: JOURN 1111 Journalism and Society; JOURN 1112 Writing for Journalism; JOURN 1113 Audio/Visual Newsgathering; and JOURN 1114 Design for Journalists. Students must take Journ 1111 and 1112 before registering for 2000 and 3000-level courses. Some students must take Journalism 1101 as a prerequisite or corequisite for Journalism 1112. Students must also take an advanced core: JOURN 2101 Journalism Research; JOURN 3196 Journalism and the Law; and a journalism studies elective (courses numbered in the 3700s). Students must complete the requirements for one of the sequences: Broadcast Journalism, News-Editorial, Photography for the Mass Media, or Magazine. Finally, all majors must take the department capstone in their senior year: JOURN 4101 Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab (MURL).
5001.
Contemporary Issues in Journalism (4 s.h.)
This course examines the concepts and functions of journalism in American society. Students explore underlying values associated with journalism, relationships among journalism and other social institutions, and current issues facing journalists. Students will also examine the nature of journalistic content.
5002. News Reporting (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: admission to M.J. program or
permission of the M.J. Director.
Accelerated, in-depth instruction in various forms of writing,
nature of news, structuring news stories, style, information
gathering, copy editing fundamentals, with emphasis on multimedia reporting.
5003. News Editing (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: JPRA 5002 or permission
of the M.J. director.
Accelerated, in-depth, instruction in editing; editorial judgment; accuracy; headline writing; fundamentals of page makeup; use of illustrations, with empahsis on story and photo editing, print design, style and usage.
5004. Computer Assisted Reporting and Research (4 s.h.)
Computer-based exploration of the Internet, World Wide Web, databases and on-line libraries to develop information gathering and presentation skills. Research approaches and data analysis emphasized.
5005. Communication Law (4 s.h.)
Legal and philosophical study of government regulation of information transmission from 15th century to the present. Emphasis on legal descriptive research methods.
5101. Public Affairs
Reporting (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: JPRA 5002 or permission of
the M.J. director.
Instruction in feature writing and computer-assisted investigative
reporting, primarily dealing with public affairs in the Philadelphia
area.
This course continues the mutlimedia reporting emphasis.
5121. Nonfiction Writing (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: JPRA 5002 or permission of the M.J. director.
Intended for graduate students who want to write non-fiction for a variety of publications and outlets. It will examine the styles of various writers and publications; development of ideas into saleable magazine articles for major periodical publications.
5131. Internet Web Publishing (4 s.h.)
An advanced course in Web journalism.
5151. Literary Writing
in Journalism (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: JPRA 5002 or permission of
MJ Director.
Writing in the increasingly popular narrative style of today's
journalism. Style and techniques often associated with fiction
are critically examined and applied. Related ethical issues
discussed.
0421. Public Relations
Concepts and Practice (4 s.h.)
Concepts of public relations as a management function. Topics
include societal trends and issues that affect public relations;
communication with various publics, including the media, employees,
community, government, and shareholders; and public relations
practices in corporations, not-for-profits and agencies.
5201. The American Magazine (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Analysis of content, editorial policy and trends in American magazine journalism; discussion of publishing procedures; marketing, circulation, and advertising problems; reader research. Class project: create prototype issue of magazine, with prospectus, advertising, and promotional materials.
5211. Media Management (4
s.h.)
Comparison of the organizational structures of news media;
editorial content, advertising, circulation, and business aspects.
5221. Communication History (4
s.h.)
Study of the technological
and social development of communication systems from ancient
to present times with emphasis on historical/descriptive research
methods.
5700-5820. Seminars in Communication (1-4 s.h.)
Special-topic courses in a broad range of communication areas including print and broadcast news, magazines, and new technologies.
5890. Seminars in Communication
Abroad (6 s.h.)
Summer seminar in London; study of British mass media including
print and broadcast journalism, advertising, public relations,
and film.