University Bulletin 2002-03: Journalism

University Bulletin 2002-03

An interdepartmental program
Journalism

Courses of Study:
Minor

Program website: http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/journalism/

The Journalism Program examines the place of the media in the American experience. The program offers students a unique, liberal-arts approach to the study of journalism. A diverse faculty of scholars and journalism professionals teach students about the role of the media in domestic and international affairs and train students in the skills necessary for the accomplished practice of journalism. In class and in professional environments, students wrestle with the challenges and responsibilities of communicating the essence of world events, domestic and human issues, in print and broadcast journalism.

The program is part of the University's larger effort to train students to be critical thinkers and forceful writers. While there are a few courses that teach specific journalistic skills, the Journalism Program is not a nuts-and-bolts communication program; rather it features a strong liberal arts curriculum that grounds students in an academic subject area and gives them the tools to translate and transmit knowledge to a general audience.

In the core courses and electives, students study the history and organization of media institutions; examine the ethical responsibilities of media practitioners; analyze the relationships among the media and other American social, political, and corporate institutions; and learn the reporting, writing, and editing skills needed by the print and broadcast media.

While some of our graduates advance directly to graduate programs in journalism and communications, and others take jobs in journalistic venues including public relations and advertising, many go on to other vocational areas where the skills and learning impacted by the program are found to be highly valuable.

How to Become a Program Member (Minor)

This minor is open to all Brandeis undergraduates, subject to limitations on appropriate class size. Students who complete the requirements of the program receive journalism certificates and notations on their transcripts.

Committee

Jacob Cohen, Director
(American Studies)

Jeffrey Abramson
(Politics)

John Burt
(English and American Literature)

Thomas Doherty
(American Studies)

Gordon Fellman
(Sociology)

Andrew Hahn
(Heller School)

Caren Irr
(English and American Literature)

Martin Levin
(Politics)

Eileen McNamara
(American Studies)

Richard Parmentier
(Anthropology)

Peter Petri
(Economics and Graduate School of International Economics and Finance)

Michael Socolow
(American Studies)

Stephen Whitfield
(American Studies)

Requirements for the Program (Minor)

Students are expected to complete a minimum of six courses from the following options:

A. Core Courses: Students will be required to take (at least) two out of the following three core courses: AMST 15a (Writing for the Media), AMST 137b (Journalism in Modern America), and JOUR 120a (The Culture of Journalism).

B. Students will be required to complete one of the three following options: Internship (students serve in a pre-approved outside internship along with JOUR 92a [Contemporary Media: Internship and Analysis]); Senior Writing Project (students write a one-semester long paper as an independent study in the Journalism Program--JOUR 98a or b); or Honors Thesis (students write an honors thesis in their major that is on a topic relating to the media).

C. Students will be required to take three electives from the following five special areas of study, no more than two in any one department: Contemporary Affairs and the Media; Analytical and Research Methods; History, Principles, and Practice; Communications Theory; or Politics, Law, and Ethics. Students are strongly encouraged to choose their electives from different groups. Not every course will be offered every year.

Courses of Instruction

AMST 15a Writing for the Media
[ ss ]
Core course for Journalism Program. Signature of the instructor required.
A hands-on workshop designed to teach basic broadcast newswriting skills, as well as techniques for gathering, producing, and delivering radio and television news. Stresses the importance of accuracy. Issues of objectivity, point of view, and freedom of the press are discussed. Writing assignments will be written on deadline. Usually offered every year.
Staff

JOUR 92a Contemporary Media: Internship and Analysis
Prerequisite: AMST 15a, 137b, or 138b. Signature of the instructor required.
This course brings together students who are independently engaged in various media internships and provides an opportunity for them to exchange their experiences with other students and to discuss and analyze related readings. Students who choose to satisfy the journalism minor's internship option must take this course. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

JOUR 98a Independent Study
Signature of the instructor required.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

JOUR 98b Independent Study
Signature of the instructor required.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

(100-199) Courses for Both Undergraduates and Graduate Students

JOUR 103b Advertising and the Media
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
This course introduces the advertising industry and its influence on various forms of the media. It examines the creative process in advertising, the use of advertising as propaganda, and the blurring of the line between advertising and editorial media. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Socolow

JOUR 104a Political Packaging in America
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
Examines the history of political marketing, image-making in presidential campaigns, the relationship between news and ads, and the growth of public-policy advertising by special-interest groups to influence legislation. Usually offered every third year. Will be offered in the spring of 2003.
Staff

JOUR 107b The Media and Public Policy
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
This course examines the intersection of the media and politics, the ways in which each influences the other, and the consequences of that intersection for a democracy. Through analytic texts, handouts, and contemporaneous newspaper and magazine articles, this course will explore the relationship between policy decisions and public discourse. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the fall of 2001.
Ms. McNamara

JOUR 110b Ethics in Journalism
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 20.
Should reporters ever misrepresent themselves? Are there pictures newspapers should not publish? Is it ever acceptable to break the law in pursuit of a story? Examines the media's ethics during an age dominated by scandal and sensationalism. Usually offered every year. Last offered in the spring of 2002.
Ms. McNamara

JOUR 112b Literary Journalism: The Art of Feature Writing
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
Introduces students to signal works of literary journalism. Helps develop the students' own voices by honing and improving students' own work and by critiquing the work of professionals and colleagues. Usually offered every second year. Will be offered in the spring of 2003.
Staff

JOUR 120a The Culture of Journalism
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
Examines the social, cultural, political, and economic influences on the practice and profession of journalism. Provides the background and concepts for a critical analysis of American journalism. Usually offered every year. Will be offered in the fall of 2002.
Mr. Socolow

JOUR 125b Journalism of Crisis
[ ss ]
Analyzes the practice of journalism during times of crisis. Topics include the process of news gathering in a breaking news environment, the framing of news as it occurs, and the often conflicting agendas of the journalist and the actor involved in a crisis. Usually offered every year. Last offered in the spring of 2002.
Mr. Socolow

Elective Courses

The following courses are approved for the program. Not all given in any one year. Please consult the Course Schedule each semester.

Contemporary Affairs and the Media

AAAS 117a
Communications and Social Change in Developing Nations

AMST 132b
International Affairs and the American Media

AMST 134b
The New Media in America

AMST 139b
Reporting on Gender, Race, and Culture

AMST 143a
War and the American Imagination

JOUR 103b
Advertising and the Media

POL 102b
A Political Experience

Analytical and Research Methods

AMST 191b
Environmental Research Workshop