Journalism: Sample Courses

JR 600: Writing & Reporting Across the News Media

8 Credits
This course introduces students to the reporting and writing skills reporters need to cover stories for a variety of news media. During the first half of the semester, students will learn to write for the ear, to frame stories so that their focus is sharp and their scope manageable, and to background stories so that they are written with a sense of authority and context. During the second half of the semester, students will focus on writing for print media and the differences between print and the Web. Students will apply and build on newly learned reporting skills, including interviewing and the interpretation of statistical data. The student's writing, however, will focus on newspaper and Web formats. As a final project, students work in teams to research and produce a multimedia project. During the first half of the semester, students participate in a lab during which they produce a radio newscast. During the second half, they participate in a lab that teaches them how to produce news for the Web. (Fall, Spring)

JR 608: Interactive News

4 Credits
This course introduces graduate students to reporting, writing, and designing online news. In the first half of the semester, students analyze “best practices” of online news publications and build their own publication, write stories to fit that model, and build one or more prototype sites. (Spring)

JR 610: Beat Reporting

4 Credits
Students cover a geographic beat in the city of Boston, developing, reporting, and writing stories for community newspapers and Emerson's Journalism Students' Online News Service. Class time is spent critiquing student work, discussing reporting and writing techniques, and reporting and writing stories in the city on deadline. (Spring)

JR 611: Television News Producing

4 credits
This is a lab course designed to give students the real-time experience of a television news operation. Students put together a 15-minute newscast each class, rotating through all the jobs necessary to put a newscast on the air. They learn how to write scripts, edit video to tell a story, organize a newscast rundown, and coordinate elements for effective storytelling. Students also learn to work together as a broadcast news team in a full newsroom day. (Spring)

JR 613: Electronic News Gathering/Reporting

4 credits
Working in the field, students have the chance to research, shoot, write, and edit television news stories. Special emphasis is placed on developing reporting and interviewing skills, visual acuity, writing for the eye and ear, and general TV performance abilities. Students also learn the technical aspects of ENG shooting and reporting. (Spring)

JR660: Feature Writing

4 Credits
From the personal essay to the dramatic narrative, students research, organize, write, and market feature articles for publication in newspapers and magazines. The course emphasizes techniques for finding and focusing stories, interviewing in-depth, observation, and storytelling. Students analyze and apply a variety of approaches. (Spring)

JR 555: Reporting Issues of Cultural Diversity

4 credits
This course helps future journalists learn to function and thrive in America's culturally diverse society. Students analyze media coverage of a wide spectrum of under-represented groups, and challenge stereotypes – including their own. Guest speakers, readings and videos give insight into the realities of different groups as well as into the job of journalists trying to cover them. (Spring)

Complete Course List...