Journalism
College of Communication
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Newswriting
COM JO 200
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) and COMCO 201. - Prereq: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or CASWR 120) and COMCO 201. Students acquire fundamental newsgathering and writing skills needed to thrive as a journalist working in any platform. The course is based in the classroom, but students are expected to learn and adhere to professional newsroom standards. Focuses on essential practices and principles that apply to reporters, photographers, bloggers, producers, and editors at newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and online media. Emphasizes news judgment, storytelling, and reporting skills as well as writing clearly and quickly. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Critical Thinking, Research and Information Literacy. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 1 (May 19-June 26)
A1 (IND) Mon./Tues./Wed. 10 am-12:30 pmBrooke Williams -
Reporting in Depth
COM JO 210
Undergraduate Prerequisites: JO 200 and JO 205 - Prereq: (COMJO 200 & COMJO 205). Students learn and practice in-depth reporting in a community. They develop sources, walk the streets, cover a beat, attend meetings, shoot photos, and provide readers with public interest journalism. This is a working newsroom. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 2 (June 29-August 7)
B1 (IND) Wed./Thurs. 1-4:30 pmErick Trickey -
Photojournalism 1
COM JO 312
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMJO205) - An introductory course for students interested in pursuing a career in photojournalism and visual reporting. Students photograph assignments to the standards of professional news outlets and advance their skills in digital photography for use on websites and in publications. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 2 (June 29-August 7)
B1 (IND) Wed./Thurs. 1-4:30 pmStephen Haines -
Newsroom
COM JO 400
Undergraduate Prerequisites: JO150, JO200, JO205, and JO210 - Students will be fully immersed in a working newsroom environment overseen by professional editors, writing for community-level news organizations in the region. The course will require students to go out on assignments and write news and enterprise stories, which will then appear in professional publications. Students in this course will experience what it's like to work as a beat reporter in a real newsroom for a news publication. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 1 (May 19-June 26)
A1 (IND) Tues./Wed. 1-4:30 pmSteve Greenlee -
Narrative Radio
COM JO 519
It used to be commonly accepted that if you wanted to work in audio journalism, then you were likely looking for a career in radio news. But the nature of audio - and journalism - continues to evolve. Now, legacy media outlets like newspapers have entire audio divisions producing daily and longform podcasts while news radio stations are re-thinking their broadcasts and attracting new audiences via streaming apps. But no matter the platform, there are certain tenets of audio storytelling and production that make for great listening and powerful journalism. This course combines the highest editorial standards of public radio with the best practices of digital audio production. Students learn how to write effectively for radio, incorporating in-depth reporting techniques with creative audio storytelling. The goal of this course is to produce a variety of high-quality audio pieces that could potentially be aired on a public radio program or serve as a launching off point for a longer form project. Effective Summer 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, The Individual in Community, Oral and/or Signed Communication. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 1 (May 19-June 26)
A1 (IND) Mon./Tues./Thurs. 11 am-1:45 pmShannon Dooling -
Sports Storytelling
COM JO 547
This course goes beyond the game and focuses on sports features, learning from journalists, editors, producers and first-hand experience. We'll go through the whole feature process from pitch to final product. We'll explore different techniques for reporting, organizing, and crafting longer form sports stories. The goal: Produce professional-quality, publishable sports narratives. 4 cr. Tuition: $3380
Summer 2 (June 29-August 7)
B1 (IND) Mon./Tues./Wed. 10 am-12:30 pmSherrod Blakely