Courses

• COM JO 509: Creative Nonfiction
  An overview of journalism as literature. Students read, analyze, and discuss works of nonfiction by writers working in the book, newspaper, and magazine areas. Issues raised by the "New Journalism" are examined. Students analyze both form and content in the genre, and produce a major article in one of four forms: the profile, the critical essay, personal journalism, or the "place" piece.
• COM JO 511: Covering Government and Politics
  This class provides instruction in the covering the legislative process, analyzing data, interviewing, and developing beats. Students will learn writing techniques to help readers understand significance issues. Guest lectures, readings and exercises explore the dynamics of political and public affairs reporting. Taken in tandem with JO546 (Filing for Newspapers) as part of the Boston Statehouse Program and offered separately to graduate and undergraduate broadcast majors in coordination with the broadcast department. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 512: Editorial Design
  This is a studio course where students learn to design for print. Students will design a newsletter and sample pages for a magazine on topics of their own choosing. Students will learn and design with QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. This course covers the principles of typography, composition, and visual language and encourages creative/innovative ideas. All projects will be portfolio pieces.
• COM JO 513: Advanced Photojournalism
  Students work with a variety of photographic processes and materials in both color and black-and-white. Emphasis on aesthetics and content as well as refinement of technical skills.
• COM JO 514: Sports Journalism
  A specialized writing course for students interested in a career in sports journalism. Covers game stories, features, columns, and profiles, as well as examining sport as a commercial enterprise.
• COM JO 515: Multimedia for Photojournalists
  The responsibilities and duties of today's picture editor, using the electronic darkroom, digital imaging, etc. Includes making photo assignments and printing decisions and ethical and legal issues.
• COM JO 516: Foreign Reporting
  This course covers the practical, critical, and theoretical issues involved in reporting the world for domestic audiences. How can journalists best report on different cultures? How can they demystify ?the other? for their readers and viewers? How do you work with a ?fixer?? Manage your own trauma? Stay safe? How does 19th Century colonialism still influence foreign coverage and how do you escape this influence? What?s to be learned from Conrad?s ?Heart of Darkness? about reporting on Africa? When is ?personalizing? the news a bad idea and when is a good time to do it? Students read outstanding examples of foreign reporting, workshop their stories, and learn how to be successful given the current standards for foreign reporting. However, in light of such challenges as globalization, global warming, ethnonational conflict, and the rise of China, the class also debates how to develop better norms in the future. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 519: Narrative Radio
  Students will produce in depth, narrative audio stories similar to what is heard on public radio. They will use digital recorders and Protools audio software. Students will also produce slide shows using Soundslides. Most stories will air on WBUR and WTBU.
• COM JO 520: Advanced Production and Design
  This is a studio course where students learn to design for web and print. Students will design sample pages for two online/print magazines on topics of their own choosing in the categories of visual arts, music, and culture/issues/ideas. Students will design with and master Dreamweaver, QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. The aim of this course is to enhance communication through visual language. Typography and the use of images are explored as creative/innovative ideas are developed. All projects will be portfolio pieces. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 522: Professional Photo Portfolio
  A course preparing students for entry into a career in visual journalism. Weekly assignments are designed so that students build a portfolio allowing them to compete for opportunities in the professional world. Students will master critical skills including story development, use of multimedia, writing, and meeting deadlines. 4 cr., 2nd sem.
• COM JO 524: Broadcast Sports Journalism
  Using the most effective and up-to-date technology, JO524 students produce a weekly sports show ?SportsNight.? The emphasis will be on team work in producing, writing, editing and presenting sports. Each week, you?ll be assigned a different task and position to perform, an integral way to learn how a news/feature program is produced. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 525: Media Law and Ethics
  An examination of the many ethical issues and dilemmas that face reporters, editors, and producers and how to resolve them with professional integrity. Danger of actions for contempt or defamation, laws of copyright and intellectual property.
• COM JO 527: Art of Narrative Nonfiction
  An intensive seminar and workshop into techniques and strategies of narrative non-fiction reporting and writing. These would include: interviewing for narrative, creating a workable structure for long-form writing, understanding the concept of arch of narrative, developing scenes and description and understanding the elements of revision.
• COM JO 530: Drafts of History
  Journalism has been called ?the first rough draft of history.? We consider several episodes from U.S. history and examine how the first drafts written by journalists compare to subsequent drafts written by historians. We analyze how new evidence and chronological distance alter understanding of important events. 4 cr., 1st sem.
• COM JO 532: Sports Journalism Seminar Series
  Explore the issues that writers and broadcasters face as they pursue their careers in sports journalism. Each week, we invite working professionals to join us on campus discussing such topics as ethics, sports and its place in society, reporting, women in sports and how to find that first job. Students are expected to ask thoughtful questions and will be required to write an evaluation each week. A great opportunity to start the networking process. 4 cr, 1st sem.
• COM JO 533: The Essay
  This is a course about the conception, development, and expression of ideas through language. In the final analysis, the course puts front and center the process of thinking about such ideas and then persuading others of their importance and rectitude. Among the issues addressed are: the logic and structure of arguments; the articulation of a ?stance?; development of the tone, style and elegance of writing; and the parrying of counterarguments even before they are stated. Students read and analyze a variety of essays on a number of subjects, including, film, domestic politics, cultural issues, war and peace, theatre and fine arts, sexual politics, human relationships, and the training of dogs. Among the authors whose work gets read are Susan Sontag, Simon Schama, Chuck Klosterman, Ellen Willis, Woody Allen, Nick Hornby, Garry Wills, Francis Fukuyama, Joan Didion, Hannah Arendt, Samuel Huntington, and Jean-Paul Sartre. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 534: Broadcast News for Nonmajors
  Basic instruction in producing video news reports for television and/or the Internet designed for students who are not majoring in broadcast journalism. 4 cr, 2nd sem.
• COM JO 535: INVESTIGATIVE AND PROJECT REPORTING
  Investigative and Project Reporting is an advanced seminar that will teach select students the practice of depth reporting and writing. Students will use a variety of reporting techniques ? from computer database searches to shoe leather -- in pursuit of long-term projects ideally destined for publication in one of several professional publications that have entered into cooperative agreements with the Boston University Department of Journalism. Among them are The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine and the Boston Phoenix. Story subjects will range from public system failures to questionable convictions, narrative reconstructions to explanatory journalism. 4 cr, 2nd sem
• COM JO 537: Digital Photography Fundamentals
  Students plan, discuss, photograph, write, and lay out picture stories in black and white and/or color.
• COM JO 538: Feature Writing
  Writing feature articles for newspapers, magazines and other media. Covers markets open to free-lance writers, published articles, newspaper feature sections, and Sunday supplements. Offered only in the summer, for undergraduates and graduate students.

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