Courses

• COM JO 310: Beat Reporting
  Students learn to cover a city neighborhood or a nearby community bear. Students will branch out across the city and suburbs to cover courts, crime, education, local and state politics, and other essentials of community reporting. Students will be encouraged to develop their own sources and story ideas with the goal of professional publication in the Boston University News Service. Students produce stories, photos, audio and video for the Web. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 312: Photojournalism I
  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., either sem.
• COM JO 351: Reporting with Audio and Video
  Introductory writing and reporting for television, the Internet and radio using digital video cameras, audio recorders, editing suites as well as the computer editing and the news writing software used in professional television and radio newsrooms. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 357: History and Principles of Journalism
  This course surveys the evolution of the American news media, beginning with newspapers in 1704 and continuing through the coming of the Internet and the Digital Revolution now sweeping through journalism. Students examine press freedom, censorship, changing definitions of news, and changes in the business model underlying journalism. Based on that history, we also examine the enduring values and principles of journalism in the U.S. and consider emerging business models. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 403: Magazine Writing and Editing
  Students learn to research, write, and edit lengthy articles of national magazine quality.
• COM JO 408: Magazine Workshop
  This final magazine writing course is designed to create a published magazine as a writing portfolio for students. This is a studio course, taught by two professors, which covers writing and design in a setting that captures the dynamics of professional practice. Students within each group, assume professional positions and conceptualize, write, edit, design, and publish magazines. Magazines are designed and published using QuarkXPress and Adobe Photoshop. Design concepts and techniques, along with computer programs used in this course, are taught with step by step instructions. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 410: Advanced Photography for Nonmajors
  A course for students outside of the photojournalism major who are interested in acquiring and advancing the skills required of present day journalists, including digital photography and its use in multimedia productions. 4 cr., 1st sem.
• COM JO 411: Professional Journalism Internship
  Valuable on-the-job practice of journalism skills. Provides student with portfolio of professional work. The student works 150 hours per semester or summer at the internship. Assistance in placement; instructor must approve project. Comprehensive paper, employer evaluation, and portfolio required at end of semester.
• COM JO 412: Professional Journalism Internship
  Valuable on-the-job practice of journalism skills. Provides student with portfolio of professional work. The student works 150 hours per semester or summer at the internship. Assistance in placement; instructor must approve project. Comprehensive paper, employer evaluation, and portfolio required at end of semester.
• COM JO 413: Broadcast Journalism Internship
  On-the-job observation and training at a television or radio station. Comprehensive paper/employer evaluation required at end of semester.
• COM JO 431: Video Enterprise Reporting
  Broadcast journalism majors only. Students will produce in depth video reports similar to what is seen on network TV news magazine programs, news Web sites or local television series. 4 cr., 2nd semester.
• COM JO 435: Radio Newsroom Online
  Students will produce a half hour LIVE news show on the student radio station, WTBU, during each class. Students will report, write, produce and engineer all the news sports and commentary in the program on deadline. Students from London, Washington and State House programs will file stories for the news show. Students will be expected to file frequently and to critique programs from NPR, BBC, WBZ and other audio news outlets. The best productions will be pitched to WBUR and State House clients for their websites. 4 cr. 1st sem.
• COM JO 437: Special Studies
  Current offerings: Basic Research Methods, offered in the fall, covers on-line reportorial and research techniques. Sampling the Media, offered only in the spring, covers all aspects of the media.
• COM JO 451: Television Newsroom
  Students produce a half hour newscast, broadcast on cable TV and the Internet, with live coverage and video reports on local, national and international news as well as sports highlights and weather. Students rotate positions weekly, using television studios and the control booth, collaborating to broadcast a fresh, informative and accurate newscast while facing the daily deadlines of a working newsroom. 4 cr, 1st sem.
• COM JO 490: Directed Studies
  Students work with faculty on individual research, professional training, or special studies.
• COM JO 491: Directed Studies: Broadcast Journalism
  Students work with faculty on individual research, professional training, or special studies.
• COM JO 500: Media Criticism
  How well have the media covered the war in Iraq? Do the media have political biases? What effect has Fox News had on the mainstream media? In the face of growing competition from the Internet, what is the future of traditional journalism? Do news-oriented personalities such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert elevate or debase the political process? This timely course takes a critical look at the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the media, including current media controversies. 4 cr. either sem.
• COM JO 501: Introduction to Business and Economic Reporting
  Comprehensive training in writing business and economics stories, using articles in The Wall Street Journal and other publications as examples. Emphasis on developing clear, simple language to describe complex issues. Articles may be published in teh Worcester Telegram and Gazette. No previous economics or business experience is required. 4cr. either sem
• COM JO 502: Journalism Special Topics
  Every year several courses have been created under this category to examine current journalism issues in seminar format. See the department for specifics.
• COM JO 503: Journalism Research
  A rigorous grounding in research and investigative methods from interviews and records searching to computer-assisted reporting and use of the Freedom of Information Act.

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