Courses

• COM JO 511: Covering Government and Politics
  This class provides instruction in covering state government, including legislative process, analyzing data, interviewing, and developing beats. Students learn how to write so that readers understand significant issues. Guest lectures, readings, and exercises explore the dynamics of political and public affairs reporting. Taken in the same semester as JO546 (Statehouse Program) as part of the Boston Statehouse Program. Class is open to journalism majors in all specializations. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 512: Designing Media
  This is a studio course where students learn the elements of design. Students design a newsletter and sample pages for a magazine on topics of their own choosing. Students design with Adobe Creative applications. This course covers the principles of typography, composition, and visual language and encourages creative/innovative ideas. All projects will be portfolio pieces. 4 cr., either sem.
• COM JO 513: Advanced Photojournalism
  An intensive course designed to give students the skills necessary to produce professional quality work meeting publication standards, with emphasis on storytelling in the visual medium. Weekly assignments require students to produce original picture packages complete with written material and captions. 4 cr., either sem.
• COM JO 514: Sports Journalism
  A special-topic writing course for students interested in a career in sports journalism. Topics include game stories, features, columns, and profiles, as well as examining sport as a commercial enterprise. 4 cr., either sem.
• COM JO 515: Multimedia for Photojournalists
  Required for photojournalism graduate students. Throughout this course students produce multimedia stories, build a website and launch an online photo gallery of best work.Students learn traditional photo editing skills utilizing a modern workflow. Students are encouraged to be innovative in storytelling approach - using photo, video, audio and text - and to self- publish professional work on theirown website. 4 cr., either sem.
• 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 produce in-depth, character-drive, sound-rich narrative audio stories similar to what is heard on public radio programs such as This American Life, Radio Lab and Story Corps. They will use digital recorders and Protools audio software. Students also produce audio slide-shows and podcasts. Most stories air on WBTU, WBUR or other NPR outlets. Familiarity with public radio programming is essential. 4 cr., either sem.
• COM JO 520: Advanced Media Design
  This is a studio course where students learn to design for a variety of media. Students design sample pages for two online/print magazines on topics of their own choosing in the categories of arts and ideas. Students design with required Adobe Creative applications. The aim is to improve 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
  Required of students in the photojournalism specialization. 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., Spring sem.
• COM JO 523: The Presidency and the Media
  Students follow the week-to-week interaction of the president and the news media, while examining the evolution of relations between journalists and American presidents from FDR to the present. 4 cr.
• COM JO 524: Broadcast Sports Journalism
  Students produce a weekly sports TV show "SportsNight" and learn producing, writing, anchoring and technical skills. Course provides a foundation for a career in broadcast sports journalism. 4 cr, either sem.
• COM JO 525: Media Law and Ethics
  An examination of the many ethical issues and dilemmas that face reporters, photographers, editors, and producers and how to resolve them with professional integrity. Legal topics include First Amendment, libel, protection of sources, copyright and intellectual property. 4 cr., either sem.
• COM JO 527: Art of Narrative Nonfiction
  An intensive seminar and workshop in the techniques and strategies of narrative non-fiction reporting and writing. Topics 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. 4 cr.
• 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.
• COM JO 534: Video News for Nonmajors
  Basic instruction in producing video news reports for television or online designed for students who are not majoring in broadcast journalism. 4 cr, Spring sem.
• COM JO 535: Investigative and Project Reporting
  This advanced seminar teaches select students the practice of depth reporting and writing. Students use a variety of reporting techniques from computer database searches to traditional "shoe leather" reporting -- in pursuit of long-term projects ideally destined for publication in one of several professional new outlets that have cooperative agreements with Boston University's Department of Journalism. Among them are The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. Story subjects range from public system failures to questionable criminal convictions, from narrative reconstructions to explanatory journalism. 4 cr, Spring sem.
• COM JO 537: Advanced Visual Storytelling
  Students will refine editing and workflow, learn lighting technique, add strong portrait work to their portfolio and complete a long-form multimedia story. Students are required to manage and edit their images and to produce multimedia. The final project is a four to five minute multimedia piece with an emphasis on story, lighting, technical results, continuity and camera work. There will be continual class discussion on ethics in photojournalism and class critiques of assignments. All photos and videos must be welled tagged and captioned with complete and accurate information.
• COM JO 542: Literature of Journalism
  What famous journalist took a handgun to his typewriter? Which literary lion shamelessly stole his wife's WWII press credentials? Which U.S. journalist chronicled the AIDS epidemic, but postponed the results of his own AIDS test so his reporting would not be compromised? This course is an examination of cultural history as seen by our fellow journalists. It rests on the premise that to be a great writer, one must also be a great reader. Students will go beyond the conventions and limitations of lower-level courses. With readings from Mark Twain to the present, we examine the tools and techniques that make nonfiction writing memorable. Subjects include Twain, George Orwell, Joan Didion, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and the great misanthrope, H.L. Mencken. 4 cr.
• COM JO 545: Reporting Military Affairs
  This course examines the role of the press in covering international conflicts, as well as the responsibilities of the news media to cover military policies, procedures, and programs during peacetime. 4 cr.

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