Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the Student Link for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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COM JO 500: Media Criticism
How well have the media covered recent U.S. wars? 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? What impact are changes in the business model having on editorial integrity? Does political satire such as the "Daily Show" elevate or debase the political process? This timely course takes a critical look at the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the news media, including current controversies. Four credits, either semester. -
COM JO 502: Journalism Special Topics
Fall 21: Cross-Genre Copyediting--Part grammar lab and part editing workshop, this course offers a deep dive into developing effective prose style for different areas of writing, including reports, articles, essays and advertising copy. Students get instruction in grammar, usage, and copyediting for accuracy and style--beyond the AP Style Guide and across multiple genres. The course provides a comprehensive look at changes in usage over time and equips students with the skills they need to use various style guides or create their own. Writers and editors in any area of concentration across the university will gain an understanding of how closely their reputations are linked to clean copy. Podcasting--The purpose of this course is to help students create highly produced, long form, episodic, narrative audio journalism that they will try to distribute to a podcast "network" or independently. It will also prepare students to work in a podcast unit for a journalistic enterprise. This is NOT intended for students to create a talk/rant/opinion podcast. Nor is it a course to create a podcast to promote a product/organization/business, (although if that is their intent professionally, they will learn valuable storytelling, technical and marketing/distribution skills in this course). Note: Please email adonohue@bu.edu to be considered for this course. -
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. Four credits, fall and spring semesters. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 200. Graduate Prerequisites: COM JO 721.) -
COM JO 504: Arts Criticism
In this course, students learn how to cover entertainment and the arts and how to write criticism of performances and exhibitions. Students develop critical thinking and writing. Topics include: structuring a review; critical biases; profiling celebrities from a critical perspective; cultural criticism (how to write about entertainment or the arts to make broader points about our culture) and, style - how to get it. Assignments include TV, film, music and theater reviews, screenings and a trip to a Boston theater. Guests include prominent Boston critics. Four credits, fall semester. -
COM JO 505: Race & Gender in the News Media
Students examine the nature of race and gender stereotypes and the forms they take, and the historic context in which they develop and change overtime. The class looks at the structures, practices and culture of the news (and entertainment) media that create or echo and reinforce race and gender stereotypes. Students evaluate and analyze dominant political and ideological positions on race and gender in the U.S. and how they are presented by major media outlets. Four credits, every semester. -
COM JO 508: Multi-platform Story Editing
Whether you go to work for a print, broadcast or digital only newsroom, or produce content for your own start-up or non-profit, knowing how to properly edit content for multiple platforms is critical. This course is designed to give you hands-on experience with editing for multiple platforms. Examples of typical assignments: Editing a text story for print and web, writing a headline and description for YouTube video, copy editing photo captions for a photo gallery, fact checking social media. Students will put what they've learned to practical use by editing content that will run on the department's award-winning showcase news site for journalism students' work. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 210. Graduate Prerequisites: COM JO 704.) -
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. Four credits, every semester. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 200 and JO 210. Graduate Prerequisites: COM JO 721.) -
COM JO 513: Photojournalism II
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. Four credits, fall and spring semesters. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 205/303 and JO 312; or consent of instructor. Graduate Prerequisites: JO 706 or consent of instructor.) -
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. Four credits, fall and spring semesters. (Undergraduate Prerequisite: COM JO 200. Graduate Prerequisite: COM JO 721.) -
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. Four credits. (Undergraduate Prerequisite: COM JO 200/250. Graduate Prerequisite: COM JO 721.) -
COM JO 519: Narrative Radio
COM JO 519: Narrative Radio Students produce in-depth, character-driven, 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 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. Four credits, fall and spring semesters. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation. -
COM JO 521: Data Journalism
This course teaches the basics of how to find, report, write and present data- driven news stories.? It is an introduction to the collection, analysis, presentation and impact of structured information by journalists.?Students will learn six skills:? identifying and obtaining government data, downloading and importing data, "scraping" data, cleaning and standardizing data, analyzing data, visualizing data and crafting a compelling data-driven story for your audience.? Students will also gain an effective mindset for approaching data, including how to obtain data from government agencies and strategies for overcoming obstacles in getting that data. Four credits, fall and spring semesters. (Undergraduate prerequisite: COM JO 200; Graduate prerequisite: COM JO 721.) -
COM JO 522: Filmmaking for Journalists
This course is for journalists with visual backgrounds who want to tell stories as documentary films. It is a practical, hands-on course where you will learn by doing it, guided by lectures that will include a range of contemporary documentary films in various styles to spark your imagination about storytelling as well as techniques. You will pitch an idea that you will produce, direct, shoot and edit into a 5-minute film finished to professional and journalistic standards. -
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. Four credits -
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: Narrative Journalism
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. Four credits. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 200 and consent of instructor. Graduate Prerequisites: COM JO 721 and consent of instructor.) -
COM JO 528: Travel Writing in Australia: Journalism and Non-Fiction
This course is designed to introduce students to "small town Australia" through the first hand experience of an eight-day on-the-road research excursion, both preceded and followed by weeks in the classroom, studying examples of the genre and producing written work based on the research trip. At the same time, students will be undertaking internships with a variety of local journalism enterprises. At all times, there will be a focus on journalistic writing beginning with pitching articles and stories to local, national and overseas newspapers and magazines. Effective Summer 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation. -
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. Four credits, fall semester. (Undergraduate Prerequisite: COM JO 150.) Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Oral and/or Signed Communication. -
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, public records requests 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 the Journalism Dept, including WGBH News and The Boston Globe. Story subjects range from public system failures to questionable criminal convictions, from narrative reconstructions to explanatory journalism. Class is taught by Jenifer McKim, a BU Clinical Instructor of Investigative Reporting and Senior Investigative Reporter at WGBH News. Four credits, spring semesters. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 200 and COM JO 210. Graduate Prerequisite: COM JO 721.) -
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. (Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM JO 205. Graduate Prerequisites: COM JO 706; or permission of instructor.)
