Requirements for the Journalism Minor

The Journalism Program is centered in the Journalism Minor and has two overlapping missions. The first is to provide professional training in journalism to aspiring professional journalists. The second, equally important, is to familiarize liberal arts students of varying majors and goals with the way journalism works – what it does for them, and in some cases, to them. The lead instructor is Wayne King, the program director whose background includes 24 years as a reporter and editor at The New York Times. The other full-time journalism professor is Mary Martin Niepold, who has wide experience as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and as a freelance in New York City who did extensive work for the Associated Press as well as a number of individual newspapers and magazine. Professor Justin Catanoso, who has won numerous awards for investigative and mainstream reporting and Professor Mike Horn, an advertising and public relations expert also teach courses in our program. The minor requirements are flexible according to the needs of the individual student.

The minor in journalism consists of 15 hours, including Journalism 270, 276, and either 272 or 280;
Journalism 284 does not count toward the minor. In addition to the required 15 hours, minors in journalism are strongly advised to take Economics 150 and 221.

The remaining courses must be selected from among the following:

Journalism Courses

270. Introduction to Journalism. (3h) Fundamentals of news-writing, news judgment, and news
gathering, including computer-assisted reporting and research. Intensive in-class writing.

272. Editing. (3) A laboratory course in copy-editing, headline-writing, typography, and make-up;
practice on video display terminal.
P—English 270.

273. Writing for Radio-TV-Film. (3) An introduction to writing for radio, television, and film.
Emphasis will be on informational and persuasive writing (news, features, public service
announcements, commercials, political announcements, news analyses, commentaries, and
editorials).
(Also listed as Communication 115.)

274. Media Production: Studio. (3) An introduction to the production of audio and video media
projects. Multiple camera studio production emphasized.
Lecture/laboratory. (Also listed as Communication 211.)

275. Introduction to Mass Communication. (3) A historical survey of mass media and an
examination of major contemporary media issues.
(Also listed as Communication 245.)

276. Advanced Journalism. (3) Intensive practice in writing various types of newspaper stories,
including the feature article. Limited to students planning careers in journalism.
P—English 270 or permission of instructor.

277. Politics and the Mass Media. (3) Exploration of the relationship between the political
system and the mass media. Two broad concerns will be the regulation of the mass media
and the impact of media on political processes and events.
(Also listed as Politics 217.)

278. History of Journalism and Mass Communications. (3) A study of the development of American journalism and its English origins, with attention to broad principles of mass communication from its beginnings through the Internet.

280. Journalism, Ethics, and Law. (3) Explores ethical problems confronting journalists, including
such things as the public's right to know, invasion of privacy, censorship, coverage of politics and
elections, objectivity, and race, gender, and bias in news reporting, against a background of laws
pertaining to areas such as libel and national security.
P—English 270 or permission of instructor.

282. Investigative Reporting. (3) Explores the methods and resources used in investigative
journalism—tracing individuals through public records, Freedom of Information Act requests,
and specialized interview techniques.
P—Permission of instructor.

284. Writing for Publication. (3) Primarily for those interested in writing for publication. Emphasis on
writing techniques.

286. Writing for Public Relations and Advertising. (1.5, 3) Principles and techniques of
public relations and applied advertising. Students use case studies to develop public relations
and advertising strategies.
P—Permission of Instructor. (Also listed as Communication 117.)

298. Internship. (1.5-3) A course designed to assist students in gaining practical experience
in news-related enterprises, under faculty supervision.

299. Individual Study. (1.5, 3) A course of independent study with faculty guidance.
By prearrangement.

For questions about the Journalism Minor, contact Wayne King.

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