Presentation about curriculum and required courses in journalism programs in the U.S. To lecturers at Rhodes dept. of Journalism and Media Studies, South Africa, June 2014.

1. Mindy
McAdams
Rhodes
University
June 2014
DIGITAL SKILLS
IN U.S. J-SCHOOLS

2. ¡ Years 1 and 2: Mostly general education requirements such as
history, math, English, science, one foreign language
¡ Some journalism courses might be required in Year 2; depends
on the school
¡ Years 3 and 4 will be mostly journalism — mix of required and
elective courses
¡ Also a minor or “concentration” in another subject
¡ One “course” = 3 credit hours
§ 3 hours lecture (actually 50 minutes x 3)
§ 6–9 hours outside work (varies widely)
¡ 124 credit hours required for B.A. or B.S. degree (varies
slightly among universities and majors)
¡ Students typically take 5 courses per semester (15 weeks)
U.S. FOUR-YEAR PROGRAMS

3. ¡ Students must take a minimum of 72 semester credit hours
outside of journalism and mass communication
§ 124 – 72 = 52 credit hours
§ That’s about 17 (3-credit) courses in journalism and mass comm.
¡ Student-faculty classroom ratios in skills and laboratory
sections, whether on-site or online, should not exceed 20-1
¡ The unit provides a balance among theoretical and conceptual
courses, professional skills courses, and courses that
integrate theory and skills to achieve the range of student
competencies listed by the Accrediting Council
¡ Instruction, whether on-site or online, must be “demanding
and current, and is responsive to professional expectations of
digital, technological and multimedia competencies”
ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
ACEJMC

4. MulinBlog

5. MU LIN’S MAP CATEGORIES
¡ Fully integrated: All students must take dedicated courses in
digital or multimedia journalism, and must take reporting and
production courses for both print and broadcast platforms.
¡ Partly integrated: All students must take dedicated courses in
digital/multimedia journalism, and choose a concentration in,
or multiple courses that focus on, a specific print or broadcast
platform.
¡ Silo: Students choose a concentration or track that is focused
on digital/multimedia journalism. Separate tracks exist for
other platforms such as broadcast or print.
¡ Electives only: Students may choose dedicated courses in
digital/multimedia journalism, but they are not required. (This
category is not plotted on the map)
MulinBlog

6. ¡ What is a “dedicated course in digital or multimedia
journalism”?
¡ Can “digital or multimedia” skills be integrated into existing
courses?
¡ When they are (integrated), how much of the course is devoted
to learning those skills and their applications?
¡ Are “dedicated courses” better than courses with integration?
¡ When students do not take “dedicated courses,” is the level of
competence reduced?
¡ How does each course build upon previous courses and
learning?
QUESTIONS

7. The Core (30 hours) — students also take 7 elective courses
¡ JOU 1001 Introduction to Journalism (1)
¡ MMC 2604 Mass Media and You (3)
¡ JOU 3220C Visual Journalism (3)
¡ JOU 2005 Writing Mechanics for Journalists (1)
¡ JOU 3109C Multimedia Writing (3)
¡ JOU 3101 Reporting (3)
¡ JOU 3346L Multimedia Reporting (1)
¡ JOU 3110 Applied Fact Finding (3)
¡ JOU 4201 News Editing (3)
¡ JOU 4700 Ethics of Journalism (3)
¡ MMC 4200 Law of Mass Communication (3)
¡ JOU 4––– Capstone course; various options (3)
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

8. Shortcomings
¡ Extreme silos: Broadcast journalism is a separate department
in the school
§ Broadcast students don’t learn how to write (except scripts)
§ Journalism students don’t learn how to report, produce for radio, TV
¡ No required course devoted to online and mobile media
¡ No required numeracy or data analysis course
¡ Lack of coherent pathway to proficiency in online/mobile or
digital journalism
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

9. Journalism Study Interest Areas
¡ Arts and Culture Journalism
¡ Business and Economics Journalism
¡ Convergence Photojournalism
¡ Convergence Radio Reporting and
Producing
¡ Convergence Television Reporting
¡ Design
¡ Emerging Media
¡ Entrepreneurial Journalism
¡ International Journalism
¡ International Strategic Communication
¡ Magazine Design
¡ Magazine Editing
¡ Magazine Publishing and Management
¡ Magazine Writing
¡ Multimedia Producing
¡ Multiplatform Design
¡ News Design
¡ News Editing
¡ News Reporting
¡ Photojournalism
¡ Radio-Television Producing
¡ Radio-Television Reporting and Anchoring
¡ Radio-Television Sports Journalism
¡ Radio-Television Watchdog Journalism
¡ Science and Health Journalism
¡ Sports Journalism
¡ Strategic Communication: Account
Management
¡ Strategic Communication: Art Direction
¡ Strategic Communication: Copywriting
¡ Strategic Communication: Interactive
¡ Strategic Communication: Media Planning
¡ Strategic Communication: Public Relations
¡ Strategic Communication: Research
¡ Visual Editing and Management
¡ Watchdog Journalism
¡ Special Offering: Individually Designed
Interest Area
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

10. All convergence journalism interest areas teach multimedia
storytelling by having students take 3 core convergence classes:
¡ JOURN 4804 Convergence Reporting (3)
¡ JOURN 4806 Convergence Editing and Producing (3)
¡ JOURN 4992 Reporting, Editing and Marketing of Converged
Media (capstone; 3)
Students also choose to specialize in another area by taking at
least 2 courses in that area.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

11. Some of the elective courses:
¡ JOURN 4430 Computer-Assisted Reporting (3)
¡ JOURN 4502 Multimedia Planning and Design (3)
¡ JOURN 4508 Information Graphics (3)
¡ JOURN 4554 Visual Editing for Multimedia (3)
¡ JOURN 4700 Participatory Journalism (3)
¡ JOURN 4720 Internet Law (3)
¡ JOURN 4810 Advanced Global Converged News (3)
¡ JOURN 4812 Online Audience Development (3)
¡ JOURN 4974 Advanced Internet Applications for Radio/TV
News (3)
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

12. Required Core Values Courses (credits, year)
¡ JMC 110 Principles and History of Journalism (3, Y1)
¡ JMC 366 Journalism Ethics and Diversity (3, Y2)
¡ JMC 402 Mass Communication Law (3, Y3)
¡ JMC 473 Business and Future of Journalism -OR-
JMC 436 PR Research (3, Y3/4)
Required Basic Skills Courses (credits, year)
¡ JMC 101 Grammar for Journalists (1, Y1)
¡ JMC 201 News Reporting and Writing (3, Y1)
¡ JMC 305 Online Media (3, Y2)
¡ JMC 301 Intermediate Reporting and Writing (Print/PR) -OR-
JMC 315 Intermediate Reporting and Writing (Broadcast) (3, Y2)
¡ JMC 313 Editing -OR-
JMC 345 Videography (3, Y2)
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

13. Core courses (required), 28 credits
¡ JOURN 101 Media and American Society (3)
¡ NEWS 105 Journalistic Storytelling: Introduction (2)
¡ NEWS 108 Foundations of Journalism: Great Stories and Storytellers (1)
¡ NEWS 109 Foundations of Journalism: Ethical and Legal Principles (1)
¡ NEWS 120 Newsgathering: Research (1)
¡ NEWS 121 Newsgathering: Interviewing (1)
¡ NEWS 122 Journalistic Storytelling: Covering Events (1)
¡ NEWS 130 Multimedia: Design (1)
¡ NEWS 131 Multimedia: Stills (1)
¡ NEWS 132 Multimedia: Audio (1)
¡ NEWS 133 Multimedia: Video (1)
¡ NEWS 240 Current Issues and News Experience (1)
¡ NEWS 340 Current Issues and Newsroom Leadership (1)
¡ NEWS 397 Immersion: Special Topics (3)
¡ NEWS 221 Journalistic Storytelling: Covering Issues (3)
¡ NEWS 409 Foundations of Journalism: Ethical and Legal Issues (2)
¡ NEWS 210 Professional Development (1)
¡ NEWS 497 Immersion: Student Media (3)
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

14. News specialization — required courses
¡ NEWS 233 Multimedia: Reporting (3)
¡ NEWS 270 Audiences: Communities (1)
¡ NEWS 315 News Editing (2)
¡ NEWS 370 Audiences: Operations (1)
¡ NEWS 371 Audiences: Interactivity (1)
¡ ECON 247 Economics and Statistics in Media (3)
¡ SOC 100 Principles of Sociology (3)
¡ Internship (2)
Ball State offers 4 specializations:
News, Graphics, Magazine, Photography
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

15. Core
¡ Reporting and Writing (Y1)
¡ Multimedia Storytelling (Y1)
¡ Introduction to 21st Century
Media (Y1)
¡ Enterprise Reporting in
Diverse Communities (Y2)
¡ Media Presentation (Y2):
News/Online, Magazine, -or-
Broadcast/Web
¡ Storytelling (Y3): Interactive
News, Magazine, -or- Video
¡ Media Law and Ethics (Y3)
¡ Journalism Residency (Y3)
Electives
¡ Audio Documentary
¡ Business Reporting
¡ Environmental Reporting
¡ Health and Science
Reporting
¡ International Journalism
¡ Investigative Journalism
¡ Journalism of Empathy
¡ Legal Reporting
¡ Literary Journalism
¡ Media Design
¡ Photojournalism
¡ Video Documentary
NORTHWESTERN/MEDILL

16. Required
¡ J301F Fundamental Issues in Journalism
¡ J302F Digital Storytelling Basics
¡ J310F Reporting: Words
¡ J311F Reporting: Images
¡ One course in public affairs reporting
(various choices)
Electives (selected)
¡ J330F Television Reporting and Producing
¡ J331F Entrepreneurial Journalism
¡ J332F News Editing for Online and Print
¡ J332G Explanatory Journalism: Storytelling
in a Digital Age
¡ J333F Data-Driven Reporting
¡ J333G Advanced Visual Journalism, Photo
¡ J334F Oral History as Journalism
¡ J335F Magazine Writing and Production
¡ J335G Advanced Television Reporting
Producing
¡ J336F Social Media Journalism
¡ J336G Producing Social Documentaries for
T V News
¡ J338F Advanced Visual Design
¡ J339F Investigative Reporting
¡ J339T Web Design for Journalism
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

17. ¡ An early required course to orient students to the changing
media environment (emphasis on broad range of digital
media)
¡ A required course (or courses) that ensures basic familiarity
with Web applications of digital media tools such as audio,
video, photojournalism as well as basics of blogs, linking,
tagging, and managing social media
¡ A course about online and mobile audiences (data analysis)
¡ A well-defined track to proficiency for those who choose it
¡ But what kind of proficiency? Web design and code? So-called
multimedia? Data journalism?
¡ What is an appropriate minimum for all journalism students?
CURRICULUM CHALLENGES

18. ¡ Integrated approach vs. dedicated courses
¡ Exposure for all students
¡ Mastery or proficiency for some students
§ Discuss: Year 4 New Media at Rhodes
¡ Best time to introduce digital work patterns (of which students
are unaware, in many cases), e.g. mobile reporting, “digital
first” (risk of waiting: we reproduce our biases in our students)
¡ Breaking down perceptions that digital is an afterthought, a
stepchild, of print and broadcast
CURRICULUM CHALLENGES

19. Mindy
McAdams
Rhodes
University
June 2014
DIGITAL SKILLS
IN U.S. J-SCHOOLS