JOURNALISM/MASS COMM (JMC)

JMC-ELEC JMC ELECTIVE (4 Credits)

JMC-101 COMMUNICATION TODAY (3 Credits)

Digital media have changed all areas of communication. We will discuss those changes and how digital media might impact communication going forward. We will also discuss ethics, the history of the field, of communication, and some of the people who have made a difference in the field. We will talk about options open to you if you plan a future in communication or hope to become an informed consumer of the media. This is the foundational course for all majors in the Jandoli School of Communication and is open as a general elective to all other students.

JMC-110 PROFESSIONAL WRITING I (3 Credits)

"A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people," said Thomas Mann. That's because a writer appreciates just how important the act of writing is. In JMC 110, you will learn to think like a writer. Why does writing matter? What does that really mean? You will look at the relationship between art and craft, examine the importance of audience, and begin a conscious exploration of your own writing process. You will also see why mechanics play a key role in articulating your ideas clearly.

JMC-111 PROFESSIONAL WRITING II (3 Credits)

Building on skills and behaviors introduced in JMC 110, JMC 111 helps put the concept "Writing is important" into practice: Understand mechanics. Insist on clarity. Attend to detail. Know your audience. Meet deadlines. Be curious. Make good choices. Tell good stories. Demand excellence.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-110

JMC-140 THE DIGITAL WORLD (1 Credit)

A fundamental examination of the skills needed to succeed in the world of communications technology, from shooting and editing video using large camcorders or smart phones, the principles of audio and lighting, writing for all media, and the use of Internet-based resources for the latest Communications.

JMC-201 NEWSWRITING & REPORTING I (3 Credits)

The basic course in principles and practices of writing and reporting for print and digital news platforms. Stresses leads, story organization, accuracy, objectivity and developing a news sense.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-111

JMC-202 NEWSWRITING & REPORTING II (3 Credits)

Writing and reporting in-depth for all news platforms. Covers investigative research and interpretive journalism. Assignments stress interviewing and investigative techniques.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-201

JMC-205 MEDIA EFFECTS (3 Credits)

This course will help students understand media messages and their social, cultural, interpersonal, Psychological and political effects.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-101

JMC-245 VIDEO PRODUCTION (3 Credits)

Fundamentals of using visuals to tell news and feature stories. Concentrations will be on learning how to sequence a story visually with still pictures, then with field cameras and videotape. In addition, students will learn how to edit video shot in the field into finished stories.

Restrictions: RG.SCJMC

JMC-251 INTRO TO GRAPHIC DESIGN (3 Credits)

Students will be introduced to techniques and processes of creating artwork and graphic design on the computer. Students will get an overview of electronic image manipulation, illustration, and page layout and design.

JMC-261 PHOTOJOURNALISM I (3 Credits)

A basic course emphasizing photography from the journalistic perspective. Fundamentals of camera operation, exposure, lighting and composition. Introduction to Photoshop and the digital imaging process.

JMC-262 PHOTOJOURNALISM II (3 Credits)

This course builds upon the skills learned in JMC- 261. Principles and practices of journalistic photography, news, sports and feature photography. Picture story and photo essay. Combining words and pictures. Students are encouraged to shoot for on-and-off campus publications.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-261

Restrictions: RGC.105

JMC-263 SPORTS PHOTOJOURNALISM (3 Credits)

Advanced photography course emphasizing sports journalistic perspective. Access to Division One athletics and athletes on the St Bonaventure campus. Covering everything from studio season promo shoots, behind the scenes, peak action, and arena lighting and access. Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Photo Mechanic skills will be used to meet all deadlines.

JMC-300 MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS (3 Credits)

The intersection of the law and communications -- both the traditional media and legal areas relating to advertising. Major decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts relating to issues including the Internet, prior restraint, privacy, libel, copyright and broadcasting are considered. Ethical issues involved in the communications fields are also discussed.

JMC-305 COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (3 Credits)

Searching, finding, writing. Traditional and online methods that underpin scholarships, journalism and related areas: questionnaires, content analysis, literature reviews, Web searches, spreadsheets, databases, listserves, newsgroups and so on. Legal and ethical issues examined. Stress on writing practice.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-101

JMC-310 FEATURE WRITING (3 Credits)

The writing of newspaper features and magazine articles. A course objective is to write for publication.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-202

JMC-312 SPORTS WRITING (3 Credits)

The writing and reporting of sports and athletics for all mass media in both the educational and commercial sectors. Emphasis is on writing play-by-play and human interest features, as well as in-depth reporting. An analysis of the principles and practices of sports information is emphasized.

Corequisite(s): TAKE JMC-202

JMC-315 PERSUASIVE WRITING/RHETORIC (3 Credits)

An upper-level writing course for students interested in public relations. Concentration on the finer points of word-smithing in the context of a variety of public relations functions such as promotional copywriting, speechwriting, media relations and quote-crafting. A scrutiny of word choice, phrasing and organization to create maximum deliberate effect. Includes an ethical component to understand how rhetorical choices can lead to intentional and unintentional consequences.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-202

JMC-318 CREATIVE NONFICTION (3 Credits)

True stories told well-that's the premise behind creative nonfiction, a genre that spans a broad spectrum from literary journalism to memoir. Springing from a long tradition of writing that emphasizes verisimilitude, creative nonfiction employs the literary conventions of fiction and poetry to explore the truth in ways beyond the mere transmission of facts and information. Students will read examples of creative nonfiction to get a sense of the genre's possibilities while also writing creative nonfiction projects of their own.

Restrictions: RG.24+

JMC-319 WRITING SPACES AND PLACES (3 Credits)

In works of creative non-fiction, place is often background, context, and backdrop for the action. Through place, writers explore the world around them literally and metaphorically, creating profound connections between themselves and the spaces they occupy--as well as connections between readers and those spaces. While looking at effective examples of writers who write about space and place, students will the opportunity to explore the world around them through writing of their own.

JMC-322 SPORTS COMMUNICATION (3 Credits)

(Majors Only) Examines the techniques and strategies used in the communication/public relations field for college and professional sports and how they shape the reporting of sports news. Course will cover writing, design, and layout for press releases, publications and Web sites. Includes analysis of sports public relations as a career field.

JMC-340 BROADCAST REPORTING (3 Credits)

Fundamentals of broadcast news and sports writing and reporting. Areas covered will include learning how to write in broadcast style, writing into and out of sounds bites, selection of bites, use of natural sound throughout stories, writing to visuals, standups and learning how to sounds professional and credible on the air.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-245

JMC-341 SPORTS TV PRODUCTION I (3 Credits)

This course will help students develop the skills involved in the production of live sports telecasts, using the university's high definition control room. This course will allow students to specifically learn to work on-air, as well as produce and direct game telecasts, work as video camera person, audio operators, technical directors, and graphics operators/producers. Because students will actually produce content for air, class times and dates in the later portion of the semester may be changed to fit the events being covered. Students are apprised that they will need to plan for this when a schedule of events that can be televised is available.

JMC-342 SPORTS TV PRODUCTION II (3 Credits)

This course will help students develop the skills telecasts, using the university's high definition control room. This course will allow students to specifically learn to work on-air, as well as produce and direct game telecasts, work as video camera person, audio operators, technical directors, and graphics operators/producers. Because students will actually produce content for air, class times and dates in the later portion of the semester may be changed to fit the events being covered. Students are apprised that they will need to plan for this when a schedule of events that can be televised is available. This is a continuation of JMC 341.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-341

JMC-343 FIELD PRODUCTION (3 Credits)

Students will learn how to coordinate productions outside of the studio with proper camera set-up, lighting and audio. We will look at the proper way to access a location, cut off background sound, color a camera properly, add ambient light and avoid disturbances. Students will also learn the methods a broadcast signal can be transmitted back to the control room for playback on the air.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-245

JMC-344 STUDIO PRODUCTION (3 Credits)

Students will learn to setup and properly shoot in a studio setting with proper lighting, a crisp image and clear audio. There will be a high focus on communication from the director, producer, floor manager, camera operator and editor. Each step of the way plays a significant role in a studio production. Students will also explore the Chroma Key and how this can enhance a production, an interview, a newscast or a sporting event.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-245

JMC-345 ON-AIR ANNOUNCING (3 Credits)

This course offers instruction for improving on-air delivery for radio and television announcers.

JMC-348 MOBILE JOURNALISM (3 Credits)

Producing ethical, engaging, immediate and informative content specifically for digital and social media. This course will prepare students to produce news from the field for digital audiences. Students will share news in real-time on social media and digital platforms.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-245

JMC-349 PRODUCING BROADCAST NEWS (3 Credits)

Producing an informative newscast is more than stacking a rundown. Students will learn all of the processes involved in creating a well-rounded show based on story count, timing, use of graphics, live shots, live reports, great video, effective sound and much more.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-340

JMC-390 SEMIOTICS:SIGNS & SYMBOLS (3 Credits)

Semiotics is the study of signs. A sign is defined as anything that can stand for or represent something - therefore it can be a word, a symbol, a picture, a sound, a gesture, body language etc. Semiotics is therefore the study of making meaning (both "encoding" and "decoding") in its widest possible sense. Semiotics is fundamental to the process of communication and the production of meaning. In this course we will focus on the work of semioticians in the areas of advertising, photography, film, television, myth and sub-culture, and consider how semiotic concepts and methods can be used to analyze a variety of cultural products, from fashion to television news to advertising to other forms of communication.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-101

JMC-399 COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH METH (3 Credits)

This course provides an overview of mass communications research methods, including survey research, laboratory and field experiments, and content analysis.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-101

JMC-400 CASE STUDIES IN MEDIA ETHICS (3 Credits)

The course introduces students to ethical dilemmas faced by practitioners in the fields of journalism and mass communication. It will provide them with a basis for thought processes and analysis critical to finding solutions. Readings and case studies will be complemented by guest speakers who have been confronted with ethical questions.

Restrictions: RG.45+

JMC-401 SP.STUDIES IN JOURN/MASS COMM (1-4 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

Restrictions: RGC.105

JMC-401AA SP TOP:BROADCAST SPORTS REPORTING (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401AB SP TOP:MISINFORMATION, INFODEMICS & CONSPIRACIES - OH MY! (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401AC SP TOP:MEDIA & POP CULTURE (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401AD INNOVATION IN VIDEO STORYTELLING (3 Credits)

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-245

JMC-401CR SP TOP: COMMUNITY REPORTING (1-3 Credits)

JMC-401EL DEMOCRACY? ELECTION 2024 (3 Credits)

JMC-401LF SP TOP:LONG FORM NARRATIVES A CREATIVE APPROACH (1-3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401W SP TOP:DOCUMENTARY (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401X SP ST: NEWS 21 (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401Y SP TOP:PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN (3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401Z SP TOP:SPORTS MEDIA PRODUCTION (1-3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-401ZA SP TOP:ADVANCED SPORTS MEDIA PRODUCTION (1-3 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity for in-depth study of JMC-related issues and topics. Students may arrange for planned independent study in journalism and mass communication under the guidance of a faculty adviser. School permission is required.

JMC-411 WRITING FOR ADVOCACY (3 Credits)

The intent is to familiarize students with the techniques of fact-finding, interviewing and writing necessary to produce editorials, columns and reviews for the press.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-202

Restrictions: RG.41+

JMC-412 SPORTS COMMENTARY (3 Credits)

The course familiarizes students with the technique of fact-finding, interviewing and writing necessary to produce credible commentaries for various sports-oriented media. Weekly writing, especially for digital media, will be stressed. Techniques for promotion of students' work will be explored.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-202

JMC-413 WRITERS ON WRITING (3 Credits)

"[M]any of us...care about the language, in our and craft of telling stories on paper," says Stephen King in the introduction to his book On Writing. By writing about writing, writers like King offer insights into their creative processes that can give other writers insights into their own creative processes. Such works invite consideration of the question, What does it mean, really, to be a writer?

Restrictions: RGC.105

JMC-414 JOURNALISTS' WORKSHOP I (3 Credits)

A hands-on community news reporting course that incorporates all reporting, writing, video and editing instruction taken by the time a student reaches junior class status. Class members will staff an online news site covering communities surrounding the university.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-202

JMC-415 JOURNALISTS' WORKSHOP II (3 Credits)

A hands-on community news reporting course that incorporates all reporting, writing, video and editing instruction taken by the time a student reaches junior class status. Class members will staff an online news site covering communities surrounding the university.

Prerequisite(s): TAKE JMC-414

JMC-418 CREATIVE NONFICTION II (3 Credits)

Building on the work students have done in Creative Nonfiction I, students will look to further develop their "truth-telling" skills. This course will focus on longer-form writing with a focus on memoir. Students will read examples of creative nonfiction to get a sense of the genre's possibilities while also writing creative nonfiction projects of their own.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-318

JMC-440 SEM. BROADCAST JOURNALISM I (3 Credits)

Advanced course in producing, writing, field reporting, anchoring and the production of a television newscast. Students will incorporate what they have learned in all broadcast journalism courses within the sequence. The vehicle used for students learning this advanced work will be in the form of a weekly TV newscast telecast on SBU-TV Channel 9.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-340

JMC-441 SEM. IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM II (3 Credits)

Advanced course in producing, writing, field reporting, anchoring and the production of a television newscast. Students will incorporate what they have learned in all broadcast journalism courses within the sequence. The vehicle used for students learning this advanced work will be in the form of a weekly TV newscast telecast on SBU-TV, Channel 9. This course continues the work of JMC 440.

Prerequisite(s): JMC-340

JMC-442 POST PRODUCTION (3 Credits)

Students will take a deeper dive into video editing software. We will enhance their capabilities of building a finished product through the addition of several creative features. Students will learn to properly color grading video, effect edit, add in and splice music, effectively key vide and use graphics/animations in their work.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-245

JMC-443 TOPICS IN ADVANCED PRODUCTION (3 Credits)

An advanced course in video production that will build on lower-level production courses and offer the ability to specialize in specific production techniques. Topics will vary.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-245

JMC-443A TOPICS IN ADVANCED PRODUCTION:DIRECTING (3 Credits)

An advanced course in video production that will build on lower-level production courses and offer the ability to specialize in specific production techniques. Topics will vary.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-245

JMC-445 DOCUMENTARY (3 Credits)

Students will demonstrate their ability to bring together multimedia journalist skills by producing a multimedia documentary project. Students must show a firm understanding of writing, reporting, visual storytelling and research to plan and produce, in small teams, a profound piece of longform video and digital journalism.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-245

JMC-470 INTERNET AND THE LAW (3 Credits)

This class will look at the legal rules that apply to life online, including some background on how the Internet is governed and an in-depth look at several issues. The course is open to all majors.

JMC-471 BLOGGING FOR MEDIA PROFESSIONALS (3 Credits)

The course is designed to further professional development as a credible reporter, commentator, or analyst in online forums on topics or issues of creative or professional interest. Promotion of posts, ethical practice, inclusion of digital video and audio in posts will be considered. The roles and responsibilities of the blogger as publisher will be discussed. Majors only.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-202

Restrictions: RG.SCJMC

JMC-480 JOURNALISM AS LITERATURE (3 Credits)

An exploration of the more artistic and creative aspect of nonfiction writing, mainly through an examination of newspaper and magazine reporting that has endured as literature in America. In addition, the techniques of masters of fiction who also excelled in nonfiction will be studied.

JMC-482 WOMEN, MINORITIES & MEDIA (3 Credits)

The course has two main themes: the history of women and minority journalists working in the U.S media from the colonial era to the present day and the portrayals by the media of these collective groups often left outside the mainstream. Films, guest speakers and primary source materials supplement the overview textbooks.

JMC-483 MEDIA & DEMOCRACY (3 Credits)

This course uses a seminar format to explore the external factors that impact the content and quality of news and the media's relationship with a healthy democracy. It examines conflicts between the media's responsibility to keep citizens informed and serve as a watchdog over powerful interests with news organizations' roles as profit-making businesses. The growth of the Internet and social networks and their impact on journalistic form and content also are explored.

Restrictions: RG.41+

JMC-485 CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MEDIA (3 Credits)

It has been said that without the media, there would have been no Civil Rights Movement. This course will explore that theory and examine the powerful role the media played in shaping the events of the Civil Rights Movement. Media -- both black and mainstream -- coverage of key civil rights cases, such as the murder of Emmett Louis Till, will be analyzed, as well as the southern journalists who defended blacks in the 1950s and 1960s. The course will also cover assassination of Medgar Evers in 1963, the Freedom Rides of 1961, and the often untold story of how women and children helped shape the movement. This course will NOT be about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Though they are seen as icons of the Civil Rights Movement, the movement was much more than these two people. 3 credits. Offered every other fall

JMC-486 THE COMMUNICATIONS ENTREPRENEUR (3 Credits)

The course is designed to give basic familiarity with the multiple aspects of becoming an entrepreneur--to teach you how to utilize, efficiently and effectively, the services of those professionals to your own business advantage. All majors.

JMC-499 COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE (2 Credits)

Students in the Journalism Program will be expected to participate in a Program Assessment Comprehensive Interview in the fall of year four. The student is expected to select a position and "apply" for a position. The student will then submit a cover letter, resume and portfolio for review by the assessment committee comprised of faculty and alumni/professionals. Students will participate in professional etiquette seminars. In preparation for the interview, students will be expected to gather information about the company/organization, as would be expected in a professional environment. Students will be graded based on a comprehensive rubric. Students will either pass or fail. Students who fail will have until the end of the spring year four to make suggested corrections and submit again. It is also expected that before students receive a grade for this course, all 400 internship hours be completed.

Restrictions: RG.74+

JMC-499A COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE (0 Credits)

Students in the Journalism Program will be expected to participate in a Program Assessment Comprehensive Interview in the fall of year four. The student is expected to select a position and "apply" for a position. The student will then submit a cover letter, resume and portfolio for review by the assessment committee comprised of faculty and alumni/professionals. Students will participate in professional etiquette seminars. In preparation for the interview, students will be expected to gather information about the company/organization, as would be expected in a professional environment. Students will be graded based on a comprehensive rubric. Students will either pass or fail. Students who fail will have until the end of the spring year four to make suggested corrections and submit again. It is also expected that before students receive a grade for this course, all 400 internship hours be completed.

Prerequisite(s): Take JMC-410(1632)