Description: Students will learn more advanced methods of writing and reporting of journalistic stories for print and online media, with a focus on how to cover public affairs news beats. Course will be offered every year (Fall).
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: COM 226, and admission to the communication department majors.
Credits: (5)
Learner Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Identify key sources on their public affairs “beat” who can be regularly interviewed to reveal stories important to their news outlet’s audience.
Locate and recognize where all the different important public affairs beats conduct their business and their key players and issues
Recognize the difference between records and documents available to the public and those that aren’t and how to request and use them for stories.
Recognize the difference between what/when/how government councils/commissions/committees can legally discuss government business in private versus what and when and how they must do so with public notice and in the public eye.
Write public affairs stories that include backgrounding, interviews, documents, data and observation that are relevant to their audience.
Write stories about government agency meetings that are accurate and relevant to local readers
Use social media to help cover public affairs beat and to disseminate stories and engage with their audience.