Digital Journalism Major, BA

In today’s environment of converging media, successful journalists need the necessary skills and concepts to tell meaningful stories for a variety of outlets. In this major, students learn how to conceive ideas and collect and present information using words, pictures, and sounds to craft news stories that are accurate, fair, clear, and compelling. Whether destined for print, online or broadcast presentation, the focus is on preparing students to research, report and communicate news and non-fiction stories that engage audiences and make a difference in people’s lives. Students will learn how to build an online platform for their journalism and how to engage with their audience. Students will also understand the ethical, legal, historical and societal environment of journalism and the fundamental role media plays in our social, political and economic systems. Students must complete the communication foundation courses prior to acceptance into the journalism major.

Program Requirements
Students must complete the two communication foundation courses (COM 201 and COM 207) with an overall average of B, in order to graduate from the major.

Program Learner Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Technical skills:  Students will be able to create news and feature stories by discovering, evaluating and interviewing diverse sources, observing, working a beat, doing computer- assisted research and requesting and accessing documents.  Students will be able to write thorough and compelling articles in a variety of styles, produce quality audio and video, and build effective Web sites.
• Ethical behavior: Students will understand the historical, socio-political, legal and cultural context for the ethical decisions they must make. Students will be able to uphold the legal and ethical principles and responsibilities of a free press, and will be committed to the First Amendment and to the press’s role as a “watchdog” in society.
• Specialization: To know in-depth at least one journalism specialization: print, online, or broadcast. To be able to demonstrate professional-quality work in one field.
• Leadership skills / Working in a team: Students will be able to work as a team to produce media products for general distribution - NewsWatch, Observer, Online.
• Students are satisfied with their program.