B.A. Degree Requirements (Before 2022)
These requirements are for the 2020-21 catalog year. If your catalog year is before 2020, please talk to your undergraduate advisor about your degree requirements.
Journalism Requisites
The following are required to enroll in JOUR 203, 205 and 208:
- B or better in ENGL 101, 102 or 109H
- C or better in MATH 107, 112; or LING 123, PHIL 110
- C or better in JOUR 105
- Overall UA GPA of 2.5 or higher
General Education
- 6 units Tier 1 Individuals & Societies
- 6 units Tier 1 Traditions & Cultures
- 6 units Tier 1 Natural Sciences
- 3 units Tier 2 Humanities
- 3 units Tier 2 Natural Sciences
- 3 units Tier 2 Arts
- 3 units Diversity
- 4th semester second language proficiency
Minor
Required, minimum of 18 units (or double-major)
Required Courses
- Complete the courses below (33 units). Note: JOUR 307 is not required for students pursuing a broadcast specialization.
This survey course provides an overview of news journalism, its history, future and role in a democratic society. It will cover the basics of journalism values, principles, law, ethics, writing and reporting.
Reporting news through images and graphics; introduction to all aspects of photojournalism, including law, ethics, history and critical decision-making.
Gathering, evaluating, and writing news. Completion of this course with a grade of C or better also satisfies the Mid-Career Writing Assessment (MCWA) requirement.
Basic legal concepts for print, broadcast, online, and photojournalism, including access to courts, public records and meetings; subpoenas and shield laws; prior restraint; libel; privacy; source confidentiality; intellectual property; obscenity; and FCC regulations.
Comprehensive and accurate news presentation with emphasis on interview techniques and coverage of major news stories. Completion of this course with a C or better also satisfies Mid Career Writing Assessment (MCWA).
Introduces you to multimedia reporting, which is some combination of text, still photographs, video clips, audio, graphics and interactivity presented on a website. Through interactive exercises, you will learn about four basic elements: audio; shooting still photographs and video; editing; and storytelling using a variety of multimedia platforms. NOTE: This course is not required for students pursuing a broadcast specialization.
Study and practice of newsgathering on executive, legislative, and judicial levels in city, county, state and federal governments, with emphasis on both deadline writing and in-depth stories.
Theory and techniques of copy editing and headline writing; introduction to layout and design.
Writing the feature articles for newspapers, magazines or other media; specialized reporting and writing techniques.
Analysis of ethical theory and how it relates to journalists' roles and responsibilities in a democratic society. Case studies involve questions of bias, accuracy, privacy and national security.
Students in Arizona Sonora News produce strong enterprise stories in written and multimedia formats, which are then provided to media for professional publication. Students learn the techniques of search engine optimization and key word construction, and apply what they have learned in their other classes through the major. This engaged learning news service class enables students to demonstrate that they can produce professional quality work.
Elective Courses
- Complete two Journalism electives (6 units) from the list below. Additional elective courses may be taken to fulfill the 120 total units or 42 upper-division units.
This course is divided into two main parts. In the first part, students explore and analyze the history of Latinxs in the United States as well as U.S.-Latin American economic and political relations and the ways in which they have intertwined over the past two centuries. In the second part, students explore and analyze the history and economics of Latino-oriented, Spanish-language and bilingual news media, as well as news coverage of Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S., in order to understand both how this major ethnic group has produced news media and how Latinxs have been represented.
This course introduces the study of migrations, diasporic transnationalism and the media in Latin America. Students examine historical perspectives and contemporary trends in migrations from Latin America to Europe, Asia and North America (South-North) as well as migration news within Latin American (South-South).
This course explores how the news media around the world shape political, social and cultural conversations in societies and encourage governments to be transparent and accountable to citizens. Students look behind the scenes at how journalists do their job and the sometimes-deadly clash between individual expression and government control. Students who complete the course will become engaged and educated consumers of information who can navigate the complex world of disinformation, propaganda and talking heads.
This course examines the history of visual journalism through the medium of documentary
photography from its origins in the 1800s to the present-day digital revolution in multimedia
production and data visualization around the world. This survey course is designed to broaden
students’ understanding of the role of visual journalism in societies, and across societies, and its
power to affect scientific, political, economic, cultural and social change.
The course provides historical and contemporary perspectives on the concepts of power, globalization, networked societies and diffusion of cultural values through various forms of media and how these factors influence news media reporting, digital ecosystems, discourse and communities around the world. Students will use a number of frameworks, including models that examine the global flow of information, to study the impact of these phenomena on communities and societies.
In today’s world, it is difficult to imagine media separate from technology, given how intertwined the two are. This course examines this intersection and influence of media over technology, and vice versa, in a little more detail. Specifically, this course delves into the various facets of this intersection and relationship and what that means in terms of the media people use, the technology they use and the kind of discourse and society they create as a result of digital affordances and advances. Students explore topics such as media and technology as democratic tools and/or instruments of power, theories related to media technology and learning about different media systems and emerging technological systems prevalent in the global North and South. Students will delve into the importance and influence of social networks at a deeper level than what they may already be familiar with, how WhatsApp is increasing in influence and almost representing the digital global divide, the issue of disinformation and fake news and how advances in artificial intelligence may well influence the future of media.
This course investigates the history and coverage of acts of state and nonstate terror, the interplay between terrorism and societies around the world and media content about acts of terror. Students explore how news media portray terrorism and terrorists, the effects of terrorism and media portrayal of terrorism on the public and the use of propaganda by terror groups and other entities.
From human health to vanishing species, climate change is one of the major challenges facing people around the world. A vast majority of scientists agree that human-made climate change is a major factor threatening the planet’s future, but they worry that measures to stop or modify climate change are not taken seriously enough. What role do media play in this respect, and what role can they play in the future to communicate climate science and alert people of the challenges? How can media connect people’s everyday experiences to the global climate processes? Our exploration of different types of media will take us on a global odyssey into how media portray the problem, its causes and effects, what the future holds and what can be done.
This course surveys the history and functions of social justice media from the 19th century abolition movement to today’s online forms of global social justice journalism. Students consider the theoretical and practical frameworks of social justice media, which serve a swathe of social movements involving human and civil rights, education, labor, immigration, globalization, feminism, environmentalism, ethnic and racial equality, transgender rights and global inequity.
Students explore ethics questions related to cultural bias, political and economic pressure, diverse representation, accuracy, privacy, national security and other pressures on news media. This course provides students with a framework to think critically about media’s obligations to the public. Analyses examine ethical philosophies as they relate to both citizen-driven media and journalists’ roles and responsibilities in various societies and governmental systems around the world.
Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association and movement, and rights to public information among other rights are explored in global, regional and country contexts. This course provides historical, philosophical, legal, political, societal and cultural perspectives about values related to online and offline freedom of expression and access to public information in a global context.
This course examines the rapidly shifting arena of armed conflict and political violence in an intensively and expansively mediated era. Students explore traditional journalistic business, culture and ethics in covering war and the more recent impact of technological transformations, focusing on new digital and social media forms employed by multiple actors and stakeholders.
This course examines how the global broadcast, print and digital news media cover major environmental news and issues around the world and how journalists’ investigations have led to change. The course also highlights the complicated nature of environmental reporting, including interacting with myriad stakeholders, assessing risk, interfacing with scientific uncertainty and racing against deadlines and extinctions.
Students learn of the role and responsibilities of national, transnational and social media in promoting human rights and cultural understanding and in documenting human rights violations at varying levels, such as government oppression, civil or political turmoil, armed conflict, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Conversely, the course also examines the role of human rights instruments and monitoring in protecting media workers and rights to free expression.
This course explores the concept of disinformation and theories of propaganda to contextualize contemporary issues in cases around the world. Also covered are the spread of online misinformation and disinformation, the growing issue of information security in open and closed media ecosystems, public receptiveness to correcting misinformation and disinformation, surveillance tactics targeting journalists and tools for verifying information in text, images, video and audio.
In this course we will explore science disinformation, misinformation, the media, and the public. We will begin by examining the hallmarks of science (as compared to pseudoscience and non-science) including the concept of falsifiability. Next, we will discuss the “public understanding of science” and why it is important. We will also study historical examples of science mis/disinformation including the ill-informed 19th century theory of climatology called “rain follows the plow,” the early twentieth century eugenics movement, the Andrew Wakefield autism/vaccine controversy, and other instances of pseudoscience or non-science masking as real science. You will learn about the science of science communication and why people are vulnerable to science mis/disinformation. You will read about and discuss modern problems that impact our understanding of science including the use of pre-print servers where scientific information that has not yet been peer-reviewed is published. We will discuss why some members of the public do not trust experts and expertise and you will learn for yourself hallmarks to look for in distinguishing scientific experts from non-experts. You will also learn how to speak to science deniers and others who question the reliability and accuracy of scientific information. You will cultivate scientific habits of mind and develop a toolbox of tips, tools, and skills with which you can arm yourself against science dis/misinformation.
The documentary genre has long focused on social, cultural, political, economic and environmental issues. This course begins with a selective overview of the history of documentary journalism beginning in the 1920s, then takes a multicultural global perspective of documentary work by comparing and contrasting efforts from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the United States.
This course will take you on a global journey through the law of digital communications, including but not limited to free speech v. hate speech, intellectual property, defamation, privacy, the right to be forgotten, access to information, media regulatory mechanisms and frameworks promulgated by governmental bodies, as well as those regulatory mechanisms and frameworks used by non-governmental bodies (such as the platform “law” concept used by Facebook and Twitter.) You will learn about comparative historical and theoretical legal concepts important to media professionals and responsible digital citizen-scholars.
Students examine the role and responsibility of global news organizations and citizen-based social media in reporting on humanitarian crises that may stem from natural disaster, climate change, the impact of globalization, conflict or social upheaval. This course explores the dynamic interaction among news producers, relief organizations, policymakers, the public and those directly affected by humanitarian crises
This course is an introductory class on broadcast news writing, focusing mainly on writing for television with some instruction on writing for audio/radio. Students spend the semester learning basic television and audio/radio writing formats. Ethics in broadcast journalism are introduced and discussed. Toward the end of the semester, students may combine their own original video to use in some assignments.
Whether you are aspiring to be a sports journalist or just a more well-rounded sports fan, this course will help you look at sports and the media in a more critical and engaged manner. This course will explore the nexus between sports and media, focusing on the glory days of print journalism to the 24-7 news cycle. It will address race, gender and coverage bias issues and examine ethical cases that involve controversy. And finally, the course will expose challenges facing the sports media, while offering ways to improve the industry.
Gathering, evaluating and writing sports news in an ethical and effective manner.
The course will investigate the intersection of journalism, gender and multiculturalism in the U.S. media. It will survey efforts to increase and improve diversity in the news media. Course will be offered online
Course introduces students to television reporting and production and the ethical decision-making skills needed to success in the advanced TV course, JOUR 490C Arizona Cat's Eye.
This course will develop your skill at writing engaging, insightful travel stories. You'll sample excellent pieces by great travel writers. You'll sharpen your skills of observation, journaling, researching and reporting while writing a travel/place essay and a destination story. You'll also explore how to identify markets for your stories and craft a pitch letter to publish your work.
Internship with a news organization supplemented with professional development, analysis of industry trends and best practices. Graduate-level requirements include a major research paper.
This class will examine the law of digital communications, including but not limited to freedom of expression and information online, cybersecurity, intellectual property, cooperation/collaboration, libel, privacy, hate speech, FCC and other regulatory mechanisms. This course will teach you how to follow the current law as you engage with digital communications, such as the Internet and mobile devices. While you will learn historical and theoretical foundations of the law of digital communications, you primarily need to concern yourself with making professional, ethical, and legal decisions as a citizen about digital communications, in an international context. From issues ranging from Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street to cyberbullying, we will think about the long-term implications of digital communications law and our decisions.
This hands-on course will give you experience in print and online magazine documentary photography, with an emphasis on developing your personal vision and the skills to produce publishable images and create in-depth, longform photo essays and multimedia projects with short audio or video clips. Current trends, copyright and ethical issues, as well as strategies for funding projects and pitching stories to editors, will also be discussed. Open to all students in summer.
This course will be a hands-on class in which you research and develop an idea for a news product and begin implementing the necessary steps to see your idea launch. By the end of the class you should have a beta version of your product that serves your identified audience.
This course will survey the history and functions of social justice publishing. Students will consider the theoretical and practical frameworks of social justice media, which serve a swathe of social movements involving human and civil rights, education, labor, immigration, globalization, feminism, environmentalism, ethnic and racial equality, transgender rights, and global inequity. This course will provide students with the historical and theoretical frameworks necessary to evaluate and publish social justice media.
Learn how to find, request and create databases, uncover stories using various software programs, and turn them into compelling visuals. Whether you call it data journalism, computer-assisted reporting, precision journalism, or power reporting, these skills will set you apart from your peers in any line of work.
Our relationship with food--and the way we discuss it--is complicated and deeply personal. We filter everything from restaurant reviews to nutritional news through the lens of our past and present circumstances, bringing class, history, economics, culture, race, and even DNA to the table. In this course, we'll parse out these perspectives, the array of assumptions we make when we sit down (or stand up) to eat.
This class covers the law, history and philosophy of access to government information, as well as practical tools and psychological techniques in acquiring data from agencies and the internet. Students will build the knowledge, skills, and confidence in information acquisition to apply to their careers and personal life, including backgrounding individuals, exposing dangers, and even buying a house.
This applied course teaches you to write compelling, substantive stories that illuminate environmental subjects, trends and issues, often in human terms. This course emphasizes the role of the environmental journalist not as an advocate but as a reporter who accurately and fairly reports the news. We examine the principles of journalism, the scientific process and the differences between environmental journalism and environmental communication. Guest speakers - journalists, researchers and other experts - explore key issues involved in communicating with the public about the environment. Readings and discussions examine issues of balance, scientific uncertainty, risk, accuracy and ethical codes
This class explores the role and purpose of editorial and opinion writing and the process of writing opinion pieces. Graduate-level requirements include reading additional materials, meeting with professor weekly about theoretical issues or to examine news items in more depth, and a student analysis paper.
This course is designed to introduce students to the changing role of news media in our evolving globalization and its impact on rapidly changing news events.
Science is one of the most powerful forces of change in the world. This discussion course introduces students to the professional, legal, economic and ethical factors that affect the science news agenda and the work of science journalists. We'll study the principles of science journalism, the scientific process and the differences between science journalism and science communication. We'll examine reporting methods used by print, television and online news organizations. Guest speakers -- prominent science journalists and scientists -- will explore the ways in which science news both reflects and influences the attitudes of the public and policymakers. Readings, case studies and discussions will look at issues of balance, scientific uncertainty, accuracy and ethical codes for science journalists.
Science is one of the most powerful forces of change in the world. This applied course covers the fundamental elements of producing news reports about science events and issues. We will examine the principles of journalism, the scientific process and the differences between science journalism and science communication. Guest speakers¿prominent science journalists and scientists¿will explore key issues involved in communicating with the public about science. Readings, case studies and discussions will examine issues of balance, scientific uncertainty, accuracy and ethical codes for science journalists.
You'll write professional-quality science articles for general interest and specialized news media. You'll learn how to gather, evaluate and organize information in ways that will produce accurate, comprehensive information for the public. Each student will write one short piece, and in pairs you'll research and produce an in-depth article.
Students will gain an understanding of best practices and challenges specific to reporting in the borderlands, and will conduct research in and about the border region, including interviews with area residents. They will report findings in the form of essays, oral histories, research projects and in-depth reporting projects.
This is a hands-on advanced multimedia course that will provide students with the opportunity to refine their multimedia storytelling and technical production skills by producing journalistically interesting multimedia projects. The multimedia projects will be well researched and include some combination of text, video, audio, still photographs, graphics that will be presented on a website. Through interactive exercises and assignments, emphasis will be given to improving audio, video, still image capture and editing skills. This course is a combined lecture with outside lab work being required. Intermediate computer technical knowledge and skills, basic photojournalism and multimedia are required for successful completion of this course.
Drones or sUAVs are increasingly common in many industries including; journalism, engineering, research, agriculture, commerce and more. In this course you will learn about the current requirements for operating a drone for work or profit, how drone controls work, videography techniques and the rules and laws governing safe sUAV flight. This course will prepare you to pass the FAA's Drone License program and legally fly a drone for commercial purposes.
This course will be a hands-on, interactive class in which you research, and develop a mobile news application. You will develop and pitch an application, form teams and implement web technology to launch your application. By the end of the semester, you and your team will have a working application deployed on the internet. This course will take you from idea to application launch.
This course will cover skills to help you write accurate, relevant and compelling stories on health science topics. We will explore the challenges in writing accurate health stories, cover basic knowledge of health sciences research and how to interpret studies, and critique media coverage of various health topics. We will also review the basics of storytelling, narrative, interview techniques, journalistic ethics and submitting your articles to publications.
Students will be exposed to qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as journalism backgrounding, media analysis, content analysis, and in-depth interviewing.
This course is designed to enhance and further develop your video news writing, reporting and production skills that you acquired in 280 and 385. It is a building block for 490C/Arizona Sonora News. Through extensive hands-on experience, you will write, report, shoot, produce, and edit hard news feature and in-depth stories for broadcast and the web. Ideally, by the end of the semester you will have produced several "air" quality news reports that you can include on your résumé reel. This course may be repeated once for credit.
Work on-site for a news or news-related organization under the supervision of an experienced communication professional. If combined with two 3-unit summer internships only a total of 7 units is acceptable.
The course is intended to give students a forum in which to hone their skills in communicating with readers of newspapers, magazines and the Internet, through the use of still photography.
A sportscaster in the 21st century media landscape is no longer defined solely by an individual reading game highlights. Those who choose to enter the profession must become multimedia journalists who understand every element of what it takes to create their final product. In this five-week class for broadcast students, you will produce and report sports stories for broadcast television. The class will be divided into two-person crews that consist of one videographer and one reporter. Roles and responsibilities will alternate for each project. Each crew will be assigned a different local high school football team as its beat and will be responsible for attending weekly practices and games during the duration of the practicum. You will learn and apply elements of sports reporting to every package you produce, including finding the narrative, interview skills, and working on deadline.
Specializations
While taking the core courses required of all journalism majors, students also have the option of earning specializations on their transcripts and diplomas in broadcast journalism, digital journalism or global journalism.
Broadcast Journalism
- Complete the three courses below.
- Complete at least two Journalism elective courses (6 units minimum) from list above.
This course is an introductory class on broadcast news writing, focusing mainly on writing for television with some instruction on writing for audio/radio. Students spend the semester learning basic television and audio/radio writing formats. Ethics in broadcast journalism are introduced and discussed. Toward the end of the semester, students may combine their own original video to use in some assignments.
Course introduces students to television reporting and production and the ethical decision-making skills needed to success in the advanced TV course, JOUR 490C Arizona Cat's Eye.
This course is designed to enhance and further develop your video news writing, reporting and production skills that you acquired in 280 and 385. It is a building block for 490C/Arizona Sonora News. Through extensive hands-on experience, you will write, report, shoot, produce, and edit hard news feature and in-depth stories for broadcast and the web. Ideally, by the end of the semester you will have produced several "air" quality news reports that you can include on your résumé reel. This course may be repeated once for credit.
Digital Journalism
- Complete JOUR 307 Principles of Multimedia and JOUR 411 Feature Writing.
- Complete at least two of the following electives.
This course will be a hands-on class in which you research and develop an idea for a news product and begin implementing the necessary steps to see your idea launch. By the end of the class you should have a beta version of your product that serves your identified audience.
Learn how to find, request and create databases, uncover stories using various software programs, and turn them into compelling visuals. Whether you call it data journalism, computer-assisted reporting, precision journalism, or power reporting, these skills will set you apart from your peers in any line of work.
This class covers the law, history and philosophy of access to government information, as well as practical tools and psychological techniques in acquiring data from agencies and the internet. Students will build the knowledge, skills, and confidence in information acquisition to apply to their careers and personal life, including backgrounding individuals, exposing dangers, and even buying a house.
This is a hands-on advanced multimedia course that will provide students with the opportunity to refine their multimedia storytelling and technical production skills by producing journalistically interesting multimedia projects. The multimedia projects will be well researched and include some combination of text, video, audio, still photographs, graphics that will be presented on a website. Through interactive exercises and assignments, emphasis will be given to improving audio, video, still image capture and editing skills. This course is a combined lecture with outside lab work being required. Intermediate computer technical knowledge and skills, basic photojournalism and multimedia are required for successful completion of this course.
Drones or sUAVs are increasingly common in many industries including; journalism, engineering, research, agriculture, commerce and more. In this course you will learn about the current requirements for operating a drone for work or profit, how drone controls work, videography techniques and the rules and laws governing safe sUAV flight. This course will prepare you to pass the FAA's Drone License program and legally fly a drone for commercial purposes.
This course will be a hands-on, interactive class in which you research, and develop a mobile news application. You will develop and pitch an application, form teams and implement web technology to launch your application. By the end of the semester, you and your team will have a working application deployed on the internet. This course will take you from idea to application launch.
Work on-site for a news or news-related organization under the supervision of an experienced communication professional. If combined with two 3-unit summer internships only a total of 7 units is acceptable.
The course is intended to give students a forum in which to hone their skills in communicating with readers of newspapers, magazines and the Internet, through the use of still photography.
Global Journalism
- Complete JOUR 307 Principles of Multimedia and JOUR 411 Feature Writing.
- Complete at least two of the following electives.
This course is divided into two main parts. In the first part, students explore and analyze the history of Latinxs in the United States as well as U.S.-Latin American economic and political relations and the ways in which they have intertwined over the past two centuries. In the second part, students explore and analyze the history and economics of Latino-oriented, Spanish-language and bilingual news media, as well as news coverage of Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S., in order to understand both how this major ethnic group has produced news media and how Latinxs have been represented.
This course introduces the study of migrations, diasporic transnationalism and the media in Latin America. Students examine historical perspectives and contemporary trends in migrations from Latin America to Europe, Asia and North America (South-North) as well as migration news within Latin American (South-South).
This course explores how the news media around the world shape political, social and cultural conversations in societies and encourage governments to be transparent and accountable to citizens. Students look behind the scenes at how journalists do their job and the sometimes-deadly clash between individual expression and government control. Students who complete the course will become engaged and educated consumers of information who can navigate the complex world of disinformation, propaganda and talking heads.
This course examines the history of visual journalism through the medium of documentary
photography from its origins in the 1800s to the present-day digital revolution in multimedia
production and data visualization around the world. This survey course is designed to broaden
students’ understanding of the role of visual journalism in societies, and across societies, and its
power to affect scientific, political, economic, cultural and social change.
The course provides historical and contemporary perspectives on the concepts of power, globalization, networked societies and diffusion of cultural values through various forms of media and how these factors influence news media reporting, digital ecosystems, discourse and communities around the world. Students will use a number of frameworks, including models that examine the global flow of information, to study the impact of these phenomena on communities and societies.
In today’s world, it is difficult to imagine media separate from technology, given how intertwined the two are. This course examines this intersection and influence of media over technology, and vice versa, in a little more detail. Specifically, this course delves into the various facets of this intersection and relationship and what that means in terms of the media people use, the technology they use and the kind of discourse and society they create as a result of digital affordances and advances. Students explore topics such as media and technology as democratic tools and/or instruments of power, theories related to media technology and learning about different media systems and emerging technological systems prevalent in the global North and South. Students will delve into the importance and influence of social networks at a deeper level than what they may already be familiar with, how WhatsApp is increasing in influence and almost representing the digital global divide, the issue of disinformation and fake news and how advances in artificial intelligence may well influence the future of media.
This course investigates the history and coverage of acts of state and nonstate terror, the interplay between terrorism and societies around the world and media content about acts of terror. Students explore how news media portray terrorism and terrorists, the effects of terrorism and media portrayal of terrorism on the public and the use of propaganda by terror groups and other entities.
From human health to vanishing species, climate change is one of the major challenges facing people around the world. A vast majority of scientists agree that human-made climate change is a major factor threatening the planet’s future, but they worry that measures to stop or modify climate change are not taken seriously enough. What role do media play in this respect, and what role can they play in the future to communicate climate science and alert people of the challenges? How can media connect people’s everyday experiences to the global climate processes? Our exploration of different types of media will take us on a global odyssey into how media portray the problem, its causes and effects, what the future holds and what can be done.
This course surveys the history and functions of social justice media from the 19th century abolition movement to today’s online forms of global social justice journalism. Students consider the theoretical and practical frameworks of social justice media, which serve a swathe of social movements involving human and civil rights, education, labor, immigration, globalization, feminism, environmentalism, ethnic and racial equality, transgender rights and global inequity.
Students explore ethics questions related to cultural bias, political and economic pressure, diverse representation, accuracy, privacy, national security and other pressures on news media. This course provides students with a framework to think critically about media’s obligations to the public. Analyses examine ethical philosophies as they relate to both citizen-driven media and journalists’ roles and responsibilities in various societies and governmental systems around the world.
Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association and movement, and rights to public information among other rights are explored in global, regional and country contexts. This course provides historical, philosophical, legal, political, societal and cultural perspectives about values related to online and offline freedom of expression and access to public information in a global context.
This course examines the rapidly shifting arena of armed conflict and political violence in an intensively and expansively mediated era. Students explore traditional journalistic business, culture and ethics in covering war and the more recent impact of technological transformations, focusing on new digital and social media forms employed by multiple actors and stakeholders.
This course examines how the global broadcast, print and digital news media cover major environmental news and issues around the world and how journalists’ investigations have led to change. The course also highlights the complicated nature of environmental reporting, including interacting with myriad stakeholders, assessing risk, interfacing with scientific uncertainty and racing against deadlines and extinctions.
Students learn of the role and responsibilities of national, transnational and social media in promoting human rights and cultural understanding and in documenting human rights violations at varying levels, such as government oppression, civil or political turmoil, armed conflict, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Conversely, the course also examines the role of human rights instruments and monitoring in protecting media workers and rights to free expression.
This course explores the concept of disinformation and theories of propaganda to contextualize contemporary issues in cases around the world. Also covered are the spread of online misinformation and disinformation, the growing issue of information security in open and closed media ecosystems, public receptiveness to correcting misinformation and disinformation, surveillance tactics targeting journalists and tools for verifying information in text, images, video and audio.
In this course we will explore science disinformation, misinformation, the media, and the public. We will begin by examining the hallmarks of science (as compared to pseudoscience and non-science) including the concept of falsifiability. Next, we will discuss the “public understanding of science” and why it is important. We will also study historical examples of science mis/disinformation including the ill-informed 19th century theory of climatology called “rain follows the plow,” the early twentieth century eugenics movement, the Andrew Wakefield autism/vaccine controversy, and other instances of pseudoscience or non-science masking as real science. You will learn about the science of science communication and why people are vulnerable to science mis/disinformation. You will read about and discuss modern problems that impact our understanding of science including the use of pre-print servers where scientific information that has not yet been peer-reviewed is published. We will discuss why some members of the public do not trust experts and expertise and you will learn for yourself hallmarks to look for in distinguishing scientific experts from non-experts. You will also learn how to speak to science deniers and others who question the reliability and accuracy of scientific information. You will cultivate scientific habits of mind and develop a toolbox of tips, tools, and skills with which you can arm yourself against science dis/misinformation.
The documentary genre has long focused on social, cultural, political, economic and environmental issues. This course begins with a selective overview of the history of documentary journalism beginning in the 1920s, then takes a multicultural global perspective of documentary work by comparing and contrasting efforts from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the United States.
This course will take you on a global journey through the law of digital communications, including but not limited to free speech v. hate speech, intellectual property, defamation, privacy, the right to be forgotten, access to information, media regulatory mechanisms and frameworks promulgated by governmental bodies, as well as those regulatory mechanisms and frameworks used by non-governmental bodies (such as the platform “law” concept used by Facebook and Twitter.) You will learn about comparative historical and theoretical legal concepts important to media professionals and responsible digital citizen-scholars.
Students examine the role and responsibility of global news organizations and citizen-based social media in reporting on humanitarian crises that may stem from natural disaster, climate change, the impact of globalization, conflict or social upheaval. This course explores the dynamic interaction among news producers, relief organizations, policymakers, the public and those directly affected by humanitarian crises
Students will gain an understanding of best practices and challenges specific to reporting in the borderlands, and will conduct research in and about the border region, including interviews with area residents. They will report findings in the form of essays, oral histories, research projects and in-depth reporting projects.
Work on-site for a news or news-related organization under the supervision of an experienced communication professional. If combined with two 3-unit summer internships only a total of 7 units is acceptable.
