1. The following are SECOND 8 week courses, 3 credits. None count in the Journalism major. Each is designed for non-journalism students. If a student has taken one of the topics before, then they should not re-take it as the course will be a course repeat.
A. JOUR C201, 31193, Sports Journalism. 5:45-7:45 pm, MW, EP 220. Instructor Betsy Ross.
Sports Journalism will take a look at the history of covering sports, from the “'golden age” of sports writing to today. Special emphasis will be placed on the evolution of ESPN and similar sports networks and how sports coverage changed from highlight clips to half hour shows. The class also will cover 'new media' coverage of sports on the web and on social media sites and the development of 'bloggers' and other web-based writers as accredited media.
More about the instructor: Betsy Ross, the president and founder of Fame Day Communications, with more than 20 years of experience as a sports and news anchor. As one of the first women to break into national sports news, she recently worked as an anchor at ESPN for five years. Her new book is “Playing Ball with the Boys,” a compilation of interviews she has conducted with women sports pioneers such as Billie Jean King, Janet Guthrie and Lesley Visser.
B. JOUR-C201: Hot Topics in Journalism. 2nd 8 week course. 3 credits. Jordan 124, 5:45-7:45 pm MW. Professor Teresa White.
Do the media occupy a “hot” space in audiences’ everyday lives? Without the media, how do we come to know the “who, what, where, when, and why”
of newsworthy people and controversies in politics, economics, and entertainment?
The colorful images and words of newspapers, television news and online journalism have created a shared media culture with audiences across
the world. Many people encounter the media in airports, cafes, classrooms, living rooms, gyms and in their cars. In the United States,
it has become increasingly difficult to avoid or escape media. In this course, we will go behind the curtains of online information, newspaper
pages, and television screens to gain a better understanding of how media shape the reality that we sometimes take for granted. This
includes media coverage of war, politics and sports, and issues such as media privacy and bias.
More about the instructor:
Professor Teresa White completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at IU. Most recently, she taught English and journalism at Noblesville High School, where she also was publications adviser. She is also the Director of the High School Journalism Institute at IUB.
C. JOUR-C 201: 31971, When the Internet Attacks. 2nd 8 weeks course. 3 credits. 5:45-7:45 pm, TR. Stacie Jankowski.
From bloggers to bullies to international revolutionaries, the internet has provided a forum and mode of speech and expression. The internet is ingrained in our daily life, but it’s not without risks. What problems have the internet and technology caused?
This class addresses issues in media law in these technological times. In this class, we will examine basic legal issues and problems that courts have seen or may see as more and more people and journalists take to the internet. Students will gain a better understanding of the different ways society and courts think about media law in the internet age, specifically touching on topics like defamation, privacy, and obscenity, as well as issues of cyber bullying, blogs, and student media.
About the instructor: Stacie Jankowski began her doctoral coursework at the School of Journalism in 2009. She previously received a B.A. in journalism and English from the University of Kentucky and her M.A. in journalism from IU. Her research interests include health communication, new media and media law. Her teaching interests include media law, journalism writing skills and media and society.
As a reporter, she favored feature and column writing, and she has reported for newspapers in Kentucky and Florida. Before entering graduate school, she was a high school English teacher and newspaper advisor at a small school in northern Kentucky.
2. IN ADDITION – we have 3 classes of JOUR-J 261, Studies in Journalism, and 2 of JOUR-J 170, Wordsmithing, in the SECOND 8 weeks. All count as a Journalism elective in the major. Designed for majors and non-majors. If a student has taken one of the topics before, then they should not re-take it as the course will be a course repeat.
A. JOUR-J261, 33148. Crisis Risk and PR Opportunity. 2nd 8 weeks. 9:30-11:30 am, MW. (3 cr) Instructor: Bill Oates. J elective.
How do organizations mitigate reputation damage when they find themselves in the midst of public controversy? How do some assess and manage risks to avoid controversy in the first place? How do advocacy groups and corporate adversaries plan strategic communications to shape public debate on their issues? Answers to these questions are the focus of this eight-week course. Students will select issues of current interest, monitor organizations with stakes in these issues, analyze the communications and other relevant actions of these organizations, and integrate their analyses into a broad framework of crisis and issues management in public relations. Case-study issues could involve ongoing controversies (climate change, health care, education reform, alternative energy) or more sudden crises (fire or weather disasters, legal actions, product recalls, terrorism incidents).
B. JOUR-J261, 31580, Sexual Orientation & the News. 5:45-7:45 pm, TR. (cr. 3). Instructor: Zak Szymanski. J elective. (Previously offered as a JOUR-C 201, don’t repeat the topic)
News coverage of sexual orientation has been reduced to a few narrow issues, including gay marriage, the military, and hate crimes. Much of this coverage ignores the history and nuances of these debates and excludes large segments of the LGBT community. Utilizing a mix of mainstream and gay media along with prominent guest speakers, this course will examine: How are sexual minorities portrayed in the news? What is the evolution of sexual orientation in the news? Who determines what a ‘gay’ issue is, and how does that shape public opinion? Topics range from media “outing” to the desexualization of gay spokespeople to the emerging queer youth activist. The goal is to gain a greater understanding of complex issues and the relationship between sexual minorities and the media.
C. JOUR-J 261, 33785. 2nd 8 weeks. 5:30-7:30 pm, MW. EP 214. Instructor: Steve Higgs. 3 credits. (counts as J elective). (Previously offered as a JOUR-C 201, Environment and the News, do not repeat the topic.)
Title: Nukes vs. the Greenhouse? Climate change, nuclear meltdowns and the news media
The facts about global climate change, fossil fuels, nuclear power and alternative energy seem clear to any reasonable, informed citizen. The earth is warming (with potentially devastating results). Burning fossil fuels is a major cause that warming. Nuclear power is dangerous. Alternative energy is clean and preferred by the public. Yet nothing ever changes.
J261,33785, Nukes vs. the Greenhouse, taught by award-winning environmental journalist Steven Higgs, will explore the role today's news media play in this apparent failure of the democratic process. In this 8-week class, you will learn how the news media is supposed to work, use that framework to analyze news coverage of these issues and hear firsthand from a series of guest speakers directly involved in them.
D. JOUR-J170, 33047 or 33048. Wordsmithing. 2nd 8 weeks. See schedule of classes for times. Instructor Professor Bonnie Brownlee or Jeremy Shere. (cr. 2). Journalism elective. (Previously offered as JOUR-J 261, Wordsmithing, do not repeat topic.
Workshop on the mechanics of writing and editing. The course builds on the basics, focuses on the practical and strengthens your confidence as a practitioner.
