Department of English

Journalism is the practice of asking a simple question—What’s happening in the world around us?—and turning that answer into a story. The form journalism takes has always changed dramatically amid technological innovations. News about World War II arrived via radio and newspaper; TV brought visual images of the Vietnam War; the internet opened up new avenues of content delivery, blurring lines between the audio, written, and visual forms of traditional media and upending how outlets like The New York Times and NPR deliver news. Journalists for legacy media outlets continue to tell critically important and compelling stories, but their reporting is increasingly displaced by podcasts and WhatsApp, TikTok and Substack. This disruption means a wider array of stories are being told in a multitude of interesting ways, but it also makes deciphering accurate information from partisan falsehoods far more complicated.

In this class, we will explore the implications of journalistic disruption for civil society and democratic institutions. Required reading and listening will be high-quality journalism that holds true to the core tenets of news reporting: to give voice to the voiceless, hold the powerful to account, and connect communities. This workshop-based course explores what makes a good news story, including gathering facts, interviewing, writing ledes and kickers, and crafting narratives. And it examines how journalism is practiced in various media, including newspapers, TV, magazines, digital outlets, social media, and podcasts. While it’s geared toward building savvy and sophisticated news consumers in an increasingly complex and multidimensional media environment, students will also apply what they’ve learned and act as journalists by doing research, conducting interviews, and writing articles. Students will be required to create short audio stories that include recorded sound, basic editing techniques, and effective story structure.