Journalism

College of Humanities
Dean: Paul Sherwin

Department of Journalism
HUM 305
415-338-1689
E-mail: jour@sfsu.edu
Web Site: www.journalism.sfsu.edu
Chair: Venise Wagner

Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism
HUM 307
415-338-2083
E-mail: CIIJ@sfsu.edu

Faculty

Professors—Burks, Funabiki, Kobré, Smith

Associate Professors—Daley, Long-Scott, Wagner

Assistant Professors—Azocar, Kanigel, Wilson

Programs

B.A. in Journalism
Minor in Journalism


Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism prepares students for careers in journalism. This is accomplished by providing instruction that requires students to demonstrate a working knowledge of the skills, laws, ethics, power, and responsibilities of the news media. A strong liberal arts education also is required.

The main goals of the program's skills courses are to help students become accurate and thorough researchers, precise and graceful writers, technically and aesthetically fine photojournalists. Introductory courses emphasize the need to think and write clearly. Many students choose the major because these skills provide excellent preparation for numerous occupations, not only for journalism.

Writing students are required to take introductory courses in research, reporting, writing, digital skills, and editing. Photojournalism students are required to take introductory courses in writing, digital skills, and reporting as well as courses in basic photography and news photography. Advanced courses are more specialized—feature writing, depth reporting, public journalism, public affairs reporting, computer-assisted reporting, multimedia, on-line journalism, computer-assisted reporting, magazine writing, design courses and visual journalism for writers and editors. In order to understand the role of journalism in society, students also are required to take courses in journalism ethics, law, history, and cultural diversity. Students are strongly urged to develop speaking, writing, and listening competency in a second language.

Because the practice of journalism requires an understanding of larger social, political and cultural issues in society, the program requires students complete a minor in a liberal arts or science discipline.

To give students pre-professional experience, the program requires students to work on a laboratory publication with a world-wide on-line and broad print circulation. Students may also elect to work on a department newsletter. These publications are produced by classes and are taken for credit. Consistent with the department's commitment to protect students' First Amendment rights, students have editorial control of the publications.

To help students stay on top of the challenges they face, all journalism majors and minors are required to consult with a faculty adviser each semester. They can choose their advisers or have one assigned by the department office. Students are asked to provide advisers with ongoing records of their complete academic record for the department advising folders.

Services are available to all journalism students at the department's Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism. The privately funded center was established in 1990 to create programs that increase retention rates and job/internship placement of journalism students and to increase ethnic minority enrollment and graduation rates. It conducts special programs for high school and community college students, high school journalism advisers, and for Bay Area journalists in both mainstream and ethnic news media.

Through the center, department faculty and students and center staff engage in research that has had a national and international impact on journalism, with an emphasis on research about the coverage on ethnic minority people and issues.

The department is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). It is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association and sponsors student chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association.

The faculty includes ten full-time members and a fluctuating number of part-time instructors, most of them active journalists. Faculty encourage and assist students in finding jobs and internships. Coaching and mentoring are provided by Bay Area journalists who volunteer to work with any student enrolled in department skills courses. Students may earn up to 3 units in JOUR 409 for journalism internships. They consult the department office about how to arrange credit for internships.

Career Outlook

The writing, editing, photography, and on-line news skills taught in the department prepare students for entry level jobs on a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and new media. The critical thinking and clear expression that are taught in department courses prepare students well for jobs in broadcast journalism and in many fields outside journalism. Because of the department's national reputation for excellent preparation of students and for being ethnically diverse, students in the department are recruited from throughout the nation for internships and entry-level jobs in journalism.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN JOURNALISM

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, students must complete the core requirements of 28 journalism units and take a total of 40 journalism units. Only 9 journalism units may be lower division—JOUR 200 and JOUR 221 (plus JOUR 235 for photojournalism students), or their equivalents taken elsewhere. Courses numbered 300 and above are not open to freshmen. The department does not require but strongly recommends students have their own personal computers and modems. Upon enrolling in journalism classes, students are required to sign up for an SFSU e-mail account.

In order to assure that every journalism student's education is as rich and varied as possible, the department has established these requirements:

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated. On-line course descriptions are available.

Print and Online Journalism Units
Core course units 31
Elective units 9
Total required Journalism units 40
Non-journalism units (The 80 must include the minor in a single subject chosen in consultation with an adviser and at least 65 units in liberal arts and sciences. Classes in broadcasting, public relations, and advertising cannot qualify as non-journalism units.) 80
Total 120

 

Photojournalism Units
Core course units 28
Elective units 12
Total required Journalism units 40
Non-journalism units (The 80 must include the minor in a single subject chosen in consultation with an adviser and at least 65 units in liberal arts and sciences. Classes in broadcasting, public relations, and advertising cannot qualify as non-journalism units.) 80
Total 120

 

Core - Print and Online Journalism Units
JOUR 200 Journalism and the Mass Media 3
JOUR 220 Digital Skills for News 1
JOUR 221 Newswriting 3
JOUR 300 Reporting 3
JOUR 301 History of Journalism 3
JOUR 305 Mass Communication Law 3
JOUR 330 Editing 3
JOUR 610 Cultural Diversity and News 3
JOUR 666 Ethical Issues in Journalism 3
JOUR 609 Publication Laboratory (must be repeated once in a different semester) 6
Total for core 31
Advanced Writing Electives 6
Visual Journalism Elective 3
Total for major 40
Minor Requirements 18-24

 

Core - Photojournalism Units
JOUR 200 Journalism and the Mass Media 3
JOUR 220 Digital Skills for News 1
JOUR 221 Newswriting 3
JOUR 300 Reporting 3
JOUR 301 History of Journalism 3
JOUR 305 Mass Communication Law 3
JOUR 610 Cultural Diversity and News 3
JOUR 666 Ethical Issues in Journalism 3
JOUR 609 Publication Laboratory (must be repeated once in a different semester) 6
Total for core 28
Photojournalism Electives 9
Print Journalism Elective 3
Total for major 40
Minor Requirements 18-24

Prerequisites

Print and Online Journalism

Photojournalism

Skills Courses

Skills courses offered by the Department of Journalism impart the various skills and crafts necessary to the practice of journalism. There are three levels of skills courses: foundational, advanced, and laboratory. The laboratory skills course provides students a culminating opportunity to integrate skills acquired in foundational and advanced courses, working and learning collaboratively. Journalism majors and minors must earn grades of C or better in all foundational, advanced, and laboratory skills courses.

Other Requirements

Students may enroll in only one laboratory course section per semester.

Journalism majors and minors must earn a minimum grade of C in all laboratory and skills courses, and must attain at least an overall C in the major.

Journalism majors and minors must take all journalism courses and the non-journalism minor for letter grade only except for Digital Skills.

Print Journalism Requirements

In addition to core journalism requirements, students in the print and online journalism concentration must choose from the following electives.

Print and Online Journalism Units
Advanced Writing Electives (Must Choose Two) 6
JOUR 320 Depth Reporting  
JOUR 321 Feature Writing
JOUR 420 Reporting on Public Affairs
JOUR 560 Public Journalism
JOUR 570 Opinion Writing
JOUR 595 Magazine Writing
Visual Journalism (Must Choose One) 3
JOUR 336 Visual Storytelling  
JOUR 450 Publication Design and Graphics
JOUR 395 Introduction to On line Journalism
Total 9

In addition to the core journalism requirements, students in the photojournalism concentration must choose from the following courses

Photojournalism Units
Photojournalism Electives (Must choose three —
JOUR 235, 335, and 435; OR, if JOUR 235 has been taken at another campus, JOUR 335, 435, and 535)
9
JOUR 235 Photojournalism I  
JOUR 335 Photojournalism II
JOUR 435 Photojournalism III
JOUR 535 Photojournalism IV
Print Journalism Electives (Must choose one) 3
JOUR 320 Depth Reporting  
JOUR 395 Introduction to On line Journalism
JOUR 420 Reporting on Public Affairs
JOUR 450 Publication Design and Graphics
JOUR 560 Public Journalism
JOUR 570 Opinion Writing
JOUR 595 Magazine Writing
Total 12

MINOR IN JOURNALISM

This program is not a requirement for any credential or degree but is intended to give students an opportunity to pursue their interests in journalism in an organized way. A total of 25 units is required, approved by an adviser.

Program Units
JOUR 200 Journalism and the Mass Media 3
JOUR 220 Digital Skills for News 1
JOUR 221 Newswriting 3
JOUR 300 Reporting 3
JOUR 330 Editing 3
JOUR 609 Publication Laboratory 3
JOUR 610 Cultural Diversity and News 3
Units selected from the following: 3
JOUR 320 Depth Reporting  
JOUR 321 Feature Writing
JOUR 420 Reporting Public Affairs
JOUR 560 Public Journalism
JOUR 570 Opinion Writing
JOUR 595 Magazine Writing
Units selected from the following: 3
JOUR 301 History of Journalism  
JOUR 666 Ethical Issues in Journalism
Total 25