Principles of Journalism

Catalog description

The course introduces how journalists work with the tools of multimedia and how multimedia is changing journalism. COMM 271 Principles of Journalism (3) Journalists have never had better tools to cover the news than they do today. Every news organization can now tell stories with text, video, sound and images. Reporters can interact with their audience while covering stories in real time. Audiences have unprecedented choice in when and where they can access information. These innovations are allowing the news industry to reinvent itself. But there are major challenges. What does it take to be competitive in a 24/7 news cycle? What is the best way to work with text, video, still images and sound? How much do reporters and editors need to know about these tools? What role do social media have in this mix? Are ethical standards and being lost in the scramble to gain audience and grow revenue? This course will introduce multimedia news and be a foundation for skills courses. It will examine the latest platforms and tools of the trade, adding value with multimedia, the roots and development of multimedia, working in a cross-platform environment, multimedia reporting and editing, data visualization, intellectual property rights, ethical issues, citizen journalism, social media and the news, business models for multimedia journalism, finding a job, and other subjects.