Photojournalism I

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores still photography practices in journalistic contexts, focusing on camera operation, composition, ethical standards and field-based image production. Emphasizes photography as a tool for documenting people, places, events and/or everyday life. Assignments simulate real-world photojournalism through location-based shoots, peer critique and portfolio development. Course content may involve exposure to newsworthy situations, including moments of conflict, hardship and/or public emotion, examined for the purpose of understanding practices of visual documentation and evaluating ethical and communicative impacts. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Develops competencies essential for careers in journalism, visual media, public relations, marketing and content creation, including technical literacy, deadline management, ethical decision-making and client/audience awareness. Supports preparation for advanced visual storytelling, multimedia reporting and professional communication roles requiring accuracy, clarity and visual credibility. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Builds understanding of how photographic choices such as framing, timing, proximity and editing can shape meaning as much as subject matter. Considers how journalistic imagery involves artistic judgment, public responsibility and industry codes of ethics. Builds awareness of how images circulate, persuade and/or inform differently across media platforms. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include study and practice of news, feature, portrait, sports and event photography; composition, lighting and image sequencing; ethics of representation, consent and vulnerable subjects; history of visual journalism and iconic images; storytelling across single images and multi-photo narratives. Coursework may involve documenting diverse communities or public environments, approached with sensitivity to accuracy, fairness and professional standards. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.