Required for All Journalism Majors and Open to All

COM*222, Basic Newswriting (formerly CM 206, Journalism Basic)

Meets Tuesday/Thursday 5:00-6:20 p.m.

Prerequisite:  ENG*101
Instructor: Cindy Wolfe Boynton

Former editor and publishing director of Better Health magazine, Ms. Wolfe Boynton has also been a regular correspondent for The New York Times and Boston Globe, among other publications, and co-authored a book on juvenile rheumatoid arthrititis.  She has taught at Southern Connecticut State University and the Yale School of Medicine.   An SCSU graduate, she is also a former HCC student.

This course provides a solid foundation for reporting and newswriting.  You’ll develop a better understanding of what news is and where to find it, learn how to critically analyze the media, as well as how to discover and develop good story ideas as a professional reporter.  You’ll learn how to bring greater balance and depth to your stories, gather credible information through research and interviews, and how to sift through and integrate this information effectively into your stories.  You’ll also learn how to write some of the most common types of news stories and explore and resolve some of the ethical dilemmas journalists face.  You'll have a chance to refine and practice your skills through in- and out-of-class exercises.  Throughout, you’ll focus on developing strategies and writing processes that will enable you to write effectively on a deadline.  This course is also recommended for students who wish to continue developing their writing beyond the composition courses offered here or who want to learn more about writing for the media .  This course will not be offered again until Spring 2010.

COM* 101: Introduction to Mass Communication
ONLINE

Prof. Steve Mark

This course is completely online this semester.  Students need not sign on at any particular time during the week, as long as they meet posted deadlines for assignments.  An optional in-person orientation will be available the first week of classes.

This survey of American print and electronic mass media and communication explores the history and development of mass media in the U.S., how the individual media operate, and the influence of the mass media on us as individuals and on our society.  The course will help students to cultivate media literacy, approaching a range of media critically and analytically. Special emphasis will be given to media ownership and consolidation and the role of emerging technologies on how we produce and consume media.  This course will not be offered again until Spring 2010.

COM*116:  Publications Workshop 1 (formerly CM 116)

M/W 2:00-3:20 OR 6:30-7:50 p.m.

Prerequisite or Parallel:  ENG*101 

Prof. Steve Mark

Get published, obtain valuable experience, build your resume or transfer application, and earn college credit, all at the same time!

In this hands-on course, students join the staff of Horizons, our student-run campus newspaper, contributing writing, photography, editing, and design skills to the publication. You will learn how a newspaper operates, how to generate, refine, and propose strong story ideas for a student newspaper, how to write different types of stories, some simple interview and research strategies, and how to write strong stories integrating outside sources.  We'll also explore newspaper layout and the effective use and placement of photographs and graphics. 

Receiving and giving constructive criticism and critiquing the final published issues of Horizons, you'll develop a clearer sense of how newspapers arrive at a final product and how you can continue to improve.  You'll also receive individual attention and coaching from both the editors and me.  This course is also recommended for students who wish to continue developing their writing beyond the composition courses offered here or who want to learn more about writing for the media.   Learn more about this class by clicking here to see the public course site.

COM *216: Publications Workshop II (formerly CM217)

M/W 2:00-3:20 or 6:30-7:50 p.m.

Prerequisite: COM*116

Prof. Steve Mark

A continuation of Publications I, this course offers students further experience and instruction in writing and editing for Horizons, and the chance to develop more in-depth stories and further develop reporting, writing, and editing skills. You'll also have a chance to learn about and develop online stories for our online magazine, Perspective

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Not Required

Advanced Publications

(Meets with Publications 1 and 2)

Work as an editor or senior staff writer for Horizons, focusing on more in-depth stories and contributing your experience and expertise to helping newer staff members. In order to do so, we'll need to draft a proposal for HUM* 299, Independent Study in Humanities, laying out your goals and responsibilities for the semester.