The Media School
Specialization in News Writing – Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements JORS27
Requirements
The specialization requires at least 9 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Advanced Writing. One (1) course:
- MSCH-J 303
- MSCH-J 315 Feature Writing
- MSCH-J 341 News Reporting
- MSCH-J 342 Magazine Reporting
- MSCH-J 343 Broadcast News
MSCH-J 315 Feature Writing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251 or MSCH-C 225; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Emphasis placed on developing story ideas, identifying sources, organizing materials, planning, and outlining a story. Also covers techniques for capturing the reader's interest.
MSCH-J 341 News Reporting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251, or consent of instructor
- Description
- Covers techniques of gathering, analyzing, and writing news and features for print and online publication. Provides practice in interviewing, observation, and use of documentary references that include computer information retrieval and analysis skills.
MSCH-J 342 Magazine Reporting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Covers techniques of gathering, analyzing, and writing material for specialized and general circulation magazines. Provides practice in interviewing, observation, and use of documentary references that include computer information retrieval and analysis skills.
MSCH-J 343 Broadcast News
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251
- Description
- Basic television newsgathering skills, including generation of strong visual story ideas, shooting and editing with digital equipment and application of broadcast news ethics. Practice in telling stories effectively using video, natural sound, interviews and words. Emphasizes enterprise reporting, interviewing techniques and writing for broadcast.
- Advanced Skills. Two (2) courses:
- MSCH-F 204 Topics in Media, Culture, and Society (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
- MSCH-F 375 Race, Gender, and Representation (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
- MSCH-J 303
- MSCH-J 315 Feature Writing
- MSCH-J 341 News Reporting
- MSCH-J 342 Magazine Reporting
- MSCH-J 351 News Editing
- MSCH-J 352
- MSCH-J 360 Journalism Topics (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
- MSCH-J 401 Depth Reporting and Editing
- MSCH-J 460 Advanced Journalism Topics (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
- MSCH-J 481 Creating an Indiana Magazine
- MSCH-X 478 Field Experience in Media (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
- INTL-I 305 Advanced Topics in Culture and Politics (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
MSCH-F 204 Topics in Media, Culture, and Society
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Relationship between communication media and a range of social institutions, practices, and beliefs. Course may focus on a particular medium and/or period (e.g., television and family, film and the Cold War, censorship and the media). Topic varies.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in CMCL-C 204 and MSCH-F 204.
- Spring 2026CASE SHcourse
MSCH-F 375 Race, Gender, and Representation
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Construction of race and gender identities across a range of media. Emphasis on the power of sound/image representations to shape and contest ideas about race and gender. Topic varies.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in CMCL-C 412, JOUR-J 375, or MSCH-F 375.
- Spring 2026CASE SHcourse
MSCH-J 315 Feature Writing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251 or MSCH-C 225; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Emphasis placed on developing story ideas, identifying sources, organizing materials, planning, and outlining a story. Also covers techniques for capturing the reader's interest.
MSCH-J 341 News Reporting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251, or consent of instructor
- Description
- Covers techniques of gathering, analyzing, and writing news and features for print and online publication. Provides practice in interviewing, observation, and use of documentary references that include computer information retrieval and analysis skills.
MSCH-J 342 Magazine Reporting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Covers techniques of gathering, analyzing, and writing material for specialized and general circulation magazines. Provides practice in interviewing, observation, and use of documentary references that include computer information retrieval and analysis skills.
MSCH-J 351 News Editing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 251; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Workshop in fundamentals of editing daily news for both print and online formats. Emphasis on news judgment, fairness, accuracy, editorial balance, grammar, style, language fluency, leadership skills, legal concerns and ethics in the newsroom. Practice in editing copy, writing headlines and cutlines, designing print and online pages, working with multimedia features and making sound, ethical decisions on deadline.
MSCH-J 360 Journalism Topics
- Credits
- 1–4 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Focuses on emerging trends in journalism. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 enrollments and 18 credit hours in JOUR-J 360 and MSCH-J 360.
MSCH-J 401 Depth Reporting and Editing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- C- or better in MSCH-C 251, or consent from instructor
- Description
- Study and practice in using depth reporting techniques including immersion and investigative reporting in collaboration with photographers and multimedia specialists. Students learn to pitch, shape and focus story ideas that forge words and pictures into multimedia presentations. Class will plan, report and edit news stories in depth.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours in JOUR-J 401 and MSCH-J 401.
MSCH-J 460 Advanced Journalism Topics
- Credits
- 1–4 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- At least junior standing; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Advanced seminar in journalism. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated for credit up to 4 times.
MSCH-J 481 Creating an Indiana Magazine
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Consent of instructor
- Description
- Students in this course produce 812: The Magazine for Southern Indiana. They study the magazine's editorial philosophy and its target audience and voice; develop an editorial line-up; report and write the stories; shoot the photos and video; write the headlines; edit the copy; design the pages; and produce the magazine in print, online and as iPad editions (with the help of the MSCH-J 465 Graphic Design II class).
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of JOUR-J 481 or MSCH-J 481.
MSCH-X 478 Field Experience in Media
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- Application for internship credit approved by the school
- Notes
- Application is available on the Media School website
- Description
- Topical course integrating classroom and field experience. Includes 10-day field experience during or after term offered. Field experience will change based on topic.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated for credit with different topics in JOUR-J 418, MSCH-J 418, and MSCH-X 478.
INTL-I 305 Advanced Topics in Culture and Politics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Advanced topics in the study of culture and governance. The focus is on relationships of power and authority, including how governments, markets, and international organizations deploy or use culture, and how people turn to cultural resources to resist attempts to govern them and/or to assert their own political aims.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
- Specialization GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the specialization.
- A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the specialization—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Exceptions to specialization requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.