Quick Link: Enrollment Information
Students interested in an electronic news career should enter the journalism sequence. Courses prepare students for reporting and on-air broadcasting of news, sports and other information-related programming. (Those pursuing production and non-news aspects of the electronic media should enter the electronic media production sequence.)
| Electronic Journalism | ||
| MC 110 | Mass Communication in Society | 3 |
| MC 195 | Information Gathering | 3 |
| MC 200 | News and Feature Writing | 3 |
| MC 251 | Video News Production | 3 |
| MC 303 | Advanced News and Feature Writing | 3 |
| MC 306 | Audio News Production | 3 |
| MC 406 | Advanced Electronic News Reporting | 3 |
| MC 466 | Law of Mass Communication | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| MC 404 | Public Affairs Reporting | |
| MC 471 | Audio Techniques | |
| MC 481 | Video Techniques | |
| MC 491 | Mass Communication Internship | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| MC 685 | Media Management | |
| MC 710 | History of Journalism | |
| MC 720 | Ethics in Mass Communications | |
| Electives (at least one 3-hour course at 500-level or above) | 9 | |
| Total | 39 | |
The electronic journalism curriculum requires a minimum of four semesters to complete, since the skills courses progressively build upon one another. For students who begin the major as juniors or seniors, this sequential order of courses may result in a later graduation date.
The School strictly adheres to course prerequisites. Here is the curriculum in detail:
Mass Communication in Society (MC 110) Pr: none. This course should be taken in a student's first year in JMC. This large lecture-style course provides a broad historical and social overview of mass communications and its role and impact in society.
Information Gathering (MC 195) Pr: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MC 110. Search strategies for journalists and other mass communicators, with an emphasis on idenitfying, locating and evaluating information sources.
News and Feature Writing (MC 200) Pr: A passing course on the CST and a 2.5 GPA upon completion of 12 or more credit hours. This course offers a foundation in gathering information and writing it accurately, logically and compellingly.
Video News Production (MC 251) Pr: MC 200 with a grade of C or better. The fundamental production skills associated with producing video news, including basic news writing, camera operation and editing techniques.
Advanced News and Feature Writing (MC 303) Pr: MC 200 with a grade of C or better. This advanced course is intended to improve the depth of students' reporting and writing skills, and to hone their ability to think like journalists.
Audio News Production (MC 306) Pr: MC 200 with a grade of C or better. This course offers experience in gathering, writing, editing and presenting news for radio and television.
Public Affairs Reporting (MC 404) Pr: MC 303 with a grade of C or better. The course focuses on investigative reporting of local, state and national affairs.
Advanced Electronic News Reporting (MC 406) Pr: MC 306 with a grade of C or better. With KSDB-FM and local TV news outlets, this course emphasizes local reporting techniques, in-depth writing and broadcast news production methods.
Law of Mass Communications (MC 466) Pr: Junior standing. This course examines freedom of expression and the limitations that exist in such areas as libel, privacy, copyright, obscenity, advertising, corporate speech and broadcasting.
Audio Techniques (MC 471) Pr: MC 276 with a grade of C or better. This course helps students acquire more in-depth audio recording, editing and overall production skills.
Video Techniques (MC 481) Pr: MC 276 with a grade of C or better. This class provides field and studio production opportunities, with heavy emphasis on editing.
Mass Communication Internship (MC 491) Pr: For production internships, completion of either MC 461, 471 or 481; for RTV sales/promotion internships, completion of MC 276 and 421, 655 or 685. The student works in a professional capacity under proper professional and faculty supervision with reports from student and supervisor required.
Media Management (MC 685) Pr: MC 110 or junior standing. The course examines the issues, ethics and practices in managing media companies, with special emphasis on problems and practices in converged media operations.
History of Journalism (MC 710) Pr: Graduate standing, or senior standing with a 2.5 GPA and completion of a U.S. history course. This course examines the growth and development of the news media in the United States and their economic, political and social significance.
Ethics in Mass Communications (MC 720) Pr: Graduate standing, or senior standing with a 2.5 GPA and completion of a philosophy course. This course focuses on the moral analysis, argument and decision-making by the mass communicator, with linkage of ethics to the conduct of media professionals in the United States.
Electives: 9 or more credit hours in the major are required to have the minimum 39 credit hours. Any course in the school qualifies, but students must meet the prerequisite requirements for potential elective courses. One course, or 3 credit hours, must be at the 500-level or greater.