Journalism & Creative Media Courses
Introduction to story introduces students to narrative structure across a variety of media including film, television, news, documentary, and emerging media.
An introductory course designed to familiarize students with the storytelling technologies that they may be required to utilize while pursuing a degree in Journalism & Creative Media.
The logic of sentence and paragraph structure in the context of media writing, with an emphasis on grammar, punctuation, word choice, conciseness and accuracy. This online course is required for news media, creative media and advertising/public relations majors.
Development of the cinema, with emphasis on relation of technical advances to film content and style.
This course serves as a foundation to the study and analysis of sports media and provides an overview of professional pathways.
This introductory survey course gives students a first look at the history and professional practices of journalism and electronic news by examining both legacy and contemporary media.
JCM 200 is a survey of how the practices of journalism and news work in the context of a humanities course. Students should be able to deconstruct various stories in the news media to understand how economic, social, and ethical principles affect news reporting. In addition, the class covers the ethical and legal principles that guide journalists and the historical context in which the journalism evolved as a key player in democratic societies.
This course introduces students to the theories, concepts and techniques of professional video production and post-production, as well as the fundamentals, history and evolution of the visual language of the moving image. Topics include camera operation and technique, lighting design, sound recording, video editing, story development, and the ethical principles behind producing digital media. In this hands-on course, students will produce short video projects that emphasize visual storytelling, technical proficiency and creative authorship, while learning to critique their own and their peers work with a critical eye.
This course introduces students to the theories and techniques of digital video and computer based post-production. Students will learn the ins and outs of the Adobe Premiere editing system, focusing on media management, efficient editing practices, sound and image manipulation, codec preferences and conversion, and exporting/uploading files to the web. This will primarily be a technical class, focusing on proficiency with the Adobe Premiere application, however the course also covers fundamental editing theory, the evolution of the medium and its impact on the editing craft, and key editing terminology and techniques. Projects will include both scripted and non-fiction material. Required reading will be accompanied by required viewing, in addition to practical editing assignments. Course instruction will only consider the Mac OS platform, however, the Adobe Premiere application is very similar for Windows PC’s. This course assumes a basic working knowledge of the Mac OS, including how digital files are transferred and the basic language associated with using the Mac interface. Computing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course.
Film and Media Theory introduces JCM students to a variety of critical cultural humanistic methods and approaches to evaluating film, television, and emerging media.
This course provides a deep dive into the platforms, structures, cultures, and practices of the social media era, and it emphasizes the processes and practices of news and creative media industries and audiences, including the values, ethics, and aesthetics of the contemporary media environment. Social media are ubiquitous in our everyday lives, but now, more than ever, it is important to think critically about the ways they shape our media use, social interactions, and perceptions of the world around us. The course is divided into three parts: media industries, social audiences, and cultural trends. In the first part of the course, we’ll take a close look at the practices, values, and ethics of platforms and media professionals. In the second part of the course, we’ll examine social media audiences, with an eye toward developing a critical understanding of the media environment around us. Finally, the third part of the course will bring you up to speed on some ongoing cultural trends involving social media.
This course introduces the skills required for basic news writing and reporting. The contents of this course are designed to help you learn how news stories are constructed and how the news industry operates. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Program planning, development and strategies for radio and television stations, networks, cable systems, and syndication. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Advanced practice of newsgathering and newswriting for specialized topic areas ranging from government, education to more soft news and human interest stories. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course will help students reach a better understanding of the documentary by exploring its contemporary development, its many genres, and the journalistic and ethical questions that arise in documentary production. By studying this complex and often controversial form, students will become more knowledgeable as media consumers, and more thoughtful as producers of multimedia material.
Visual journalism is the use of visual elements, rather than simple type, to present information and ideas. This course allows students to study and practice various forms of visual journalism including newspaper and magazine design, information graphics and photo editing. This course requires students to master the industry standard software used to create these products — Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Lightroom and HTML — while thinking creatively and critically.
This course covers the preparation of copy for publication across media platforms, with an emphasis on careful writing, accuracy and presentation. In this class, you will study and learn the art of connecting language with shared meaning in a news context. By the end of the course, you should have the skills necessary to land entry-level professional editing jobs and you should have gained a conceptual foundation that will serve you well in higher editing positions.
This course will familiarize students with the ways in which industry research professionals think about their work and about the opportunities and challenges they face as they assess audiences in our highly competitive, rapidly evolving, and increasingly complicated media environment.
In this course students will learn how to cover live sporting events, including writing game stories, covering press conferences and writing feature profiles. The course will operate much the same as a real-world newsroom. You will receive hands-on experience in news gathering, interviewing and writing for print and online media. You also will learn to brainstorm and pitch story ideas, which is an invaluable skill in today’s media environment. The course is driven by deadlines. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
A practical approach to techniques necessary for effective presentation on radio, television, and the internet; emphasizes copy interpretation, interview skills, and studio and field performance for microphone and camera.
Visual Journalism is a 3-credit-hour beginning course that will help students of all abilities learn about visual tools used in the gathering and distribution of news. This course will challenge students, intellectually and technically, regardless of the prior experience and skills each brings to class. No prior knowledge of visual reporting is required.
Students will explore the principles and practice of broadcast sports announcing including play-by-play, analysis, and sideline reporting skills through examination, discussion, and execution. The class gives students a chance to put pre-production, background research and interview skills into practice by calling games for television and radio broadcasts.
Students will learn the terminology of the electronic reporting industry and will begin writing for broadcast. This course also covers basic equipment used in the newsroom and in the field.
The purpose of this class is to build electronic news skills. Students will build on skills such as writing for broadcast, shooting video, editing video and audio, on-air delivery, enterprising story ideas, finding different angles on stories, and how to evaluate the finished product. This course concentrates on broadcast news, emphasizing on-camera work and the various responsibilities involved in studio and remote production.
This course focuses on voice, music, and sound effects, and the impact they have on the visual image. It addresses the principles of recording sound and explains sound characteristics, basic acoustics, ergonomics, and proper audio recording techniques for field and studio recording, as well as time code and mixing.
This class will give students the skills they need to adjust to a variety of modern and emerging media. Students will produce media projects that build on the skills they already possess from previous classes. Students will prepare and present news and sports for various media outlets, including online and web formats.
Intermediate Visual journalism will help students expand their photography skills and use them in the gathering and distribution of news. This course will challenge students who already have a basic working knowledge of the camera, intellectually and technically.
This course is designed to learn the elements of screenplay: structure, plot, character arc, subplot, inciting incident, climax, resolution, visual storytelling, dialogue, subtext, secondary characters. Writing will be critiqued and work-shopped by peers. It is imperative to read all work by peers, reading assignments and participate in discussion. This is a Writing course. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course. Rubrics will be available for each assignment.
This course is designed to teach students about the elements of screenplay for television: structure, plot, character arc, subplot, inciting incident, climax, resolution, visual storytelling, dialogue, subtext, secondary characters. Writing will be critiqued and work-shopped by peers.
This course equally emphasizes modes of visual storytelling and technical practices using digital video cameras and lighting techniques. This course will help students develop creative vision, sharpen aesthetic understand, and advance technical skills. The goal is to take an idea and learn how to bring them to the screen. This hands-on workshop will group students in production teams for working in in-class exercises and for filming outside of class meeting hours. It is a production & time intensive course.
This course is designed to help students understand the elements of narrative, essentials of production, working with crew, understanding set structure, mastering multiple cameras, grip and lighting equipment, visual storytelling in multiple genres and media.
Study of and practice in production techniques and skills used in organizing location shoots for television, film, documentaries, and commercials.
Analysis of current issues and practices in news media and/or creative media under the supervision of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit provided the topics are different.
JCM 381 offers students the opportunity to experience the professional work environment where skills and principles they have learned in the classroom setting are applied. The practicum for qualified undergraduates is conducted under the joint supervision of the Journalism and Creative Media Department and an appropriate organization. Many practicum-level experiences are available through organizations located on campus in the Digital Media Center.
JCM 382 offers students the opportunity to apply in a professional work environment the skills and principles they have learned in the classroom setting. The internship is a part-time or full-time job experience for qualified undergraduates conducted under the joint supervision of the Journalism and Creative Media Department and a profession media organization.
JCM 383 offers students the opportunity to apply in a professional work environment the skills and principles they have learned in the creative media classroom setting. The internship is a part-time or full-time job experience for qualified undergraduates conducted under the joint supervision of the Journalism and Creative Media Department and a profession media organization.
Understanding prospective clients' businesses; knowledge and application of audience research; application of the marketing model; understanding of effective media mix and advertiser buying influences; assessment of competitive advantages; and written presentations.
Reporting and writing longer news and feature stories for publication in print and online. Students learn advanced techniques in information gathering, story organization, non-fiction writing and multimedia elements. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Study of selected topics in United States film. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course uses a critical-cultural studies approach to analyzing gender and popular music in order to better examine gendered sites within music culture. It draws upon theories and methodologies associated with media studies, popular music criticism, sociology, musicology, sound studies, cultural studies, performance studies, fan studies, star studies, ethnography, literary analysis, women’s and gender studies, critical race theory, and queer studies. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course will help develop knowledge of the “cult film” as it has been understood and received historically and culturally. This course will provide strategies that mainstream understandings of cult film have constructed to exclude predominantly Black cast and Black themed films as well as their audience.
The purpose of this class is to build on the sports skills that you should already possess. We will build on skills such as writing, shooting video, on-air delivery, enterprising story ideas, finding different angles on stories, and how to evaluate your work and your colleagues’ work. Topics will include on-camera work and the various responsibilities involved in sports production. This course will also include discussion of current issues in broadcast sports, ethics, and professional career possibilities.
This course focuses on editing, production and visual storytelling for print and digital media, including magazines and periodicals as an editorial standard. This class combines lectures, student presentations, in-class assignments/discussion and project work.
Study of the role of American news media in influencing public opinion through editorial/opinion writing and news analysis. Practice in persuasive writing and using evidence and research to craft an effective argument. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course will introduce students to the (preproduction, production and postproduction) theories and techniques of multicamera productions. There will be a major emphasis on hands-on instruction in this class throughout the entire semester. In addition, this class will emphasize live directing theory and execution, and multicamera studio/field techniques. Students will learn the language, protocol, and aesthetics used to produce industry standard multicamera programs. This is a course that allows students to experience all aspects of multicamera video production with an emphasis on directing, technical directing and camera operation.
This is an advanced production course focusing on television and film production. The students will serve as a production team responsible for the conceiving, shooting, editing and delivering of broadcast-ready content for television or film outlets.
This course introduces students to advanced editing skills. Students will learn the functionality of the software, as well as discuss the proper way to approach getting material in and out of the system. Students will elevate their editing abilities with emphasis on techniques, understanding performance, pacing and visual story structure, integration of motion graphics and music, advanced project organization, and prepping a project for professional sound and picture finishing.
The course will give students a better understanding of the theory and practice of sports documentary production. Students will explore the contemporary development, its many genres, and the journalistic and ethical questions that arise in the production of sports documentaries. Students will also research and create mini-documentaries on sport-related topics.
This course is designed to give students an overview of journalism and the process and pedagogy of instructing K-12 and college journalism classes.
Instruction in directing for television and film with an emphasis on directing actors, blocking for the camera, and narrative production techniques. Course includes the production of short fiction projects on digital video.
Directors and producers will work in a collaborative environment to create a short film to be put on the festival circuit. Directors will learn the elements of narrative, working with actors, visual storytelling, and collaborative communicative skills. Producers will work with the directors to secure funding, talent, location, crew, and equipment. Producers will learn to lead a production, budget for a short film, and lock picture in time for the festival circuit.
Documentary production is an advanced level production class in which students create serious original video projects. This course guides students through the design, pre-production planning, production, postproduction and subsequent evaluation of individual and group documentary project(s). Instruction topics include contemporary visual storytelling, cinematic philosophies, ethical issues, research, funding, and distribution.
This course is designed to help students understand writing and editing of long-form articles for publication in print and online depth magazines. Students will learn advanced narrative non-fiction writing techniques and how to gather information for longer feature stories. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
The course will provide students with hands-on experience writing about STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math. It will operate much the same as a real-world newsroom. Students will receive hands-on experience in news gathering, interviewing and writing for print and online media. Students will also will learn to brainstorm and pitch story ideas.
This course covers advanced techniques in reporting and writing for sports media. Students analyze published work, begin their own sports blog and write several articles, including two in-depth pieces. Several of the nation’s most prominent sportswriters will join us either in person or via Skype to offer insight into what it takes to flourish in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
Students will analyze multiple pieces of longform, narrative journalism that have some connection to sports. This analysis will focus in large part on the finished story itself, but students will also look into the story’s cultural context and the process through which it came in to the world.
This course is designed to help you understand the issues pertinent to news, from its production, function, effects to external influences on news. We will look at what constitute news; who are the professionals producing news; who are the people consuming news; what factors affect production and consumption. We will also examine how news serves its audience and society and how news affects the social, economic and political processes. Finally we will examine how news can be manipulated and how news bias affects media credibility. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course is designed as an upper level, advanced production course. Its emphasis is placed on utilizing and elevating previously learned technical skills, while students explore their cinematic voices though a conceptual and aesthetically focused narrative project. The course encourages creative risk taking within the pragmatic workflow of producing a short film.
Development of leadership skills for managing media organizations in the global environment. Students will analyze media industries and media data, review case studies and try to resolve media challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of a digitized media world.
In this course students will learn about film, television, new media and industry through internships and required class activities in Los Angeles. We will network with professionals, attend industry events, film festivals, screenings and master classes, tour graduate film programs, visit working Hollywood studios, and network with many UA alumni. This course aims to help students gain insight in and preparation for careers in creative media industries.
This course extends the learning goals of JCM 452: JCM IN LOS ANGELES INDUSTRY TOUR, where students continue to intern at a Los Angeles-based film, television or media company, and attend career enriching course activities including studio tours, networking events, and meetings with industry professionals.
Advanced study and practice in the skills needed for successful production management, including professional software. Emphasis placed on critical thinking, problem solving and team building.
This foundational course teaches the culture, practices and ethics of entrepreneurship applied to new, journalism-related ventures, with the aim of helping to preserve quality journalism amid industry disruption and shrinkage.
This course introduces students to software in motion graphics creation platforms. Students will develop their creative abilities with emphasis on element creation, green screen technology, practical vs. digital effects, further developing an understanding of codecs, prepping a project for professional sound and picture finishing, and executing the final phases of post-production including output.
This course is designed to help students understand the elements of feature film writing in a 90-120 page format. Students will write a short film and expand the narrative into a feature. Students will do pre-writing such as character biographies, outlines, treatments, and look books to establish the overall vision of the feature script. Students will develop a writing process and will do extensive revision. Students will participate in workshops to critique peer work. All students will submit to the Holle Award for screenwriting. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This course is designed to explore the varied ways that race and gender intersect with the media industry. Time spent in class will largely consist of deconstructing a number of media industries, including film, television and digitized video, to show just how race and gender operate within media industries.
An interdisciplinary course focusing on documentary filmmaking. The aim of the class is to teach students how to use film to document and analyze the many dimensions of culture and social experience at issue when focusing on a story of justice or injustice in Alabama. The course involves study in documentary theory and history and the ethics of cinematic nonfiction.
Documenting Justice is a specialized interdisciplinary course in documentary filmmaking. Harnessing a wide variety of perspectives drawn from disciplines across the humanities, the aim of the class is to teach students how to use film to document and analyze the many dimensions of culture and social experience at issue when focusing on a story of justice or injustice in Alabama. The course involves study in documentary theory and history and the ethics of cinematic nonfiction, culminating in the creation (in pairs) of an original film.
A specialized interdisciplinary service-learning course in narrative nonfiction. Focusing on a single story of injustice, the class collaborates to use film, audio and other media to create a rich, web-based narrative in its broader social and historical context.
An interdisciplinary course focusing on documentary filmmaking. The aim of the class is to teach students how to use film to document and analyze the many dimensions of culture and social experience at issue when focusing on a story of justice or injustice in Alabama. The course involves study in documentary theory and history and the ethics of cinematic nonfiction.
This course will support the production of video projects working with clients. Aimed at teaching student producers who have primarily produced content independently or as part of class projects, this course will show creative producers how to work “for hire” on projects with campus partners and community organizations who will serve as “clients.” The course will engage students in commercial production where they must develop ideas and produce video projects for a client, develop ideas, pitch to clients, filming in studios and on location, and learn how to work through feedback notes from clients. The aim of this course is to help student understand how to develop projects working with campus partners, community organizations and act as producers, directors and crew to create work “for hire.”.
The aim of this course is to advance understanding and technical skills in the scope of production for hire. Students work in production crews to develop projects for clients.
In this course students will learn the business practices as well as the editorial leadership roles associated with producing a magazine. The course will culminate by printing a student-produced magazine in which every student has played a role in the writing, reporting, and photographing of people and cultures in different countries.
This course is the most advanced skills course in the University’s sports media sequence It draws heavily on the writing journalistic, production, and performance skills learned in prior classes. Students will enhance their video, writing and editing skills produce a high-quality sports-related product.
Students adopt staff roles at Dateline Alabama, a news site showcasing the original work of journalism students at the University of Alabama. Students produce and publish original articles, photography, multimedia stories and other reportage. Through team-based coverage, students will shine light on the important events, issues and people of our communities: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and the state of Alabama. Students will hone the skills they need to succeed as professional journalists, finishing the semester with the portfolios needed to land internships and jobs.
This course teaches a number of methods for testing news content to determine the effectiveness of that content. Students will learn when it is appropriate to use which methods, along with the limitations of each method, to create better information and storytelling for audiences and communities.
This class provides a real world experience of how to produce news, weather, and sports content for a television station, network, or cable outlet. By producing daily newscasts, students gain extensive experience in writing for broadcast and producing content for various story forms. The emphasis is on the organization and analysis of newsworthy content as well as understanding how to work as a news team to put together a professional on-air product.
This course supports the professional development of JCM media production (application track) majors interested on careers in film, television or broader media industry careers. This course helps to prepare graduates to enter the competitive and challenging landscape of the industry. The course engages students in industry research, career mapping, building resumes, drafting cover letters and exploring formats for portfolios. Students study industry hierarchy and structure, research companies, industry terminology, and learn how to plan successful paths from graduation to a career in the entertainment industry.
Examination of current issues and ethical practices in the field of journalism. Students complete a major research project on issues and ethics. This includes discussion of current events, of course, but through the prism of a systematic study of applied ethics. This class focuses on the “why” of journalism and creative media.
The way media are produced and consumed by audiences is influenced by the different cultures, politics and economics of particular countries, by global economic systems, by political and economic relationships across countries, by growing “cosmopolitan” sameness, and by changing technologies. Students will explore these global trends, and how media systems work in particular countries and in particular industries. Comparisons of media across different cultural and political-economic contexts, media production techniques, and various norms and values of professional media workers will be discussed along with theories that explain why we such variety exists.
Students will explore and discuss project packaging, development labs, fundraising, budgeting, business plans, contracts, distribution platforms, self-distribution, and film festivals, among other topics. After completing this course, each student will have development and distribution strategies for a future and/or current project, as well as a solid foundational understanding of how to navigate the film and television industries.
This class will give students the skills they need to adjust to a variety of modern and emerging media. Students will produce media projects that build on the skills they already possess from previous classes. Students will prepare and present news and sports for various media outlets, including online and web formats.
Mass Communications Courses
Introduction to the fields of communication, including theory, law and regulation, history, social implications, and mass media operations.
Study of laws and regulations affecting the mass media and the fields of mass communication. May be taken for graduate credit.
Overview and application of the methods used in quantitative and qualitative mass communication research.
Study of the historical development of mass communication. May be taken for graduate credit. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
In this service-learning designated class, students study and analyze mass communication issues of diversity as they relate to groups in society. Students work with area partners on projects related to reaching diverse, mass audiences. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
The purpose of this course is to explore the general character and dimensions of the cross-disciplinary field of political communication. The principal aim is to familiarize each participant with the literature and propositions surrounding key approaches, methods, and substantive areas of inquiry in political communications. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
The structure and function of media organizations. The decision-making processes inherent in running complex media businesses. Effective leadership styles. Traditional marketing perspectives applied to media. Laws and regulations that affect media management. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.
This discussion-oriented class examines the mass media through the lenses of race, ethnicity and gender. The course helps future media practitioners be aware of their roles in creating content that reflects increasingly multicultural audiences. Using current, contemporary and classic media texts, students critically analyze media messages and understand the importance of a diverse workforce.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of video game media as it pertains to students preparing for careers in the entertainment industry, news, creative media, computer programming and related careers. Video games are a globally relevant medium that entertain, educate, inform us; define and are defined by contemporary culture. The course will prepare students for developing projects that can be used as part of their professional portfolios as they prepare for their careers.
This course will focus on the connections and engagement of social media within sports communication. This will include topics such as personal/professional branding, audience analytics, media campaigns and messaging.
This course is designed to synthesize work in mass communication to be able to construct and critique arguments about modern sports media issues and controversies.
The purpose of this course is to introduce core sports media research scholarship to make students literate on this research. By the end of the class, students should be able to interpret, critique, and advance knowledge that can be gleaned from sports media researchers.
Special topics in mass communication theory and research. May be taken for graduate credit.