In a digital age, information is increasingly important to all professions, but it is truly at the heart of the journalism industry. The news media major stresses the gathering, analysis, and communication of information for all kinds of audiences. Students learn the many ways information is produced by journalists, from the traditional practices of professional news outlets to the emerging practices of media start-ups.
News Media students gain expertise in writing, editing, design, broadcasting, visual communication, videography, multimedia production, history, law, and ethics. They learn to produce journalism for a variety of topics, from politics and social issues to sports, food, fashion, and travel. The program’s graduates are prepared for jobs in the journalism industry and for jobs in many other professions. Employers of all sorts, from business to law to education, are desperate for employees who can write well, visualize ideas, search for supporting evidence, and organize information in engaging and clear ways. A news media degree gives graduates these skills.
The volume of information in our highly mediated society can be overwhelming, and it is the journalist who ensures that the information we get is trustworthy. While the communication skills and liberal arts knowledge that news media majors gain is valuable for their future careers, it's also crucial to good citizenship. As our majors learn to produce the news, they also learn to think critically and ethically about the role that news plays in society.
In classes, laboratories, and campus media, News Media students emphasize the knowledge, values, and skills of journalism: compelling storytelling, strong writing, accurate reporting, sensitive editing, artful presentation, and racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. News Media majors also value critical thinking, teamwork, integrity, public service, the First Amendment, and the appreciation for the free flow of information in a democratic society. The JCM department encourages dual majors when possible and advises that all majors complete internships, work in campus media, and develop relationships with WVUA and the Digital Media Center.
Accelerated Master’s Program in Journalism/News Media
News Media majors admitted into this program will be able to earn both the BA in News Media and MA in Journalism at The University of Alabama in five years. For the highly motivated and academically gifted student, this program offers a faster, more economical plan than earning the degrees separately; a richer undergraduate experience and more courses in the major; and a stronger mentoring relationship with the faculty. Please contact the department for more information.
News Media majors must complete 120 hours for graduation, 43 of which are within the major as outlined below.
In addition to the general education requirements in the University Core curriculum, news media majors are required to complete 4 credits of JCM core classes and an additional 33 credits of news media classes. The final six credits for the major can be any 300-400-level class within JCM, following all pre-requisite rules as listed in the course catalog. Students also must complete a minor or a second major. News Media majors may not complete a minor offered by the Department of Journalism & Creative Media or by the Department of Advertising and Public Relations.
Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements
| Written Composition (6 credits) | Hours |
| EN 101 | English Composition | 3 |
| EN 102 or | English Composition (if eligible or by exam) | 3 |
| EN 103 | Advanced English Composition |
| 6 |
| Foreign Language or Computer Science (8 or 6 credits) | Hours |
| 1 | 8 |
| 1, 2 | 6 |
| Humanities, Literature, and Fine Arts (12 credits) | Hours |
| 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 6 |
| History and Social/Behavioral Sciences (12 credits) | Hours |
| MC 101 | Intro To Mass Communic | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| Natural Science and Mathematics (11 credits) | Hours |
| 8 |
| MATH 110 or | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 112 | Precalculus Algebra |
JCM Department Core (4 credits)
All students are required to take the following department core courses:
| JCM Department Core (4 credits) | Hours |
| JCM 102 | Intro to Med. Content Creation | 3 |
| JCM 103 | Mechanics of Media Writing | 1 |
| Total Hours | 4 |
| News Media Major Requirements (33 credits) | Hours |
| MC 101 | Intro To Mass Communic | 3 |
| JCM 493 | Ethics and Diversity in Media | 3 |
| JCM 499 or | Digital News Capstone | 3 |
| JCM 484 | Sports Portfolio |
| 12 |
| Jou. Principles and Practices | |
| News Writing and Reporting | |
| Adv. News Writing | |
| Sports Writing and Reporting |
| Intro to Electronic Reporting | |
| 6 |
| Mass Comm Law & Regultn | |
| History Mass Communctn | |
| News Analysis |
| Global Media Systems |
| Media Effects |
| Race, Gender and Media |
| Sports & Social Media |
| Issues in Sports Media |
| Sports Media Research |
| 6 |
| Food Writing and Reporting (and) | |
| Specialized Magazine Writing | |
| Visual Journalism | |
| Adv. Design and Visualization | |
| Depth Reporting and Writing (and) | |
| Com News in Dig World | |
| News Media Management (and) | |
| Entrepreneurial Journalism | |
| Working for Television News (and) | |
| Electronic News Producing | |
| TV and Radio Performance |
| Total Hours | 33 |
Electives (6 credits)
| Code and Title | Hours |
| 6 |
| Total Hours | 6 |
Sports Media Concentration
Students planning on completing the sports media concentration must officially declare the concentration on myBama. Students in the sports media concentration will be required to complete six hours of specified major electives and a six-hour course sequence in either Digital Sports are Sports Writing. These 12 hours are completed within the news media major for a total of 43 hours. Additionally, students with a sports media concentration are encouraged to take specific courses in the news media core. These requirements are outlined below:
| Sports Media Concentration | Hours |
| Sports Writing and Reporting 1 | |
| Ethics in Sports Journalism 2 | |
| Sports Portfolio 3 | |
| |
| Issues in Sports Media | |
| Sports & Social Media |
| Sports Media Research |
| JCM 146 | Intro to Sports Communication | 3 |
| 6 |
| Digital Sports Coverage | |
| Sports Documentary | |
| Sports Announcing |
| Adv. Sports Reporting | |
| Analysis of Sports Writing | |
| |
| MC 431 or | Sports & Social Media | |
| JCM 328 or | Sports Announcing |
| JCM 333 or | Working for Television News |
| JCM 425 or | Digital Sports Coverage |
| JCM 435 or | Sports Documentary |
| JCM 382 or | News Media Internship |
| JCM 444 or | Adv. Sports Reporting |
| JCM 445 or | Analysis of Sports Writing |
| JCM 462 or | Motion Graphics |
| MC 431 or | Sports & Social Media |
| MC 446 or | Issues in Sports Media |
| MC 464 or | Sports Media Research |
| PHL 256 or | Philosophy of Sport |
| APR 429 or | Sport, Publicity and Promotion |
| RHM 338 | Sport Mkting and Promotion |
| Total Hours | 12 |
Professional Experience
News Media students should seek a variety of media work experience, exploring opportunities at the campus newspaper and magazines, digital publications, WVUA-TV, campus radio stations, literary magazines, departmental and alumni newsletters and magazines, and in University communications and sports information offices. Students are strongly encouraged to seek internships with professional media organizations throughout their study at UA. The Department of Journalism & Creative Media has ongoing internship programs with The Tuscaloosa News, WVUA-TV and several other local media outlets. Internships may be completed for academic credit when the student has completed 45 semester hours and JCM 303 News Writing and Reporting with a C- or better. Job and internship listings are posted on the college internship website and outside the departmental office. An internship before senior year makes students more marketable when they graduate.
Career Options for News Media Majors
Graduates can work as writers, reporters, television anchors, editors, photographers, designers, broadcasters, producers and content managers at newspapers, magazines, digital publications, television stations, wire services and book publishers. Many also work in public relations, corporate communications, electronic news, political communication or enter law school or graduate school.
Types of Jobs Accepted
Recent graduates have accepted positions as reporters, covering sports, news, features and business in television, web and/or print outlets. Others have found jobs as editors, writers and designers at lifestyle and specialty magazines. One of the fastest-growing segments for jobs is online media, including outlets connected with newspapers, magazines and television stations, as well as web-only publications. Our top students, especially those who dual major in fields such as political science and communication studies, have been successful in gaining admission to law schools.
Jobs of Experienced Alumni
Our alumni hold top positions in media organizations nationally and internationally. Examples include the U.S. Supreme Court reporter for CBS News, the White House reporter for The Chicago Tribune, an online producer at BuzzFeed, a correspondent for The New York Times, the former editor of O Magazine, presidents and CEOs of online news outlets and public relations firms and several television news reporters in Alabama and throughout the Southeast.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center
