2023 - Fall

Broadcast Newsroom

Course Number: JOUR-GA 1261.002

Day & Time: Thu | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM [Online]

Location: Online

Instructor: Leah Duncan

This class is designed to give you the tools to work in a newsroom. For much of the semester we will mimic what it is like to work on stories from start to finish, just as you would as if you were working in a real life newsroom. The class is designed to make assignments as real as possible. We’ll also learn about the news business, ethical issues and today’s challenges.

More people continue to get their news from a television newscast, network or local, than any other source. Newscasts come in many different forms, styles and lengths, and can be viewed on the Internet and mobile devices. The goal of this class is to teach students how to produce a newscast, expose them to broadcast news editorial and operational processes, as well as shape a program that is relevant, engaging and distinctive. Students will be given practical experience as on-air reporters and in the process be exposed to news writing, audio recording and video editing, best practices in lighting and sound, on-air interviewing and production for digital and television media.

Over the course of the semester students will work toward producing a pre-recorded newscast to be published on the American Journalism Online Master’s in Journalism Program online publication, The Click Each week students will rotate to a different newsroom role, i.e. director, producer, switcher, audio, anchor, reporter, camera, and so on. Special focus is given to writing, story selection and development, building a lineup, pacing, flow and anchoring techniques. Deadline pressures are emphasized because live broadcasts have to hit their scheduled marks on time. (This course is restricted to students in the American Journalism Online Master’s Program. Because of the intense technical skills required, this class is capped at 10 students.)