2023 – Spring

Writing for a Wide Audience *for non-journalism students

Course Number: JOUR-GA 60.001

Day & Time: Tues | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Location: 20 Cooper Square, Room 657

Expressly designed for graduate students outside of the Journalism Department.

Writing for A Wide Audience is grounded in the idea that expertise is a wasted (and often unlovely) thing if not shared with non-experts. The purpose of the course is to help you, the budding expert/specialist, learn how to write for the public — people outside your academic discipline. You will work on writing that is rigorous, but never jargon-riddled or obscure; accessible to readers who don’t share your water-cooler; and compelling to people with little previous knowledge of its subject.

This class is a workshop, which means that you will have several writing assignments during the semester: I estimate a minimum of 10 in 15 weeks. You must come to class prepared not only to discuss your own work, but also to evaluate your classmates’ writing.

The writing assignment will be due no later than the morning of the day before class. You will email it to me (and post it on a shared Google Document). Come prepared to discuss it in class. You have to have read your classmates’ work before class, too, so you can all critique each other (robustly, but cordially).

Class participation is 25% of your grade. The other 75% is based on your writing.

I am available after class hours by appointment, and always available on email.

The syllabus will be sent to you in installments by email. This allows me to be flexible, and to tailor your learning to the general mood of the class and the news around us.

***Always bring your laptop to class***

Class Motto: WRITING IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE ANYTHING BUT FUN.