2026 - Spring

Elective Reporting Topics: Social Media and Search Skills for Journalists

Course Number: JOUR-UA 204.002

Day & Time: Mon | 6 PM – 9:40 PM

Location: 20 Cooper Square, Room 659

Prerequisite: Journalistic Inquiry: The Written Word (JOUR-UA 101)

For many, TikTok is the new evening news. And Google allows users to get the news
on their own specific terms.

Social media and search have transformed the dynamics of mass media. Journalists
must embrace social media and search as they aim to reach the masses. One reason:
40% of Americans get their news often from search or social media, more than
television or news websites and apps, according to the nonprofit/nonpartisan Pew
Foundation.

This course places you where the career paths and eyeballs are. We seize
opportunities to connect with the digital audience. Social media skills, for example, are
in-demand by every news operation; those skills go far beyond what you know from
everyday posting and scrolling. And while you know the basics of how Google search
works, we’ll explore how newsrooms strategize their headlines, story choices, photos
and video for maximum reach.