JOUR 112B: Social Journalism: The Art of Engaging AudiencesInstructor: Adriana Lacy Prerequisites: None Course Description: Journalism today is so much more than finding, verifying and publishing facts. To succeed in the modern media landscape, journalists nowadays must do all those things, plus engage directly with their audience and understand who will consume their stories and why and how they will consume them. This class is designed to increase your understanding of how news and information flow online and to help you find your place in the media ecosystem. We will accomplish this by first studying the realities of media today, critiquing news organizations’ current practices and output and becoming consumers of news products to further understand and critique that experience. You will also better define your own social media presence. Then, you will draw on your learnings in this class to create journalism that serves a specific audience. You can do this by completing a semester-long project focused on a beat. (Examples of project platforms are a newsletter, a blog, a YouTube channel, an Instagram Stories series, etc.) You must identify your audience at the outset of your project, and you will assess the effectiveness of your efforts though analytics tools and audience surveys. By the end of this class, you should have an online presence that’s impressive to potential employers: robust and professional social media profiles befitting of a young, modern journalist or professional; a portfolio site showcasing your work; and a growing audience that’s engaged with your reporting on a specific story or beat. You will also demonstrate a keen understanding of the realities of online publishing today and develop the critical thinking skills necessary to allow you to adapt throughout your career. Session: Session II Day: M, T, W, Th Time: 11:20am - 1:40pm Credit Hours: 4 Credits Course Format: Remote Learning Course for Summer 2024 Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DL, SS, WI Enrollment Limit: Course Classification: Undergraduate Level Course Course Tuition: $3,700 Course Fees: None Open to High School Students: Yes |
