Journalism Minor (Florham)

COMM2001 What is communication? This is the question that drives this course. The question is deceptively simple since you can probably provide an answer with little difficulty. You may say something like ?Communication is the transmission of ideas from a source to a receiver,? or something very similar. Answers to the question, ?What is communication?? have been dominated by a very particular tradition of Northern American scholarship since the early part of the Twentieth Century. Words like ?source,? ?receiver,? ?effectiveness,? and ?transmission,? have not only formed the basis of our common sense understanding of what communication is. They have also organized communication research in both America and Europe since the 1950?s. The structure of this course reflects the fact that there are two main schools in the study of communication. The first see communication as the transmission of messages. It is concerned with how senders and receivers encode and decode and sees communication as a process by which one person affects the behavior or the state of mind of another. The second school sees communication as the production and exchange of meanings. It is concerned with how people interact with messages or texts in order to produce meaning, and examines the roles of texts in our culture. This course will examine both areas of communication study.

COMM2011 A survey course in the history of journalism in America, with emphasis on the development of principles of modern journalistic practice, including broadcasting.

COMM2345 This course will give students the opportunity to develop or enhance their writing portfolio by completing journalistic assignments for the College at Florham's campus newspaper, The Metro. Students will gain real world experience with newsgathering, interviewing, preparation of copy and copy editing, proofreading, headline writing, page layout and design, and picture editing

COMM2851 In the 21st century, journalism will continue to include a strong visual component but photographers can no longer take images of current events and simply submit them to editors, they must be able to manipulate those images electronically and transmit photos to home offices from anywhere across the globe. Today, visual journalists are also expected to be able to write captions and short stories to accompany the visuals. In COMM 2851, students will learn to rcognize newsworthy images, become proficient (using a single lens reflex digital camera) in taking digital images, developing, processing and transmitting these images for both print and electronic media. Students will also work on captions and short stories ro accompany these images.

COMM3012 Practical instruction in newswriting, feature writing and reporting and interviewing for newspapers. How to cover and write about meetings, speeches, crime, the courts and business. Standard news style and ethical and legal limitations on the press.

COMM3013 Practice in writing feature articles for magazines, newspapers and other print media.

COMM3016 Practical instruction in editing copy and writing headlines for newspapers. Also covers standard news style, newsroom routine, newsroom technology, wire services, photo editing, typography, page makeup and design and ethical and legal limitations on the press.

COMM3018 The history and contemporary trends in print, broadcast and computer media; investigation of issues of media ethics, censor- ship and media law as well as the social and psychological impact of communication media.

COMM3223 Impact of the law on the mass communications media, including libel, slander, copyright and privacy. Spring

COMM3248 This course will prepare students to write for the electronic news media. In addition to developing the skills necessary for writing good radio and television news copy and promotional/ commercial copy, students will also discuss current issues (ethics, legal issues and history) as well as current events in broadcast journalism. Writing projects will be completed both individualy and in teams and sample asignments may include radio and television commercials, broadcast news copy, broadcast interviews, public service announcements, and dramatic pieces.

COMM3431 Examination of and practical exercises in sports information writing; gathering news and writing basic sports stories and press releases; designing and writing brochures and other publicity material; interviewing techniques; information sources and outlets; setting up and operating "gameday" activities.

COMM3432 This course is one of the Sports & Movement minor electives. It is concerned with the news and feature writing of sports events, including reportorial skills, photography, and opinion writing. Attention given also to public relations and promotion of sports and sports events.

COMM4001 Practical experience in communication in a professional setting.

ENGW3005 Study and practice in writing critical essays and reviews from short program notes to newspaper notices to full-scale critiques. Examination of style and approach of leading cultural journalists and house styles of major cultural journals.

ENGW3013 Practice in writing feature articles for magazines newspapers and other print media.

ENGW3014 Study and practice, writing about a variety of art forms, including film, theater, literature, visual and musical arts and so on: Students will learn to write feature stories, reviews, essays and interviews.

ENGW3044 This course will explore, to quote M.F. K Fisher, "eating and what to eat and people who eat." We will study a cross section of essays, poems, novels, books, and films that use food as a primary focus and will write several types of essays - summary, synthesis, restaurant review, character portrait, and research papers - as a response. The course will look at how food affects such areas as family, travel, politics, business, and history.

ENGW3045 Writing about music through various forms of expression (description, review, analysis), bringing it to life on the page by any means necessary; study of essays, poems, novels, books, and films and reading reviews and analyses of various types of music as models; attending concerts and other "field work" will be expected. Knowledge of music theory or playing an instrument not required.