J0: Visiting Scholars Seminar

Description forthcoming.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J24: Hyperlocal Multimedia Workshop in the Mission District

This seminar will meet on three dates. It will meet on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in 127 North Gate Hall for a planning and information meeting. It will meet on two Sundays, February 5, 2012 and February 12, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the Mission District office at 400 Treat Avenue, at the corner of 17th Street. (The office is close to the 16th Street BART station.)

Since the fall of 2008, Lydia Chavez has run a news site, Mission Loc@l, in San Francisco’s Mission District. It’s a hyperlocal lab and training site for graduate students, residents and undergraduate students. In this freshman seminar, students will learn about hyperlocal news sites and the basics of photography and video, and will bring the two together in one-minute reported projects. Students who want to focus on a writing project will be able to do so. Enrollment is limited to twelve freshmen. To secure their seat in this seminar, enrolled students must attend the one-hour planning and information meeting on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. Failure to attend either or both of the Sunday sessions will result in a failing grade.

Lydia Chavez, a former reporter for The New York Times, has written books and articles on affirmative action, Cuba and immigration.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Freshman only.

J100: Reporting the News

If you are interested in this class for FALL 2012, click the back button and select Fall 2012 from the dropdown menu for the most up to date information.

This course will teach students basic journalism skills and principles, provide practice writing quick-turnaround and in-depth feature stories, and introduce them to classic examples of reportage. Each week’s classes will be built around a different key journalism concept, and feature in-class and at-home writing or reporting exercises. Previous journalism experience not required but a strong background in writing or media studies is preferred. Students will be encouraged to pitch their work to local or on-campus publications.

Course format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: This class is for undergraduate students only. Enrollment is done by application, see below. If you are interested in enrolling in this class you will need to provide a short letter addressed to Kara Platoni telling her why you are interested in journalism, how it fits into your career goals or area of study, and any additional information about previous non-fiction writing experience, whether that be reporting, blogging, research papers or other scholarly work/your thesis, writing essays or op-eds, contributing to a newsletter, etc. Also provide two writing samples, preferably non-fiction. You will send your brief letter as an email to applytoj100@gmail.com with the two work samples as word docs attached. Rolling Admissions, apply now.

J102: The Wire: When Journalism Meets Drama

The goal of the class is to make students aware of how the issues of crime, policing and identity are framed and mediated through television, as well as through conventional journalism.

Since the days of the pioneering Dragnet TV series, America’s impressions of law enforcement have been profoundly influenced and framed by what was popular on television. The five seasons of the HBO series The Wire reflect a new and pessimistic view of the police and community. The violence, corruption and moral ambiguity are a far cry from the days of the virtuous, tight-lipped Joe Friday and the incorruptible centurions of the LAPD.

The class will explore the relationship between real crime, popular fiction and television, specifically The Wire. The class will examine how The Wire established a new cultural narrative about life for the ethnically diverse residents of the decaying centers of America’s post-industrial cities and their relationship with the largely white law enforcement and criminal justice bureaucracy that plays such a commanding role in their lives. The class will contrast the Baltimore story line with two other urban settings with different racial and cultural profiles, namely Miami/Dade and Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston.

David Simon, the creator of The Wire series, began life as a police reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Before he became famous for his television work, he published an excellent non-fiction book about police work in Baltimore (“A Year on the Killing Streets”). His real-life experiences paved the way for his initial successful series, “Homicide: Life on the Street,” and eventually the acclaimed series The Wire.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J102: NEW COPY OF: The Wire: When Journalism Meets Drama

The goal of the class is to make students aware of how the issues of crime, policing and identity are framed and mediated through television, as well as through conventional journalism.

Since the days of the pioneering Dragnet TV series, America’s impressions of law enforcement have been profoundly influenced and framed by what was popular on television. The five seasons of the HBO series The Wire reflect a new and pessimistic view of the police and community. The violence, corruption and moral ambiguity are a far cry from the days of the virtuous, tight-lipped Joe Friday and the incorruptible centurions of the LAPD.

The class will explore the relationship between real crime, popular fiction and television, specifically The Wire. The class will examine how The Wire established a new cultural narrative about life for the ethnically diverse residents of the decaying centers of America’s post-industrial cities and their relationship with the largely white law enforcement and criminal justice bureaucracy that plays such a commanding role in their lives. The class will contrast the Baltimore story line with two other urban settings with different racial and cultural profiles, namely Miami/Dade and Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston.

David Simon, the creator of The Wire series, began life as a police reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Before he became famous for his television work, he published an excellent non-fiction book about police work in Baltimore (“A Year on the Killing Streets”). His real-life experiences paved the way for his initial successful series, “Homicide: Life on the Street,” and eventually the acclaimed series The Wire.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J201: Community Sites: Covering Oakland and Richmond

We're looking for first and second years to take Oakland North and Richmond Confidential to the next level while using this experience for important training. Each week we'll have a lecture by Kara Platoni that tackles an important journalistic skill, and throughout the week we'll do the reporting that makes Richmond Confidential and Oakland North vibrant, well-read and trusted community news sources.

For first-year students, think of J201 as a seminar-like continuation of J200 that will go deeper into more advanced writing and reporting topics, help you improve your print and multimedia skills, and give you the flexibility to take on more ambitious or challenging reporting projects. For second-year students this is an invaluable chance to prepare for employment by working closely with an editor who can help you improve your writing and reporting chops; it’s also an excellent opportunity to build your speed, accuracy and ability to write clean copy on deadline. For everyone, this is a great way to build your online portfolio, showcasing work for future employers/internships and practicing reporting in a variety of media. Past students have said that this class prepares you for the real world because you are constantly producing new work and getting in-depth feedback from your editor.

We'll also work on news site invention and development. The beauty of the community sites is that they're infinitely flexible and can accommodate all kinds of experimentation. Throughout the semester we'll talk about community involvement, increasing the sites’ readership, and taking on innovative new class projects. Experimenting with new ways of presenting stories, and mixing up all kinds of media—text, photo, video, audio and interactive—is highly encouraged. Radio and TV students very welcome — we’re looking for students ready to produce awesome work. Richard Koci-Hernandez and Josh Williams also will be assisting students working for the sites.

This 4-unit class will meet twice a week—one night class for lecture, and one shorter day class to run the budget and plan for the reporting week ahead. This is an Advanced Reporting course. Students should consider this course about half as time-consuming as J200; you should be
 able to take two other high-energy courses alongside it. Think about useful overlap with other courses including business or politics reporting, narrative writing, photography, radio, TV or new media.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J201: Community Site: Mission Local

This is a class for first and second year students aimed at capitalizing on what you've learned and taking it to the next level, but engaging in a spirit of experimentation.

Irreverence – there’s not enough of it on our site and there’s definitely not enough of it in journalism.

We’ll take a look at some serious practitioners – from Hunter S. Thompson to Charlie LeDuff to loosen up your styles and get you to take risks with your copy and multimedia.

Students will decide whether they want to focus on one deadline piece a week or medium-form features or investigative pieces reported over two weeks.

You will be able to change this option throughout the semester, but we found last spring that this level of commitment worked well and enabled television as well as print students to participate.

If you want a higher level of commitment, it can be arranged, but spring in the Mission is designed for experimentation, digging deeper and sanity. You’re taking other classes so we prefer to give you assignments that we know are doable stories in a set time frame. If you want to pitch, that’s fine too.

We meet once a week – on Mondays from 6 to 9. Each week at 6 p.m. you will be out in the field on a group reporting exercise that ends back at the office in a writing exercise. Last year this took up the first hour of each class.

We will have a GSR here three days a week to help with any multimedia projects you pursue and Jeremy will come in once a week as well. Mimi will consult on multimedia. Look forward to seeing you.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J210: News Photography

The primary goal of the course will be to emphasize the technical aspects
in photography such as composition, editing, and presentation. Students
will be working on weekly assignments that would directly correlate with
the material covered in class. This course will require students to work
extensively on assignments and to improve not only their conceptual
understanding of the medium, but especially their technical, shooting and
editing knowledge of photography.

Each student will choose a documentary photography project that he/she
will work on throughout the semester in conjunction with the weekly
assignments. The final project is due the end of the semester and must
exemplify all skills and concepts that were covered in class. Several
Photoshop tutorials will also be incorporated. The sessions will cover the
basic tools applicable to image manipulation, color correction, and
output. The course and its content will be, of course, to a large extent
determined by the questions raised by students, their levels of experience
in the medium, as well as their final goals.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Restrictions and Prerequisites: UC Journalism Graduate students. By portfolio review for others.

J212: Advanced Radio

The class will create a startup radio program examining environmental issues in disadvantaged communities. The class will build upon the Journalism School’s commitment to localism. Bay Area communities such as Richmond, West Oakland, and Bay View/Hunters Point have had greater exposure to environmental toxins than other localities over many decades. This phenomenon dates back to the legacy of World War II when these neighborhoods were home to shipbuilding and other defense industries that did not clean up after themselves. The class will engage in the design of the radio program (as yet unnamed), which will be launched during the semester on KALX-FM, the campus radio station, 90.7 FM.

Pieces from this class may eventually be placed on the Ford local sites produced by the journalism school, KALW-FM in San Francisco, or the nationally syndicated program Living on Earth. All students will be expected to commit to the radio program production hours, in addition to the time in class. The program is to broadcast on KALX-FM 9-9:30 on Thursdays during the semester. A pre-program production meeting takes place from 6-8 p.m. the night before each broadcast at KALX in the basement of Barrows Hall. The radio broadcast is just part of the overall effort. Students will also be expected to perform the following tasks:

Main Mission: Work with others in the class and the instructor to create original and compelling broadcast and multimedia programming.

· Participate actively in regular production meetings when the class meets formally from 10-1 on Thursdays. Attendance in class is mandatory.

· Propose and research story/segment ideas involving live guests.

· Produce and edit pieces and promos for each week’s radio program

· Make frequent blog entries as well as contribute to other social media the class might create

· Arrange and facilitate special live events such as man-on-the-street interviews in localities in the Bay Area

· Maintain an open, supportive, collegial atmosphere with colleagues, instructors and community members

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J216: Advanced Multimedia

In this class students will work on multimedia master's projects producing sophisticated websites that use various digital publishing applications and technologies. The projects can range from multimedia presentations using video or audio slideshows to databases and map mash-ups to use of social media, mobile devices and other platforms for delivering content and encouraging citizen participation.

The class will be part weekly group discussions and critiques by students and instructors of the proposed master's projects and progress being made, and part guest lectures and reviews of best practices in multimedia journalism. The class is designed to give students an opportunity to apply the technical and conceptual skills learned in other multimedia classes to producing high-quality online journalism for their final master's projects.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: This class is only for students who are doing multimedia master's projects for which Paul Grabowicz, Richard Koci-Hernandez, Jeremy Rue or Mimi Chakarova are the main advisors. These students must take this class in both the Fall and Spring semesters. For students wanting to do longer multimedia stories, sign up for J298 Visual Journalism with Koci, Grant and Chakarova.

J219: Journalism for Social Change: Speaker Series and Workshop

In a vibrant democracy, journalism has the power and responsibility to inform and inspire the public to political action. Achieving this ambitious goal requires both a deep understanding of how policy is formulated and the ability to tell that story in a manner accessible and engaging to the general public. Instead of taking a wide angle, Journalism for Social Change -- an unprecedented collaboration between the schools of Journalism, Public Policy and Social Welfare -- will focus on foster care, where the causes and effects of policy, social work and the news media play out plainly in the lives of children.

With a population of 408,000 children in foster care nationwide, 55,000 of whom are living here in California, the work of students enrolled in this course and engaged in the fellowship will have a direct and appreciable affect on the foster care system. Further, foster care is at the nexus of larger issues in education, juvenile & criminal justice, poverty, trauma and homelessness. In as much, this course hopes to provide students with a framework for social change that can be applied to other issues throughout their careers.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: The course will feature a one-unit lecture series wherein guest speakers from the realms of public policy, journalism and social welfare will explore the intersection of their disciplines through the lens of foster care. An additional, one-unit discussion and writing workshop will be offered following the lecture, wherein students will produce news stories based in the three disciplines explored. The students who opt into the workshop will automatically be considered for the Journalism for Social Change Summer Fellowship, where eight students will earn a stipend of $5,000 each while producing policy-driven news stories about the foster care system to be placed in popular media outlets. Registration information for workshop portion of this class. J219.2 CCN 48120 For more information do not hesitate to contact lecturer Daniel Heimpel: dheimpel@fosteringmediaconnections.org 510-334-8636

J219: MINI: Web Development Section 1

This is a 10-week course designed to teach students how to build a website from the ground up. The first class meeting will be Friday, January 27

The class aims to provide a foundation in core web skills for authors, producers, online editors, or anyone working on the web. We'll spend two weeks on HTML, two weeks on CSS, two on PHP, and two on WordPress. We'll also include a class on design fundamentals, and another on making pages interactive with Javascript and JQuery. We won't have time to cover these topics exhaustively, but we will cover the top 10% of skills you'll need 90% of the time in an online newsroom.

Students will design and build two sites: 1) A small, non-public site to be coded entirely by hand, demonstrating competence with core skills, and 2) A public "portfolio" site built with WordPress, which will represent the student's digital presence on the web.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: MINI: Mobile Reporting

This class will meet for 8 weeks beginning on Wednesday 1/25.

This class is an experiment to see how far journalists can go only using their wits, drive and the smartphone in their pocket.

A lot of attention in the news industry has been given recently to the idea of using mobile devices for reporting. This class will serve as a case study on how well these devices work in the creation of video, audio and text reports. Students will experiment by going into the community and conducting real-world reporting assignments using mobile devices and third-party accessories.

In addition to the reporting project, the class will also include an abstract into how mobile devices are transforming the news industry. The class will look into ways journalists can produce content specifically for consumption on these devices. This may include interactive storytelling, citizen generated content, using SMS services for crowd-sourcing or any number of other techniques discovered over the semester.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: MINI: Final Cut Pro X

This class will meet for 8 Weeks beginning on Thursday, January 19.

Are you ready the jump to Final Cut Pro X? A good video editor, adopts new platforms without fear. Forget every negative review you've heard about FCPX. It's here to stay and it's time to get familiar with the new kid on the NLE block. The class is intended to make your work-flow faster, smoother, and easier so that you can spend more time in the creative decision making process. And isn't that what editing is really about? Many of the stumbling blocks that slow down the editing process, have been eliminated in FCPX. This course is aimed at getting you familiar with the software and getting you editing quickly.

Get ready to take a look "under the hood" of Final Cut Pro X to get a better understanding of this powerful and intuitive editing application.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: Art of the Start II: Breaking History

Breaking History is a continuation course of last semester's Art of the Start. In this class, students will advance a project idea that came out of last semester's brainstorming. Breaking History is a multimedia news site that provides deeper context to the events of the day by looking back at similar events that happened before. Rather than letting news pass by without too much thought, we will help readers think further about why history keeps repeating itself. This semester will focus on two things: 1) running the project as a regular news site, producing weekly pieces 2) learning how to create a business out of an idea.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: Reflections on Latin America: El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia

Class Meets February 7, 14, 21, 28

In this intensive four-week seminar the writer Alma Guilermoprieto will discuss the troubled history of three Latin American countries, and help participants explore the difficulties involved in reporting as an outside observer. Readings will include selections from the author's own work and that of reporters from the region. Some of the most interesting reading assignments will be in Spanish.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: MINI: Web Development Section 2

This is a 10-week course designed to teach students how to build a website from the ground up. The first class will be Friday, January 27

The class aims to provide a foundation in core web skills for authors, producers, online editors, or anyone working on the web. We'll spend two weeks on HTML, two weeks on CSS, two on PHP, and two on WordPress. We'll also include a class on design fundamentals, and another on making pages interactive with Javascript and JQuery. We won't have time to cover these topics exhaustively, but we will cover the top 10% of skills you'll need 90% of the time in an online newsroom.

Students will design and build two sites: 1) A small, non-public site to be coded entirely by hand, demonstrating competence with core skills, and 2) A public "portfolio" site built with WordPress, which will represent the student's digital presence on the web.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: The Journalist as Freelancer (9 Weeks)

The first class is January 20.

A nine week mini-course that will provide students with basic skills that will help them understand building a freelance career; building a freelance practice, cultivating editors, taxes and insurance, pay, query letters, copyright, grants, accounting and general life questions that freelancers face. Taught by veteran freelancer Andrew Gilbert, a regular contributor to the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times and Contra Costa Times, the course features guest lecturers discussing real life issues and solutions from the world of writing, documentary film, photography, cultural and magazine reporting and new media. Guest lecturers will be Derk Richardson, a veteran Bay Area food and music writer who edits the travel magazine Afar; documentary filmmakers Jason Cohn and Camille Serven-Schreiber, whose film on designers Charles and Ray Eames “The Painter and the Architect” is in theatrical release; videographer/filmmaker Josiah Hooper, who has shot internationally for Frontline World, various shows for KQED, and independent productions; Reese Erlich, a prolific radio journalist who has written numerous books based on his reporting from international hot spots; and if scheduling allows, award-winning science writer Mary Roach, whose books include “Bonk,” “Stiff,” “Spook” and her latest “Packing For Mars.”

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: MINI: After Effects

The class is seven weeks long with the first class on Tuesday, March 6

Put your ideas in Motion

How many times have you seen a cool visual technique in a film or video and asked, "How did they do that?" The answer is After Effects. Does your video project need a cool animated map? Have you ever wanted to add bold and beautiful animated typography to your video? If the answer is yes, then this is the class for you. This course is aimed at the beginner. You will learn the basics of the AE interface and be creating motion graphics and visual effects with this industry standard program in no time.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J219: MINI: ProTools (6 weeks)

ProTools Basics

This course focuses on the basic elements of the digital audio workstation called ProTools. the course involves 6, two-hour sessions to be taught over an eight week period. By the end of the six-week course, students will be able to perform basic operations within the ProTools program, including importing, editing and mixing audio.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J226: Advanced Science Writing Workshop

The focus of the course will be on making the transition from writing for newspapers to magazines, with particular attention to scientific subjects. What's the difference between a subject and a story? When is the first-person appropriate? What is the role of the editor and publication in shaping your story? The arc of the course will trace the process of writing a single long piece involving science reporting: finding and pitching story ideas; reporting in depth and at length; outlining and structuring your story; choosing a narrative voice and strategy, crafting leads and "overtures," and making transitions between your story and its larger contexts. As a group, we'll also work as editors on one another's ideas and pieces. And since reading good prose is the best way to learn to write it, we'll be closely reading a substantial piece of science journalism each week.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J228: Political Reporting: Election Listening Posts

Somewhere between the self-absorbed jabber of Politico and a rehash of candidate talking points, there is a way to report electoral politics that is actually interesting and meaningful to ordinary people. From the Bay Area, Sacramento, in listening posts up and down the state and in congressional districts across the country, we are going to produce in print, web, radio, video and whatever other combination of platforms your creative minds want to tackle. We are fortunate to have veteran KTVU political reporter Randy Shandobil on board as a co-instructor. We will operate as the California News Service, and we already have assignment requests from KQED's California Report, NPR Washington (web coverage) and New America Media. Travel funding will be available based on the strength of proposed projects.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J230: To Catch a Thief: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Business

Business reporting isn’t all pin stripes and spread sheets.

It’s about following the money: who’s making it, who’s losing it, creating jobs with it, or laying off workers to line their pockets with it. It’s about the creation of wealth: the resource that can power social progress -- or perpetuate class discrepancies.

It’s about the cycles of fear and greed that drive investments.

There’s no better time to delve into business reporting than this year of recession and recovery, failures and bailouts, unemployment and job creation.

Reporters who want to put away bad guys -- or break news on the latest genius entrepreneur -- need tools to get started. If you want to understand what makes business tick, J230 can give you the tools to publish stories that make a difference.

Your universe as a business reporter is vast and varied, from the rogues’ gallery of the business world’s dirty rotten scoundrels, to the angel investors and venture capitalists who bring bright ideas from the incubator to the marketplace.

Reporters in J230 break news on: Social networking, community banking, futuristic moneymen and edgy restaurants that turn failure to success.

We’ll cover business for Mission Local, Oakland North, Richmond Confidential and Bay Citizen. In the process, you’ll build resumes and clips that give you a jump on the job market.

Assignments include breaking news and color features, with an emphasis on enterprise stories that you initiate. Bring your ideas and pitches. Bay Area business beats include biotech, social networking, clean energy, design, tourism/entertainment real estate and the interface between politics and the economy. Guest speakers include business leaders to help build your source network, and financial journalists from publications like The Wall Street Journal who can share their job-finding tips.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J234: International Reporting: India

The restless republic: Emerging India is being shaped by an aspiration-fuelled demographic change that is redefining politics, the economy, society, nationalism, even insurgencies. With more people under 30 than any other nation in the world, the old, eternal India is being swept aside with unanticipated speed. Riding on greater mobile-phone connectivity, television, mobility and migration, aspiration has become the country’s defining mood.

Yet, India has more poor, malnourished and poorly educated people than any other nation. The course will discuss how these two opposing forces are playing out against each other in a country that, while globalizing, is clinging to and adapting ancient traditions to the new world. The course will have a special focus on issues related to aspiration, poverty, reform, technology and religion. It will also explore how the world’s other emerging markets can be compared with its largest democracy.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J243: Narrative Writing

News is news: “Top Cop to Wed Mobster Moll,” “U.S., Canada Declare War,” “J-School Lecturer Nabbed in Embezzlement Scam.” A reader will read to the end of such a story no matter how badly it’s written. But how do you attract the attention of a busy, distracted reader to a story that doesn’t contain such a revelation? That’s the art of narrative writing. It’s an art which requires not only accurate, conscientious reporting, but carefully thinking out your storytelling strategy.
If you want your readers to stay with you for a newspaper feature story or a full-length magazine piece, you have to learn what good storytellers have been doing for thousands of years to make people sit up and listen. You can always tell the difference between writing that makes you turn the page eagerly and writing that makes your eyes glaze over. This course is designed to help you write the first and not the second. Don't take this class unless you like to write, like to rewrite--and like to read carefully and analytically. There will be at least three writing assignments of increasing length, including one profile; the last assignment is a magazine-length piece of 3,000 to 5,000 words. Every week we will also read closely a number of published pieces to see what can be learned from the very best writers practicing their craft. The reading will include reportage, memoir, fiction and possibly radio scripts, because good writing knows no boundaries and we can learn a lot from people working in other genres. Reading and writing assignments are considerable, so if you're worried about there being too many demands on your time this semester, or anticipate missing more than one class, I would suggest another course.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: 1) No laptops in class, please; they impede discussion. If you believe that you have a Constitutional right to be connected to the Internet at all times, this is not the class for you. 2) J-School Visiting Scholars are welcome take the class if there is space (which will be determined by Mid-December)—but only if you plan to do all the reading and writing assignments. This is a writing workshop, not a lecture course. 3) No undergraduates.

J255: Law and Ethics

An introduction to the legal and ethical conflicts faced by working reporters. Half of the semester will concentrate on First Amendment and media law, including libel and slander, privacy, free press/fair trial conflicts, and civil lawsuits arising from controversial reporting methods. The remainder of the semester will focus on ethical dilemmas faced by reporters and editors. Using case studies, in-class argument, readings and guest lecturers, the course examines some of the murkier conflicts that don?t necessarily make it to court but nevertheless force difficult newsroom decision-making.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J260: Investigative Reporting for Print/TV

This class is designed to build on students' fundamental reporting and writing skills by learning the basics of investigative reporting. It is journalism that often bridges traditional beats to examine systems and institutions.

In this class, you will enhance your interviewing skills, learn the difference between newspaper and television interviews; learn how to set up a two-camera shoot; work with public records; and develop and protect sources.

In past years, students have been involved in production of "Frontline" films and Web sites. Past projects produced by the class include work on:

"Al Qaeda's New Front"
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/front/
"Secret History of the Credit Card"
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/
"Chasing the Sleeper Cell"
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sleeper/

Students will be required to become familiar with the development of investigative reporting and its place in American history.

The seminar will meet regularly on Fridays, 11-1, and occasionally at other times to accommodate special guests or lectures.

Students can propose projects for class credit and are encourage to incorporate the class in their master's projects.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J275: Intro to Radio

The course focuses on the basics of radio reporting in the digital era. It is a hands-on, intensive preparation for the real world. Students are required to cover general news stories and produce a weekly half-hour magazine program on deadline including a live newscast. In addition, students create weekly news features many of which have been picked up for commercial and national broadcast. Students rotate between assignments as anchor, reporter and producer. You learn how to build a newscast, write for radio, read for radio, and how to use digital technology to produce audio that engages the listener.

Be prepared for long hours and hard, but rewarding, work!

Restrictions and Prerequisites: This class may occasionally meet on Thursdays from 9-12, instructor will let students know when the class time will change.

J283: Reporting for Television

This class will have some all day Thursday and Friday Lab days. Most days the class will end by Noon. Students can take Thursday and Friday afternoon classes, talk with Bob Calo for full details on the best way to set up your course schedule to avoid conflict.

J283 is the second part of a two-semester sequence that serves as the introduction to television news. It is a production laboratory course that meets all day Thursday and Friday throughout the spring term. Students will cover breaking news, and do enterprise reporting. In the second half of the semester, students produce two television news magazine programs. All programs are cablecast on Channel 25 in Berkeley, as well as UCTV and Worldlink TV by satellite. Students are gain proficiency in reporting, writing, producing and digital shooting and editing.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: J-School only. Successful completion of J282 and permission of instructors.

J284: Documentary Production

An intensive documentary workshop in which second year students develop and produce their Masters projects. We work with the styles of writing, shooting, lighting, sound, editing, and production management unique to documentary. Guest filmmakers will conduct special sessions on various production skills including lighting, shooting, sound recording, and archival research. During the 2010 spring semester the class will continue to meet weekly (under the course title J284, with Jon Else) for work-in-progress screenings and advanced practical workshops. Attendance at all class meetings and technical sessions is mandatory, with the exception that students may miss one class meeting per semester.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: By instructor permission only.

J285: Longform Television

J285 is a second year course in which students produce 5 to 10 minute non-fiction television magazine stories and create television magazine programs. In producing long form stories and magazine programs students develop their digital story telling skills by identifying compelling central characters and their interesting and newsworthy stories, connecting them to larger issues or common personal experiences, and experimenting with innovative styles and techniques. The two-semester course and final programs satisfy the Masters Project requirement.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: J-School students only. Successful completion of J282 and J283, proficiency in AVID editing and SONY DV cam, and permission of instructors.

J286: History of Documentary

This course covers the evolution of American documentary film from 1920 to the present, with special attention to independent productions and documentaries for network television. In the works of Barbara Kopple, Fred Wiseman, Errol Morris, Marlon Riggs, Spencer Nakasako, The Maysles, Henry Hampton, Lourdes Portillo, Michael Moore, Orlando Bagwell, and numerous other producers, we will look at the practical problems of making documentaries in the real world for a real audience. (Required for J-School students who are considering specializing in documentary.)

Restrictions and Prerequisites: J-School TV students have priority, then other J-school students, then grad students from other departments, then undergrads.

J288: Digital TV and the World: CHINA

Learn the basics of reporting for video web and broadcast coverage that focuses on slice-of-life and trend stories in America and abroad. Produce thoughtful works for distribution on the web, over the air, on mobile devices, and DVDs. The class will teach students to work with small format cameras and explore an array of storytelling techniques and editing styles. We aim to contribute to the development of a new corps of competent and dedicated digital journalists who can use electronic tools skillfully and function easily in the new multimedia workplace.
Students will learn to listen carefully to the voices of their subjects -- first Chinese and Chinese Americans in California, then people in China. Each student will produce at least two reports crafted for sites or other outlets (Think New York Times, Washington Post, NewsHour, NPR.)
Students will learn the rudiments of digital production, reporting, and editing. The training will emphasize solid reporting, clear expression and original storytelling. This is a rigorous and time-consuming course.
We wish to assemble a team of mature and dedicated players to create penetrating multimedia, cross-platform reports and compelling presentations that include data visualization and experiment with mobile media distribution styles. We encourage applications from Chinese speakers, those with a commitment to reporting in Asia, at least one student with still photography skills, one with radio reporting skills, one with DVD production experience or interest, and at least one student with strong skills in building Web sites and online news packages, mobile reporting, or Flash or equivalent. We also encourage graduate students from the Group in Asian Studies, Anthropology, Political Science and other disciplines with a focus on China and a strong interest in journalism to apply. The course is designed to be taken in tandem with J298 Reporting on China.
Select students who successfully complete the courses will be eligible to join a summer professional reporting practicum in China with the independent, non-profit, Center for Digital TV and the World.
NOTE: The reportage for the China practicum will take place for about a month between May 15 and June 15. Participation by permission of the Center for Digital TV and the World only.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: This course is for graduate students only. Enrollment will be competitive and based on the merit of the application which will be administered by Student Affairs and with permission by the dean and consent of the instructor. A travel kit will be required for all admitted students. All interested students can attend special meetings from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on Friday, October 21 in B-1 or on Tuesday, October 25 in Upper Newsroom, and make a separate appointment to meet the instructor before the application is due. The instructor will introduce the course, its requirements, its workload, its costs, and the possibility of participating in the summer overseas practicum. To more fully understand the course and its professional output, they should attend the Wednesday, October 26, 6:30 pm screening of the most recent class project on Korea and Koreans in America. COST ESTIMATES: Purchases of equipment, software and supplies for this course and the practicum can be expensive. Generally, students arrive with their own Apple MacBook Pro laptops ($2,100), which they use throughout their time at the J-School. They must buy a license for Final Cut Pro editing software ($300). They also must buy mini-DV tape stock ($300) and personal hard drives ($100 to $450). Some also buy Adobe CS5 or other software for infographics and photo editing. Students pay for local transportation and food. Those admitted to the practicum in China can expect to spend the same amount or less on food and transportation as they would in Berkeley.

J294: Master's Project Seminar

J294 is a 2 semester course (1 unit/Fall, 1 unit/Spring). You must register for both semesters and it must be taken for a grade.

ADVISER CCN#
Bergman 48234
Bieder 48195
Calo 48237
Chakarova 48239
Chavez 48201
Else 48207
Drummond 48204
Gorney 48210
Gunnison 48216
Grabowicz 48213
Hochschild 48219
Kahn 48231
Koci Hernandez 48306
LIght 48222
Pollan 48225
Rasky 48228
Rue 48198

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Limited to Journalism students only.

J297: Internship Credit

Students receive one or two units of credit for the internships. Documentation required from both the student and from supervisor regarding internship responsibilities, hours, etc.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J297: Internship Credit

Students receive one or two units of credit for the internships. Documentation required from both the student and from supervisor regarding internship responsibilities, hours, etc.

Second Year Students will sign up for this class to receive credit for their summer internship requirement.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: Reporting on China: Society, Tensions and Ethnic Minorities

Veteran broadcast reporter and producer Lu CHEN will lead a class to learn about trends, tensions and social values in China. The class will look at the century of change in China -- from its feudal heritage, to attempts to create democracy, to its new blending of communism and capitalism. We will explore how laws, Communist Party rule and dictatorship function. We’ll look at media, propaganda and internet policing. We’ll learn about social stratification and poverty – the very rich and the very poor. We’ll look at an uneven educational system and analyze what students study and how they learn it. We’ll look at how China’s “one-country, two-systems” concept is playing out between the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. And we’ll look at an array of internal tensions between farm and city, between a market economy and a state-controlled sector, between bosses and workers, and between the leaders and the led. We’ll ask about the price China is paying for its recent breakneck economic growth. In the face of an inverted population pyramid of more older people and fewer young people to support them, with a thickly polluted environment, with nationwide battles over land use, what are the human and environmental costs?
We’ll talk about how relations with Russia and the United States can shape China. And we’ll examine China’s economic and political interests across its frontier regions and ethnic tensions within them, from Inner Mongolia to Xinjiang to Tibet and Yunnan.
At the end of the course, we’ll focus closely on Yunnan province, including its cross-border relations and development issues with Southeast Asia, its diverse ethnic minority populations, and its struggles with water supply, urban renewal and employment.
We will invite experts, journalists and guest lecturers to give the class a broader sense of how some Chinese view themselves and the world.
Students will read books, monitor newspapers and television programs, examine Web sites that focus on China, and present one report to the class, and one paper.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: Visual Journalism

We are living in a world that doesn't care where it experiences its stories - the web, a mobile device, the big screen - the audience simply wants a compelling visual narrative. The most powerful narratives of our time are intelligently weaving together all available mediums.

This course is designed to give students the knowledge they need to produce exquisitely edited and evocative visual journalism. The course will teach students how to develop, pitch and access complex stories. We will explore these topics through classes on producing, shooting, and editing professional visual stories, followed by intensive critiques. The ultimate goal is to create publishable narratives that intelligently integrate stills, video and audio.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF FINAL CUT PRO 7 IS A PREREQUISITE.

J298: Juicy, Juicy Scandal

Sex, Power, Cash and the Dynamics of Disclosure: Scandals reveal things about us – our values, obsessions, desires. More than any other type of story, scandal pulls back the curtain on the workings of both journalism and the the particular world it purports to cover. During Watergate or Iran Contra or the Monica Lewinsky Scandal, the shifting conventions of journalism, and the press’ relationship to political power, stood revealed as never before. Likewise, the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920’s, the S&L Crisis of the eighties, and the Housing and Derivatives Bubble of 2008 threw open the window on the practices not only of business but of the journalists supposedly tracking it. Our course will comprise a history of American journalism as viewed through the lens of four types of scandal, those of power, money, sex, and celebrity. Though we focus on the twentieth century, including Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, Iran Contra, Lewinski and the baseball doping scandal, we will also spend a bit of time looking back to America’s formative scandals, including sex and blackmail among the Founding Fathers and corruption and influence peddling during the Grant Administration. In addition to such scandal classics as All the President’s Men, The Starr Report, Walter Winchell, and Larry Flynt’s One Nation Under Sex, readings will include contemporary press accounts of scandals both recent and distant. Finally, students will report on whatever scandal du jour is unfolding as we work – for, when it comes to juicy, juicy scandal, one always is.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Important scheduling note: The first session will be held on Monday, January 16th at 9am, which is MLK day. Normally the class will meet Tuesday afternoons at three.

J298: MINI: Building News Packages

This class will meet for 10 weeks beginning on Friday January 27.

One of the staples of multimedia journalism is the online news package. These are special features often seen on stories about elections, natural disasters, major sporting games or stories that are too complex for a simple text piece. This class will discuss examples of news packages, design concepts for telling multifaceted stories and the underlying technologies currently in use for constructing them.

This class will cover Adobe Flash, jQuery, HTML5 and other tools for creating rich media content on the Web. Tutorial material will be used through most of the class. For a final project, students will have to construct a news package on their own. Ideally, content for this news package will be generated though another class or a master's project. If this is not possible, students will need to pitch an original story and produce multimedia content (video, photos, audio, text and/or databases) for their final assignment.

Attendance is required for every class.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: Writing Workshop: Short to Mid-Length Narrative

This course is designed for first years wanting to build on J200, second years looking for a chance to sharpen storytelling skills without taking on a long print piece, and anyone interested in writing text for non-print media or words/pictures print projects (provided the text is comprised of more than captions). Masters students finishing long form print pieces also are welcome, but only with my approval.

By short to mid-length I mean 500 to 2,000 words. As long as basic narrative principles apply, all forms will be allowed: topical reportage; profiles; reviews; social trend and human interest pieces; serious and humorous commentary; essays and memoirs.

Expect lots of critical reading, lots of writing and rewriting, lots of group editorial sessions. Nothing fancy, just repetitive practice, which is the only way to master a craft. As in my long form narrative workshops, we’ll emphasize structure, but scrutinize more closely the sequencing, shaping, and pacing of paragraphs; sentence construction, rhythm, and clarity; word choice; even punctuation. We’ll pay particular attention to the ways basic storytelling elements—ledes, transitions, voice, scenic effects, narrative line—apply to short and mid-length writing. Learning how to be concise will help you write tight, forceful, engaging narratives of any length.

We’ll also study how short to mid-length narrative is used in journalism today, looking for opportunities to publish. The advantage of focusing on shorter venues is that it’s the easiest way to get started as a writer. While seasoned long-form journalists wrestle for space in the ever-shrinking feature wells of magazines, editors search for new writers to fill their departments. What’s more, most exclusively online venues prefer brevity (800 to 1,200 words). As websites proliferate, so does sloppy, self-indulgent writing, due largely to a shortage of rigorous editing—all the more reason for working on the craft. Depending on interest and need, we’ll explore how to write more effectively and memorably for new media. Other possible projects include excerpts (carving a short version out of a long story) and adaptations (developing a print version of a story originating in another medium); pitches for stories of various length; and portions of long form narratives, especially the crucial opening section. I also welcome opportunities to contribute to and collaborate with school-related outlets and initiatives—hyperlocals, Brink, The Bay Citizen, projects developed in the Visual Storytelling class, etc.

Besides completing several writing assignments (or the equivalent), students will be required to survey print publications, websites, and relevant multimedia projects, then present the results in class. Because we need to report and write quickly, we’ll limit our geographic range to the Bay Area/Northern California (with certain exceptions, when justified). Think globally, write locally. Please come to the first class with three or four stories in mind.

Feel free to contact Ed with any questions.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: News21: Corruption Hunting

Investigating the role of U.S-based corporations in diplomatic affairs
around the world. The work will be aimed at enhancing a major project,
already underway at the Investigative Reporting Program, focused on
corruption in China. This will be a multi-platform investigation involving
the IRP website along with national and international outlets in print,
radio, and television. Students will be given a place to work out of the
offices at 2481 Hearst. The skills-based class in the Spring semester,
co-taught by Lowell Bergman and Matt Isaacs, will lead to paid reporting
assignments to be pursued over the summer.

There will be a summer component to the class, details forthcoming.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: Reporting on Public Health

This course will provide a basic background for students interested in covering public health and medical issues. It will stress the importance of incorporating a broad social perspective in reporting on stories about health. The course will help students understand the challenges and complexities of the field and will provide tools for developing story ideas and wading through the massive amounts of information—and disinformation--out there. The class will examine key public health concepts and debates. We will also spend a lot of time discussing the role of the media in disseminating health information and examining coverage of major issues. Students will produce several health-related pieces in a variety of genres. Readings will include studies from medical and public health journals, critiques of how the media cover health issues, and newspaper and magazine articles on a variety of health topics.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J298: Crime Writing

Crime stories are a writer’s dream: suspenseful, dramatic, filled with violence, deception, dark personalities, and (in some cases) heroic crusaders – everything that makes a great yarn. Great crime tales include everything from suburban murders to jewel heists; art forgery to computer hacks, and corporate bank fraud. Another pleasure is that these stories can take almost any form. They can be curtain-pullers (a behind-the-scenes look at an identity theft ring), profiles (the undercover agent working to bust counterfeit pharmaceutical distributors), science stories (a cold case solved by a new kind of DNA evidence), human sagas (one family’s struggle to understand the man who killed their son), or deep investigations (the forensic evidence that nailed a death-penalty case – and whether it was as infallible as it seemed).

Practically, this class will focus on both writing and skill-building. We’ll get a primer on court records, courtroom access, prison interviews, and how to talk to cops, lawyers, and judges. Because crimes rarely happen when the writer is present, we’ll also study reconstruction: the art of recreating all the elements of a vivid and cinematic scene that you didn’t actually see.

Readings will be wide-ranging, eccentric, and sometimes funny. Writing assignments will begin with a formal pitch, and will finish with a 3000-word piece, the subject of which will have to be defended via in-class magazine-style editorial meetings. We’ll edit the original pitch over the semester as the story sharpens, with an eye to magazine submission. Along the way, we’ll meet with writers and editors from The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Harper’s, Vanity Fair, and others to learn about the complex evolution of real-world stories – including some of the great magazine articles of the past few years – from the people who wrote them. This class may also include a field trip to Richmond’s own DNA lab, and a visit with the cold case expert who mines it.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Students should come to the first class with 3 possible story ideas. These can be unresearched, but should be solid enough that you can give a two-sentence summary of the story as you see it.

J298: Entrepreneurial Journalism

While disruptive changes in technology, consumer behavior and economics are challenging the media that traditionally supported journalism, the very same forces have created enormous opportunities to develop innovative new products and technologies to inform the public.

This class will help students refine and advance their own ideas for innovative journalistic and other information-delivery projects. Projects may cover any or all media and may be envisioned as either for- profit or not-for-profit ventures.

It is essential that students enrolling in the class have at least one concrete idea for a project they want to pursue. The project selected by a student may be something on which she or he already has begun work. Students may pursue projects individually or in small teams.

The class will be conducted as a workshop similar to an advanced-reporting class, requiring substantial independent initiative and time from each student.

The product produced by students at end of the term will be a thorough, fact-filled narrative describing the idea of the project, its intended audience, how it will be introduced into the marketplace and a financial plan for sustaining the effort (even non-profits need to pay the bills!). In some cases, students may be able to advance as far as creating a mock-up or prototype of their intended projects.

If a student finds after thorough investigation that a proposed project would be unlikely to succeed, the final narrative will summarize the research and contain a discussion of the findings that led the author to abandon the project. This outcome is perfectly acceptable and students will be not penalized for not picking a “winner,” because the point of the class is to understand the process and discipline associated with developing a start-up venture.

Classes will be held once a week for two hours per class; however, students should plan to spend a considerable amount of time outside the class to properly complete their projects. Here is how the semester will break down:

• The first sessions of the class will acquaint students with the fundamental elements that must be covered in any business plan.

• The next sessions will be seminars where students describe their projects and help each other think through the issues associated with their respective ideas. (Because confidentiality cannot be assured, students pursuing an idea they do not want to publicly disclose should not enroll in this class.)

• The next phase of the class will involve researching the market for the proposed project, developing a pro forma business model, planning a go-to-market strategy and, time permitting, the development of prototypes. As necessary, these sessions will be held as group seminars or broken into a series of counseling sessions for individual projects.

• The closing session(s) will be devoted to final presentations of each project to the full class and potentially to other interested members of the School community.

Students are welcomed from all disciplines. Participation is encouraged from students in the schools of business, computer science and information.

The instructor is Alan Mutter, a former newspaper editor who transitioned into a business career that eventually landed him in Silicon Valley, where he was the CEO of several companies and was an independent investor in others.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J299: Applied Social Media--Independent Study

The Applied Social Media class delivers practical, hands-on skills and experience applying social media best practices to journalism. Students gain a first-hand understanding social media trends, issues and implementation strategies. Demonstrable journalistic social media expertise is a premium skill in this job market.

Students in the ASM class apply metrics-focused training to develop new sources, identity story ideas and trends, and to curate high-value content. Every student will use social media to build a professional online identity. Students will maintain lively social media accounts and will use social media as vital component of a complete news and community engagement plan.

The class will leverage assigned reading and videos, original writing and guest lecturers. Primary evaluation criteria will be success of individual branding efforts and the measured performance of individual and team social media assignments.

Because this class only meets 15 times, your attendance and participation is essential to our mutual success of this class and the instructors discourage you from taking the class if your spring schedule is especially time-stressed to the point where your active participation is uncertain.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: None

J601: Master's Study

Individual preparation or study, in consultation with a faculty advisor. Study ultimately leads to the completion of the Master's Project. Units many not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for the master's degree.

Restrictions and Prerequisites: Restricted to Journalism Students.