J298 Business Journalism Capstone — The Bloomberg Way

This is a graduate-level, workshop-based course designed to provide students with the opportunity to produce a single, in-depth business journalism story of exceptional quality. Whether it’s a feature-length article, an investigative report, or a magazine-style piece, students will be guided through the process of crafting a high-caliber capstone project with accompanying media. Each week, the course offers tailored instruction and lessons that lead students through the stages of developing their complex story. Additional individualized guidance will be provided, adapting to the specific nature and focus of the stories being developed.

This course builds on the foundation established in J231: Advanced Business Reporting and is intended for those committed to specializing in business journalism. Students are expected to have completed both J230: Intro to Business Journalism and J231: Advanced Business Journalism as prerequisites. However, students who have taken equivalent Haas School of Business courses, possess substantial business reporting experience prior to graduate school, or can demonstrate proficiency in the subject matter may request special permission from the instructor to enroll.

The goal is to gain proficiency sufficient to be qualified for employment at a news organization such as Bloomberg News, a global news organization of 2,700 journalists in more than 150 bureaus in 70 countries. Each student will write a business story between 1,000 and 1,200 words.