Faculty
Camille Yale
Associate Professor of Communication
Chair of Journalism
David Park
Professor of Communication
Rachel Whidden
Associate Professor of Communication
No major is currently available.
Requirements for the Minor:
At least 6 credits, 3 of which must be practice-based courses.
Two required practice-based courses:
- JOUR 120: Introduction to Journalism
- JOUR 320: Advanced Journalism
One other practice-based credit from the following:
- JOUR 200: Journalism Practicum (0.25 credits per semester through working at The Stentor; 1 full credit required to fulfill this requirement)
- JOUR 245: Music Journalism in the Digital Age
- JOUR 390: Journalism Internship (JOUR 120 & JOUR 320 as prerequisites)
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Any one of these courses (additional prerequisites may be required):
- ART 344: Digital Color Photography
- CHIN 313: Chinese for International Affairs & Business
- ENGL 368: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
- ENGL 392: Publishing Practicum
- SPAN 320: Spanish for International Affairs & Business
- THTR/ENGL 257: Theater Criticism
Three additional courses, at least one of which must be a 300- or 400-level course:
- BIOL 114: Truth and Lies in Medical News
- COMM 281: Theories of Mass Communication
- COMM 287: Media Systems and Institutions
- COMM 381: History and Theory of Freedom of Expression
- COMM 385: The Public Sphere
- COMM 389: Political Economy of Media
- COMM 420: Senior Seminar: Journalism, Culture, and Society
- POLS 224: Mass Media & American Politics
Learning Outcomes
The expected Student Learning Outcomes for the Journalism Program are:
1. The journalism minor will be able to compose news stories ethically, with a correct application of AP style, and with a firm understanding of how effectively to organize a news report.
2. The journalism minor will demonstrate a familiarity with the basics of news literacy.
Journalism Courses
JOUR 120: Introduction to Journalism
Introduction to Journalism presents students with the skills and information that are essential for reliable, accurate, and independent news reporting. This course addresses the fundamental skills associated with journalistic writing, and presents students with the essential issues facing journalism today. In addition to writing, this course addresses the laws, ethics, and fundamentals of news literacy, with a keen focus on the critical thinking skills required for news judgment.
JOUR 200: Journalism Practicum: The Stentor
This practicum gives students an opportunity to earn Lake Forest College credit by working for the campus newspaper: The Stentor. Students who enroll in this course will work for the Stentor as editors, reporters, or columnists (or other jobs suggested by the Stentor advisor). The course will be graded on a P/F basis only. Students will qualify for credit in this course if they complete 40 hours of work per semester. JOUR 200 counts for .25 credits per semester of enrollment. The course is overseen by the faculty advisor for The Stentor, who will arrange for grade/credit assignments in consultation with the chair of the Communication Department. Only one full credit (four semesters of JOUR 200) may be counted toward Lake Forest College graduation. No prerequisites.
JOUR 320: Advanced Journalism
Though we have recently seen dramatic changes in how news consumers receive their news, what has not changed is the need for solid reporting and writing skills. This course gives students the opportunity to learn the intricacies of specific types of journalistic writing, including news, feature, sport, investigative/in-depth, opinion and review writing. Advanced Journalism also introduces students to techniques relating to journalistic style and editing. Using the fundamentals taught in Introduction to Journalism (Communication 120), students in Advanced Journalism write stories and opinion pieces to be used in the editorial production of student media at Lake Forest College. Prerequisite: JOUR 120 or COMM 120.