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Field Description

The Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions offers students many exciting ways to study journalism in the media capital of the world and to master the ability to do research, conduct interviews, organize material and write clearly no matter what field a student hopes to enter. Its faculty brings a wide variety of professional experience to the classroom.

Students in journalism classes do original reporting, pursuing their ideas throughout the metropolitan area. Opportunities to publish are available in Dollars & Sense, published by the department and winner of numerous national awards; on the Writing New York blog; and in a variety of professional publications. Journalism students also gain valuable experience through internships at news organizations and publishing houses, major newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations, news and entertainment websites, and book publishers.

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The Majors

The Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions offers two majors:

Interested students should contact the Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions, Room 7-263 in the Newman Vertical Campus, telephone: 646-312-3974.

Journalism

Journalism majors improve their research, writing, interviewing, editing, and storytelling abilities and knowledge of the city, the country, and the world in preparation for careers in journalism, the Internet and new media, book and magazine publishing, television and radio, music and the arts, the film industry, business, education, government, and law. Students work closely with expert faculty and in internships across the writing-related professions. Internships provide on-the-job experience for students interested in such fields as radio, network and cable TV, newspapers, magazines, wire services, business and financial journalism, and book publishing.

The Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions offers two specializations: journalism and creative writing, and business journalism. Each specialization is outlined in detail below.

Program Learning Goals

Upon completion of a major in Journalism, students will be able to:

  1. Write clear and well-organized prose that includes grammatically correct sentences in a variety of styles and, where appropriate, employs narratives that show the reader what happened in contrast to telling the reader.
  2. Employ journalistic concepts such as the lead (the opening paragraph), the “nut graph” (an explanatory paragraph that follows the lead), and background information, including quotes, that provides context.
  3. Demonstrate journalistic reporting and research proficiency, including identifying quality sources and obtaining information from them through interviews, and locating and evaluating data, scholarly material and previously published material and verifying all source material.
  4. (Business journalism major): analyze and incorporate into articles data from economic reports; track financial markets; evaluate corporate earnings.
  5. (Creative writing major): develop a voice; become familiar with a range of writing forms; identify and employ symbolism, subtext, and selective omission.
  6. Understand the value of independent journalism and the role of the press in a free society; recognize journalism-related legal risks in news-gathering; understand rights of access to government institutions; critically evaluate news accounts for credibility, quality, and accuracy.
  7. Report on issues, institutions, ideas, and trends in society, and do so in a manner understandable to a lay readership.
  8. Practice multimedia journalism including audio and video reporting; retain the essential values of accuracy and balance with the tools and priorities of new media.
  9. Embrace the core ethical values of journalism, avoiding plagiarism and fabrication and understand why they are unaccepted.

Major Course Requirements


Journalism and Creative Writing Specialization

The journalism and creative writing specialization helps students develop research, interviewing, writing, editing, and multimedia storytelling skills that are crucial to success across a broad spectrum of fields and professions in this information age. A faculty of professional writers and editors teach students to research, report, interview, and write about urban affairs, politics, crime and the courts, arts and culture, law, education, science, sports, and many other topics.

 

Program Prerequisite

The Individual and the News in the Information Age3 credits

Core Journalism Curriculum            (15 credits)

Journalistic Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing

4 credits
Media Ethics and Law3 credits
Advanced Reporting and Writing4 credits
or 
Multimedia Reporting4 credits

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
 

Media Internship4 credits
or 

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits

Specialization Electives                 (9-11 credits)
Feature Article Writing3 credits

Photojournalism (

ART 3064
)

 

3 credits

Electronic Research Methods and Resources for Writers (

LIB 3065
)

3 credits

Editing

3 credits
JRN 3110
Editing in the Digital World3 credits

Business and Financial Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism

4 credits

Television Field Reporting

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting

 

3 credits

Documentary Film (

ENG 3280
)

 

3 credits
Science Communication3 credits
Journalistic Criticism and Reviewing3 credits
Journalistic Blogging3 credits
JRN 3520
Advanced Multimedia Reporting3 credits
JRN 3530

Podcasting and Radio News

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting

3 credits
Creative Nonfiction3 credits

Workshop: Fiction Writing (

ENG 3610
)

3 credits

Sudden Fiction -- Crafting Short Short Stories (

ENG 3615
)

3 credits

Workshop: Playwriting (

THE 3052
)

3 credits
Workshop: Film and Television Writing3 credits
JRN 3660
Fiction Podcasting3 credits
JRN 3670
Creating and Writing a Web Series 3 credits
JRN 3700
International Reporting3 credits
JRN 3770
Cultural Reporting3 credits
Environmental Reporting3 credits
Sportswriting3 credits
Topics in Journalism3 credits
Press Coverage of Politics and Policy3 credits
A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks3 credits
JRN 4500
Advanced Video Journalism   3 credits
Journalism and the Literary Imagination (
CMP 4730
)
3 credits
Investigative Reporting3 credits

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits
Independent Study in JournalismVariable

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052

Media Internship4 credits
Journalism Honors I and II3 credits
Plus 
Two Courses in Literature at the 3000-level or above6 credits
  

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Fall 2020 - Business Journalism Specialization (See below for changes to the Major that will take place in spring 2021.)

This program will teach students how to function as business and financial journalists, for a news organization or on their own. Students will learn how to report on companies, analyze economic trends and find regional variations in them, understand financial markets and their impact on society, and write journalistic articles for a wide range of outlets, including newspapers and magazines, television and radio and the Internet. The specialization will help students develop research, reporting, and interviewing skills; learn to mine data; develop article ideas, and communicate news to different audiences.

 

Program Prerequisite

JRN 2500

Perspectives on the News3 credits
 
Core Curriculum            (15 credits)

Journalistic Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing

4 credits

Business and Financial Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism

4 credits
Media Ethics and Law3 credits

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
 

Media Internship4 credits
or 

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

 

4 credits
 
Business Journalism Elective    (3 credits)
One course chosen from:

effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3201

 

Covering the Financial Markets3 credits

effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3202

 

Covering Wealth and Poverty

3 credits
 
Additional Journalism Electives    (6 – 8 credits)
Two courses chosen from the following:
Feature Article Writing3 credits

Electronic Research Methods and   Resources for Writers (

LIB 3065
)

3 credits

Editing

3 credits
JRN 3110
Editing in the Digital World3 credits

Television Field Reporting

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting

3 credits
Journalistic Blogging3 credits
Advanced Reporting and Writing4 credits
Multimedia Reporting4 credits
JRN 3520
Advanced Multimedia Reporting3 credits 
JRN 3530

Podcasting and Radio News

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting

3 credits
Creative Nonfiction3 credits

Sudden Fiction -- Crafting Short Short Stories (

ENG 3615
)

3 credits
JRN 3700
International Reporting3 credits
JRN 3770
Cultural Reporting3 credits
Environmental Reporting3 credits
Sportswriting3 credits
Topics in Journalism3 credits
Covering the Financial Markets3 credits

Covering Wealth and Poverty

3 credits
Press Coverage of Politics and Policy3 credits
A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks3 credits
Investigative Reporting3 credits

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits
Independent Study in JournalismVariable

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
 

Media Internship4 credits
Journalism Honors I and II3 credits

With permission of the journalism advisor, writing-related Feit seminars (

IDC 4050H
) and Harman Writer-in-Residence courses may be counted toward the major.

 
Other Electives: Two additional courses (6 credits) drawn from the offerings of other programs throughout Baruch College, subject to approval by the journalism advisor.
 

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Effective Spring 2021 - Business Journalism Specialization

This program will teach students how to function as business and financial journalists, for news organizations or on their own. Students will learn how to report on companies, analyze economic trends and find regional variations in them, understand financial markets and their impact on society, and write and produce business news for a wide range of outlets, including newspapers and magazines, television and radio and the Internet. The specialization will help students develop research, reporting, interviewing skills, and story ideas; learn to mine data; and communicate news to different audiences across media technologies.

Program Prerequisite

JRN 2500

The Individual and the News in the Information Age

3 credits

 

 

 

Core Curriculum (15 credits)

JRN 3200

Business and Financial Journalism

(formerly Business and Financial Writing)

4 credits

JRN 3220

Media Ethics and Law

3 credits

JRN 3510

Multimedia Reporting

4 credits

 

 

 

JRN 5050
,

JRN 5051
,

JRN 5052

Media Internship

4 credits

 

or

 

JRN 4920

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits

 

Electives    (6 credits)

Two of the following courses:

 

JRN 3201

Covering the Financial Markets (formerly JRN 4001)

3 credits

JRN 3202

Covering Wealth and Poverty (formerly JRN 4002)

3 credits

JRN 3800
 

Environmental Reporting

3 credits

 

Additional Journalism Electives    (6 credits)

Two courses chosen from the following:

JRN 3060

Feature Article Writing

3 credits

JRN 3100

Editing

3 credits

JRN 3201

Covering the Financial Markets (formerly JRN 4001)

3 credits

JRN 3202

Covering Wealth and Poverty (formerly JRN 4002)

3 credits

JRN 3450

Journalistic Blogging

3 credits

JRN 3530

Journalistic Podcasting

(formerly Podcasting and Radio News)

3 credits

JRN 3700

International Reporting

3 credits

JRN 3770

Cultural Reporting

3 credits

JRN 3800

Environmental Reporting

3 credits

JRN 4500

Advanced Video Journalism

3 credits

JRN 4750

Investigative Reporting

3 credits

 

 

 

Capstone Course  (3 – 4 credits)

One of the following courses:

JRN 4500

Advanced Video Journalism

3 credits

JRN 4750

Investigative Reporting

3 credits{SHOW

JRN 4920

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits

JRN 5050
,

JRN 5051
,

JRN 5052

Media Internship

4 credits

 

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Business Communication Major: 
Business Writing Specialization for the BA Student

Program Learning Goals

Upon completion of the business writing specialization within the business communication major, students will be able to:

  1. Report, research and write reports and articles in a range of formats with accuracy and context.
  2. Find and retrieve online information and data and evaluate it.
  3. Employ the fundamentals of clear business writing to produce effective communications and to begin to develop a personal writing style.
  4. Locate a wide range of information from various sources on local, regional, national and global issues, drawing on print, broadcast and Web archives.
  5. Write effectively in at least two specialties within the world of business writing, including marketing-related writing, Internet communications, legal writing, journalistic writing and financial writing.

Major Course Requirements

For the BA student who is interested in combining business writing with preparation in business administration, the following interdisciplinary specialization within the business communication major is suggested.


Base Curriculum Courses 
No credit toward the major

Writing I (or its equivalent)3 credits
Writing II3 credits

Great Works of Literature I (

CMP 2800
)

3 credits
or 

Great Works of Literature II (

CMP 2850
)

3 credits

Program Prerequisites       15 credits

Marketing Foundations3 credits
Fundamentals of Management3 credits
Business Statistics I3 credits
or 

PSY 2100

Statistics for Social Science (formerly STA 2100)3 credits
or 
Micro-Economics
  (may be applied to the base curriculum - Baruch Common Core)
3 credits
or 
Macro-Economics
  (may be applied to the base curriculum - Baruch Common Core)
3 credits
or 
Current Economic Problems3 credits

Introduction to Information Systems and Technologies

(Students must complete

BUS 1000
 as a course prerequisite)

3 credits
Major/Specialization:       30–33 credits
Interdisciplinary Core:      (6-7 credits)
Business Communication

Journalistic Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing

4 credits
or 
Business Communication3 credits
and 
Media Ethics and Law

3 credits
Marketing/Advertising
Choose one course:
Advertising and Marketing Communications3 credits
Marketing Research3 credits
Consumer Behavior3 credits
Public Relations

3 credits
Management
Choose one course:
Management: A Behavioral Approach3 credits
Management and Society

3 credits
Business Writing Specialization Requirements              
Required Courses                  (10 – 12 credits)

Business and Financial Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism

4 credits

and two from the following:

Editing

3 credits
Business Communication3 credits
Advanced Reporting and Writing4 credits
Multimedia Reporting4 credits

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
 

Media Internship

4 credits
Electives         (6 – 8 credits)
Feature Article Writing3 credits

Editing

3 credits
JRN 3110
Editing in the Digital World3 credits

Television Field Reporting

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting

3 credits
Media Ethics and Law3 credits
Journalistic Blogging3 credits
Advanced Reporting and Writing4 credits
Multimedia Reporting4 credits
JRN 3520
Advanced Multimedia Reporting3 credits
JRN 3530

Podcasting and Radio News

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting

3 credits

Sudden Fiction - Crafting Short Short Stories (

ENG 3615
)

3 credits
Creative Nonfiction3 credits
JRN 3700
International Reporting3 credits
JRN 3770
Cultural Reporting3 credits
Environmental Reporting3 credits
Sportswriting3 credits
Topics in Journalism†3 credits
Press Coverage of Politics and Policy3 credits
A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks3 credits
Investigative Reporting3 credits

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 credits
Independent Study in JournalismVariable

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
 

Media Internship

4 credits
Journalism Honors I and II3 credits
†Students may enroll in JRN 3900 more than once if the topic is different.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Minor
Journalism

The minor in Journalism provides students in business, public affairs, and liberal arts with a range of courses to strengthen their writing and communications skills. This minor is particularly recommended for students preparing for careers in media, law, business, politics, and with nonprofit organizations. Students should note that many of the 4000-level capstone courses have prerequisites. In choosing 3000-level courses, students should keep in mind that capstone course, so as to meet its prerequisite requirements.

To fulfill the liberal arts minor with a concentration in journalism, students are required to complete a minimum of nine credits, including two courses at the 3000-level or above and one course at the 4000- or above, drawn from the curriculum of the Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions. All journalism courses at the 4000-level or above, except for the Media Internship (

JRN 5050
,
JRN 5051
, or
JRN 5052
), may serve as the capstone course.

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Special Program

The Sidney Harman Writer-In-Residence Program

The Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence Program, an endowed residency in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, offers gifted undergraduates the opportunity to enroll in writing workshops taught by distinguished visiting professors. Since its inception in the fall of 1998, Harman Writers-in-Residence have included poets Yehuda Amichai, Agha Shahid Ali, April Bernard, Carol Muske-Dukes,  Charles Simic, and Major Jackson; playwrights Edward Albee and Tony Kushner; authors William Finnegan, Philip Gourevitch, Jane Kramer, Mark Kurlansky, and George Packer; fiction writers Paul Auster, Susan Choi, Anita Desai, Francisco Goldman, Colum McCann, Lorrie Moore, Sigrid Nunez, Francine Prose, Joseph O'Connor, and John Edgar Wideman; and graphic novelist, Ben Katchor.

Harman courses vary in numbering and in subject, depending on the choice of the visiting writer. Interested students of all majors are encouraged to submit transcripts and writing portfolios for review to Professor Bridgett Davis, 646-312-3927; e-mail: Bridgett.Davis@baruch.cuny.edu.

Harman classes can be taken for honors credit and students can use the Harman courses to fulfill their honors course requirements. The courses also can be used in the Journalism major and minor and in the English major and minor.

Additional information on the Harman Residency is available at www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/harman.

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Journalism Laboratory

The department's facilities include Studio H, a state-of-theart computer lab and classroom for journalism students. Studio H offers students the latest technology for multimedia journalism, with 25 Apple iMac computers and software for editing photos, audio, and video. An audiovisual system allows for the viewing of multimedia features, television feeds, and other video on a large screen at the front of the room, and large flat-panel monitors on the side walls offer additional screening options. For example, when a news story is developing, students can follow coverage on at least three stations simultaneously. Studio H, funded by the Harnisch Foundation, also offers wireless Internet access and has its own server for easy file transfers

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Courses

Courses in Journalism

The Individual and the News in the Information Age

3 hours; 3 credits

Journalistic Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing

4 hours; 4 credits

Feature Article Writing

3 hours; 3 credits

Photojournalism (

ART 3064
)

4 hours; 3 credits

Electronic Research Methods and Resources for Writers (

LIB 3065
)

3 hours; 3 credits

JRN 3100

Editing

3 hours; 3 credits

JRN 3110
Editing in the Digital World3 hours; 3 credits

Business Communication

3 hours; 3 credits

Business and Financial Writing

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism

4 hours; 4 credits

Television Field Reporting

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting

3 hours; 3 credits

Media Ethics and Law

3 hours; 3 credits

Documentary Film (

ENG 3280
)

3 hours; 3 credits

Science Communication

3 hours; 3 credits

Journalistic Criticism and Reviewing

3 hours; 3 credits

Journalistic Blogging

3 hours; 3 credits

Advanced Reporting and Writing

4 hours; 4 credits

Multimedia Reporting

4 hours; 4 credits

Advanced Multimedia Reporting

 

3 hours; 3 credits

JRN 3530

Podcasting and Radio News

effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting

3 hours; 3 credits

Creative Nonfiction

3 hours; 3 credits

Workshop: Fiction Writing (

ENG 3610
)

3 hours; 3 credits

Sudden Fiction - Crafting Short Short Stories (

ENG 3615
)

3 hours; 3 credits

Workshop: Playwriting (

THE 3052
)

3 hours; 3 credits

Workshop: Film and Television Writing

3 hours; 3 credits

JRN 3660
Fiction Podcasting3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3670
Creating and Writing a Web Series 3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3700
International Reporting3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3770
Cultural Reporting3 hours; 3 credits

Environmental Reporting

3 hours; 3 credits

Sportswriting

3 hours; 3 credits

Topics in Journalism

3 hours; 3 credits

effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3201

 

Covering the Financial Markets

3 hours; 3 credits

effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3202

 

Covering Wealth and Poverty

3 hours; 3 credits

Press Coverage of Politics and Policy

3 hours; 3 credits

A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption, and Governmental Crooks

3 hours; 3 credits

JRN 4500
Advanced Video Journalism   3 hours; 3 credits

Journalism and the Literary Imagination (

CMP 4730
)

3 hours; 3 credits

Investigative Reporting

4 hours; 3 credits

Narrative Writing (

ENG 4920
)

4 hours; 4 credits

Independent Study in Journalism I

Variable hours and credits

Independent Study in Journalism II

Variable hours and credits

Independent Study in Journalism III

Variable hours and credits

Media Internship I

4 hours; 4 credits

Media Internship II

4 hours; 4 credits

Summer Media Internship

4 hours; 4 credits

Honors Journalism I

3 hours; 3 credits

Honors Journalism II

3 hours; 3 credits

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