• Faculty
• Field Description
• The Major in Journalism
  • Program Learning Goals
  • Major Course Requirements
    • Creative Writing Specialization
    • Business Journalism Specialization
• The Major in Business Communication - Business Writing Specialization
  • Program Learning Goals
  • Major Course Requirements
• The Minor and Courses
• Special Program – The Sidney Harman Writer-In-Residence Program
• Journalism Laboratory
• Courses
  • Courses in Journalism (JRN)
• Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions Website

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.

The Majors

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

• Journalism
• Interdisciplinary Major in Business Communication: Business Writing Specialization for the BA Student

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.

• Journalism and Creative Writing Specialization
• Business Journalism Specialization   
  

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

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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
JRN 2500	The Individual and the News in the Information Age	3 credits
Core Journalism Curriculum            (15 credits)
JRN 3050	Journalistic Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing	4 credits
JRN 3220	Media Ethics and Law	3 credits
JRN 3500	Advanced Reporting and Writing	4 credits
or
JRN 3510	Multimedia Reporting	4 credits
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
or
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 credits
Specialization Electives                 (9-11 credits)
JRN 3060	Feature Article Writing	3 credits
JRN 3064	Photojournalism ()	3 credits
JRN 3065	Electronic Research Methods and Resources for Writers ()	3 credits
JRN 3100	Editing	3 credits
	Editing in the Digital World	3 credits
JRN 3200	Business and Financial Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism	4 credits
JRN 3210	Television Field Reporting effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3280	Documentary Film ()	3 credits
JRN 3300	Science Communication	3 credits
JRN 3400	Journalistic Criticism and Reviewing	3 credits
JRN 3450	Journalistic Blogging	3 credits
	Advanced Multimedia Reporting	3 credits
	Podcasting and Radio News effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting	3 credits
JRN 3600	Creative Nonfiction	3 credits
JRN 3610	Workshop: Fiction Writing ()	3 credits
JRN 3615	Sudden Fiction -- Crafting Short Short Stories ()	3 credits
JRN 3630	Workshop: Playwriting ()	3 credits
JRN 3650	Workshop: Film and Television Writing	3 credits
	Fiction Podcasting	3 credits
	Creating and Writing a Web Series	3 credits
	International Reporting	3 credits
	Cultural Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3800	Environmental Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3810	Sportswriting	3 credits
JRN 3900	Topics in Journalism	3 credits
JRN 4200	Press Coverage of Politics and Policy	3 credits
JRN 4220	A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks	3 credits
	Advanced Video Journalism	3 credits
JRN 4730	Journalism and the Literary Imagination ()	3 credits
JRN 4750	Investigative Reporting	3 credits
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 credits
JRN 5000-5002	Independent Study in Journalism	Variable
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
JRN 6001H-6002H	Journalism Honors I and II	3 credits
Plus
Two Courses in Literature at the 3000-level or above		6 credits
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
	Perspectives on the News	3 credits
Core Curriculum            (15 credits)
JRN 3050	Journalistic Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing	4 credits
JRN 3200	Business and Financial Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism	4 credits
JRN 3220	Media Ethics and Law	3 credits
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
or
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 credits
Business Journalism Elective    (3 credits) One course chosen from:
JRN 4001 effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3201	Covering the Financial Markets	3 credits
JRN 4002 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:
JRN 3060	Feature Article Writing	3 credits
JRN 3065	Electronic Research Methods and   Resources for Writers ()	3 credits
JRN 3100	Editing	3 credits
	Editing in the Digital World	3 credits
JRN 3210	Television Field Reporting effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3450	Journalistic Blogging	3 credits
JRN 3500	Advanced Reporting and Writing	4 credits
JRN 3510	Multimedia Reporting	4 credits
	Advanced Multimedia Reporting	3 credits
	Podcasting and Radio News effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting	3 credits
JRN 3600	Creative Nonfiction	3 credits
JRN 3615	Sudden Fiction -- Crafting Short Short Stories ()	3 credits
	International Reporting	3 credits
	Cultural Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3800	Environmental Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3810	Sportswriting	3 credits
JRN 3900	Topics in Journalism	3 credits
JRN 4001	Covering the Financial Markets	3 credits
JRN 4002	Covering Wealth and Poverty	3 credits
JRN 4200	Press Coverage of Politics and Policy	3 credits
JRN 4220	A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks	3 credits
JRN 4750	Investigative Reporting	3 credits
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 credits
JRN 5000-5002	Independent Study in Journalism	Variable
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
JRN 6001H-6002H	Journalism Honors I and II	3 credits
With permission of the journalism advisor, writing-related Feit seminars () 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.
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 The Individual and the News in the Information Age 3 credits       Core Curriculum (15 credits) Business and Financial Journalism (formerly Business and Financial Writing) 4 credits Media Ethics and Law 3 credits Multimedia Reporting 4 credits       , , Media Internship 4 credits   or   Narrative Writing () 4 credits   Electives    (6 credits) Two of the following courses:   Covering the Financial Markets (formerly JRN 4001) 3 credits Covering Wealth and Poverty (formerly JRN 4002) 3 credits   Environmental Reporting 3 credits   Additional Journalism Electives    (6 credits) Two courses chosen from the following: Feature Article Writing 3 credits Editing 3 credits Covering the Financial Markets (formerly JRN 4001) 3 credits Covering Wealth and Poverty (formerly JRN 4002) 3 credits Journalistic Blogging 3 credits Journalistic Podcasting (formerly Podcasting and Radio News) 3 credits International Reporting 3 credits Cultural Reporting 3 credits Environmental Reporting 3 credits Advanced Video Journalism 3 credits Investigative Reporting 3 credits       Capstone Course  (3 – 4 credits) One of the following courses: Advanced Video Journalism 3 credits Investigative Reporting 3 credits{SHOW Narrative Writing () 4 credits , , Media Internship 4 credits   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: Report, research and write reports and articles in a range of formats with accuracy and context. Find and retrieve online information and data and evaluate it. Employ the fundamentals of clear business writing to produce effective communications and to begin to develop a personal writing style. Locate a wide range of information from various sources on local, regional, national and global issues, drawing on print, broadcast and Web archives. 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
ENG 2100	Writing I (or its equivalent)	3 credits
ENG 2150	Writing II	3 credits
ENG 2800	Great Works of Literature I ()	3 credits
or
ENG 2850	Great Works of Literature II ()	3 credits
Program Prerequisites       15 credits
MKT 3000	Marketing Foundations	3 credits
MGT 3120	Fundamentals of Management	3 credits
STA 2000	Business Statistics I	3 credits
or
	Statistics for Social Science (formerly STA 2100)	3 credits
or
ECO 1001	Micro-Economics   (may be applied to the base curriculum - Baruch Common Core)	3 credits
or
ECO 1002	Macro-Economics   (may be applied to the base curriculum - Baruch Common Core)	3 credits
or
ECO 1110	Current Economic Problems	3 credits
CIS 2200	Introduction to Information Systems and Technologies (Students must complete  as a course prerequisite)	3 credits
Major/Specialization:       30–33 credits
Interdisciplinary Core:      (6-7 credits)
Business Communication
JRN 3050	Journalistic Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing	4 credits
or
JRN 3150	Business Communication	3 credits
and
JRN 3220	Media Ethics and Law	3 credits
Marketing/Advertising
Choose one course:
MKT 3520	Advertising and Marketing Communications	3 credits
MKT 3600	Marketing Research	3 credits
MKT 3605	Consumer Behavior	3 credits
MKT 4171	Public Relations	3 credits
Management
Choose one course:
MGT 3300	Management: A Behavioral Approach	3 credits
MGT 3800	Management and Society	3 credits
Business Writing Specialization Requirements
Required Courses                  (10 – 12 credits)
JRN 3200	Business and Financial Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism	4 credits
and two from the following:
JRN 3100	Editing	3 credits
JRN 3150	Business Communication	3 credits
JRN 3500	Advanced Reporting and Writing	4 credits
JRN 3510	Multimedia Reporting	4 credits
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
Electives         (6 – 8 credits)
JRN 3060	Feature Article Writing	3 credits
JRN 3100	Editing	3 credits
	Editing in the Digital World	3 credits
JRN 3210	Television Field Reporting effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3220	Media Ethics and Law	3 credits
JRN 3450	Journalistic Blogging	3 credits
JRN 3500	Advanced Reporting and Writing	4 credits
JRN 3510	Multimedia Reporting	4 credits
	Advanced Multimedia Reporting	3 credits
	Podcasting and Radio News effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting	3 credits
JRN 3615	Sudden Fiction - Crafting Short Short Stories ()	3 credits
JRN 3600	Creative Nonfiction	3 credits
	International Reporting	3 credits
	Cultural Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3800	Environmental Reporting	3 credits
JRN 3810	Sportswriting	3 credits
JRN 3900	Topics in Journalism†	3 credits
JRN 4200	Press Coverage of Politics and Policy	3 credits
JRN 4220	A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption and Governmental Crooks	3 credits
JRN 4750	Investigative Reporting	3 credits
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 credits
JRN 5000-5002	Independent Study in Journalism	Variable
, , or	Media Internship	4 credits
JRN 6001H-6002H	Journalism Honors I and II	3 credits
†Students may enroll in JRN 3900 more than once if the topic is different.

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 (, , or ), may serve as the capstone course.

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.

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

Courses

Courses in Journalism

JRN 2500	The Individual and the News in the Information Age	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3050	Journalistic Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Reporting and Writing	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 3060	Feature Article Writing	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3064	Photojournalism ()	4 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3065	Electronic Research Methods and Resources for Writers ()	3 hours; 3 credits
	Editing	3 hours; 3 credits
	Editing in the Digital World	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3150	Business Communication	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3200	Business and Financial Writing effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Business and Financial Journalism	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 3210	Television Field Reporting effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Video Field Reporting	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3220	Media Ethics and Law	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3280	Documentary Film ()	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3300	Science Communication	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3400	Journalistic Criticism and Reviewing	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3450	Journalistic Blogging	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3500	Advanced Reporting and Writing	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 3510	Multimedia Reporting	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 3520	Advanced Multimedia Reporting	3 hours; 3 credits
	Podcasting and Radio News effective spring 2021 course title changes to: Journalistic Podcasting	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3600	Creative Nonfiction	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3610	Workshop: Fiction Writing ()	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3615	Sudden Fiction - Crafting Short Short Stories ()	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3630	Workshop: Playwriting ()	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3650	Workshop: Film and Television Writing	3 hours; 3 credits
	Fiction Podcasting	3 hours; 3 credits
	Creating and Writing a Web Series	3 hours; 3 credits
	International Reporting	3 hours; 3 credits
	Cultural Reporting	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3800	Environmental Reporting	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3810	Sportswriting	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 3900	Topics in Journalism	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4001 effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3201	Covering the Financial Markets	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4002 effective spring 2021 course number changes to: JRN 3202	Covering Wealth and Poverty	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4200	Press Coverage of Politics and Policy	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4220	A Century of Muckraking: Investigating Corporations, Corruption, and Governmental Crooks	3 hours; 3 credits
	Advanced Video Journalism	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4730	Journalism and the Literary Imagination ()	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4750	Investigative Reporting	4 hours; 3 credits
JRN 4920	Narrative Writing ()	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 5000	Independent Study in Journalism I	Variable hours and credits
JRN 5001	Independent Study in Journalism II	Variable hours and credits
JRN 5002	Independent Study in Journalism III	Variable hours and credits
JRN 5050	Media Internship I	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 5051	Media Internship II	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 5052	Summer Media Internship	4 hours; 4 credits
JRN 6001H	Honors Journalism I	3 hours; 3 credits
JRN 6002H	Honors Journalism II	3 hours; 3 credits