Hands-on Journalism Education at Missouri School

Missouri School of Journalism

Students in the journalism degree program take a mix of hands-on and theoretical courses. They also choose one of six career paths and complete a capstone course focused on their career focus.

The School operates an international journalists’ magazine, a local city magazine, a statehouse news bureau and student-staffed advertising and public relations agencies. RJI serves as the hub for many professional organizations, including Investigative Reporters and Editors and Pictures of the Year International.

The Missouri Method

When Dean Walter Williams launched the world’s first journalism school in 1908, his hands-on philosophy of learning-by-doing was dubbed “the Missouri Method.” Today, that approach is embedded throughout our curriculum. Students gain real-world experience in our community-based professional newsrooms and agencies — including an NBC affiliate television station, NPR member radio station, digital-first community newspaper and two advertising agencies with paying local, regional and national clients.

Students can also pursue academic research in their field of interest by participating in a variety of student organizations and research labs. For example, this semester, undergraduates can participate in an investigative reporting class that partners with the Columbia Missourian to examine how the state’s political process works. (cross-leveled with JOURN 4340)

Journalism and Strategic Communication

In a world where information is abundant but often incorrect, good journalism separates truth from fiction. In the Missouri School of Journalism, you’ll learn to tell stories that matter in multiple formats, from print and broadcast to video and digital.

You’ll develop your journalistic skills from day one through a dynamic array of courses and hands-on experiences. We also encourage you to explore your interests through elective coursework in areas such as data journalism, magazine editing, documentary editing and public relations.

Our students are able to combine their undergraduate degree with a master’s degree through the accelerated bachelor to graduate program. You must meet both the minimum requirements for your degree as well as those of the graduate school to be admitted to this program.

Video Journalism

The Reynolds Journalism Institute helps journalism serve democracy by working with journalists, industry leaders and researchers. Its 50,000-square-foot research and innovation center provides a unique R&D environment to discover new ways to empower voices and tell the truth.

Students work on the news teams of the School’s professional outlets, including KBIA-FM, KOMU-TV, The Columbia Missourian and Vox Magazine. Assignments reflect the reality of today’s newsrooms and include team reporting, specialized beat areas and individual conferences with faculty.

This course focuses on the research, reporting and field acquisition of a yearlong documentary project. It blends innovative approaches to documentary storytelling with the hands-on Missouri Method of fact-finding and accuracy. This is a capstone course for the documentary major. Graded on A-F basis only. Pre-Journalism and Journalism majors cannot take this course.

Digital Journalism

A journalist must have a mastery of all digital platforms, including social media. They must be able to write and produce video, photos and text. They must be able to quickly update news websites and respond to breaking events as they occur.

The journalism program offers a unique opportunity to learn all of these skills while building a strong foundation in the core competencies. It’s a great opportunity to grow and diversify in a rapidly changing industry.

An accelerated bachelor to master’s program allows students to begin their graduate work during their senior year of undergraduate study. The accelerated program requires 9-12 credits each semester and is available for all majors. The Reynolds Journalism Institute works with journalists, professors and students to make sure that journalism has a bright future.

Public Relations

With the help of our faculty, students become leaders in their field. They take on roles at the New York Times and Washington Post; manage multiplatform news operations at NBC and CNN; launch innovative journalism startups; oversee public relations campaigns for companies like Ketchum, Fleishman-Hillard and BBDO; and work in our two student-staffed advertising agencies.

Designed for strategic communication majors, this course provides hands-on experience in developing and executing PR campaigns. This includes researching, writing and implementing social media strategies, managing face-to-face events, conducting research and working with clients. (cross-leveled with JOURN 4824). Graded on A-F basis only.

Run back to the home screen…

UC Berkeley’s Journalism Minor: Boost Your Career Prospects

Improve Your Career Prospects With a Journalism Minor at UC Berkeley

Students of any major can improve their career prospects with fundamental journalistic skills. Whether it’s finding engaging topics, conducting interviews, or harnessing cutting-edge communication technology, these are valuable skills in virtually every field.

The journalism minor — taught in two six-week summer sessions — provides students with hands-on training in current and emerging media platforms.

Introduction to Journalism

With a keen mind, an able pen and facility for language you can serve your community with news that is factual and adheres to ethical standards. There are few professions more noble.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional seeking to modernize your skills, or a college undergraduate exploring options, this hands-on minor prepares you to report on contemporary realities with precision and eloquence. You’ll learn the core reporting and writing skills, social media, video, photography, and cutting-edge communication technology that are essential to success in this era of converged media.

Understand what makes a story newsworthy and hear about the challenges reporters face in gathering and verifying facts. Study how the legalities of journalism operate and be prepared to fend off ethical issues that could land you in hot water. This course also introduces you to the most common structural elements of news writing. You will also become familiar with the law as it applies to journalists in the United States.

Journalism in the Digital Age

In this era of social media and new communication technologies, journalists must understand how to best engage their audience. This minor will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this fast-paced industry.

The quest for truth will never become less important. Journalists must find and pursue the stories that matter, and present them in a way that will engage readers.

Today’s globalizing world means that local stories often have international implications. Learn the specialized reporting techniques that international journalists use to cover events around the globe, and how to find reliable sources and overcome language barriers.

Students who enjoy writing and want to take their skills to the next level may enjoy writing news analysis or doing some investigative journalism. This minor will also give students the opportunity to gain proficiency with broadcast and online video, photography, and audio reporting.

Specialty Reporting

The skills journalists use — identifying questions, finding answers and communicating them effectively — are hugely valuable to students in every major. The minor in journalism will allow students to learn those fundamentals, bringing them into their everyday lives.

Specialized reporting in journalism is the area of expertise a journalist acquires by focusing on a particular topic or issue. This can include politics, international reporting, science and technology coverage or even the unique reporting challenges associated with a sports event.

While it’s possible for students to complete a specialized report with the same course work as a traditional journalism minor, there are also unique requirements that come with each type of specialty. For example, a political reporter needs to have a strong understanding of government structures at all levels and be able to interview politicians from diverse backgrounds. A science and technology reporter must be familiar with the latest scientific predictions, discoveries and adventures. A sports reporter must be able to convey the meaning of sport to the general public.

Journalism Ethics

Journalism is a profession that requires an individual with the ability to inform society of current events with at least some degree of accuracy. It involves research, writing and editing in various literary styles, as well as the use of media platforms such as social media, television, radio, and photography.

Despite the fact that today anyone can easily share news stories online with just a few clicks, the vast majority of people still depend on journalists to report on events in their daily lives. The most important thing is that a journalist’s work is accurate and fair.

UC Berkeley’s journalism program offers students hands-on training to modernize their skills across multiple platforms. The curriculum includes courses on narrative writing, podcasting and audio reporting, broadcast and online video production, as well as photojournalism and data-based storytelling. These skills are useful in many occupations, including those outside journalism. The minor is available to undergraduates, and can be completed in one summer or spread over two years.

Discover more…