This site is an archive. See the current website at www.extension.harvard.edu.

Courses

Related Subject

This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.

Journalism

Also see the Master of Liberal Arts in Journalism and the Certificate in Publishing and Communications.

Courselist

JOUR E-50 Journalism (12549) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
John R. Lenger, EdM, Editor in Chief and Assistant Director, Office of News and Public Affairs, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Thursdays beginning Sept. 18, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 104.

This course equips students with an understanding of the principles and practice of journalism: how to recognize good stories, gather facts through skillful interviewing and research, develop sources, craft welcoming leads and satisfying endings, and create news and feature articles that inform and engage readers. Rewriting to achieve mastery is particularly emphasized. Students also learn the difference between journalism and public relations and how to structure narratives to fashion different types of articles. Prerequisite: a college-level writing course. (4 credits)

JOUR E-100 Graduate Journalism Proseminar: Writing and Reporting (12584) (Website) (Printable version)
Daniel Bersak, SM, Multimedia Communications Specialist, Harvard School of Public Health.
Graduate proseminar. Course tuition: graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 17, 7:35-9:35 pm, 53 Church Street, Room L01.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library. Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

This intensive writing course, the gateway to the Master of Liberal Arts in Journalism, focuses on the art and craft of writing and reporting for print publications. Students gain experience in technical aspects such as writing leads, developing sources, and conducting interviews through frequent reporting exercises. The course also examines the ethics and responsibilities of excellent journalism. Prerequisites: a beginning journalism course, some experience in the field, or permission of the instructor. At the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level writing skills. (4 credits)

JOUR E-110/W The Constitution and the Media (22424) (Website) (Printable version)
Allan A. Ryan, JD, Director of Intellectual Property, Harvard Business School Publishing.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Spring term: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28, 5:30-7:30 pm, 1 Story Street, Room 304.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

This course examines the basis for, and the restrictions on, freedom of the press in the US. We begin by examining the concept of free speech and free press as used in the First Amendment, and trace its historical development. We discuss the ways the Supreme Court has addressed three contentious press issues: the conflict between disclosure and national security (for example, the Pentagon Papers case); the defamation of public figures in news reporting (New York Times Co. v. Sullivan); and reporters' shield laws and the limits of the so-called journalist's privilege. We also examine the constitutional basis for governmental regulation of broadcast content, and the changes that cyberspace, narrowcasting, blogging, and podcasting have brought to traditional concepts of legal regulation of journalism and reporting. (4 credits)

JOUR E-120/W Ethics and Journalism (13197) (Website) (Printable version)
Angelia Herrin, BA, Executive Director, New Business Development, Harvard Business School Publishing. Allan A. Ryan, JD, Director of Intellectual Property, Harvard Business School Publishing.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Mondays beginning Sept. 15, 7:35-9:35 pm, 1 Story Street, Room 306.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

Should a reporter go to jail rather than reveal a source? When is it ethical to disclose an elected official's misbehavior? The foundation of good journalism, in any media, is a solid understanding of strong ethical standards. Through case studies, class discussion, and project papers, we look at frameworks for ethical decision making. We examine a variety of ethical problems faced by journalists, such as the balance of privacy and newsworthiness, journalists' conflicts of interest, the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of sources, cooperation with law enforcement, and the role of journalists in their communities. We examine new questions raised by new technologies and new sources of information, and consider whether journalistic ethics should apply to bloggers and other non-professional "citizen media." (4 credits)

JOUR E-135 Opinion Writing (22588) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
John R. Lenger, EdM, Editor in Chief and Assistant Director, Office of News and Public Affairs, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Thursdays beginning Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 111.

This advanced workshop is for students who are interested in contemporary issues and want to influence public opinion or public policy by publishing their views. We explore various forms of opinion writing including letters to the editor, op-eds, and columns, and experiment with persuasive strategies from humor to indignation. Students write nearly every week for peer critique and polish their finished articles with the goal of submitting them to editors for possible publication. Prerequisite: a previous journalism course, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)

JOUR E-137 Feature Writing
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.

Fall term (12953) (Website) (Printable version): B.D. Colen, BA, Senior Communications Officer for University Science, Office of Government, Community, and Public Affairs, Harvard University.
Mondays beginning Sept. 15, 7:35-9:35 pm, 53 Church Street, Room 203.

Spring term (22391) (Syllabus) (Printable version): June Carolyn Erlick, MSJ.
Tuesdays beginning Jan. 27, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 104.

Feature stories give print media and magazines their dynamism and flavor. In this workshop, students explore feature writing techniques and philosophies, including slice-of-life, interview, profile, and narrative, with the goal of publishing the stories they write. Offered for graduate students who plan to pursue journalism and undergraduates interested in experimenting with different storytelling strategies, the course focuses on learning by doing and peer critique. Prerequisite: an introductory journalism course, some journalism experience, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)

JOUR E-140a News Reporting across Platforms (13133) (Website) (Printable version)
David Beard, BS, Editor, Boston.com. Mark Pothier, BA, Senior Assistant Business Editor, Boston Globe.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Thursdays beginning Sept. 18, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 112.

This course helps students develop a focus for stories, a discipline for telling both sides, an emphasis on fact-checking, and separating truth from rumor. The assignments range from stories with a print focus to posts that could be made on a blog or a website. We include extensive in-class writing exercises, as well as several papers outside the classroom. The course features appearances by several journalists who have distinguished themselves in print and online. Prerequisite: a previous writing course, or permission of the instructors. (4 credits)

JOUR E-140b Breaking News: On-Scene News Gathering (22969) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Daniel Bersak, SM, Multimedia Communications Specialist, Harvard School of Public Health.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28, 7:35-9:35 pm, 53 Church Street, Room 106.

This course serves as a bridge between journalism theory and practice, and students learn how to operate at the scene of a breaking news event. Topics include credentials and access, the incident command system, safety, ethics, stress debriefings, rights and responsibilities, and real-world news gathering skills. The course examines everything from ordinary press conferences to large-scale disasters. Students analyze current breaking coverage, and participate in a series of real-time drills and simulations. (4 credits)

JOUR E-144 Investigative Journalism (13125) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Jenifer Belknap McKim, BA.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 16, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 211.

Students learn to go beyond daily journalism to delve deeper into their subjects. They learn how to use public records and computer-assisted reporting to better tell stories that make a difference. They study some of the country's best investigative pieces and discuss what makes them great. They look at different ways to tell in-depth stories and examine the ethics of investigative reporting. The students have the chance to meet some of the country's top investigative reporters. Prerequisite: JOUR E-50, or the equivalent. (4 credits)

JOUR E-146 Foreign Correspondence (23097) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Andrew Meldrum, MA, Senior Editor, GlobalPost.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 27, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 211.

Many major American newspapers have closed their foreign desks and dramatically reduced their international coverage. Yet a new breed of freelance journalists continues to report from distant places. This course teaches successful methods in researching, reporting, and writing stories about international events and trends that will prepare students for work in foreign countries—as freelancers, or as staff members of print or online publications. Students follow international events, research countries and regions of particular interest to them, and develop contacts in foreign places. They also write about international issues in a variety of forms—hard news, business, feature, and commentary—using information assessed online and gained through local sources. (4 credits)

JOUR E-147 Publishing, Media, and Marketing (13126) (Website) (Printable version)
Catherine Chute, MPPM, Publisher, Harvard Magazine, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 16, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 215.

This course provides an overview of publishing and media from a business perspective with a particular focus on marketing. Business models in consumer publishing, broadcast media, and the Internet are examined using industry case studies. Marketing strategies are discussed, including branding, competitive positioning, strategic selling, and strategic alignment. (4 credits)

JOUR E-155 Magazine Writing (22921) (Website) (Printable version)
Martha Nichols, MA, Freelance Business Editor and Reporter, Youth Today Newspaper.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Mondays beginning Jan. 26, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 211.

Magazine writing is the home of good storytelling and in-depth feature-writing. In this workshop, students write two to three magazine-length features of at least 2,000 words. These might include a profile, a travel piece, a think piece, an investigative story, or a personal narrative. Shorter exercises emphasize developing a strong writing voice and the ability to adapt a story to different magazine house styles. We study features by some of the best writers (Joan Didion, Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell) and cover a range of magazine genres: health and lifestyle, travel and sports, politics, business, book and arts reviews, and science. Prerequisite: an introductory journalism course, some journalism experience, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)

JOUR E-157 Reviewing the Arts (13127) (Website) (Printable version)
Alicia Anstead, MA, Editor, Inside Arts Magazine, Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Fall term: Thursdays beginning Sept. 18, 7:35-9:35 pm, Emerson Hall, Room 106. Attendance at performance events required.

Arts reviewers provide some of the most vibrant and distinctive voices in print media, but despite the popular saying, not everyone is a critic. In this workshop, students learn to think critically and write forcefully about the performing arts, and to deepen their understanding of the critic's role as professional mediator between artists and audiences. Students survey the work of professional critics and bloggers, and hone their own skills by reviewing live performances in the Harvard community. Because the arts reviewer must adapt to being both within and outside the arts world, some class time is also devoted to conversations with visiting artists, arts administrators, and critics. Prerequisite: an introductory journalism course or some journalism experience. (4 credits)

JOUR E-160 Travel Writing (22976) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Eric Weinberger, BA, Senior Writer, Office of the President, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 104.

This workshop is for students interested in writing about travel to places near or far. Students read and discuss selections from some of the great twentieth-century travel writers (Waugh, Theroux, Naipaul, Rebecca West, and others) as well as current travel writing published in newspapers and magazines. Regular short assignments prepare students for their final project: a substantial travel narrative of their own. Prerequisite: a writing course or commensurate skill or experience. (4 credits)

JOUR E-165 Documentary Photography (22790) (Website) (Printable version)
B.D. Colen, BA, Senior Communications Officer for University Science, Office of Government, Community, and Public Affairs, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Mondays beginning Jan. 26, 7:35-9:35 pm, 53 Church Street, Room 203.

This course is an introduction to the great tradition of documentary photography. Students produce a documentary project and learn to see the world around them in a new way. Course includes readings, writing essays, and photographing on a regular basis. (4 credits)

JOUR E-180 Media, Democracy, and Development (12895) (Website) (Printable version)
Philippe Aghion, PhD, Robert C. Waggoner Professor of Economics, Harvard University. Benedicte Berner, MA, Vice President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Thursdays beginning Sept. 18, 5:30-7:30 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 102.
This course will not meet in January. Instead there will be Saturday classes from 10 am-noon on Nov. 15, Dec. 6, and Dec. 13.

The first part of the course covers media and democracy issues: a short historical perspective; the role of media in a democratic system; legal, political, and economic pressures on the media; responsibility and credibility of the journalist; new media and how it challenges traditional media; and freedom of expression and possible conflict with other human rights. The second part covers media and development, media and corporate governance, government accountability, and the public good provision. (4 credits)