Courses

Related subject

Journalism

Also see the Graduate Program in Journalism.

Courselist

JOUR E-50 Journalism (12549)

Fall term

John R. Lenger, EdM.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Sept. 3, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100.

Limited enrollment.

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)

Fall term

Andrew Meldrum, MA, Senior Editor, GlobalPost.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: graduate credit $1,850.

Online option available. Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library. Lecture 1 video.

Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.

This intensive writing course, the gateway to the Graduate Program 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)

Spring term

Allan A. Ryan, JD, Director of Intellectual Property, Harvard Business School Publishing.

Class times: Mondays beginning Jan. 25, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,850.

Online option available. Lecture 1 video.

Writing-intensive course.

This course examines the basis for, and the restrictions on, freedom of the press in the United States. 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)

Fall term

Angelia Herrin, BA, Executive Director, New Business Development, Harvard Business School Publishing.
Allan A. Ryan, JD, Director of Intellectual Property, Harvard Business School Publishing.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,850.

Online option available. Lecture 1 video.

Writing-intensive course.

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-137 Feature Writing (22391)

Spring term

June Carolyn Erlick, MSJ, Publications Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and Editor-in-Chief, ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America, Harvard University.

Class times: Mondays beginning Jan. 25, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

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-138 Blogging (13382)

Fall term

Elizabeth Soutter, BA.

Class times: Mondays beginning Aug. 31, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

This course teaches blogging as an emerging journalistic form that combines the best elements of reporting with a new style of succinctness and creativity. Readings cover the best (and worst) of political, art, lifestyle, and personal blogs, and students practice writing in each of these genres. Students learn the ins and outs of the technical side of blogging including graphics and layout, interpreting traffic data, selling advertising, and building an audience. This course emphasizes the excellent writing and organizational skills that a compelling blog requires, and prepares students for careers as creative journalists or successful freelancers in the digital world. (4 credits)

JOUR E-140a News Reporting for the Web, Print, and other Platforms (13133)

Fall term

Mark Pothier, BA, Senior Assistant Business Editor, Boston Globe.
David Beard, BS, Editor, Boston.com.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Sept. 3, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

This course helps students develop a focus for stories, a discipline for telling both sides, an emphasis on fact-checking, separating truth from rumor, and on making yourself a crucial player in the rapidly changing world of media. 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 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-146 Foreign Correspondence (23097)

Spring term

Andrew Meldrum, MA, Senior Editor, GlobalPost.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Jan. 28, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

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 accessed online and gained through local sources. (4 credits)

JOUR E-147 Publishing, Media, and Marketing (13126)

Fall term

Catherine Chute, MBA, Publisher, Harvard Magazine, Harvard University.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

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-150 Advanced Narrative Nonfiction (23324)

Spring term

Christina Thompson, PhD, Editor, Harvard Review, Harvard College Library.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

In this advanced course we read and write in a variety of narrative nonfiction genres, from memoir to essay to travelogue. Through exercises, discussion, and revision we learn how to develop narratives using fictional techniques, factual information, and observed reality. We also study the work of writers such as Vivian Gornick, Atul Gawande, and Joan Didion. Registered students should bring a 1,000-word writing sample, which serves as a basis for admission, to the first class meeting. Prerequisites: a beginning or intermediate writing course, or permission of the instructor. Students should submit a four- to five-page writing sample of their narrative nonfiction to cathomps@fas.harvard.edu before the semester begins. (4 credits)

JOUR E-153 Profile Writing (23200)

Spring term

Billy Baker, MS.
Karen Weintraub, MS.

Class times: Mondays beginning Jan. 25, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

This class focuses on the profile, one of the most engaging forms of feature writing. Profile writers employ some of the journalist's core skills (interviewing, researching, reporting, and analyzing) while providing insight into the lives of other people—how they have overcome obstacles and achieved goals, or not. Published profiles serve as models for our own stories, which are workshopped in class. Class time also focuses on identifying markets for profiles and on the process of querying prospective editors. Prerequisite: a beginning journalism or feature writing course. (4 credits)

JOUR E-155 Magazine Writing (23327)

Spring term

Martha Nichols, MA, Freelance Writer and Contributing Editor, Women's Review of Books.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 27, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

Magazine writing is the home of good storytelling and in-depth feature writing—both online and in print. In this workshop, students write two magazine-length features of at least 1,500 words. These might include a profile, a think piece, a trend 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 (Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, Joan Didion) and cover a range of magazine genres—health and lifestyle, politics, business,—and explore magazines from The New Yorker to Salon.com. We also consider the role of professional bloggers in online magazine journalism. Prerequisite: an introductory journalism course, some journalism experience, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)

JOUR E-160 Travel Writing (22976)

Spring term

Eric Weinberger, BA, Senior Writer, Office of the President, Harvard University.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 26, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

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)

Spring term

B. D. Colen, BA, Senior Communications Officer for University Science, Office of Government, Community, and Public Affairs, Harvard University.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 27, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

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-170a Introduction to Food Writing (23249)

January session

Alicia Anstead, MA, Editor, Inside Arts Magazine, Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays beginning Jan. 5, 6-8:30 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $550, graduate credit $900.

Limited enrollment.

This course introduces students to food writing and writers. In it, we sample the variety of forms that food writing takes, from the recipe to the history to the travelogue to the profile. We explore the venues in which it appears, from Gourmet, Gastronomica, and The New Yorker, to cookbooks, memoirs, and the latest food blogs. And we emulate its best practitioners, such as Elizabeth David, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, and Anthony Bourdain. Students are expected to write new work, including a review of a local restaurant. (2 credits)

JOUR E-170 Food Writing (13342)

Fall term

Alicia Anstead, MA, Editor, Inside Arts Magazine, Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: undergraduate credit $1,100, graduate credit $1,800.

Limited enrollment.

Food is one of today's most popular topics in feature journalism, book-length narratives and reports by serious journalists. But taste is not the only criterion for writing about food. In this workshop, students review classic and current food reporting including memoirs (Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl) and manifestos (The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan). Students survey work by professional food writers such as Mark Bittman, Molly O'Neill, and Calvin Trillin, as well as contributors to online sites such as SeriousEats.com and the food and culture journal Gastronomica. Student hone their skills during writing assignments, class critiques, excursions to restaurants and culinary schools, and discussions with guests from the worlds of food culture and food journalism. Prerequisites: journalism or creative fiction/nonfiction writing experience. (4 credits)

JOUR E-180 Media, Democracy, and Development (12895)

Fall term

Philippe Aghion, PhD, Robert C. Waggoner Professor of Economics, Harvard University.
Benedicte Berner, MA, Vice President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Sept. 3, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit $600, undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

This course begins with a historical perspective on the relation between media and democracy. It then focuses on the role of media in a democratic system; on legal, political, and economic pressures on the media; on the responsibility and credibility of the journalist; on new media and how it challenges traditional media; and on freedom of expression and possible conflict with other human rights. The third part of the course covers competition in the market for news, the relation between advertising and pluralism in media, the relation between media and electoral competition, and the impact of media on the public good provision and economic development. (4 credits)



Browse courses by subject