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Four quarter credits.This course will take full advantage of London’s rich cultural provision and the varied work of its many arts journalists and critics. To augment classroom lectures and tutorials by the course instructor there will be field trips to significant cultural sites, theatres, galleries, concert halls, newspapers, TV studios, etc. and regular guest visits from practitioners in the field.

This course will begin a year – almost to the day – after the biggest political earthquake in modern British history. The unexpected referendum decision by the voters of the UK to leave the European Union changed everything, including the British Prime Minister. The politicians, lawyers, economists and business people are still struggling to come to terms with the impact and practical repercussions of this shock, whilst political journalists are trying to interpret and explain a transformed landscape.The world in which the political journalists operate is changing too.

Four quarter credits.Britain is currently in the middle of what’s been called its ‘Decade of Sport’. After London’s successful hosting of the Olympics in 2012 and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, attention will turn to the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and then the World Athletics Championships in 2017.During this course we will analyze the perceived benefits of hosting major sporting events, and look into the culture of sport.

This course is designed to introduce you to the particularities of the British media market and the unique character of British journalism.  Along the way, we will explore some of Britain’s journalistic traditions, from the respectability of the BBC to the scurrilous tabloid press. We will look at some of the critical academic reaction to these institutions and the role and practice of journalism in Britain today. Students are encouraged to compare and contrast the British media to that of the USA. Excursions will be worked into the timetable where possible.

Each student will receive four additional hours of Practicum credit for work as a part of a special team project.  This will involve a client project, with work submitted by sub-teams:  strategy, writing, photography, digital storytelling, and design/graphics.  Graduate students form the strategy/planning team. For examples from previous years, go to: http://ghana.uoregon.edu.  Look under the 'Team Projects' heading.  

Like sailing, gardening, politics and poetry, journalism is a craft of place; it works by the light of local knowledge," said James Carey. The pre-structure of Italian journalism is different from that of American journalism and the journalistic tradition, as well as the state of the media of a country, has much to tell us about that culture. Media products do not necessarily mirror reality, but the media themselves, as a powerful symbolic agent that creates reality, are an important piece of the mirror image of society.

This course is designed to develop, improve, and professionalize students’ reporting, story development and storytelling skills -- from the discovery of subject matter and characters to the creation of a well-told news story.

Students study interview techniques in the classroom and engage in field work with news-making interviewees. Guests with specific types of interviewing experiences may join the class during the term. Guest lecturers who use the interview in their work periodically may speak to the class. Three interviews are assigned, as is a fourth feature story final project.

Social Media has changed the way that both journalists - and audiences - find and share the news. How are these changes affecting journalistic practice? And what are the social media skills that journalists need today? This class will explore the social media strategies of major news media outlets and journalists, exploring different social platforms and how to use them effectively. It will also teach you how to use social media to verify and manage content from different sources, as well as explore best practice in develop relationships with communities through online channels.