Academics

1 credit

The news and non-fiction television business, like the rest of the media, is undergoing the greatest and most rapid systemic changes in its history. And New York City – as the home to the corporate, production, and editorial headquarters of cable news and non-fiction channels, the network news divisions, and digital startups like Vice and Buzzfeed – is at the epicenter of these seismic changes.

This five-week course will provide a professionally-oriented understanding of the rapidly evolving business of non-fiction storytelling, including network morning and evening newscasts, long-form documentaries, local television, along with digital, online and cable news. We will explore the impact of the convergence of content AND ownership across a wide range of platforms, as well as new technologies, demographic and cultural shifts, audience behaviors, and the growing polarization of cable news, all while taking advantage of the resources and expertise available to us only in New York City.

While providing a helicopter view of how the landscape and business models are changing across the industry, each session of this five-week seminar will focus on a different key aspect of the business of broadcast/digital journalism and non-fiction storytelling, with a prominent executive, talent, or practitioner providing first-person context and perspective in conversation with the class. Where possible, the entire class will be held on-site at a news organization in the topic area we are studying.

In each case, we’ll explore how stories and programs get selected and produced, how long-form news and documentary programs are “greenlit” and programmed, and how the emergence of multiple platforms has changed the editorial, storytelling and production processes.

We will also discuss how these new business challenges will alter the skill sets that will be necessary for practitioners, the implications for such ethical considerations as journalistic integrity and cultural diversity, as well as what the future may hold for this critical industry.

3 credits

In a rapidly changing country that is quickly becoming more multiracial and multicultural, and where civic and social norms are constantly changing, media must either reflect that growing diversity or become irrelevant. Media producers in every facet of the business; from the newsroom or writers’ room to the production floor, and from the editing room to the publicity department, are serving a marketplace that has never been more diverse, and that is increasingly borderless.

Given that reality, the creators and marketers of news and media content would be well served to approach their work with a broad capacity for empathy and a willingness to understand and serve people who may be 28 | Page different from themselves. Nowhere is this truer than in the coverage of politics, which in the U.S., and indeed throughout the Western world, is increasingly polarized along racial, gender, religious and regional lines.

The course will provide an introduction to the concept of media bias; whether racial, gender, religious, sexual orientation or regional – how race informs our perceptions of bias, and how those perceptions can impact media decisions. Secondly, the course will attempt to acquaint students with the real-world value of diversity in media, including its practical applications in improving media decision-making and storytelling.

3 credits

Digital Nation is the perfect entry point into the industry at a unique time in history. Every media company is being forced to reimagine and reinvent to become factories of video content. Television, while once the most lucrative platform in the ecosystem, is now in competition for ad dollars and has been morphed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. Content creation, ideation and distribution is happening everywhere with no barrier for entry. Digital Nation will explore where this leaves the once lucrative print industry. Are public relations firms a dying breed? How do brands get their message out? And most importantly how and where are the ad dollars coming from? Through the span of one semester, we will learn how and why original digital content now rules the day; what are the new rules of engagement. We’ll explore what is relevant every week, meet top creators working in the industry, and you will take part in the ultimate role-playing exercise.

3 credits

In just a matter of years, social media for publishers, marketers and advertisers has evolved from an afterthought to incredibly instrumental. With over 2.8 billion people across the globe using social media platforms, who wouldn’t want to learn more?

As early adopters, you know what the platforms do on a user/consumer level, but this course will challenge you to think like a marketer, an advertiser, a broadcaster and a publisher. You’ll hear from movers and shakers in the industry, take field trips to the offices of powerhouse brands, and put your knowledge right to work through assignments that mirror #IRL tasks and deliverables that exist in real social media jobs.

Students will learn how to use social platforms in a professional setting from the people who do it every day—a luxury most current social media editors never had since they had to learn it on the fly. Manning a social handle from a professional standpoint is very different than running your own. You can’t just “delete” a tweet and expect it to go unnoticed, just like you can’t post an image and the same copy to both Facebook and Instagram and expect them both to exceed benchmarks.

This course is designed with live lectures, off-site field trips around Manhattan, and in-class workshops. The assignments and final project mirror the tasks and deliverables you can expect when working in the field as a community manager, social strategist or another similar role.

1-3 credits

This course goes hand-in-hand with the actual internship all students will have in the professional workplace in their field of study. During the semester, students will meet together over the period of six classes to discuss what they are learning at their internships as well as troubleshoot any issues or concerns they are having. While every internship experience is unique, there will likely be overlap with questions and concerns, so all the students will benefit from hearing these conversations.

Students will also have the unique opportunity to learn from key industry decision makers and influencers from various backgrounds. This course caters to all Newhouse majors, so speakers will come from all 8 specialties. One of the most defining aspects of this course is students will have the ability to interact with working professionals in an intimate setting. These connections are a significant perk of studying in New York City, and they will hopefully be relationships that continue far after the semester is over.

3 Credits

COM 509 is an integrated communications law course for students that takes full advantage of the unique resources and personnel available in New York City.  The course covers the First Amendment; systems of media regulation; corporate speech and election-related speech; commercial speech (advertising regulation); defamation; privacy; access to places, documents and meetings; reporter/source confidentiality; and intellectual property.

3 Credits

This is a collaborative course where students and the professor come together to explore the evolving landscape of digital journalism. In doing so, students will learn how to properly tell stories using different mediums, discover how to report on lesser-known stories for amplification and ensure all stories have the representation they require. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to have their work published on Verizon Media/Yahoo platforms and brands, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Life/Entertainment for consumption. 

3 Credits

This course will teach students how to pitch across various mediums including articles, personal essays, podcasts, photography and more. In doing so, students will learn how to pre-report an idea, frame the story for the right medium and build relationships with publications. The goal of this course is to learn how to get bylines and get paid. 

3 Credits

This course is designed as a series of workshops lead by guest speakers, and each workshop will be pieced together by practical exercises assigned by the course professor that apply the knowledge gained in previous theory-based courses. These workshops will also allow students to gain hands-on experience in topics, such as unit production management, grip, hair/makeup, prop management, etc.
Students will also utilize the equipment provided by Great Point Studios in Yonkers. This course will ultimately provide the students with an isolated focus on vital studio activities which they do not have access to on campus.

3 Credits

The course will provide students with an examination of the art, craft and culture of film and television production. It offers a mix of theory about production fundamentals through lecture and experiential learning through workshops, guest speakers and practical assignments.This course will supplement the hands-on learning students are experiencing at their internship at Lionsgate Studio in Yonkers, NY. Areas of focus will include feature films, television, digital media, commercials and podcasts.

To complete your course load, you may also select from a variety of online courses offered by Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences.