1210 (COMM 1307). Mass Communication and Society. 3 hours. Principles of mass communication including historical, economic, social, ethical and legal factors influencing the operation and content of the mass media. Impact of new technology in changing the media. A survey of mass communication areas (newspapers, magazines, advertising, public relations, television, wire services, Internet and networks), and careers they offer. Satisfies the Cross-Cultural, Diversity and Global Studies requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
2010 (COMM 2327). Principles of Advertising. 3 hours. Economic and social aspects, research, creative functions, media, production, and federal laws affecting advertising; fundamentals of advertising copy, layout and presentation techniques.
2200. Computer Applications for Journalists. 3 hours. (1;2) Using hardware and software technology for print publications and computer-mediated communication in news media, public relations and advertising. Experience with desktop publishing, databases, scanning, graphic design and web applications. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
2310-2320. Newspaper Reporting and Writing.
2310 (COMM 2311). 4 hours. (3;1) Fundamentals of newswriting and gathering; addressing the practical problems of the reporter. Emphasis on technical and critical thinking skills used to write information for the news media. All work subject to classroom analysis and criticism. Prerequisite(s): students must pass the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation exam before enrolling, and must have successfully completed two terms/semesters of first year English.
2320 (COMM 2315). 4 hours. Continued practice in news gathering and writing to develop news judgment, craftsmanship and ability to handle complex news stories. Regular campus beat and special assignment reporting. Prerequisite: JOUR 2310.
2340. Writing for Electronic News Media. 3 hours. Theory and practice of writing and editing for radio, television and web-based news. Topics include news judgment, radio and television news script formats and broadcast style. Regular writing assignments, lectures and critiques. Production of material for “NT Daily Sounds,” the webcast service of NTDaily.com. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 1210 and 2310.
2420. Principles of Public Relations. 3 hours. Principles, techniques and ethics used in research, planning, communicating and evaluating public relations programs for corporations, PR agencies, non-profits, government, educational institutions, civic organizations and others. A survey of the history and development of the profession in the United States, with emphasis on recent technological changes and challenges in a pluralistic society. Basic PR writing forms introduced.
2700 (COMM 1316). Beginning Photojournalism. 3 hours. (3;3) Fundamentals of photojournalism and visual communication. Includes darkroom work and basic training in hybrid Photoshop prepress processing and digital technology.
3010. Advertising Sales and Promotion. 4 hours. (3;8) Salesmanship instruction and practice with the student newspaper as a laboratory; copywriting, layout preparation, use of art and art services, graphics, and sales calls on Denton business firms; advertising plans, print media research and promotion. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 2010 and 2310.
3020. Advertising Concepts. 3 hours. Explores classic and current advertisements and campaigns, ethics in advertising, diversity and fundamentals in developing ads and other writing by advertising professionals. Students critically analyze different advertising appeals, how advertising fits into American culture and roles in advertising. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status.
3040. Advertising Media and Marketing Strategy. 3 hours. Print, broadcast and web time-buying procedures important to media salespeople as well as to advertising agency media buyers. Assignments in audience research including understanding uses of audience tracking services, identifying media that reach definitive target audiences and using effective media mixes. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status.
3200. Mass Communication Research Methods. 3 hours. Introduction to quantitative and qualitative methods used to study audiences, contents and effects of mass media, especially focusing on advertising and public relations communication and utilizing social science research skills and statistical analysis. Approaches include content analysis, survey research, focus groups and other experimental studies. Prerequisite(s): MATH 1680 and journalism major or minor status.
3310. Feature Writing. 3 hours. Analysis of newspaper and magazine feature material, from human interest stories to magazine articles; clinical course to develop writing skills, free-lance abilities and interests of journalism students. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
3320. News Editing and Design. 4 hours. (3;6) The editor’s functions in handling news copy from writing to the printed page or script with emphasis on writing quality and the new technology of production. Includes copy editing and headline writing, computers as tools of the trade, picture cropping and caption writing, working with wire service copy, press law and type, ethics, typography and graphics. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
3410. Public Relations for Non-Profits. 3 hours. Designed for both majors and non-majors. Examines the philosophical and theoretical foundations of public relations and volunteerism in the United States. Students learn to apply these theories to public relations campaigns in the non-profit sector. Strategic communication strategies relating to both internal and external publics are explored, including the unique legal and ethical issues impacting non-profits.
3700. Photojournalism. 3 hours. (3;3) Instruction in advanced photojournalism skills and methods including discussion of visual communication theory. Ethical and legal limits concerning photographic coverage and publication are discussed and instruction in Photoshop and digital technology is given. Assignments require covering a variety of photographic subjects and problems outside of class. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
3900. Special Problems. 3 hours.
4012. Direct Response. 3 hours. Provides a review of general principles of direct response as introduced in undergraduate and graduate courses. Students develop a working understanding of the applications of direct response principles and practices to all functions of the communications field (advertising, public relations, marketing, advertising design, printing, broadcast news, etc.). Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status, or consent of department.
4020. Advertising Industry in New York. 3 hours. Introduces students to the industry in a major international advertising center – New York City. Course activities focus on three primary areas of the industry: the advertising agency business, advertisers and advertising media. Students have daily group appointments with members of the New York advertising community. A Shadow Day program allows individual students to meet on specified days with industry personnel in their area of career interest. Offered in New York during summer (3W1) only. Application required to be admitted to the class. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status and consent of department.
4050. Advertising Copywriting. 3 hours. Advertising strategy and execution (writing) for print, broadcast and other media. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3020; journalism major or minor status, or consent of department.
4051. Advanced Advertising Copywriting. 3 hours. Concepting, writing and executing ads and campaigns in a variety of media. Ads are critiqued from concept to final execution. Application required to be admitted to the class. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status, JOUR 4050 and consent of department. Offered fall term/semester only.
4052. Advertising Portfolio. 3 hours. Capstone course for advertising students in the creative track. Students work in copywriter/art director teams at a local agency with professional mentors to develop their entry-level portfolios. Class meets once a week at a local agency. Application required to be admitted to the class. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status, JOUR 4051 and consent of department. Offered spring term/semester only.
4055. Broadcast Advertising. 3 hours. (3;3) Writing television and radio scripts, followed by actual production of the scripts in a television studio and a sound recording studio. Lectures cover writing, preproduction, production and examples of radio and television commercials. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status and consent of department.
4060. Integrated Communications. 4 hours. (3;0;1) The understanding and application of all integrated communications and techniques and principles to real cases, problems and opportunities that result in the most effective and cost-saving use of an organization’s communication resources. Students shadow advertising and public relations professionals at corporations, agencies and non-profits in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3020, 3040, 3200 and 4050; journalism major or minor status.
4070. Advertising Campaigns. 3 hours. Role of the advertising agency. Factors in an advertising campaign. Creation of an advertising plan and creation of a campaign from scratch, bringing together skills and knowledge from all other advertising courses. Presentation of a campaign. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3020, 3040, 3200 and 4050; journalism major or minor status.
4090. Advertising Practicum. 3 hours. Supervised off-campus advertising work experience in Denton, Dallas and Fort Worth areas offered to selected advertising majors. Students must apply for practicum in advance and are assigned only if they meet standards set by the department. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 4070 or consent of department. Students may not earn credit for both JOUR 4090 and 4800.
4100. Supervising School Media. 3 hours. For journalism teachers who plan to supervise secondary school newspapers, magazines, yearbooks, new media and radio or television outlets. Emphasis on teaching basic journalism courses, staff organization, editorial supervision, advertising sales and media business management. Satisfies a requirement for teacher certification. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 2200 and 3320 or consent of department.
4210. Topics in Journalism and Mass Media. 3 hours. Rotating topics. Representative topics include: sports writing, direct advertising, minorities in the media, public relations/advertising research. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite(s): consent of department.
4220. Leadership in Media. 1 hour. Through lectures, discussions, assigned readings, and reports on readings, explores the theory, principles and techniques of leadership in general and leadership in relation to the media professions specifically.
4230. Professional Protocol. 1 hour. Through lectures, discussion, assigned readings and reports on readings, explores the principles and techniques of protocol and etiquette in business and professional settings; preparing for and executing special events; and developing and giving successful presentations.
4240. Comparative International Media Systems. 3 hours. Study of mass media throughout the world with special attention to how media institutions contribute to building democracy. Comparison of print and broadcast news systems, the sources and flow of international news and the challenges of globalism. Prerequisite(s): journalism major status or consent of department.
4250. Race, Gender and the Media: A Methods Approach. 3 hours. Explores the social construction of race and gender, and evaluates their use in the media. Adapting a research as well as a practical approach to the subject, this course involves students not only in evaluating contemporary media portrayals, but also in composing their own stories involving race/gender topics. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing or consent of department. Satisfies the Cross-Cultural, Diversity and Global Studies requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
4310. Creative Writing. 3 hours. Various forms of creative writing; short story. Prerequisite(s): junior standing and consent of department.
4321. Opinion Writing. 3 hours. Writing for the editorial page: editorials and columns. Writing critical reviews of literature, performing arts and the visual arts. Emphasis on editorials, book reviews and theatrical, musical, dance, film and television performances. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 2320 or consent of department.
4325. Broadcast News I. 3 hours. (3;4) Radio news fundamentals, including broadcast writing style, gathering and editing wire copy, news judgment, writing to a specific length of time, interviewing, producing actualities of “sound bites,” following prescribed formats, and announcing. Lecture and discussion of contemporary issues in radio news with actual production of news programming on “NT Daily Sounds,” the webcast service of NTDaily.com. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or RTVF major status.
4330. Broadcast News II. 3 hours. (2;3) Techniques and practices of modern television news reporting. Lecture and discussion of contemporary issues in television news with actual production of a television news program about research and academics at the University of North Texas “North Texas Now,” for NTTV, the University cable TV station. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 4325, journalism major or minor status or RTVF major status.
4340. Advanced Electronic News Reporting. 3 hours. (3;1) Examination of application of in-depth television news reporting techniques. Students produce regular television news packages for NTTV. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 4330, journalism major or minor status or RTVF major status.
4360. Religion Journalism. 3 hours. Using readings, discussions and story assignments, the course focuses on the background knowledge and skills necessary to report competently on religion or religious elements in society. Prerequisite(s): senior standing and JOUR 3310 or 4325, or consent of department.
4370. Criticism of Mass Media. 3 hours. Course facilitates thought and discussion about some of the major issues facing contemporary mass media, their messages, their audiences and the industry. Prerequisite(s): senior standing or consent of instructor.
4380. Religion in Media and Culture. 3 hours. Study of religion and religious or spiritual expression as it is carried and conveyed through mass media and the broader culture. Through class discussion, research papers and a media portfolio presentation, students develop theoretical frames through which to examine concrete examples of religious expression in secular media and society. Prerequisite(s): senior standing or consent of department.
4410. Reporting of Public Affairs. 4 hours. (3;4) Police, court, political and governmental news with typical practical news assignments; background and practice in writing specialized stories typically covered in the average American city. Cover city council, school board, county commissioner meetings, some at night. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4450. Case Studies in Public Relations. 3 hours. Application of public relations principles to cases and problems; analysis of case histories; emphasis on strategic planning and execution of public relations activities, objectives and evaluation of programs. Students shadow professionals at non-profit organizations, PR agencies and corporations in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status.
4460. Public Relations Communication. 3 hours. Writing, editing and producing a wide range of public relations communications materials. Includes copy editing, headline writing, caption writing, use of photos/art, and graphic layout and design. Emphasizes use of technology and production of a final portfolio. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 2200 and journalism major or minor status.
4470. Ethics, Law and Diversity in Public Relations. 3 hours. Study of philosophical bases for ethical behavior, as well as study of professional codes of ethics for public relations practitioners and other journalists. Examination of mass communication law, including privacy, defamation, copyright, financial disclosure, legal and regulatory compliance. Exploration of tactics and strategies for understanding and working with diverse communities. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status and JOUR 4450.
4480. Public Relations Practicum. 3 hours. (0;0;practicum) Supervised experience with public relations firms and departments of organizations. Students must apply for the practicum in advance and are assigned only if they meet standards set by the department. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3320 and 4460. Students may not earn credit for both JOUR 4480 and 4800.
4510. Newspaper Management, Problems and Ethics. 3 hours. Ethical and financial problems in editing and managing a newspaper; press freedom, ethics and law; newspaper financing, cost of publication, accounting, plant management and circulation. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4620. Mass Communication Law. 3 hours. Legal and ethical problems of mass media: court systems, case procedures, First Amendment concerns, libel, privacy, free press and fair trial, reporting privileges, advertising and public relations law and regulation, pornography, broadcasting regulations, media concentration, media competition and copyright. Prerequisite(s): journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4700. Portfolio. 3 hours. (3;3) Students produce a professional portfolio in slide and CD format. A variety of assignments are executed, including a photo essay. Ethics and professional practices in the field are covered. Students may work in conjunction with various publications. Arranged lab hours fluctuate to fit times of events of photographic assignments. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3700; journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4720. Photojournalism and the Web. 3 hours. (3;3–6) Examines the photographic “digital chain”: capture, input, manipulation, output and storage of images. Darkroom tasks such as cropping, dodging, burning and color balancing are performed digitally. Basic software is taught to provide sufficient skills to produce digital photo essay pages. Group projects are put on the World Wide Web. The major emphasis is the prepress handling of photographs and the creation of visual communication materials appropriate for various types of publications including online. Ethical and legal concerns involved in working with digital images are addressed. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3700; journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4750. Picture Editing. 3 hours. (3;3) Instruction in color theory and technical shooting skills for visual documentary and journalistic work. Students shoot, process and scan transparencies and negatives using a digital hybrid system. Emphasis is placed on visual storytelling through development of photographic essays. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3700; journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4800. Professional Internship. 3 hours. Practical experience through full-time employment under the supervision of a professor and a professional in the office involved. Prerequisite(s): consent of department. Must be arranged in advance of enrollment. Limit of 3 hours of credit. Different sections scheduled for: advertising, news, photojournalism and public relations internships. Advertising students may not receive credit for both JOUR 4090 and 4800. Public relations students may not receive credit for both JOUR 4480 and 4800. Broadcast news students may not receive credit for both RTVF 4480 and JOUR 4800.
4820. History of American Media. 3 hours. Main trends and economic, social, political, and technological factors and people that produced the institutions and traditions of the American mass media; emphasis on the changing roles of media and the impact of new communications technologies in the 20th century.
4850. Magazine Production. 3 hours. Study of American magazines; production sequence of a publication, composition and printing methods, layout problems, writing to fit, cost-quality factors, rewrite, copy reading, styling, writing, titles, blurbs, captions and fitting galleys into layouts. Prerequisite(s): JOUR 3320; journalism major or minor status or consent of department.
4900-4910. Special Problems. 1–3 hours each.
Date of initial release: July 1, 2006 — Copyright © 2006 University of North Texas
Page updated:
June 15, 2006
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