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Multiplatform Journalism

The Department of Journalism and Multimedia Arts Presents Multiplatform Journalism

In August, 2013, Duquesne University's Journalism and Multimedia Arts Department will offer a new Journalism Major, Multiplatform Journalism, rather than separate Print and Broadcast Journalism majors. (Current students can stick with the curriculum they started and/or adopt new courses to satisfy degree requirements. New majors will follow the new curriculum.)

The new Multiplatform Journalism curriculum prepares students to work as multimedia journalists across a wide variety of platforms - from online news sites to traditional print and broadcast outlets. Today's journalist must be multifaceted. A reporter at an online news outlet might, in a single day, shoot video, produce an audio story and write several iterations of a story for a Web site and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Conversely, a reporter at a broadcast station or cable outlet might produce both visual and written versions of a story. Multiplatform Journalism equips students with the knowledge and skills to produce content for any platform - and to seize opportunities as new platforms emerge. In this program, you'll learn to interview, research, report, write, shoot and edit audio and video, create graphics and master social media.

Multiplatform Journalism Core (18 Credits)

  • JMA 200-W: Multiplatform Newsroomi 1: Students will learn fundamental news values and methods such as interviewing and research and multimedia reporting and production skills. They will produce written, visual and audio stories for a variety of media platforms, including text, Web and social media. This is a prerequisite for ALL subsequent Multiplatform Journalism courses.
  • JMA 177 - 0 Credits: Language for Journalists: This course is taken in conjunction with JMA 200-W and successful completion is a requirement to pass JMA 200-W.
  • JMA 300-W: Multiplatform Newsroomii 2: Students will build on the skills and methods they learned in JMA 200-W and increase their knowledge of news reporting, storytelling and new media tools and techniques (including graphics creation and data-scraping) to cover stories on campus and in the city for a variety of platforms. Most stories will be produced in at least 3 formats - written, visual/video, Interactive Web. Students present a final portfolio, which is counted towards the overall grade. Pre-requisite: JMA 200-W
  • JMA 360/560-W: Multiplatform Editingiii: Using a coaching approach and working in concert with Multiplatform News 2, students will learn how to edit text, narrative, video and audio - and how to combine those elements to help shape true multimedia news narratives. Pre-requisite: JMA 300-W
  • JMA 324: Principles of Audio and Video (Broadcast course). This course will not only teach the principles of capturing audio and video, but will aid in the application development process, digitalization, editing, and production of digital video for media. Students create DVD and media files that represent techniques and practices being used in the industry today. Pre-requisite: JMA 200-W
  • JMA 341: Video Newsgathering and Field production - Introduces electronic news gathering and electronic field production as remote location video production techniques. Covers pre-production planning and design, on-location production, and post-production editing. Examination of the process and equipment used by reporters in the field and in commercial production. On location lighting and sound are covered along with field production techniques. Pre-requisite: JMA 324
  • JMA 469-W: Magazine Journalism OR JMA 471-W: Investigative Reporting OR JMA 351: Anchoring, Reporting, Announcing. These are capstones and allow students to focus on the medium that interests them most at the end of their studies. JMA 300-W is a pre-requisite for JMA 469-W and JMA 471-W. JMA 341 is a prerequisite for JMA 351.

Recommended Electives:

  • JMA 367: Radio and Writing Production
  • JMA 449: Newsroom Operations. Prerequisite: JMA 341 or JMA 351
  • JMA 380-W: Sports Reporting 1: Sportscasting.
  • JMA 381: Sports Reporting 2: Sportswriting
  • JMA 434: Media and Sports

 

Current students: See your JMA Mentor for more details.
Department of Journalism and Multimedia Arts
Dr. Michael Dillon, Chair
Email: jma@duq.edu

 

i This course is an equivalent to the retired JMA 271-W, News Writing and Reporting 1 course. If you took JMA 271-W you don't need to take JMA 200-W.

ii This course is an equivalent to the retired JMA 371-W, News Writing and Reporting 2 course. If you took JMA 371-W you don't need to take JMA 300-W.

iii This course is an equivalent to the retired JMA 375-W, Editing for Print course. If you took JMA 375-W you don't need to take JMA 300-W - but you may take it with permission of JMA Chair Dr. Dillon.