Journalism Courses
- JOUR S-50 Basic Journalism
- JOUR S-52 Basic Feature Writing
- JOUR S-100 Graduate Journalism Proseminar: Writing and Reporting
- JOUR S-137 Feature Writing
- JOUR S-140a News Reporting for the Web, Print, and Other Platforms
- JOUR S-154 The Global Journalist
JOUR S-50 Basic Journalism
Section 1 (32826)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, 8:30-11:30 am.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
Section 2 (32314)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, noon-3 pm.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
This course is an intensive workshop for those interested in writing for newspapers, magazines, or online news outlets. Assignments may include a short factual report, longer researched article, personal reportage, editorial, obituary, profile, critical review, and query letter. Reporting, interviewing, researching, and writing effectively are stressed, and ethical and legal concerns for a journalist addressed. (4 credits)
JOUR S-52 Basic Feature Writing (32837)
Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 3:15-6:15 pm.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
This course provides a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of feature writing: researching, reporting, interviewing, writing—and re-writing. We investigate where good feature ideas come from; we explore how to conceptualize, organize, and structure those ideas through narrative; and we experiment in an intensive workshop environment with a variety of story types—the profile, the reported essay, the "big think" piece. We do close readings of classic features by Joan Didion, Gay Talese, and John McPhee, as well as lesser-known but outstanding examples of the form. We focus on how words work—and how we work with words—by reading essays on language and writing from the likes of George Orwell, C.S. Lewis, and Stephen King. The emphasis throughout is on smart journalistic thinking, detailed reporting, and fine narrative writing. (4 credits)
JOUR S-100 Graduate Journalism Proseminar: Writing and Reporting (31963)
Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,900.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
This proseminar introduces students to the fundamentals of journalism at the graduate level—research, interviewing, reporting, and writing—by exposing them to a variety of reporting assignments. Students learn how to construct a lead as well as how to structure a story. They experience the difference between a feature story and a news story by having to write them both. Prerequisite: a satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills. At the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level writing skills. (4 credits)
JOUR S-137 Feature Writing (32383)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, noon-3 pm.
Course tuition: undergraduate and graduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
Feature stories give journalists an opportunity to combine deep reporting with compelling storytelling. In this workshop, students explore feature writing techniques and genres, including the trend story, the profile, and the narrative, with the goal of developing stories that are publication-worthy. 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 instructor. (4 credits)
JOUR S-140a News Reporting for the Web, Print, and Other Platforms (32614)
Class times: Mondays, Wednesdays, 3:15-6:15 pm.
Course tuition: undergraduate and graduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
This fast-paced course teaches students to master the fundamentals of news writing and reporting. As students learn to think, observe, and ask questions with the professionalism of the best career journalists, they also develop the skills necessary to shift seamlessly from writing for traditional news publications to blogging or tweeting. Several distinguished reporters are interviewed by the class. Prerequisite: a previous writing course, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)
JOUR S-154 The Global Journalist (32818)
Class times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, noon-3 pm. Optional sections to be arranged.
Course tuition: undergraduate and graduate credit $2,700.
Harvard College students see additional information.
Limited enrollment.
This course combines two interrelated disciplines: freelance journalism and foreign reporting. Students learn the skills required for successful freelance writing, including identifying and researching a story, making an effective pitch, essentials for planning and executing a reporting trip, and crafting a powerful story. We review the basics—interviewing, gathering information, drafting, and revising—as we discuss freelancing for newspapers, magazines, professional publications, and websites. Multimedia work is discussed. Guest speakers include several successful freelance journalists and editors. The course requires several written assignments, which are designed to prepare students to submit stories for publication. The foreign correspondent has to do the job of an entire team of domestic reporters, covering breaking news, feature stories, politics, economics, arts, and culture. A good foreign story includes both the big picture, historical context, and compelling reporting on individuals. Many of these same skills can be applied domestically. Students approach the Boston area from the point of view of a foreign correspondent, and report and write on hard news, business, feature, and commentary—using information accessed online and gained through local sources. Prerequisites: an introductory journalism course, some journalism experience, or permission of the instructor. (4 credits)
