Magazine track
Magazine writing courses have been taught as part of the journalism curriculum for more than half a century. Some of these courses were coupled with "industrial editing," a forerunner to the public relations program. Student demand for magazine courses has always been high, and we estimate that some 20 percent or more of the JEM majors would welcome a magazine option. Many students complete their internships in the magazine area. Such an emphasis will help us recruit talented high school students. We envision that it will also fit nicely within our new "electronic media" partnership in view of the growing number of print vehicles that have a strong web presence and cable presence.
Students will have the opportunity of taking courses in JEM 203-Print/Web Editing, JEM 315 Print/Web News Writing and Reporting, JEM 414-Magazine and Feature Writing, JEM 415-Magazine Industry Workshop, and JEM 488-Web Publishing. This track might also serve public relations students seeking to write for institutional publications. The news, science communication, visual communication emphases are also highly compatible.
A number of faculty members and continuing adjuncts have experience in magazine writing, and have taught courses in that area. These faculty include Paul Ashdown, Mark Littmann, Dan Foley, Ed Miller, Lisa Gary and Chris Wohlwend.
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The media management track in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is designed to prepare graduates for leadership positions in radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines, cable television companies and related areas. Positions for which students will be qualified include: audience research analyst, account executive, program director, promotions director, sales manager, and general manager.
The media management track will combine academic courses in the major with selected coursework from the College of Business Administration as discussed with each student during advising sessions. Some students may elect to minor in business administration to complement their major.
The track in media management will be unique in the United States in that the courses will prepare students across all media. Students will have the opportunity to take JEM 302-Readership and Audience Analysis, JEM 320-Mass Media Commercial Writing and Promotion, JEM 420-Media Sales, JEM 480-Broadcast and Cable Programming, and JEM 485-Media Management. In addition, students in the Media Management track will select from among several related JEM electives and a college elective.
All students in the media management track will complete a practicum and internship in media research, sales, programming, or promotions.
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The news track in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is designed to prepare graduates for journalism positions in newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and Internet sites. Positions for which students will be qualified include: news writer, news reporter, news editor, radio news reporter, radio news anchor, TV news reporter, TV assignment editor, TV news producer, Internet news reporter, and related positions.
The news track will combine academic courses in the major with selected courses from the College of Arts and Sciences. Many of our students will choose to minor in political science. We require two political science electives and news students will be encouraged to pursue the minor.
The track in news will prepare students across all media. While students may specialize in either print or electronic news, they will be strongly encouraged to take courses in both fields. In the track, students have the opportunity of taking JEM 203-Print/Web Editing, JEM 311-Electronic News Writing, JEM 315-Print/Web News Writing and Reporting, JEM 411-Electronic News Gathering, and JEM 430-Public Affairs Reporting. The goal is to prepare students to work in all media but to specialize in one. The emphasis in all classes will be on news writing.
All students in the news track will complete a practicum and possibly an internship in news writing, reporting, editing, or producing. The School of Journalism and Electronic Media places students at all relevant Knoxville radio and television stations and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. In addition, students may pursue journalism internships anywhere in the country.
Professional experience in news is also an integral part of the program. Students are strongly encouraged to gain experience at the Daily Beacon, WUTK-FM, and the Volunteer Channel.
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The undergraduate Science Communication track in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is designed to prepare graduates for science writing and editing positions for newspapers, magazines, and web pages.
The track in science communication combines academic courses in the major with selected Science Communication courses as discussed with each student in individual advising sessions. Some students may minor in a field of science or humanities, including the Technical Communication Program in the English Department [8].
The Science Communication track has one of the largest offerings of courses in the world. Courses currently being taught by JEM faculty in science writing, environmental reporting, and science writing as literature have received consistently high evaluations from students.
All students in the Science Communication track will have the opportunity to take courses in JEM 203-Print/Web Editing, JEM 315-Print/Web News Writing and Reporting, JEM 450-Writing about Science and Medicine, JEM 451-Environmental Writing, and JEM 456-Science Writing as Literature. Students will also be encouraged to take JEM 455-Issues in Science Communication. Of the regularly offered courses, two are writing workshops; the third is a nonfiction literature course. In each of these science communication courses students hear from scientists and writers and look for approaches and techniques that can make science writing accurate, yet understandable and fascinating.
A unique feature of these interdisciplinary science communication courses is that all are open to students from all other colleges and majors (by permission from the instructor). The result is students with different academic backgrounds sharing their experiences and learning from one another.
These science communication courses are 400-level classes so they can be taken by College of Communication and Information graduate students for graduate credit and can serve the interests and needs of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science, engineering, health, English, and other fields. Juniors regularly (and sophomores occasionally) take these courses with success because of their special interests and talent.
Undergraduate (and graduate) students from this area have won national competitions to attend all-expense-paid science writing seminars in Washington, D.C., some sponsored by the American Chemical Society, others by the American Society of Microbiology. An undergraduate student won the Tennessee Outdoor Writers Association scholarship in 2002 with an article he wrote for Environmental Reporting.
Articles written by students with an emphasis in science writing have appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel, The Oak Ridger, The (Maryville) Daily Times, Metropulse, The Hellbender Press, Tennessee Alumnus, and regional publications, in addition to student and College publications.
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The sports journalism track in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is designed to prepare students for careers as sports writers for newspapers, magazines, and web pages. It also prepares students for careers as radio sports directors and announcers, play-by-play announcers, TV sports reporters and anchors, TV sports videographers and producers as well as sports information directors. Some courses in the track will also be of interest to other majors including sports management majors. The track recognizes the trend toward media convergence by giving students training in communicating in all types of media-print, radio, TV and Web.
The sports journalism track will combine academic courses in the major with selected coursework from Sports Management and Sports Studies as discussed with each student in individual advising sessions. Some students may minor in sports management or related field.
The track in sports journalism will be one of very few in the United States and will attract many students to the program. Courses currently being taught by JEM faculty in sports broadcasting and sports writing have been extremely popular. All students in the track will have the opportunity to take JEM 203-Print/web Editing, JEM 311-Electronic News Writing and Reporting, JEM 315-Print/web News Writing and Reporting, JEM 411-Electronic News Gathering, and JEM 475-Sports Writing. In JEM 203, 311, 315, and 411, students with a sports journalism focus will be shifted in positions that will allow them to develop their skills in sports writing and presenting.
A number of related electives will be available to sports journalism students. Advisers will encourage students to take courses in both print and electronic journalism so that students will be prepared to work in all media.
In addition, all students will be encouraged to gain professional experience in radio sports at WUTK-FM, TV sports with the Vol Network, newspaper sports reporting with the Daily Beacon, or web sports reporting with UT and related web sites. Practicums and Internships will be encouraged for all sports students. All local radio and television stations with sports departments already participate.
This unique program is destined to make UT one of the top programs in the country in the area of sports journalism.
For more information, visit the sports journalism web site [9].
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The visual communication track in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media is designed to prepare graduates for creative positions in visual communication aspects of newspapers, magazines, television stations and cable channels. Positions for which students will be qualified include: photojournalists, photo editors, publication designers, visual reporters, television video editors, television producers, television directors, television creative services and promotions producers.
The visual communication track will combine academic courses in the major with selected coursework from the College of Arts and Sciences as discussed with each student during advising sessions. Some students will minor in cinema studies while others may minor in art media with an emphasis in visual arts and photography. Still others may minor in theatre. Closer linkages with cinema studies and JEM will provide students with greater opportunities in the area of film and television.
The track in visual communication will be unique in the United States. Few programs combine photojournalism with television production. Graduates will have a far greater grasp of visual information processing as a result. Students have the opportunity of taking JEM 203 - Print/Web Editing, JEM 280 - Communications Graphics, JEM 290 - Photojournalism, JEM 335-Electronic Media Production, JEM 435-Electronic Field Production, and JEM 490 - Advanced Photography.
Students in visual communication will select from among several relevant electives. Students will be advised to take courses so that they will be prepared to work in all media upon graduation.
All students will also complete a practicum and/or internship in visual communication at a newspaper, magazine, television station, cable channel, or video production house.
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Links:
[1] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#magazine
[2] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#management
[3] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#news
[4] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#science
[5] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#sports
[6] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#visual
[7] http://www.cci.utk.edu/jem/program_tracks.html#top
[8] http://web.utk.edu/~english/ug_techcomm.php
[9] http://web.utk.edu/~foley/SportsJour/