Journalism - Photojournalism Major

Building on the basics in Writing for Journalism, students will develop news and feature stories from different settings, and on different topics. The theory and practice of long-form feature writing will also be introduced.

Pre-requisites:

• WRIT 230

This foundation course will examine the tools used to tell journalistic stories online. The focus will be on contemporary content management technology used by newspapers to present photos, written stories, video, and rich content to a global audience.

Corequsites:

• PUBL 261

Equivalents:

• TOUR 219

In their work, journalists and communicators are required to make decisions regularly about whom to talk to and use as sources, what information is appropriate to publish, and how to balance the competing demands of public versus private interest. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the practice of ethical decision-making in journalism. Topics to be covered include sourcing practices and issues of personal privacy, manipulation by, and of, the media, censorship and self-censorship, and coverage of civil law proceedings.

Equivalents:

• JOUR 204

This introductory level course explores the technical fundamentals of digital photography as it relates to print and online news media. Learners will develop competency in proper camera handling, image acquisition, and computer workflow techniques.

Building further on the technical concepts previously introduced in the program, this course focuses on the use of the photographic medium in journalistic storytelling. Through the use of still images and text, learners will discover the importance of visual communication in today’s multiplatform media industry.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 216

PREL 218 introduces the role of advertising and public relations as it applies to journalism. Topics include advertising newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet. PR positions, corporate communications and communications planning. There is an emphasis on print but all forms of media are explored.

Equivalents:

• PREL 213

An introductory course in which students become familiar with relevant computer systems and the SAIT network. The student will then be introduced to numerous industry relevant software programs vital to their future success in journalism.

The basic concepts in creation of graphic elements will be the main topic of this course. The design, production and editing of info graphics for print page layouts and online will be covered. The course will also introduce learners to the planning and organization of print publications such as magazines and newspapers.

Pre-requisites:

• PUBL 210

Corequsites:

• JOUR 254

News stories must be researched before they can be written. In this course, students will learn how to develop information for stories, with an emphasis on interviewing and online information gathering. Specific research sources, including governments and experts, also will be covered.

WRIT 230, Writing for Journalism, is an introduction to writing in news style for beginning journalists. In addition to learning to present information for print and online readers, essential writing skills such as grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling will be emphasized. Identification of newsworthy information, basic news story elements and structure, writing techniques and self-coaching methods are also covered.

Building on the introduction they received in first year to straight news and feature writing, students in this course will work on more complex assignments, including long-form news features and specialized types of news stories.

Pre-requisites:

• JOUR 251

This course introduces the second-year photo major to advanced location lighting concepts and practices as they relate to photojournalism. Students will gain experience using artificial light sources to photograph individuals and small groups on location and in the studio to create impactful and storytelling images. Environmental portraiture is emphasized, however studio portraiture will also be covered. The course provides the important element of practical experience through lighting workshops, seminars, and lectures, in-studio but predominantly on location.

The learner will develop the technical skills necessary to complete assignments for newspapers, wire services and magazines adhering to strict deadlines. The focus will be on the history and importance of photojournalism, perfecting industry relevant workflow, developing an understanding of the current marketplace and the needs thereof, editing images in the field, transmitting images and networking with industry professionals.

In this course, photojournalism students will learn advanced image editing, archiving and web site development as well as how to produce promotional material. Students will create a photographer’s website, a set of computer monitor calibration profiles, a searchable catalog of their photographs, a business card and a computer configuration optimized for efficient processing of pictures.

This advanced level course will round out the visual journalists’ skills sets, and focuses on long form visual storytelling in today’s news media. The course takes a documentary-style approach to visual storytelling, and includes all aspects of photojournalism as it pertains to still photography, and videography, and how these two mediums are combined with other media to tell a story. Proper planning, interviewing techniques, camera handling, audio acquisition, video editing and sequencing will be covered in depth, with the final assignment to encompass all of the skill sets discussed in this course. Today’s photojournalist must balance the necessity of gathering still images, text, audio and video for multiple platforms. Learning how to achieve this balance will be a major focus of this course.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 256

This course builds on the foundations of lighting acquired in PHOT 320. Advanced methods of studio and location lighting will be covered, but with a more applied approach. Students will be tasked with covering a variety of realistic photographic editorial, corporate, and advertising assignments requiring a more sophisticated lighting approach. These assignments will be generated by the instructor as well as the student.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 320

The emphasis of this course is for the learner to develop the business skills required to successfully freelance in the editorial, advertising and corporate marketplaces and to develop several portfolios of their work in multiple platforms which will showcase their talents and be used as tools to gain freelance employment.

The learner will build on the technical skills learned in PHOT325 to develop into a skilled photojournalist capable of creating publication ready images for daily newspapers, wire services and news magazines. On going mentoring and consultation with the learner’s instructor/photo editor and working professionals in workshop settings will help the learner develop their skills.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 325

This advanced course builds on the fundamentals of documentary photojournalism acquired in PHOT 336, and explores both video and still imagery as a form of storytelling for an online audience. This is a project-oriented course which allows the learner to combine their journalistic and creative skills to tell compelling and poignant stories visually. Although video is emphasized in this course, students will not be restricted to one visual medium, and in fact will be encouraged to combine both mediums in an appropriate manner for their final project.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 336

Learners will complete a practicum work placement at a digital or print-based journalism, editorial, corporate, or non-profit enterprise. The practicum is an opportunity for learners to apply the skills they have learned in the photojournalism program towards a real-world employment situation where visual storytelling and communications are integral. With instructor guidance, learners are encouraged to seek their own work placements that utilize the many different photojournalism-based skill sets they have acquired over the past four semesters including photography, picture editing, writing, editing, videography, interviewing techniques, video editing, public relations, social media, layout and design, and many others. The learning benefit of a practicum comes from the experience of working in a real-world assignment/media environment, working alongside professionals in the field, and receiving feedback from the employer during and after the work placement.

Pre-requisites:

• PHOT 320
• PHOT 325
• PHOT 336

This cooperative work term course provides the opportunity to apply your classroom learning in a practical workplace setting, as well as gain valuable industry experience. This course is optional.

Pre-requisites:

• JOUR 251
• JOUR 254
• JOUR 258
• PHOT 256
• PUBL 261