COM 327 - Community Journalism

The course will examine issues, practices and ethics in reporting community news for the Web. We’ll look at the emerging business of “hyperlocal” journalism on the Web, how local news sites fit into the evolving local media landscape, and the advantages and ethical challenges of reporting within your own community. The course will include case studies and guest lectures (some via Internet video chat) with editors/publishers of other local news sites around the country, both for-profit and non-profit models. Student assignments will include readings, papers and online news reports, which may include written news stories, and audio or video reports.  Finally, the course will outline the different models for community information on the web - small business/for-profit and nonprofit - as well as how governments, businesses, and nonprofits are bypassing traditional news outlets and delivering information directly to consumers - for better or for worse .

Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.