Department of Journalism PHOTOJOURNALISM

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAM Photojournalists are visual storytellers. They capture intense, dramatic, heartwarming and heartbreaking moments that could otherwise be forgotten—the emotion of a father walking his daughter down the aisle, the scene of a tragic house fire, the despair of losing, the elation of winning, or the beauty of a sunset. If you want to change the world with a camera—or if you simply want to explore a career that allows you to express your visual creativity in exciting ways—Ball State’s photojournalism program is for you.

HEAR FROM OUR STUDENTS

“During my four years of undergrad, I learned not only the basics of shooting video and photos, but also how to use a photo studio, different uses of editing software, how to tell broadcast stories, and overall how to better tell a story through any platform.” Terence Lightning, photojournalism major, Class of 2019

“Just from being here two years, I have made invaluable connections with professors, and they have given me such a sense of belonging. I’ve extended my knowledge of multimedia work, which is not just photo. I’ve been taught skills in video, design and editing processes that are crucial. All of these have pointed me to real-world situations that I expect to see after graduation. Being here as a photojournalism student has been incredible, and I know I’ll be exposed to the best opportunities for me here.” Shannon McCloskey, photojournalism major, Class of 2022

“The work I’m doing right now, both inside and outside the classroom, will give me the skills required to stand out in an application pool, either from the clean designs I create, my familiarity with the adobe suite, or the photos I take.” Brandon Kelley, photojournalism major, Class of 2021

www.bsu.edu/journalism • 765-285-8200 • [email protected] VISUAL & INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING CURRICULUM VISUAL JOURNALISM CORE Course Descriptions

Visual Journalism core course requirements, 31 credits JOUR 103 Introduction to Media Design (3) Introduces students to the history, theories and concepts behind visual CCIM 210 Professional Development 1 communication and how media practitioners use design and visuals to communicate information and tell stories across platforms. Parallel: JOUR 101 Media and Society 3 JOUR 101. Open only to students pursuing a program in the journalism 103 Intro to Media Design 3 department. 206 Intro to Digital Media 3 234 Information Design I 3 JOUR 206 Introduction to Digital Media (3) 235 Intro to Photojournalism 3 Introduces the digital media environment. Students emerge with an 302 Diversity and Media 3 understanding of the seismic shift that digital media has brought to 369 Internship 3 the communications field. At the end of the course, students will have a clear understanding of the importance of a personal brand and NEWS 105 Journ Storytelling: Intro 3 image in the digital world. This will include social media presence, 120 Newsgathering: Sourcing 2 digital portfolios and maintaining a digital lifestyle. Also introduces 215 News editing 2 programming languages and how they are used in journalism, 449 Media Law and Ethics 3 advertising and public relations. Recommend parallel: JOUR 101. Total: 31 crs JOUR 234 Information Design I (3) Survey of page design, type, and color theories, graphics reporting, Web design, and multimedia storytelling. Introduces the concepts of TRACKS (CHOOSE ONE) journalistic visual editing, journalistic graphics technology, and the history of visual journalism. Prerequisite: JOUR 103. Photojournalism Track, 15 credits JOUR 235 Intro to Photojournalism (3) Photojournalism in a multimedia world including basic digital JOUR 236 Photojournalism Lighting 3 photography, portable lighting, news value, history, and industry 332 Photoj Managing & Editing 3 standard ethical concepts. DSLR camera, lens, and portable flash 335 Assignment Photojournalism 3 required for this course. Recommended parallel: JOUR 101. 434 Adv. Photoj Illustration 3 437 Long-form Photojournalism 3 JOUR 241 Information Design II (3) Explores more advanced areas of journalistic design and puts them Total Program hours: 46 crs into the context of working editorial and strategic communication environments In addition to developing students’ design abilities, this course will also explore visual ethics, copyright, history and diversity in Information Design & Prototyping Track, 15 credits the form of editorial and strategic communication worlds. Prerequisite: JOUR 234. JOUR 241 Information Design II 3 320 Information Design III 3 JOUR 242 Programming Interactive Media (3) 323 Media Design and Branding 3 Introduces students to the role of programming and coding as it 345 Data Analysis & Visualization 3 relates to multimedia storytelling and digital journalism. Students will explore how to mine and work with data sets, as well as explore EMDD 216 Design Thinking 3 programming languages most relevant to journalism, strategic marketing Total Program hours: 46 crs communications, and multimedia storytelling. Course projects will focus on the application of these programming languages through the lens of digital storytelling. Thus, students will learn to apply coding in the context of communications media. Prerequisite: JOUR 206. Media Development & Design Track, 15 credits JOUR 320 Information Design III (3) JOUR 241 Information Design II 3 Creative approaches to media design and presentation. Explores 242 Programming Interactive Media 3 strategies for developing creativity and design problem solving, as well 323 Media Design and Branding 3 as visual literacy and visual/verbal interpretation. Emphasizes visual 345 Data Analysis & Visualization 3 storytelling and conceptual approaches to design. Prerequisite: JOUR EMDD 215 Usability 3 241. Total Program hours: 46 crs JOUR 323 Media Design and Branding (3) Designing for print, online and mobile media products. Incorporates project management skills, branding strategies and content Media Development & Analytics Track, 15 credits development for creating and designing multi-platform products. Prerequisite: JOUR 241. JOUR 182 Media Analytics & Content Strategy 3 282 Media Analytics Metrics 3 JOUR 354 Data Analysis & Visualization (3) 242 Programming Interactive Media 3 Examination of how stories and information are improved by placing data in a visual context. Focuses on researching and using data 345 Data Analysis & Visualization 3 visualization tools to enhance storytelling and information delivery. 482 Media Analytics in Practice 3 Prerequisite: JOUR 234. Total Program hours: 46 crs