Class Profiles

Media Writing I
CMJR 210

In Media Writing I you will write, write, write. Whether your interest is in print, broadcast or cyber journalism or public relations, this course is for you. The focus will be on teaching the fundamentals of news gathering and writing. You will learn how to use traditional and cyber sources to obtain information for news and you will learn how to improve your writing, whether you intend to write news, press releases or hypertext.

Media Writing II
CMJR 220

This course is designed to allow you to practice advanced journalism. Although students will write several in-class stories, this class revolves around out-of-class assignments. Each student will adopt a Seattle neighborhood. Students are required to familiarize themselves with the businesses and people of the neighborhood and write two lengthy neighborhood stories. In addition, students will write a story for the campus newspaper and cover a Seattle City Council meeting.

Investigative Information Gathering
CMJR 300

This course teaches students how to gather investigative information to practice public service journalism. Although the focus will be on obtaining investigative data for use in a print article, broadcast or cyber report, the course is a must for anyone wishing to learn how to dig out hard-to-find information about individuals, companies, and the government. Students learn how to search courthouse files for civil and criminal records, examine real estate documents, determine what records are public, and explore the power of computers in investigative work.

As part of the course, students work on an investigative project that will teach them how to: ferret and analyze information; collect the evidence to substantiate accusations of wrongdoing or dubious practices; interview individuals who prefer not to be interviewed; and write up the investigative information in a clear, concise manner.

Cops, Crooks, Justice, and The Media
CMJR 480

Journalists, fiction writers, and film producers have become some of the most common sources of information about crime and justice in this society. Yet, the affect of their work – news and entertainment – is far from understood. In this course students will explore the profound relationship between the media, crime, and the criminal justice system. The course will take a special look at "Celebrity Stalkers" and the "Serial Killer Phenomenon." The Green River Killer slayings will serve as the backdrop for the study of serial killers. Since the Green River case involves a local investigation, students will visit the Green River, where the initial five victims were discovered and where the clash between investigators and journalists began in 1982.

Cops, Crooks, Justice and The Media is an interdisciplinary course that fulfills the interdisciplinary core class requirement. The study of the relationship between the media, crime, and the criminal justice system naturally encompasses the disciplines of criminology, criminal justice, law, sociology and communication. This course also emphasizes the role of psychology and literature in that relationship.

Senior Synthesis
CMJR 489
 
All graduating seniors are required to take a senior synthesis course. The intent of the senior synthesis is to bring together everything you have learned in the "core" classes and your major to help you reflect on how your educational experience may shape decisions you make in the future. This course will specifically ask you to examine the concept of social responsibility in a way that will help you better define your role in the "real" world. This class will also guide you through an in-depth study of "privacy" as it relates to journalists and those who practice public relations. You will explore both the legal and ethical aspects of privacy.