CURRICULUM COURSE REVIEW FORMAT
This form is for use when alter the College curriculum by adding or combining
courses.
1. Course Title/Number
Online Journalism
2. Number of Credits 3 credits
3. Curriculum Program Title Print Journalism; Broadcast Journalism
4. Curriculum/Course is:
x New
Revised
x Required Course
Elective Course
5. List Prerequisites For all Print and Broadcast Journalism students
6. List Courses Being Replaced: Replaces Community Journalism in the Print
program; replaces a free elective in the Broadcast Journalism program
7. List Courses Being Deleted
Community Journalism
8. Needs Statement (Give brief statement explaining the need for the new course or for
combining courses.) Does this course adjustment alter the nature of the curriculum
program or the degree to be awarded?
This is an extra course addressing convergence and the trend toward online reporting by
print, radio and broadcast reporters. Students working at newspapers will have to file an
online version, a brief capsule of their story; students working at television stations will
have to file either a print or digital piece in addition to their broadcast story. It brings
students up-to-date in terms of state of the art.
The community journalism course has become obsolete because with the Web, blogging,
all journalism is community journalism.
9. Catalogue Description of the Course
This course is designed to provide our journalism students, both print and broadcast, the critical
transitional structure they need to move from traditional mass media to the newest medium, the Internet.
As traditional media move to the Internet, the skills of our journalism students must expand to meet the
more intense demands of journalism in cyberspace. The course will show how traditional newsrooms are
merging with Web products and it will introduce the students to the technical, editorial, business and
creative demands of the online journalism market.
10. List Objectives of the Course

Students will learn the vocabulary of online journalism necessary to be
competitive in the broadcast and print industry.

Students will lean standard production procedures, technical standards and proper
equipment operations.

Students will apply vocabulary and procedures in hands-on classroom
assignments and projects.
11. Course Outline (Attach Typical Course Outline)
Attached
12. Show how the proposed course fits into the curriculum or course sequence. Attach
course descriptions and list course numbers.
It will precede the more advanced technical courses in print and broadcast journalism.
The best sequencing in both programs would have it between the introductory courses, i.e.
Intro to Mass Comm, Media Technology and the most advanced/final capstone courses.
13. Are there comparable courses in other departments: If so, list all comparable courses
here: (Attach course descriptions for all comparable courses.)
No
14.
How will students be affected by this course change? Will this course improve
students’ professional competence, employability, and ability to pass professional
examinations? Does this course increase the number of credit hours required for
graduation? Do the course prerequisites increase the total number of semester hours in
this curriculum program?
Taken at the mid-level point in the program, it prepares students for the diversity of
experiences expected in the professional world. It is offered by all high-level journalism
programs and expected by employers who want a well-rounded journalist. It does not
increase the total number of hours in either program nor semester hours.
15. What effect will this new course have on College resources? Will this course require
new or additional resources and/or staffing?
It could be held in the computer lab in the Mass Comm building or new combined Mass
Comm/Psychology/Sociology lab. Community Journalism is taught by an adjunct
professor: another adjunct would be sought with a different skill set at the same cost.
Community journalism typically has had low enrollments because it is only on the Print
curriculum; by placing the replacement on a second curriculum, broadcast journalism, it
could amortize or spread out the cost by offering it to more students..
16. How will this new course benefit the College?
Like Introduction to Mass Communication, it creates majors more rooted in the totality of
their field, which is converging to include multimedia and a variety of media formats. It
could attract students from the humanities who take it as an elective if they are
sufficiently good writers.
17. How will the change affect the program?
By giving students a taste of future attractions, students could exit DSU with a wider
view of their variety of career options.
Submitted by: Dr. Myna German
Approved by the Faculty of Department
Approved by Dean of School
Date: February 25, 2008
January 20, 2008
SAMPLE SYLLABUS
Delaware State University
Department of Mass Communications
College of Arts and Humanities
Proposed Course: Online Journalism
Prerequisites: News Writing and Editing I (55-224) and News Writing and Editing II (55-334);
Broadcast Writing I (55-261) and Broadcast Writing II (55-409)
Course Description:
This introductory course to online journalism will focus on the elements of Web-based journalism and the technology that
drives it and fundamentally changing the field. As traditional media move to the Internet, the skills of journalism students
must expand to meet the more intense demands of the new medium. The course will show how traditional newsrooms are
merging with Web products. It will course will introduce students to the technical, editorial, business and creative demands
of working for an online news organization. Students will learn how to incorporate text, graphics, audio, video and interactive
features into compelling web content. It will also explore some of the editorial and ethical challenges of instant
communication, notions of trust and responsibility.
Course Objectives
After completing the course, the student will:

develop the basic skill sets needed for online journalism;

learn to use software packages and design principles appropriate to online journalism;

learn to plan for the development integrated technology products and will learn to work in groups to
implement these plans;

learn how to frame and tell stories in an online environment;

examine and reflect on the field of journalism and how new technology is changing it.
Required Text
1.
Creating Online Media: A Guide to Research, Writing and Design on the Internet.
Carole Rich. McGraw-Hill, 2003
2.
Associated Press Stylebook
Recommended Books
1. Introduction to Online Journalism: Publishing News and Information, 1/e
De Wolk
©2001 | Allyn & Bacon | Paper; 200 pp
ISBN-10: 0205286895 | ISBN-13: 9780205286898
This text takes a comprehensive approach to the evolving field of online journalism, discussing such topics as how to set up
an online journalism program, using the Web for a full array of online journalism, and launching an online journalism site.
With the experience of an author who is a practicing professional and an instructor in the field of online journalism, this text
provides students with everything they need to know to be successful in the fastest growing occupational field for today's
journalists.
2. The Elements of Online Journalism (Paperback)
by Ph.D., Rey G. Rosales (Author)
iUniverse, Inc. (May 17, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0595397085
Citizen journalism, blogging, community and user activity are today’s buzzwords in the online news business. Publishers and
editors see the potential windfall that the web can offer and are now investing heavily into this venture. With today’s
newspaper circulation, readership, and profit slipping, media outfits have no choice but to embrace a new reality: the Web is
now the most powerful medium. This means a unique brand of journalism is needed to cater to the demands of the new
generation of media consumers. This new brand is called multimedia journalism. How do we execute multimedia journalism
online? What type of things do we have to do in order for our news site to succeed? What are the tools needed to be able to
execute multimedia journalism, effectively?
This book guides the reader as to how to create innovative multimedia reports and presentations. It explains the nature of
today’s media consumer and talks about ways to gain new users as well as sustain a high rate of return visits. The book also
talks about other important factors of online journalism such as audience, design, promotion, ethics, job prospects, and future
directions for online news.
3. Online Journalism: Principles And Practices Of News For The Web (Paperback)
by James C. Foust (Author)
Publisher: Holcomb Hathaway Publishing (July 2004)
ISBN-10: 1890871567
ISBN-13: 978-1890871567
Textbooks about online journalism have come and gone, but this one stands head and shoulders above all the others. First, it
does not talk down to the students. Second, it assumes they have had other journalism courses prior to this one, so it does not
try to serve as an introduction to all of journalism. Finally, the text is very easy to write weekly short-answer quizzes based
on this book. The students tended to score high (80 percent was usually the lowest, not counting the students who obviously
had not read the chapter) on every quiz. To me, that shows that the material is substantial. I could write 10 meaningful
questions without trying desperately to find something worthwhile in the chapter.
______________________________________
Grading: Each assignment will be graded for accuracy, meeting of deadlines, substance,
presentation/navigation/links (for Web projects), quality of writing (headlines, story blurbs, photo
captions and other text), usability and style. Associate Press print stylebook rules and rules of grammar
should be followed. Factual errors will result in grade deductions, as noted on each assignment. Lettergrade deductions also will be taken for broken links, including for photos, and for navigation that doesn't
work. All written and Web assignments are due at the start of class, unless specifically instructed
otherwise. No excuses, other than the hospitalization of the student or the death of a member of the
student's immediate family, will be accepted for lateness. A full letter grade will be deducted for each
day an assignment is late, except for the final paper, which will receive an F if turned in after deadline.
Standards, Ethics and Academic Integrity: Students are expected to adhere to the strictest
journalistic and academic standards. For this class, you must do all work yourself, without collaboration
with classmates or others, unless I tell you otherwise. Along with certain rights, students also have the
responsibility to behave honorably in an academic environment. Academic dishonesty, including
cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism (including use of unauthorized
photos, graphics or text from the Web) will not be tolerated. Any abridgement of academic integrity
standards will be referred directly to the campus judiciary. Confirmation of such incidents will result in
the earning of an "XF" grade for the course and may result in more severe consequences, such as
expulsion. Students who are uncertain as to what constitutes academic dishonesty should consult the
university publication called "Academic Integrity."
Students with Special Needs: Should talk to the instructor at the end of the first class.
Class Schedule:
(The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this to fit the needs of the students and to
accommodate the schedules of guest speakers.)
Week 1:
Course and syllabus overview and student introductions. Also, an overview of why newspapers are
on the Web, and a bit about the unique features news Web sites offer readers.
Readings Week 1: Chapter 1 in the Carole Rich book, "Gutenberg to Gigabytes." Plus "Fear.com" by
Chip Brown in the June 1999 issue of American Journalism Review.
Week 2:
A brief history of the Internet. Then: Search engines and evaluating online information. How do you
differentiate between reliable sources and junk on the Web? Plus a tutorial from John R. Henderson, a
reference librarian at the Ithaca College Library. And a short class surfing exercise.
Readings Week 2: Chapters 2 & 3 & 12 ("Browsing Basics," "Searching Skills" and "Online Reporting
and Research") in the Carole Rich book; Wired News' "Dot-com Still the Main Domain," from May 6,
2002. And a Web research handout that I'll give you in class.
Week 3:
Introduction to html, with a discussion of font sizes and faces and instructions on creating horizontal
rules, headlines and background colors. Plus: Changing link colors, creating hyperlinks, e-mail links
and bulleted lists. Plus: Adding graphics and photos to a Web page. Please bring a printed copy of
your resume to class.
Readings Week 3: Chapter 6 ("Basic HTML") in the Rich book plus a basic html handout from me that
I'll give you in class.
Week 4:
Intermediate html: Creating anchor (internal page) links. An introduction to FrontPage and to table
building, for photo and caption boxes and page layouts. Plus: A basic introduction to photo scanning,
sizing and cropping in PhotoShop. Bring in some photos of yourself for your bio package, to scan and
size.
Readings Week 4: I'll have photo scanning and table-building handouts for you in class.
Week 5:
Ethics, taste and restraint in new media. Just because a news organization can publish something
doesn't mean it should. A look at how the speed of the 24-hour news cycle has affected news judgment;
whether or not online sites are properly differentiating between editorial and advertising content;
corrections and linking policies, and more. Also, complete an ethics assignment in class, working in
teams but writing up your own reports. PLUS: Legal issues in cyberspace. Among the legal questions
to consider: Can news sites be held liable for comments posted on bulletin boards? Is it OK to copy
source code from another site? What about republishing someone else's text, photos and graphics? Can
you get in trouble for forwarding a published story to a friend?
Readings: Chapter 14 in the Rich book ("Legal and Ethical issues")
Assignment: Due at the beginning of class Feb. 25: Turn in to the x drive a one-page resume, with
text, subheads, internal (anchor) links, an e-mail address link and a bulleted list. Your resume should
also include at least one link to another page and a horizontal rule. Background colors are optional, as
are changed link colors. (Please do not put photos or graphics in this version of your resume. Comment
them out for now. )
Week 6:
Writing succinctly and conversationally for the Web, Session I: Narrative nonfiction. I will give
you handouts of several nonfiction narratives written by others. We'll discuss them, then you will rough
out the text for a personal, nonfiction essay for your bio package. You'll turn it in to me at the start of the
next class. Your essay should be on a topic that reveals something about your background or character:
A relative or teacher who had a great impact on you; an incident that came as a turning point in your
life; an anecdote about why you ended up in journalism heading toward a career as a writer. Please try to
avoid being too negative or flip; this is intended to be the opening narrative on the home page of your
biography package. Potential employers may be reading it. The draft will count as an in-class grade; it
will be edited and returned to you for a write-through.
Readings: Chapter 13, "Writing for the Web," in the Rich book
Week 7:
Begin discussing online design and navigation issues, and the importance of folder structure to
Web building and Web addresses. Also, sketch out the page layouts for your three-page bio packages.
These hand-drawn sketches will show where your navigation bar will go on each page and where
photos, headlines and story blurbs will go. Navigation must be consistent on all pages. Also, in a Word
document, type a brief description of the content and art that will go on each page, and be explicit about
the color schemes you will use to tie the pages together, along with the font styles for headlines, photo
captions and text. This will count as an in-class grade. Plus: Review for midterm.
Readings: Chapters 9 ("Media Site Planning") and 11 ("Web Site Design") in Rich book. Plus Web
design and navigation handouts from the instructor..
Week 8:
MIDTERM, to be taken during the first half of the class. Then: Continue scanning photos for your
bio packages; ask questions about navigation and construction of your bio packages.
Week 9:
Review midterms. Go over bio package check list, for projects due April 7. Get assignment for
paper due during finals week. Finish scanning photos. Ask any questions you may have about
navigation and construction of your bio packages. Then: Writing for the Web, Session II: Begin
discussing headline and caption writing
Readings: headline writing handouts from the instructor.
Week 10:
Seminar and Lab:
Writing for the Web, Session III: Discuss different storytelling structures that work on the Web-including nonlinear ones such as photo galleries and interactive ones such as news quizzes and
chats. More discussion/work on headlines and blurbs.
Readings: Several handouts on “Online Storytelling Forms."
Assignment: Due at start of class next week: Turn in your Web bio/resume package, with internal and
external links; at least two photos and one graphic; and text. All links must work; busted links result in
letter-grade deductions. Any factual mistakes in your text will result in a full letter-grade deduction; any
packages turned in late will lose a full letter grade for each day that they're late.
Week 11:
More discussion/work on headlines and links. Plus: An introduction to using story templates to
build stories and story packages on the Web. Expect an in-class assignment that focuses on
production, headlines, and links. We'll also review building tables (for charts) in FrontPage.
Week 12:
We'll incorporate edits of student Web bio packages, then review them as a class. And students
will be given an assignment for the news project due next week.
Week 13:
Seminar and lab: Writing for the Web, Session IV: We'll take a look at Weblogs: Is this journalism
or personal ranting? Plus: Interactivity: Databases on the Web, a graded in-class assignment.
Readings: Readings: Handout: Read Jeff South's story on online databases and privacy issues, "No
Secrets," in the April 2000 AJR. Plus Chapter 5 ("Online Communities") in Rich book
Assignment due next week: Packaging news for the Web: (15 percent of your grade): Due at the start
of class in the lab's x drive (and the paper portion is due in my hands). Projects turned in after this time
will lose a full letter grade for each day that they're late. Projects with factual mistakes will also lose a
full letter grade for each mistake. Projects with broken links will lose a full letter grade for each broken
link.
Week 14:
Seminar: We'll discuss media convergence. Must news operations merge or form partnerships to
survive in the era of the Internet? We'll discuss the implications of content-sharing agreements or
mergers, such as The Washington Post Co./ MSNBC deal; the Tribune Co. and Times Mirror; AOL and
Time Warner. Plus: The future of online journalism and your future in online journalism. Besides
selling advertising, how else can Web sites make money? And should we be worried about the Web sites
that have gone belly-up or laid off employees? Plus: I'll explain how you can move your bio packages
from the journalism server onto the university server (see "transferring to server"), so you can
keep updating them even after you leave this class. And you will need a working wam account to
participate. Plus: Class evaluations.
Readings: Several handouts from the instructor.
(Finals week): Turn in on paper (under my office door) and by e-mail to me a 1,500-word paper
analyzing and comparing/contrasting a traditionally based news site with a Web-only news site.
Factual mistakes will result in a full letter-grade deduction; late papers will receive an automatic F. (See
fuller description in "Assignments," at top of syllabus.)