Digital Media & Journalism

DMJ101. Media and Society. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the history, content, economics, regulation and effects of the major American mass media (books, newspapers, magazines, film, radio, sound recordings and television) and new media, including the Internet.

DMJ203. Directing & Performing for Media. 3 Credits.

Theory and Practice of Directing and Performing using audio and video/film technology including narration for podcasting and documentary, and on-camera performance.

DMJ205. Introduction to Media Criticism. 3 Credits.

Various introductory approaches to studying the media from critical and theorectical perspectives. We will study different ways of seeing, reading, speaking, writing and viewing content distributed via film, television, and the web.

DMJ210. Investigating the News. 3 Credits.

Students will learn to explain the philosophical and historical foundations of the First Amendment, identify the genres of American Journalism and the different purposes, contrast the American media system with others from around the globe, and critique the current state of the journalism profession and its part in the American cultural fabric.

DMJ211. Media Theory. 3 Credits.

An immersion in media theory and criticism that aims to give each students a new, critical view of their information worlds. Key theories and techniques of media criticism to be explored include social scientific approaches, theories of news, semiotics, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, political economy, and sociological approaches.

DMJ215. Digital Storytelling. 4 Credits.

Beginning level, overview course of media creation through videography, audio recording, and multi-media production for the web. The topics covered include media industry perspectives, entertainment journalism, and aesthetics for digital media.

DMJ221. Introduction to Advertising. 3 Credits.

Principles, practices, and theories of modern advertising communication ranging from planning and execution to research and social effects.

DMJ224. Media Industries. 3 Credits.

Principles, functions, and elements of media industries. Emphasis on broadcast, cable, film, radio, and digital media. Analysis of traditional business models and emerging programming and distribution models; law and regulation; marketing communications; audience research.

DMJ230. Journalism 1. 4 Credits.

An introduction to the evaluation, gathering, and writing of multimedia news. Students write both "hard" or "breaking" new stories and feature or human interest stories for print and the Web. Basic techniques in writing and reporting for print and digital media are covered.

DMJ293. Digital Media/Journalism Selected Topics. 3-12 Credits.

Selected topics courses are regularly scheduled courses that focus on a particular topic of interest. Descriptions are printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Selected topics courses may be used as elective credit and may be repeated for credit, provided that the topic of the course changes.

DMJ295. Independent Study Digital Media/Journalism. 1-12 Credits.

DMJ300. Photojournalism. 3 Credits.

Designed for the student who wants to develop the discipline and skills required for effective photojournalism. Individual photography assignments and projects will be coupled with discussions and critiques.

DMJ305. Being Digital. 3 Credits.

Explores the ramifications of the spread of digital media for cognitive development, identity formation, political and cultural processes, and the professions. Students will leave the course with a deeper understanding of the effects of technology in personal, professional, and community life.

DMJ310. Media and Diversity. 3 Credits.

Examines historical and contemporary representations of gender, race, class, and sexuality in mass media in order to interpret, evaluate, and contest these meanings. Students investigate how the structure and economic imperatives of the mass media industries influence representations of diversity and consider possibilities for reformation and intervention.

DMJ313. Public Affairs Reporting. 3 Credits.

A course to develop the skills of newspaper reporting on government, on local, county, and state levels. Provides the opportunity to observe and report on legislative bodies and committees, school boards, police, and the court system.

DMJ314. Feature Writing. 4 Credits.

Feature Writing focuses on the art of writing original non-fiction, reported articles for newspapers, magazines and digital publications.

DMJ319. Writing for Digital Media. 3 Credits.

Writing stories for television, web-streaming, and filmmaking, with an emphasis on storytelling structure and copystyles for mediated formats.

DMJ320. Production 1: Audio Production. 4 Credits.

Lecture and practical application of techniques and procedures in audio production for radio and audio for video, including recording formats, audio consoles, microphones, and digital sound editing.

DMJ321. Milestones in Documentary. 3 Credits.

A critical and aesthetic reading of key documentaries, and their role of inquiry and expression. The cultural contexts of each documentary, and what the documentary can tell us about the social issues of the period, will be examined through critical theory.

DMJ323. Digital Media Content and Technology. 3 Credits.

Theories, historical contexts, and current practices of information and communication technologies including the Web and social media; critical understanding of the cultural impact of these media; development and distribution of digital content.

DMJ328. Arts Writing. 3 Credits.

By reading the works of arts critics, experiencing arts performances, and writing reviews and features, students will develop the skills for critiquing, reporting, profiling and analyzing the arts - including music, fine art, theater, and dance.

DMJ331. History of American TV. 3 Credits.

Focuses on the political, economic, social and cultural forces that influenced the evolution and development of American television, as well as contemporary trends and issues.

DMJ332. Journalism II. 4 Credits.

Advanced reporting course in gathering and writing the news for multimedia. Specialized types of reporting are covered, including coverage of speeches, press conferences and meetings; police and court events; human and social services; government bureaucracies and the environment.

DMJ333. Podcasting. 3 Credits.

Focus will be on developing skills for audio storytelling, including writing, field recording, interviewing, audio production and editing, and production and distribution of a podcast.

DMJ334. The Literature of Journalism. 3 Credits.

An inquiry into the link between literary and journalistic forms of writing, especially in the twentieth century.

DMJ340. Production II: TV Studio Production. 4 Credits.

Creative approaches and techniques of television production, emphasizing studio lighting, camera movement, directing and technical directing. Analysis, discussion, and practice in aesthetics and content quality. May be taken under special circumstances without the prerequisite, but with the permission of the instructor.

DMJ343. Media Criticism and Aesthetics. 3 Credits.

Analysis of major critical media theories including media aesthetics.

DMJ347. Media Ethics. 4 Credits.

Examines the broad range of ethical dilemmas faced by journalists in gathering and writing the news. Topics include conflicts of interest, business pressures, reporter-source relationships, invasion of privacy, and objectivity. Uses case-study approach.

DMJ350. Media Research Methods. 4 Credits.

Theory, design, and analysis of research in mass media. Includes coverage of surveys, ratings, statistics, reporting, and computer usage.

DMJ373. Reel Women: Women in Film. 3 Credits.

This course explores the advancements made by women in contemporary film history. By integrating feminist approaches to the study of film, students analyze the discourses of femininity in contemporary films and look at the ways in which Hollywood films engage with critical debates about femininity. Students will examine how gender roles are portrayed in contemporary U.S. cinema and study how images, stories, and icons in popular film respond to participate in the social construction of womanhood and femininity.

DMJ388. Introduction to Digital Animation and Visual Effects. 3 Credits.

Students focus on the craft and artistry of digital animation, motion graphics, digital compositing, and basic visual effects using the Adobe Creative Cloud platform, After Effects in particular. Integration with non-linear editing platforms and full post-production workflows are explored during the creation of work for the class.

DMJ390. 90 Minutes to Die: Film Noir. 4 Credits.

Investigate the rise of noir films in Hollywood, while also looking at how these films continue to influence present films, television and VOD programs. The focus will be on the story, aesthetics, and darkness present in the genre, which continues to investigate storytelling’s dark spaces.

DMJ391. Screenwriting. 3 Credits.

Essential steps for creating screenplays for film and television. Visual thinking, critical analysis, character, plot, structure, dialogue, and rewriting to create treatments and scripts.

DMJ393. Digital Media/Journalism Selected Topic. 1-12 Credits.

Selected topics courses are regularly scheduled courses that focus on a particular topic of interest. Descriptions are printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Selected topics courses may be used as elective credit and may be repeated for credit, provided that the topic of the course changes.

DMJ399. Modular Course. 1-12 Credits.

DMJ431. Advertising Sales. 3 Credits.

Theory, research, and practice of media advertising sales and promotion. Analysis and development of sales presentations and electronic media marketing campaigns. Special attention to marketing research, ratings, and circulation.

DMJ432. Media and Popular Culture. 4 Credits.

Survey of research, concepts and problems associated with media and popular culture consumption.

DMJ434. Global Media. 3 Credits.

An examination of the media systems of other countries, with special emphasis on the effects geo-political and cultural forces have on the development of specific mass communication channels throughout the world.

DMJ440. Production III: Field Production. 4 Credits.

Creative and technical approaches in field production for digital video and post-production editing. Includes discussion and practice of preproduction planning for location work, technology and use of equipment, production aesthetics, and related business/legal considerations.

DMJ444. Seminar in Media Studies. 4 Credits.

The goal of the Seminar in Media Studies is to begin building a link between and individual student's coursework in the field of media studies and that student's post-graduate plans, weather in a graduate program, as a media industry professional, as a freelance of full-time creative employee, or something else entirely. Students will choose one of three semester long options for the Capstone seminar: a scholarly research paper, a professional client-based project, or a creative project.

DMJ445. Production IV: Seminar in Digital Filmmaking. 4 Credits.

Emphasis on documentary and short narrative film creation for capstone experience.

DMJ452. Mass Media Law. 3 Credits.

Designed to introduce issues relating to the free speech guarantees of the First Amendment to the Constitution. It focuses on interpretations of the First Amendment, functions of free speech in a democracy, and Supreme Court decisions relating to regulation of print and electronic media.

DMJ453. Multimedia Editing and Publishing: The Little Rebellion. 4 Credits.

Multimedia Editing & Publishing will train you in editing and e-publishing. Skills include macro editing, micro editing, and online publishing. You will learn to edit copy errors using AP style; collaborate with editors and writers; and produce editorial content for the web, using basic design principles, new media tools, and digital storytelling techniques.

DMJ458. Capstone Seminar in Multimedia Reporting. 4 Credits.

The Capstone Seminar in Multimedia Reporting will first focus on developing the freelance reporting skills necessary in a changing journalism landscape: developing ideas, pitching stories to publications, and working independently as a reporter. Students will then use these skills to develop and execute an independent, in-depth, long-form reporting project featuring a blend of print, multimedia, data visualization, and other elements, displayed on a digital platform.

DMJ461. Legislative Gazette. 1-12 Credits.

Students work as reporters with the Legislative Gazette, an online newspaper published in Albany that covers the state legislature and state government. It operates in both fall and spring semesters.

DMJ470. Ottaway Seminar. 1-4 Credits.

Nationally known visiting journalists use their expertise and experience to teach students about the problems and issues that face reporters and the press. Professors have included foreign correspondents, literary journalists, and high-ranking editors.

DMJ475. Picture Culture. 4 Credits.

Examines the roles that still photography plays in print and broadcast news and in social media; qualities intrinsic to the photograph; how the mass media makes use of these qualities to position photographs as incontrovertible evidence.

DMJ490. Internship in Digital Media/Journalism. 1-12 Credits.

Internship in electronic media, advertising or journalism. Satisfactory/Fail.

DMJ491. Internship Seminar. 1 Credit.

The analytical component to internship experience. Students produce daily logs, professional article reviews, and a final project with accompanying analysis. Required corequisite for DMJ internship or Legislative Gazette.

DMJ493. Digital Media/Journalism Selected Topics. 1-12 Credits.

Selected topics courses are regularly scheduled courses that focus on a particular topic of interest. Descriptions are printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Selected topics courses may be used as elective credit and may be repeated for credit, provided that the topic of the course changes.

DMJ494. Fieldwork Digital Media/Journalism. 1-12 Credits.

DMJ495. Indep Study Digital Media/Journalism. 1-12 Credits.

DMJ499. Digital Media/Journalism Modular Course. 1-12 Credits.