The Journalism Program is dedicated to educating students in the discipline and values of an independent press and its role in a free and democratic society. Students will learn and practice truthful, verified, and comprehensive reporting to tell stories in a range of media for the public interest. We value journalism that gives voice to a full range of voices, a practice that requires cultural competence of its practitioners. Embracing Wake Forest's ethos of Pro Humanitate, we integrate experiential learning into our classroom assignments and support independent journalism locally and beyond through the work of our faculty and students.
Program of Study GPA Calculation
All courses offered by the department of the student’s program of study as well as all courses offered by departments outside of the student’s program of study that could potentially fulfill a program of study requirement will be utilized in the calculation of the student’s program of study GPA.
Contact Information
Journalism (JOU)
JOU 270. Introduction to Journalism. (3 h)
Teaches students to find stories, select sources, conduct interviews, and write compellingly in journalistic styles. Not recommended for first-year students in the fall semester; special permission is required.
JOU 278. News Literacy. (3 h)
Trains students to analyze news coverage, identify bias and fairness, and verify facts. Lectures and discussions also engage ethical questions raised by today’s shifting media landscape.
JOU 310. Editing. (3 h)
Fundamentals in copy editing and headline writing as it applies to print and online journalism. Applying grammar, adherence to Associated Press style, and use of photos, lay-out and news judgment to improve news and feature stories. Intensive in-class editing. P - JOU 270 or prerequisite override required.
JOU 315. Beat Reporting. (3 h)
Fundamentals in indentifying and developing news and feature beats. Emphasis on interviewing skills, source development, story identification and writing for print and online. Digitals skills such as blogging, photography, video production, and social media practiced. Highly interacative. P - JOU 270.
JOU 320. Community Journalism. (3 h)
Students leave campus to report on a Winston-Salem neighborhood, producing stories for public audiences in a range of media focused on the people and places that create community. P - JOU 270 or prerequisite override required.
JOU 321. Environmental Journalism. (3 h)
Learn to report on issues related to the environment, from climate change to science to local land-use policy, and produce stories in a range of media. Explore questions at the intersection of climate change, geopolitics, science writing, news coverage, community activism, racial justice, and multimedia journalism, with specific topics and projects determined by the instructor in any given semester. May be repeated once with permission of the instructor.
JOU 322. Investigating Innocence, at the Intersection of Journalism, Narrative and the Law. (3 h)
Learn to write like a journalist and think like a lawyer by investigating and writing about an ongoing case of a wrongful conviction under review by the law school’s Innocence & Justice Clinic. Law students and undergraduates work together with instruction by professors in law and journalism. Also listed as WRI 322. P-Prerequisite override required.
JOU 325. History of Photojournalism. (3 h)
This interdisciplinary course examines photojournalism's evolving role in documenting and shaping historical narratives, analyzing iconic images and photographers through artistic, journalistic, and ethical perspectives. Also listed as ART 262. (D)
JOU 330. Podcasting. (3 h)
Introduction to audio storytelling. As the world of podcasting and nonfiction audio grows rapidly, students will learn the building blocks and best practices of audio journalism, including sound editing, and interviewing, and story, and will discuss what journalism means in these changing times.
JOU 331. On the Air with WFDD. (3 h)
Learn the fundamentals of broadcast journalism including interviewing techniques, writing for radio, beat coverage, audio recording and editing to produce stories for broadcast on the local NPR affiliate WFDD. P-JOU 270 or prerequisite override required.
JOU 335. Multimedia Storytelling. (3 h)
Learn the building blocks of multimedia storytelling: photography, videography and editing. Practice conducting interviews for video and audio while exploring how to structure stories in the age of social media and AI. Finally, put these skills to use by producing multimedia stories of your own.
JOU 340. Magazine Writing. (3 h)
Learn and practice the skills needed to produce magazine stories for publication. Focusing on a single topic of their own choosing, students learn advanced principles of interviewing, document research, story structure, character development, and explanatory journalism as they read and analyze some of the best magazine stories written over the past thirty years. Also listed as WRI 344. P-JOU 270.
JOU 345. Sports Journalism. (3 h)
Introduction to sports journalism, athletes’ lives, and the influence on American culture and college campuses. In this writing-intensive, discussion-based course, students write on topical subjects, read quality sports journalism, cover on-and-off-campus contests, and profile Wake Forest athletes. P - JOU 270 or prerequisite override required.
JOU 355. Broadcast Journalism. (3 h)
An introduction to the theory and practice of broadcast journalism. Topics will include ethics, technology, and the media as industry. Projects will address writing, producing, and performing for radio and television. Also listed as COM 215.
JOU 360. Truth and Authenticity Lab. (3 h)
In the era of fake news, AI, and social media, many of us are finding it increasingly difficult to figure out what is real and who we really are. The Truth and Authenticity Lab is a course unlike any other. Crosslisted between Philosophy and Journalism, students will learn aspects of both disciplines as a way to cast a unique lens on how to understand truth and authenticity today. Also listed as PHI 260.
JOU 365. Mastering the Interview. (3 h)
Teaches the best practices for finding interesting interview subjects, fostering rich and generative conversations, and employing quotes effectively and creatively in longer articles.
JOU 370. International Reporting. (3 h)
Students explore a part of the world as journalists do, interviewing, observing, and exploring to produce stories that shed light on the people, culture, and issues that define that place. P - JOU 270 or prerequisite override required.
JOU 375. Special Topics in Journalism. (1-3 h)
Study and practice of new trends, innovations and subject matters in journalism. May be repeated once for credit, provided the topic has changed. Prerequisites may vary; check with the department.
JOU 380. Deep Dive. (1.5 h)
Provides an intensive exploration of a specific topic in journalism in such areas as photojournalism, investigative reporting, and race and the media. Varies by semester and instructor. May be repeated once with permission of the instructor. Prerequisites may vary; check with the department.
JOU 390. Internship. (1-3 h)
Practical experience in journalism. Students work with a faculty advisor. Cannot be repeated except with approval of the director. P-Prerequisite override required.
JOU 395. Individual Study. (1-3 h)
Independent study with faculty guidance. By prearrangement. P-Prerequisite override required.