Journalism Minor

To earn a journalism minor, students will need to complete five communication courses from a variety of options. Additionally, students will complete two credits worth of work for the Diamond, Dordt's student newspaper.

• Introduction to Mass Communication: An introduction to the concept of mass communication and its application to electronic and written media. The course will survey the historical development of the technology, effects, and theory of the media through major issues.
• Introduction to Journalism: An overview of how the insights and skills gained by journalists as they examine and understand the world can be used to sustain and build community. Students examine the reporter’s role and mandate in society, the current state of the news media, and how Christians can use journalism to serve the public good by helping a civilization confront its challenges. The course emphasizes doing journalism with practice in several types of creative but factual storytelling for print, audio, and video media. Students also explore the historical and cultural foundations of journalism and investigate journalism theories.
• Advanced Reporting and Writing for the Public Media: This course is designed to help students reach the next level when it comes to media storytelling. Students will practice the mechanics and methods professionals use to tell true stories that inform and engage the public. Developing the mind of a journalist, students will apply contemporary reporting strategies and writing fundamentals by covering real events on campus and in the community. Satisfies Core Program writing-intensive requirement.
• Advanced Non-fiction Writing: This course will introduce students to types of non-fiction writing sought by online and print publications. It will seek to improve students’ narrative writing skills, especially an engaging voice. Major assignments include the profile, the review, and the personal essay. Students will also read and react to various types of non-fiction writing, both essays and longer works. Significant class time is spent in workshop format, with students reading and discussing their own work. Satisfies Core Program writing-intensive requirement.
• Advanced Argumentative Writing: The primary goal of this course is to help students argue and persuade well in writing, in preparation for careers that demand high-level argumentation—such as seminary, law school, graduate school, political work, and research and grant writing. Students will study the art of rhetoric, writing for specific audiences in order to persuade, dissuade, or inspire them. They will also incorporate research, at an advanced level. Satisfies Core Program writing-intensive requirement.
• TV and Radio Broadcast Production: This television and radio broadcasting course strives to obediently communicate God’s unfolding creation, equipping and encouraging students to use their video and radio broadcasting skills to live according to His Word. Students will learn the basic fundamental skills in radio and television news reporting, interviewing, commercial production and broadcast remote production.
• Beat Reporting: Using the community as the laboratory, this course enables students to practice responsibly serving the public good by being a watchdog who holds the powerful accountable and tells the stories of the weak. Students in this course learn the foundations of beat reporting, going deeper into the many subjects a journalist covers. Specialized areas to explore may include politics, education, business, agriculture, art, science, community development, crime, healthcare, sports, and religion.
• Communication Law and Ethics: The course examines the legal roots behind the notion of a public media. Students will explore the laws protecting communication in the public square. Students will study the ethics highlighting a communication professional’s responsibilities in the face of these legal freedoms and protections. Paying particular attention to principles from a Christian perspective and using case studies, mock trials, and role playing, students will look at both what a communicator can do and what a communicator should do.
• Issues in Journalism History and Culture: An in-depth exploration of the roots of journalism and an examination of how the media both chronicles and shapes culture. Students follow journalism’s own story from the printing press to podcasts, using research and storytelling skills to bring history to life. Focus topics vary each semester but in general will include a look at the people and technology that drove journalism’s growth. Readings may come from such well-known journalists as Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, Nellie Bly, and Ida Tarbell while periods covered could include the American Revolution, The Civil War, Vietnam, Watergate, and the War on Terrorism.
• Diamond Workshops: This workshop provides hands-on practical experience working as a team on the campus newspaper and website, the Diamond. Joining the staff of the student-led publication offers opportunities to apply multimedia storytelling and design skills learned in class, hone deadline-reporting expertise, and develop management and leadership abilities. This workshop is required of all journalism majors and may be completed for credit up to four times.

See the course catalog for more information.