This intensive course covers the fundamentals of print, radio and television journalism, both theoretical and practical. Stress is laid on professional issues, standards and traditions. In three rotations, students will gain practical experience of reporting, news writing and editing in all three media.

This course will introduce students to the theory, history and practice of journalism in new media. Students will critically examine the development of new media and the current digital media landscape in Canada. Topics covered will include information organization and architecture, design and usability. Students will gain some familiarity with web-based content development tools.

Students will be taught to deliver television stories to a defined audience. They will design and produce half-hour news programs with broad appeal and produce three-minute feature stories employing recognized visual, focal and structural techniques. Successful students should be able to handle any entry-level job in a television newsroom.

Demonstrations, lectures and discussions on print as a news medium. Students will study production of both features and daily news stories in an online format with The Reporter, the program's interactive web-based newspaper, and in a traditional print format. Assignments will be produced under consultation and supervision in pre-assigned Media Lab periods.

This rotation focuses on current affairs radio. It provides students with the opportunity to critically analyze the genre. In addition, students will develop fairly sophisticated production skills including: researching, recording and editing 5 minute interviews; producing 5 minute, multi-track field documentaries; and creating a half-hour current affairs radio program.

Students taking this course will polish the basic daily television reporting and writing skills they have acquired earlier in the program, adding advanced skills and working under tight deadline pressure and increasingly critical evaluation. Students will also research, plan and produce two feature stories, with increased emphasis on storytelling structure. They will work collaboratively with an instructor through the rough-cut/fine-cut process. The course aims to prepare students to compete effectively for entry-level jobs in television news organizations, whether local, national or international.  

Continued development of journalistic skills through writing stories and taking pictures for The Reporter. Involvement in all aspects of production, including management, editing, writing headlines and picture outlines and doing basic HTML coding. The freelance market and production of a major story targeted at a particular publication.

Continued development of professional radio experience through production of radio journalism in the documentary form. Lectures and discussions in preparation for the production of feature length radio assignments. Exposure to and participation in Internet Radio through the Reel Audio Western web site. Theoretical issues regarding on-line radio, as well as preparation of Internet pages that include HTML coding, digital photography and Real Audio sound content.