| The “Teaching Newspaper”
About our program The Master’s Program in Community Journalism encourages students to explore new ways to serve communities through the evolving practices of journalism, and to think critically about the role news plays in community. Students develop writing and visual journalism skills, learn skills in digital media, produce and test prototypes for news innovations, and intern in the newsroom of the acclaimed Anniston Star newspaper -- all in one year. The program serves recent BA recipients in journalism or other fields, as well as professionals seeking to deepen and expand their knowledge. Students take two semesters of coursework at the UA campus in Tuscaloosa and then immerse themselves in a three-month professional journalism experience at the Star. The program has an impressive record of job placements. In the first two years of this program, more than 85% of our graduates were working full time in journalism or were furthering their education within six months of graduation. This rate is significantly higher than the national average over the same period, according to the Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates.
A Career in Community Journalism Most journalists work in community media, but most Americans think of journalism as national media, which they increasingly dislike. The profession needs more people who know and care about how communities work and why they sometimes fail. Skillful, authoritative news coverage, an understanding of digital multimedia tools, and courageous, well-informed editorial leadership must be grounded in knowledge of local issues. That is what our master's program offers —a new way of developing journalism, journalism leadership and communities through a master’s degree program both at a major university and also inside the Anniston Star, a “teaching newspaper.” This may be your best chance to make a difference in journalism, in community life, and in your own career.Students must fulfill all UA Graduate School requirements for admission to the Master of Arts degree (nonthesis track). Visit graduate.ua.edu for information on requirements, application forms and other information. Applicants should have
Program Requirements and Courses The Knight Community Journalism Fellows master’s degree requires a minimum of 31 semester-hours of credit. It will be completed in 12 months, Aug. 16 through Aug. 15. Students must complete all work with at least a “B” average. A professional quality and conceptually rigorous project is required. A thesis is not required. Students must complete the following courses: FALL
In addition to traditional master’s level courses, students take the following courses highlighting digital production and innovation in community journalism. PRODUCING COMMUNITY JOURNALISM (3 credits) Students conceptualize and produce prototypes for digital community news innovations. Students use social media and multimedia technologies learned during the fall Media Production Tools course. ASSESSING COMMUNITY JOURNALISM (3 credits) IMPLICATIONS OF COMMUNITY JOURNALISM (3 credits) The Master's Project Students produce a project rather than a thesis. Students learn to think through and develop new ways of doing community journalism, and they learn practical ways to test innovations in community news. Each student: Students think critically about what it means for a news innovation to be successful. Is it successful if it helps community members? If it helps news outlets make money? Are there legal or ethical issues? The student writes a project report, including purpose, methods, results and implications.
No prior professional journalism experience is expected, but having some college-level experience is helpful, and applicants are invited to send examples of prior journalism work to the department’s graduate coordinator. Equipment, workspace, software and multimedia classrooms with Internet connections are provided.
Six students will be admitted for 2010-2011. The application deadline is March 31. Late applications will be considered, if space remains. There are no spring or summer admissions. Applicants are eligible to compete for a limited number of partial graduate assistantships available through the department. Those awarded an assistantship would receive half tuition for the regular school year and a small monthly stipend For more information about financial aid through the University, visit: financialaid.ua.edu. Students have access to services such as admission and career counseling, course scheduling and tickets to sports and cultural events. The Web site MyBama connects all students with e-mail. The main campus of the University of Alabama is in Tuscaloosa. When in Anniston during the summer, students will have digital access to the resources of UA libraries and the use of the library at nearby Jacksonville State University. We welcome your interest in becoming a part of this program, one that holds much promise for American journalism. For more information, please contact the graduate coordinator, Wilson Lowrey, at wlowrey@ua.edu or (205) 348-8608. You may also contact the main Journalism Department office at (205) 348-7155. NOTE: Dr. Kim Bissell will serve as interim graduate coordinator from spring through summer 2010. Dr. Bissell may be reached at kbissell@ua.edu or (205) 348-8247. Dr. Wilson Lowrey will return in the fall and will serve as graduate coordinator for the 2010-2011 year. |
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