Course Objectives

This course provides insight into the journalistic report as a method and a genre. The instruction emphasizes the report as a narrative journalistic genre. Students will develop the ability to collect and retell stories from the real world in a lively and interesting way. They will also learn to report visually from the real world with a camera. By the end of the course, students will have acquired basic skills in photojournalism, and be comfortable with digital photography, photo manipulation, and journalistic presentation of pictures on the Internet and in newspapers.

Course Description

This course provides a basic introduction to journalistic reporting and photojournalism. It is ideal for students who are interested in reporting stories through pictures and texts.

Journalistic reporting is about:

Being curious and developing ideas

Observation as a method

Source-work and source critique

Perspective and choice

Language, effects, and style

Photojournalism is about:

Basic digital camera techniques

Narrative technique using photographs

Photography in the field

Photo manipulation

Learning Methods

Instruction consists partially of lectures, seminars, and analytical assignments which are to be completed individually and in groups. The course also includes workshops in which students will work with their own texts/reports/photographs in cooperation with other students. Ideas will be presented and discussed by the student group. Report writing will be taught through process writing, in which students will submit several drafts, and finally more texts which are near completion. Students will receive comments on each draft from the instructor or from fellow students. Discussions are intended to provide students with insight into their own personal writing style, so that they may identify their strengths and weaknesses; this will provide them with the opportunity for continual revision and improvement. The photojournalism part of the course consists of study trips, theoretical instruction in camera techniques, and the submission of assignments. Total instruction time for both reporting and photojournalism will be roughly 160 hours.

It is mandatory for students to complete all the assignments in this course, and actively participate in seminars and discussions of texts, photographs and reports. In order to be permitted to sit the final exam, students must submit a portfolio with a specific number of assignments. An overview of these assignments will be given at the beginning of the course. Portfolios will be evaluated by an internal examiner (course teacher), and allocated a mark of pass or fail.

Students’ progress and skill level will be evaluated continually throughout the semester.

Instruction will consist of two main parts. The first part will deal with journalistic reporting. This will be followed by instruction in photojournalism. Students should be prepared to make significant individual efforts and to actively participate in the course.

Assessment Methods

Obligatory assignments and seminar attendance. A passing grade on the portfolio is a prerequisite for taking the final exam. The final exam is a take-home exam, which counts for 100% of the final course grade. Exams are graded on a scale of A-F, with E as the lowest passing grade.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean