Broadcast Journalism, Emphasis
B.A. in Journalism with an Emphasis in Broadcast Journalism
With an emphasis in broadcast, students learn to research, curate, gather and write news for broadcast media, including traditional television, cable, radio, social media video platforms, and streaming services. The emphasis focuses on building reporters, anchors, videographers and producers for newscast generation in real-world, high-definition capable facilities. Students gain experience in the campus's award-winning radio station, WMUL-FM and learn television using state-of-the art cameras and recording equipment. The campus's only fully digital TV studio offers hands-on practice as part of the curriculum. The broadcast emphasis in the journalism major prepares students for careers in all types of news and storytelling media.
Distinctive Features of the Program
Students who graduate with their degree in Broadcast Journalism are career ready with a number of skills and credentials at their fingertips, including:
- written, verbal, and visual/aural communication; newswriting in multiple formats; story development, newscast creation, and social media storytelling as well as social media promotion of content
- field and studio skills in video storytelling with video and audio editing techniques
- active listening; collaboration; critical thinking and problem-solving; time management; and multitasking.
Students gain expertise in software such as Adobe Creative Suite (including Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition); Canva Video; Final Cut Pro; and Audacity. Additionally, students may earn certifications in such programs as Google Analytics and Hootsuite, and more.
JMC Studios
JMC Studios serves as the official student organization for the school of journalism’s visual media. The school offers a variety of tailored programming, all of it student-run, student-generated, and student-produced in keeping with a long-running commitment to ‘hands on’ learning.
Broadcast journalism students create MU Report, which is a television newscast that springs from the school’s television news courses. In the field and in Marshall’s only digital TV studio, students learn video capture, news writing, interviewing, editing, delivery, and show production.
Good Morning Marshall is JMC Studios' newest content outlet. In collaboration with the department of geography, GMM brings paid student staff and volunteers from journalism and meteorology together to create and distribute a morning broadcast. The show has a Marshall focus on school happenings, local weather, and Marshall sports.
For content creators whose interest may not be news, the school offers Herdflix, a variety show format that showcases short sketches, music videos, and entertainment geared more toward social media. Student in various Marshall journalism classes also ‘do it all’ for Herdflix, just as they do for the two programs above, including content creation, show scripting and organization, and studio production and uploading of the finished programs.
Course Requirements
The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Core 1: Critical Thinking | ||
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Core 2 | ||
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| CMM 103 | Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Core II Humanities | 3 | |
| Core II Mathematics | 3 | |
| Core II Natural/Physical Science | 4 | |
| Core II Social Science | 3 | |
| Additional University Requirements | ||
| Writing Intensive | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive | 3 | |
| Multicultural/International 1 | 3 | |
| Capstone (JMC 465 Multimedia Reporting) | ||
School of Journalism & Mass Communications (SOJMC) Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOJMC Cognizance Area | ||
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Select one of the following Cultural courses: | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (CT) | ||
| Intro to Human Geography (CT) | ||
| Understanding Society (CT) | ||
| Multicultural/International 1 | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Literature Elective | 3 | |
| Literature Elective | 3 | |
| Total SOJMC Cognizance Credit Hours | 24 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOJMC Core | ||
| JMC 101 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| JMC 102 | Media Toolbox | 3 |
| JMC 103 | Language Use for Media (Recommended) 2 | 1 |
| JMC 241 | Media Design | 3 |
| JMC 260 | Digital Imaging for JMC | 3 |
| JMC 345 | Mass Comm Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JMC 455 | Race Gender & Mass Media | 3 |
| JMC 490 | Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I | 3 |
| JMC 499 | Professional Portfolio | 1 |
| Total SOJMC Core Credit Hours | 25–26 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism Major Requirements | ||
| JMC 300 | Reporting and News Writing | 3 |
| JMC 458 | Emerging Media for Journalists | 3 |
| JMC 465 | Multimedia Reporting (Capstone) | 3 |
| Broadcast Area of Emphasis Requirements | ||
| JMC 301 | Beat Reporting | 3 |
| JMC 340 | Basic Broadcast News | 3 |
| JMC 414 | Reporting Public Affairs | 3 |
| JMC 451 | Television Reporting | 3 |
| JMC 452 | Advanced TV Reporting | 3 |
| PSC 104 | American Government (CT) | 3 |
| or PSC 202 | State and Local Government | |
| JMC Elective 300/400 | 3 | |
| Non-JMC Electives | 9 | |
| Total Journalism Major Credit Hours | 39 | |
A minimum of 120 credit hours are required for this major.
- 1
Students may not count JMC 436 International Mass Comm as an International-designated course. If the student takes an International-designated course to satisfy their university requirements, they should take a multicultural-designated course to satisfy their journalism cognizance area and vice versa.
- 2
JMC 103 Language Use for Media is recommended but not required.
Semester Plan
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| CMM 103 | Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| JMC 101 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| JMC 103 | Language Use for Media (Recommended) 1 | 1 |
| UNI 100 | Freshman First Class (Recommended) | 1 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 102 | Media Toolbox | 3 |
| CT Course | 3 | |
| CT Course | 3 | |
| Core II Mathematics | 3 | |
| Core II Social Science (MC/I) 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| JMC 241 | Media Design | 3 |
| JMC 300 | Reporting and News Writing | 3 |
| PSC 104 | American Government (CT) or State and Local Government | 3 |
| Core II Natural/Physical Science | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 260 | Digital Imaging for JMC | 3 |
| JMC 301 | Beat Reporting | 3 |
| JMC 340 | Basic Broadcast News | 3 |
| Core II Humanities (WI) | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| JMC 451 | Television Reporting | 3 |
| JMC Elective 300/400 | 3 | |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Non-JMC Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology (CT) (M/I) | ||
| Intro to Human Geography (CT) (M/I) | ||
| Understanding Society (CT) (M/I) | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 452 | Advanced TV Reporting | 3 |
| JMC 455 | Race Gender & Mass Media | 3 |
| Literature Elective (WI) | 3 | |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Multicultural/International 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| JMC 361 | Digital Presence | 3 |
| JMC 458 | Emerging Media for Journalists | 3 |
| JMC 490 | Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I 3 | 3 |
| Literature Elective | 3 | |
| Non-JMC Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 345 | Mass Comm Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JMC 414 | Reporting Public Affairs | 3 |
| JMC 465 | Multimedia Reporting | 3 |
| JMC 499 | Professional Portfolio | 1 |
| Non-JMC Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
- 1
JMC 103 Language Use for Media is recommended but not required.
- 2
Students may not count JMC 436 International Mass Comm as an International-designated course. If the student takes an International-designated course to satisfy their university requirements, they should take a multicultural-designated course to satisfy their journalism cognizance area and vice versa.
- 3
JMC 490 Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I recommended summer between semesters 6 & 7 (3 hours).