NCWC: Journalism

JOURNALISM

North Carolina Wesleyan offers a Journalism minor within its English Program. Designed to introduce students to the basics of news reporting and writing, the minor emphasizes practical experience. All Journalism students contribute articles to Wesleyan’s student newspaper, The Decree, in both the print and on-line editions.

A Journalism minor provides students with a strong background in writing for a mass audience, whether it’s for newspapers, the web, radio or television, or a hybrid format. Class lessons focus on developing a news sense, refining interviewing and reporting skills, and practicing fair and objective reporting. Students learn techniques for producing concise and descriptive reports.

Journalism is an excellent minor not just for aspiring journalists, but students interested in public relations, advertising, and marketing communications.

Requirements for a Minor in Journalism

To complete the minor, students must take 18 hours that include the three journalism courses––English 210, 211, and 310––one advanced composition course (English 302) and two 300-400 level English courses.

The Journalism Sequence

English 210: Journalism (3 hours)

This course introduces students to reporting and writing in the genres of journalism: news, features, sports, arts, and opinion. Course content covers issues such as a reporter’s First Amendment rights, balance and objectivity, and news value. Students develop their interviewing and reporting skills and contribute by-line articles to The Decree, Wesleyan’s student newspaper. Students also learn the basics of photo-journalism.

English 211: Editorial Techniques (3 hours)

While continuing to report and write for The Decree, students learn to plan each issue, assign articles and photographs, edit and proofread copy, and write headlines and photo captions.

English 310: Advanced Journalism (3 hours)

Building on the skills of the previous two, this course emphasizes the preparation of more in-depth reporting and writing. The main assignment is a magazine-length piece or a series of related articles.

Sample Course Plan 1	Sample Course Plan 2
English 210: Journalism	English 210: Journalism
English 211: Editorial Techniques	English 211: Editorial Techniques
English 302: Advanced Composition	English 302: Advanced Composition
English 304: Business Communication	English 310: Advanced Journalism
English 305: Creative Writing	English 409: Systems of Grammar
English 310: Advanced Journalism	English 491: Research Topics (Journalism)

Internships

Wesleyan’s journalism students are encouraged to pursue internship opportunities either on campus or with local media outlets, such as The Rocky Mount Telegram. Practical experience is imperative for students who wish to secure employment in journalism and related fields, as potential employers place a premium on a candidate’s portfolio of work.

Recent Wesleyan journalism students have found steady work as full-time staff writers or regular contributors at the following publications: The Outer Banks Sentinel, High Country Press, The Rocky Mount Telegram, and SPMSportspage.com.

Faculty:

Dr. William Grattan

Assistant Professor of English

Faculty Advisor to The Decree

Email: WJGrattan@ncwc.edu

Phone: 252-985-5336