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• berkeley: Key Issues in Journalism

Study Abroad: USA

• Module: Key Issues in Journalism
• Location: Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley
• Professor: Various
• Duration: 7 weeks
• Credits: 10 ECTS

Overview

This module gives students background briefings that will provide ways to find powerful stories and know how to anchor those stories with more than just quotes from the usual suspects. This class will provide an overview of subjects many reporters will be covering in one way or another for the rest of their careers. With grant support from the Carnegie Corporation, journalism school faculty, other UC professors and professionals to give background on economics, health care policy, immigration issues and foreign policy.

Learning Outcomes

1. How to interview expert sources
2. Broaden appreciation for resources available
3. Use information to write stronger stories

Indicative Syllabus

1. US government budget—Jean Ross, California Budget Project, John Decker, California State Treasurer’s Office.
2. The economy Part 1—Dr Martha Olney, Economics Dept, UC Berkeley
3. The economy Part 2—Dr Martha Olney, Economics Dept, UC Berkeley
4. Health Care Reform Policy—Dean Steve Shortell, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
5. Health Care Reform Politics, measuring and manipulating public opinion—MollyAnn Brodie, Director, Surveys and Public Opinion Research Kaiser Family Foundation
6. Immigration Overview—Tyche Hendricks, UC Berkeley lecturer and author of “The Wind Doesn’t Need a Passport: Stories from the U.S.-Mexico Border”
7. Foreign Policy, Latin America
8. Foreign Policy, Pakistan and Afganistan—Anshu N. Chatterjee, adjunct faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California

Indicative Reading List

Specific timely readings are assigned for each class. For instance, the session on Pakistan included readings: “The Predator War” by Jane Mayer, “The Last Mission” by George Packer, and “Defending the Arsenal” by Seymour Hersh, all from The New Yorker.

Typical Methods of Assessment

Faculty assessment is based on class participation and the degree to which students use information and critical thinking in their reporting and storytelling.