Full-time Programs
PRJN / PRJF - Print Journalism
Program Entry
SEPTEMBER ENTRY
Program Length
PROGRAM LENGTH: Two-year Ontario College Diploma
| Contact: | E-mail: |
|---|---|
| Joe Callahan | jcallaha@loyalistc.on.ca |
On This Page
Highlights
- Train for a career that can make a real difference in the community and the world.
- At Loyalist, you won’t just learn about journalism – you’ll do it.
- Develop a portfolio of published work at an award-winning, student-produced community newspaper.
- Enjoy more individual attention from a dedicated faculty.
- Prove yourself on the job during a four-week internship with a major news organization.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of this program are prepared for constant change in this deadline-driven, community service industry. They work for magazines, web content providers and specialty publications across Canada, as:
- reporters
- photographers
- editors
- freelancers
- public relations officers
For optimum employment opportunities, candidates should be willing to relocate and possess a valid driver’s licence.
Program Description
Students in this program are considered journalists from the first day of their studies. They work on Loyalist’s award-winning community newspaper, The Pioneer, and its web counterpart The Online Pioneer, as:
- reporters
- photographers
- editors
- copy editors
Journalism requires energy, curiosity, integrity, good writing skills, and commitment; and students are given many opportunities to develop these attributes and skills through experience. This program trains students in three areas:
- news reporting and writing
- photography
- page editing and design
First-year students have access to:
- Macintosh computers
- digital editing and publishing equipment
- specialized workshops
- one-on-one coaching with faculty, industry professionals and senior students
Students are encouraged and expected to:
- meet high standards of assessment
- produce work that is professional and publishable
- market their writing to regional and national publications
- freelance stories, take on special projects, and/or assume part-time jobs with local publications
In their second year, in consultation with their faculty advisor, students may choose to:
- continue as generalists in the Print Journalism program – or
- focus on one of three areas of content specialization at Loyalist: Agricultural, International, or Arts Journalism
In their final semester, Print Journalism students can concentrate their studies on:
- magazine journalism
- editing
- online journalism
- investigative journalism
The program ends with a four-week internship providing on-the-job experience at a daily or community newspaper, magazine or other media outlet. Students have
interned at news organizations such as:
- The Kingston Whig-Standard
- The Ottawa Citizen
- Belleville Intelligencer
- Canadian Geographic
Approximate Cost
Tuition: $2,688 (two semesters)Books and Supplies (digital camera): $1,670
Consumables Fee: $120
Note: Students need a digital single-lens reflex camera with external flash capability.
Admission Requirements
(a) Required academic preparation –
- OSSD/OSSGD or equivalent with courses at the general, advanced, (C), (U), (M) or (O) level
OR
- mature applicant
Recommended academic preparation –
- English, computer literacy, basic photography, current events, history, geography, and public speaking.
Note: Students demonstrating insufficient profiency in written and spoken English may be required to complete a remedial course during the first semester at their own expense.
(b) Fast-Track Entry: Print Journalism is one of the Media fast-track programs designed for applicants who have completed a university degree, college diploma, or who have significant related work experience. Students complete a seven-week fast track semester in May and June and enter the second year of study in September. Please see the Loyalist College Calendar for details.
Loyalist / University Transfer
Turn your diploma into a degree. Credit transfer agreements are in place with the following institutions as of September 2006:
Athabasca University
Carleton University
Griffith University
Nipissing University
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Graduates may contact the university of their choice to make individual arrangements. Informal agreements are in place with other institutions and new
transfer agreements are added annually.
Curriculum
First Year - Semester One
MEDI 1002 Civic Literacy 1
An analysis of prominent current events and issues, and their relationship to key themes and concepts in economics, politics, law, ethics and twentieth-century Canadian history. The exact content of each course will vary to some degree to reflect developing major Canadian and International current events and issues. The goal is to increase learners' understanding of, and ability to analyze such events and issues, and to generally equip them with the tools to understand the world around them. The course has significant web-based and seminar discussion components.
PRJN 1000 Newspage Design
Students learn to design and produce typical news, sports and front pages for our community paper, The Pioneer, using Macintosh computers and QuarkXPress software.
PRJN 1001 Basic Photography
Students learn to work with digital cameras and basic Photoshop software procedures while learning the fundamentals of photography for journalism.
PRJN 1002 Copy Editing
An introductory course which focuses on writing style for print journalism, this course assists novice writers in developing their copy editing skills.
PRJN 1007 Reporting and Newswriting
Students learn the basics of news reporting and writing, including skills involved in interviewing, researching, story organization and newswriting.
PRJN 1010 Writing Workshop 1
Print reporters are, by necessity, wordsmiths. In this course, students will hone their general writing skills through a variety of creative and challenging in-class writing exercises and assignments. These assignments will incorporate a range of traditional and new writing formats including straight exposition, storytelling, and on-line blogging.
First Year - Semester Two
MEDI 1003 Civic Literacy 2
A continuation of Civic Literacy 1. Prerequisite: MEDI 1002
PRJN 1003 Community Reporting
Students learn how to cover various basic beats found on most newspapers. Further development of hard-news writing skills, editing and critical thinking take place.
PRJN 1004 Newsroom 1-The Pioneer
Students apply the skills learned in Semester One by working on The Pioneer, a community weekly newspaper distributed on campus and in the Quinte area. The newspaper provides real working conditions and meets all professional standards. Students interview, report, write stories, take photos and lay out pages on deadline. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all first semester courses. Co-requisite: PRJN 1006
PRJN 1005 Publishing Photographs - Capturing Journalistic Images
Students learn advanced flash techniques and how to work more effectively with lenses as they develop news and feature photography skills. Prerequisite: PJRN 1001
PRJN 1008 Page Editing
This course builds on the knowledge and skills learned in first semster courses, especially Newspage Design and Copy Editing. The intent is to develop advanced skills in grammar, spelling and vocabulary. Students will also edit completed pages to identify Canadian Press style errors, inconsistencies among page elements such as stories, captions, decks and headlines in addition to the more general errors of grammer, spelling and syntax. Prerequisites: PJRN 1000 & PJRN 1002
PRJN 1011 Writing Workshop 2
The general writing skills developed in Journalism Writing 1 are harnessed in Journalism Writing 2 to develop solid print journalism writing techniques, styles, and strategies, including short features and all day assignments. Topics will include: idea generation, self-editing, eliminating wordiness, peer feedback, writing to deadline, writing to word length, working with writer's block, conforming to style concerns, and data gathering techniques. It's the writer's equivalent of a hockey player's dry-land training.
Second Year - Semester Three
MEDI 2000 Civic Literacy 3
A continuation of Civic Literacy 1 and 2, with an emphasis on news media ethics.
PRJN 2000 Newsroom 2
Students continue to apply skills at a more advanced level on The Pioneer. Stories are expected to be more complex and writing more sophisticated. Students will take on managerial duties and demonstrate leadership along with sound news judgement. Faculty involvement is descreased allowing for greater ownership of the final product. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all first - year courses Co-requisite: all third semester courses
PRJN 2001 Writing for Magazines
This survey course will touch on some of the forms of feature writing, but certainly not all of them. It will be a chance for students to spread their wings as writers. All material produced will be considered for future use in the magazine, newspaper and online publications. This course is meant to show students new ways of presenting non-fiction work. It will include assignments and discussions on organization, outlines, backgrounders, reviews, feature analysis, a magazine feature and a profile.
Prerequisites: PRJN 1002, 1003 and 1007
PRJN 2002 Colour Photography
Students continue to build their portfolios. They are introduced to more advanced shooting techniques, colour photography and the photographic essay. Prerequisite: PJRN 1005
PRJN 2003 Opinion and Analysis Writing
In this modular course, students learn how to develop and write a variety of feature stories, including the profile, entertainment/sports review, backgrounder and participant observation. Students also learn how to develop freelance story ideas, write query letters and approach editors to sell their work. Finally, students learn how to write columns and editorials. Prerequisite: PRJN 1003
PRJN 2009 Design 2
Journalists use words and photos to tell most stories; occasionally more is needed. Charts, graphs and small maps - info graphs - can clarify issues for readers. Layout 'rules' for news pages are often inappropriate for feature pages and different graphic treatments are required. Students will explore new design strategies, theory and techniques for more complex print journalism applications. Prerequisite: PRJN 1000
Second Year - Semester Four
INTN 2003 Print Internship
Internship is a prerequisite for graduation. All second-year students must spend four weeks on internship and receive a satisfactory evaluation from their supervisor. The intership is to be spent in a newsroom or a professional field related to journalism. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all other Print Journalism courses.
PRJN 2005 Publications Project
Students participate in a publications project stream: magazine, newspaper or e-journalism. Students are given an opportunity to build on existing skills in a specialized area of interest and demonstrate management/leadership capability. Depending on stream is chosen, students are required to write, edit stories, take photographs or work on the production for The Pioneer, the Online Pioneer, or On Your Own Magazine. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all third semester Print Journalism courses.Studies College
PRJN 2006 Photo Portfolio
A photographic portfolio is completed and students are introduced to photo stories, essays, layout and legal concerns. Prerequisite: 2002
PRJN 2007 Advanced Reporting
Students will focus on more advanced forms of reportage and writing by looking at more sophisticated methods of reporting, including a serious examination of the journalist as storyteller/writer. Students will also select a topic of personal interest from one of the four key areas - reporting, photography, design or online - to explore as an individual study. The result will be an in-depth understanding of the complexity of journalism and its practice. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all third semester Print Journalism courses.
PRJN 2010 Freelance Journalism
Freelance journalism has been described as 'taking photos and writing to live -- rather than living to take photos and write.' In this overview course, students will consider the business side of freelance journalism and how best to get their work published in newspapers, magazines and online publications. The course will cover pitch/query letters, journalism resumes, freelance resources and preparing a competency profile. Prerequisite: 2.0 in all third semester Print Journalism courses.
