Helen Grant -JMC Overview

JMC 2033 Writing for Mass Media is course offered by the Gaylord College of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma. Students learn how to write for multiple media outlets while developing effective communication skills. Course objectives are covered in a fifty-minute lecture and put into practice during a two-hour lab.

The required texts for lecture include: James Glen Stovall, “Writing for the Mass Media", G. Arnold, "Media Writer's Handbook", Fifth Edition, "The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual 2009", and George Padgett, "New Directions in Diversity". The purpose of lecture is to expand upon the concepts assigned in the reading while explaining the professional guidelines that govern each media outlet. Quizzes and exams will be given during lecture, and fifty percent of the final grade comes from this half of the course.

In the lab students practice their communication skills. Concepts outlined in lecture provide the foundation for these exercises. A few examples of lab work include: writing a blog, grammar and punctuation exercises, interviews, and putting together slide shows. Lab instructors are available to coach students in: reporting, information gathering, editing, avoiding fact errors, and meeting deadlines. Approximately fifty percent of the final grade comes from work assigned in lab.

Other objectives for this course emphasize the need for: improving media literacy, developing effective professional skills, and allowing students the opportunity to define their individual interests. This course is designed to broaden a student’s ability to convey a message across multiple media platforms while satisfying the informational needs for each type of media consumers.