Journalism

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Journalism at Skyline College

Skyline College’s Journalism Program is both an academic and career technical program that prepares students to enter the workforce in journalism and related fields.

Journalism aims to inform, enlighten, and provide people with a truer sense of their world. It sparks dialogue and engages with the public in a way that highlights the things that are working in society alongside those that are not. Journalism has the power to spur action and drive change.

Students participating in the Journalism program also produce The Skyline View, Skyline College’s student-run newspaper.

The Field

Working in Journalism provides a unique opportunity to answer pressing questions, channel valuable information to the public and seek out and expose the truth. A degree or certificate in journalism can prepare you for a range of careers in the communications field.

Students participating in the Journalism program also produce The Skyline View, Skyline College’s student-run newspaper, providing hands-on experience with print-production, journalistic writing, editing, and various forms of online media.

In order to succeed in journalism, students will need to demonstrate a passion for asking questions and examining all points of view to find the answer. Students must employ problem solving skills in addition to demonstrating solid interpersonal, writing and analytical skills.

Career Outlook

Skyline College’s Journalism Program is both an academic and career technical program that prepares students to enter the workforce in journalism and related fields. We offer both an Associate of Arts degree which can help to create a clear path for transfer to a four year institution and a certificate of achievement which provides a head start on the road to employment.

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists in California make an average of $60,880 per year according to the U.S. Department of Labor, but reporters in the San Francisco area can be be higher. Industries related to journalism include public relations, marketing, advertising, government, publishing, radio and television broadcasting, telecommunications, and information services and consulting. Salary ranges for communications jobs may vary widely.

Program Type Total Units
Journalism AA 60 Units
Journalism for Transfer AA-T 60 Units
Journalism CA 18 Units
  • Define how convergence has impacted journalism, particularly print journalism, and identify ways to adapt practices and content to that impact.
  • Effectively communicate information through a variety of platforms, including the Internet and mobile computing.
  • Write publishable articles.
Office Information
Location: Building 8
Email: kaplann@smccd.edu
Phone: (650) 738-4297
Fall 2024 Courses  |  Summer 2024 Courses

Type Status Title Days Time Instructor
Online Class IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 110 - 96487 - Mass Media & Society
JOUR 110 MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent.
A general-interest survey course that provides a historical and theoretical perspective through which to assess the impact the mass media ? newspapers, magazines, the Internet, radio, television, film, adverting, and public relations ? have had on society. Students will learn about the rights and responsibilities of the media, as well as the way in which economic, ethical and legal concerns influence media decisions. The course trains students to become discerning media consumers in this information-saturated age. Transfer credit: UC; CSU (D3).

TBA Kaplan-Biegel, N
Day Class   IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 110 - 98044 - Mass Media & Society
JOUR 110 MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent.
A general-interest survey course that provides a historical and theoretical perspective through which to assess the impact the mass media ? newspapers, magazines, the Internet, radio, television, film, adverting, and public relations ? have had on society. Students will learn about the rights and responsibilities of the media, as well as the way in which economic, ethical and legal concerns influence media decisions. The course trains students to become discerning media consumers in this information-saturated age. Transfer credit: UC; CSU (D3).

M W F 10:10am-11:00am Kaplan-Biegel, N
Online Class IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 120 - 97707 - Wtring& Reporting forthe Media
JOUR 120 WRITING AND REPORTING FOR THE MEDIA (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ENGL 105, or equivalent.
Fundamentals of news writing and reporting, including organization of basic news stories, lead writing, development of sources, interviewing, news judgment, copy editing, and legal/ethical issues. Designed for students interested in a career in journalism or mass communications, as well as those seeking better writing skills. Transfer credit: UC; CSU.

TBA Kaplan-Biegel, N
Online Class IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 121 - 97817 - AdvWriting&Reporting for Media
JOUR 121 ADVANCED WRITING AND REPORTING FOR THE MEDIA (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Prerequisite: JOUR 120 or equivalent.
Focus on advanced reporting skills and convergence journalism, including conveying stories through more than text. Students enhance their reporting and news writing by supplementing text with audio, photos, and video; creating interactive graphics; beat blogging; utilizing social media, and cultivating data journalism skills. Designed to prepare students for the converging worlds of print, broadcast and online journalism. Transfer credit: UC; CSU.
TBA Kaplan-Biegel, N
Online Class IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 320 - 98443 - Beginning Newspaper Staff
JOUR 320 BEGINNING NEWSPAPER STAFF (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture/48-54 lab by arrangement. Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent.
Focus on the production of the student news publications, including the print newspaper, The Skyline View, its online version, TheSkylineView.com, and all other media platforms through which content is expressed. Students concentrate their work in one of the following: report, write and edit articles for the print and online versions of The Skyline View; take and edit photographs; research for and create informational graphics; develop multimedia stories; design and layout pages of the print newspaper, including in-house advertising; post to and maintain social media sites. Ethical and legal issues are also covered. Transfer: CSU.

TBA Kaplan-Biegel, N
Day Class   IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 320 - 97512 - Beginning Newspaper Staff
JOUR 320 BEGINNING NEWSPAPER STAFF (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture/48-54 lab by arrangement. Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent.
Focus on the production of the student news publications, including the print newspaper, The Skyline View, its online version, TheSkylineView.com, and all other media platforms through which content is expressed. Students concentrate their work in one of the following: report, write and edit articles for the print and online versions of The Skyline View; take and edit photographs; research for and create informational graphics; develop multimedia stories; design and layout pages of the print newspaper, including in-house advertising; post to and maintain social media sites. Ethical and legal issues are also covered. Transfer: CSU.

M W F 12:10pm-1:00pm Kaplan-Biegel, N
Day Class   IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 330 - 97630 - Intermediate Newspaper Staff
JOUR 330 INTERMEDIATE NEWSPAPER STAFF (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture/48-54 lab by arrangement. Prerequisite: JOUR 320 or equivalent.
Focus on the production of the student news publications, including the print newspaper, The Skyline View, its online version, TheSkylineView.com, and all other media platforms through which content is expressed. Students take a leadership or management role on the paper, while they also concentrate their work in one of the following: report, write and edit articles for the print and online versions of The Skyline View; take and edit photographs; research for and create informational graphics; develop multimedia stories; design and layout pages of the print newspaper, including in-house advertising; post to and maintain social media sites. Ethical and legal issues are also covered. Transfer: CSU.

M W F 12:10pm-1:00pm Kaplan-Biegel, N
Day Class   IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 340 - 97634 - Intermed. Adv. Newspaper Staff
JOUR 340 INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED NEWSPAPER STAFF (3)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture/48-54 lab by arrangement. Prerequisite: JOUR 330 or equivalent.
Focus on the production of the student news publications, including the print newspaper, The Skyline View, its online version, TheSkylineView.com, and all other media platforms through which content is expressed. Students take a training and leadership or management role on the paper, while they also concentrate their work in one of the following: report, write and edit articles for the print and online versions of The Skyline View; take and edit photographs; research for and create informational graphics; develop multimedia stories; design and layout pages of the print newspaper, including in-house advertising; post to and maintain social media sites. Ethical and legal issues are also covered. Transfer credit: CSU.

M W F 12:10pm-1:00pm Kaplan-Biegel, N
Day Class   IN
PROGRESS
JOUR 695 - 97834 - Independent Study - Journalism
JOUR 695 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN JOURNALISM (.5-3)

(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)

Minimum of 24 lab hours by arrangement for each .5 unit. Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent.

Designed for students who are interested in furthering their knowledge via self-paced, individualized, directed instruction provided in selected areas to be arranged with instructor and approved by the division dean using the Independent Study Form. Varying modes of instruction can be used - llaboratory, research, skill development, etc. For each unit earned, students are required to devote three hours per week throughout the semester. Students may take only one Independent Study course within a given discipline. Transfer credit: CSU.

TBA Kaplan-Biegel, N

The college catalog contains lists of all classes that we may offer in the current academic year.

View the Full Course Catalog

Primary Contact & Faculty

Nancy Kaplan-Biegel
Nancy Kaplan-Biegel (Professor)
Language Arts-Journalism
kaplann@smccd.edu More details »

Dean

Chris Gibson
Chris Gibson (Dean, Language Arts Division)
Language Arts-Language Arts Division
gibsonc@smccd.edu More details »