A journalism minor combines study of the roles and responsibilities of the media in society with practical, ethical knowledge about reporting events and sharing opinions.
Media outlets on campus and in the Springfield community offer opportunities for students to graduate with the inquiring mind of a liberal-arts graduate and the clip sheet of a practicing journalist.
At Wittenberg, we believe that the best preparation for a career in journalism comes from the breadth of intellectual interest typical of a liberal-arts student, and that critical thinking and problem-solving are invaluable talents for insightful and resourceful journalists.
The journalism minor is built around a core of three courses:
- English 241: Beginning Journalism provides an overview of various kinds of journalistic writing with a concentration on basic news writing. Students explore questions of First Amendment rights and ethical and legal obligations of the profession.
- Communication & Digital Media 205: Media Literacy studies the role and function of print and broadcast journalism in this country, including how journalism, broadly speaking, is institutionalized and how it relates to political, commercial and audience expectations and interpretations.
- English 320: Advanced News Writing or English 321: Advanced Feature Writing require students to polish skills in either news and investigative reporting or feature and profile writing.
Elective courses add specific skills such as opinion writing, digital imaging and photography, or they encourage students to apply skills in a work setting in an internship. The Torch, Wittenberg's student-run paper, offers opportunities for students to work as editors and staff writers.
Journalism in the News:
- Lauren Swanson '15: Successful Editor Proves Power of Wittenberg Education in Journalism Field (published December 21, 2021)
- Stop the Presses: From Michael Jordan to Muhammad Ali, Fred Mitchell ’69 has interviewed the biggest names in sports. Mitchell explains the art and scrap it takes to be a sports writer (published Fall 2017)
- Prestigious Recognition: Chicago Tribune Sportswriter Earns Wittenberg Class of 1914 Award (published November 16, 2016)