COMM 240D: Student Media: Staff Leadership

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2023
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 90
Lecture Hours : 36
Lab Hours: 54
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 72
Prerequisite: COMM 240A.
Strongly Recommended: COMM 101, COMM 240B, and COMM 240C.
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

Advanced level lecture/laboratory leadership training journalism course that produces the Clarion, the college's student media website. Staff leaders serve as mentors, associate editors, and editor in chief to develop and guide less experienced students striving for journalism proficiency. Working in teams, and in collaboration with the other student publications classes, staff leaders produce story packages and special sections for publication as they advance toward professionalism. 36 lecture hours, 54 lab hours.

Course Objectives

  • Identify important campus issues and coordinate student teams in content production.
  • Plan, direct and edit news stories, publish them on paper and post them online.
  • Direct inexperienced staffers in computer assisted research, development of graphics, and photojournalism techniques.

Major Course Content

  1. Leadership roles in the Multimedia Newsroom
    1. Role of faculty advisers, lab supervisors, mentors and editors
    2. Duties and responsibilities of associate editors and editor in chief
    3. Publication schedule and deadlines for print and online publications
    4. Formulating editorial policy for campus publications
  2. Management techniques
    1. Recruiting and retaining staff members
    2. Articulating editor expectations in a firm but friendly manner
    3. Presenting specialized workshops to less experienced staffers
    4. Leading by example: facilitating the news production process from story idea through the collect, construct and correct phases to final product.
    5. Connecting with staffers through social and mobile media
    6. Newsroom politics
    7. Covering student government and campus organizations
    8. Effective engagement with readers/viewers/listeners
    9. Working with "citizen journalists"

Lab Content

  1. Writing for publication/genres guided practice for student media
  2. Compare and contrast photo techniques and photo layout with guided practice
  3. Compare and contrast art techniques and art layout with guided practice
  4. Demonstrate ability to work with social and convergence media

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Read professional newspapers, news magazines and news website.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

News stories, features, sports, arts and entertainment, profiles, opinion and editorial for student media.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Textbook readings and exercises. Covering news events relating to Citrus College. Attending student journalism conferences.

Instruction Type(s)

Lab, Lecture, Online Education Lab, Online Education Lecture