Butler Community College	Dave Kratzer
Humanities/Fine Arts	Fall 1997

Course Outline JOURNALISM FIELD STUDY

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
MC230. Journalism Field Study. 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Course enables student to gain practical experience, beginning or additional, in print or electronic journalism outside the campus laboratory experience. Enrollment is by appointment. Students must be employed with a qualified employer or supervisor, and the work must be performed in one or more of the following areas: news, photojournalism, advertising or public relations. Students and the instructors schedule a series of appointments during the semester, and the instructors and the employers schedule at least two conferences for evaluation of student work.

TEXTBOOK:
None.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. To give the student a taste of the myriad tasks found in the working work of journalism
2. To expose the student to a variety of work environments, tasks and supervisors
3. To give the student the opportunity to decide if journalism outside the academic setting is actually what he or she want to pursue as a career.

TOPICAL OUTLINE OF UNITS:
1. Accuracy.
2. Speed.
3. Punctuality.
4. Working under the pressure of the deadline.
5. Mastering other computer/typesetting systems.
6. Working with the public.
7. Interacting with professionals.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
1. Lecture
2. Critique of news stories/journalism tasks written/undertaken by the student
3. On-the-spot, on-the-job instruction by the supervisor
4. Analyzing other media/institutions
5. Field trips

Telecourses: Independent study of audio/video materials augmented by text and study guide; collaboration and participation with class members and faculty via available means. Faculty role is facilitator of learning experiences.

METHOD OF EVALUATION:
A. Attendance
B. Performance on the job, as assessed by the supervisor
C. Term paper describing and analyzing the semester's experience.

Miscellaneous:
Students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills are encouraged and have the responsibility to contact their instructor, in a timely fashion, regarding reasonable accommodation needs.