Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways we produce, distribute, and engage with news, raising important questions about the futures of both journalism and democratic life. This course critically examines how algorithmic systems shape public discourse, influence civic participation, and reconfigure power dynamics in society via an examination of news and journalism.

This course examines the role of today's public relations communicators who are developing new strategic approaches to the practice of PR.

In conjunction with UMass Athletics, this course creates opportunities for students to work in live sports production for ESPN+, NESN, web streaming and in-house video board shows while earning degree credit. Through lectures, observation, analysis, hands-on labs and working as crew for UMass sporting events, students will gain an understanding of the various elements necessary to produce a live sports broadcast. They?ll also build skills, clips and actual on-the-job training for their resumes and portfolios.

This course is designed to increase student awareness of various ethical situations and responsibilities around the professional practice of public relations. Students will learn how to identify, explore and develop their ability to make responsible strategic communication and business decisions.

In this course, students will be introduced to relevant social science research methods and data analytics used by public relations professionals. Students will learn about the importance of research in communication and business situations, as well as how it can be applied to the communication planning, development and evaluation process.

American journalism is going through what might be the greatest upheaval in its history. This course examines the causes of this upheaval -- technological, economic, cultural, ideological -- and their current and prospective impact. It also looks at some efforts to set standards for the performance of journalists.

How can journalists use data to find stories? How can they tell stories through data? This hands-on course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to begin gathering, analyzing and visualizing interactive, data-driven stories. Students will tackle questions pertaining to ethical data sourcing, data analysis and making data meaningful for the public. They will apply their skills by way of a series of short assignments over the course of the semester that cover the different stages of data-driven news production.

This advanced, writing-intensive course will build on the fundamentals covered in Newswriting and Reporting to address the development and distribution of client content including earned, shared and owned media. Students will explore and gain practical, hands-on experience researching, writing, editing and evaluating various public relations materials, resulting in the creation of professional writing samples at the end of the semester.

This advanced, writing-intensive course will build on the fundamentals covered in Newswriting and Reporting to address the development and distribution of client content including earned, shared and owned media. Students will explore and gain practical, hands-on experience researching, writing, editing and evaluating various public relations materials, resulting in the creation of professional writing samples at the end of the semester.

In introduction to Visual Storytelling, students will become better producers and consumers of visual media. Students will develop a deeper visual literacy by studying topics like visual ethics, aesthetics, agency, and the currents of the modern visual journalism ecosystem. By reporting their own video, photography and data visualization projects, students will learn how to control exposure with a DSLR camera, how to capture quality video and how to use different editing and production software. (Gen. Ed. AT)