Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Communication & Journalism

JMS 100 Media Literacy

The economic, social and legal forces shaping media content and function today; overview of media industries and careers.

3

Offered

Generally offered Fall and/or Spring Annually

JMS 210 Media Writing

An introduction to researching, reporting and writing for various media channels, including print, broadcast and online news; public relations; and advertising. Attention paid to the importance of the First Amendment.
3

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 212 Visual Media

Learn how to combine text, images and audio for publication in print and online. Emphasis on online and social media.
3

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 215 Social Media Storytelling

This course will instruct students on best practices, ethical considerations and efficient storytelling leveraging digital social media platforms such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and others. Students will learn to navigate these spaces and develop storytelling tactics purposefully tailored for the different "flavors" of social media platforms.
3

JMS 310 News Reporting and Writing

Intermediate reporting and writing for print, broadcast and online news. Focus on publication of stories on government and current issue coverage.
3

Prerequisites

JMS 210 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 312 Digital Storytelling

Students will develop successful visual storytelling skills to prepare them for careers in broadcast television, post production house and digital publications. Students will produce electric news gathering style news packages, increase their speed in video editing, and understand how to script news packages, develop active voice writing skills.
3

Prerequisites

(JMS 210 and JMS 212 with a minimum grade of C)

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism (and) Media Studies Major(s)/Minor(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 315 Sports Reporting

How to report and write about sports. Emphasis on what constitutes sports news and both the uniqueness of sports journalism and how it is similar to other beats.

3

Offered

Generally offered Spring Annually

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism (and) Media Studies Major(s)/Minor(s)

JMS 342 Video Production

Learn the terminology, procedures and skills of basic studio television production. Application of techniques to the production of programs.
4

Prerequisites

(JMS 210 and JMS 212 with a minimum grade of C)

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 345 Introduction to Public Relations

This course provides a foundational understanding of public relations with a focus on the creation, dissemination and measurement of strategic messages. Topics examined include social corporate responsibility, crisis management, media management and social media. The course also explores the variety of PR career paths.
3

JMS 350 News Editing

Learn how to present stories and graphics that are factual, clear and appealing and that follow the guidelines of journalistic style and integrity. Focus on copy editing and graphic design.
3

Prerequisites

JMS 310 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 380 Public Relations Techniques

This is a hands-on course that reviews the tools available for PR practitioners to disseminate their message including media kits, campaigns, PSAs, blogs, podcasts, social media posts and everything else in between all while working with a real-life client to enrich classroom learning.
3

Prerequisites

(JMS 210 and JMS 345 with a minimum grade of C)

JMS 385 Media Planning and Research

A managerial approach to the study of media research and media planning strategies. Methods and procedures used in the planning and evaluation of the media mix will be examined.
3

Prerequisites

JMS 345 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

JMS 390 Impact of Mass Media on Society

The effects and roles of media content and media industries in contemporary society, the current state of media effects theory and research.
3

JMS 397 History of Mass Media

Survey of the cultural, technological and economic evolution of the mass media, with emphasis on issues and trends in mass-mediated communications.
3

Class Restriction

Include Junior and Senior

JMS 404 Practicum

Incorporate advanced discipline-specific skills working for UNC student-run media.
1- 3

Prerequisites

JMS 342 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Repeatable Status

Course is repeatable with a maximum of 3 credit hours

JMS 410 Advanced News

Advanced reporting and writing for print, broadcast and online news. Emphasis on beat coverage, in-depth feature stories and opinion writing.
3

Prerequisites

(JMS 342 and JMS 350 with a minimum grade of C)

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 415 Social Media Campaigns

This course is dedicated to exploring social technologies that are influencing business, media, marketing, public relations and advertising practices as well as research practices. With hands-on application as the course delivery method, this course acquaints you with practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to create, evaluate, and execute social media campaigns. The current social media job landscape and potential employment opportunities for the future are examined.
3

Prerequisites

(JMS 215 and JMS 380 with a minimum grade of C)

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism (and) Media Studies Major(s)/Minor(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 416 Documentary Production

This course introduces students to journalistic-based narrative nonfiction storytelling. The emphasis will be on quality and compelling storytelling for both web and television/film festival audiences. The course covers, in depth, the production (pre and post) involved in developing long-form video storytelling.
3

Special Notes

Consent of instructor required.

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 422 Directed Study

Individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a faculty member. (Minimum of 37.5 clock hours required per credit hour.)
1- 3

Special Notes

Maximum concurrent enrollment is two times.

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Attribute

Variable Title Course

Repeatable Status

Course is repeatable with a maximum of 10 credit hours

JMS 450 News Production

Employ skills learned in previous JMS courses to produce a weekly online news magazine combining print, video, audio, photographs, interactive graphics, and social media.
4

Prerequisites

(JMS 350 and JMS 410 with a minimum grade of C)

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 460 Media Management

Examine policies, procedures, and responsibilities within media industries today.
3

Prerequisites

JMS 100 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

JMS 481 Public Relations Campaigns

This course brings together all learning concepts from JMS classes, specifically PR classes to give students hands-on professional experience developing comprehensive PR campaigns for actual clients and planning and executing a community event.
3

Prerequisites

(JMS 380 and JMS 385 with a minimum grade of C)

JMS 485 Media Ethics

Explores ethical theory and ethical decision-making tools as they relate to dilemmas in the media professions.
3

Prerequisites

JMS 100 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism (and) Media Studies Major(s)/Minor(s)

JMS 490 Television Criticism

Critically evaluate television's performance as an informative, persuasive entertaining, socializing, and culture-transmitting medium.
3

JMS 492 Internship

Supervised work experience in a professional media organization appropriate for the discipline.
1- 3

Prerequisites

JMS 342 with a minimum grade of C

Major/Minor Restriction

Include Journalism Major(s)

Repeatable Status

Course is repeatable with a maximum of 3 credit hours

JMS 495 Special Topics

Current issues or problems in journalism and media studies.
1- 3

Course Attribute

Variable Title Course

Repeatable Status

ST - Repeatable under different subtitles with no limits on the number of times it can be repeated

Course Fee

Course Fee Required

JMS 497 Media Law

Current and perennial ethical and legal issues in journalism and media studies that affect journalists, media management and the public.
3