news internet

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The News-Internet major blends a traditional program in news-editorial journalism with courses covering the emerging world of online journalism. The major was approved in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the fall of 1999. In the new major, students will be prepared to work in both traditional newspaper settings and in online journalism environments on the Internet. Involved faculty and the size of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication ensure personal attention for each student. Professors know students personally and are able to tailor assignments to individual needs and interests; advise students into courses of study that prepare them to be qualified professionals as well as good citizens; recommend students for internships based on their unique qualifications; and prepare students to ''hit the ground running'' in the competitive world of print and online journalism.

PROGRAM SIZE: Approximately 50 students are enrolled in the major. Average size of reporting and editing classes is 12 students.

FACULTY: The members of the journalism faculty have solid professional experience and strong academic credentials as well. The News-Internet program is led by Assistant Professor Kathleen Richardson worked at the Des Moines Register for 20 years as copy editor and copy desk chief, wire editor, news editor and columnist. She received her master's degree in mass communication from Drake University and her law degree from the Drake law school in Spring 2002. In 2000 she succeeded Herb Strentz as executive secretary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a coalition of Iowa journalists, librarians, lawyers, educators and other citizens devoted to the principles of open government. The Council is headquartered in the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Jill Van Wyke teaches in the News-Internet program. She graduated from Drake in 1985 with a degree in news-editorial journalism. A college internship at The Des Moines Register turned into an 11-year career there, as reporter, copy editor and an assistant city editor. In December 1996 she received her master's degree in education from Drake and joined Drake's staff as internship coordinator in February 1997

Robert Woodward, Ellis and Nelle Levitt Professor of Journalism is on sabbatical before retiring from Drake. Woodward, a former world editor of the Washington Star, has been on the Drake faculty since 1972. His teaching honors include the National Teaching Award of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, the Drake University Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the first Distinguished Honors Teaching Award from the Drake University Honors program in 2000.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION: No specific courses are required; however, students are encouraged to take writing courses and participate in school media while in high school.

REQUIRED CREDIT HOURS AND COURSES FOR A MAJOR

All students working for a bachelor's degree at Drake must complete the Drake Curriculum (Areas of Inquiry). A minimum of 124 total credit hours are required to graduate, including 31 to 37 credit hours in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication(SJMC). All SJMC majors must successfully complete JMC 30 Communications in Society, JMC 40 Pre-Professional Workshop, JMC 54 News and Reporting Principles, JMC 59 Introduction to Visual Communications, JMC 66 Race, Ethnicity and Media (JMC 66 Required of students entering Drake after Summer 2003), and JMC 104 Communications Law and Ethics. A minimum of 65 credit hours must be taken in Arts and Sciences course work and must include Economics 1, Political Science 1 and Sociology 1. 40 credit hours must be in upper division courses numbered 100 or above.

Area of Concentration:In addition the JMC graduate must have completed a 21 credit-hour block of non JMC courses approved by the adviser and dean. This concentration, taken in a single department or as a unified area of concentration crossing departmental lines, usually is one particularly appropriate to the student's major or otherwise of special interest. At least 12 credit hours in the concentration must be taken in courses numbered 100 and above. Courses taken to satisfy other graduation requirements also may count toward this requirement.

Required Courses for NEWS INTERNET MAJOR

JMC 70 Print Media Editing
JMC 98 The Internet World
JMC 102 Editing Practicum
JMC 103 Writing and Reporting for the World Wide Web
JMC 105 Web Page Design
JMC 171 Public Affairs Journalism Online

HIST 76 US History

Download a PDF version of the News Internet Major checksheet

Download a PDF version of Other Requirements for All JMC Majors

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES/INTERNSHIPS: Drake news-editorial students intern regularly at The Des Moines Register and other newspapers around the state and nation and in a variety of other media, government and corporate institutions. Numerous Drake students have earned summer copyediting internships through the Dow-Jones Newspaper Fund internship program. Four Drake students received Dow-Jones internships during the summer of 2000--Beth Cross, Heidi Waldman, Katie Weeks, and Becki White. Indicative of the changing nature of the newspaper world, Becki was the first Drake student to receive a Dow-Jones online editing internship--at Newsday in New York. During the summer of 2001, two Drake students received Dow-Jones internships -- Michael Corey in online at the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch and Kari Linder at the York (Pa.) Daily Record.

CAREER OPTIONS: Graduates work on newspaper and online journalism staffs, in the news departments of other news media and agencies, and in public information positions. The program has a deserved national reputation. Its graduates work for major news organizations across the nation--including the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, Lexington (Ky.) Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kansas City Star, Chicago Tribune, Wisconsin State Journal, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Phoenix Gazette, Los Angeles Times, Portland Oregonian, Des Moines Register, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Omaha World-Herald, and the Associated Press. Its graduates include John Mathew, chief executive officer of Wick Communications Co., owner of more than 40 newspapers and allied products in 12 states; Margaret McCay, director of personnel for the Associated Press, the world's largest news-gathering service; Al Leeds, president of the Washington Post-Los Angeles Times news service, Donna Gehrke, who shared in a Pulitzer Prize at the Miami Herald; Tom Hallman, nationally known reporter/writer at the Portland Oregonian and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2001; Diane Graham, a managing editor at the Des Moines Register, and Mark Bowden, managing editor at the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

SCHOLARSHIPS: The Cyril C. Clifton and Lucile R. Clifton Memorial Fund Award is given to an upper-division student in news and public affairs reporting The Joe R. Patrick Copy Editing prize is awarded each year to an outstanding graduating senior for outstanding performance in copy editing. The Lottie and Robert Brown Fellowship is awarded annually to a student entering the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, based on outstanding records of academic and extracurricular achievement in high school. The Katherine Farber Futch Scholarship, based on the same achievement criteria and financial need, is also awarded annually. Both may be renewed for additional years of study if students maintain good academic records.

ORGANIZATIONS: Students have the opportunity to work on The Times-Delphic, Drake's award-winning, student-run campus newspaper. The T-D is published twice weekly. Other campus news opportunities include Drake Magazine, KDRK radio and the Drake Broadcasting System. Students may also join the Drake chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.