« Is citizen journalism a "joke"? | Main | Epic 2015 video: Post your thoughts here »
September 04, 2005
Welcome to J415
Welcome to J415, OU's online journalism practicum. I'm Bob Benz, and I'll be teaching this course with OU’s Dr. Bob Stewart. Our goal is to give you a "real world" view of issues confronting journalism in the 21st century. And there are a lot of them. In fact, the very foundation of the fourth estate is at risk. But times of great crisis also breed opportunities. That’s where we’ll be focusing.
This course is something of an experiment, and its success will depend as much on you as it does on the instructors. We will be using this blog as a primary means of communication. I'd strongly recommend that you check the blog daily and try to post at least a few times a week. We'll also hold a weekly conference call on Tuesdays. The first hour will introduce you to a high-level concept in online journalism, sometimes with the help of a guest speaker. During the second hour, you’ll break into two groups: ATHENSi and Speakeasy. Thursdays will be a lab, during which you will respond to posts on the class blog and work on assignments related to the subject we’re focusing on.
You will be able to respond to posts in this blog. You also can initiate threads of your own using the username and login we provide.
Your grade will be based primarily on a business case that you will present. Details on this, as well as other details about how you will be graded, can be found in the course syllabus.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to let me know. I can be reached via e-mail at bbenz@scrippsweb.com or by phone: (865)971-5920.
If you want to know more about me, my personal website is a good place to start. I've also posted a bio and my resume .
Posted by Bob Benz at September 4, 2005 12:19 PM