Communications BA Journalism and Sports Media
Program Purpose
The School of Communications exists to help students become professional and scholarly communicators whose messages contribute to a better society by benefiting the organizations for which they work and the audiences they reach.
Curricular Structure
Students majoring in Communications complete 40 hours in the school with an emphasis in a particular area of study. Our accrediting body, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, requires students complete a minimum of 72 credit hours outside of School of Communications, and meet the university's liberal arts and sciences requirements. Students take complementary courses in theory and application. Students complete three courses before applying to the Communications program: Comms 101 (Mass Media and Society), Comms 239 (Introduction to Video Storytelling, and Writing 150 (Writing and Rhetoric). Once admitted to the journalism program, students take four additional core courses: Comms 300 (Media Law and Responsibility), Comms 304 (Media Ethics: Ethical Decision Making in a Diverse Society), Comms 305 (Foundations of Journalism), and Comms 308 (Research Methods for Journalism). Students then must complete the required courses in their area of interest and two electives that focus more on the broader theories and concepts of mass media and society. All students, except those in Communications Studies, are required to complete an internship. Students may take supplemental courses provided they have met all of the other requirements.
Journalism
- Complete the following: Comms 101, Comms 239, and Writing 150.
- Apply to the major.
- Complete the following major core classes: Comms 300, 304.
- Complete the following journalism core classes: 305, and 308.
- Complete two of the half-semester skills courses: Comms 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316.
- Complete four hours of an academic internship, Comms 496R.
- Complete 6 hours from the following departmental electives: Comms 301, 351, 352, 360, 381, 382, 401, 402, 406, 411, 412, 449, 480.
Major Academic Plan Communications Journalism Emphasis
Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate proficiency in the twelve professional values and competencies of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), which are each related to one of the following program learning outocmes:
- Effective Communication;
- Professional Practice;
- Mass Communication Processes;
- Gospel-centered Values.
Students will write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
- Specifically, students will craft non-fictional stories for print, digital, and broadcast audiences that adhere to the ethical standards of the Society of Professional Journalists.
- Students will create Journalism messages that reflect the mission of Brigham Young University and the pursuit of all truth.
Students will critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.
Students will apply basic numerical and statistical concepts.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze numerical data from various sources to support journalistic storytelling.
Students will apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in using news-gathering equipment across print, digital, and broadcast formats.
Students will conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work.
- Specific methods for information gathering include, but are not limited to, court and other public documents, surveys, and computer databases.
Students will understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and the press, for the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity.
Students will understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information.
- Students will be able to analyze and apply key theories in journalism and storytelling, including framing, agenda-setting, and gatekeeping, to critically evaluate how media shape public perception and influence news presentation.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications.
Students will think critically, creatively and independently.
- Students will apply critical thinking skills to produce original, well-researched, and engaging content that challenges conventional narratives and effectively communicates complex issues.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communication.
- Students will produce stories that "value and embrace the variety of individual characteristics, life experiences and circumstances, perspectives, talents, and gifts of each member of the community and the richness and strength they bring to our community" (BYU Office of Belonging Statement on Belonging).
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society.
- Students will gain a broader perspective on global journalism practices through experiences such as study abroad programs and international experiential learning travel. They will apply insights from diverse cultural contexts to enhance their storytelling and reporting skills.
Evidence of Learning
- Embedded assignments from classes are assessed each Fall on a rotating schedule
- Student applications to the major in Fall and Winter Semesters provide faculty with baseline direct assessment data.
- E-Portfolios are assessed each Winter by communications professionals.
- Internship providers provide direct assessment, which is examined by the faculty each Fall Semester.
- Student surveys provide indirect assessment evidence, which is examined by the faculty each Fall Semester.
- Student awards and other recognitions provide indirect assessment evidench, which is examined by the faculty each Winter Semester.
Direct Measures
The following forms of direct evidence inform the faculty's assessment of program learning outcomes:
- Reported every Winter Semester: alumni professionals assess student e-portfolios. The rubric used for this assessment measures the following program learning outcomes: writing, technology, and theory and use of images;
- Reported every Fall Semester, beginning Fall 2019: assessment of employer evaluations for Comms 496R (Academic Internship). The rubric used for this assessment measures the following program learning outcomes, research, technology, writing, diversity, ethics, First Amendment;
- Reported every Fall Semester, beginning Fall 2019 an assessment of a class embedded assignment. In Fall 2019, faculty assessed the Comms 305 road trip assignment. The rubric for this assessment measures writing and ethics;
- Reported every Fall Semester, beginning Fall 2019: Faculty's assessment of indirect measures derived from surveys.
Indirect Measures
The following may be used as indirect measures of student learning:
- University senior surveys
- National Survey of Student Engagement
- Student evaluations
- Discipline-specific focus groups
- Alumni survey
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Assessment procedures
In Winter 2019, the School of Communications began to update its assessment plan with the following goals:
- Developing a more sustainable, accountable, authentic, faculty-driven, assessment procedure;
- Strengthening direct measures;
- Revising the internship rubric to ensure it reflected relevant Values and Competencies of ACEJMC, thus making it a useful direct measure;
- Faculty selecting, then scheduling which direct assessments would take place each semester;
- Faculty in each emphasis reporting results of direct and indirect assessments, as well as their interpretations and recommendations for closing the loop. Assessments of class-embedded assignments, including internships, are reported at the end of each Fall Semester and portfolio assessments are reported at the end of each Winter Semester;
- Developing or strengthening rubrics, then deploying the RCampus platform for class-embedded assignments;
- Deploying the Digication platform for portfolio assessment. Faculty in Communications Studies and Journalism experiment with the platform in 2020'
- Recruiting alumni professionals to assist with assessing portfolios (or retaining alumni professionals who have already been performing this service), then selecting from this group new members for our Alumni Advisory Committee.
The following procedures were carried out during 2019-2020:
- Winter 2018: Learning outcomes were rearranged to align with the values and competencies of ACEJMC;
- Winter 2019: The employer evaluation of student interns was revised to produce direct measures of assessment for certain learning outcomes (values and competencies);
- Spring 2019: Online assessment platform RCampus was adopted to facilitate faculty assessment of embedded course assignments;
- Fall 2019: A new Teaching and Learning Committee was constituted, with representatives from each of the emphases. Each member was charged with leading emphasis assessment activities;
- Fall 2019: Emphases chose which embedded class assignments would be assessed and designated a schedule for which years these assignments would be assessed;
- Fall 2019: Faculty worked to develop and/or refine rubrics for designated embedded assignments;
- Fall 2019: An assessment day was held in October to orient faculty on the RCampus platform;
- Fall 2019: Embedded assignments from designated classes in each emphasis was batch uploaded to RCampus, then samples were drawn for faculty members to assess;
- Fall 2019: Faculty in each emphasis analyzed assessment reports generated by RCampus, then reported their findings;
- Fall 2019: Faculty analyzed survey results (Senior Survey, Alumni Questionnaire, NSSE) and reported their conclusions;
- Fall 2019: Faculty recruited alumni professionals and organized to assess student portfolios during the Winter Semester;
- Winter and Spring 2020: Emphases employed different methods to assess portfolios: Advertising and Public Relations continued with their ongoing methodology of having alumni and other professionals evaluate digital portfolios, while Communications Studies and Journalism used the Digication platform for students to develop, curate, and present portfolios, which were then assessed by alumni professionals;
- Spring 2020: Faculty analyzed, then reported the following: the results of portfolio assessments, internship assessments, and compiled awards and other recognitions received over the past year;
- Summer 2020: It was determined the committee would retain the same members for the 2020-2021 school year.
Awards and recognitions (indirect evidence of overall program excellence)
Gracies: Alliance for Women in Media (National Award)
2020 - Cierra Ysasaga, Student director, 1st place
2020 - Isabela Erekson, Student news feature, 1st place
2020 - Danielle Hallows, Student on-air talent, 1st place
Hearst Journalism Awards Program
2020 - Chris Jacobs, TV News Feature, 3rd place
Broadcast Education Association: Student media festival (National Award)
2020 - Chris JacobsonOn-air talent, 1st place
2020 - Cameron Hussien and Cierra Ysasaga, Sports news program, 3rd place
2020 - Danielle Wardinsky, Angela Cava, Natasha Ramirez, Tre Harris, Madeleine Reber (students); Dale Cressman, Melissa Gibbs, Alan Neves (mentors), Mixed/Pedagogical, Award of Excellence
Society of Professional Journalists (Regional Award)
2020 - Daily Universe, Breaking News, 1st place
2020 - Jenna Alton, Breaking News, finalist
2020 - Jenna Alton, General News, 1st place
2020 - Riley Waldman, General News, finalist
2020 - Kaitlyn Bancroft, In-depth Reporting, 1st place
2020 - Kaitlyn Bancroft, Feature Writing, finalist
2020 - Daily Universe, Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
2020 - Taylor Hansen, Television General Reporting, 1st place
2020 - Chris Jacobs, Television Feature, finalist
2020 - Newsline, Best All-Around Television Newscast