Course descriptionThe Hampshire College system of inquiry-based learning helps develop the independence of thought and the analytical skills necessary to become a good journalist. Students learn to do the immersive field work that is the basis of all reporting.
Courses in literary journalism use workshops to help students learn to write and to critique narrative nonfiction—the “long-form journalism” that is integral to twenty-first century reporting.
Through the flexibility of Hampshire’s academic program, journalism concentrators can take courses not only in reading, writing, or photographic journalism, but in the specific fields they want to write about. This unique opportunity informs students on how to frame the best questions and also how to draw on a variety of information and skills in finding answers.
The content of popular media--news, feature films, recorded music--is the product of people’s labor. Bringing specialized skills to bear on complex technology, usually in the context of a formal organization, media workers create cultural products on an almost continuous basis. This course explores this process of cultural production, with a focus on the division of labor among media workers. Students will study selected media industry sectors, such as journalism, motion pictures, book publishing and popular music. The goal will be to understand the distribution of power and authority in the content production process. This may require some attention to the structure of media ownership and the legacy of organized labor. But mainly students will investigate the actual work and production routines that result in media content. Students will write a couple of essays and a longer final paper.
Sample Courses at Hampshire
Exporting American Journalism
Freedom of Expression
Introduction to Media Criticism
Introduction to Media Production: Images of War
Irony, Agency & Ideology in Popular Culture
Journalism in Crisis
Literary Journalism
Mediawork
Newswork
The Past Recaptured: Photographs, Facts & Fictions
The Photography of History: Bearing Witness to America’s Great Depression
The Practice of Literary Journalism
Radio Journalism
Rave Reviews
The Sporting Life
Writing About the Outdoors
Through the Consortium
Covering Race (UMass)
Intro to Journalism (UMass)
Journalism Ethics (UMass)
Newswriting & Reporting (UMass)
Politics of Language (SC)
The Press & the Third World (UMass)
Readings in Literary Biography (MHC)
Topic: Opinion Journalism (MHC)
Writing Pop Culture (UMass)
Facilities and Resources
Hampshire campus has a Writing Center that is open to all students at the college. The center is available to help students with writing skills—from brainstorming to drafting cohesive paragraphs to writing a final paper. Students can use the center for one-time only assistance or on a regular basis. The Writing Center also offers classes and workshops in writing and writing skills.
The Hampshire campus has many opportunities for students interested in writing for a larger audience, such as: The Climax (a student newspaper), The Omen (a student magazine), and The Reader (literary/photo magazine). The Pioneer Valley is also home to many media outlets at which Hampshire students have interned, including the local National Public Radio Affiliate, WFCR; The Advocate, a progressive weekly newspaper with a special interest in the arts; The Daily Republican, the Springfield newspaper; and The Hampshire Gazette, a local newspaper based in Northampton.
The Five College consortium hosts a diverse and vibrant literary community. Students can attend readings, book signings, and lectures by visiting and resident literary lights, such as Eleni Sikelianos, Patricia MacLachlan, Martin Espada, Wally Lamb, Mark Costello, and Aleida Rodriguez. The Annual Five College Student PoetryFest features outstanding poets from each of the consortium schools, and the WORD! Festival provides a venue for student-written plays dealing with issues of race and diversity.