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J-School Home ... washington program ... course outline

Washington Program Course Outline

Wes Pippert
Journalism Studies
Faculty

Geneva Overholser
Journalism Studies
Faculty

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Undergraduate Students
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Graduate Students
Course Outline
Guidelines for Project Supervisors
For past projects, contact the Journalism Library.

Course Numbers

JOURN 41998 Area Seminar (3 Credits)
JOURN 4050: Communications Practice (3 Credits) or JOURN 4350: Problems in Journalism (3 Credits)
Gn Hon 3028: Civic Leadership Internship (6 Credits)

Professors and Program Contact Information

Wesley G. Pippert
Washington Program Director
Phone: 703-527-8952

Geneva Overholser
Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting
Phone: 202-237-5939

Washington Program
937 National Press Bldg.
14th and F Sts., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20045
202-662-7300

Course Overview

The Washington Program has five components:

The professional project, on which you will spend most of your time.
A scholarly paper, with endnotes and bibliography.
Weekly seminars, generally Friday morning, with required readings.
Weekly reports that are due on Friday at the close of day or Monday morning.
The comprehensive project report.

The Professional Project

One hallmark of the Washington Program is its flexibility. The Director will help the student design an appropriate professional project that supports his/her career goals. Time spent on projects is generally 30 hours a week, or roughly four days as week. The director works closely with both students on their projects, including on-site visits where appropriate.

The Scholarly Paper

The first month of the semester should be used to fine-tune or make changes in your research proposal based on your experiences in Washington that may pique other interests or insights.

The Seminars

The purpose of the seminars is:

To round out your general experience in Washington by providing perspectives you might not encounter in your professional project.
To discuss Washington coverage. We will look at new ways of covering Washington from the standpoint of a news bureau, a network, and a news magazine. We will look at nuts-and-bolts coverage of Congress and the federal agencies, both from the perspective of an insider and a member of the press.
To discuss larger questions in Washington coverage.

No one seminar will cover all of these issues, but taken together during the semester, we will touch on all of them. The seminars will be arranged chronologically, but more on the basis of what you need to know and when you need to know it. Often the timing of the seminar depends on the speaker's schedule. Most seminars will be held Friday mornings. As many seminars as possible will be held at the location of the seminar leader to allow us to see the leader in context.

Weekly Reports

It is not necessary to present a chronological account of your activities, but rather, cite such things as: What were the main professional challenges I encountered this week? Where do I feel I did well? In what areas do I feel I need help? These reports should be less than one page. This diary will be filed as part of your Comprehensive Project Report.

The Comprehensive Project Report

The Comprehensive Project Report will include the weekly diary, evaluations and "physical evidence," such as clips and tapes. For undergraduates, the papers you do for non-journalism credit will be considered your Scholarly Paper and should be included in the final project.

Course Materials

Professional Project Guidelines in the Master's Program Handbook, Missouri School of Journalism. Both graduates and undergraduates will follow these guidelines. Readings will be selected to support the seminar topics.

Prospective Seminar Speakers

The Washington Program tries to take advantage of noteworthy events and activities in our nation's capital and of the availability of guest speakers. A short list of experts who have shared their insights and knowledge with us have included the following.

Elaine Povich, congressional correspondent for Newsday.
Deborah Howell is the ombudsman for the Washington Post. She is a former editor and bureau chief of Newhouse Newspapers and of the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer-Press.
Gary Hymel, former top aide to House Speaker Tip O'Neil and House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and now chief lobbyist at Hill and Knowlton.
Gene Gibbons, managing editor of Stateline.com and former chief White House correspondent for Reuters.
Susan Becker, General Accounting Office. The GAO is the watchdog agency of Congress and its investigative reports are an excellent resource for reporters.
Abby Yochelson, Library of Congress.
Charles Lewis, Hearst bureau chief and former AP personnel manager.


	Revised: 12 September 2005. Copyright © 2008 The Curators of the University of Missouri \| Contact the J-School