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Feel like you haven't spent enough quality time in Gregory Hall's Beschloss Lab? JOUR 425 will take care of that problem. By the end of the semester, you'll agree with the rest of the JOUR 425 veterans: The white walls are enough to drive you nuts, but at least the chairs are comfortable.

On the news-editorial track, along with JOUR 415: Reporting II, JOUR 425 is one of the most grueling core classes. It's time-consuming and uniquely challenging because it requires journalism students, who are typically used to communicating verbally, to communicate visually also. The fact that students rely extensively on learning and using several graphics design software programs, including Freehand, Photoshop and Quark, also makes it different from the typical journalism class.

However, from hard work comes great rewards for students, including knowledge about an area of print journalism with which they were previously unfamiliar.

Take a look around the class Web site as a visitor:

http://meyer.comm.uiuc.edu/360

Here are examples of the JOUR 425 projects:

Icon
Photo
Chart
Front page
Critique
Redesign
Feature Page

When does this class meet?
Timetable Selection

What are the exams like?
Actually, there are no exams. Instead, there are several projects. Three of them are considered “major” projects, including the final project

When should I take JOUR 425?
You must complete JOUR 400: Reporting I before taking this class. After that, it's up to you. However, students who have taken this class STRONGLY suggest not taking it with JOUR 415: Reporting II or with any other really time-consuming class, unless you want to have the most painful semester ever.

If I have the right software, can I work on my projects at home?
You can try, but you are strongly advises against it. Even if you have Freehand or Quark or Photoshop on your home computer, there's a good chance the work you do won't translate over to the lab computers properly and you'll have to start all over again. Most, if not all students work on all their projects in Beschloss lab.

From the student's mouth:

“You have lots of work to do every day but it's better because you don't have to write a paper or read a book. It's not like other classes.”
-Lauren Edwards, news-editorial

“You're going to need a lot of time to do all of your projects. Set aside extra time because it's always going to take you more time than you think it is.”
-Kelly Ratchford, news-editorial

“I spent last weekend sitting with a big stack of newspapers, just looking though all the papers trying to find the patterns.”
-Josh George, news-editorial

Top Ten Reasons We Love JOURN 360 (now JOUR 425)

J. 200: Introduction to Journalism

Whether your journalistic dreams lie in print or broadcast, this is first course you take here at U of I on your path to a degree in journalism. This class is a prerequisite for all journalism majors.

J. 400: Reporting I

So, you want to be a journalist, huh? Reporting I is the first core class that prepares students for what life might be like as a reporter. Students discover how many hours are invested in front of a computer monitor in lab as they learn about the inverted pyramid, news writing skills and how to write concise leads.

J. 405: History of Journalism

History buffs, this is your class. From the muckrakers to Watergate, JOUR 405 explores all things related to the birth and evolution of journalism in this country. Taught by Professor Louis Liebovich, JOUR 405 is a more traditional course in that every class is similar: the professor lectures while the students take notes.

J. 411: Law and Communication

Law is one class in which you must stay awake. Professor Steven Helle is known for his Socratic method of teaching-that is, if you are not prepared, watch out. You might be caught answering questions on last week's court-case readings!

J. 415: Reporting II

Have an ulcer? Is your hair graying yet? If not, then you probably haven't taken JOUR 415 yet. This class has many students tossing and turning before they even enroll in it. But don't worry, the experience you gain makes all your worries worthwhile.

J. 420: News Editing

What is a gerund? Can you spot dangling modifiers? Passive voice? Although much of what you'll learn in JOUR 420 sounds like a repeat of what you should have learned the first time around in grammar school, the techniques you learn will help you become both a better writer and a better editor.

J. 425: Graphics and Design

J. 435: Radio Journalism

According to broadcast graduate student Jasmine Scott, JOUR 435 is not hard, it's just a lot of work. Specifically, it's a lot of work done in five-hour blocks with small classes, so take advantage of the class time and get hands-on experience with your teacher.

J. 440: Television Journalism I

Do you want to be a news anchor for a major news network? Or would you rather stay behind the scenes and work the camera? Or maybe you'd like to direct the whole show? Whatever aspect of television you're interested in, you'll learn it in JOUR 440.

J. 445: Television Journalism II

Turn to channel 7 on Urbana cable at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and you just might catch JOURN 445 students broadcasting a live half-hour newscast. Students are in charge of every aspect of the newscast, which they put together on the same day it airs.

TheCore.comm.uiuc.edu