Instructors and Courses – Journalism, Writing & Publishing

Location:

3rd Floor
King’s Arts & Administration Building
Telephone: (902) 422-1271, ext. 159
Fax: (902) 423-3357

Director of Journalism
Fred Vallance-Jones
Phone: (902) 422-1271, ext. 147
E-mail: fvjones@ukings.ca

Teaching Staff (2022/2023)

Tim Currie
Assistant Professor

Pauline Dakin
Assistant Professor

Brian Daly
Assistant Professor

Catherine Harrop
Instructor, Video Workshop, Advanced Reporting

Dean Jobb
Professor

Stephen Kimber
Professor

Trina Roache
Assistant Professor

Kelly Roche
Instructor, Honours Project, News Workshop

David Swick
Assistant Professor

Terra Tailleur
Assistant Professor

Lisa Taylor
Instructor, Research, Reporting Fundamentals, Special Topics (MJ)

Kelly Toughill
Associate Professor

Fred Vallance-Jones
Director of Journalism, Associate Professor

Part-time Instructors (2022/2023)

Cooper Bombardier
MFA mentor

Michael Creagen
Instructor, Photojournalism

Mike Dembeck
Instructor, Photojournalism

Charlotte Gill
MFA Mentor

Sheryl Grant
Instructor, Journalism & Society

Jeff Harper
Instructor, Photojournalism

David Hayes
MFA Mentor

Kayla Hounsell
News Workshop

Katie Ingram
Copy Editor, Writing Tutor

Allison Lawlor
Writing Coach

Lezlie Lowe
Instructor, Writing Tutor, MFA Mentor

Kim Hart Macneill
Writing Tutor

Lori A. May
MFA Mentor

Ken McGoogan
MFA Mentor

Caora McKenna
News Workshop

David McKie
Adjunct, Instructor, Professional Project, Investigative Workshop

Omar Mouallem
MFA Mentor

Lorri Neilsen Glenn
MFA Mentor

Paul O’Connell
News Workshop

Kim Pittaway
Acting Executive Director MFA Program

Sarah Poko
Writing Tutor

Carole Shaben
MFA mentor

Wanda Taylor
MFA Mentor

Kelly Thompson
MFA Mentor

Harry Thurston
MFA Mentor

Ayelet Tsabari
MFA Mentor

Gillian Turnbull
MFA Mentor

Support Staff (2022/2023)

Dido Devlin
Administrative Assistant, Writing & Publishing

Marcella Firmini
Administrative Assistant, Journalism

Jeff Harper
Multimedia Assistant

Kelly Porter
Department Administrator

Mark Pineo
Audio Technician

Paul Robinson
Video Technician

Courses Offered

Journalism Courses

JOUR 0477.00: Journalism Internship
All fourth-year BJH students are required to complete a non-credit, four-week internship at an approved news media outlet.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH

JOUR 0577.00: Journalism Internship
All BJ students are required to complete a non-credit, four-week internship at an approved news media outlet.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJ

JOUR 1002.03: Foundations of Journalism I
This course gives students a theoretical and practical introduction to journalism as it’s practiced today. In the thinking component, students examine the principles and evolution of journalism and its role in society. The writing part of the course helps students hone the skills of simple, tight, bright journalistic writing. Students will complete frequent writing assignments, read news with a critical eye and work in small groups with professional journalist instructors.

Format Comments: Meets full Writing Requirement when taken with JOUR 1003.03.

JOUR 1003.03: Foundations of Journalism II
This course builds on Foundations of Journalism I and delves deeper into an understanding of the role of journalists in society, and the political and legal environments in which they operate. In the thinking component, students will consider the situations journalists find themselves navigating and the broader responsibilities they hold as journalists in a democracy. The writing part of the course builds on students’ nonfiction writing practice, emphasizes precision and clarity. Students will complete frequent writing assignments, read news with a critical eye and work in small groups with professional journalist instructors.

Format Comments: Meets full Writing Requirement when taken with JOUR 1002.03.
Prerequisite: JOUR 1002.03

JOUR 2006.03: Fake News: Journalism Verification Techniques
Reporters and news consumers face a barrage of questionable information every day. This course will explore the sources and range of disinformation from honest mistakes to inaccurate and “fake” news. It will also give students basic tools to query and verify – or debunk – news stories on social media and elsewhere.

JOUR 2400.03: Science and the Media
From the first Babylonian astronomical records on cuneiform to the public understanding of science on television and the Internet, the various media have long been crucial to the success and spread of science. This course provides a history of science in the media from the ancient and medieval use of geometrical diagrams, astronomical figures and anatomical illustration through early modern printed texts, popular broadsheets and colour botanical plates all the way to the ubiquity of science in literature, cinema, journalism and online. It focusses on the technologies of communication, the use of the media by science and the ways science and scientists are represented in the media. The expanding presence of science in the media is examined against the backdrop of five revolutions: literary and artistic (writing and the visual arts), mechanical (the printing press), electric (telegraph, telephone and cinema), electronic (radio and television) and digital (computing and the Internet). Specific themes considered include the increasing accuracy of scientific illustration, the rise of scientific journals, public scientific demonstrations, science in poetry and prose fiction, science and art, radio and television documentaries, the advertising and marketing of science, scientific apocalypses and techno-utopias, bioethics, environmentalism, Soviet-era technological iconography, science fiction from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Jurassic Park and Interstellar, and science in computing, cyberspace and augmented reality.

Prerequisite: None
Crosslisting: HSTC 2400.03

JOUR 2700.03: Introduction to Reporting
This course builds on the writing foundation provided in JOUR 1002.03 + 1003.03 and gives students a comprehensive introduction to news reporting in a digital environment. Students will learn how to develop and pitch original story ideas, and ground them with research. They will learn how to write with minimal factual and grammatical error, and craft a story with nuance.

Prerequisite: JOUR 1003.03 or JOUR 1001.06

JOUR 2701.03: Intermediate Reporting
The course builds on the essential reporting skills learned in JOUR 2700.03 (Introduction to Reporting) by integrating text and visual storytelling skills. The objective of lectures and assignments is to enable students to craft publishable pieces of multimedia journalism. Students will develop and produce stories that include photos, videos and infographics. The goal is for each student to publish at least one piece on the King’s College news site, The Signal. Students will also learn about broadcast writing, and they will produce one full video-news item.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03 and JOUR 2702.03

JOUR 2702.03: Introduction to Visual Storytelling
This course introduces students to the video and photography skills they need to become successful practitioners of visual storytelling. Course discussion will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of visual versus text-based journalism. Students will learn how to operate a camera and capture clear audio to complement video. They will develop an eye for a compelling image and learn how to capture and edit those images.

Prerequisite: JOUR 1003.03 or JOUR 1001.06
Exclusion: JOUR 3660.03
Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH

JOUR 2704.03: Indigenous Peoples and Media
This course introduces students to key aspects of Indigenous cultures, legal frameworks, and the historical relationship between Indigenous nations and the state required for responsible reporting in Canada.  From the Indian Act to treaty rights to the legacy of residential schools, students will gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives, Canadian history, key issues in reporting, and impacts of colonialism.  Students will be able to articulate best practices in reporting on Indigenous communities and apply a critical analysis to current coverage of Indigenous stories.

Prerequisite: JOUR 1003.03, or JOUR 1001.06, or permission of the instructor
Crosslisting: INDG 2704.03

JOUR 3002.03 Introduction to Audio (Podcasting)
This course will look at the emergence of podcasting as an important storytelling and journalistic platform that continues to grow and evolve.  Students will conceptualize, produce and make a marketing plan for a podcast, learning about focus, interviewing, recording, editing and performance.  The course considers treands in podcasting, and will include guest speakers with deep knowledge of the industry.

JOUR 3004.03: Advanced Reporting 1
This course builds on the multimedia reporting skills learned in JOUR 2701.03 as it further integrates data and public records research. The goal is to provide the tools to write research-intensive profiles and news features, report critically on public opinion polls, perform a simple analysis of a dataset and gain experience in advanced social media verification skills.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03 + JOUR 2701.03, or permission of the instructor
Restriction: BJH

JOUR 3005.03: Advanced Reporting 2
This course expands on the visual storytelling skills learned in JOUR 2702.03 as students delve into audio and video with a focus on broadcast techniques. Students will learn how to create a story using an array of forms, including packaged and live reports from the field. They will also practise shooting and editing a proper video sequence, learn the basics of interviewing for audio and video and apply journalistic broadcast ethics in the field.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03 + JOUR 2701.03 or permission of the instructor.
Restriction: BJH

JOUR 3339.03: Ethics and Law for Journalists
This course will give students the ethical and legal knowledge they need to operate as journalists in the field. Students will develop an understanding of the criminal court process and the journalistic protocol for working with sources. Discussion will focus on topics such as the law regarding defamation, the process for civil proceedings and restrictions imposed by public bans. It will also explore Journalistic practices of independence, transparency and fairness.

JOUR 3440.03: Creative Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction writing includes literary journalism, memoir and essay. In this introductory course, students will learn about the historic development of this genre as well as read and discuss some of the best examples of historical and contemporary narrative Nonfiction. The goal is to make students better informed readers as well as to provide them with the tools to produce this kind of writing themselves.

JOUR 3441.03: Advanced Creative Nonfiction
This is a how-to course that focuses on writing – and rewriting – a major piece of creative nonfiction.

Prerequisite: JOUR 3440.03 or JOUR 1003.03 or JOUR 1001.06
Restriction: Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) students who take this course will be ineligible for JOUR 4950.09

JOUR 3540.03: Feature Writing
This course will introduce students to the more creative writing aspects of journalism—the writing of stories behind the breaking news of the day, or the small human dramas that make up the world around us. Students will study feature writing styles and techniques and experiment with several feature formats, from colour stories and personality profiles to substantial background articles. Students will produce a major, term-end feature story and several smaller assignments.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03 or permission of the Instructor

JOUR 3542.03: Business Reporting for Journalists
Budgets, stock markets, statistics, polls, securities, mergers and takeovers. This course will give students a working knowledge of how business functions. It will provide students with the tools to analyze and present complex economic situations in clear language.

JOUR 3550.03: Copy Editing
In this course students will edit real stories selected for their potential as well as for their problems. They will work on them for tightness, polish, accuracy and style. The goal is to help students develop the copy editor’s “double vision”—the ability to see the story as a whole and line by line as a collection of parts, to see both the forest and the trees. This course is designed not only for students who want to become copy editors, but also for those who want to become better editors of their own writing.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03 or permission of Instructor

JOUR 3560.03: Great Journalists
This course provides an introduction to some of the greatest journalists of all time. Students will discover the beautiful work these journalists created, and learn how and why they did it. This course also focuses on improving students’ writing. By carefully considering great journalists’ work, we learn techniques that make us better writers. Amazing characters you will meet include James Cameron, the only journalist to have a ringside seat at three atomic blast bombs. We’ll get to know Ida B. Wells, who founded a newspaper exposing lynchings and racism when most media were ignoring the truth. We consider the work of Joan Didion, Martha Gellhorn, Peter Gzowksi, Seymour Hersh, and many more. By the end of the course students will have a strong understanding of journalism’s honourable legacy. We will know the brilliant qualities of great journalists, how hard they work, and how they changed the world.

JOUR 3575.03: Special Topics
An examination of a topic in journalism not covered in depth in other courses. Topics may vary from year to year.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor required

JOUR 3576.03: Reporting in Mi’kma’ki
Learn how to report responsibly on Indigenous issues – on the ground, in a Mi’kmaw community. From treaty rights to language to entrepreneurship, this immersive course delves into select topics Instructors and Courses – Journalism 133 in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. There is some classroom time at King’s, but most teaching and journalism gathering activities are done off campus.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required to register

JOUR 3660.03: Photojournalism
This course will explore visual perception as applied to photojournalism. Students will be taught to “see” photos and explore ideas visually, especially as applied to the essence of news photography. Students will also examine the beginnings of news photography and modern developments in the business. Students must have their own digital or smartphone camera to take this course.

Exclusion: JOUR 2702.03
Restriction: BJH Students are not eligible to take this course.

JOUR 3661.03: Sports Journalism
Students will study and discuss excellence in sports writing. They will learn how to craft lively and well-researched narratives about players, teams and the environment they operate in. This course will use real-life examples in an examination of various storytelling formats, from long-form narratives to on-deadline game reports to social media updates. It will also look at ethical issues related to sports reporting and the challenges of covering specific beats.

Pre-requisite: JOUR 2700.03, or permission of the instructor.

JOUR 3663.03: Documentary Journalism
What gives power and impact to long-term visual stories? You will have the opportunity to view and analyze a broad selection of journalism documentaries – historical and recent. You will examine the narrative and visual structures that make them effective and assess the research that underlies them. You will also discuss their impact on you personally – and on audiences in the context of their time.

Exclusion: JOUR 3662.03

JOUR 3664.03 Advanced Photojournalism
This course will expand on the basics of photojournalism and will explore more advanced topics such as spot news, event coverage, sports photography, portraiture, photo essays and DSLR video production.  Throughout the term students will build and create a professional portfolio of their work, which will be reviewed and curated in collaboration with mentors in the photojournalism community.  Students are required to have access to a DSLR camera for the duration of this class.

Prerequisites: Either Photojournalism JOUR 3660.03, Introduction to Visual Storytelling JOUR 2702.03 or instructor’s permission.

JOUR 3670.03: Opinion Writing
Do you aim to influence people with your perceptions, insights and ideas? If so, you need to know the difference between a rant and proving your point. You need to consider the tone and flow of what you write. Opinion Writing teaches these practices and more.

JOUR 3671.03: Freelance Journalism
By choice or by circumstance, most journalists will freelance for at least part of their careers. This course examines the role of the freelancer in contemporary journalism and introduces students to the skills and strategies required for a successful freelance practice across all platforms: pitching, time and money management, networking, ethics and personal brand management.

Prerequisite: JOUR 2700.03

JOUR 4002.03: Honours Project
This half-credit course, concentrated in the first four or five weeks of the first term, is a requirement for all BJH students. Students will write a tightly focused feature story of about 1500 words on a current, local news media issue. The story will examine some of the issues facing journalists. Articles will be published in an online journalism review.

Prerequisite: JOUR 3004.03
Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH

JOUR 4856.09/5856.09: Audio Workshop
This is the real thing. For six weeks we produce news and current affairs programs four times a week live on CKDU FM, Metro Halifax’s alternative radio station. Over the six weeks, students expand the skills learned in their earlier audio reporting course. They write and perform newscasts, host, do tape talks, prepare minidocumentaries, interview guests, assign reporters and edit their stories.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4856.09 and in BJ for 5856.09

JOUR 4857.09/5857.09: News Workshop
Students in this workshop will serve as reporters and editors for the school’s online news portal, which serves the Halifax community. Beginning with a daily story meeting, students will report on news events as they happen each day, using a range of multimedia tools. They will also learn to pitch story ideas quickly and succinctly, and develop them into focused stories that put their research and critical thinking skills to work. The course places a heavy emphasis on using social media as a newsgathering and engagement tool. It gives students practice in headline writing and tagging, and also an understanding of analytic measures of story performance.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4857.09 and in BJ for 5857.09

JOUR 4858.09/5858.09: Video Workshop
This workshop applies the basics of reporting for video. Its purpose is to create an atmosphere where students learn to research, write and produce their own news reports, interviews and other short image-based stories. Students will be taught how to write to pictures, what makes a good video story, and how it is structured. They will learn to use professional cameras and editing equipment and participate in the production process. Students produce and host a live online newsmagazine for the School’s news outlet, The Signal. By the end of the workshop, students should be equipped to apply for entry-level positions at any video-focused news outlet in Canada.  Students wishing to go on to Advanced Video may need to meet additional requirements.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4858.09 and in BJ for 5858.09

JOUR 4950.09/5950.09: Creative Nonfiction Workshop
While most of the other journalism workshops collectively produce something (a weekly newspaper, daily online publications, radio news show, TV current affairs show), the focus in the Creative Nonfiction Workshop is on developing your individual narrative writing skills in a group setting. We do this by reading and discussing writing – your own in-progress writing as well as works by established authors – and also by vetting your story ideas, outlines and drafts with other members of the workshop group. Though we’ll focus on writing, we will also examine how the magazine business actually works and discuss the basics of freelancing for fun and profit.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4950.09 and in BJ for 5950.09

JOUR 4954.09/5954.09: Investigative Workshop
Students will learn investigative reporting techniques by undertaking a major project for publication in the print media. Each student will investigate aspects of a particular topic.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4954.09 and in BJ for 5954.09

JOUR 4956.09/5956.09: Advanced Audio Workshop
This workshop provides a thorough grounding in the radio documentary, with emphasis on “field documentary” that is heard in the best news and current affairs programming. Courses will be spent listening to and analysing professional documentaries and student work. Over the course of the workshop each student will record, write, produce and package a documentary employing a variety of techniques and styles.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4956.09 and in BJ for 5956.09

JOUR 4958.09/5958.09: Advanced Video Workshop
This workshop provides students with an opportunity to develop moving-image story-telling skills that go beyond the bounds of short news stories. It is designed to explore the area of long-form journalism, or what some call the mini-documentary. Students will learn the development of character, setting, mood, storyline, shooting, and editing style. They will also learn how to develop story structure, and an efficient editing schedule for an in-depth report.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4958.09 and in BJ for 5958.09

JOUR 4959.09/5959.09: Directed Work Study
This is a workshop for advanced students only, and is available only by permission of the Faculty of the School of Journalism. It is intended as a longer, more intense, more demanding, and more closely supervised version of the internship. Students who wish to be considered for such a placement should first discuss it with a faculty member and then prepare a proposal for faculty approval.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4959.09 and in BJ for 5959.09

JOUR 4960.09/5960.09: Online Features Workshop
Longform journalism brings depth, engaging storytelling and compelling images to the world of digital news. In this workshop, students research, write and photograph a major feature on an important local issue for publication online in The Signal, and work as a team to edit, produce and promote their work through social media. Students also explore the magazine industry and freelance writing opportunities.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4960.09 and in BJ for 5960.09

JOUR 4967.09/5967.09: Advanced News Workshop
This workshop gives students an opportunity to further their online reporting and production skills. They will focus more deeply on multimedia storytelling and sharpen their editing skills in collaboration with other students.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJH for 4967.09 and in BJ for 5967.09

JOUR 5151.03: Journalism Research
This course will focus on the essential skills journalists need to produce excellent work. It will include methods of finding facts and sources, digging below the surface and analyzing the evidence. There will be special emphasis on interviewing. Students will learn how to find and use information tucked away in court, business and property records as well as in libraries and on the Internet. There will also be instruction in using Freedom of Information laws to get access to government files.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJ

JOUR 5153.03: Reporting Fundamentals
Students will learn, in the classroom and in the field, the fundamentals of text-based reporting, from identifying a story idea through to research and writing. Beginning with a demonstrated awareness of the news, skills such as finding and pitching an original story idea, conducting an interview, applying the principles of clear writing and delivering a story with narrative colour will be honed in this class.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJ

JOUR 5156.03: Writing and Reporting for Audio and Video
An intensive course in reporting using video and audio. This course emphasizes skills including visual storytelling, writing for the ear, interviewing, and performance. Students will learn how to operate a camera and capture clear audio to complement video. They will learn how to develop an eye for visual stories and learn how to capture and edit high-quality audio and video.

Restriction: Must be enrolled in BJ

JOUR 5701.03: Journalism and Society
This course gives students the background knowledge they need as journalists within the framework of civics and ethics. Studies will focus on the essentials of journalism, thinking critically and independently and understanding the role of courts, the police and legislative bodies. Students will discuss the importance of fairness and transparency and how to work professionally with sources across cultural and gender lines.

JOUR 6151.03 Journalism Research
This course will focus on the essential skills journalists need to produce excellent work. It will include methods of finding facts and sources, digging below the surface, and analyzing the evidence. There will be special emphasis on interviewing. Students will learn how to find and use information tucked away in court, business, and property records. There will also be instruction in using freedom of information laws to get access to government files.

JOUR 6153.03 Reporting Fundamentals
Students will learn, in the classroom and in the field, the fundamentals of text-based reporting, from identifying a story idea through to research and writing. Beginning with a demonstrated awareness of the news, skills such as finding and pitching an original story  idea, conducting an interview, applying the principles of clear writing, and delivering a story with narrative colour will be honed in this class.

JOUR 6156.03 Writing and Reporting for Audio and Video
An intensive course in reporting using video and audio. This course emphasizes skills including visual storytelling, writing for the ear, interviewing, and performance. Students will learn how to operate a camera and capture clear audio to complement video. They will learn how to develop an eye for visual stories and learn how to capture and edit high quality audio and video.

JOUR 6702.06 Advanced Reporting
This course provides students with an introduction to advanced journalistic methods and practice. Students will acquire additional research and reporting skills essential to the professional project and will be introduced to emerging as well as established research methods, and given a methodological framework in which to pursue advanced journalistic research.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6857.09

JOUR 6703.03 Professional Journalism Environment
A seminar course that grounds students in the current practice of journalism. Students will explore the current professional environment of journalism, highlight important changes in practice, discuss evolving technologies in journalism, and explore the professional norms that have developed after years of upheaval.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6857.09

JOUR 6704.03 Visual Storytelling
Journalists today not only need to be good reporters and writers, but also must be able to work adeptly with visual content and create interactive visualizations. This course introduces advanced photography methods and data visualization techniques.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6702.06

JOUR 6705.03 Data Journalism Methods
This course complements the advanced research course to take a deep dive into now-current data journalism practices. In a typical semester, this will include intensive instruction to journalistic data analysis, data acquisition, data cleaning and an introduction to the application of computer programming to journalism.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6857.09

JOUR 6706.03 The Evolving Business of Journalism
Today, a myriad of business models are at the centre of the greatest era of experimentation in the news business since the mass-circulation broadsheet newspaper emerged in the late 19th century. Indeed, the very future of journalism as a business is at stake. Students will learn about current business models and be introduced to approaches used by journalistic entrepreneurs in developing new models.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6702.06

JOUR 6709.03 Journalism and Society
This course gives students the background knowledge they need as journalists within the framework of civics and ethics. Studies will focus on the essentials of journalism, thinking critically and independently, and understanding the role of courts, the police and legislative bodies. Students will discuss the importance of fairness and transparency and how to work professionally with sources across cultural and gender lines.

JOUR 6800.03 Professional Project 
Students will work through stages to research, write and produce their professional project. In the summer term, students will conduct initial research on the subject matter of their professional project, under the supervision of a faculty member. In the fall term, students will normally begin the reporting and writing of their projects and receive further instruction on the development and writing of large journalistic projects. In the winter term, students will complete the production and publication of their projects.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6705.03

JOUR 6801.03 Advanced Data Journalism Methods
This course takes students deeper into programming for journalists, teaching basic and intermediate coding skills. Students will explore further how they can use simple computer programs to solve journalistic problems.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6705.03

JOUR 6802.03 Journalism Entrepreneurship
This course immerses students in the skills and knowledge base required to launch their own journalism start up.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6705.03

JOUR 6850.03 Special Topics in Journalism
From time to time, the school may offer courses in specialized areas of journalism theory and/or practice. These courses will allow the school to address timely topics and developments in the fast-changing journalism industry.

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.

JOUR 6950.03 Independent Study/Directed Reading
With the approval of the school and the Faculty of Graduate Studies, students may enroll in an independent study/directed reading course in a specialized area of journalism. The course will normally be in support of the student’s professional project. The student will read deeply on the chosen topic under the supervision of a faculty member.

JOUR 6857.09 News Workshop
Students in this workshop will serve as reporters and editors for the school’s online news portal, which serves the Halifax community. Beginning with a daily story meeting, students will report on news events as they happen each day, using a range of multimedia tools. They will also learn to pitch story ideas quickly and succinctly, and develop them into focused stories that put their research and critical thinking skills to work. The course places a heavy emphasis on using social media as a news gathering and engagement tool. It gives students practice in headline writing and tagging, and also an understanding of analytic measures of story performance.

Prerequisites: JOUR 6151.03, JOUR 6153.03, JOUR 6156.03, JOUR 6709.03

Writing & Publishing Courses

WPUB 6100.03: Nonfiction Writing Craft (includes Summer residency)
During their first-year residency at King’s, students will attend lectures, panels and seminars, meet in small groups and one-to-one with their first mentors to finalize the subject of their book proposal and draw up a “contract of deliverables.” During the Fall semester, students will read and report on assigned creative nonfiction readings and participate in online group discussions.

Restriction: Must be registered in MFA/Nonfiction.

WPUB 6101.06: Nonfiction Mentorship I
Students will work one-to-one with their mentor to research and develop their individual book proposals as well as begin researching and writing their manuscript projects.

WPUB 6102.03: Nonfiction Publishing Residency I
During this one week residency -alternating in New York and Toronto- student will attend lectures and seminars with publishers, editors, agents and established authors. They will discuss their book proposals-in-progress with agents and editors, and meet one-to-one with their second semester mentor to draw up a “contract of deliverables” for Mentorship II.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6100.03

WPUB 6103.06: Nonfiction Mentorship II
Working with their mentor, students will continue researching and writing their manuscripts, as per their contract deliverables.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6101.03

WPUB 6200.03: Nonfiction Writing Craft II (includes Summer residency)
During the second-year residency at King’s students will attend lectures, panels and seminars. Students will also meet daily in small groups with their mentorship III mentors to further discuss craft (voice, plot, etc.) and ethical (truth, memory, reconstruction, etc.) issues and finalize plans for their manuscript writing project and draw up a “contract of deliverables” for Mentorship III.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6100.03

WPUB 6201.06: Nonfiction Mentorship III
Students will work one-to-one and in small groups with a mentor to research, write an edit their individual manuscript projects.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6103.06

WPUB 6202.03: Nonfiction Publishing Residency II
During this one-week residency -alternating in New York and Toronto- students will attend lectures and seminars with publishers, editors, agents and established authors, learning about current and future trends in the publishing industry. They will discuss their manuscript-in-progress with editors and agents.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6102.03

WPUB 6203.06 Nonfiction Mentorship IV
Working with their mentor, students will continue work on their individual manuscript projects, completing a substantial portion of their manuscript, and revise and polish their final book proposal.

Prerequisite: JOUR 6201.03

WPUB 6300.03 Fiction Writing Craft I (includes June residency)
Students will attend lectures, panels and seminars during the June on-campus residency, meet in small groups and one-to-one with their first mentors to finalize the subject of their book and draw up a “contract of deliverables.” During the Fall semester, students will read and report on assigned fiction readings and participate in online group discussions.
Restriction: Must be registered in MFA/Fiction.

WPUB 6301.06 Fiction Mentorship I
Students will work one-to-one with their mentor to research and develop their individual book proposals as well as begin researching and writing their manuscript projects
Restriction: Must be registered in the MFA/Fiction.

WPUB 6302.03 Fiction Publishing I (includes January residency)
During the one-week online January residency – alternating to feature guests primarily from New York and Toronto – student will attend lectures and seminars with publishers, editors, agents and established authors. They will discuss their book proposals-in-progress with agents and editors, and consult their second semester mentor to draw up a “contract of deliverables” for Fiction Mentorship II. During the Winter term, they will complete assignments related to the business of publishing, on topics such as book marketing, platform development, and legal issues.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6300.03 Fiction Writing Craft I

WPUB 6303.06 Fiction Mentorship II
Working with their mentor, students will finalize and polish their book proposals, continue work on their manuscripts, as per their contract of deliverables.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6301.06 Fiction Mentorship I

WPUB 6400.03 Fiction Writing Craft II (includes June residency)
Students will attend lectures, panels and seminars during the June on-campus residency. Students will do public readings from their works-in-progress. Students will also meet daily in small groups with their mentorship III mentors to further discuss craft (voice, plot, etc.) and ethical issues and finalize plans for their manuscript writing project and draw up a “contract of deliverables” for Fiction Mentorship III.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6300.03 Fiction Writing Craft I

WPUB 6401.06 Fiction Mentorship III
Students will work one-to-one and in small groups with a mentor to research, write and edit their individual manuscript projects.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6303.06 Fiction Mentorship II

WPUB 6402.03 Fiction Publishing II (includes January residency)
During the one-week online January residency – alternating to feature guests primarily from New York and Toronto – students will attend lectures and seminars to discuss the current state of and future trends in fiction publishing. They will get to discuss their manuscript-in-progress with editors and agents, and consult with their mentorship IV mentor to draw up a “contract of deliverables” for Fiction Mentorship IV. During the Winter term, they will complete advanced assignments related to the business of publishing, on topics such as book marketing, platform development, and legal issues.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6302.03 Fiction Publishing I

WPUB 6403.06 Fiction Mentorship IV
Working with their mentor, students will complete and edit their manuscripts, and complete and report on an agreed upon list of readings as well as participate in online discussions on writing issues.
Prerequisite: WPUB 6401.06 Fiction Mentorship III