Here's a syllabus for my Journalism Theory and Practice Class at George Washington University. It combines old and new journalism studies with a focus on news ethnography.

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Journalism: Theory and Practice – SMPA 2101
Monday & Wednesday 2:20-3:35; MPA 309
Dr. Nikki Usher
Email: nusher@gwu.edu; Twitter @nikkiusher
Office: MPA 428; Fall Office Hours: M&W 3:40-5:15
Office phone: 202-994-3841; Mobile: 213-220-7824 (please do not text after 9 p.m.)
Course Description:
Who is a journalist? The answer to this question could be the answer to your very future. As you sit in
this class, your goal is to think broadly about the nature of journalism—both traditional and non-
traditional journalism. The field of journalism is changing, and you are caught up in the mix. This course
aims to give you a firm grounding in the history and traditions of journalism as we knew/know it, while
looking forward to think about what journalism may become.
This course aims to provide a general introduction into reading social theory. We will approach 3 key
theorists this semester: Habermas, Adorno & Horkheimer (both in one text), and Bourdieu. All of these
are names common to sociology, communication theory, philosophy, and political science. Understanding
basic social theory puts you in the position to better understand the world around you from a conceptual
level as well as a practical level. This theory will give the why to your whats. We will go slowly, as for
many of you this will be your first brush with social theory. But the most important part of this theory is
to apply it—which we will do. Each section of the course is anchored around one of these theorists, and
as you will see, smaller concepts emerge from the larger concepts raised by each of the big theorists we
discuss.
A journalism theory class is rather rare across curriculums in journalism schools. Good thing we aren’t a
traditional journalism school. That said, this class aims to prepare you to tackle the challenges of practice
either in journalism or political communication with a good understanding of how news gets made. What
are the factors influencing news production? Are they the same today as they were in the past? What are
news values after all? I’m sure you’ve heard about objectivity, but what does it mean? Where does it
come from? What role does business, economics, politics and technology play in news production? What
changes in the digital age?
This is also a critical reading class. You may think that you know how to read a news article, but this
class will encourage you to think twice before you click away from that blog post, graphic, or news
article. Using what we’ve read – perhaps that very day – I’ll ask you to think again about that quote, that
headline, that lede…and we’ll see what a close look gets us.
And this class is designed to be part of the digital world. In most respects, this is a paper-free classroom.
Beyond that, you can choose to take part in the collaborative notetaking software (etherpad) – since I will
rarely use powerpoint, this is the best chance you have to record, along with your classmates, what the
conversation in the classroom is about. Finally, I am going to push you to think about social media from
the serious (significant Twitter conversations) to visually or in terms of pop culture! To that end, we’ll be
working on a class Tumblr, described below.

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This course should help you answer the question, in your own words, “What is journalism?” With this
theory in mind, you can then choose which skills you think will be most useful to you as you chart your
way through the murky future of journalism as it is practiced in the U.S. and elsewhere.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course meets the G-PAC requirements for a social science course achieving the learning goals in
critical thinking. As a result of completing this course, students will be able to:
1. Analyze and evaluate complex information in scholarly studies of journalism.
2. Understand and analyze scholarly literature and arguments, particularly with
respect to theoretical orientation and evidence.
3. Formulate logical arguments based on that analysis.
GRADING
1. Papers: Three papers, Total 40 points. Each paper is worth a baseline of 10 points, but your best paper
is worth 20 points.
2. Reading Quizzes: At least 5 quizzes given unannounced (top 5 will count) to assess reading
comprehension of basic news stories in context of week’s readings. Total points 40 – 8 points a quiz. One
quiz will be dropped.
3. Attendance/Participation: Students are expected to actively participate in class through asking
questions, offering thoughts, and making informed comments on assigned articles and topics. You are
expected to participate on social media platforms, and your participation on Twitter and Tumblr are also a
key component of this grade. Midway through the semester, you will be evaluated on a 10 point scale to
determine where you are in terms of participation. 10 points overall.
4. Final Exam: 20 points. Designed to assess course comprehension of core concepts and theories.
5. Extra Credit: You may be eligible for up to 1 full point of extra credit from Tumblr.
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend class regularly. In case of absence, they need to notify the instructor by
email or phone. Students should notify faculty during the first week of the semester of their intention to
be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance. Reading quizzes cannot be made up or
handed in late. No late papers will be accepted without formal approval. After more than two
unexcused absences or frequent lateness, your participation grade will decline.

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BECAUSE YOU ARE IN A JOURNALISM CLASS
Read the news. Stay abreast of the important subjects of public debate. Try to read more than one outlet.
And treat yourself to a New Yorker subscription.
BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM IS NOW
Where can you learn about this crazy world of what it means to be a journalist today? To be ready to both
think and work in a new media environment, you need to stay abreast of current information about the
rise of new ideas for journalism and media. At a bare minimum, you should check into (and follow
@niemanlab) Nieman Journalism Lab – the jumping off point for much of the conversation. Check out
Columbia Journalism Review, read Mashable for things social and tech (@mashable) and make David
Carr’s New York Times’ Media Equation a Monday fix – at the bare minimum. We’ll talk about more
ways to learn the news about the news in class.
TURNING IN PAPERS/FINALS
All your papers will be handed in via email to my inbox at nusher@gwu.edu on the due date and time. All
papers must be in a .doc or .docx format (NO PDFS please – I comment directly on your papers). It is
your responsibility to provide me with a file that opens. Be sure to send me the correct file. If you have
not sent me the right file the first time, you have within 30 minutes within handing in the assignment to
upload a new file. If I cannot open the file when I am grading, I will email you and ask you for the file,
which I expect to have in my inbox immediately. If you are concerned about this system, you may also
provide me with a paper copy in my mailbox or in class. However, all grading will be done via your
electronic copy. PLEASE TITLE EACH OF YOUR FILES WITH YOUR NAME AND THE
PAPER NUMBER. For EXAMPLE: Nikki Usher Paper 1. Avoid symbols and odd punctuation as
that tends to make attachments go awry.
Your final exam will be a remote final exam. I will send you questions when the exam begins over email,
and I will expect to see your responses EMAILED to me via an EMAIL (not as a document) when the
final is over.
GRADE DISPUTES
I take special care to grade your work both fairly and accurately. For this reason, I do not enjoy, nor do I
encourage, haggling over grades. If you genuinely feel that there is a dispute, after 24 hours you may
submit to me in writing your dispute, which must contain, (1) the question being asked; (2) the correct
answer; (3) your answer; and, (4) your argument for why your answer is also correct. This paperwork
does not guarantee alterations to your grade. In the case of simple oversight or a miscalculation, alert me
of my mistake.

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TWITTER REQUIREMENTS:
You are required to be an active member on Twitter. The class hashtag is #JTPGWU. If you do not have a
Twitter account you must sign up for Twitter and join. We will discuss briefly the merits of having an
unlocked account. Twitter is a tool used by professionals to communicate about news and information
and is highly relevant in our field. Everyone should have facility with Twitter, not only because it is a
social media tool, but also because being able to condense a thought into 140 characters requires
incredible discipline and understanding. If you need a primer, I have a slide deck prepared that should
help you, but I will not be going over basics in class.
What should your comments be about? They can be about anything related to the news. This may be
sports, this may be politics, this may be entertainment. But you are not simply RETWEETING or
rewriting a headline. You are editorializing on it. You are thinking about whether something is good, or
bad, or more importantly WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT NEWS?
Some of the best contributions will be tidbits about news ABOUT the news – ethics scandals, learning
about up-to-date social media policies at newspapers, talks of news cuts, talks of future of journalism,
tech news, etc. Mediate, FishbowlDC, Gawker, Romenesko, Nieman Journalism Lab, PBS Media Shift,
Online Journalism Review, etc. etc. etc. Writers like David Carr, Felix Salmon etc.
What should you be doing on Twitter? This is not just about me seeing you are on Twitter. Twitter is also
a short, but abbreviated conversation platform. Therefore I suggest that you create lists with your
classmate’s handles (their @) so you can monitor what they’re saying; or if not, just set up something to
search for #JTPGWU – Tweetdeck is a common platform that searches for hashtags really well.
Instead of you promoting one-to-many conversations, if your classmate posts something interesting,
respond, and offer an alternate opinion or post. Create conversation. Create dialogue. Practice speaking in
this new digital public sphere. This is crucially important.
If you want to be extra extra sure I see it, add my handle @nikkiusher, but I will be paying attention
Twitter requirements: You must tweet at least three times a week. One of those tweets must be an
@ reply to something your classmate has tweeted. Remember, people cannot see your @ reply if it
is at the beginning of a Tweet unless people are following the both respondent and you OR you put
a period before the @ (.@nikkiusher hey that’s cool)
Sample Tweet from
Did you see how this Dutch hyperlocal media outlet is actually making money on local news? Maybe it’s
just Europe? @niemanlab http://bit.ly/1sm4RrX #JTPGWU
Reply:
I think @nikkiusher is wrong. Hyperlocal news is here to stay, just charge more for ads #JTPGWU
Again, this is factored into your participation grade, and can be an excellent way for those shy in
class to bolster their presence in a virtual way. AGAIN #JTPGWU. I will be collecting your Twitter
handles and sharing them with the class.

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The tweet cycle is over on Sunday at 10 PM, but remember, the best time to tweet is during the day.
TUMBLR REQUIREMENT:
Each week, you have the opportunity to show me how you’ve understood the readings in a visual form, or
in terms of articles you’ve read, or pop culture references you’ve seen. This is also a test for you – can
you turn an article you’ve read about gatekeeping into something that resonates with your daily life? If
you can, you understand what we’ve talked about. So each Sunday by 10 PM, you have the opportunity
to add a submission to the class Tumblr based on the previous week’s readings:
http://journalismtheoryandpractice.tumblr.com/
(I will invite you as soon as I get all your emails). On
Monday, we’ll look at some of the submissions together, though I’ll have a winner in mind. Your
incentive: added understanding and extra credit (.5 points for no more than 2 points). THIS IS A
REQUIRED ASSIGNMENT THAT COUNTS TOWARD YOUR PARTICIPATION GRADE.
ANY AND ALL PROBLEMS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Though
you will not receive a formal grade for each submission, we will be looking at your general effort on these
throughout the semester.
CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS
If your cell phone rings or you are caught texting, you will be asked to leave the classroom and this will
be considered a serious violation of trust and respect. At the beginning of the semester, we will see how
this policy is working. At any time, I reserve the right to collect cell phones in a basket at the front of the
classroom. This is pretty silly, so please simply refrain from using your phone. Laptop computers are
permitted for note taking purposes, NOT for extracurricular activities (e.g. email, web browsing, instant
messaging). If you do engage in these activities—either with your cell or your laptop--you will be asked
to leave and it will count as an unexcused absence.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
I personally support the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states: “Academic dishonesty is defined as
cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others
without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information.” For the
remainder of the code, see: http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS)
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact
the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish
eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Please let me know ahead of time if you require
additional time for exams, quizzes, etc. For additional information please refer to:
http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/
UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER (UCC) 202-994-5300
The University Counseling Center (UCC) offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students' personal,
social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include:

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- crisis and emergency mental health consultations
- confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals
http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/CounselingServices/AcademicSupportServices
GW CARE NETWORK
If you know someone who needs help, if you don’t know how to get them to help– you can fill out an
anonymous request form for counselors to reach out after your friends and try to get them to connect with
therapists. See here: http://students.gwu.edu/care
SECURITY
In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the
class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at
a predetermined rendezvous location.
IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911 or CAMPUS POLICE.
READING
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Howard Tumber (1999): News- A Reader. New York: Oxford University Press. I will order through
bookstore, but you might be able to find cheap copies online. You will need this ASAP.
Nikki Usher (2014): Making News at The New York Times. Available in the bookstore and on Amazon,
but free online here: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-
idx?cc=nmw;c=nmw;idno=12848274.0001.001;rgn=full%20text;view=toc;xc=1;g=dculture
Or try this
nytimes.com digital subscription. You are in a journalism class; surely you will read more than 10
articles a month from this site. If not, what are you doing here!!!?
All books are available at the library on course reserve.
COURSE READINGS (anything not in Tumber is on Blackboard or linked from this Syllabus)
ALWAYS BRING YOUR READINGS TO CLASS!!!!!!!
!!! ALWAYS BRING YOUR READINGS TO CLASS!!!!!!
Week 1:
Aug 25: Introduction
Aug 27: The State of Journalism: Read overview of The State of the Media 2014.
note anything you don’t understand
Part 1: How do we make news in a deliberative democracy?

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The need for news and the public sphere
Sept 1: Labor Day
Sept 3: Usher- Making News at The New York Times Ch. 2
Sept 8: Habermas, Encyclopedia Article (short but hard)
News Production:
Sept 10: Walter Lippmann, “Public Opinion,” in Tumber, 5-10. Robert E. Park, “News as a Form of
Knowledge,” in Tumber, 11-15.
Sept 15: David Manning White, “The Gate Keeper: A Case Study in the Selection of News,” in Tumber,
66-73. Warren Breed, “Social Control in the Newsroom: A Functional Analysis,” 79-84.
Sept 17: Schudson, “Discovering the News: A Social History of American Newspapers,” in Tumber, 290-
296. Gaye Tuchman, “Making News By Doing Work: Routinizing the Unexpected,” in Tumber, 297-308.
Sept 22: Carey, excerpt
Sept 24: McCombs and Shaw, “The Agenda Setting Function of The Mass Media, “ in Tumber, 320-328.
GO OVER PAPER
First Paper Due October 8 – Class time – 2:20 – by email to nusher@gwu.edu first name, last name
paper number in file name, as doc or docx
Part II. Economics, Conformism and Constraint
Theory: SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME THIS WEEKEND: A&H ARE GOING TO BE HARD
Sept 29. Adorno and Horkheimer
Oct 1: Adorno and Horkheimer, Herman and Chomsky, “Manufacturing Consent, in Tumber, 166-179
Oct 6. Bagdikian, “The Media Monopoly,” in Tumber, 148-155. McManus, “Market Driven Journalism,”
in Tumber, 180-191 http://www.afp.com/en/news/spinoff-takes-time-inc-back-future
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/08/05/gannett-carscom-deal/13611915/
Oct 8: Usher, Chapter 3 & 4
Paper Due Today, Class Time 2:20
Oct 13: Ryfe, Can Journalism Survive: An Inside Look At American Newsrooms, Ch 3.
Oct 15: Anderson, Between Creative and Quantified Audiences.
GO OVER PAPER 2
Oct 20: Usher, Chapter 6; Gans, Discovering the News: Chapter 7.
Oct 22: The Schudson Downie Report
UNIT 3: Field Theory – Journalism – Its Problems and Its Future
Oct 27: Bourdieu: Habitus, Field, Doxa, Capital, Social Class

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Oct 29: Bourdieu: Habitus, Field, Doxa, Capital, NEW: Benson and Neves on Journalism and Bourdieu
Nov. 3: Waisbord, Professionalism
PAPER 2 DUE IN CLASS 2:20 PM VIA EMAIL
Nov. 5: Anderson, Bell and Shirky Report: Read Intro, Ch 3
http://towcenter.org/research/post-industrial-journalism/
Nov. 10: Citizen Journalism, Usher, Nahnahby s
Talk about Paper 3
Nov. 12: Benkler, Wikileaks
Nov. 17: Howard, Data Journalism, http://towcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tow-Center-Data-
Driven-Journalism.pdf
Nov. 19: Visit from a professional
Dec. 1: Diakpoulus – Algorithmic Accountability Reporting (HOW AMAZON Cheats you); A Robot
Stole my Pulitzer (Robot Journalism)
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/03/narrative_science_robot_journalists_custo
mized_news_and_the_danger_to_civil_discourse_.html
Dec. 3: Wrap-up
Paper 3 Due Class Time (Class Over) Dec 8, 2:20 Via Email
FINAL EXAM
TBD