Media Studies Minor

This introductory course will critically examine films as pieces of art, as well as cultural artifacts. Film techniques, such as direction, acting, production, and music, will be analyzed to understand the artistic choices made and the tools necessary to enact them. The course will consider cultural meanings created by and reflected in films, with special attention to issues of race, class, gender, disability and sexuality. The ethics of film making will also be explored.

The class focuses on the creation of visual material using several industry-standard software programs, and will be conducted in the computer lab and Visual Media Studio. Students will learn to generate visually interesting, informational, professional-level material using programs such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro that are necessary for the production of video, infographics, and photographic imagery. Students will learn which software to use and combine to generate visual material effectively.

This course is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of operating a Visual Media Studio and creating branded content for social media marketing. Students will learn how to operate the facility and its equipment while developing and implementing effective branding strategies and creating compelling digital content. The course will also cover the various media formats, including video, image, and audio, and how to optimize them for their client's different social media platforms. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to operate a studio, create and execute successful social media campaigns, and understand the importance of branding and content creation in today's digital landscape.

Using the sports programs at Nichols as well as issues and events in the larger sports world, students will develop the writing skills of bona fide sports writers. The course will involve reporting on actual sports events, writing feature stories about athletes and their sports, and composing columns that combine good research with thoughtful opinion. Along the way, students will learn planning and interviewing skills and reinforce the foundations taught in their first-year writing courses.

Designed for students interested in journalism and those who want to improve their written communication skills. Intensive hands-on work in various aspects of news writing combined with analysis of the influence of media's role in the world.

This course will examine the relationship between media and politics in U.S. history since the dawn of the 20th century. The development of media - basically, any form of mass communication from newspapers and magazines to radio, television, and the internet - has deeply affected the ways in which ideas have been expressed and manipulated over the years. Our course will assess the use and effectiveness of various media during times of strife or crisis. We also will consider the role of the press, particularly in how it has shaped political issues and to what extent its role has appreciably changed over time.

Public Relations (PR) is a management and marketing function that identifies, establishes, and maintains effective relationships between an organization and the audiences it services. PR used to be all about mass media, but social media has changed that. It is still about building and maintaining effective relationships, but PR is now also about having a direct conversation with your audience using paid, earned, shared, and owned channels. In this course, we will examine the strategic purpose and tactical practices of PR, including the identification of publics, planning, writing/content creation, ethical considerations, and evaluation.

The internet is a dynamic marketplace if there ever was one. This class will give you the theoretical understanding of the Internet marketplace necessary to adapt to its many changes, while also equipping you with the skills you'll need to perform vital daily functions. By the end of the course, you will be able to walk into any company with an online presence and improve their use of the internet. The course includes discussions of both B2B and B2C and looks at marketing and communications from an integrated, business-wide perspective. The goal is to appreciate principles and practice of online marketing. The classroom sessions are a combination of lectures, discussions, and experiential learning. To ensure effective utilization of lecture time and the time of your classmates, you are required to read the materials before they are covered in class.

This class will explore and discuss different portrayals and corresponding intellectual and emotional narratives of human suffering or psychopathology using the medium of film. The primary goals of the course are to refine student's critical thinking skills applicable to the study of abnormal behavior, raise awareness of the social stigma associated with mental illness, and to understand these issues in a broad cultural context. Disclaimer: In this course you will be viewing and reading material that contains profane language and, in some cases, sexual content, racist stereotypes, and references to drug abuse/use. Should there be things you feel uncomfortable with reading or viewing - then this course may not be suitable for you.

This course is designed to introduce the students to the role of effective communication in the sport industry. The nature and function of communication will be examined in a variety of settings. Emphasis will be placed on interpersonal communications, public relations, mass media relations, public speaking, and innovative technology. This class is designated as a writing intensive course.