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Capstone

Create your own professional journalistic portfolio

Lucinda D. Davenport, Jeremy Steele, Eric Freedman, David Poulson, Joe Grimm, and Joanne C. Gerstner

This is it! It is time for YOU to be the journalist, and practice and display the skills you have learned through this Specialization journey. You will create your own professional journalistic portfolio, culminating in the creation of your own news report from start to finish. You will go through all the steps and skills used by professional journalists: conceptualizing a news report idea, reporting, interviewing, researching, and then compiling the information for an audience. Your learner community, along with the Michigan State Journalism team, will be with you every step of the way. Having a professional portfolio will help you market yourself as a journalist, showing off your work product, as well as practice and hone your journalistic skill set. You will receive an exclusive premium "Journalism" badge for social media, to display your Capstone completion.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Capstone news report portfolio: the start!

You are now embarking on the important steps to create your own journalistic news report portfolio, which is be your Capstone final assignment. This journey will take you through the process journalists use to deliver the news to their audiences, providing a strong opportunity to display your skills honed during the Specialization Courses. You will start your portfolio here, through making your first choices: determining the topic and style for your news report.

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Builds a strong foundation for beginners, developing skills in conceptualizing news ideas, reporting, interviewing, researching, and compiling a news report for an audience

Offers hands-on labs and interactive materials, including interviews, research planning, and news report compilation

Strong reputation of the Michigan State Journalism team, known for their journalistic work and educational expertise

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Reviews summary

Capstone: building a journalism portfolio

According to learners, this capstone course provides a practical opportunity to apply journalistic skills learned throughout the specialization. Students appreciate the hands-on process of creating a professional news report and portfolio from start to finish, covering stages like topic selection, news gathering, interviewing, and assembly. Many highlight that it's a challenging but rewarding experience that feels like doing real journalism. The structure guides you through each step. Some mention the value of peer feedback, although the quality can sometimes be inconsistent depending on the reviewer. Overall, it is seen as a strong culmination to the specialization, providing a tangible output for career marketing.

Best suited after completing specialization.

"This capstone project helps you to put all the learned information from the previous courses into practice."

"It's the final piece that ties together the knowledge from the previous courses."

"Highly recommend taking all prior courses in specialization first."

Peer reviews provide valuable insights.

"The peer-reviews are helpful in improving the final product."

"Peer feedback was often insightful and useful for revisions."

"I found the peer reviews helpful in refining my work."

Creates a tangible output for career use.

"This course was a challenge and a triumph, resulting in an article for my portfolio and a new sense of my own capabilities."

"This course was wonderful - challenging but extremely rewarding and resulted in a piece I am proud to put in my portfolio."

"A good capstone project to develop a portfolio."

"It was a great experience to create my own journalistic work to be part of my portfolio."

Offers hands-on experience creating a portfolio.

"This capstone was an awesome final project that actually gave me the chance to apply the skills that I learned in the entire specialization."

"This capstone project helps you to put all the learned information from the previous courses into practice."

"It gave me a chance to experience actual journalism."

"This capstone provides practical application of journalistic skills, culminating in a portfolio piece."

Quality of peer feedback can vary widely.

"The peer review section could use some improvement. One reviewer gave vague, unhelpful comments."

"Some peer reviews were excellent, others seemed rushed or didn't understand the criteria."

"While the idea of peer review is good, the helpfulness varied greatly depending on who reviewed your work."

Requires significant effort and navigation.

"This course was a challenge and a triumph, resulting in an article for my portfolio and a new sense of my own capabilities."

"This course was wonderful - challenging but extremely rewarding..."

"It requires a significant commitment to do well."

"This project needs effort but teaches you how to navigate the actual journalistic process."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Capstone: Create your own professional journalistic portfolio with these activities:

Review previous assignments and notes

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Refreshing your memory on previous course materials will help you stay on track and improve your understanding.

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Collect and organize materials from previous assignments.
Review notes and identify areas where you may need additional reinforcement.

Practice writing headlines and lead paragraphs

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Writing effective headlines and lead paragraphs is essential for capturing readers' attention.

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Review different types of headlines and lead paragraphs.
Identify the key points of a story and brainstorm potential headlines.
Draft and revise headlines and lead paragraphs for practice.

Watch online tutorials on journalism techniques

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Online tutorials can provide additional guidance and support on specific journalism techniques.

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Search for online tutorials on topics relevant to the course.
Watch and take notes on the tutorials.
Apply the techniques learned in your own journalism projects.

Five other activities

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Write a summary or analysis of a current event

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Summarizing and analyzing current events will help you develop your critical thinking and writing skills.

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Review current events and select a topic.
Gather and synthesize information from multiple sources.
Organize and structure your summary or analysis.
Draft and revise your writing for clarity and accuracy.

Conduct mock interviews with peers or family members

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Interviewing is a fundamental skill in journalism, and practice will help you develop confidence and improve your technique.

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Prepare a list of questions to ask.
Schedule and conduct interviews.
Record and review interviews for self-assessment.

Create a personal portfolio of journalistic projects

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Creating your own portfolio will give you an excellent opportunity to showcase a collection of your work.

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Brainstorm and outline potential projects.
Gather and organize materials and resources.
Develop and execute a plan for each project.
Review and revise projects for accuracy and completeness.
Present your portfolio to peers and professionals for feedback.

Attend industry events or workshops

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Networking with professionals in the field can provide valuable insights and opportunities.

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Research and identify relevant industry events or workshops.
Attend the events and actively engage with attendees.
Follow up with connections made at the events.

Volunteer for a local news organization

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Gain hands-on experience and make valuable connections by volunteering for a local news organization.

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Research and identify local news organizations.
Contact the organizations to inquire about volunteer opportunities.
Attend training and orientation sessions.
Contribute to the news organization's activities.

Career center

Learners who complete Capstone: Create your own professional journalistic portfolio will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reporter

A Reporter researches, writes, and reports on news and current events. This course provides the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to gather information from multiple sources, write clear and concise stories, and adhere to ethical standards. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Reporter

Broadcast News Analyst

A Broadcast News Analyst provides expert commentary and analysis on news events for television and radio broadcasts. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in journalism, including how to gather and analyze information, write clear and concise scripts, and present information in a compelling way. The opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will also help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Broadcast News Analyst

Journalist

A Journalist researches, writes, and reports on news and current events. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to gather information from multiple sources, write clear and concise stories, and adhere to ethical standards. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist

Editor

An Editor reviews, edits, and prepares written material for publication. This course will help you develop the skills needed to be successful in this role, including how to write and edit clear and concise text, manage a team of writers and editors, and ensure that all content meets high standards of quality. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

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Public Relations Specialist

A Public Relations Specialist manages the public relations and communications activities of an organization. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to write press releases, manage media relations, and develop and implement public relations campaigns. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Relations Specialist

Marketing Communications Manager

A Marketing Communications Manager develops and implements marketing and communications campaigns for an organization. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to write marketing materials, manage public relations, and develop and implement marketing campaigns. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Communications Manager

Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager develops and implements social media strategies for an organization. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to create social media content, manage social media accounts, and analyze social media data. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager

Content Writer

A Content Writer creates and writes content for a variety of purposes, such as websites, blogs, articles, and social media. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to write clear and concise text, conduct research, and optimize content for search engines. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Writer

Copywriter

A Copywriter creates and writes copy for a variety of purposes, such as advertisements, brochures, and websites. This course will provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role, including how to write clear and concise copy, conduct research, and optimize copy for search engines. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio will help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Copywriter

Freelance Writer

A Freelance Writer writes articles, blog posts, and other content for clients on a freelance basis. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to write clear and concise text, conduct research, and optimize content for search engines. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Writer

Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates and writes technical documentation, such as user manuals, white papers, and training materials. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to write clear and concise technical documentation. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

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Instructional Designer

An Instructional Designer creates and develops educational materials, such as online courses, training programs, and workshops. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to write clear and concise educational materials. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

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Curriculum Developer

A Curriculum Developer creates and develops educational programs, such as school curricula and training programs. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to design and develop educational programs. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

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Educational Consultant

An Educational Consultant provides advice and guidance on educational matters to individuals, schools, and organizations. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to provide advice and guidance on educational matters. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential clients.

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Teacher

A Teacher teaches students in a classroom setting. This course may be useful for those who want to learn how to teach students in a classroom setting. Additionally, the opportunity to create a professional journalistic portfolio may help you demonstrate your skills and experience to potential employers.

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Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Capstone: Create your own professional journalistic portfolio.

The Elements of Journalism, Revised and Updated 4th...

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This seminal work by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel outlines the essential principles of journalism, including accuracy, fairness, and independence. It must-read for anyone who wants to understand the role of journalism in a democratic society.

Capstone

Create your own professional journalistic portfolio

Here's a deal for you

What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Capstone: building a journalism portfolio

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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