2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Introduction to Journalism
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Makoto Suzuki
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Wed
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.A535
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In this lecture, we aim for graduate students who will soon enter society to learn how to correctly interpret news in their social lives by understanding the nature of digital-age news media and the various challenges journalism faces. The course will delve into issues of expression in journalism (gender, sexual minorities, disabilities, race, etc.), handling of personal information (such as human rights issues of victims and their families), and perspectives on science and politics from the standpoint of journalism. This will be deciphered by instructors who are former finance professionals, active journalists, and practitioners in cross-media fields such as television, the internet, and publishing.
Course description and aims
1 Correct interpretation of news media
2 Deep understanding of journalism
3 Approach to career paths
Student learning outcomes
実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)
The instructor currently serves as a news analyst for Fuji Television and so on, actively writing over 50 explanatory articles annually. As an active journalist, he continues reporting while exploring how to address the expression problems and challenges he faces on a daily basis. Therefore, this course presents a unique opportunity for students to contemplate the "current challenges in the journalism field" together.
Keywords
journalism, news literacy, expression issues, personal information, reporting, science communication, politics, election
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Utilizing videos, audiovisual materials, and other resources displayed in the classroom, lectures will be conducted. Pre- and post-surveys will be conducted (using tools such as Google Forms), and group work will be utilized to encourage active participation from students. There will be no attendance or exams; instead, students will submit a final reflection report (approximately 1,000 words). The grading will be based on 70 points for participation in class and 30 points for the final report, totaling 100 points.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | What is Digital-First News Today? | Understanding of the current state of news media |
| Class 2 | Expression Issues: Gender, Sexual Minorities, Disabilities, and Race | Understanding of expression issues in reporting |
| Class 3 | Personal Information and Reporting: Victims and Human Rights | Understanding of personal information and human rights |
| Class 4 | How to Read the News and check the fact | News literacy and fact check |
| Class 5 | Science and Reporting: Understanding Science Communication | Understanding of science communication |
| Class 6 | the role of English-language media | Understanding the role of English-language media |
| Class 7 | Politics, Election and Reporting | Understanding of politics and election coverage |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to course material.
Textbook(s)
No textbooks will be used.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Fostering media literacy and critical thinking (via Jiji Press).
SAKAMOTO Jun, YAMAWAKI Takeshi
2022.1
Evaluation methods and criteria
Participation in class and completion of assignments: 70 points, Report: 30 points.
Related courses
- LAH.S431 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences35:Media Studies
Prerequisites
none
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
seisakunomado[at]gmail.com
Office hours
none
Other
Seven total classes will be held for this course: April 9 (Wed), April 16 (Wed), April 23 (Wed), April 30 (Wed), May 7 (Wed), May 14 (Wed), May 21 (Wed).
This course is 500-level course.
Science Tokyo (science and engineering fields) provides a wedge-shaped style education that allows students to continuously take liberal arts courses from a Bachelor’s Program to a Doctoral Program. Students are recommended to take liberal arts courses in ascending order of course level. In the semester right after enrollment in the Master’s Degree Program – i.e., 1Q and 2Q for students who enroll in spring, and 3Q or 4Q for students who enroll in fall – students may register only in 400-level Humanities and Social Science Courses.
Students may take 500-level Humanities and Social Science Courses after studying at least six months after enrollment, i.e., in 3Q and 4Q for students who enroll in spring, and in 1Q and 2Q of the following year for students who enroll in fall.