Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	03/20/2024
Top Code	060200 - Journalism
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

This course is for any student interested in Digital Journalism, and the Social Media Strategies Certificate of Achievement and will help them understand the issue of social media as a vital part of news gathering and branding. The course will allow students to create and maintain both a professional and personal presence on social media working in the various social media platforms. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Learn the implications of a digital and social footprint by understanding the importance of the legal environment when working in social media and the various platforms.
2. Create and manage a professional brand on social media platforms.
3. Utilize the various social media platforms responsibly by learning best practices on how to use social media for news gathering, brand awareness and audience engagement.

Course Objectives

• 1. Develop and demonstrate professionalism in journalism
• 2. Understand the importance of a free press in modern society.
• 3. Understand social media fundamentals.
• 4. Create and manage a professional social media presence for selected clients.
• 5. Create and manage a professional personal social media presence.
• 6. Illustrate knowledge on how to drive traffic to the website using social media.
• 7. Understand the importance of the legal and ethical landscape of working within the various social media platforms.

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Lecture Content

Learn how to effectively construct, create and produce content on social media for news gathering, brand awareness and audience engagement. Understand the importance of research and how to locate reliable information from social media to enhance content creation; at the same time, identifying misleading and unbalanced content. Understand the importance of flexibility, innovativeness, and entrepreneurial spirit needed to be successful as a social media marketing manager, influencer, and journalist. Understand the changing role of the social media audience. Utilize analytical platforms to monitor and analyze social media impressions, engagement, awareness, conversions, and calls to action. Evaluate the effectiveness of social media strategies and policies in news organizations and the business community. Follow and learn where to look for relevant industry information, demographics, data/statistics, posting optimization, and metric analysis. Demonstrate the ability to use industry-standard tools for collaborative and individual work. Be able to critique ideas /output - and those of their peers - on social media topics. Learn best practices for major social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest and Instagram. Learn strategies and create a professional and personal brand on LinkedIn. Learn the implications of a digital and social footprint and understand the importance of the legal environment when working in a digital landscape. Discuss social media etiquette, customer service practices, and how to respond to negative comments. Learn how to become an engaged and active participant in the online community at Orange Coast College and the Coast Report. Understand the importance of maintaining journalistic fundamentals including AP Style and grammar, while using soc ial media.

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)

Instructional Techniques

Instructors may make use of lectures, discussion and oral and written feedback. Course instruction will include exposure to and discussion of current social media posts and current events.

Reading Assignments

Students will have regular reading assignments in a selected textbook as well as in newspapers, magazines, digital publications, and social media content. Students should expect to spend at least 4 hours per week reading or conducting research outside of the classroom.

Writing Assignments

Students will create strategies, write content, and publish live posts to an assortment of social media platforms. Students will write essays where they will research and locate reliable information from social media platforms to enhance content creation and at the same time, evaluate content and idenify misleading and unbalanced content. Students will complete assignments where they will evalute the effectiveness of social media strategies and policies in news organiations and the business community.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will be required to consume media outside of class and stay up to date on social media posts by news outlets, and other professional brands as assigned in the course. Homework assignments will be given to monitor understanding.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

By making decisions about what is appropriate to post on social media, and doing the posts, students will exhibit critical thinking skills, in addition to showing they understand when and when not to engage with readers.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Students will use social media to drive traffic to their personal and professional profiles as well as the Coast Report. Each post students make will require journalistic writing techniques and decision making in not only what to post and what not to post, but how to promote it. Analytics will determine the success of moving traffic through the use of social media.

Eligible Disciplines

Journalism: Master's degree in journalism or communication with a specialization in journalism OR bachelor's degree in either of the above AND master's degree in English, history, communication, literature, composition, comparative literature, any social science, business, business administration, marketing, graphics, or photography OR the equivalent. Master's degree required. Journalism: Master's degree in journalism or communication with a specialization in journalism OR bachelor's degree in either of the above AND master's degree in English, history, communication, literature, composition, comparative literature, any social science, business, business administration, marketing, graphics, or photography OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Adornato, Anthony. Mobile and Social Media Journalism, A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. Washington D.C.: Routledge, 2021

Other Resources

1. Hootsuite University free application, "Social Media for Journalism" download.