Journalism History

An historical element should be addressed early in the semester with an emphasis on the mass media.  Here is a simple project to get the year rolling that will enliven journalism history for your students.

Beginning Journalism

1.  Select historical figures (Nellie Bly, John Peter Zenger, Margaret Bourke-White, Benjamin Day, Ida B. Wells) write them on sticky notes and post them on your board.  At the beginning of the class have the students select the random names from the board.  These become their historical people to present.

2.  Have the students research the historical figure and write a short synopsis of how that person contributed to the history of journalism.

3.  A presentation is part of the assignment; however, they may choose any form of mass media to present their historical figure.  One may choose to Tweet about Nelly Bly or provide a PowerPoint on John Zenger.  Their presentation time is limited to 3 minutes or less.

Advanced Classes

For advanced journalism classes, switch up the assignment to suit their learning level.  For example, have a reporter compose 20 questions he/she would ask Benjamin Day for an in-depth interview.  This will show the level of research the student accomplished based on the level of intensity contained in the questions.