JOUR 2316 Social Change Through Documentary
Note to Journalism minors: this course satisfies the requirement for an elective with a craft" orientation. This course on video journalism pays special attention to telling meaningful stories in short documentary form. Students select a story to follow, develop a production plan, and film and edit a three- to five-minute documentary. The course considers storytelling and technical skills, as well as the ethical questions that arise when documenting a story with a camera. Throughout the course, we will also look at examples of how other video journalists have approached their work, considering short documentaries on topics such as immigration, healthcare access, culture and arts, and personal family stories. By the end of the course, students will have produced one finished short documentary and developed a deep understanding of how to tell a compelling story through video.
Course overview
- Department
- Journalism
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Annually
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.67 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.25 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 1
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Andrea Patino Contreras | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 9 of 11 |