Visual Storytelling (201-B-12)
Instructors
David L Nelson
David Nelson is a journalist, an academic and a consultant to the media industry. At Northwestern, Prof. Nelson served as associate dean of the Medill School of Journalism and chair of the Editorial Department. He taught classes in news writing and reporting, media management and marketing both at Medill and the Kellogg School of Management. An inaugural member of the New York Times College Advisory Board, Nelson also chaired the Inland Press Association’s marketing communications committee. He is a former senior editor of The Miami Herald, former editor at the Pioneer Press, and former writer for Time and Money magazines. Northwestern University named him “Professor of the Year” in 2007. Prior to that, undergraduate students elected him to their first ever NU Faculty Honor Roll and he repeatedly made the list until retiring from Medill in 2012 as professor emeritus. In 2023, Prof. Nelson was inducted into the Medill Hall of Achievement.
Meeting Info
Online: Mon 6:15PM - 9:15PM
Overview of class
This course helps students find their writing voice through independent reporting, coaching and class critiques. It emphasizes visual story telling -- i.e., photos and text together. This course focuses on reaching a specific audience -- professional, academic, familial. It does so by allowing the student to select an appropriate topic for a photo essay. Students research, report and write their stories which become the script for a final project that resembles a slideshow. Coaching and class critiques help students along the way.
Registration Requirements
Instructor approval if student has not taken JRN WRIT 201-A Writing for Media or its equivalent.
Learning Objectives
How to write and tell stories to a specific audience using text/photo presentations.
Class Materials (Required)
Provided by instructor.
Class Notes
Professional work level and attitude required.
Class Attributes
Synchronous:Class meets remotely at scheduled time