Advanced Media Methods (Visual Storytelling)

Explore the craft of storytelling using a diverse set of visual media — from comics to photography to video.

Today’s journalists are more than great writers — they use every tool at their disposal to convey the story in the most powerful way possible.

Comics, videos, photo-essays, maps and diagrams are just a few of the non-traditional story-forms that appear daily in The New York Times.

But when is a zine a piece of journalism? When does illustration become an effective form of reportage? How do images work to tell a story that changes the story itself?

This course is for curious students who are excited to take storytelling risks and push past their own comfort levels. During the term, students will explore the questions above by researching, writing and constructing their own visual narratives.

Just like journalism professionals, they will experiment with a wide range of styles and formats, building pieces that incorporate photography, drawing and mapping with straight reportage and on-the-scene research.

Throughout, students will develop and hone a visual voice that is all their own, no matter their level of experience with the ever-evolving world of journalism.