Sue Ellen Christian
Sue Ellen Christian
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Associate Professor |
Education: M.A., University of Michigan
Areas of Expertise: Journalism
Sue Ellen Christian, M.A., Assistant Professor of Journalism, joined the faculty in 2001. She received her master's degree from the University of Michigan. Professor Christian's area of expertise is in newspaper reporting and writing, with an emphasis in health and minority issues. She teaches courses in news writing and reporting, news research and news and public affairs. Prior to joining the faculty, Professor Christian was a professional journalist and worked as a staff reporter at The Detroit News, Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. She was a Casey Journalism Fellow and has won numerous awards for her writing and reporting, including the Chicago Headliner Award and the Golden Bell in Mental Health Reporting. In 2002, she will present at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and at the National Communication Association.
Teaching Philosophy
Given my background as a professional journalist, I approach each class as a lesson in real-life skills: How can I help students to think more critically? To write more clearly and succinctly? To organize their thoughts in a cogent, concise manner? I want my classes to have taught them communication skills that they can use regardless of their occupation.
That said, I think being a journalist is the greatest job around ?there is never a dull day, never the same day twice. I tell students if they are interested in meeting all sorts of people and asking them all sorts of questions they never imagined ? from how a deadbeat dad feels about his children to a scientist's explanation of what makes a healthy stem cell line ? then journalism is their calling. It is my passion for my craft that I try to instill in each class I teach.
Courses I Teach:
Foundations of Journalism
This course is designed to introduce you
both to the practice of journalism in the form of basic news writing as
well to the evaluation of journalism using principles of excellence. At
the end of this course, you should be knowledgeable in the following
areas: Basic hard news writing, story focus and basic story
organization; Reporting across difference; Media ethics and First
Amendment rights; Appropriate storytelling by media platform; Industry
challenges.
Download Syllabus
Specialized Reporting
In this capstone reporting and writing class, you will learn skills in class that you seek to put into practice in the field. Our focus is on publishing your work and employing multimedia reporting and writing as we delve into community issues. We focus on
'portable skills' that you need to master for journalism or for a variety of other professions. Those skills include: research and evaluating information, selecting information, presenting information in a variety of mediums appropriate to content and media form, ethical practices, accuracy and attention to detail.
Download Syllabus
Online Journalism
In this advanced reporting and writing class that emphasizes field reporting and multiple digital media platforms, the focus is on how to match content with the appropriate media to best create a digital news information package. Ethics, newsroom math, observational reporting, FOI practices and use of documents are also emphasized.