Arts and Culture Journalism(COM376)
| Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM376 | Arts and Culture Journalism | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Prerequisites | |
| Admission Requirements |
| Language of Instruction | Turkish |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Level | Bachelor Degree |
| Course Instructor(s) | İdil ENGİNDENİZ iengindeniz@gsu.edu.tr (Email) |
| Assistant | |
| Objective | The course aims to enable students, while following the cultural and artistic agenda, to take into account storytelling, dramaturgical reading, and the economic-political as well as socio-emotional context of the cultural field. Through this course, students are expected not only to acquire theoretical knowledge about a branch of journalism that requires various sub-specializations, but also to gain an insider’s perspective on the field of arts and culture through practical engagement. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to combine journalistic practices—such as news reporting, promotion, impressions, interviews, and criticism—with contemporary media tools; and through the active participation of experienced professionals in the field, students are supported in entering the arts-and-culture ecosystem. |
| Content | This course introduces students to arts and culture journalism through a combined theoretical and practical framework. It focuses on storytelling, dramaturgical reading, and the economic, political, social, and emotional contexts of the cultural field while following the contemporary cultural agenda. Throughout the semester, students engage with various journalistic genres—such as news, interviews, criticism, promotion, and feature writing—through hands-on assignments related to theatre, literature, exhibitions, and festivals. By interacting with field professionals and producing content for different media platforms, students gain insight into the arts and culture ecosystem and develop the skills necessary to create journalistic content across both traditional and digital media. |
| Course Learning Outcomes |
By the end of this course, the student will be able to: • Formulate their own perspective—based on the knowledge they have acquired—on culture and the arts in general, on arts and culture journalism in particular, and most fundamentally on why we need stories; and understand the place of all these within cultural and social memory. • Comprehend the definition, function, ethical boundaries, and social role of art criticism. • Grasp the importance of dramaturgy—the “hidden map” of a theatre play, exhibition, or book—and learn to apply it critically in their written work. • Learn, through hands-on practice, the journalistic genres used in arts and culture journalism (promotion/preview, criticism, interview, profile, feature story, short news, selection, agenda…). • Build a basic professional network within the field by coming together with writers/artists to produce news, interviews, and profile pieces under the guidance of industry professionals. • Learn how to turn a press release into a news article, and how to rapidly produce impressions/news from festivals and field assignments. • Acquire the ability to develop content ideas suitable for media platforms such as newsletters, reels, podcasts, and YouTube. |
| Teaching and Learning Methods |
* Participatory lecture * Guest participation * Technical instruction and practice |
| References |
Anne Ben Düştüm mü?, Beliz Güçbilmez, Kolektif Kitap Sanat Neye Yarar, John Carey, Vakıfbank Kültür Yayınları Sanat Başkaldırır, Jeanette Winterson, Sel Yayıncılık Zihinde Bir Dalga, Ursula K. Le Guin, Metis Yoruma Karşı, Susan Sontag, Can Yayınları Hayatın Gizli Hazları, Theodore Zeldin, Ayrıntı Şu Edebiyat Denen Şey Okumak, Düşünmek, Yazmak, Andrew Bennett, Nicholas Royle, Notos Sanat ve Siyaset Konuşmaları, Edouard Louis, Ken Loach, Can Tellek Boş Mekân, Peter Brook, Hayalperest Kitap (içinden bölümler) Alternatif Tiyatrolar, Cansu Karagül, Habitus Kitap. |
Theory Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction. Discussion on why we need stories and arts & culture journalism. Presentation of the semester program. Conversation on the cultural and artistic fields we follow. |
| 2 | An overview of the recent history and current state of arts & culture journalism in Turkey (examples from Radikal newspaper and Milliyet Sanat magazine). Contemporary arts & culture publications (Sanat Atak, BantMag, ArtDog, etc.). The functioning of an arts & culture desk; the position of capital groups within the arts & culture ecosystem. Examples of arts & culture journalism in the Turkish press (Radikal, Radikal Kitap, Milliyet Sanat, Bluejean, Hürriyet Kitap Sanat, Gösteri magazines). |
| 3 | News genres in the arts & culture field: interview, impression, short news, profile, agenda, selection, feature story, criticism, promotion. Producing news from a press release. Developing story ideas based on the current arts & culture agenda. Explaining how a news pitch is presented in an editorial meeting and how visibility is managed across platforms. |
| 4 | Developments in Turkish theatre after 2000. Differences between promotion and criticism. Why do we need criticism? Ethical boundaries of the critic. The technical and emotional tone of a critical review. Participation of a theatre practitioner in the class. In the following days, a visit to an independent theatre play organized by the instructor. |
| 5 | Discussion of the watched play; mapping the dramaturgy; preparing questions; writing short news, a promotional text, and a press release about the play. Taking collective notes for writing a critical review. |
| 6 | Book supplements (Radikal Kitap, Cumhuriyet Kitap, etc.). Their revenue-generating potential. Examination of new-generation book journalism. Instruction on writing book reviews, interviews, and critical essays. Students will prepare a short promotional text in class by examining a book they bring with them. |
| 7 | Midterm week. |
| 8 | Contemporary art/exhibition journalism. A class visit to an exhibition, followed by discussion with students on artworks, curation, and the socio-political context of the exhibition. Students will be asked to produce a news piece/content based on the visit. |
| 9 | Independent local festivals. Examples of theatre festivals in Bergama, Borçka, and Kaş (content, funding model, relationship with the local community). The meaning of “organizing a festival at the local level.” |
| 10 | Preparing interview questions, writing opening paragraphs, turning a question–answer text into a feature story; communication with arts & culture institutions; headline crafting; examples of high-quality and low-quality interviews and profiles. Under the instructor’s guidance, selecting individuals or institutions from the arts & culture world to conduct short interviews/profile studies. Initial preparations will be carried out during class. |
| 11 | Production of new-generation arts & culture content. How the content prepared by students so far can be presented across different platforms. Current examples of newsletters, reels, etc. |
| 12 | Division into groups to create an arts & culture platform as the final project. Determining the platform’s content, name, purpose, medium, ideas for community-building with readers/viewers, funding models, and thematic scope. |
| 13 | Continuation of arts & culture platform development. |
| 14 | Group project presentations. |
Practice Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|
Contribution to Overall Grade
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 4 | 40 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 60 |
| Toplam | 5 | 100 |
In-Term Studies
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 4 | 40 |
| Presentation | 0 | 0 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 |
| Toplam | 4 | 40 |
| No | Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | Will have effective written and oral communication skills in Turkish | X | ||||
| 2 | Will have a thorough knowledge of at least two foreign languages | |||||
| 3 | Will be informed about art and culture, human rights, social, professional and ethical values, law and legislation, quality standards, and will be aware of their responsibility on these subjects | X | ||||
| 4 | Will have sufficient knowledge about social sciences, professions and sectors in communication and media, innovative and entrepreneurial practices | X | ||||
| 5 | Will have the ability to use, in an effective and creative way, the techniques and tools and information technologies necessary for interactive and conventional media, in the context of health and safety in the workplace | |||||
| 6 | Will have the ability to develop documentary and fictional content related to their field for interactive and conventional media; also the ability to produce and manage this content in group | |||||
| 7 | Will have the theoretical knowledge and ability to carry out and share scientific work on communication environments and processes of interactive and conventional media and on the individual and social outcomes of the latter | X | ||||
| 8 | Will have the knowledge of analysis and modelling techniques to analyse interactive and conventional media and the communication environments and processes | |||||
| 9 | Will have the ability to question and critically analyse developments and problems concerning interactive and conventional media and the communication environments and processes, will be aware of the public interest, social responsibility and the environment, will be sensitive to contemporary world’s and Turkey's current problems; will develop a libertarian, democratic, constructive and problem-solving approach | X | ||||
| 10 | They are familiar with the historical development processes of electronic, digital media and film; and the current developments in these fields | |||||
| 11 | They learn sociological, cultural and aesthetic approaches in electronic, digital media and film | |||||
| 12 | They learn the political economy of cultural industries, labour and production relations, analysis of marketing and consumption patterns. | X | ||||
| 13 | They learn at a first level how to use the equipment necessary for the production of audio-visual content for TV, radio and digital media and of films in different genres | |||||
| 14 | They gain experience in conducting creative activities in electronic, digital media and film; in producing and working in groups | |||||
| 15 | They acquire theoretical information in the fields of public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication and organizational communication | |||||
| 16 | They are familiar with the research, planning, implementation and evaluation processes in public relations and advertising; they can create campaigns, present them effectively and write reports | |||||
| 17 | They have knowledge of organisational communication, crisis and risk communication, reputation management, media relations, media planning, digital media management, brand management and interpersonal communication. They are able to carry out activities in these areas | |||||
| 18 | They use public relations and advertising strategies and tactics appropriate to the specificities of conventional and new media | |||||
| 19 | They are aware of legal regulations, ethical codes in public relations and advertising, and they remain faithful to them | |||||
| 20 | They are familiar with the different theoretical approaches regarding the social place, role and functions of journalism as a social institution and phenomenon; they are familiar with the process of producing information for conventional and digital media | X | ||||
| 21 | They are familiar with the structural and technical specificities, management characteristics of conventional/mainstream media, as well as alternative media structures | X | ||||
| 22 | They are familiar with the new conceptual and theoretical discussions emerging from interactive/digital media in terms of social sciences and humanities | |||||
| 23 | They are familiar with the historical development of journalism in Turkey and in the world; they can analyse it in the context of social and political history | X | ||||
| 24 | They have the ability to effectively use information technology, printing and publishing techniques; to write a press article using data collected on the web and on social media, to visualize this data and to publish it | X | ||||
| Activities | Number | Period | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Hours | 14 | 2 | 28 |
| Working Hours out of Class | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assignments | 4 | 15 | 60 |
| Presentation | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 1 | 30 | 30 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Bütünleme | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Workload | 118 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 4.72 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 5 | ||