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News at a click is no longer exotic. It has become part of our daily lives. More media houses are adding verve to their websites and updating them regularly. Web journalists are taken as seriously as print or television journalists-Tehelka and Al Jazeera being examples.

The new media courses are integrated with the print curriculum so that students learn solid reporting skills along with the technical skills needed for presenting news online. They create a journalism website, doing everything from gathering and writing content to publishing their work.

They use major web publishing software tools to design, create and operate web publications as part of their course work and workshops. Lectures, seminars with guest speakers, individual assignments and workshops form part of the pedagogy.

The program will also incorporate the following core courses and electives.

Reporting and Writing - The course has three principal components: Beat reporting, deadline writing, and seminars. Each student is assigned a Bangalore city neighborhood as a beat and spends at least two days a week in that neighborhood. From this beat reporting news and feature stories evolve, tied to topics discussed in class. Students learn the rudiments of covering crime and courts, government and politics, social issues, health care, education and other subjects. Each week, students work on exercises under deadline conditions. In weekly sessions, instructors lead discussions on journalistic techniques and specific areas of content.

Tools of Journalism I & II - This course consists of two components: Training on software applications for publishing and news editing. Each of the two components is taught in two separate sessions through the entire semester. In the software applications class, students learn to use publishing tools such as Adobe Photoshop, PageMaker, QuarkXpress, CoralDraw, Dreamweaver and introduction to Flash. The use of computers as a design tool, applying the principles of graphics, design, and layout, will be a major focus.

The second component introduces students to doing research for reporting and writing. Students get to learn searching the Web for research material, and understand how to use various sites that provide information. Students also become familiar with Web-based database services and business data. News editing section introduces students to the practice and mechanics of editing, the selection of stories, news judgment and the writer-reporter relationship. (This course is required for print and web journalism students only)

Ethical and Legal Issues in Journalism - This course explores the social role of journalism and the journalist from legal, ethical and economic perspectives. The course examines the current and historic conflicts between journalists, government and the legal establishment. Issues such as libel, privacy, prior restraint against publishing the news, protection of sources, the right to gather news and national security are explored. Other issues include fairness in journalism and balanced reporting, and ethical considerations in the setting of the news agenda.

Advanced Writer's Seminar - All postgraduate students in print and New Media are required to take this course. Students join faculty to critique award-winning journalism, while sharpening their skills in practical hands-on workshops.

Advanced New Media -This course will help the student design, edit and produce on-line content. The course will familiarize students with advanced concepts of Web design, User interface, information architecture, Streaming and multimedia, as well as Web services like Chat and Discussion Boards. Students will also be introduced to the use of databases, content management systems, advanced HTML and other editing software. Students opting for the course will be trained not only in theoretical issues but also in using these concepts for the student Web magazine, as part of the New media workshop.

Advanced Writing & Editing - This course is designed to develop good writing and editing skills. Students learn to edit hard news and feature articles. By examining the critical issues of accuracy, balance, clarity and readability in a variety of contexts and styles, students will learn the essentials of line editing and organization skills. (This course is required for print and web journalism students only)

Digital Photo Journalism -This course teaches reporting with a camera. The class will learn photo-reporting for a newspaper as well as the photo essay that explores one subject at length. The technology of transferring the digital photo for the Web will also be studied.

Opinion and Editorial Writing - Students are introduced to editorials and opinions expressed in the media. The course teaches how the subject is chosen, formulated, and presented. The style of writing editorials and opinions is also covered.

New Media Workshop - Designed for students wanting a career in Web journalism, this course requires publishing an on-line newspaper and a magazine several times during the semester. This workshop teaches the art and science of interactive story telling with new media. Students learn how to report and create stories using new media tools and techniques.