Magazines in the Digital Age

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

How is “new journalism” meeting the new world of journalism? Magazines are a unique type of media—and thus uniquely positioned in the digital age. This class is designed to equip aspiring journalists with an understanding of the nature and evolution of magazines, “new journalism,” and narrative writing. You will examine case studies of online successes and failures, and try to begin to understand the profound transformations underway throughout society, as well as the benefits, dangers, and challenges that these changes present to modern magazines. While this class will include a special focus on online writing, it will also cover fundamentals of narrative non-fiction—including how to conceive and pitch ideas, report and interview, and structure a long-form story. A mix of lecture and seminar, this class will include story workshops and in-class discussions. Students should expect a heavy, weekly reading load and regular writing assignments, including a final project. (An accomplished author and new media expert, Garrett Graff is the editor of Washingtonian magazine. His writing has appeared in Wired, New York, and The New York Times. A veteran magazine writer and editor, Denise Wills, who holds both a B.A. and master’s from Georgetown, is the senior features editor at Washingtonian.)