The Journalism Option is offered in three Concentrations: Chinese Journalism, International Journalism and Broadcast Journalism. All Concentrations share a core of Required and Elective Courses dealing with the nature and responsibilities of the print, broadcast and internet journalist. Each Concentration requires bilingualism, but stresses the particular language and professional skills appropriate for the specialist in Chinese, International or Broadcast journalism.
Students in the Journalism Option pursue studies in three major areas: (1) professional journalism, in which students learn the principles and skills of gathering, presenting, and producing news and current affairs; (2) the theoretical foundations of the profession, in which students develop a conceptual understanding of the profession and its role in society through legal, ethical, political, historical, economic and media communication theory courses; and (3) complementary studies of the relationship between broadcast or print or internet journalism and society as well as the way politics, government, business, and law operate in both local and international communities. In all these areas, emphasis is on Hong Kong and mainland China, with due attention to the international context in which both communities operate.
All students are required to undertake a professional internship during the summer following the second year. Successful completion of the internship requires registration for JOUR 3550 Journalism Internship after the internship is completed. Students in each concentration have nine units of elective courses in which to explore aspects of journalism in greater depth or to increase their knowledge of some specialized type of reporting.