Description

This course is an introduction to cultural journalism and reporting, by taking advantage of the rich cultural life of Prague. While there will be a focus on the contemporary art and music scenes, students will also be able to explore the literary and theatre scenes, as well as take advantage of the numerous festivals in the city, particularly for feature and documentary films. An understanding and appreciation of the role of cultural organizations and institutions will be emphasized, and so students will also be given the opportunity to meet with representatives of cultural organizations, as well as artists, musicians, directors, writers and publishers. Field trips to galleries, exhibits and other cultural events in Prague will be an integral component of the course. This activity will be combined with discussions of assigned readings from seminal to contemporary cultural critics and journalists. The primary medium for publishing the best work in this class will be the Prague community websites Prague TV, Prague Daily Monitor, and The New Presence, as well as the AAU student magazine and website At the Lennon Wall; thus, students will have the opportunity to publish online on a weekly basis. This course, however, is also welcome to students who simply want to learn about the world of cultural journalism.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
– Write on cultural events and cultural issues relevant to contemporary Prague;
– Demonstrate the practical and professional skills necessary to not only write but publish short articles, and reviews for cultural sections of actual publications;
– Demonstrate familiarity with the vast areas of culture (historical and contemporary) in the context of contemporary Prague.

*Course content subject to change