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JOUR 445 / JOUR 523: Advanced Photojournalism Fall 2025 session
 Friday 11:45 to 14:00 Class CJ 3.307 Allen McInnis allen.mcinnis@concordia.ca Emergency text messages: 514.953.3951 Office hours by appointment.
 Photoshop editing tips will be an office hours extra session.
  Course Description: This workshop course expands on the photojournalism fundamentals, where students apply their knowledge of theory and aesthetics of long‑ and short‑form news photography. Students use digital cameras and other technologies to complete coursework and to master the professional techniques of news photography. Exploring The class will explore the differences between Spot News, News, News Features, Sports, Business, Portraits, general features and essay work. The class will have weekly assignments of a variety of subjects as well as in class snap assignments and class assignments as a group in the field. Each student will be required to submit a photo essay. The subject of this essay will be reviewed in class and must be approved before executing the project in the same manner an authorizing editor would approve of such a project. This class will have a strong focus on editing and captioning images for newspapers, wire services and news websites.  Course Requirements: This is an in person advanced class. Attendance and participation is mandatory. Documented medical exceptions may be considered. All class absences and lack of participation will result in grade deductions. 4 absences results in an automatic failure as per department rules. All material created and submitted for grading must be new material created for the given assignment and must be created by the author. Plagiarism and recycling material will result in a failing grade.   This course outline may be altered to reflect the abilities of the cohort as the class advances.
  Week 1:  
Brief Introduction / what is photojournalism today Brief review of class abilities status and equipment Brief review of ethics, responsibilities of deadlines. Photograph vs illustration. News vs feature. Snap class assignment within the CL building. You will have less than 10 minutes notice of subject matter. Review assignment as a group Workflow, importance of captioning and backups Photo essays, what are they, what will yours be? Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 2: Ethics of Journalism and photoshop Hard look, assignment photography, setups/portraits Photography and the law. Misconceptions vs reality and the many grey zones in between. Review team projects and team work before starting photo essays.  Photo essays, submit your 2 or 3 potential subjects, group discussion on subjects put forward  Review weekly assignments as a group Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 3:  The reality of newspaper assignments and expectations in today’s controlled world Review main fingers of Sports, News, Portraits and Features Class assignment in CJ Building.  Review class assignment as a group Photoshop crunch Review last weeks assignment  Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 4:  Class assignment on location!   Location and subject matter to be given no more than 1 day in advance.  Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 5:  Review progress of photo essays subjects. Deeper dive in to the two types feature photography assignments Understanding and use of flash, when flash ruins a picture/shoot Review last weeks assignment as a group Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 6:  Review progress on photo essays, discuss road blocks, address tech issues, overcoming tough situations Photoshop, captions and backup reminders Review last weeks assignment Assignment to be given. Due following Thursday 6pm
  October 17th is fall session reading week.

 Week 7:  Political and PR manipulation of the media.  How to work with and around the never ending PR control attempts. Review photo essay progress Guidelines for single best image end of semester photo exhibit in the CJ Building  Review last weeks assignment Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 8:  Class location assignment, TBA based on news subject to the day Review last weeks assignment Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 9:  Quiz Snap class assignment Edit, file and review snap assignment. You will have less than 10 minutes notice of subject matter. Review last weeks assignment Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 10:  Portraits are key element of newspaper and wire service photography. This class will be a portrait session. Review last weeks assignment  Assignment to be given. All assignments are due before the following Thursday 6pm unless otherwise noted.   Week 11:  Group discussion on best picture of the class for group exhibit. Review of photo essays, last chance to tweak before submitting your essay Deadline for photo essay submission is 12pm Wednesday November 27th!   Week 12:  First half of class open to student requests and review. Second half of class, viewing class exhibit of the one best image per student in the cohort.    Ethics and integrity in journalism:  Being a working photojournalist is a privilege!   You are society’s eyes on daily life and historical moments alike that the vast majority of society can never witness first hand. With this privilege comes great responsibility. You are bound to follow the ethical guidelines of journalism and not inject personal opinion or biases in your work. You may never manipulate your images in ways that remove or introduce artificial elements. Plagiarism and fabrication of events will not be tolerated. In most cases, these are considered immediate fireable offences in the industry.  As photojournalists, we will follow the Canadian Press’s lead on ethics and policy.  I have also included links for the CAJ and the radio and TV broadcasters guidelines as well as Concordia University’s academic code of conduct. Each student should familiarize themselves with these core rules of journalism. We will discuss this at several points during class.  The Canadian Press: https://www.thecanadianpress.com/about/our-team-values/our-news-principles/ CAJ: https://caj.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ethics-Guidelines-v2023.pdf Radio and TV: https://rtdnacanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2016RTDNA_Code_Poster_EN.pdf Academic integrity and code of conduct. https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/common/docs/policies/official-policies/Academic-Code-Conduct-2015.pdf
  Laws governing photography: While there is no law that prohibits photography in public, our of anything you can see from the public space, there is a strong jurisprudence in Quebec civil law that may open photographers and their publications up to a civil lawsuits.  One such lawsuit here in Montreal was settled in the plaintiff’s favour for just over $30,000.  This civil liability issue is not an issue to be taken lightly.  Restrictions do exist for photography in security zones, ie airports, hospitals and on private property. This will be addressed in class. Deadlines: Newspaper and magazine deadlines are generally not flexible. As such, neither are assignment deadlines. Things go wrong, stories collapse, and we will discuss how to manage deadlines and how to recover from stories or events that do not pan out. But at the end of the day, a deadline will never be missed.  Points will be deducted for all missed deadlines.
Weekly assignments must be handed in by 6pm the following Thursday evening. Filing methods will change and vary between FTP transmission to a FTP server, email and WeTransfer as a backup. All emails must contain the JOUR 445/523 in the subject line. ie: JOUR 445/523 Assignment 3 Equipment needs:
A camera is not required for the Day One snap assignment but is required at every other class. The school does have a fair number of cameras including Canon Rebel, Canon 5D and Panasonic cameras that can be borrowed. These are available to reserve/check out with Benoit Murdaca in the equipment room located in the basement. Please make sure to have a camera booked for class outings!  Benoit.Murdaca@concordia.ca
 A technical advisors is also available to help students. Please contact Robin Della Corte at: robin.dellacorte@concordia.ca
 If you own your camera, please bring it to class and we will review the strong points and the limitations of all equipment.  Each student must own at least one SD card. Contrary to popular belief, a fast SD card is not required for most work and most cameras can not take advantage of the fastest cards available.  You are better off to have a larger card of medium speed range such as a  Sandisk 64gb 200 m/ps card which should cost approximately $20.00.  It is strongly advised to have a portable USB drive or a large USB stick. A 128gb Sandisk USB stick should cost about 16 dollars. A 256gb Sandisk USB stick should cost about 30 dollars. A 1tb Seagate portable drive should cost about 90 dollars. The portable hard can also double as a Time Machine backup for your laptop. We will briefly address backups, Time machine, iCloud storage etc. Data loss happens to everyone. The goal is to minimize it when tragedy strikes. Over the years I have used every brand and have found there are fewer crashes with Seagate and Sandisk. Sandisk provides a Data Rescue software license with some memory card purchases. I have data rescue on my laptop in the event of an SD memory card crash. A laptop is strongly recommended.  While more and more photographers are working with iPads or the iPad mini for spot news, these are great for getting a few images out fast but do not replace a laptop in the long term workflow. Best practices for image transfer from camera to iPhone or iPad will be reviewed in class.
 Software.
 The school is equipped with iMacs that have Photoshop. There are several alternatives to Photoshop, but Photoshop and Lightroom are the professional standards and you will be required to use them. Photo Mechanic is by far the industry leader for importing images and embedding IPTC data and managing FTP transmission of final images. This software has become expensive over the last few years and is now a lease monthly only software. CameraBits does offer a 40% discount to students with a valid school email address. Camerabits uses SheerID to verify you before the discount is applied. Adobe Bridge is available free as an alternative to Photo Mechanic. Bridge is not at the same level as PM.
 Always have a Plan B! 
FileZilla must be downloaded. It is free and very functional FTP transmission tool. You will be provided with FTP data to upload assignment images to ensure everyone is FTP compatible. Always have a Plan C! Every student should be familiar with and able to use WeTransfer. If you have not used WeTransfer in the past, it is the last resort to file when all else fails.
Google drive and share point are not considered acceptable methods to transmit assignment images.
  Filing final images for grading: When submitting all images for grading, the original un retouched jpeg or RAW file must be saved for potential verification of the integrity of post production work. This means opening your original file and then SAVE AS and rename the file to protect the original file. Random spot checks will be done throughout the semester. All students must be able to provide the original unmodified images.  This will be addressed during in class discussions. All “outs” should be saved for at least 60 days for review on demand.
 Grading: Participation: 1 pt per class Quiz: 5 points Snap assignments 3 points (2x)  Weekly assignment 5 points (10x) Photo Essay 25 points  Bonus points 2 points This course outline may be altered to reflect the abilities of the cohort as the class advances.  Department of Journalism Undergraduate Grading Equivalence Chart as of January 2020 The Department of Journalism is committed both to teaching students how to practice journalism as well as how to conduct themselves as working professionals. Students are asked to consider the below definitions when reflecting upon their own course work. Grade Grade Points Numerical Value A+ 4.3 95-100 A 4.0 90-94 Outstanding A- 3.7 85-89 B+ 3.3 80-84 B 3.0 75-79 Very Good B- 2.7 70-74 C+ 2.3 65-69 C 2.0 60-64 Satisfactory C- 1.7 55-59 D 1.0 50-54 Marginal Pass F 0.0 < 50 Failure R 0.0 < 50 Very Poor - Failure What Assignment Grades Mean A Outstanding Exceptional work, answers the key questions and/or includes most or all key elements, no obvious holes or errors, it is well produced, clear, concise, well organized, meets most or all expectations. B Very Good Good, solid work, but not exceptional. Answers some of the key questions and/or key elements, but may lack details, still needs some editing or correction. Generally well produced, clear, coherent, but not exceptional. C Satisfactory May contain acceptable elements, but lacks answers to many questions or important details/elements, could be clearer, more cohesive, contains errors or holes, indicates a lack of full effort. Note: see performance policies below.January 2020 D Marginal Unacceptable work. Some limited effort has been made, but suffers from one or more serious flaws, such as: instructions not followed, poorly executed, errors in fact, presentation errors, etc. F Fail Work that demonstrates a serious lack of effort and/or caring. Demonstrates a failure to apply basic skills of reporting and/or critical thinking. Work is very poorly produced. Note: see performance policies below. Undergraduate Students Performance Policies 1. Student receiving a C- or less in one journalism course may move forward on probation. 2. Students receiving a C- or less in two or more journalism courses in any given semester must meet with the Undergraduate Program Director, and, in consultation with the Chair, discuss whether they will be allowed to continue to the next level on probation or repeat the courses before they move forward. 3. Students whose GPA falls below 2.0 will be asked to take 24 credits outside the program and maintain a GPA above 2.0 in order to be readmitted to the journalism program. 4. Concordia requires all students to have a minimum of 2.0 to graduate. Failing Grades "F," "FNS," "R," and "NR" notations 1. "F" indicates failure in a course in which a supplemental examination is available. 2. "FNS" indicates failure in a course in which no supplemental examination is available. 3. In a course graded "R," a student is not permitted to write a supplemental examination, apply for a "MED" or "DEF" notation, or complete work late. 4. Not Reported "NR" indicates that a student appears to have unofficially withdrawn from a course. It is assigned by the Registrar when no material is available to evaluate and the instructor has been unable to submit a grade. "NR" carries a grade point value of zero and counts as a failure.  In a course with an "NR," a student is not permitted to apply for a "MED" or "DEF" notation, write deferred or supplemental examinations, or complete work late. Detailed information regarding the above can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.  Department of Journalism Graduate Grading Equivalence Chart as of January 2020 The Department of Journalism is committed both to teaching students how to practice journalism as well as how to conduct themselves as working professionals. Students are asked to consider the below definitions when reflecting upon their own course work. Grade Grade Points Numerical Value A+ 4.3 95-100 A 4.0 90-94 Outstanding A- 3.7 85-89 B+ 3.3 80-84 Very Good B 3.0 75-79 Good B- 2.7 70-74 Acceptable C 2.0 55-69 Marginal F 0.0 0-54 Failure What Assignment Grades Mean A Outstanding Exceptional work, answers the key questions and/or includes most or all key elements, no obvious holes or errors, it is well produced, clear, concise, well organized. Meets most or all expectations. B Good Good, solid work, but not exceptional. Answers some of the key questions and/or key elements, but may lack details, still needs some editing or correction. Generally well produced, clear, coherent. C Marginal Contains acceptable elements, but still needs considerable work. Lacks answers to many questions and/or does not include needed elements, needs editing for details, clarity, cohesion, etc. Note: see C Rule below. F Fail Work that demonstrates a serious lack of effort and/or caring. Demonstrates a failure to apply basic skills of reporting and/or very poorly produced. Note: see F Rule below.January 2020 Graduate Students Performance Policies 1. F Rule Graduate students who receive a failing grade in the course of their studies will be withdrawn from the program unless continuation in the program is requested by the student’s program or Faculty and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. If withdrawn from program, students may apply for re-admission (see Withdrawal for Academic Reasons). Students who receive another failing grade after re-admission will be withdrawn from the program and will not be considered for re-admission. 2. C Rule Graduate students who receive more than one C grade during the course of their studies will be withdrawn from the program unless continuation in the program is requested by the student’s program or Faculty and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Course- based programs in the John Molson School of Business do not have a C Rule. Individual programs may have more stringent regulations; students should check their program’s entry or with the Graduate Program Director. Students who have been withdrawn may apply for re-admission (see Withdrawal for Academic Reasons in Graduate Admission section). Students who receive another C after re-admission will be withdrawn from the program and will not be considered for re-admission. Students should refer to the section on Academic Standing in their program’s calendar entry.

Teacher: ALLEN MCINNIS

Category: Journalism

JOUR 642 01 2244 (Winter 2025)

JOUR 642/01 (Winter 2025): SPEC TOP/ JOUR STUDIES - LIFESTYLE JOURNALISM

Lifestyle journalism—which includes topics such as food and drink, travel, fashion, fitness, health and wellness, leisure, home improvement and décor—first started gaining popularity in the post-World War Two newspaper ‘Women’s Pages.’ The field has since outgrown its traditionally gendered place in newspapers and is now just about everywhere, with news media outlets investing more resources into lifestyle content to attract both offline and online audiences and advertisers. At the same time, new players have entered the field, with lifestyle journalists and social media lifestyle influencers competing for attention in overcrowded digital multimedia spaces.

Scholars who study lifestyle journalism’s forms and functions generally agree it is a “distinct journalistic field” (Hanusch, 2012) that focuses on providing its audiences ‘news you can use,’ or useful and entertaining information and guidance regarding consumer issues and cultural trends that impact people’s everyday lives.

This course proposes a critical evaluation of lifestyle journalism to provide a deeper understanding of its history, how it has changed, and its possible future(s) as a potentially disruptive form of journalistic storytelling that encourages public discussion and reflection about important social, historical, cultural, economic, and political issues.

By interrogating specific scholarly texts and analyzing works of lifestyle journalism from across specialties, we will explore the evolution of lifestyle journalism, the field’s close ties to advertising, public relations, and consumer culture, the boundaries drawn between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ news and lifestyle journalists’ related role conceptions, and lifestyle journalism’s expanding borders and audiences.

Through lifestyle journalism content production workshops and assignments, this course also seeks to help students hone their research and reporting skills through the exploration of various lifestyle topics. The course aims to provide students a supportive space in which they will be encouraged to build confidence in generating original story ideas, explore creative journalistic storytelling methods, and develop their own personal writing styles and voices.

Thus, the course’s main objectives are to:

(1) provide students with a deeper understanding of the theoretical and practical underpinnings of lifestyle journalism;

(2) develop students’ critical thinking, news literary, and analysis skills through exploring works of lifestyle journalism;

(3) help students hone and apply their research, reporting, and digital multimedia storytelling skills to lifestyle journalism content production.