About the WORD
The WORD is a dynamic experiment for teaching students journalism. It has helped this instructor to experiment with and develop imaginative ways to teach students writing, reporting, researching and the dynamics - the theoretical and the practical - of disseminating information.
And it has been a significant source for helping students get internships and jobs in journalism and communications and, just as important, for many who take my classes to evaluate whether they want to get into the business of journalism. This novel experiment has been received numerous grants: Eight from Hunter College, one from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the Independent Press Association of New York, now the New York Community Media Alliance and the FORD Foundation, the latter for me to experiment with a multimedia, ethnic news reporting project for undergraduate students.
It is constantly evolving. The WORD Blog is the latest development. This medium has been primarily used by this instructor for comments and information about topics directly and indirectly related to teaching and journalism. He’s experimenting, as usual. However, he is also considering ideas to incorporate student participation and, of course, he wants to do it in an unique way.
And for those unfamiliar with Hunter College, the WORD has certainly been in the vortex of the most contentious battles regarding teaching, writing instruction and academic freedom issues than any other medium of information, student or faculty operated at the College and the City University of New York - ever.
Gregg Morris can be contacted at gmorris@hunter.cuny.edu.