About the Journalism Program

Ohlone's journalism program has a long and distinguished history. Vol. 1, No. 1 of Ohlone's first student newspaper, then named the Saints' Herald, was published Nov. 2, 1967. At that time, Ohlone was housed in a former convent on Washington Boulevard. Ohlone's present campus did not open until the mid- 1970s, so, in a sense, there was a campus newspaper even before there was a campus.

Through the years, the Monitor has been highly regarded in the journalism community, winning more than its share of awards in state wide competitions sponsored by the Journalism Association of Community Colleges. The Monitor has also proved itself as a training ground for journalists, with former Monitor staff members working in newspaper, radio and TV jobs around the state.

The Monitor -
Ohlone's Award Winning Newspaper

The Monitor is as much like a commercial newspaper as we can make it, within the academic framework. Student editors assign stories to reporters and photographers. Page editors place the stories and write the headlines. Advertising sales workers contact business owners and design the ads.

When the issue comes out, the staff takes the credit, or the blame. Students learn to balance the value of individual initiative and the value of teamwork.Editors depend on writers to turn in their stories on time, but writers depend on their own skills to get the facts straight. In the end, each issue of the Monitor is a group effort and an individual effort. Students learn the necessity of planning, get many forms of feedback on their work, and walk away with real-life experience in an attractive field of employment.

You may also read the Monitor Online.

In the News

• Ohlone restarts magazine class - Inside Bay Area, December 19, 2007 -"Student-produced Midnight marks the return of magazine teaching at Ohlone College. Instructor Bill Parks figuresthe course has been absent from the journalism program for nearly a decade."

Degree and Certificates

Review academic requirements in the Catalog and in the Curriculum Guides. All students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to review academic program requirements and/or have questions answered.

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• Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree
  • Journalism (PDF)
• Certificate of Achievement
  • Journalism (PDF)
• Certificate of Completion (also known as Fast-Track Certificate)
  • Journalism (PDF)

Related Information at Ohlone

• Art
• Business Administration
• Computer Applications & Occupational Technology
• English
• English Learning Center
• Monitor Online, Ohlone's newspaper
• Midnight Magazine, Ohlone's culture and arts magainze

Courses

Course descriptions are available in the Catalog. Review the Class Schedule for class dates and times. A sampling of courses for this discipline includes:

• JOUR-101A Newswriting
• JOUR/ENGL-106 Censorship and Literature
• JOUR/ART-145 Digital Photojournalism
• JOUR/ART-146, 147, 148 Photography/Graphic Arts Newspaper Staff
• JOUR/BRDC-155 Mass Media and Society
• JOUR-170, 171, 172 Newspaper Writing and Editing Staff
• JOUR-173, 174, 175 Magazine Writing and Editing Staff
• JOUR-176, 177, 178 Advertising Staff
• ART-133A Black and White Photography
• BA-129 Introduction to Advertising
• GA/CAOT-188 Desktop Publishing with QuarkXpress

Descriptions of Journalism courses...

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the courses in this discipline, the student will have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

• Demonstrate a keen judgment of what makes a news story and how to go about gathering information.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the history, operation, and culture of different forms of mass media, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film, and online communication.
• Demonstrate an understanding of communication theory.
• Demonstrate appropriate writing and editing skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to work together, while developing pride in taking responsibility and working independently.
• Demonstrate computer and camera skills needed to be competitive in the mass media field.

Career Opportunities

Please visit the Counseling Department and Student Success Center for information.

Transfer Information

Please visit the Counseling Department and Transfer Center for information.

Faculty

Full-time

• Bill Parks
  Journalism Instructor and Monitor Advisor
  (510) 659-6074
  bparks@ohlone.edu
  http://www.ohlone.edu/people/bparks/
• Gerry Mooney
  Photojournalism Instructor and Photo Advisor
  (510) 659-6075

Contact Information

Monitor Ohlone College
43600 Mission Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94539-0390
(510) 659-6075
Fax (510) 659-6076
monitor@ohlone.edu

Division

Fine Arts, Business, and Communication Division.