Cross-Registration
The Fall 2026 classes listed below are available for cross-registration by seniors and graduate students from other divisions of Columbia University.
It is not possible to self-register for Journalism School courses. To request admission to a class, students must submit the cross registration request form. The form will be open from August 31, at 10 a.m. until September 18 at 10 a.m.
All classes are three points unless otherwise noted.
Fall 2026 Class Offerings
Instructor: Joanne Faryon
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., beginning Oct. 28
Description: Whether we are listening to them or reading them, stories told for the ear engage us, hold our attention and make us "see" the story. Driven by strong, clear narrative writing, these stories capture our imagination. They are intimate and compelling. The writing is conversational and active. The scenes are vivid and memorable. From Edward R. Murrow’s account of entering Buchenwald in 1945, to Sarah Koenig’s 2014 Serial podcast, journalists who write for the ear have always been among our most powerful storytellers. This class explores the qualities of the best audio and video storytelling and the ways it differs from, and is similar to, writing for print, online or video. For some assignments, students will record interviews and use them in producing audio scripts. These assignments complement, but do not duplicate, audio courses in the Image and Sound module. Students will learn the basic technical skills required for this class in two evening labs during the first two weeks of class -- recording and mixing a basic story with written narration and actuality from interviews. Writing for the Ear is not a prerequisite for any course, though the writing style taught in this class will make all of your writing stronger. It will be especially useful for students planning careers in podcasting, radio, television or documentary journalism.
Instructor: Bill Grueskin
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2-5 p.m., beginning Oct. 28
Description: You can't write well if you can't edit well. The best writers are those who can look at stories -- their own as well as others' -- and find ways to make them better.
This class will help you do that.
Through a series of drills, assignments, discussions and lectures, we'll go over the core elements of news editing. That includes making your stories crisp and compelling, not wasting your readers' time, handling deadline pressure, being fair and accurate, understanding the digital audience, and spotting errors that can lead to anything from a correction to a derailed career. We'll also invite some of the best editors to tell us how they got to be so damned good.
Instructor: Angela Moon
Day/Time: Wednesday, 2-5 p.m., beginning on October 28
Description: In our world, everything is shaped by technology and innovation—and lucky for us, that means everything can be a tech story. Students will learn to think and write critically about how artificial intelligence and the broader tech industry are transforming the way people learn, work, socialize, shop, bank, travel, obtain health care, entertain themselves and engage in community and political activism. We will delve into complex (and often controversial) topics — think surveillance, facial recognition, companion bots and deep fakes — and learn how to write compelling stories that explain some of the thorniest ethical and legal challenges created by these technologies. Students will both cover news, write story pitches and complete at least one more in-depth article.que.
Instructor: June Cross
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., beginning Oct. 28
Description: The perennial question facing documentarians, “What is truth?” has never been more apt. Artificial intelligence has transformed production practice, especially for archival material, raising fundamental questions about the evidentiary reliability of documentary images.
Distribution models that relied on streaming platforms have been disrupted by the reliance on true crime; and celebrity-driven films overseen by their subjects . The boundaries between documentary filmmaking and journalism are being tested in courtrooms, as judges question whether documentarians are even journalists - and contested in newsrooms, where they are conflated with advocacy. The economic sustainability of documentary as a profession—always precarious—faces new threats. At the same time, distribution modes that aim for direct to audience models are coming to the fore.
This seven-week writing class will train students to explore these issues as journalists. Students will produce reported essays requiring original interviews with filmmakers, distributors, programmers, and audiences. The course culminates in an immersive reporting experience at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the United States (November 11–29, 2026), where students will function as working arts and industry journalists.
Student work will be published on a dedicated Substack, launching before the festival with reported pre-festival essays and continuing with real-time festival coverage. The Substack is designed to be read by documentary professionals, and select pieces may be developed for publication in outlets such as IndieWire and Documentary magazine.
Instructor: Marguerite Holloway
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m., beginning Oct. 28
Description: Writing compelling science and environment stories—whether about social justice, ecology, or public health—requires an ability to construct narrative out of close observation and deep reporting about complex issues. Using the city as your field site, you will identify an issue that engages you and learn how to find a story and characters within it. By workshopping and rewriting, you will learn how to craft a well-structured, flowing story. Along the way, you will read examples of exceptional environmental storytelling and nature writing, and see how central poetry, people, and place are to bringing a topic to life.
Instructor: Andie Tucher
Meets: Tuesday 2:10-4 p.m.
Points: 3
An exploration of the central role of journalism in public life. We'll explore its historical roots, social role, and cultural contexts, and consider how it works in a democracy and what happens if it doesn't. Topics include the evolution of journalistic conventions and reporting techniques; the rise and fall (and rise?) of objectivity; the ideal, and the reality, of the independent adversarial press; the impact of social media, AI, and other new technologies; journalism and narrative; the uses and abuses of sensationalism; journalism and political polarization; disinformation, propaganda, and fake news; and the future of journalism. Although the focus is on US institutions and practices, we'll be placing them in a global context.
Registration Details
To request cross-registration in a Journalism School course, please complete this form. Request forms are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis; and spots are assigned to non-Journalism graduate students based on available space, with top priority given to SIPA media students.
If you have more than one course for which you want to be considered, please submit a separate form for each class. You do not need to submit multiple forms for the same cross-registration request. Please be certain that you are not requesting a class that conflicts with any of your other classes.
Please note that this is only a request, and CJS cannot guarantee your request will be accommodated.
If your form is submitted correctly, you will receive a request confirmation e-mail within 24 hours. Please remember to include the @columbia.edu after your UNI.
You will not receive an e-mail from the Student Life office saying that your request was granted or not granted. Check your class schedule to determine if your request was granted. All requests remain on file during the cross-registration period.
Direct any questions to Melanie Huff.