We are committed to infusing the curriculum with the latest trending topics and emerging media. By incorporating insights from industry experts, we ensure our students are prepared for the ever-evolving landscape of journalism and mass communications—check out our latest special topics and pop-up courses.
Fall 2026
Pop-up Classes
Pop-up classes are short, one-credit-hour courses designed to allow students to dive into emerging industry trends and gain skills to prepare them for future careers. Pop-up classes are open to all UNL students and are Pass/No Pass.
JOMC 492/892.791 | 1 CREDIT | P/NP
Branding Yourself in Today's Market
ONLINE | 8/24-9/11
This online asynchronous pop-up course will explore strategies in better understanding how to brand yourself in today's ever-changing market. One of the best ways to articulate your skills, experience, knowledge, and overall worth in today’s competitive job market is to create a personal brand that helps you stand out in the crowd. Learn how to formulate your own value proposition and convey your knowledge, skills, and abilities to prospective employers. This course will leverage relevant social media platforms and other online portfolio tools to help you reframe how you approach your personal brand.
Faculty: Frauke Hachtmann
JOUR 348.951 | 1 credit | p/np
Real World I
IN PERSON | W 5:30-8:20 | 9/16-10/14
This course offers an inside look at the news reporting business as students engage in a news-gathering project led by working journalists at the Omaha World-Herald. Thanks to a partnership between the Omaha World-Herald and the CoJMC, the news organization’s editors, reporters and photographers will share their expertise and perspectives about a timely and relevant topic of the editorial team’s choice. This course is also an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and practice skills they are learning concurrently in JOUR 200B, Fundamentals of Editing & Reporting II. The Fall 2026 project will focus on the midterm elections.
Faculty: Leslie Klein
JOMC 392.791 | 1 CREDIT | P/NP
The “Reel” Deal-Instagram for Storytelling
online | 10/5-11/6
1 billion people use Instagram across the globe each and every month, spending an average of 30 minutes per day. 500 million people use Instagram stories every day and nearly 50% of people have visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a product or service. In the U.S., 26% of people aged 18 to 24 have recently used Instagram specifically to access coronavirus news. The platform provides countless opportunities for brands, businesses and organizations, from non-profits and for profits to large news organizations to tell stories and connect a message with a consumer. In this course, students will take a deep dive into the Instagram platform researching best practices, ethics and learning the ins and out of how to create and measure content. Students will learn and create content for the grid, stories, IGTV, reels, Instagram live and eCommerce to best leverage the platform to accomplish strategic communication goals.
Faculty: Tyler Thomas
JOMC 292.791 | 1 CREDIT | P/NP
Food Writing
online | 10/12-11/13
Students who enroll in this course will walk away with a basic understanding of how to thrive as a food journalist in the industry, not just capable of writing a variety of food stories but also pitching their ideas (and themselves) to editors. This course will be taught online over 5 weeks by a food journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the food beat both both magazines and online publications, including details on how to write several different types of food stories and information on how to make your food stories stand out.
Faculty: Nora Tarte
JOMC 192.951 | 1 credit | P/np
NYC Media Tour
TRAVEL DATES: 10/18-10/21 CLASS MEETINGS: 10/8, 10/22 5-6 P.M.
Sign up to go on the 2026 NYC Media Tour by Friday, Sept. 25! Explore the city, network with industry professionals and alumni over fall break! You have the option of taking the NYC Media Tour experience as a pop-up class for credit. You do not need to take the class for credit to participate, but you must sign up through the form below to go on the trip. Leading up to the NYC Media Tour students will be expected to complete pre-trip assignments and attend a meeting to prepare for the trip. It is important to note that students will be responsible for their own travel and lodging costs/arrangements.
Faculty: Natalie Becerra
JOMC 392.951 | 1 CREDIT | P/NP
Protest Coverage
in person | W 5:30-8:20 | 10/21-11/18
Journalists often get thrown into protest coverage with little to no training. Students will learn how to cover protests in the era of misinformation and disinformation and increasing political pressures and violence on all sides. You will hear from journalists/photographers/audio reporters who have covered protests from George Floyd, to the immigration protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere in 2026. You will examine safety tactics and tips and ethics of protest coverage.
Faculty: Chris Graves
JOMC 292.951 | 1 CREDIT | P/NP
Media Sales & Account Management
In Person | 10/24 & 10/25 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
This fast-paced, interactive pop-up course introduces students to the fundamentals of media sales and account management. Students will explore the skills needed to build client relationships, develop strategic multimedia plans, and confidently present and close proposals in both in-person and remote selling environments. The course includes hands-on experience creating a customized media plan for a local business, providing practical insight into one of the most results-driven and relationship-driven areas of advertising and marketing.
Faculty: David Thiemann
Special Topics Classes
Special topic classes are new or emerging classes offered for three credit hours during a regular academic session - fall, spring or summer semesters.
ADPR 191.001 | 3 CREDITS
All Too Well Marketed: Taylor Swift’s Branding Game
IN PERSON | T 5:30-8:20 p.m.
This course uses Taylor Swift's career as a masterclass in integrated marketing communications, examining how she has built brand loyalty, mastered digital and traditional media, and created one of the most engaged fan communities in modern history. Through analysis of her campaigns, social media strategies, and public relations responses, students gain practical frameworks for brand building, experiential marketing, and strategic communication that apply across industries.
Faculty: Kelli Britten
SPMC 391.001 | 3 CREDITS
Mega-Sporting Events and the Media
In person | TR 9:30-10:45 a.m.
This course examines the intricate relationship between global media and mega sporting events, such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, focusing on publicity, marketing, and the strategic communication involved in their production.
Faculty: Kelsey Slater
JOMC 491/891.700 | 3 credits
Severe Weather, Media and You
online
Looking outside your Nebraska residence, you could see sunny skies, torrential rain, heaps of snow or trash cans flying around the neighborhood. Weather conditions change rapidly, and weather forecasters are often challenged by trying to reach different audiences, along with what to say when they do. How can you become a storm chaser? What do emergency managers do? This class will provide the basics of media performance and weather forecasting. It will be especially relevant for weather enthusiasts or those with an interest in broadcast meteorology.
Faculty: Cory Armstrong
APDR 491/891.791 | 3 Credits
Data Analysis & Consumer Insight
online | 10/27-12/19
This course takes a hands-on, user-friendly approach to data analysis and consumer insights, designed for students with little or no prior statistics background. Students learn how to work with real-world media and audience data, interpret results, and translate findings into clear, strategic insights and recommendations for campaigns, brands, and organizations.
Faculty: Changmin Yan
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