This semester, upperclassmen in the journalism and telecommunication and film departments have a brand new opportunity.

Journalism professor Lars Anderson and TCF professor Michael Bruce are teaching a merged class for sports journalism and broadcasting students. Before this class, the students were taught separately either in JN 491 or TCF 334.

TCF 334, Sports Broadcasting, has existed for several years. However, the JN 491 course, TV Sports Feature Writing, is in its first semester.

Anderson teaches students in JN 491 about feature writing and in-depth reporting before combining into one class with Bruce’s TCF 334 students.

Anderson said the merging of the courses is a valuable learning experience for the journalism students because they will better learn to report, write, edit and produce for the screen.

“You need to be skilled on so many different platforms,” Anderson said. “You can’t just really go out and be a print person anymore.”

Anderson has formed relationships with notable professionals in the sports journalism field thanks to his experience with Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. His lectures are supplemented with in-class Skype calls with his connections in the industry.

One of Anderson’s students, Jeremiah Johnson, began his time at The University of Alabama as a TCF major, however he made the switch to journalism because of his future career aspirations as a sports analyst.

This semester, Johnson, now a junior, looked for a class that would help him in the process of becoming a well-rounded, multifaceted journalist.

In JN 491, Johnson is finding that his professor and the opportunities within the class allow him to develop into the journalist that he sees himself being in the future.

“Coming into (the class) knowing that we have a teacher who is so experienced and who is so great at what he does is so exciting,” Johnson said.

He anticipates that the class will simulate what a real sports news job will be like through the combination of the two classes and is optimistic about working with the TCF students.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with Bruce and the TCF people to make short stories,” Johnson said. “Collaboration is key in being a writer and a reporter.”

The middle of February marked the beginning of the merged class. In it, students like Johnson are working in pairs or small groups to create sports-based feature stories and to gain the valuable experience of learning from others around them.

“We’re hoping that it creates stories that can air on WVUA or other local channels,” Bruce said. “Also, (the stories) ultimately might be used to compete for other national awards.”

With the merging of the journalism and TCF departments within the College of Communications starting next semester, this course may give the students and faculty a glance into the possible future of the college.