The journalism school’s curriculum just got a little bit funnier.
The psychology and philosophy of humor, as well as its relationship to journalism and public relations, is the focus of Journalism 488, titled “Humor Writing.” Bill Reader, associate professor of journalism, is teaching the course, which hasn’t been offered in three years.
Former Ohio University professor Melvin Helitzer created and taught the course until his retirement in 2008. Helitzer passed away in 2009, and the course was discontinued after his death.
“It wasn’t an insensitive thing, it was a question of what do we have that we no longer can teach?” Reader said.
When preparation for the switch to semesters began, faculty examined course catalogs in search of courses they felt were dated or could afford to be eliminated. One suggestion was the humor writing course, but Reader disagreed.
“This is the era of the Daily Show, of Real Time (with Bill Maher). This is the era where even NPR tries to do humor stuff — Wait Wait – Don’t Tell Me is one of their most popular shows on Saturday,” Reader said, “… Can it? No, we should revise it.”
Reader approached Robert Stewart, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and Hugh Martin, assistant director, about the idea and they decided to offer the course again.
The role of humor has been very present in advertising, but is growing in journalism and mass communication, Reader said. Before the surge in the media trend, humor columnists existed but didn’t write about major issues. In addition to being humorous, being informative is also a goal in the course, Reader added.
Humor Writing might not be for everyone, though.
“It takes somebody who has a pretty thick skin and who can take it as good as they can dish it out. The absolute worst person who can go into comedy is one that is easily offended,” Reader said.
Gina Edwards, a senior studying journalism who is currently enrolled in the course, agreed with Reader.
“You have to be able to make fun of yourself and you have to be okay with making fun of other people and risk offending them, but I wouldn’t shy away from (the class) for those reasons if you’re open to it,” Edwards said.
mt360307@ohiou.edu
