I loved this class! I can’t recommend Prof Newton enough, he is probably the kindest and most understanding professor I have had at UCLA. The class itself covered some interesting topics about ethics in journalism, and his lectures were always well put together and kept me engaged. He encouraged participation and would also ask follow up questions which were surprisingly great to get a discussion going and I actually ended up learning a lot from my classmates’ perspectives and opinions which is rare honestly. If you have an opportunity to take Prof Newton, definitely do it!! It’s an easy class but one that actually feels rewarding. One thing to note is that he lists a textbook on the syllabus and has chapters assigned for certain weeks but you don’t need the book at all and you’ll be fine just reading the articles he links on the syllabus.

Professor Newton is the best professor I've had at UCLA in my three years. He is incredibly engaging and really cares about his students and is willing to explain things again to them or meet in office hours whenever. I highly recommend taking this class. The course content is super interesting and relevant, definitely a class I'll take with me for years.

Also Professor Newton sounds like Tom Hanks. Haha.

Prof Newton is literally one of the kindest professors I've ever had! Super willing to help! Had some tech trouble getting lectures up on the site and tried very hard until he got it right and we could access the recordings, appreciated the dedication. Also had really great lectures that were easy to follow, midterm and final followed material covered in class!

selling the book "Graphing for Ethics" for $20 + shipping ($5). please text **********

Prof. Newton is one of the best profs I have experienced at UCLA so far. His class focuses on ethics in journalism. He has deep roots in this field as he has been a reporter with the Los Angeles Times for more than 20 years. His style of teaching does not include slides. Instead, he explains concepts and backs them up with actual or sometimes hypothetical case studies. Prof. Newman's is warm, respectful, and very kind towards students. There is one mid-term and one final both worth 45 points ea. The last 10 points are from participation. Go to lecture and read the very interesting articles he assigns each week and you will ace this class.

Professor Newton's class was exceptional! This course examines issues in journalistic ethics and their impact on society at large. He covers a number of topics in journalism from using anonymous sources, defamation, conflicts of interest, and the business of journalism. This is a low stakes course, meaning there is minimal reading and the lecture material is pretty straight forward. This course was a balance during the fall quarter when I took four classes. If you're taking four classes or a south campus student who needs an elective, and that needs to balance out your schedule, take this class! However don't pass if off to not show up to class or to disregard the readings. Professor Newton is an exceptional professor and he will probably be one of those professors you will remember well after you leave UCLA. Your grade is made of two exams: midterm and final, both worth 45%. The exams consist of short essay answers about topics covered in lecture or the readings. The other 10% of your grade is attributed to participation. And the participation was not like other classes where you're regurgitate what the instructor says. The class engaged into some really deep discussions about a variety of issues that we deal with in society, politics, and ethics. For me, the discussions gave the course substance and brought back an element we are missing during the absents of in-class meetings during Covid-19. Rather you are seeking a future in journalism or not, this class will help you to develop a critical lens in how to interpret ethical journalism in todays news.

Professor Newton is an awesome professor! I'm not planning to pursue a career within law or journalism but I really enjoyed the concepts he covered and stayed engaged. He is fairly clear on what will be covered during exams but be sure to take thorough notes. Both exams are written and require memorization of key concepts and how they relate to examples you may know or have learned in class. If you are present and focus during class, you shouldn't have a problem with doing a good job in this course!

AMAZING class. Absolutely try to take a class with Newton if you can. Awesome, kind person and very knowledgeable about journalism

honestly if I could become a comm major I would because of him. he is a really sweet guy who you can tell is passionate about his work and the learning of students. while he was teaching us, he was also learning from us and taking into account our perspectives and views on the subjects he brought up. his tests were easy but only if you actually studied. Its a really interesting class that really all you have to do is pay attention and make sure you take notes as surprisingly he comes very prepared but doesn't put anything up online, just encourages you to come see him if he missed a class. really good and interesting class would take again!!!

Easily the best professor I've had at UCLA. He is extremely engaging and uses personal examples from his background in journalism to supplement class material. The content of the class is important and interesting. Would 100% recommend to anyone, regardless of major.

As a STEM major taking this class, it was an interesting and easy class. Most of the material you learn is common sense stuff. For the midterm and final, you will have to answer 5 out of 9 questions in 2-3 paragraphs. Make sure to understand the hypothetical scenarios and real life examples the professor gives for each topic because you will have to provide support your claims on the midterm and final using these examples. You can also provide other examples besides the ones covered in class but you will have to provide context and how they relate to the topics.
Do the readings before going to class because that way you will understand how those relate to the topic of each lecture.
The book is not really required for the class. It provides some extra examples and some more definitions of the topics. You can probably find a pdf of the book. However, the professor bases the midterm and final on the stuff he mentions during lecture.