Abbe is an amazing professor!! Her class was incredibly insightful and I learned how to argue and make cases using practical examples. She also pushes students to find different methods of discussion. For example, once you are comfortable with your ideas, she will challenge them, forcing you to think creatively. This is one of my favorite classes at UCLA and I highly recommend you take it!

I cannot recommend Comm 186 with Abigail Goldman highly enough, and wish that every Bruin was required to take this class. This was the second class I've taken with Professor Goldman, and she is easily the best professor I've had so far at UCLA. This is my second Bruinwalk review after two years on campus, which I hope is a testament to how much I enjoyed this incredible class. I would enthusiastically take this class again or other classes with Professor Goldman if possible.

The setup for this class was fairly straightforward. I believe the grade distribution was 35% midterm, 40% final, 10% weekly discussion posts (usually about 250-350 words before each lecture), 10% participation (which I'll expand on in the next paragraph of my review), and 5% attendance.

Participation definitely matters in this class, but Professor Goldman provides several different options for how that can take shape. DO NOT be afraid of rumors that Professor Goldman cold calls on students. While true, it is a large class of about 100 students, so odds are that you will only be called on once or twice in the whole quarter. She always lets students pass if they want to.

The weekly discussion posts are based on the weekly readings, which are usually about 10-12 pages ahead of each lecture. You NEED to complete the readings to understand all of the details and angles of a given case, but they are genuinely interesting. The midterm and final are usually six short-answer or short essay questions that ask you to defend multiple positions on a few different journalism cases.

The content of this class -- discussing and dissecting ethical dilemmas in contemporary journalism -- might seem to be a niche topic, but it has a widespread level of relevance. Some cases deal with topics surrounding the media's depiction of topics such as abortion, race, rape, religion, sexual harassment, and political tensions in the Middle East. If any of these "hot-button" topics make you uncomfortable, this probably isn't the class for you. That said, Professor Goldman approaches each of these issues -- and the journalistic cases covering them -- with neutrality, objectivity, respect, and tastefulness. The class is more focused on finding the ethical way to cover these topics than prompting debate about their validity.

Best of all, Professor Goldman is one of the most helpful professors I've ever had the opportunity to work with. She offers office hours twice a week (sometimes with her adorable goldendoodle attending, too) where she is consistently patient and supportive while pushing students like myself to think more critically about how to dissect the cases or improve our ability to present nuanced arguments. Several times throughout the course of the quarter, she added additional office hours (sometimes even in the evenings) to ensure that every student had plenty of opportunity to ask her questions if need be.

I promise you will not regret taking this class! Professor Goldman is an exceptional educator, and if you want to become a better writer, speaker, critical thinker, or informed citizen, this class is for you!

I cannot recommend Comm 191E with Abigail Goldman highly enough! The two classes I've taken with Goldman (the other being Comm 186) have been my absolute favorites that I've taken in college, and Goldman is easily the best professor I've ever had the opportunity to work with. I encourage anyone and everyone -- even if you might think that writing is not your strong suit or passion -- to take this class! You will become a better writer and a better person, and Goldman's dedication to her students is unmatched. I know this review is being published several months after my quarter in the class ended, but it is a testament to the enduring impact this class had on me that I am still raving about it!

This class is set up to teach students about several different styles and forms of journalism. When I took the class, we met for class on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, we would spend the 75-minute lecture delving into a specific type of journalism (such as writing for hard news stories, writing opinion pieces, or writing a profile), while looking at several examples of both professional and student examples across a range of quality. Then, we'd have to write a 400-500 word short article in that week's style that was due before class on Wednesday. The writing on deadline could be stressful at times, but Goldman held office hours both in-person and on Zoom on Monday and Tuesday to accommodate students' schedules in both the afternoon and evening. She also encouraged collaboration with classmates to read and offer suggestions on each other's work, which helped tremendously. During Wednesday's class, we'd discuss that week's topic further while reflecting on ways our articles were successful or fell short, while previewing the next week's topic. Even in that condensed time frame, Goldman effectively taught us about several different types of writing, and the mandatory readings she assigned (10-12 pages at most each week) were entertaining and helped to see other examples of great articles.

Professor Goldman (who everyone is allowed to call "Abbe") is a veteran Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has tremendous humility, humor, and humanity. Despite her extensive experience as a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times, she never comes across as being stuck-up or condescending, and often offers self-deprecating anecdotes from earlier in her career that help her successfully relate to students about the challenges that can come with adapting to new styles of writing. Her office hours are incredibly helpful, and she is genuinely motivated to encourage student learning and skill acquisition rather than prioritizing grades or perfectionism. She also posts on the class website ample resources and guidelines for how to write specific types of articles.

Goldman's lectures are consistently engaging and fun, with vibrant slideshow presentations that incorporate memes or short video clips pertaining to relevant topics for that week. She expects punctuality and active participation, and the small class size of about 20 students allows her to learn each student's name. Your grade is a combination of participation in class and scores on your weekly articles, but there are no tests. One of the unique features of Goldman's classes are the fact that she always grades anonymously, so she will read (and offer ample feedback upon) your article for the week without knowing it's yours. Her edits and comments are consistently insightful.

If you happen to write for Daily Bruin, BruinLife, or any of UCLA's student magazines, this class is especially invaluable and it would be an enormous missed opportunity not to take it. I was a Daily Bruin contributor with only one published byline when I took the class, but the strengthening of my writing over the course of the quarter inspired me to write more often (and eventually pursue editorship at the Daily Bruin). If it weren't for this class, I don't think I would have built this greater level of confidence in my own writing ability across a range of styles, and Goldman is always focused on empowering students.

That said, being a Student Media writer is by no means a requirement for participating in this class. When I took this class, it was a fairly even 50-50 split between Student Media writers and students who did not write for a publication outside of class. Goldman's lectures are tailored to suit all ability levels.

Hopefully it is evident that I would take this class again every quarter at UCLA if I could! With whatever writing ability you currently possess, you have what it takes to enjoy and thrive in Goldman's class!

Prof. Goldman is the perfect lecturer if you're coming into the course to become a better writer. While I did not get the grade I wanted, the skills I took from being taught by Prof. Goldman will be carried (by zombies) with me forever.

I more than recommend this course.

Professor Goldman is one of the best professors I've had the privilege of learning from in my time at UCLA, and I absolutely loved her Comm 191E class. The assignments aren't inherently easy, but you aren't overloaded with them, and Prof. Goldman provides a lot of help both in class and at office hours. She wants you to succeed, and pushes you through her assignments. I learned so much and can't wait to take Comm 186 with her in Spring 2024.

As someone who wants to go into journalism, Prof. Goldman was knowledgable, helpful, and incredibly kind, building a class for us to think outside of our comfort zone and learn skills that we will use in the real world.

When I took the course, there was no exam, however, she held the right to add one as a final. Weekly assignments with two days to complete, but it was honestly nice because it never conflicted with my other classes.

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I was very disappointed by this class. At the beginning, it seems super interesting because you read cool journalism case studies and the professor requires you to participate in class without technology. As the course goes on, however, most people became overwhelmed by how long the readings were and how in-depth you were supposed to know them for the tests. Your grade is almost entirely based upon the midterm and final, which are long, difficult, and require a lot of writing. If you struggle with test-taking or want to take an easy Communications elective, this isn't the class for you.

One of my favorite professors I have taken at UCLA so far!!! Makes the class super interesting and interactive. Get ready to do a lot of group work and participate in class. Midterm and final were a breeze as long as you attend the lectures and stay engaged except don't spend too long on questions or timing may be tight!