Professor Downey is so sweet and funny! The class itself was pretty boring and did not seem worth the time spent on assignments, but it is an easy class. If you do the work, you'll get an A.

The class has a fair workload, but if you do it you're guaranteed to get an A (2 essays, weekly smaller readings/writings, OPTIONAL extra credit final exam). I faced issues and turned in stuff very late; he was empathetic and kind (went from an F to a B). Lectures and discussions are graded and sometimes boring, but still very interesting content.

Downey was really funny, he gives lectures like he's performing standup. The lecture material itself is pretty boring, but he's a funny guy. There's a decent bit of homework in this class, but I think it is worthwhile and it is really easy to score well on. If you do the work in this class, you're guaranteed an A. No exams, two essays, one speech.

There are weekly assignments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with 2 big essays. The assignments are tedious and meaningless. The course material is out of touch with the reality if you are a CS major and want a job.

My advisor suggested this class for my Comm B. There are assignments due every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The assignments are tedious and time consuming, but not difficult. If you have other difficult class though, the workload in this class will overwhelm you. Would not recommend. The resources are useful and Downey is somewhat understanding.

Such a good and easy class, especially to fulfill the com b requirement!! Lectures aren't mandatory, but the discussions are. Really interesting material that can be helpful for future careers, even though it's a lot of busy work. Definitely recommend!!

If you go to UW, take this class with professor Doweny. Regardless of major you will eventually want to get a job, and this professor does everything in his power to help you do that.

Professor Downey is very inspirational and willing to assist students with their career planning. But Inter-LS 215 is poorly organized. It tries to stuff irrelevant commB content to the course, which gives nonessential assignments and lecture topics.

Dr. Downey is a good professor. He is well organized and the entire class is clearly laid out from the start. There is a lot to do in his class, but he is pretty good about giving extensions when you ask for them. He comes off as kinda full of himself and maybe a little narcissistic but overall he's a nice enough guy!

Professor Downey is a real gem. He's really inspirational and gives us a ton of resources. The lectures are not bad and he always brings in guest speakers. You will learn a lot of applicable skills in this class. He will give you more material than you will need, but you can scrape by pretty easily if you do the minimum.

Took this for my Com B requirement. Solid choice, lectures not mandatory but discussion session is. Not much homework, just weekly assignments and two papers throughout the semester.

Greg is great! I'm taking the one week boot camp version of his one credit career course. It's 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday for ONE WEEK. He is energetic and passionate. He gives great feedback and is very open to discussion.

Great resume building class. I had Greg for both LEC & DIS. There aren't a whole lot of lectures and discussions matter the most. If you can get Greg as your TA, he will really help with your resume, LinkedIn, etc. He made the class seem important but relaxed at the same time and was understanding of students. I would definitely recommend this.

Here's the thing. The class' content is pretty interesting and relatively easy to understand, but you will be doing A LOT of tedious, annoying work. I'm expecting to get an A or AB because of how easy they grade and I haven't been to lecture since week 3. Not a huge fan of Downey, he seems to like the sound of his own voice too much.

Good professor and lecturer. Pros and cons to having him as a TA - he's pretty interesting to listen to and is helpful in "navigating" university education in a sense, but can come off as very vague in terms of instructions for some assignments. Also comes off as pretty full of himself and SORT OF hard to talk to. Overall though, not bad at all.

Very good professor. His lectures are interesting and he grades fairly. Assignments can be hard to understand at times, but by the time you have to turn them in you usually have the intended idea. Very doable Comm-B course.

A good lecturer and the class is really easy - Downey pretty much gives you the test before, and the essays are a cinch if you can write coherently. But do NOT take Downey's section. He lectures about irrelevant stuff the whole time and doesn't let the students talk. Also, he's insufferable in person - he comes off as really full of himself.

Loved this class and loved Downey. By far would recommend this class and him as a professor. All of his lectures were interesting and all class work was SUPER easy! 97% in the class. Definitely recommend if looking for an easy COM B

He is very interesting. The material at the beginning is boring, but gets better. Only one test, two papers, and a video project. Not bad for a Comm B course

This class is very interesting, whether or not you plan on being a journalism major. Grading is super easy, especially for a Comm B class. The workload is pretty light for a 4 credit writing intensive course.

Highly recommended for a Comm B course. It's extremely interesting. Readings can be long, but there's not much for homework besides a couple (2-3) papers and a short video project at the end. Favorite class so far and not boring at all if you like technology!

Excellent course and professor. The first half of the course is rather bland because it's more of a History of Technology course, but then he transitions into more up-to-date material. One midterm, one final, not difficult; however, you do need to read two articles per week (btwn 8-15 pages). Still, awesome class. Highly recommended for Comm B.

Great class if interested. Take the Honors section, because incredibly interesting if you have downey as your TA and no additional work. Not as hard as it seems at first, little work here and there and its an easy A. Would reccomend

Caveat: I'm not a journalism person. Therefore, i didn't enjoy this class very much. Friends of mine who were looking to go to J-school loved it, I didn't. Downey is a good enough lecturer and tests are fairly easy, but the class is very politically-charged. If you work hard, you'll do fine. David Wise = chill, relaxed TA.

Very interesting class, actually feel like I've learned a lot and have become a better writer. Course work is not as bad as you think, everything is spaced out. I would recommend this class to others, Downey is a great lecturer.

A lot of people really like Downey and his lectures, personally I think he's really pretentious and a little biased (bashes conservative media, a lot). The class isn't hard. AB is easily attainable, almost impossible to get lower than a B. Don't be overwhelmed when you get the syllabus, it's NOT as much as you think. Posts lecture slides online.

the class is A LOT of work! Don't read any of the articles unless you have an assignment on one they are pointless. Terms and essay questions are given before the exams. TA's grade super hard on essays. Don't buy the Craft of Research, save yourself $17! Downey is a good prof and funny, but the class is boring unless you have prior interest!

Be ready to devote a lot of time to this class!

Overall i enjoyed this class. Greg has a lot of energy and keeps you paying attention, the topics are easy to relate to and the readings are long but they are interesting. I recommend this course !!

Downey's 201 class is soooo much work. If I had had any real interest in the material, I would've done better. The readings are insanely long and dry and just plain terrible. It is hard to pay attention during the lectures that aren't videos. Regardless of my dislike for the class, Downey is a good prof who knows his stuff. Good teacher, bad class!

Awesome professor! Very interesting material that really gets you thinking about the current media culture. A lot of work is required but if you put the time it you should be able to get an A and the grading scale is set, no curves, which makes it nearly impossible to get worse than a B as long as you attend lecture and write the papers.

downey's is a hard class w/ a lot of work involved, but GREAT material and interesting lectures. i disagree w/ the comments about getting a "good" TA. all TAs grade based on the same criteria and aren't biased -- downey makes sure of that. my TA graded very fairly.

Great class and professor. He is very knowledgeable and keeps lectures interesting and entertaining. The grade scale is generous as long as you have the right TA. The content is also very useful outside of class to anyone, regardless of major. Great way to learn about mass communications and today's media while also knocking off the comm B req.

Class was okay in general. The "readings" are not necessary. TA"S make up almost all of the grades. I had the WORST TA EVER- if you ever take J201 do not take STEPHANIE EDGERLY= she is horrible. Very hard grader and dosen't seem to care about class in general.

Greg Downey is amazing! His lectures weren't always straightforward, but they sure get you thinking about mass media and the effects is has in our world. Take this class- you'll never think about mass media in the same way again!

Really awesome professor. He is intelligent, interesting, and vibrant. He makes you think a lot about mass media and how it affects our lives. The TA's make this class a hit or miss in terms of grades, but he keeps lectures interesting. I would take another class with him for sure.

Really awesome professor. He is intelligent, young, and interesting. Unfortunately, the TA's make this class a hit or miss altogether. He makes lecture fly by though, and I would definitely take another class with him.

Minimum effort will get you an A/B. Interesting lectures and readings (though, much of it is common knowledge). 3 short papers, 3 short exams, and speech. Terms/essays given out week before exam, which is nice. Grade depends entirely on TA so make sure to get a good one.. i didn't (warning! Edgerly is awful!)

The class isn't too hard. The readings aren't necessary and the tests pretty are easy, but you will need to study. The papers are the difficult thing in this class. It's obvious that he is full of himself, but he's a decent professor. I have to say though, he doesn't seem to care whether or not you take anything away from the class. Overall: meh...

Greg Downey has been my favorite professor so far! His lectures are really interesting, his exams are not that hard. All around great class!

TERRIBLE professor. I also have him for J201. He is extremely arrogant and seems to have no interest in the success of his undergrad students. Loves to preach about his writing. I hardly read the articles at all. He tries to make lectures interesting, and some of them are. Don't take him for J201 if you are planning to apply to JSchool. Take other.

Fantastic professor! He is very helpful and clear in lecture, and really loves teaching. I felt the exams were tough, but because he did a great job preparing us, I felt I was always able to do very well on them. J201 was a great class!

Downey tries to be a great professor but ends up coming off as being arrogant and thinking he's better than any other scholar. Never take LIS201, I learned absolutely nothing and the class was a complete waste of my time. The readings are pointless. If you want an easy class--take it. If you want a class that doesn't bore you to tears--DO NOT TAK

Best Professor Ever. Grading is extremely fair and based off of how much work you put into the class. Downey makes the material interesting and strives to have his students fully engaged in class, even if it means that he has to revamp some of the material/activities for the class. Also, take him for J201 (still my all time favorite class)

Downey is awesome, but class is all TA. Nathan Johnson=the man if u can get him. Artcles long and pointless. Just read intro and conclusion to get idea of what its about. Class out of 100 pts, and final is only 10 pts. Realisically couldve got 0 on final and still recevied an A. Do well on 3 papers. Very interesting topics and applies to life today

Best professor at the university, hands down. He could make anything interesting.

Great class, fascinating, great professor, tough but interesting and a nice and entertaining person.

Lectures are actually pretty interesting, he uses a lot of outside materials/ videos to explain themes. Tests are pretty easy 5 terms and an essay. Overall the class has a lot of work (2 Midterms, Final, 3 papers, peer reviews, and 2 mini speeches), but it isn't hard to get a good grade.

Greg is an AWESOME professor! His lectures are interesting and well organized. He puts his slides up online after his lectures, so if you miss you can still get the info. He has guest lecturers on fridays which are a nice change of pace. And there's no class the Friday after a Wednesday test!

Your grade depends a lot on the TA. I loved the class and thought professor Downey always seeks to keep it interesting and cool. He is funny and great speaker. The material of the class is super interesting, the readings also. Tests aren't hard at all, they give you the terms used before time so you can prepare. A must!

Great lectures, interesting readings, tough but fair tests and grading. Only drawback is that he is really awkward and seemingly not wanting to talk to students, which was surprising because he seems like such an amicable guy during lectures. Definitely a worthwhile class, great for downing Comm B.

First off, don't waste your money on the textbook. We haven't used it once. He is a fairly interesting professor, but the class may be difficult depending on the TA. My favorite lecture were ones where he talked about objectivity when he has often very much portrayed a liberal viewpoint as being fact and not opinion.

Interesting but can be a hard class. You get whatever work you put into it. TAs are instructed to be tough graders on the papers. If you can't handle J201, don't even think about majoring in UW's journalism program.

greg downey is awesome. he is funny during lectures and makes them really interesting. because of his class i've decided to major in journalism!

He is great!! He works hard to keep the students involved, and succeeds. This is the most interesting class I've taken thus far.

Downey works to make the class interesting. His jokes may be a bit corny, but he gives very clear information and gives everything you need to know before each test. The papers are a little tough, depending on your TA. The point system makes it easy to know what your grade is at all times, which I found helpful. I'd give this class a B.

Downey is hilarious! I learned a lot and enjoyed lecuture, but didn't need to know the material for exams/papers. Your entire grade depends on your TA and my TA only gave a few A's.

interesting lectures

It was really interesting. You had to work but 3 small essays the whole class is not so bad.

This class is awesome, and Downey was an excellent professor. He was extremely helpful with reviewing stuff before exams and got me SO interested in lectures. The class is a lot of work, but it's well worth it, and all you people who say he sucks are just stupid freshmen who don't know what it's like to put in work for a class.

GREG DOWNEY FOR PRESIDENT. this class is a lot of work, but if youre interested you won't mind doing it. Greg, inspires you to think in different ways. He's the man.

Professor Downey is a nice man, and his lectures were very interesting and engaging, but this was the most work I've ever had to do for a class in my entire life. The exams were ridiculous, and we only got to demonstrate about 1/10 of our knowledge of the entire unit on each exam. Only take this class if you have a lot of time to spend on it.

I could listen to his lectures all day; really interesting, esp. with journalism and the Iraq war. I had him as my TA too, which was awesome and really helpful. Some of the things I lost points on on tests and papers I didn't get good answers for, but that's about my only complaint.

Downey sucks. What an arrogant, unqualified, and annoying man. I hated his class. Take it with Mitchell in the Fall!

Probably the worst class I have taken while at college. No one I new seemed to have any clue of why their writing was wrong and the TA's suck. Good luck with this class...

Go to lecture. He is a nice and fair teacher.

NOT arrogant but confident. with the knowledge and lecturing skills to back it up. attending lecture is important, and essays given ahead of time. it's your fault if you dont get at least a B. it's in your hands.

He's a great professor. He's funny and actually wants to make his lectures entertaining. The tests aren't graded that hard and he has less essays to prepare for than Mitchell, so it's less work. Plus, the extra credit actually helps!

Boring class and arrogant professor. Take Prof. Mitchell's 201.

Good lecturer, clear expectations and guidelines, fair exams

Greg is great! This was an interesting class and I really enjoyed it alot, and got a solid A! :)

funny man

Man knows his stuff...funny, lectures are entertaining and tests are straightforward and easy if you do the study guides. A great Comm B killer and at the same time an interesting class

He was hilarious, but sometimes scattered during lecture. Tests are easy, papers are difficult.

Personally, the guy is a great professor. If you can't stand essay/short answer tests... don't take this class. Very writing intensive.

Good professor, but most of the class and your grade depends on the TA you get

i think he's super funky and super funny..de only prof whose class i dont fall aslp in!he rocks!

Great teacher! Funny and informative!

No Comments

Lecture is interesting, and he gives you information to prepare for the tests. Tests are all writing, but I got a solid A in the class. My TA was awesome, so that helps with the grade you get on papers. Not a bad Comm B class.