This paper examines one department of journalism's efforts to identify, address, and correct basic writing deficiencies for students seeking a journalism degree with a concentration in news-editorial, broadcast, or public relations. Northwestern State University's (NSU) Department of Journalism, located in a mid-sized, open-admissions university in the rural South, initiated a writing diagnostic test as a prerequisite for admission to the gateway media writing course required of all majors. To assist students failing the test, the department created a new elective course, "Literacy Skills for Journalists" (JOUR 1010). This preliminary report presents the findings and discussion based on initial data collection and instructor observations. These results provided a platform for discussing the efficacy of requiring diagnostic writing tests for admission into a journalism program and the most effective methods to remediate poor writing, to teach writing basics, to focus students' attention on the importance of good writing, and, ultimately, to develop writing skills acceptable for entry-level mass communications positions.