Journalism

Journalism is changing rapidly in the 21st century, with stories moving across a range of platforms – from newspapers and magazines to Web and social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. This means that the budding journalist needs to know not only how to gather facts and write informative and entertaining stories, but also how to work with audio and video clips and Online.

Students considering the Journalism program should have a talent for writing, and an insatiable curiosity about the world around them.

While students will be helped and encouraged to achieve a wide range of skills across mediums, those entering the program will choose from one of three sequences in which to specialize. The News and Editorial sequence prepares students to work in newspapers, magazines and on the Web. The Broadcast sequence trains students primarily for TV and Radio news, while Visual Communication focuses on photo journalism and teaching design and layout skills, both for print and the Internet. 

Program Highlights

  • Classes taught by instructors with extensive experience in professional journalism
  • Numerous internship and field experience opportunities
  • Award winning productions

Mission

Our journalism program mission is to educate students in the broad range of skills involved in gathering, analyzing, processing and presenting written, Web and broadcast news. To prepare students for productive and long-term careers in journalism, we seek to accomplish the following objectives:

  • To offer a curriculum designed to provide students the basic technical skills of journalism as well as a strong grounding in the theory and concepts related to the profession. 
  • To prepare students to become critical consumers of the media by achieving an understanding of the legal, ethical and theoretical aspects of the profession. 
  • To develop analytical abilities among students by encouraging multi-disciplinary inquiry and a recognition of the necessity of lifelong learning. 
  • To acquire and maintain state of the art laboratories which are responsive to technological advances in an ever-changing media environment. 
  • To cultivate constructive relationships with media practitioners and organizations and act as a liaison between students and professionals. 
  • As teachers to strive to keep abreast of new technologies and concepts in the field and to incorporate these advances into the classroom. 
  • To engage in research and other scholarly activity that produces important knowledge and insight relevant to problems and issues related to the media. 
  • To incorporate faculty research and productivity into undergraduate education. 
  • To encourage and provide a forum for the discussion and debate of important issues facing journalists. 

Sequences

While students will be helped and encouraged to achieve a wide range of skills across mediums, those entering the program will choose from one of three sequences in which to specialize.

Broadcast Journalism

Broadcast Journalism sequence majors learn and practice writing primarily for television and radio news outlets. Students completing this program tend to gain careers as news anchors, disc jockeys, news editors, and similar positions in both broadcast and non-broadcast industries. 

Prominent courses include: Broadcast News 1, Television Production, Broadcast News 2, and internships at the campus television news station TV-10 and at the campus radio station WZND.

News & Editorial

News and Editorial students gain theory and practice of writing for various print media such as newspapers, magazines, brochures and other printed sources of information, as well as Online news outlets.  Students completing this program tend to gain careers as reporters, news writers, editors, copy editors, independent journalists and similar positions at newspapers, magazines, Online news outlets and in private industry. 

Prominent courses include: Reporting 1, Reporting 2, Editorial and Feature Writing, and News Literacy: Critical Perspectives. Students often earn positions on the campus newspaper, the Daily Vidette, and the Online news magazine; J-News, as well as gaining internships on campus or at local newspapers. Internships are also available throughout the U.S.

Visual Communication

Students in the Visual Communication sequence gain theory and practice of creating informative visual messages as photojournalists or designers and layout specialists, both in print and on the Web. 

Online news is expanding rapidly expanding and offers a wide variety of opportunities for students who know how to combine images and text into meaningful messages. 

Students completing this program may expect to find careers in Web-casting, Web design, photojournalism, as design and layout experts in a range of print mediums, and in similar areas. 

Prominent courses include: Introduction to Visual Communication, Advanced Photography, and Web Production and Design. Students often earn internships on the Online magazine J-News and in various university departments, as well as off-campus. 

 

Student Activities

For more information on these activities, visit our Student Organizations page.

Careers in Journalism

  • Broadcast Journalist/Radio/TV Anchor
  • TV/Radio News Reporter
  • News Assignment Editor
  • TV Photographer
  • Multi-Media Journalist/Editor
  • Photo Journalist
  • Copy Editor
  • Editorial and Feature Writer
  • Free Lance Writer
  • Columnist
  • Web and Graphic Design
  • Editor
  • Corporate Videographer/Editor
  • News Producer/Associate Producer
  • TV/Radio News Director
  • TV Master Control Operator
  • Account Executive
  • Creative Services Producer
  • Sports Writer
  • Fashion/Lifestyle Journalist
  • Page Layout Designer
  • Advertising Director
  • Electronic News Videographer
  • Press Secretary/Spokesperson
  • Director of Programming
  • Web Content Editor