Saint Michael's College

The mission of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department is to provide students with the best possible educational experience by combining rigorous intellectual inquiry with hands-on professional training. Our approach is highly interdisciplinary--drawing from history, psychology, sociology, philosophy and cultural studies to create and evaluate media texts and to inquire into the cultural implications of new media technologies.

Traditionally, journalism was a degree for students interested in careers as television and newspaper reporters, and as public relations practitioners. That’s still true; our graduates find jobs in newsrooms and public relations firms all over New England. But the profession is changing rapidly and, here at Saint Michael’s, we’re changing with it. The journalism curriculum underwent a major revision in 1996 to reflect the revolutionary changes in the media marketplace; our curriculum provides students with the technology and learning opportunities they will need to become professional communicators in the twenty-first century.

Many journalism students choose hands-on learning in a chosen media area as part of their academic practicum or internship. Students often choose local newspapers, home-state businesses or broadcast stations or most recently, positions in the sports writing market through Online magazine Alpine News, the Northeast guide to mountain adventure.

As a journalism and mass communication student, you will learn to write quickly, accurately, and under deadline pressure. You will learn to conduct research using traditional and electronic sources and to apply ethical and legal standards related to copyright and fair use. You will acquire a deep understanding of the ethical and legal responsibilities associated with being a mass communicator--whether in the newsroom or the marketplace. And you will develop a mastery of current technologies, including multimedia, desktop publishing, the Internet and the World Wide Web, digital photography, video and digitized audio. In short, you will leave Saint Michael’s prepared to work in any professional environment in which people use technology to exchange information--and that includes business, education, and social services, as well as television, newspapers, magazines and public relations.

To contact the Department of Journalism &
Mass Communication:

View a complete list of faculty in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

 

Traci Griffith
Associate Professor of Journalism

Jerry Swope
Assistant Professor of Journalism