Journalism

Degree: B.A

The journalism BA clearly defines students’ professional identity in journalism while at the same time providing them with knowledge, skills, and experiences that they use for employment in a variety of industries. The major offers coursework in the core skills of journalism, including editing, interviewing, reporting, and writing, as well as teaching in technology and production. Students will learn to create compelling content for social media, digital, print, audio, video, and other emerging platforms. Students can pair this major with a Minor in Broadcast News and Certificates in Podcasting, Sports Journalism, Television Broadcasting, or Audio Broadcasting for valuable specialization and distinction.

Hamilton Hall is home to the nationally recognized, award-winning campus chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the nation's oldest and most broad-based journalism advocacy organization. The William Paterson chapter (WPSPJ) is a two-time winner of the Outstanding Campus Chapter Award. WPSPJ regularly hosts professional journalists from major news outlets as guest speakers and organizes newsroom tours across the metropolitan area, including at CBS News, News 12 New Jersey, MLB Network, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and WHYY radio. WPSPJ launched the first-ever podcast from an SPJ campus chapter.

In partnership with the ReNews Project, an SPJ-funded nonprofit that revitalizes student newspapers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions, the university's independent student newspaper, the Beacon, has been revitalized.

One of the fastest-growing areas in journalism is podcasting, an area the journalism program has embraced with the creation of a state-of-the-art professional podcasting studio. The set up allows students to produce solo podcasts, one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, and live call-in shows. Because of this, journalism professors can develop a full range of podcasting/audio assignments and collaborate with classes, such as audio production, where students with expanded technology skills can collaborate with those newer to the field.

Students can also take advantage of opportunities in other media platforms, by collaborating with the award-winning, student-run radio station, WPSC 88.7FM Brave New Radio, the award-winning, student-run TV studio broadcasts, WPTV, Social Media SMART (Social Media Applications, Research, and Teaching) Lab, and newly formed Podcasting Club.