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Journalism

The journalism major prepares reporters to serve the public interest in the digital age armed with strong practical skills, a deep grounding in journalism history and ethics, and sharp critical thinking. By synthesizing theory and practice, our graduates will be ready to serve our rapidly evolving media landscape. Classes are taught by a mix of full-time Fordham professors and media professionals from the New York area. Our faculty, who come from such organizations as the New York Times, CBS News, MTV and Sports Illustrated, help our students by bringing real-world experience to the classroom, making sure our graduates are ready to compete in the job market.

The major moves students through introductory, intermediate, and advanced multimedia reporting classes to hone their skills and bring them to a professional level in reporting, writing, and creating digital content. Majors in journalism become grounded in the profession through one required course in ethics, and one course in the “social construction of journalism”—Media Law, Journalism History, or Sociology of News. Journalism majors are also required to take a course in social media to learn how to use such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for gathering and disseminating news. All journalism majors are also required to work for one semester for credit at one of our on-campus publications or broadcast outlets, helping students build their journalism skills under the guidance of a professor, ideally before seeking off-campus internships in junior or senior year.

Learning Outcomes

Fordham aims to train future journalists to understand the role of media and its effect on society, as well as our society's reciprocal effect on the media. Students who complete the journalism major will leave with a deep understanding of the role of the news media, be well versed in journalistic standards, and have a wide range of practical and critical thinking skills. By synthesizing theory and practice, our graduates will be ready to serve our rapidly evolving world with their journalism.

The Role of the Media and of Journalism:

  • Students will be able to understand how the media transmits ideas, especially about gender, race, religion, ethnicity, and culture in the U.S. and global settings.
  • Students will be able to critically evaluate media performance and become educated media consumers.

Journalistic Standards:

  • Students will gain a grounding in the myriad ethical issues involved in journalism.
  • Students will gain an understanding of the legal landscape for journalism and main cases in American media law.
  • Students will come away with an understanding of the history of the American media.

Skills:

  • Students will be proficient in researching stories and doing interviews.
  • Students will be able to create high-quality journalism across platforms, including text, video, audio, and photo.
  • Students will be cognizant of the importance of language and the tradition of using neutral language in straight news reporting.
  • Students will gain critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate media critically.