Minor in Journalism
What does it mean to be media literate? How do the news media influence public opinion? What are journalists' obligations in free and democratic societies? What does reliable journalism have to do with democracy? Do Facebook and Fox News have anything in common? The Brandeis Journalism Program will empower you to answer these questions and more.
In our unique interdepartmental program — which is open to all Brandeis students, class size allowing — you’ll take a liberal arts approach to the study of journalism, exploring it through historical, sociological, and ethical lenses. As a journalism minor, you’ll learn how social, political, and corporate institutions interact with media institutions. Working with both scholars and practitioners, you’ll gain real research, writing, and production skills that you can apply to print, broadcast, and internet media platforms.
In an age of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” telling verified stories, and telling them well, has never been more important. Regardless of whether you go on to practice journalism, you will find our program has helped you become a critical thinker, an effective writer, and a more informed and analytical consumer of the news.
Why Brandeis?
Brandeis is located mere minutes from Boston, one of the largest media markets in the country, with many award-winning print and broadcast institutions. You’ll be able to see local, national, and international news reporting up close, be taught by local talent and even intern in a major newsroom.
Academics
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Our program offers engaging courses on a variety of topics, ranging from multimedia journalism, sports reporting, and opinion writing, to the history of advertising's relationship with the news industry and the challenges journalists face in packaging international news for an American audience.
As a minor in journalism, you will complete:
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Two core courses in history/culture and writing
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One course in ethics
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An internship, independent study, or senior thesis
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Two electives on a wide range of topics
Requirements for the minor
Students can request approval from the Journalism Program Director to do a senior writing project rather than an internship. However, because of the importance the program places on experiential learning, students will need to make a persuasive case why they are unable to complete an internship. If a request is granted, the student will take Independent Study (JOUR 98a or b). They will work with a faculty member to design their own course of study and spend one semester researching and writing a paper.
Faculty Excellence
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In our interdisciplinary program, you’ll be taught by professors from a variety of departments, including sociology, American studies, anthropology, creative writing, and economics. You’ll also learn from visiting professors who are practicing professionals in print and broadcast news.
Here are just a few examples of the dedicated scholars and practitioners you will work with:
- Maura Jane Farrelly, associate professor of American studies, covered religion in America for the Voice of America for four years, working out of their Washington, D.C., and New York bureaus. Before that, she was a general assignment reporter for Georgia Public Radio in Atlanta, where she also freelanced for NPR, the BBC, and Public Radio International.
- Mark Dellelo is a filmmaker and educator working at the intersection of the performing arts, the visual arts, and storytelling. He teaches multimedia storytelling and is an expert on digital media technology, motion picture production, filmmaking, and film as narrative.
- Ann Silvio is a journalist, storyteller, and digital media executive with 20 years of experience at legacy news organizations. Most recently, she was a story coach for young producers at a news startup, and for the past decade, she was a senior producer at 60 Minutes. Silvio founded and led 60 Minutes' digital arm, an editorial team that churned out original features for digital platforms and transformed the culture of one of journalism's most respected newsrooms.
- Neil Swidey is a bestselling author and award-winning Boston Globe Magazine writer and editor at large. His book "Trapped Under the Sea" was named one of the best books of the year by Amazon and Booklist. He’s also the author of "The Assist," named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, and a coauthor of "Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy." His writing has been featured in "The Best American Science Writing," "The Best American Crime Writing," and "The Best American Political Writing."
Internships and Student Clubs
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Want to see how the world of journalism really works? Most journalism minors do. Our students have secured one-semester internships at many of Boston’s print and broadcast institutions, including the Boston Herald, The Christian Science Monitor, The Atlantic, WGBH public television, and the Boston affiliates of ABC, CBS, and NBC.
During the semester of your internship, you’ll also take the course Contemporary Media: Internship and Analysis (JOUR 89a), which will enable you to engage with other students doing media internships.
You can hone your skills and gain a sense of community by joining student clubs and publications like The Justice, The Brandeis Hoot, and WBRS.
Careers and Alumni
About half of our minors in journalism pursue careers in the field immediately after graduation. Still others pursue careers in professions like education, law, public relations, and advertising, where they are called upon to understand complicated arguments, make clear and concise statements about those arguments, and make complex ideas or issues accessible and interesting to mainstream audiences.
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Here's a snapshot of graduates of our program:
- Jen Abidor ’11 is a senior editor at BuzzFeed.
- Gilda DiCarli ’13 is a trilingual journalist and producer based in Miami and specializing in audio.
- Lydia Emmanouilidou ’14 is AI Fellow at the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the former Atlanta bureau chief for The World from Public Radio International.
- Lauren Katz ’13, Manager of Products and Strategy for Vox Media
- Claire Moses ’08 is a London-based writer for The New York Times.
- Brittney Nanton ’21, contributing writer for Essence and Forbes
- Chaiel Schaffel ’20 is a news writer at WBZ Newsradio 1030.
- Mitch Ablom ’79, journalist and author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “Five People You Meet in Heaven.”
- Yoni Appelbaum ’14, historian and Deputy Editor of The Atlantic
- Elizabeth Bruenig ’13, staff writer for The Atlantic
- Daniel Estrin ‘06, NPR's international correspondent in Jerusalem
- Thomas Friedman ’75, New York Times foreign affairs columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
- Spencer Jakab ’91, Heard on the Street Editor, The Wall Street Journal
- Walt Mossberg ’69, technology columnist and founder (with Kara Swisher) of “Recode” and “AllThingsD.”
- Guy Raz ’96, NPR host and co-creator of “The TED Radio Hour,” “How I Built This,” and other top podcasts and radio programs.
