Mission & Goals

Mission of the Journalism & Mass Communication Department

The Department of Journalism & Mass Communication provides a values-oriented education that adheres to legal and ethical principles.  Our aim is to teach students to think critically, to produce mass media messages clearly and accurately, and to help students understand the consequences of those messages.

Our students study the principles of various mass media disciplines, and the practice and skills of written and visual communication essential for mass media professionals.  Students also come to understand the role mass media play in a democracy and recognize that the mass media have a social responsibility to serve the common good because First Amendment freedoms convey corresponding obligations.

Goals for students in the Department of Journalism & Mass Communication

The faculty intends for our students to develop several competencies, master a set of critical practices and practice critical skills that reflect the Journalism & Mass Communication Department's mission. 

Competencies our students will develop:

1. Gathering information, facts and data
2. Interpreting and analyzing messages and media
3. Producing messages

Critical practices our students will learn:

1. Ethical decision making
2. Critical thinking
3. Community understanding
4. Creative thinking
5. Strategic thinking
6. Leadership
7. Personal and professional accountability

Critical skills our students will master:

1. Analyzing data, facts and information
2. Writing effectively
3. Communicating visually
4. Telling stories
5. Persuading
6. Informing