Newhouse School Adapts to Digital Shift in Journalism Industry

SYRACUSE, NY – The Newhouse School at Syracuse University is committed to preparing students for an evolving broadcast industry. In recent months, major news companies such as Scripps, CNN, and NBC have announced layoffs for large portions of their broadcast employees in exchange for creating digital creator roles. 

The rise of social media has created a higher demand for digital, short form content instead of full-length television programming. Many networks have made changes to their programming in order to fit this new style of delivery.

Last August, the Newhouse School announced that the prestigious Broadcast and Digital Journalism and Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism programs will be combined into one Journalism major. The goal of this merger is to better prepare students to become multi-media journalists with skill sets for delivering stories digitally. 

In the industry, journalists are now expected to know not only how to write a story, but shoot photographs and video, edit, and present for multiple platforms.

“We are really emphasizing hands-on learning”, said Professor Les Rose, a former videographer for CBS News and an instructor in the Broadcast and Digital Journalism department. “So many students have gone to other schools where they never really touch a camera.”

The school has a commitment to experiential learning and hands-on practice for students. The Newhouse School hopes that this multifaceted experience will help students as they enter the job market. 

Journalism students have numerous opportunities on campus to explore new forms of content creation while finding support from faculty and peers. Students can connect with organizations at the annual campus media fair, or find more information on the Newhouse website. 

Reporting by: Grace Elford