Outside the Classroom

Journalism at Denison is an energetic and forward-thinking concentration that offers endless opportunities for students to be introduced to some of the best practices in the field. Our co-curricular offerings connect our students and faculty with journalists, acclaimed writers, freelancers and publishers, focusing primarily on writing and reporting in a variety of media about the places in which we live, between the coasts.

Our regular co-curricular offerings include:

Journalism Workshops and Events

Each semester, Journalism at Denison tees up a selection of workshops and events with our students in mind. On any given week, Journalism students might be invited to attend a Tell Better Stories workshop, participate in a lively discussion about journalism and social justice, engage in a documentary film screening, travel to our Between Coasts forum, participate in our annual Three Days of Story Podcast-a-thon, meet 1-on-1 with a liberal arts advocate and career coach, or consider the work experiences of a panel of local journalists. Our students regularly spend time with radio and podcast producers, photojournalists, award-winning documentary filmmakers, published authors, scholars, freelancers, writers and reporters. And sometimes we even host parties with cake and visits with a therapy dog, just for fun!

Visiting Journalists

Journalism at Denison regularly hosts acclaimed writers, which gives our students the opportunity to attend master classes, enjoy readings and talks, be enriched by class visits, and participate in an occasional small group discussion over lunch. Our students are presented with opportunities to engage with immersion journalists, investigative reporters, historians, editors, authors and essayists. We partner with the Beck Series at Denison to bring narrative nonfiction writers and multimedia journalists as part of this celebrated speaker series – “a virtual anthology of American writing since 1960.” The opportunity for Journalism students to hear from poet laureates and Pulitzer-prize and National Book Award winning authors fuels the creative side of the narrative nonfiction writing process and offers inspiration for future careers.

Reporting Trips

Journalism at Denison hosts student reporting trips in Central Ohio and beyond. Recently we partnered with the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism’s graduate school for a reporting trip exploring Newark, Zanesville, New Lexington, and Shawnee, Ohio. Students from both schools join forces to focus on local issues such as homelessness and housing while reporting on-the-ground in towns near Denison’s campus that are often underreported. These trips help our students deeply engage in and report with empathy on our local communities.

Career Exploration

Journalism students have ongoing access to faculty support, regular internship forums, and an endless list of internship opportunities through, including Denison exclusive internship opportunities, often paid, in writing and editing.

In addition, students have access to resources uniquely available through Denison’s Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration to round out skills development including OnBoard, a Denison program that offers 60 online skills-building modules to ensure students have profession-specific skills to compete for top jobs, internships, and graduate programs. Journalism students also have access to programs such as the Career Readiness Bootcamp, which are designed to help all students become well-prepared job-seekers, as well as to resources to help fund summer internships and research opportunities.

Journalism students have opportunities to go on site visits and field trips to gain first-hand experience with journalism professionals in the places in which they work. We visit Columbus and Newark-area publications, businesses, non-profits, and grassroots organizations to discuss work culture, job responsibilities and explore potential career paths.

Conferences

Generous alumni and donor support have enabled interested students to travel to regional and national conferences around the country. Journalism students have traveled to the College Media Association’s convention in New York City, the Between Coasts Forum in various locations, and the National Press Photographers Association’s Women in Visual Journalism conference in Dallas, Texas. Plans are underway to add others, including the Society of Professional Journalists regional conferences.

Community Partnerships

Journalism at Denison offers a free workshop series to the public called “Tell Better Stories” with topics such as documenting our lives with smart phone videos, writing memoir, and active listening for writers. In addition, our community partnerships include the Newark Boys and Girls Club, COSI, and the United Way.