Learn to tell stories that cut through the noise in the dynamic, fast-changing environment of 21st-century media. Encounter the fundamental roles and purposes of journalism in democratic society, and their place in the age of social media. Then get a job using what you know.
That’s what an Augustana major/minor in multimedia in journalism and mass communication (MJMC) will do for you.
Outside class, your faculty mentors will encourage you to think big. From working with members of Congress to hosting a weekly Spanish-language TV program, students apply their class learning to internships.
On campus, choose from many skill-sharpening opportunities: the award-winning student newspaper, The Observer; the student-run campus radio station WAUG; the on-campus NPR station WVIK; writing, photography and videography positions in the Office of Communication and Marketing; the EDGE Entrepreneurial Center; and Ads (Advertising Developers), Augustana’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation.
Our MJMC graduates go on to tell stories that matter through careers in journalism, television reporting, public relations, advertising, promotions and marketing.
Communication competence
Read and listen carefully. Express ideas (writing or speaking) suited to the audience.
Intellectual curiosity
Set yourself up for lifelong intellectual growth. Take responsibility for your own learning.
Critical thinking and information literacy
Judge and construct arguments, raise questions and define problems. Make a conclusion based on evidence.
Intercultural competence
Understand real and imaginary similarities and differences. Use more than one perspective to view issues.
Ethical citizenship
Examine and embrace your strengths, passions and values. Develop ethical convictions and act on them.
• The MJMC department is in Old Main (built 1889; remodeled 2013). Journalism and communication students take classes in Old Main’s multimedia Mac lab; student media are clustered together on the same floor, with dedicated spaces for The Observer and WAUG.
• With two daily newspapers, four TV network affiliates and a PBS station, the Quad Cities is an ideal setting for MJMC internships. In this medium-sized media market, students have opportunities they would not get in a larger market — including covering presidential visits, hosting local TV programs, and writing front-page news stories.
• The Quad Cities’ proximity to Chicago also allows for internships in metropolitan areas. Recently, students have covered the Stanley Cup for WGN Radio, interned with Telemundo Chicago WSNS-TV, and coordinated celebrity visits for The Silverman Group.
Joe McCoy '23 is a multimedia journalist and on-air talent for WQAD News 8 in the Quad Cities.
Giselle Barajas '22 is the development communications specialist for Planned Parenthood North Central States.
Anh Cao '22 is a marketing communication consultant at Bosch Global Software Technologies in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Olivia Doak '22 is the higher education reporter for the Boulder Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo.
Michelle Renee Quinn '22 is pursuing a master's in broadcast journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Jacob Washington '21 is a producer at WJZ CBS Baltimore.
Madison Williams '20 is a news writer for Sports Illustrated.
Montserrat Ricossa '19 is a news anchor at Telemundo Wisconsin (WDJT-TV 58) in Milwaukee.
Ryan Jenkins '18 (pictured in top photo) is a news anchor and Emmy-nominated reporter for TMJ4 News in Milwaukee.
Benjamin Payne '17 is the Savannah-based reporter for Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Tawanda Mberikwazvo '17 is a multimedia professional and instructional designer with DIS-Visual Services at John Deere, Moline, Ill.
Ryan Silvola '16 is the marketing and communications coordinator at Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials in Madison.
Sarah Ritter '15 is a watchdog reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering K-12 schools and local government in Johnson County.
James Stratton '13 is an investigative reporter at WISN-TV in Milwaukee.
“A special shoutout to my advisors, Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Yaschur, for also teaching me everything I need to go into journalism.”Read More
“I lived in New York City and interned with a national news program at CBS News.”Read More
“I’m a full-time reporter at KWQC, one of my dream jobs — and before I even graduated! ”Read More
Augustana's fall Symposium Day 2024 invited big ideas from any and all disciplines, welcoming presentations from students, faculty and staff, and distinguished guests — including keynote speaker Dr. Roosevelt Montás from Columbia University and Dr. Chris Hedlin '11 from the University of Notre Dame.
Think you’re busy? You’re probably not as busy as Alicia Oken ‘13. She is the social media platforms director for the Democratic National Committee, part of a team creating “one of the most inventive and irreverent get-out-the-vote strategies in modern politics,” according to The Washington Post.
Carly Davis's poem "Seattle Song" won the 24th annual Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award at Augustana.
