The School of Communication + Journalism’s South Florida Media Network (SFMN) launched its new student-run, faculty-led news bureau program through the inauguration of the SFMN| Bureaus program spaces in DC and NYC held on September 10 and 11 respectively.
“This program enhances the journalism curriculum with additional opportunities for experiential learning, creates more opportunities for FIU students to produce and edit content, and works towards building national visibility for our students and graduates,” said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts, who initiated this new experiential learning curriculum upon integration.
Each SFMN | Bureau program offers hands-on academic experiences that reach beyond the traditional classroom structure. Through a combination of theoretical and experiential formats, students will engage in lively academic discussions, traverse each city while conducting investigative fieldwork, and participate in professional workshops and events. Individually, each program will have its own unique focus and point of interest.
“FIU needs to understand how important they are to this country, this profession, and this city…. no other university is doing this,” said Ramon Escobar, vice president of diversity and inclusion for CNN Worldwide, and vice president of talent recruitment & development for CNN Worldwide who spoke to those in attendance on the importance of this initiative.
The SFMN | Washington Bureau focuses on the intersection between politics and journalism. Student participants explore the relationship between politics and the media and gain a thorough understanding of the responsibility of the news industry as the “fourth estate.” Through a solutions journalism approach, SFMN | New York Bureau students learn the fundamentals of solutions-based reporting, which aims to not only report the news, but to find potential ways to respond and resolve the pressing social issues it exposes.
This initiative is externally funded and in partnership with ALLEY co-working spaces. Those in attendance included: Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts; Teresa Ponte, department chair of Journalism + Media; Lilia Silverio-Minaya, assistant dean of student services at CARTA; Carlos Becerra, assistant vice president of federal relations; and other FIU board members. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni were also in attendance for both events.
Watch the FB Live video on the FIU School of Communication + Journalism FB page. To learn more about the programs, go to scj.fiu.edu
