Our Mission at the School of Journalism and Studies of Global Media (SOJ&SGM) is:
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Journalism students Morrena Jo Villanueva (left) and Karen Lizarraga interview a Sun Tran bus demonstrator downtown as part of professor Susan Knight's Reporting Public Affairs (RPA) class.
To provide our graduates with the intellectual training and professional skills necessary to gather, evaluate, organize and disseminate information in a way that enables citizens to participate in a democratic society in a meaningful way.
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To provide all students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the role of the changing media industry in a multicultural society, so they can learn to think critically about the ways in which the news and other forms of media affect individuals, institutions and social values. This includes an understanding of the legal and ethical considerations that are an integral part of the journalism profession.
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To communicate the importance of global media and their function across cultures as well as relaying other important decision-relevant information to the public.
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To encourage faculty scholarship, teaching, and service that promotes the transformational power of news and information in a democratic society. The SOJ&SGM is committed to attracting, nurturing, and supporting diverse faculty.
- To develop a synergy among journalism and global media educators, scholars, and industry leaders concerning current professional standards with the intention of training our students to fulfill the current needs and standards of the field as well as anticipating future needs and standards. The SOJ&SGM is committed to looking ahead and keeping abreast of technological and other changes in the production and dissemination of news and information, and playing a leading role in innovation, creativity, and relevance for the benefit of its students, faculty, staff, and industry partners.
The SOJ&SGM mission is based on two fundamental ideas: (1) Journalists fulfill a crucial role in a democracy, providing the public with independent, objective information about issues and events so citizens can make informed judgments about policy and policy makers. (2) Information provided by the media forms the foundation for much of the research within and in the field of journalism as well as other fields, such as history and political science.
As the above items indicate, some media-related subjects are outside the scope of the School’s mission. The School does not engage in research or teaching in the fields of advertising, creative writing, media arts, or public relations. Given the importance of the press as a democratic institution, and its significance for the research and teaching agendas of other social sciences, the faculty has decided that journalism will be the sole focus of the UA program.