Contact

For more information about the journalism area, contact:

Roxanne Dill

Roxanne Dill
Journalism Area Head
223 Hodges Hall
(225) 578-9295

Email 

Journalism

You are interested in telling the world’s compelling stories, whether they are in print, online, or through broadcast media.

Quality journalism tells powerful, important and interesting stories. The most creative journalists combine words, pictures, video and graphics to make their stories even more engaging.

Our journalism area focuses on creative storytelling in a multimedia world. Our students develop the writing and visual skills to produce stories across platforms — print, broadcast, web, social and mobile media. In our program, we train students so that they will be up-to-date using any skill set required on their first day of any job. They understand the aspects of good storytelling in addition to knowing how to use video, audio and still photography equipment and smartphones in the field. They develop proficiencies in advanced software for editing words, video, audio and still photography. They learn how to use of social media as a reporting and storytelling tool, while gaining an understanding of media law and ethical reporting practices. They receive knowledge of past and current events and how they affect news gathering and storytelling today.

The public will always need journalists to provide important information and to tell the stories others cannot tell, so the field continues to be vibrant and necessary. However, journalism, particularly print, is changing every day, and these changes offer exciting options for students who are versatile in telling stories using words, video, sound, photos, social media, and combinations of these tools. 

Manship’s journalism area is unique in that our classes offer a broad range of training in multiple skill sets that land our graduates great jobs in the field. Students who study in the journalism concentration have a wide range of options, including broadcast/print reporter, producer, videographer/photographer, layout and design professional, copy editor, social media professional, speech writer and feature magazine writer. 

We encourage involvement and real world experience. We do this in several ways:

Internships

We stay connected to the industry and encourage all students to pursue internships with local or national media outlets. To aid in the process, we have an extensive internship database. Recent internships include:

  • CBS News (NY)
  • MTV Networks (NY)
  • The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
  • Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette KTVT-TV (Fort Worth)
  • USA Today ESPN (Connecticut) KDFW-TV (Dallas)
  • Christian Science Monitor
  • 225 Magazine (Baton Rouge)
  • Meet the Press (NY) 
  • WAFB-TV (Baton Rouge)
  • WBRZ-TV (Baton Rouge)
  • Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
  • DIG Magazine
  • Office of the Louisiana Governor
  • LSU CxC/TedX
  • West Side Journal, Port Allen, Louisiana
  • The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware

Student Media

Our award-winning Student Media comprises four student-run outlets: Tiger TV, The Daily Reveille, KLSU and Gumbo yearbook. The journalism program is closely tied to Student Media, and we encourage our students to get involved early. Students may apply for student media jobs before they are accepted into the Manship School.

Statehouse Bureau & Cold Case Project

Our Manship News Service Statehouse Bureau and Cold Case Project courses put students in the field, covering real-world stories for clients who need our expertise. Cold Case Project students investigate unsolved civil-rights-era cases and attempt to bring closure to those involved. The Manship News Service Statehouse Bureau, where Manship students cover the Louisiana state legislature, began in 2016 as a partnership with the Louisiana State Capitol. For students like Sarah Gamard and Matt Houston, two Statehouse Bureau reporters, this real-world training is invaluable. 

Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

We encourage students to join the LSU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). SPJ is the nation’s largest journalism organization and a great way to network and interact with media professionals and journalism peers.

Competition

We also encourage our students to participate in journalism competitions like Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors and Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards. 

Special Events 

On campus, our students are also able to attend events that cater directly to their interests. The 2016 Sports Communication Summit facilitated conversations on the relationship between media and sports. The 2016 Presidential Election Watch allowed students and faculty to watch returns and discuss election outcomes. We held a Fake News Panel where nationally recognized scholars discussed detecting fake news in a media-driven society. At a recent Manship Movie Night, students watched Spotlight and discussed the ways reporters succeeded in uncovering religious abuses at high levels of church governance.

Recent Graduates

We stay connected to our alumni who are now working professionals. Recent placements include:

  • VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live WISC-TV (Madison, WI)
  • The Sporting News (Charlotte, NC)
  • CBS Evening News (New York)
  • WAFB-TV (Baton Rouge)
  • The Jackson Sun (Tennessee)
  • WBRZ-TV (Baton Rouge)
  • The News-Star (Monroe, LA)
  • International Center for Journalists (DC)
  • KWBJ-TV (Monroe, LA)
  • WTVG-TV (Toledo, OH) 
  • The Washington Post 
  • Fox Sports (TX)

Curriculum

The journalism curriculum is subject to change each semester. Please refer to the LSU Catalog for the latest listings, or schedule a meeting with a Manship School counselor by calling 225-578-1899.

  • MC 2010 or 2011 (Media Writing)
  • MC 2015 or 2016 (Visual Communication)
  • MC 2035 (Social Media and Digital Branding)
  • MC 3080 or 3081 (Mass Media Law)
  • MC 4090 or 4091 (Media Ethics and Social Responsibility)
  • MC 2101 (Newspaper and Online Journalism) or MC 2102 (Broadcast and Digital Journalism)
  • MC 3103 (Advanced Print Newsgathering) or MC 3104 (Advanced Broadcast Newsgathering)
  • MC 3005 (In-depth Reporting)
  • MC 4105 (Advanced Journalism: Long-Form)
  • MC 4106 (Advanced Journalism: Short-Form)
  • MC electives (9 hours)

3+3 Pre-Law Option

The Manship School of Mass Communication partners with the Paul M. Hebert Law School to offer the 3+3 Pre-Law Program to students interested in both mass communication and law. This program is open to all mass communication students, no matter their chosen concentration. These students are, however, still required to complete coursework for one of Manship's four concentrations. 

 

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