Introduction

The newspaper business is changing, and Delaware State’s print journalism program is changing right along with it. We now offer advanced coursework in online journalism, emphasizing the methods, writing conventions, and technologies of digital reporting. Our student-run newspaper, the Daily Hornet, is now fully online, so students can develop the skills — and the resume — they need to compete in the journalism job market of the 21st century.

The program retains a solid foundation in traditional journalism. We cultivate strong writing skills, editorial judgment, and reportorial instincts and skills. Above all, we teach through experience. Our students don’t just study journalism — they practice it, both old-school and new-school. And when they enter the work force, they’re ready to contribute on Day One.

Professional Prep

Print Journalism majors develop a wide range of skills, practicing them both in classroom settings and in their internships and student-newspaper work. Students become proficient in

• news reporting and editing
• public relations
• community journalism
• media research
• feature writing
• editorial writing
• media law and ethics

In addition, our students can interact with professionals by getting involved in campus chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists, and other organizations.

Faculty

Delaware State’s Mass Communications instructors teach from experience. All have spent years in the communications industry and are able to convey both the theoretical and practical concepts that students need to build their careers. Our faculty includes Mass Communications Department Chair Myna German, a longtime reporter and writer for Dow Jones News Service, and Robert Long, editor of Delaware Online (the digital arm of the Wilmington News Journal). The mass communications faculty also includes documentary filmmakers, public relations professionals, online journalists, and veterans of the radio and television industries.

Research and Experience

In addition to the direct experience they gain at the Daily Hornet, students log hundreds of hours in professional work settings during two off-campus internships. The off-campus placements enable students to build up their resumes, make contacts within the industry, and learn how a professional news organization operates.

Some undergraduates from the Mass Communications department have participated in the McNair Program, winning research stipends and presenting their findings at national conferences. All Mass Communications students have the opportunity to present original research on campus every spring during Honors Day.