The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is one of the nation’s top journalism schools and is home to Arizona PBS, the largest media outlet operated by a journalism school in the world. Students receive hands-on experiences in Cronkite News, a multiplatform daily news operation with bureaus in Phoenix, Washington and Los Angeles. With professional programs in digital media, public affairs reporting, broadcast news, digital innovation, public relations, sports reporting, Spanish-language news and more, Cronkite offers a real-world education for the digital media world of today and tomorrow.

Cronkite School Reimagines Journalism Education in Wake of Coronavirus

Professional Programs at Cronkite

Professional Programs at Cronkite

Immersive Experiences That Transform You into a Professional

The Cronkite School’s nationally acclaimed “teaching hospital” model of education offers students real-world training in live newsroom environments under the supervision of top professional journalists.

  • Cronkite News - Phoenix

    Cronkite News - Phoenix

    Report on the region’s top stories across media platforms for Arizona PBS and other news outlets.

    Students work as multimedia reporters covering important stories across the state of Arizona, producing text, videos, photos and graphics for online and broadcast media outlets. Students work in a state-of-the-art newsroom in the nation’s fifth-largest city under the direction of veteran journalists and news editors.

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    “Reporting at the Olympics was by far my best memory and experience of my life. This experience will give me the chance to show my work to future employers and help me land my dream job one day.”

    Allison Gargaro, (’17) Meteorologist, WOFL-TV (Fox), Orlando, Florida

  • Cronkite News - Washington

    Cronkite News - Washington

    Cover public policy as part of Arizona’s largest newsgathering operation in the nation’s capital.

    Students spend a semester in the nation’s capital, reporting across the city – from the halls of Congress to the steps of the Supreme Court – for Cronkite News. Students work across platforms, covering daily breaking news and investigative stories from a cutting-edge newsroom under the supervision of a veteran political journalist.

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    “It brings you to a completely new environment. You have to learn how to survive and get story ideas and compete with national reporters who have worked the Hill for decades.”

    Kate Bieri, (’17) reporter, KVIA in El Paso

  • Cronkite News - LA

    Cronkite News - LA

    Report from the sidelines of professional and collegiate sports, and cover newsmakers, during this immersive program in the nation’s second-largest city.

    Students spend a semester in the nation’s second-largest city, reporting on professional and collegiate sports for Cronkite News and other professional media outlets. Students use the latest digital and broadcast tools to create cutting-edge multimedia sports stories, working under an experienced sports broadcast professional.

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    “Working at the Cronkite Bureau in Los Angeles gave me once in a lifetime opportunities as a college student. The bureau gave me the chance to cover sports at top Southern California colleges and broadcast live, L.A. news.”

    Kerston Corns (’20)

  • Cronkite News - Phoenix Sports

    Cronkite News - Phoenix Sports

    Cover professional and collegiate sports, including MLB Spring Training, for outlets across the country.

    In the heart of the nation’s fifth-largest city, students cover four major professional sports leagues, college bowl games, spring training and many other signature sporting events. Students produce digital and broadcast stories for Cronkite News and media outlets such as Sports Illustrated and MLB.com.

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    “Sports stories are more than scores and highlights.”

    Tyler Paley, (’17) anchor/reporter at WTOL in Toledo

  • Cronkite News - Borderlands

    Cronkite News - Borderlands

    Cover Latino issues in the U.S., Mexico and along the border for distribution in Spanish and English.

    Students cover important immigration and border issues in English and Spanish for Cronkite News under the guidance of two award-winning professional borderlands journalists. The program is based in a state-of-the-art newsroom from which students travel across the region for their reports.

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    “The Borderlands team, specifically, has allowed me to see the entire state of Arizona, travel to neighboring states and even to Tijuana, Mexico in order to bring viewers a local angle to national stories.”

    Marcella Baietto, (’20)

  • Cronkite Noticias

    Cronkite Noticias

    Get experience producing a variety of in-depth, Spanish-language digital and video stories.

    Bilingual students work with professionals to create digital content for the Cronkite Noticias website, which serves Spanish-speaking audiences in Arizona. Students also may contribute to a Spanish-language newscast focusing on important Latino community and statewide issues that airs on UniMás.

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    “This professional program allowed me to challenge my bilingual skills, especially after we decided to create a few Facebook lives in both English and Spanish. I am beyond grateful for this experience and I would do it again. I definitely feel much more prepared to go out into the world of journalism on my own.”

    Karina Espinoza, (’20)

  • Carnegie-Knight News21

    Carnegie-Knight News21

    A collective of the nation’s top journalism students produce investigative pieces on pressing social issues, earning RFK, Murrow and EPPY Awards for their comprehensive reporting.

    Carnegie-Knight News21 brings the nation’s most talented journalism students to the Cronkite School to investigate issues of national significance. Students spend the summer traveling the country, reporting and producing in-depth multimedia stories under the direction of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.

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    “Having this opportunity so early in my career is one of those things that you can’t ask for. It’s just one of those blessings that you have to receive. I just tried to be a sponge and soak up everything.”

    Justin Parham, (’18) associate producer for the NBA

  • Digital Audiences Lab

    Digital Audiences Lab

    Grow and engage audiences for real clients in an agency environment.

    The Digital Audiences Lab is a first-of-its-kind professional immersion program, where students harness digital strategy, social media, SEO, analytics and more to grow and engage audiences for real clients.

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    “I’m walking away from this unparalleled experience knowledgeable about Search Engine Optimization, paid media, and digital strategy prepared to start my marketing career. Lab director, Luis Bonilla, goes above and beyond to guide students and help them reach their greatest potential.”

    Emily Taylor (’19) SEO Link Development Analyst, Investis Digital, Phoenix

  • Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

    Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

    A program for mid-career journalists or career-switchers looking to leverage industry expertise as investigative journalists.

    An immersive master’s degree program where students dig into topics of national significance, applying investigative techniques gleaned from the Pulitzer Prize-winning faculty members offering instruction on data, writing and multimedia skills.

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    “My perception of information and the media has fundamentally shifted causing me to critically analyze everything I see and hear. I have a new and deep respect for investigative reporting and the reporters in the field.”

    Joel Farias (’19)

  • New Media Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lab

    New Media Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lab

    Create cutting-edge digital products, including apps and news games, for professional clients.

    Cronkite students collaborate with computer engineering, design and business students to create cutting-edge media products, including mobile apps, news games and interactive websites, for media companies and other organizations. Students present their ventures to local investors and experienced entrepreneurs.

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    “The experience expanded my idea of what storytelling and journalism can look like. You’re redefining everything, whether it’s working with a different type of software or thinking about ethics. It’s a really rewarding experience.”

    Alexandra Scoville, (’16) digital news producer at Colorado Public Radio

  • Public Relations Lab

    Public Relations Lab

    Develop PR campaigns and social media strategies for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits.

    Students work for a public relations agency based in the Cronkite School, producing communications campaigns and strategies for clients. The lab offers experiences in all aspects of PR, including event planning and promotion, reputation management, crisis communications and social media campaign development.

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    “I got a lot of hands-on opportunities managing different clients and different projects. I really built up my portfolio.”

    Caitlin Bohrer (‘17), communications specialist at Charter One/American Leadership Academy

  • RWJF Health Reporting Initiative

    RWJF Health Reporting Initiative

    Shining a light on the health issues facing the Native and Spanish-speaking border communities in the Southwest.

    Cronkite students hit the road to cover and report on health-related issues and topics among underserved populations, where information is scarce and health outcomes are more frequently poor.

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    “I had the chance to travel to the Navajo Nation to report on maternal health disparities for Native American women and speaking with locals helped me better acknowledge the culture and underlying history to this problem.”

    Jennifer Alvarez, (’20)

  • Television Production and Graphics Lab

    Television Production and Graphics Lab

    Gain behind-the-camera experience that dives into the technical and visual aspects of broadcast and digital journalism.

    Students take the reigns as program directors, learn to design motion graphics and get a feel for the technical and creative elements of journalism in an immersive program focused on production.

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    “From working in the control room, to creating dynamic graphics for the newscast and other clients in the Valley, this professional program is a great introduction into the broadcast production industry.”

    James Barnitz (’19) – joining KOAT as technical director

  • TV Science Magazine

    TV Science Magazine

    Combine off-camera production and non-narrative storytelling to produce long-form broadcast pieces that focus on the cutting-edge scientific research being conducted at ASU.

    Students produce the 30-minute science magazine program called “Catalyst,” learning production, shooting and editing techniques that will prove critical for a career in television or film.

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    “TV Magazine made me a better storyteller by leaps and bounds. I gained hard skills with cameras, audio equipment and video editing, and I learned how to craft non-narrative pieces that allow the characters to tell their own stories.”

    Jordan Elder (’20) MMJ WISC/WRSP-TV, Springfield, IL

Cronkite News and Events

Cronkite News and Events

Congratulations to Cronkite’s Fall 2020 Graduates

December 10, 2020

Three of our outstanding graduates, who will be honored at Cronkite’s virtual Convocation ceremony on Monday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m., recently shared their personal stories of inspiration and their passion for journalism.

Assistant Dean B. William Silcock Retiring After Nearly 20 Years at Cronkite

December 10, 2020

Silcock, affectionately known as "Dr. Bill," will retire after nearly 20 years at the Cronkite School, where he developed the school’s study abroad programs and cultivated a relationship with the U.S. State Department, which led to a series of grants that expanded the school’s footprint abroad and trained journalists from around the world.

Cronkite Faculty will Share Innovative Ideas During Free Virtual Event

December 9, 2020

The professors will discuss investigative journalism, misinformation in the media and other topics during Arizona State University’s Innovation Week and Innovation Quarter.

NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet to Receive 37th Annual Cronkite Award at Virtual Event in March

December 7, 2020

Dean Baquet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who is the first Black executive editor to lead both The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, will be honored on March 25.

Cronkite's Hill Wins ONA's Journalism 360 Challenge Grant

November 30, 2020

Retha Hill, director of the New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been named one of 12 winners and awarded a grant by the 2020 Online News Association’s (ONA) Journalism 360 Challenge.

Events

 

Young & Empowered Women's Association

December 14, 2020: The Young & Empowered Women's Association is a networking group of diverse rising stars in a variety of sectors, most of whom are ASU alums. The Keynote will begin at 5:30 p.m. Members will be logging on at 5:15 p.m.

Fall 2020 Cronkite Convocation Watch Party

December 14, 2020: The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is hosting a virtual watch party to honor its fall 2020 graduates. We hope your families and friends can join as well to celebrate you and commemorate your monumental achievements. We will livestream Cronkite Convocation on Monday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. MST. Join the celebration on Facebook and YouTube. For additional graduation details, please visit our Cronkite Convocation webpage.

Cronkite Book Club

January 6, 2021: The Cronkite Book Club will meet to discuss the book "The Night Watchman" by Louise Erdrich. Cronkite School adjunct faculty Christine Lavelle will be leading the discussion. New members are welcome!

Zoom In: Cronkite Nation SoCal

January 20, 2021: Cronkite Nation alumni, we are "Zooming" in to your city or region to say "hello" and to catch up! This is an opportunity to network with fellow alumni, so pop in and our as your schedule permits. We may have a surprise Cronkite School guest as well. Get ready — we're coming your way!

Pivotal Points in an Historic Election

January 25, 2021: NBC's Kristen Welker became a star of the turbulent Election 2020 news cycle after hosting the final presidential candidate debate before Election Day, and she kept a keen eye on the transition of power as a White House correspondent leading up to Inauguration Day. Welker will discuss the pivotal points in covering this history-making Election 2020 in a conversation and Q&A moderated by Assistant Dean Melanie Asp Alvarez.

The Gold Standard of Journalism Education

The Gold Standard of Journalism Education

94%

Nearly all Cronkite freshmen are awarded university merit scholarships.

1.9 million

The Cronkite News broadcast reaches 1.9 million households on Arizona PBS.

“Anyone who thinks journalism hasn’t changed enough to meet the competitive and technological challenges in media today needs to look closely at ASU’s Cronkite School. It leads the field.” — Sandy Rowe, former editor and publisher, The Oregonian

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Degrees at Cronkite

Degrees at Cronkite

Start Your Career in Journalism at Cronkite

With more than a dozen degree options and customizations, the Cronkite School prepares students for the media jobs of today and tomorrow. Cronkite offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism as well as degrees in sports journalism. Students also can combine a study of journalism with another discipline, such as meteorology or sustainability. All Cronkite degree programs offer students hands-on, expert instruction from world-class media scholars and award-winning journalists. Explore Cronkite’s degree programs today.

ASU 2020

Supporters of the Cronkite School include alumni, parents, foundations, media organizations and the journalism community. Discover how Campaign ASU 2020 will fuel discovery, champion student success and enrich the community. 

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#CronkiteNation

Check out where Cronkite School alumni are working by using the LinkedIn alumni tool. It’s easy to search alumni by title, keyword or company.

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