UW-Superior announces new multimedia journalism program
The University of Wisconsin-Superior has announced the addition of a new undergraduate program for fall 2021 – multimedia journalism. The program is the culmination of a year-long process of evaluating and redesigning the university’s previously offered journalism concentration and minor. Unique in the region, the program is designed to prepare students to be skilled digital storytellers who research, compose and produce work to be mass communicated across a wide range of media platforms. The new program is offered in an on-campus format as a concentration of the communicating arts major and as a minor in both online and on-campus formats.
“The new multimedia journalism program reflects changes within the journalism and communications fields,” said Brent Notbohm, professor of film and video and chair of the Communicating Arts Department. “Traditional newsrooms are increasingly moving online, creating the need for digital storytellers who are adept at communicating across multiple formats – video, web design, audio, visual imagery and the written word. Graduates of this program will have produced a portfolio of work that demonstrates their multimedia communication abilities and prepares them for the job market.”
While the field of journalism has changed dramatically with some newsrooms reducing staff, the need for skilled digital communicators remains strong. Businesses, nonprofits and public sector organizations are finding they need people with strong writing and multimedia skills to effectively serve their clients and audiences. This is evidenced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook which projects 46,200 new media and communications jobs in the United States between 2019 to 2029, an increase of four percent.
Students in the multimedia journalism program will benefit from newly remodeled educational spaces in the Holden Fine and Applied Arts building and new state-of-the-art video equipment. They will also have opportunities for experiential learning at 91.3 KUWS Superior, the Wisconsin Public Radio recording studio on campus, and The Promethean student newspaper, as well as internship opportunities on campus and in the Twin Ports community.
The addition of this program, along with the recently introduced public leadership and innovation major that will also begin fall semester 2021, brings UWSuperior’s total undergraduate offerings to 57.
