Top photo: (l to r) Lizzy Klem, Olivia Wildes, Shana Turner, Emma Laing, Morgan Cook, Mollie Naugle, Sydney Zulywitz, Lauren Wittig, Cecelia Coughlin, Nina Brook. Not pictured, Sidonie LaBenne.
This fall, two stellar organizations dedicated to true journalism will join forces to advance education and ensure that South Carolina residents are accurately informed. The new partnership between the CIC and The Post and Courier will provide students with an immersive experiential learning opportunity focused on the importance of unbiased journalism in society. Students will receive a scholarship for the tuition, thanks to funding from Dick Elliott (’67 B.A.J.M.C.) and Dayna Elliott.
“In a recent Gallup poll, only 31% of Americans reported having a ‘great deal’ or ‘fair amount’ of trust in the mass media to report the news accurately,” said CIC Dean Tom Reichert. “As educators and professionals on the front lines, The Post and Courier and our college are prepared to turn that sentiment around. We believe this highly valued experience with a Pulitzer prize winning media organization could change perceptions about journalism well into the future.”
Each semester, 10 students will be selected for the “The Post and Courier Experience” to prepare them for future work in the communications industry. Throughout the program, they will be immersed in the philosophy of accuracy in journalism and how objective reporting protects a democracy. Through direct engagement with The Post and Courier, students will learn the news business and have hands-on roles in news reporting, visual display, data analysis and social media.
Beyond their daily tasks, students will learn about the goals and operations of a professional media organization and evaluate the implementation and impact of specific projects. They will learn about issues facing the organization, including the developing use of emerging technologies and participate in discussions around solutions.
Journalism Sequence Head Nina Brook, Ed.D. will co-teach the course, which will require specific projects and portfolio development, with Robie Scott, education lab and university partnership director for The Post and Courier.
“This program is such a high-quality experience for our students,” said Brook. “They are getting to work side-by-side with professionals who are mentoring and teaching while the students gain real world experience. The Post and Courier has gone out of its way to make a great learning and professional home for this group, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the students produce.”
About The Post and Courier
Founded in 1803, The Post and Courier is the oldest newspaper in the South, the second oldest in the United States and the largest in South Carolina with more than 90 journalists on staff statewide. With many honors and accolades to its credit, the newspaper has garnered the highest awards in journalism often besting much larger media conglomerates including two Pulitzer Prizes.
About the College of Information and Communication
The CIC is a community of scholars, teachers, practitioners and staff who provide inclusive transformative experiences, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary learning that produces real-world-ready graduates. We do this by embracing change, adopting emerging technologies, collaborating with academic and industry partners, and bridging the fields of communication and information science.