Communication/Journalism

Media Everywhere

Consider the Internet and the web, television, mobile phones, film, newspaper, iPods, digital radio, downloadable music, and animated billboards. Media is all around us and the consumption of the media constitutes a significant and meaningful portion of our daily lives. Professionals in communication learn how to be effective producers who create content transmitted through multiple digital devices and media to a variety of audiences.

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Careers of the Future

St. John Fisher College's Bachelor of Arts in Communication/Journalism Program (C/J) prepares students to be successful in jobs that don't even exist yet. Our department teaches crucial skills. Our students become proficient writers, professional speakers, and technologically capable practitioners. They understand how to analyze media content, weigh ethical problems that arise when working in the media, and tell effective stories.

With these skills and carefully chosen electives and internships, our students prepare to become video producers and television reporters, online and print journalists, social media managers, and specialists in strategic communication.

A major in Communication/Journalism functions as an ideal liberal arts major, requiring students to understand sociological, economic, psychological and aesthetic principles underlying the field while simultaneously using that knowledge to create media. In addition to careers in communications, this breadth of knowledge allows C/J students to successfully pursue graduate work in law, business and higher education administration, as well as professional and academic studies in communication.

The Value of Personal Attention

The faculty in the C/J department at Fisher knows each student as an individual. Our classes are small. The introductory class enrolls no more than 30 students while most upper-level courses enroll between 15-20 students. C/J classes offer students a strong theoretical perspective and a solid experiential base.

Fisher's C/J faculty are known for their dedication to students and act as both teachers and mentors. We help students work through their career choices, encourage them to pursue new opportunities through on-campus activities and internships, and help target their experiences to their interests and abilities. In fact, one of our professors (Jim Seward) is a recipient of the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

A Program of High Praise

The Department of Communication/Journalism has won high praise from communication professionals. Fisher C/J alumni form a network of contacts for recent grads that can aid in finding internships and positions in upstate New York and across the country.

Every major broadcast station and newspaper in Rochester has recent Fisher C/J grads on staff working as reporters, sports writers, anchors, producers, sales representatives, and promotions executives. Recent Fisher C/J grads work at major Rochester advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, hospitals, colleges, and non-profit organizations as account executives, copywriters, sports information specialists, and special events coordinators.

State of the Art Facilities

Fisher students majoring in C/J enjoy a close relationship with the TV Lab, with access to the digital television studio, portable video equipment, digital editing bays and a separate audio studio. The Macintosh Multimedia Lab includes the full Adobe Creative Suite for web design, desktop publishing and digital image manipulation. The computers are equipped with Final Cut Pro and After Effects for video editing and special effects creation. The lab also includes software for podcasting and the exploration of virtual worlds.