Journalism

Why Howard Journalism?

Howard University offers the best historically Black college and university (HBCU) undergraduate journalism program in the country, training students who are ethically and rigorously prepared for wide-ranging careers in digital and broadcast news. Our students are multimedia journalists — reporters, editors, producers and content creators —who write, edit and produce thought-provoking enterprise stories of people and communities of color. Our alumni are Emmy-award winning news anchors, Pulitzer Prize winning reporters and NABJ award-winning managing editors.

Our curriculum offers tracks in Digital and Broadcast Journalism. The program has won four National Academy of Arts & Sciences Student Production Awards, or Student Emmys, in a row for Best Newscast (most recently in 2024). Through partnerships with the department, our students intern each year at The Washington Post, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, Report for America among others.

The Center for Journalism and Democracy is a first-of-its-kind center strengthening historically-informed, pro-democracy journalism.

We are accredited by the Accrediting Council of Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), the professional accrediting body ensuring high standards in curriculum and student learning outcomes. We are one of eight HBCUs with this accreditation.

Chair: Ingrid Sturgis, Ph.D., associate professor of new media

Journalism Sequence Coordinator: Stacey Patton, Ph.D., assistant professor of digital storytelling

Yanick Rice Lamb, Ph.D., professor of journalism & editorial director, HU News Service

Nikole Hannah Jones, M.A., knight chair in race and journalism

Jennifer C. Thomas, M.A., associate professor of broadcast journalism & director, Annenberg Honors Program

Christine McWhorter, Ph.D., assistant professor of broadcast journalism

dominic k. mckenzie, M.A., ACB, assistant professor of digital storytelling & director, HU Multicultural Media Academy

Kimbrell Kelly, M.S., inaugural visiting professor of investigative journalism

Ericka Blount, M.S., master instructor

Deron Snyder, M.S., lecturer

Click here for Faculty Profiles

Stacey Patton, Ph.D.

Sequence Coordinator, Journalism & Assistant Professor of Digital Storytelling

Welcome from our Sequence Coordinator!

"We empower future journalists who fearlessly tell stories that illuminate truth, challenge injustice, and amplify the voices of the unheard. Building on the rich legacy of Black journalists, we prepare bold storytellers to define the future of media."

Our students get published. Our faculty are nationally-recognized. Our alumni run newsrooms.

Apply now to become a student!

HU representation at NABJ50 in Cleveland

The award-winning Howard University News Service (HUNS), established in 2001, trains student journalists to provide hyperlocal and national reporting to serve media deserts and address a severe lack of diverse news coverage. As a free wire service, HUNS primarily serves the 200 African-American weeklies that are members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) with coverage of national and local events in and around the Washington area, including Congress and the White House. Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb is editorial director.

TruthBeTold.news (formerly called HU Insight) is a non-profit, non-partisan website and digital network. It uses journalistic skills and crowdsourced information to play a leading role by examining claims about the Black community in public debate. It also serves as a fun but, serious learning environment for students to teach them advanced reporting tools in a way that is engaging and allows them to use the social media skills they already possess. Prof. Ericka Blount is the advisor.

By college students, but not strictly for them, 101 Magazine reaches, through long-form storytelling, ages 18-29. The student-led magazine publishes online every quarter. Its tagline “Your break between classes,” denotes the mentality of our readers whose breaks are in fact, few. The college student’s mantra of work hard, play hard is seldom understood, but 101 embodies it. The magazine covers everything from dating, health, travel and culture through fun angles and fresh point-of-views. Prof. Ericka Blount is the advisor.

Howard University Association of Black Journalists (HUABJ) is the student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). As an extension of the NABJ, we believe that Black journalists nationwide should bind themselves together in an effort to increase Black employment in the media, to increase the number of Blacks in management positions, to encourage and educate young Blacks interested in pursuing a journalism career and to monitor and sensitize all media to racism. The chapter won NABJ Student Chapter of the Year in 2021. Prof. Jennifer Thomas is the advisor.

Students in the 2024 cohort pose for a photo after their graduation from the program

The Howard University Multicultural Media Academy is the external training arm of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film. It is home to a yearly high school media program that teaches student journalists how to report and write news stories about health disparities in the District of Columbia. News stories produced during the two-week program are published on Voices of Tomorrow, a digital platform named for the program's previous newspaper. The Academy celebrates 50 years in 2025. Prof. dominic k. mckenzie is the Director of the program.

Applications open now at www.voicesoftomorrow.news

Spotlight Network Television is the closed-circuit student run television network on the campus of Howard University. Spotlight's purpose is to train and support students to be able to compete in the highly selective media and communication businesses around the world. Spotlight Network can be seen daily on Channel 3 & 4 in dorms and buildings throughout the campus. Dr. Christine McWhorter is the advisor.

HU@NABJ

Howard faculty and alumni gather for a photo at the NABJ convention in Cleveland.

(Photo: Jennifer C. Thomas, contributed)

Dr. Christine McWhorter, Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, Prof. Jennifer C. Thomas and Dr. Ingrid Sturgis, journalism faculty, pause for a photo after the Salute to Excellence Gala

Journalism faculty at #NABJ25

Dr. Christine McWhorter, Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, Prof. Jennifer C. Thomas and Dr. Ingrid Sturgis pause for a photo after the Salute to Excellence Gala

(Photo: Jennifer C. Thomas, contributed)

Trinity Webster-Bass, '25, pauses with her Salute to Excellence award

Webster-Bass received the Salute to Excellence award in the collegiate Podcast category for her podcast 'How Kamala Harris Built Bonds for Life', published on the Howard University News Service.

(Photo: Jennifer C. Thomas, contributed)

Dr. Christine McWhorter and Kayla Farris '25

Dr. McWhorter and Kayla Farris, '25, pause for a photo.

Immediately upon graduation, Farris became a weekend anchor/reporter at WDTN, a Nexstar station in Ohio.

(Photo: Dr. Christine McWhorter, contributed)

Dr. Christine McWhorter, Jason Pontoroso, '24, and Prof. Jennifer C. Thomas

Dr. McWhorter, Jason Ponterotto, '24, and Prof. Thomas capture a photo

Ponterotto is a reporter at the New York Amsterdam News, the oldest Black newspaper in New York City.

(Photo: Dr. Christine McWhorter, contributed)

Howard University Journalism walked away with five of seven Salute to Excellence awards in undergraduate collegiate reporting from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) on Saturday, August 9.

The Salute to Excellence Gala, held yearly at the NABJ convention, honors the best in reporting covering the Black experience. The awards were presented at the association's 50th anniversary convention in Cleveland.

In Digital Media, Vida Poyner-Chillious, '25, won the Online Feature Reporting award for her story titled '90 Years of Life, Love and Resilience: Elizabeth Chillious’ Story'. Asia Alexander, '25, won the Online News Reporting award for her story 'President Biden Establishes National Monument for 1908 Springfield Race Riot'.

In Television, the Fall 2024 NewsVision class (Juan Benn '25, Danilo Wrightsell '25, Skyler Winston '25, Trinity Webster-Bass '25) won Best Newscast and Trinity Kinslow, '25, won in the Feature: Short Form category for her story 'Kamala Harris Makes History: Supporters Leave DNC Ready to Work'.

In Podcasting, Trinity Webster-Bass '25, won for her reporting titled 'How Kamala Harris Built Bonds for Life'.

All stories are published by the award-winning Howard University News Service.

Jennifer C. Thomas, associate professor of broadcast journalism and director of the Annenberg Honors Program, was at the ceremony and notes the awards as timely during a vital time in U.S. history.

“Our students had the unique opportunity to cover both the 2024 Democratic National Convention and Presidential Election as credentialed journalists in real time with real challenges and deadlines,” she said. “This national recognition is a testament that their diligence, ethical standards and commitment to sharing stories affecting our community, matters.”

The Hilltop, Howard's student newspaper, won Best Feature Reporting for its coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election. Former editor-in-chief of the paper, JD Jean-Jacques, received the NABJ Student Journalist of the Year award.

Among the honorees was Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, professor of journalism at Howard, who received the coveted NABJ Educator of the Year award.

This caps one of Howard-J's most successful academic years in recent history. The program also received a national award from the Society of Professional Journalists for Best Independent Online Student Publication for the Howard University News Service.

Digital and Broadcast Exemplars Named for 2025

by dominic k. mckenzie, assistant professor of digital storytelling

Journalism seniors Sabrina McCrear '25 and Trinity Webster-Bass '25 were named the 2025 Digital and Broadcast Student Exemplars respectively, for overall academic excellence in the journalism undergraduate program. The awards were given at the Department of Media, Journalism and Film Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 8 as part of Howard University's graduation calendar of events celebrating the Class of 2025.

After graduation, McCrear will join the editorial team at the American Journalism of Managed Care as an assistant editor. She also received the excellence award for 101 Magazine and the News Lab Capstone Award.

Webster-Bass will leave for New York to work as an intern with the Investigative Journalism team at the New York Times.

Trinity Webster-Bass delivers a thoughtful thank you address after receiving the Chair's Award. (Photo: dominic k. mckenzie)

She also received the Howard University News Service - Broadcast award, Annenberg Honors Program award, the White House Correspondent Association Scholarship and the coveted Chair's Award, given by chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Prof. Ingrid Sturgis.

Other honorees included Serenity Armstrong '25, recipient of the Robert Asher Award, given in honor of Robert Asher, late Washington Post editor and instructor of the copyediting course at Howard and Kyle Fisher '25, recipient of the JP Morgan Chase Emerging Journalist Award.

The Cathy Hughes School of Communications (CHSOC) will continue its graduation celebrations on Friday, May 9 at 12:00pm at Burr Gym. Dr. Rochelle Ford, former president of Dillard University and former associate dean of CHSOC, will serve as speaker for the event.

Our Student Journalists At Work

Digital Journalism senior wins Planet Forward Storyfest Award

Kayla Smernoff won Best Written Story for her article Understanding the Demographic Discrepancies of Park Visitorship, chronicling the historical legacy of Black people's exclusions from America's public spaces. Planet Forward is a project founded by award-winning journalist Frank Sesno and hosted at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs -- honoring excellent environmental storytelling by college students.

About Kayla's story, the judges said "This story explores the historical legacy of bias that deters people from visiting National Parks sites. It sets itself apart with the quality of writing, the depth of reporting and the thorough research into the cultural differences that shape how Black Americans and other people of color view efforts to preserve the natural world."

Read Kayla's story on Planet Forward

Digital Journalism student is a Fellow at The Washington Post

Juan Benn Jr. (he/him) is a fellow at The Washington Post for the 2024 academic year. He is assigned to the Local desk and covers stories about people and events in the DMV. He is from Knoxville, Tennessee.

"[I am blessed to] work at such a prestigious newspaper before I even cross the stage. Everything I have worked for and have been taught over the years has prepared me for this moment," he said.

Benn is also the managing editor at The Hilltop, the oldest Black collegiate newspaper in the United States.

Read his stories at The Washington Post

Broadcast Journalism student reports from the Yard on Election Day

Trinity Webster-Bass (she/her), a senior Broadcast Journalism major, was reporting on the Yard for NewsVision, the Fall 2024 capstone newscast which aired on WHUT TV, a PBS station, on Election Day.

Read and watch her stories at HUNewsService.com

Digital Journalism student published by The Guardian

Asia Alexander (she/her), a senior Digital Journalism major, was published by The Guardian recently. Her story "Somber mood at Kamala Harris’s alma mater Howard University as hopes for victory dim" chronicled election night on the Yard.

Alexander was an editorial intern at Forbes Magazine during the summer of 2024.

Read The Guardian story here

Broadcast Journalism student published by ESSENCE.com

Rachel Bunch (she/her), a senior Broadcast Journalism major, was published by ESSENCE.com recently. Her story, "Howard’s Heartbeat: The Yard Brings Together Alumni, Students And Supporters For Kamala Harris", highlighted the importance of the watch party for Vice President Harris being hosted at her alma mater.

“I am grateful to my professors for encouraging me and providing me with opportunities to work with organizations I have admired growing up. It's a full circle feeling," she said.

Read ESSENCE.com story here

Broadcast Journalism student appears on CNN

Skyler Winston (she/her), a senior Broadcast Journalism major, was invited to appear on CNN recently as part of a panel discussing student impressions on the 2024 Election. From the Bay Area in California, she is the political editor at The Hilltop, the oldest Black collegiate paper in the United States.

Watch and read her stories at HUNewsService.com

Broadcast Journalism student named White House HBCU Scholar

Ashley Anderson (she/her), a junior Broadcast Journalism major, is a 2024 White House HBCU Scholar, as named by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Howard students receive HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship

Our journalism students Mykal Bailey and Sabrina McCrear were selected by the HBCU Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT to participate in a new fellowship that provides students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities with training, mentorship, and early career support to do reporting on science, health, and environmental issues.

Faculty on the Frontlines of Truth

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, is 2025 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Journalism Educator of the Year!

She is the editorial director of the Howard University News Service, recent winners of the Society of Professional Journalists Region 2 Best Independent Online Student Publication and is a former director of the Howard University Multicultural Media Academy.

Dr. Rice Lamb is a former chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film and holds a Ph.D. from Howard University.

She was honored at the Salute to Excellence Awards Gala at the NABJ Convention in Cleveland.

Congratulations, Dr. Rice Lamb!

Dr. Stacey Patton, Prof. dominic k. mckenzie, Prof. Nikole Hannah Jones, Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb and Dr Ingrid Sturgis at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Graduation on Friday, May 9.

Prof. Jennifer Thomas speaks to capstone audience

Prof. Jennifer Thomas, associate professor, speaks to the audience at the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentation at WHUT Studios in November.

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb speaks to capstone audience

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, professor, speaks to the audience at the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentation at WHUT Studios in November.

Dr. Christine McWhorter, assistant professor of broadcast journalism, pauses for a photo at the Democratic National Convention in Summer 2024.

She was one of two faculty advisors who traveled with students as they covered the event for HU News Service.

Prof. Ingrid Sturgis and Dr. Gracie Lawson Borders

Chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Prof. Ingrid Sturgis (R), pauses for a photo at the retirement celebration event for Dean Emerita Gracie Lawson Borders (L) during the Spring 2024 semester.

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, Prof. Dominic McKenzie, Prof. Jennifer Thomas and Chair Ingrid Sturgis pause for a photo at the end of the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentations at the WHUT TV Studio in November.

History of the Journalism Program at Howard University

1971

The Cathy Hughes School of Communications traces its history back to 1971 when the SOC was founded with Tony Brown as dean.

1971 - 1974

WHUR-FM debuted in 1971 and three years later, one of MJFC's predecessors, the Department of Radio, Television and Film (RTVF), established student-run radio station WHBC

1982

The Community News newspaper began publishing, and the CHSOC relocated to the renovated C.B. Powell Building.

1985-1993

Under the leadership of Dean Orlando Taylor (1985 to 1993), the Walter Annenberg Foundation donated a $2 million endowment to begin the Annenberg Honors Program. The School also established the Howard Journal of Communications; "News Vision," a television news magazine produced by journalism students; and the student-run Howard University Film Organization.

1986

The Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) accredited the then existing Departments of Journalism and RTVF – enabling those departments to join the select few communications programs in America and abroad to be endorsed by this rigorous assessment/accreditation body

Mid-1990s

Four (4) school-based media outlets began: Glasshouseradio.com, the first all-talk, online radio channel produced for and by Howard students & faculty; District Chronicles, a weekly community newspaper; BlackCollegeView.com (now HUNewsService.com); and 101 Magazine (101Magazine.net).

1993 - 2011

Dr. Jannette L. Dates became School's third dean in 1993, serving until 2011. Under her leadership, the Departments of Journalism and RTVF received ACEJMC re-accreditation in 2003 and 2009. Time Warner, Inc. invested $2 million to establish RTVF’s Time Warner Endowed Chair; media titans Bill Duke, Suzanne DePasse and Cathy Hughes served in this capacity.

2013 - 2017

Dr. Gracie Lawson-Borders became the CHSOC's fourth dean. The new Department of Media, Journalism and Film (combining parts of the former Departments of Journalism and RTVF) welcomed its first students in the class of 2017.

2019

Journalism Professor Ingrid Sturgis becomes chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film

2020

In September 2020, Howard University and Craig Newmark announced that Craig Newmark Philanthropies made a $2.5 million gift to support aspiring journalism students. The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Opportunity Scholarship Program ($1.5 million) supports journalism majors with demonstrated financial need (with priority given to juniors and seniors) and The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Student Experience Fund enables professional development opportunities that are vital to students to get jobs after college and to advance in their careers.

Cathy Hughes School Of Communications

Faculty

Stacey Patton, Ph.D.

Sequence Coordinator, Journalism & Assistant Professor of Digital Storytelling

Join the legacy of Journalism excellence at HU.

What We Offer

Howard University News Service

Truth Be Told

101 Magazine

Howard University Association of Black Journalists

Howard University Multicultural Media Academy

Spotlight Network

HU@NABJ

Journalism faculty at #NABJ25

Trinity Webster-Bass, '25, pauses with her Salute to Excellence award

Dr. McWhorter and Kayla Farris, '25, pause for a photo.

Dr. McWhorter, Jason Ponterotto, '24, and Prof. Thomas capture a photo

Home of the 2024 National Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award for Best Independent Online Student Publication

Digital Journalism senior wins Planet Forward Storyfest Award

Digital Journalism student is a Fellow at The Washington Post

Broadcast Journalism student reports from the Yard on Election Day

Digital Journalism student published by The Guardian

Broadcast Journalism student published by ESSENCE.com

Broadcast Journalism student appears on CNN

Broadcast Journalism student named White House HBCU Scholar

Howard students receive HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship

Journalism Professor is 2025 NABJ Educator of the Year

Dr. Stacey Patton, Prof. dominic k. mckenzie, Prof. Nikole Hannah Jones, Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb and Dr Ingrid Sturgis at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Graduation on Friday, May 9.

Prof. Jennifer Thomas, associate professor, speaks to the audience at the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentation at WHUT Studios in November.

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, professor, speaks to the audience at the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentation at WHUT Studios in November.

Dr. Christine McWhorter, assistant professor of broadcast journalism, pauses for a photo at the Democratic National Convention in Summer 2024.

Chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Prof. Ingrid Sturgis (R), pauses for a photo at the retirement celebration event for Dean Emerita Gracie Lawson Borders (L) during the Spring 2024 semester.

Dr. Yanick Rice Lamb, Prof. Dominic McKenzie, Prof. Jennifer Thomas and Chair Ingrid Sturgis pause for a photo at the end of the Fall 2024 Capstone Presentations at the WHUT TV Studio in November.

History of the Journalism Program at Howard University

Check out the award-winning Howard University News Service