Journalism and Mass Communications
- Degree Type Bachelor of Arts
- Department Journalism and Mass Communications
- Academic Division The College
- Offerings Strategic Communication major Journalism major Journalism and Strategic Communications minor
Journalism and communications students benefit from a liberal arts education provided through a professional prism. By offering students the best of both, we teach them to think critically, communicate clearly, and fully recognize the role of news, public relations and other forms of media in a free society.
Journalism and Mass Communications
As the only accredited journalism department in a small, highly selective, nationally ranked liberal arts college, we are committed not only to broadening minds, but also to inculcating habits of honor, careful analysis, reasoned discourse and excellent writing in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic culture. Through our signature Knight Program in Media Ethics, we ensure that students understand the ethical dimensions of the decisions they will make.
The department’s demanding professional courses are taught by faculty with extensive academic and professional experience and achievement in newsrooms and public relations.
Reid Hall, which houses the department, provides students with an up-to-date technological environment that prepares them for working in multimedia communications. The heart and soul of the building is its third floor, home to a newsroom, TV studio and control room. There, students in several classes work together to produce The Rockbridge Report, a newscast and website that are regularly recognized for excellence by professional journalism organizations.
Since 1985, The Rockbridge Report newscast has showcased the work of journalism students who report, write and produce stories about the people who live and work in Lexington, nearby Buena Vista and Rockbridge County.
To make sure students are well grounded in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, they must take more courses outside the department than within. We offer two professionally oriented majors, Journalism and Strategic Communication, and a minor in Mass Communications.
The Journalism major prepares students to work as reporters, editors and producers of content in multimedia news organizations. Students may specialize their studies in the Business Journalism program, which prepares them to report and write about financial news and the economy.
The Strategic Communication major prepares students to craft messages for corporations, nonprofit organizations or governmental agencies.
The Mass Communications minor provides students in other disciplines with the opportunity to learn about professional values, theory and the practice of media, while honing their information-gathering, analytical and writing skills.
Opportunities
Both Journalism and Strategic Communication majors are required to complete summer internships, opportunities that have taken students from Austin and Boston to Seattle and Shanghai.
Our graduates work as business journalists at Bloomberg News, the Boston Business Journal and The Street.com. They report the news for outlets ranging from The Mercury News in San Jose, Calif., to U.S. News & World Report in Washington, D.C.
They also are running PR and marketing campaigns for clients at the Grey Group, Edelman and Ruder Finn in New York. They devise communications strategies for nonprofit organizations such as a philanthropic foundation in Oklahoma and the Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. And they serve as top executives at firms from coast to coast, from Zillow in Seattle to FleishmanHillard in New York.
They produce TV newscasts for local stations in such cities as Waco, Texas, and in-depth stories for “60 Minutes” in New York. And they anchor local newscasts and national business reports on two of the biggest stages in journalism, in Chicago and New York.
Pelzer has enjoyed connecting with others with shared interests through the Gaming Club, University Singers, SABU and the Office of Sustainability.
W&L’s student-run social media team arrived this fall ready to explore multiple social media platforms and showcase the vibrance of the Fall Term.
Veronika Kolosova ’25 has explored the liberal arts experience at W&L through campus involvement and an interdisciplinary approach to her studies.
Former Washington Post Editor to Deliver Lecture on Politics and Journalism
Marty Baron’s Oct. 1 talk is open to the public.
A philosophy class Leahy’s first semester led to a passion for thinking about different perspectives and relating to others’ experiences.
Eliza Spaht ’26 took a course on the economics of winemaking with the Council on International Educational Exchange’s Business and Culture program in Barcelona, Spain.
Aly Colón Selected for Inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who
The recently retired journalism professor was cited as a preeminent figure in the field of media ethics.
Alex Maragos ’13’s love of journalism started through the profession’s inside access to sports. He brings it full circle in covering the 2024 Paris Olympics for NBC 5 Chicago.
Melos Ambaye ’25 is helping children in Ethiopia as part of her Shepherd summer internship.
Arnold packed his four years at W&L with academic and athletic opportunities, studying abroad and pursuing his interest in broadcasting.
Professor Kevin Finch’s “Wes Bound” Documentary Garners Prestigious Recognition
The film claimed silver at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards Festival Gala on April 16.
Caleigh Wells ’17 Found Her Calling in Climate Reporting
The reporter and podcast host won a 2023 National Edward R. Murrow Award for her part in BURNED, which investigated failures by the U.S. Forest Service to protect California towns from potential high-risk wildfires.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Mark Coddington
Department Head and Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
Coddington teaches courses on digital journalism, media bias, social media and reporting. His research interests include media sociology, online news production, networked and participatory journalism, and social media.
Adedayo (Dayo) Abah
Provost Faculty Fellow and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
Abah teaches courses on communications law, news media, crisis communication, and international communication. Her research areas include online anonymous speech, international defamation law, copyright issues, Nollywood in African cinema, women and Nollywood, religion and the media, and immigrant media use.
Kevin Finch
Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
Finch teaches broadcast producing, announcing and documentaries. He was a large market TV news director who also covered 9/11 in Washington, the Senate post-impeachment vote on President Clinton and the Atlanta Olympics bombing.
Toni Locy
Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
Locy teaches courses on covering the courts and law, news writing, in-depth reporting, multimedia storytelling design and sports journalism. She was previously a journalist for 25 years, covering primarily the federal court system.
Jared Macary
Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications
Alecia Swasy
Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism
Swasy teaches courses on business and economic reporting, media management and entrepreneurship. She previously worked as a reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal and Tampa Bay Times. She is the author of four books.
