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Rodrigo Zamith

Welcome to UMass Journalism! You are joining a community made up of more than a dozen award-winning faculty, nearly 350 majors and thousands of alumni who are driven by a commitment to tell important stories bravely, ethically and creatively.

Our department is dedicated to equipping undergraduate students with strong multimedia production skills, the ability to think critically and the capacity to serve as a force for responsibly telling stories that advance the public good. We take a student-centered approach to teaching both the foundational principles and the digital practice of journalism and public relations. Your study might begin in the classroom but it will end on campus, regional and national media, as well as in public relations firms that service Fortune 500 companies and community non-profits alike.

You might not know it but there’s a good chance you’ve come across the work of a UMass Journalism alum. Maybe you’ve listened to the exemplary work of Audie Cornish, ’01, on NPR and CNN; read a story about the Pentagon by Dan Lamothe, ’04, in the Washington Post; viewed the presidential campaign reporting by Veronica Stracqualursi, ’14, on CNN; felt a stronger connection to the songs on your Apple Music playlist thanks to work of Trudy Joseph, ’17; seen the work on police accountability by Alvin Buyinza, ’18, on MassLive; or come across the public relations and marketing work by Katrina Rojas, ’22, who works at an agency founded by UMass alumni. You’ll also find our alumni in graduate schools, law offices, sports marketing agencies, classrooms and more.

Their work as journalists and public relations practitioners matters―as will yours. We’re living in a moment of great uncertainty, from a rapidly changing environmental climate to a deeply confusing political one to a constantly evolving social one. Those challenges won’t solve themselves, nor will they be solved solely through individual action. Their resolution will rely on collective awareness and collective action. Helping people make sense of the changing world and ensuring that there is accountability is the job of ethical journalists. Guaranteeing that good ideas are heard and that communities are empowered is the job of ethical public relations practitioners. This is what you are signing up for as a member of the UMass Journalism community, and we’re happy to have you with us.

Regards,

Rodrigo Zamith
Department Chair
Journalism Department