AU's School of Communication is a "hotbed for new forms of journalism," according to PBS blogger Mark Glasser.
Glasser's post, "Why is American University Becoming Center for New Journalism," posted June 18, was met with praise by many members of SOC who hailed the school as being one of the top schools to learn about and work with new media.
In his blog, Media Shift, Glaser said SOC is at the forefront of new journalism because of the strength of its new institutes and workshops such as the Center for Social Media, the Institute for Interactive Journalism and Charles Lewis's Investigative Reporting Workshop.
Glaser conducted video interviews with members of the SOC community and found they all agreed on three factors that make SOC a good school for new journalism: AU's location in D.C., the student body's strong interest in politics and social justice and SOC Dean Larry Kirkman's ability to bring in many prominent journalists and professionals.
Kirkman said that he is able to bring these talented individuals to the SOC because they recognize SOC's commitment to being on the cutting edge in journalism.
"We're in a laboratory for the future of communications," Kirkman said. "We're here to rethink and retool the profession that we work in."
Wendell Cochran, an associate professor who has taught in SOC for over 17 years, said SOC has come a long way in new journalism innovations. When he started teaching in SOC in 1992, the school was just starting to get computers and to connect to the Internet. Cochran said that he is amazed at the progress SOC has made in recent years.
"We've come from almost nothing to full integration of new media," Cochran said.
Christine Doldendo, a sophomore in SOC, likes that her SOC professors encourage feedback from the students about new developments in journalism.
"The professors are knowledgeable and open to learning new things," Dolendo said. "Sometimes us students are the ones teaching professors about new forms of journalism."
Brigid Maher, an SOC professor who works with new media in SOC's Film and Media Arts division, said that she is confident that SOC's centers and institutes will bring more to the journalism field in the years to come.
"SOC serves as an incubator for developments in new media through our centers and institutes," Maher said. "[They have] placed us on the virtual edge for the past several years, and we're well positioned for the future."
Cochran also expressed hope for SOC's continued growth. He said SOC will try to put graphics, videos and interactive technology more into the curriculum in the future.
Cochran said the SOC department is dedicated to keeping up with the changing face of media.
"At some point we'll stop calling these developments 'new media,'" Cochran said. "What we're in now is a second new media wave, and SOC will continue to grow and adapt to the many changes ahead."
You can reach this staff writer at jryan@theeagleonline.com.
