Journalism and Mass Communications
- Degree Type Bachelor of Arts
- Department Journalism and Mass Communications
- Academic Division The College
- Offerings Mass 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.
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.
Dee Baker Amos to Deliver Institute on Media Ethics Keynote
Baker Amos will discuss the evolutions of ethics in communications in her March 26 lecture.
Professor Kevin Finch’s Documentary Set for Wide Release on American Public Television
‘Wes Bound: The Genius of Wes Montgomery’ will begin airing nationwide Feb. 1.
[CANCELLED] Former Washington Post Editor to Deliver Lecture on Politics and Journalism
Martin Baron’s talk will be held on Feb. 13 and is open to the public.
Six W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
W&L Journalism Professor Featured in Online Publication
Blue Marble published a conversation with Aly Colón about providing balanced coverage of a crisis.
Rachel Adams-Heard ’16 wins prestigious business journalism award
The Bloomberg reporter was recognized for her work on investigative podcast “In Trust.”
W&L Outcomes: Charlotte Dross ’23
Charlotte Dross ’23 is working in public relations as a postgraduate intern at Jackson Spalding.
Catching up with Laura Lemon ’16
W&L’s campus culture — from small classes to the Speaking Tradition — gave Lemon the communication skills and confidence to succeed.
W&L Professor Leads Journalism Seminars on the Coverage of Religion
Aly Colón created and organized “Covering Faith and the Faithful” seminars for journalists in Los Angeles and New York City.
Catching up with Kathryn Young ’19
Young learned the critical skills to excel at her job from the veteran journalists in Reid Hall.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Adedayo (Dayo) Abah
Department Head and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
- P: 540-458-8077
- E: abahd@wlu.edu
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.
Mark Coddington
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.
Aly Colón
John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Media Ethics
- P: 540-458-8433
- E: colona@wlu.edu
Colón teaches courses on the ethics of journalism, poverty in the media, media ethics, and race and ethnicity in media. Previously, he worked for a news service, daily newspapers, public radio and a journalism institute.
Kevin Finch
Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
- P: 540-458-8218
- E: finchk@wlu.edu
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
- P: 540-458-8434
- E: locyt@wlu.edu
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.
Alecia Swasy
Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism
- P: 540-458-8436
- E: swasya@wlu.edu
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.
