Strategic Plan
Vision
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism develops journalists and media scholars with rigorous reporting, research and analytical skills, a commitment to ethics, and an appreciation for the First Amendment’s key role in a free society. Located a few miles from the nation’s capital, the college employs a distinguished and diverse faculty and staff. They prepare students with a variety of personal and professional experiences to make an impact in service of democracy and the journalism profession.
Mission
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism’s faculty of acclaimed researchers and repeat winners of journalism’s top awards — including the Pulitzer, Peabody and Emmy awards — prepares students to join a dynamic profession. Students leave the college with strong writing and visual skills, a command of technology and a nuanced understanding of data analysis and audience engagement. The college recruits diversity throughout its ranks, helping prepare students to search for and tell meaningful stories in all communities. The college seeks to benefit the journalism profession and inform the public by supporting and promoting the research of its faculty and the development of future scholars.
Goals
Inform the public and the profession
The college serves the journalism profession, democracy and civil society by informing the public and cultivating trust in journalists. Capital News Service, the college’s student-staffed and faculty-led news organization, sparks conversations among the citizens of Maryland by telling important stories from Washington, Annapolis and elsewhere. The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism works with CNS and professional partners to illuminate complex issues of national and international importance. Public events hosted by the Howard Center and the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, plus media research published by the college’s scholarly faculty, seek to shape the future of journalism and offer the public insight into how journalists do their work.
Develop well-prepared, ethical journalists and researchers who are innovative storytellers and critical thinkers
The college uses its proximity to Washington to recruit some of the nation’s most accomplished journalists as teachers. With top news organizations just a Metro ride away, students enjoy unparalleled access to networking, internships and jobs. In class, students receive an intensive education in public affairs, investigative, sports, video, computational and data journalism. The college encourages students to experiment across platforms and to tell stories in innovative ways. Undergraduate and master’s students are well-grounded in the ethical practice of news-gathering and are prepared to tell community stories that matter. Doctoral students are active researchers, serving the public and the profession by producing rigorous scholarly work that examines news coverage of societal issues, seeks to improve journalism, and helps journalists build trust, credibility and lasting relationships with audiences.
Seek different voices through recruiting and retention
The college recruits students, faculty and staff who reflect the cultural, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic diversity of the country. The college — through its internal and external communications, its course content and public outreach — fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment that encourages people of all backgrounds to join the college and flourish. The college is committed to creating opportunities for outstanding students who need financial assistance. The college seeks to engender greater diversity in the profession, helping newsrooms better reflect the communities they cover.
Lead journalism into the future
The college is shaping the journalism profession by teaching and fostering entrepreneurship and developing novel ways to support and finance quality journalism. It partners with professional news organizations to tackle ambitious reporting projects. It fosters collaboration among journalism faculty and students with a variety of skill sets and enables them to work with people across various academic disciplines at the University of Maryland and beyond. This sets an example that can inspire journalists around the world. The college explores ways to engage more deeply with audiences and fearlessly experiments with storytelling forms. Alumni enter the profession with the education, expertise and experience needed to become leaders who bring about positive change.
Adopted: Spring 2020