Vision and Mission

Our Vision shares our idea of what we want our world to be

The School of Journalism and Media Studies advocates for a global society where people from all backgrounds are actively engaged in their communities and thinking critically about the media and its role in society; and in which media professionals communicate ethically, value diversity and inclusivity and reflectively engage with technology for the public good and democracy.

Our Mission outlines our purpose -- the why of what we do

The mission of the School of Journalism & Media Studies is to empower our students to create a more informed, just and democratic society. Through innovative teaching, cutting-edge scholarship and meaningful community engagement, we prepare students to communicate with courage and integrity, strengthen public understanding and contribute to a thriving democracy in a complex global media environment.

Our Values are how we behave and treat each other

Our values guide how we teach, research, engage and lead. This is especially true amid rapid technological, social, economic and political change. They are commitments we actively practice, not ideals we postpone. These core values are reflected in three pillars: Democracy and the Public; Integrity and Professional Courage; and Inquiry and Inclusion.

Democracy and the Public

• Free and open expression: Grounded in the First Amendment, we affirm free expression and freedom of thought as cornerstones of democracy and essential conditions for meaningful inquiry and social progress. We cultivate open communication that encourages dialogue and supports respectful exchange across differences.
• Community engagement: We foster reciprocal and sustained relationships with journalists, media organizations, civic institutions and communities locally, nationally and globally.
  Social justice: We examine and challenge structural barriers and power imbalances so students can use communication to inform, empower and advance a more just world.

Integrity and Professional Courage

• Courageous and principled communication: We speak, report and lead with integrity in contested, uncertain and high-stakes contexts, and uphold professional and civic responsibilities even when doing so carries personal or institutional risk.
• Ethical professionalism: We model ethical professionalism through transparency, accountability, independence, fairness and accuracy.

Inquiry and Inclusion 

• Global diversity and inclusion: We remain committed to understanding, valuing and amplifying diverse perspectives and inclusive communication in a transglobal media landscape.
• Critical reflection of the media: We challenge assumptions, question power and encourage thoughtful analysis of media, institutions and ideas.
• Ethical as well as responsible use of technologies for the public good: We evaluate and use technologies with care, recognizing both their potential to reinforce inequities and their capacity to democratize communication, and advocate for their ethical and responsible use.

Our Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

The School of Journalism & Media is committed to equity and inclusion in all that we do. Our commitment is rooted in the belief that acknowledging and embracing a broad range of life experiences and perspectives strengthens our pledge to deliver excellence in teaching, research and learning. Our practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion benefit all those in the school -- faculty, staff and students alike -- as well as those alumni and the community with whom we engage. To that end, the school is committed to:

• Creating and maintaining an environment that promotes participation by all while demonstrating our responsibility to historically underrepresented groups.
• Fostering understanding of each other’s backgrounds and experiences.
• Practicing anti-racism, anti-discrimination and inclusivity in our teaching, research and activities.
• Cultivating mindfulness of the unconscious biases we all have and of the inequalities that can threaten progress within the school as well as acknowledging that diversity is an evolving concept that needs constant updating.
• Recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining diverse faculty and staff.