“The demand for news is still strong and people want to be informed.”

That’s one of the reasons why Humber College offers a robust School of Journalism designed to provide students with the skills and experiences to be successful in the constantly changing industry, according to Guillermo Acosta, senior dean, Faculty of Media & Creative Arts.

Housed within the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts, Humber’s award-winning School of Journalism focuses on technology, data journalism, investigative journalism and multiplatform content creation. To ensure students are prepared for the latest developments and industry demands in both journalism and digital communications, Humber regularly reviews and updates its curriculum with input from working professionals.

In addition to offering highly respected journalism programs at the graduate and diploma level, Humber has a four-year Bachelor of Journalism program that is undergoing a comprehensive review and redesign to strengthen the School’s overall contributions to journalism education.

“We’re engaged in consultations with faculty, students and industry partners to understand what is needed to reshape our mix of credentials, so we continue to prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the industry,” said Acosta.  

It’s an exciting time for the program as it’s being fine-tuned and revamped but it is still early in the process says Acosta.  

With the media industry experiencing turmoil for many years due to declining advertising revenues and shifts in the way people consume media, Acosta feels Humber’s focus on investigative, data-driven journalism is an area of strength and one they want to continue to focus on.  

Students in the School of Journalism get to work with Humber’s StoryLab, where they engage with industry partners on data-driven storytelling.

“It seems that, in general, people have lost trust in reporting. We believe strong investigative and data-driven journalism can support a rebuilding of that trust,” said Acosta. 

Humber offers knowledgeable faculty, campus newsroom and broadcast centre facilities and a strong roster of industry partners including CBC, CTV, The Globe and Mail, TSN, Sportsnet, and many others.  

Acosta noted that the skills needed to thrive as a journalist transfer to other industries and careers including public relations, social media management and content strategy and development.  

Journalists also graduate Humber with highly developed research, critical thinking, time management and organization skills that can serve them well in different careers while also learning multiplatform content creation. The latter is particularly relevant as the way people consume their news has changed dramatically with more and more readers accessing information online, said Acosta. For example, podcasts are a prime source of news for many people and this popular medium isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“We want to develop the skills to create media that is going to reach its audience,” he said. “We as educators understand the model has changed. Journalism is a pillar of democracy and the need for excellent journalism is stronger than ever.”

Find out more about Humber’s Journalism education options by visiting humber.ca/journalism.