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Travis
Fox
Director of Visual Journalism
Visual Journalism
Visual storytelling is thriving. From web videos to news photography to documentaries and drone journalism, media organizations are investing resources and creating new jobs in visual content specialties.
The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York is at the forefront of this changing industry. In the first semester, our program trains students in the core skills that are consistent across all visual media— good shooting, writing, and editing. Fundamentals of Multimedia Storytelling introduces first-semester students to the basics of our professional tools like Adobe Premiere.
Then — in the second and third semesters — visual students can specialize in photojournalism, web video, broadcast, or long-form documentary, or they can choose their own combination.
Broadcast
Our broadcast students get real hands-on experience while at the Newmark J-School. In Television News Magazine, students produce a monthly magazine show on CUNY-TV called 219West. Students do all the reporting, shooting, writing, and editing for the 30-minute show and then anchor it from our modern, in-house studio.If a monthly deadline isn’t challenging enough, students can sign up for a series of classes to prepare them for local TV, where the daily news cycle means same day deadlines. After a morning meeting, students must do all their reporting and editing in order to broadcast on the NYCity News Service website the same day.
Documentary
Documania—that’s how The New York Times referred to the proliferation of documentary film that we are seeing not only in theaters but on television, the web, and mobile devices. To meet this demand the Newmark J-School launched a new intensive documentary specialization that allows students to learn all aspects of documentary production while focusing on completing a single doc project during their 16-month course of study for a master’s degree. If you’d like to enroll in this specialization, you can either apply to the program during the regular admissions process for the M.A. in Journalism or transfer in after completing the first semester.
Photojournalism
Our photojournalism program blends the enduring power of traditional photo reportage with the realities of the changing media landscape. The program offers intro and advanced courses along with special projects and independent studies.
The independent study option is with The New York Times photographer and Lens Blog co-founder James Estrin.
Photo students routinely submit work to the CUNY Photo Wire. The school is also home to The New York Times Annual Portfolio Review and hosts the judging of the New York Press Photographers Association annual competition.
Web Video
Our web video program changes nearly every semester just to keep pace with the explosive change in the industry. We offer courses and modules on social video, animation and even memes.
Our core web video course is one of the most popular at the school. Video Features trains students in a form of online video where subjects tell their stories in their own voices, without heavy narration or a reporter on camera.
Our Faculty
Travis
John
Smock
Director of Photojournalism
Yoruba
Richen
Associate Professor of Race and Identity
Bob
Sacha
Associate Professor of Video Storytelling
Susan
Farkas
Adjunct Faculty
Juan
Manuel Benítez
Adjunct Faculty
Eboni
Griffin
Adjunct Faculty
Vanessa
Botelho
Associate Professor of Broadcast Journalism
Student and Alumni Work
“Fear in Trump Territory” Produced by Almudena Total, class of 2010, for Univision and recipient of a 2018 Emmy Award.
“Battling Dementia: A Mother and Son’s Incredible Journey,” by Mariana Keller, class of 2011, for NBC News and recipient of a 2018 Emmy Award
Contact Us
Do you have a question about the Visual Journalism specialty? If so, please contact us.
Travis Fox
Director of Visual Journalism
travis.fox@journalism.cuny.edu