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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: Canon C100 cameras and 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. We are also the only school in New York City offering a class in drone journalism, taught by Professor Travis Fox who is a licensed drone pilot (far left in photo above).

219 West show

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 Broadcast Deadline. This all-day course follows a typical news cycle at a local television station. 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.

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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 the demand for documentary filmmakers, in April 2019 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. If you’d prefer a taste of documentary journalism without committing to a specialization, you can take the documentary electives offered in the second and third semesters.

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Immersive Journalism

Our immersive storytelling programs give students the chance to apply cutting-edge virtual reality, augmented reality, and 360 photo and video tools to their journalism work. Students can access immersive journalism tools through the equipment room and the Emerging Tech Lab and can connect with New York City’s innovation community through our affiliation with the RLab.

Learn more about immersive storytelling at the Newmark J-School.

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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.

The journalism school hosts a virtual reality workshop on January 15, 2016. Participants in the workshop shoot and edit virtual reality photos and videos.

Web Video

Our web video program changes nearly ever semester just to keep pace with the explosive change in the industry. We recently added a full-semester virtual reality (VR) course and have expanded our social video module into 10 weeks. We also offer a module on Facebook live.

Our core web video course is one of the most popular at the school. Video Storytelling for the Web 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

See more Visual Journalism faculty

Student and Alumni Work

219West Episode 66 - Native Americans Heritage: The Culture and the Conflict
Play Video219West Episode 66 – Native Americans Heritage: The Culture and the Conflict

“219 West,” our student-produced news magazine show on CUNY-TV

CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Documentary Program Reel
Play VideoCUNY Graduate School of Journalism Documentary Program Reel

Highlights from student films in our documentary program

Fear in Trump territory – this is the U.S. city with the highest proportion of undocumented immigrants
Play VideoFear in Trump territory – this is the U.S. city with the highest proportion of undocumented immigrants

“Fear in Trump Territory” Produced by Almudena Total, class of 2010, for Univision and recipient of a 2018 Emmy Award.

Queensbound - a poetry project on the 7 train
Play VideoQueensbound – a poetry project on the 7 train

“Queensbound – a poetry project on the 7 train,” a class assignment for Craft 2 – Video during spring 2019. By Rachel Rodgers.

Inside First Street Green Art Park
Play VideoInside First Street Green Art Park

“Inside First Street Green Art Park,” by Gurami Jamaspishvili for Social Video class during fall 2018 and published by the Lo-Down.

“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

Check out more from 10 years of the Newmark J-School

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