The Digital Journalism program at San Diego City College offers practical, hands-on training for writers, reporters, producers and editors seeking jobs in the vibrant and constantly changing news media industry.
Students in the Digital Journalism program learn how to think critically, work collaboratively, and write, interview and report ethically and effectively. They also learn how to integrate new and emerging multimedia tools and technologies into their storytelling, producing multi-platform content worthy of a portfolio.
Get the latest news and updates from the Digital Journalism program here.
City College's award-winning student media organizations provide the perfect outlet for students to gain editorial and operational experience, and have done so since 1945.
The program is housed in the new DJRN Digital News Lab, which serves both as the home base for the Digital Journalism program and the newsrooms for the student-produced City Times newspaper and sdcitytimes.com, as well as Legend magazine. It can be found in L-117, down the hall from SDS Radio and across Curran Plaza from Newscene and the Radio, Television and Film program.
Opened in fall 2019, the DJRN News Lab features a collaborative learning space, a multimedia production studio for video and audio recording and editing, access to mobile and multimedia journalism production equipment for checkout, Mac workstations for reporters and editors to work individually or in teams, and a student lounge.
This is an exciting, dynamic program that puts you on the front line of the news while it's happening.
Among the recent highlights:
- The City Times news website, sdcitytimes.com, and Legend magazine again earned regional and state general excellence honors from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges
- Twenty-plus students from the three student news organizations on campus -- City Times, Newscene and SDS Radio -- collaborated to cover the 2020 California Primaries from Election Central at Golden Hall
- Students who recently completed an Associate Degree for Transfer have continued their journalism studies at San Diego State, San Francisco State, Sacramento State and USC
- Alumni of our program work in local news organizations like The San Diego Union-Tribune and NBC San Diego
Program learning outcomes
As a student in the Digital Journalism program, you can expect to:
- Understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications.
- Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information.
- Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.
- Think critically, creatively and independently.
- Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work.
- Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
- Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.
- Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts.
- Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.
Careers
A journalism degree prepares graduates for a wide range of diverse job opportunities. That includes working for news agencies, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, digital and social media, book editing and publishing, freelance writing, industrial journalism, teaching and communication research.
In a constantly changing field, the median salaries for journalists today range from
$41,260 for reporters to $61,370 for editors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Faculty
Nicole Vargas, M.A. - Assistant Professor, Digital Journalism; Adviser, City Times & Legend - nvargas@sdccd.edu | @
Vargas spent the majority of her career at The San Diego Union-Tribune working as an award-winning multimedia producer and print reporter. Most recently, she was the internship coordinator for SDSU's School of Journalism & Media Studies.
Roman S. Koenig, M.F.A. - Adjunct Professor, Digital Journalism
Koenig is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker and educator. He recently published his first book titled "Black Market News."