Message from Director Susan Jacobson
Dear Students,
Welcome back to campus! I hope you are as energized as I am to begin a new semester at the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media.
We start this year with exciting news: Caplin News has been named the Best Student News Organization in the Southern United States by Green Eyeshade, the Southern network of the Society of Professional Journalists. This recognition reflects the extraordinary talent, hard work, and creativity of our students, and I invite each of you to contribute to our award-winning newsroom. Whether your passion lies in reporting, producing, editing, or multimedia storytelling, Caplin News is a place where your voice matters. Reach out to Prof. Chuck Strouse, cstrouse@fiu.edu, if you are interested in being part of the Caplin News team.
You are also welcome to participate in our daily morning television newscast, Newsbreak, where students gain hands-on experience in live production, on-air reporting, and digital broadcasting. The Caplin School has invested in a green-screen weather system, and beginning this fall students will be able to deliver professional weather reports on Newsbreak! Here’s a secret: media recruiters often visit the Newsbreak set in search of talent for internships and job applicants, so we encourage you to be part of this experience. It does not matter if you’re brand-new or have some experience already, you are welcome to join Newsbreak! Just come to the BBC Campus, Building AC2, Room 161 (TV Studio) any weekday morning between 8am and 10am to see what’s going on. Contact Prof. Stephen Kairalla, skairall@fiu.edu, Faculty Executive Producer of Newsbreak, for more information.
We are also proud to announce the launch of a new major in Sports Media, which joins our existing programs in Digital Journalism, Digital Broadcast Journalism, Digital TV, Interactive Media, Animation Media, and Game Media. Under the direction of Prof. Tim Sullivan, tsulliva@fiu.edu, this new major reflects the growing demand for sports coverage and sports communication across digital and broadcast platforms. South Florida is home to five major professional sports teams: the Miami Dolphins (NFL), the Miami Heat (NBA), the Miami Marlins (MLB), the Florida Panthers (NHL), and Inter Miami CF (MLS), making FIU an excellent location for the study of sports media.
For those considering graduate study, I encourage you to explore our new 18-month Master’s program in Advanced News Producing. This innovative program is designed for students who want to take the lead in producing news for television, digital, and multimedia platforms. Both the Advanced News Producing program and the Spanish-language Journalism Master’s program offer a 4+1 pathway, which means that you can start your master’s degree in your Junior year.
As we look ahead to another year of discovery, creativity, and collaboration, I encourage you to take full advantage of the resources, programs, and opportunities available to you here at Caplin. We are proud of your ambition and excited to see how you will contribute to our community of storytellers, innovators, and media leaders.
Welcome back, and let’s make this a remarkable year together.
Sincerely,
Susan Jacobson
Director
Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media
Florida International University
