Message from Director Susan Jacobson

Dear Students,

Welcome back to campus! I hope you are as energized as I am to begin the Spring 2026 semester at the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media.

This semester, students and faculty are engaged in several exciting projects:

  • On the Road to the World Cup with Lesley Visser – Sportscasting legend Lesley Visser will work with students in this special topics course to create in-depth multimedia reports on preparations to host the World Cup Games in Miami this summer.
  • Caplin News Adds Weather – Faculty and students will begin training on our new weather reporting system this spring.
  • Affordable Housing Initiative – Students are collaborating with local media organizations to investigate how South Florida’s housing crisis impacts young adults as they try to start their lives and careers in Miami
  • Panther Alumni Week February 2-6 – Meet influential alumni working in the journalism and media professions
  • NABJ/NAHJ Career Fair April 26 – Right after finals week, local media organizations will be at the BBC Campus to recruit students for local job opportunities.

We started 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. 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.

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 semester 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 memorable year together.

Sincerely,
Susan Jacobson
Director
Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media
Florida International University

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