California State University Fresno

Mass Communication and Journalism - Advertising and Public Relations Option, B.A.

Contemplating a vibrant career in media, communications or journalism? Check out the MCJ Department. An exciting array of options awaits students, including advertising, broadcast journalism, film and media arts, digital journalism and public relations.

Advertising/Public Relations. Ready to grab the attention of your audience? Want to use strategic communication to help an organization succeed? The department’s advertising and public relations students work for such agencies as J. Walter Thompson, Chiat/Day, Publicis and Hal Riney, American Airlines, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Fleishman Hillard, Salvation Army, Valley Children’s Hospital, Coca Cola, and Orbitz.

Broadcast Journalism. Broadcast journalism students learn the importance of producing responsible news coverage while maintaining strong ethical standards. Our program’s core focuses on teaching the principles of storytelling through video, audio, and powerful writing. Our students learn through their experiences, which include producing content for television, radio, and digital platforms in English and Spanish. Broadcast journalism graduates are now reporters, producers, and anchors at local and national radio and television stations. Other alumni have embarked on careers at technology and social media companies including Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Banjo.

Digital Journalism. The written word remains one of the most powerful forms of human communication, both in physical publications and on the web. Digital journalism graduates are working for leading news outlets, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Fresno Bee, along with TV stations running their online operations. Alumni have also embarked on literary careers and include award-winning non-fiction authors. The Collegian, Fresno State’s award-winning student-run news organization, serves as a key laboratory classroom and allows students to get hands-on experience covering local news.

Film and Media Arts. Have a story to tell? Film and media arts students are creative storytellers who communicate through writing, photography, video, audio, and the web. Graduates are on all the staffs at local television stations and multiple production companies. Some are working on network television shows such as Survivor.

Affiliations

The MCJ department is a member of the Broadcast Education Association and the California News Publishers Association. Student organizations include chapters of the American Advertising Federation, the Radio and Television Digital News Association, The California College Media Association, Kappa Tau Alpha (a national journalism scholarship society), and the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Facilities

Students in the MCJ department get hands-on experience in a professional television studio with high definition multi-cam capabilities. Other laboratory experiences include digital research and writing; field video production; still photography; photo, video, and audio editing; and publication design with the Adobe Creative Suite.
The campus student-run news organization, The Collegian, serves as a laboratory classroom, as does the department’s television program, Fresno State Focus. Students also collaborate with the campus public radio station 90.7 KFSR.
The department’s Multimedia Production Service produces video and photography projects for numerous clients and provides students practical experience in media production.