Our Organization
NewsLab.org is an online resource and training center for journalism and marketing communications professionals who want to build their skills, broaden their thinking and stay abreast of developments in their ever-changing fields.
Our History
NewsLab began in 1998 as an initiative funded by the Park Foundation, a private foundation based in Ithaca, New York, and was aimed at broadcast journalists. Until 2003, it was associated with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and affiliated with the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
From 2003 until 2017, NewsLab operated independently under the leadership of founder and Executive Director Deborah Potter, who also offered workshops for newsrooms and journalism groups around the world.
In 2017 NewsLab became part of the UM School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi. The school is home to a new and thriving integrated marketing communications program as well as its established and well-respected journalism program. To serve professionals across the communications spectrum, NewsLab has expanded its content to include integrated marketing while maintaining its commitment to outstanding journalism.
About the UM School of Journalism and New Media
The School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi traces its roots to 1947, when the journalism program began with two classrooms, two small offices and 79 students. More than seven decades later, the school has much better accommodations—a modern building across from the world-renowned Grove—and boasts a total enrollment of more than 1,400 students.
The school, which added “New Media” to its name in 2009 to highlight its forward-thinking mission, provides students with two majors: a bachelor of arts in journalism and, since 2011, a bachelor of science degree in integrated marketing communications. It also offers a master’s in journalism.
Both programs are designed to prepare students for their chosen careers by offering theory for understanding along with hands-on experience in almost every part of the curriculum.
The Journalism Program
The school delivers a journalism program for students interested in traditional media, new media or both. The curriculum is built on the core skills required for excellence: researching, interviewing, gathering and presenting news to both mass and targeted audiences. The program allows students either a text-based or visual journalism emphasis, as well as the opportunity for specializations in public relations and magazines.
The IMC Program
The integrated marketing communications degree program is designed to teach students how to understand, engage, persuade and activate consumers. It includes the study of advertising, public relations, brand management and research into consumer insights, enabling students to build a customized toolbox of professional skills. Students can specialize in media sales and management; magazine publishing and management; public relations; and sports communication and promotion.
Staff
Debora Wenger – Executive Editor