Journalism and Public Relations Department

Professors: R. Davis, C. Lemza, S. Murphy, J. Slater
Associate Professors: M. Ouellette
Lecturers: J. Downs

Contact Us
Chairperson: Colleen Lemza, Professor
Phone: 518-564-2408
Email: lemzaca@plattsburgh.edu

The Journalism and Public Relations Department offers a degree in public relations (0292) and journalism (0276) in which you will learn the art of writing for a variety of platforms from newspapers and magazines to digital, corporate communication, public affairs, marketing, and more.

The public relations major is your gateway into corporate communications, public affairs, media relations, sports and entertainment marketing and various other communication industries. Our public relations major provides you with a broad spectrum of knowledge and practical experience to prepare you for a growing field as a public relations practitioner. Our graduates work in both the private and public sectors, either in corporate and agency settings or governmental and other institutional environments. You will learn concepts of persuasion and communication strategies, relationship-building, audience analysis, public opinion research, project management and the latest analytics in social media. The public relations program places a strong emphasis on writing and speaking - essential communication skills in today’s competitive marketplace. You will have a number of opportunities to put your acquired knowledge to work, whether through professional internships, hands-on practical work, or developing campaigns for real clients in several of our upper-level courses. You will also be able to gain a taste of the professional world when you join our chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). PRSSA members travel to regional and national conferences, participate in leadership training trips, host social and educational events on campus and organize an annual college celebration of the public relations profession.

In journalism, you will study newswriting and reporting, journalism ethics and law, current affairs and issues, and the history of the U.S. media industry. All of our students gain hands-on experience at the department’s online and print magazines and the campus’s award-winning student newspaper, and prepare for your first job in journalism by interning internationally, nationally, regionally or locally. You can also opt to complete a minor in journalism. Non-traditional students might take the opportunity to retrain with our professional certificate in multimedia journalism.

Programs

Majors (Undergraduate)

Minors (Undergraduate)

Certificates (Undergraduate)

Multimedia Journalism Certificate