On the go...Journalism shifts from CLASS to CCAC

The Anderson Program in Journalism at YSU has moved to the East Side of campus. The program, which boasts 65 majors, is now in the Communication department in the College of Creative Arts and Communication in Bliss Hall, moving from the English department in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in DeBartolo Hall. “With all of the changes going on on campus, it seemed like a good time to look at making this switch, and the more we looked at it, the more sense it seemed to make,” said Mary Beth Earnheardt, professor and director of the Journalism program. YSU’s Journalism courses date to the 1930s, but a full bachelor’s degree was not approved until 2000, housed in the English department in CLASS. Meanwhile, Telecommunications – or broadcast journalism – was across campus in the Communication department in CCAC. More recently, CCAC has created a minor in Social Media and a new Sports Broadcasting program. “The media is constantly evolving, always changing, with social media and new technology and video,” Earnheardt said. “Today, a well-prepared journalist needs to have the skills to do the job across all media platforms. For us, that seems better suited for the resources that are available in Communication.” Earnheardt said most journalism programs in Ohio are either independent of other departments or are housed with Communication. Despite the move from CLASS to CCAC, Journalism’s curriculum remains the same, she said. The program, which now has two full-time faculty, is also in the process of filling two additional faculty positions.