Journalism schools: Home of future corporate communicators

New graduates possess all the social media skills they need to join your department

Do you know where all the future corporate communicators are? Journalism schools, that’s where.

It should come as no surprise that the splintering media world has forever altered the curriculum at America’s top journalism schools. The basics, like writing and reporting, remain critical and now the methods used to deliver that information are equally important.

“Writing clearly is a central thing; it’s a basic skill,” said Mary Nesbitt, an associate dean at Northwestern University’s Medill School. “You have to be able to express yourself clearly. Then layer onto that the ability to tell stories in different [media].”

These different media are social media: video and podcasts, blogging, and social networks. Corporate communicators often play catch-up in these realms, attending conferences and experimenting online to learn how to not only use these tools but incorporate them into a strategic communications plan.

But in journalism school, these students, already savvy in social media, are learning how to apply them to best reach an audience.