The department's mission is to provide transfer and life or career-enhancement educational opportunities in journalism and photography to a diverse population; to provide hands-on training using current technology in a transfer program for students who produce a weekly student newspaper and its online edition and annual online magazine that serve the college and community by providing independent sources of campus-oriented information; and to foster interest in journalism and maintain ties with media to strengthen the standards of the profession.

Goals:

Provide a dynamic, broad curriculum unique in higher education in San Antonio which emphasizes practical application of journalism skills, knowledge and principles.

Provide an academic background and laboratory experience for students who transfer and work toward a four-year degree

Provide courses for community professionals who want to retrain.

Provide students an opportunity to learn writing, editing, photography and design using current technology in the journalism field.

Provide financial assistance to students through scholarships.

Recruit and retain nontraditional students.

Maintain strong ties with journalism professionals and support high school journalism programs.

History:

The first journalism class offered at San Antonio College in 1946 came because the Department of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin had begun offering a sophomore reporting class.

The college placed the single journalism class in the Department of English where the program stayed and grew until creation of a separate department in 1975.

That year, a fourth faculty member joined the department, splitting an assignment with the photography program, then part of the Physics and Engineering Department. The photography program was moved to the Department of Journalism in 1987, forming the Department of Journalism-Photography.

In 1987, journalism began using desktop publishing equipment in production of student publications. Since then, courses have been added in desktop publishing, digital photography production and web publishing to keep abreast of technology.

In January 1992 the Journalism-Photography Department and the Radio-Television-Film Department merged to form the Department of Mass Communications with W.B. Daugherty as chair. Daugherty's terminal illness, which began soon thereafter, and his death in 1995 taxed the department faculty, which operated shorthanded for a year before choosing a permanent chair.

On Jan. 1, 1998, the journalism-photography and radio-television-film programs separated once more with broad faculty and administrative support for the change.

The Ranger, a laboratory project of journalism classes, regularly wins state and national awards, often competing against nondaily newspapers from four-year colleges. In addition, journalism students often win individual awards for stories, design, advertising and photographs published in The Ranger. Recent awards include:

Induction into Hall of Fame of the Associated Collegiate Press and the National Newspaper Association Foundation, 1996.

Tenth Pacemaker from the Associated Collegiate Press and the National Newspaper Association Foundation, 2003-2004. This award goes to the top community college newspapers in the nation.

Best Non-daily College Newspaper from the Society of Professional Journalists, Region 8, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The Ranger won the award for best nondaily college newspaper in the nation in 1988. This is the country's premier professional organization for journalists.

Best Nondaily College Newspaper in Texas from the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003.

Best All-Around Newspaper, tie, Texas Community College Journalism Association, 1997 and Sweepstakes and Best All-Around Newspaper, TCCJA, 1999; Best All-Around Newspaper in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Edith Fox King Lecture Series

The journalism program brings to campus each year a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for a public lecture and awards ceremony. The 2003 lecture will be the 26th year of the program, which honors Edith Fox King, who taught journalism at this college from 1958-1968.

The annual lecture exposes journalism students to the top professionals in the country. In addition, presentations are videotaped and used in mass communications and journalism writing courses. The videotapes also are available for use by community college journalism programs around the country.

1978 Joe Murray , Editor, Lufkin News
1979 Myron Farber, Reporter, New York Times
1980 David Mitchell, Publisher and Editor, Point Reyes (California) Light
1981 Peggy Simpson, Correspondent, Hearst Newspapers
1982 Ben Sargent, Editorial Cartoonist, Austin American-Statesman
1983 Cliff Treyens, Reporter, The Clarion-Leader, Jackson, Miss.
1984 Frank Sotomayor, Assistant Metro Editor, The Los Angeles Times
1985 Mark Thompson, Reporter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
1986 George Rodrigue, Reporter, The Dallas Morning News
1987 Joe Holley, Editorial Page Editor, San Diego Union
1988 Scott Shaw, Photographer, Odessa American
1989 David Hanners, Reporter, The Dallas Morning News
1990 Geri Migielicz, Photographer, San Jose Mercury News
1991 Jane Schorer, Reporter, Des Moines Register
1992 Dan Malone, Reporter, The Dallas Morning News
1993 Joel Sappell, Assistant City Editor, The Los Angeles Times
1994 Griff Palmer , Database Editor, The Daily Oklahoman
1995 Patricia Gaston, Assistant International Editor, Dallas Morning News
1996 Susan Kelleher, Medical Reporter, Orange County Register
1997 Ron Cortes, Photographer, Philadelphia Inquirer
1998 Clarence Williams III, Photographer, Los Angeles Times
1999 Ed Trout, Assistant Publisher, The Jonesboro (Arkansas) Sun
2000 Rodolfo Gonzalez, Photojournalist, Denver Rocky Mountain News
2001 Brent Walth, Investigative Reporter, The (Portland) Oregonian
2002 Scott McCartney, Travel Editor, The Wall Street Journal
2003 Don Bartletti, Photojournalist, Los Angeles Times
2004 David Leeson, Photojournalist, The Dallas Morning News
2005 Ted Jackson, Photojournalist, New Orleans Times-Picayune

Scholarships and Grants

Janelle McArthur Scholarship ‹ an endowment through the ACCD which offers about $3,350 a year for scholarships.

The San Antonio Light Scholarship ‹ an endowment through the ACCD which offers about $3,400 a year for scholarships.

Ranger scholarships ‹ $17,798 a year for scholarships for Ranger staff positions for the fall and spring semesters. Recipients are chosen by the Student Publications Board, and the amounts of the scholarship awards are based on the students' positions on staff.

Student Leader Scholarship ‹ The editor of The Ranger qualifies for this $500 scholarship each semester.

Other:

W.B. "Dub" Daugherty Memorial Scholarship ‹ $1,000 given annually to one student. Given by Friends of Journalism at San Antonio College.

Society of Professional Journalists Scholarships ‹ $1,600 a year from the San Antonio Professional chapter.

Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Inc. ‹ $1,000 annually to eight outstanding students from 32 high school workshops in the United States. Nominees from the Urban Journalism Workshop at this college have won the scholarship in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997. These recipients have enrolled in our program or plan to after high school. LI> Dorothy Estes Scholarship ‹ $250 given to one student to attend the University of Texas at Arlington given by the San Antonio College chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Professional Affiliations:

Community College Journalism Association. The journalism program has an institutional membership to this national organization. This program is accredited by the organization. Faculty from this program have served as officers. Former Professor Lynnell Burkett and the late Professor Emeritus W.B. "Dub" Daugherty were inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame. Journalism faculty regularly contribute to the national magazine, The Journalist. Professor Chet Hunt was editor of The Journalist for two years.

Friends of Journalism at San Antonio College. This organization consists of former students and others who support the journalism program at this college. The group publishes a newsletter, awards the $1,000 W.B. "Dub" Daugherty Scholarship and provides professionals to serve on the department's scholarship committee. Faculty members who work with the group are Irene Abrego, Chet Hunt and Marianne Odom.

Society of Professional Journalists, student chapter. This college was the first community college chapter inducted into the national organization. Faculty members Irene Abrego, Chet Hunt, Edmund Lo, Susan A. Merkner and Marianne Odom serve as advisers to the student chapter. The chapter helps sponsor the Edith Fox King Journalism Lecture each year and works on the annual Gridiron Show, a comedy performance by the local professional SPJ chapter which raises money for scholarships and brings San Antonio's movers and shakers to McAllister Fine Arts Center. The chapter also helps with the Urban Journalism Workshop each summer at this college. In March 1998, the chapter helped with the Region 8 convention in San Antonio.

Society of Professional Journalists, San Antonio professional chapter. Faculty members Irene Abrego, Chet Hunt and Marianne Odom are members of the national organization and the local chapter, which gives some $1,600 annually in journalism scholarships at this college. The Journalism-Photography Department handles ticket sales for the annual Gridiron Show. Students from the journalism program have been selected to work on the daily newspapers produced at SPJ's annual national conventions.

National Association of Hispanic Journalists, San Antonio chapter. Instructor Irene Abrego is a member and works on the group's annual essay contest. Students from the journalism program have been selected to work on the daily newspapers produced at NAHJ's annual conventions.

San Antonio Association of Black Journalists. Former Chair Chet Hunt is a member.

Texas Professional Communicators, formerly Texas Press Women, affiliated with the National Federation of Press Women. Instructor Marianne Odom is a member

Texas Professional Photographers Association. Professors James McBride and Fred Whitecotton are members.

Texas Association of Journalism Directors. Professor Chet Hunt is a life member.

University Interscholastic League. Faculty members judge preliminary and regional high school journalism competitions each spring in San Antonio and surrounding areas.

Texas Public Relations Association. Professor Chet Hunt is a member, and the journalism program regularly draws speakers for classes from the group's membership.

National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. Retired professor Gerald Townsend attended the national convention in 1997, Instructor Marianne Odom attended in 1993, retired professor Chet Hunt attended in 2005 and Instructor Irene Abrego attended in 2006.

Urban Journalism Workshop Board of Directors. Chairperson is Instructor Irene Abrego. Faculty members Chet Hunt and Marianne Odom are members.