From The Hilltop to history: Howard University’s commitment to journalism and democracy

Our stories go out to the Black Press around the country. So we’re also helping Black newspapers that may not have the resources to cover, say, Capitol Hill, which our students do, and to cover the White House, which our students have done. So, our students are engaging in and practicing journalism but sharing those important stories through the National Newspaper Publishers Association. … They write about the issues of the day.”

Ingrid Sturgis, the department chair of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University

Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Media, Journalism and Film has a long name, but so is its list of programs, centers, opportunities and accomplishments. There is a lot going on.

From teaching high school students the basics of journalism to housing an organization praised by former President Barrack Obama and headed by the author of the 1619 Project, Howard, which is “the only truly comprehensive predominantly Black university,” ensures future journalists understand what’s happening now through the context of history.

Howard has a long history in and of itself. It was founded in 1867. It’s known as a private research university, where students can choose from more than 140 programs of study. Its offerings include a college of medicine and a school of law. It is committed to preparing the next generation to advance social justice and the preservation of human liberty.

According to its website, the School of Communications, abbreviated by the acronym CHSOC, was founded in 1971. In 1974, it established a student-run radio station and began broadcasting on a PBS affiliate in 1980. The school’s full-time and adjunct professors include Pulitzer Prize winners, Emmy winners and Fulbright recipients.

Ingrid Sturgis, the department chair, has a front-row view of all the learning and progress on campus. Of the nearly 640 students in the CHSOC, about 250 are journalism students. Many others have chosen to minor in journalism.

“We pride ourselves on having a full, robust journalism program,” she said. “We’re doubling down on investigative journalism now, but we’ve had investigative journalism courses going back almost 10 years.”

One of the areas where they emphasize investigative journalism is the Center for Journalism and Democracy. While the Center is housed on Howard University’s campus, it is not directly run by the journalism department.

Howard University houses the Center for Journalism and Democracy, an academic center led by Nikole Hanna-Jones. Hanna-Jones is famously known for her 1619 project, a New York Times Magazine piece that won her a Pulitzer Prize.

The Center for Journalism and Democracy is an academic center that “will reshape the national conversation around responsible power and democracy through critical, investigative journalism,” according to its website. “The Center will support and develop investigative journalists that seek to bring vital conversation about accountability surrounding the challenges facing our nation.”

The Center is led by founder Nikole Hanna-Jones, famously known for her 1619 project, a New York Times Magazine piece that won her a Pulitzer Prize. The Center isn’t solely for Howard University students but will serve HBCU journalism programs nationwide for students and faculty to learn hands-on skills in investigative journalism.

Former President Barack Obama said, in a promotional video for the Center: “Journalists give all of us as citizens a chance to know the truth about our countries, ourselves, our governments. That makes us better. That makes us stronger. It gives voice to the voiceless. Exposes injustice and holds leaders accountable. That’s why the mission of the Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard is so important. I want to thank Nicole and everyone who has worked so hard to make it a reality. … What really sets the Center apart, … is a focus on historically informed journalism in service of democracy and equity. As a society, we need journalists who will report not just what’s happening but why it’s happening and who is affected — journalists who can connect the dots and tell a more complete version of our American story.”

The Hilltop, a student-run independent publication on Howard University campus has its own investigative unit and formed the first student chapter of the Ida B. Wells Society, which focuses on investigative journalism.

The students run an independent publication, The Hilltop, on Howard’s campus. Students there have formed an investigative unit and began the first student chapter of the Ida B. Wells Society, which focuses on investigative journalism.

“We’re getting more and more interest in investigative journalism, partly because that’s also what’s happening in journalism right now. There are more investigative journalists than ever before, so I think our students see that,” Sturgis said. “They see the opportunities, they see the rigor, and that’s what they want. That’s what we’re able to give them.”

The students have covered issues such as food deserts and health disparities. Their training includes using the Freedom of Information Act and finding information from public agencies.

Since the school is based in Washington, D.C., it takes advantage of its proximity to cover big stories in the U.S. Capital.

“Our stories go out to the Black Press around the country,” Sturgis said. “So we’re also helping Black newspapers that may not have the resources to cover, say, Capitol Hill, which our students do, and to cover the White House, which our students have done. So, our students are engaging in and practicing journalism but sharing those important stories through the National Newspaper Publishers Association. … They write about the issues of the day.”

Their coverage included Election Day coverage. In the past, students have covered the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Those students who take advantage of the opportunities at Howard’s journalism program will be prepared to take on challenging stories in their professional careers. But Howard doesn’t wait until students reach college age before educators begin teaching journalism.

One of its most notable journalism programs is the Multicultural Media Academy. This two-week summer program teaches high school students multimedia journalism skills, including reporting, photography and video production. It is an extension of a high school workshop initiated 50 years ago, funded by Dow Jones and focused on health journalism.

The students who participate don’t necessarily attend Howard. Many go on to other colleges.

“The Academy recognizes that we’re not just doing print journalism but multimedia journalism. We also say multicultural because we get all kinds of students who come to take the summer classes to learn how to be journalists,” Sturgis said. “We’ve had a residential program that was before my time. But we’ve had students from all over the country who came to our program. And just before the pandemic, one student came for the summer and stayed with friends. So we get students from outside the area.

“Recently, the [program] we have is through Dow Jones, and they request that we focus on health issues. We teach [the students] how to report, take pictures and shoot videos. We give them all of the basic things. And then we bring doctors in to talk to them. We take them to the Howard University Hospital to see how things are run in the emergency room. They talk to doctors, nurses and other health professionals. We do stories about health and mental health. They talk to psychologists, and they have to give us story ideas and then execute those stories."

She said some students participate before their senior year of high school. A handful of the participants wind up going to Howard, so the program helps with recruitment and teaches journalism skills.

Howard's journalism students also learn skills that are tangential to journalism, such as SEO basics. For years, the school has taught media literacy courses to all its freshman communication students. Some students are taught the sophisticated skills needed to film and produce documentaries. 

The students can enter their journalism education in high school and then leave with a solid set of skills.

“And the really great thing about it is that the alumni love to come and give back,” Sturgis said. ”We have a lot of people out in the industry who come and make sure that the students understand what it takes to be a journalist — and offer them opportunities to practice journalism as an intern in some of the places where the alumni work.”

Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.