Digital Media Journalism Major
Telling News Stories with Honest Words, Powerful Images and the Latest in Technology
Digital journalism at UNI focuses on reporting, news writing, editing and design, online journalism, mobile journalism, sports journalism, photojournalism, and media law and ethics, and is taught by experienced, award-winning faculty. The major and minor are popular with students from all areas across campus who want to write well and understand the best practices in ethical reporting and great storytelling.
The digital journalism major is part of the Department of Communication and Media’s digital media program. With concentrations in digital journalism, digital media leadership and digital media production, the program is a hub of creativity, collaboration and innovation.
Small but Mighty
Our digital journalism major is small and flexible, so you can start taking classes with journalism professors in year one.
Hands-On Experience
Write, take photos, shoot video, design print layouts and web narratives, create multimedia stories, and produce podcasts for the Northern Iowan, UNI's independent newspaper since 1892. The NI and its staff regularly win awards from the Iowa College Media Association and the national Associated Collegiate Press.
Real-World Journalism
Internships are a big part of learning and building portfolios. Digital journalism students have interned at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Waverly newspapers, KWWL-TV, Iowa Public Radio, Des Moines Register, Dotdash Meredith and in other print, radio and television newsrooms throughout the Midwest.
Find Out More About Digital Media Journalism
Fill out your information here and we'll be in touch!
Contact us directly at:
Department of Communication & Media
326 Lang Hall
Cedar Falls, Iowa
50614-0139
Phone: (319) 273-2217
Email: cm-office@uni.edu
TV, radio and ESPN+
Digital journalism students can study sports journalism and work on crews for ESPN+ streamcasts of NCAA Div. I Athletics. Sports broadcasters can take courses based in digital media TV studios, and cover sports for the Northern Iowan newspaper and KULT radio, 94.5 FM.
Digital Tools
Digital journalism labs have Mac computers, the Adobe Creative Suite and other tools necessary for news writing and the editing and design of print and digital magazines.
Talks and Master Classes
The digital media journalism program and the University of Northern Iowa have been recent hosts to a number of award-winning journalists, including Elizabeth Kolbert (New Yorker), Nikole Hannah-Jones (New York Times), Ira Glass (pictured, from public radio's "This American Life"), author and reporter Susan Faludi, columnist Clarence Page, labor reporter Sarah Jaffe, Tom Cullen (Storm Lake Times), and Eva Andersen (CBS, Philadelphia).
TV, radio and ESPN+
Digital journalism students can study sports journalism and work on crews for ESPN+ streamcasts of NCAA Div. I Athletics. Sports broadcasters can take courses based in digital media TV studios, and cover sports for the Northern Iowan newspaper and KULT radio, 94.5 FM.
Digital Tools
Digital journalism labs have Mac computers, the Adobe Creative Suite and other tools necessary for news writing and the editing and design of print and digital magazines.
Talks and Master Classes
The digital media journalism program and the University of Northern Iowa have been recent hosts to a number of award-winning journalists, including Elizabeth Kolbert (New Yorker), Nikole Hannah-Jones (New York Times), Ira Glass (pictured, from public radio's "This American Life"), author and reporter Susan Faludi, columnist Clarence Page, labor reporter Sarah Jaffe, Tom Cullen (Storm Lake Times), and Eva Andersen (CBS, Philadelphia).
Journalism Grads Get Great Jobs.
Elizabeth Kelsey (BA, 2021) is a reporter with the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. "I earned a minor in digital journalism, and supplemented this experience with 2.5 years of work at the Northern Iowan, which was one of the most professionally valuable experiences I had at UNI. The constant on-the-job journalistic learning not only prepared me for my full-time position today, it also increased my confidence that this was the career I wanted to pursue after graduation."
Journalism Grads Get Great Jobs.
Linh Ta (BA, 2015) immersed herself in journalism at UNI, starting as a first-year beat reporter for the Northern Iowan, then becoming news editor and finally executive editor. Along the way, she worked with IowaWatch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization, interned with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier and the Des Moines Register. Linh won the 2019 Outstanding Young Iowa Journalist Award from the Iowa Newspaper Association. She now reports for Axios in Des Moines.
Journalism Grads Get Great Jobs.
Joel Wauters (BA, 2018) loves sports. He wrapped up his studies at UNI as the sports editor of the Northern Iowan, directing the sports coverage for UNI's student newspaper. After graduation, he continued in sports media, working for a sports radio talk show, as director of media relations for a semi-pro team in the Midwest Basketball League, and as sports information director for a small university. In 2021, he returned to UNI as assistant director of communications for UNI Athletics.
Journalism Grads Get Great Jobs.
Darcy Bertolino (BA, 2020) is marketing and recruitment manager at Life Connections. "I am honored to be a graduate of the digital journalism program," Darcy says. "Through my coursework and close partnerships with my professors, I was able to greatly expand my writing skills as well as my overall communication and leadership skills. I am forever thankful for the confidence this program has given me in my professional career."