Patrick J. McKeand (pictured) was the second publisher of IUPUI’s student newspaper, the Sagamore, which was published from 1971 to 2009. (Photo: IUPUI Special Collections and Archives)
The Department of Journalism and Public Relations at IU Indianapolis has its roots in the century-old Indiana University School of Journalism. Today, we combine that journalistic heritage with contemporary public relations and a dynamic urban environment filled with real-world teachers, experiences, jobs, and internships.
The School of Journalism at IU Bloomington became systemwide in the 1980s, responsible for the coordination of journalism education on all eight campuses. Richard G. Gray became dean of the School of Journalism and, alongside associate dean James Brown in Indianapolis, established the School of Journalism as an independent unit. Since 1990, students on both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (B.A.J.) program.
The Indianapolis program established a master’s degree in Public Relations in 2008 and a master’s degree in Sports Journalism in 2010. After Executive Associate Dean James Brown retired in 2010, Dan Drew was appointed Interim Executive Associate Dean. Drew served until his retirement in 2013. Professor Jonas Bjork was then named the Associate Dean at the School of Journalism in Indianapolis.
In July of 2014, the School of Journalism became a department in the IU School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis and was named the Department of Journalism and Public Relations. Jonas Bjork was retained to chair the department. Professor Chris Lamb became department chair in 2020 after Bjork retired from the position. After Lamb’s stint as department chair, Dr. Raymond Haberski, Jr., was named interim chair in 2023.
The mission of the Department of Journalism and Public Relations in the IU School of Liberal Arts is to explore and to help students explore the institutions, procedures, professional skills, and audiences of journalism and mass communication. Our subject is how the media mediate, and what this process of mediation means for public life in America and around the world.
This mission is both an academic and a professional one; it is about learning, teaching, and doing. To this end, we are committed to scholarly research in journalism and mass communication, to liberal education in the arts and sciences, and to professional training in media work.
The mission of the baccalaureate program of the Department of Journalism and Public Relations is to help students learn to read, think, and communicate clearly, critically, and creatively. The department is committed to liberal education in the arts and sciences, as well as to professional training in the skills of journalism and mass communication. The department believes that both breadth and depth of learning must characterize the undergraduate experience. To this end, the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree emphasizes:
The journalism curriculum helps students prepare to be effective communicators regardless of their chosen profession. For example, strong communication skills are essential for careers in law, business, and public affairs. Careers in newspapers, magazines, broadcasting, online journalism, sports journalism, public relations, and advertising are as important to our society as ever. The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree also prepares students for graduate studies.
