Meet Our Team
The Journalism Department's Mission:
For students to use "up-to-date technology and the latest editing and design software to hone your skills and work alongside faculty practitioners and scholars."
"mentor our students and offer them a place to grow as journalists and in their faith by pursuing challenging topics."
Strategic Communication Goals
- Effectively communicate the growth plans of the journalism department to prospective and current students.
- Effectively communicate the value of a journalism degree and the assets it will provide to their career post- graduation
- Effectively communicate the multitude of opportunities available to students pursuing a journalism degree at Baylor University and how these are applicable to many career paths
Stakeholder Perceptions
Professor Ramirez said when talking about students in the journalism department “We try to make sure our students get jobs after they graduate, i think the important thing is staying in touch with your students, working with them. The scariest thing is for students to major in something and after graduating and then thinking they won't be able to get a job. They know we care about them and will be with them to the end. That's makes a huge difference and I think is why we have 100% retention rate with first year students”
The journalism department is deeply passionate about incoming students, current ones, and students who have already graduated.
Opportunity Analysis
- Baylor is rapidly growing as a university, bringing in new talent to the journalism department
- Creating a broadcast sequence will garner interest in the journalism department
- Creating new classes geared towards media journalism, such as a podcasting class and social media class for undergraduates, can garner interest and combat the notion that journalism is a dying industry
- Feedback from the site visit for accreditation gives insight as to what needs most improvement, allowing the department to become stronger
- Leaning into the online masters track and creating more online courses will stir interest in grad students
- Creating a 4+1 program may interest more students as it is economically advantageous and helpful for those who enter Baylor with credits from high school
Pest Analysis
Political
- “Fake News” dishonest media
- Reputation of Journalists isn’t great
Economic
- Financial restrictions due to lack of funding
- Concerns from students about employment opportunities
- Job security
- Many resume building and internship workshops
- Salary positions for student media job
- Many scholarship opportunities
Social
- The department has many events to engage current students, often catering food and drink
- Journalism building aesthetically less pleasing than departments
- Less talked about than other University media departments
- social media has engagement
Technological
- Good communication via email, blast announcements
- Online advertising isn’t engaging for students
- Technology is consistent with the rest of Baylor (canvas, portal)
- Lacking various computer labs, which could be helpful for students
Implementation
Focusing on using reciprocity, commitment, unity, social proof, liking
January
- Student outreach: Begin reconstructing the current student ambassador program
- PR: creating new social media accounts and start content planning
- Alumni/Donors: Interest area survey for possible donors and alumni about events they would be interested in.
- Budget: Evaluate budget and create "goal" of amount needed by the department to be comfortable
- Employers: Research companies who have special interest in hiring Baylor students
February
- Student outreach: Send ambassadors out to high schools and community colleges with information booths & t-shirts, get potential students to sign up for mailing list.
- PR: start releasing content on social media. Tiktok posts that highlight the professors and students, Instagram stories that use the "share stickers"
- Alumni/donors: examine data from interest indicator and begin planning alumni events in areas with the most responses
- Employers: Start scheduling in person with virtual option guest speakers from interested companies.
March
- Student outreach: Have prospective student event on campus where they can mingle with ambassadors and form relationships, have them talk about their experiences in the journalism school.
- PR: Continue to push social media focusing on posts that are 'shareable'
- Alumni/donors: Host first event of the semester
- Employers: get students one-on-one contact with recruiters. especially senior students
- Budget: continue to review the budget to make sure we are on track
April
- Student outreach: Ambassadors follow up with students and parents from event via letter
- PR: Live streams on tiktok and instagram, continue posting regular content, focus on using trends to our advantage
- Alumni/donors: thank you's to those who attend the event/donated. Send invites to student work showcase in May
- Employers: send out invites to companies to student showcase
May
- Have journalism showcase for alumni, parents, prospective students, so they can see what we work on
- Student Engagement: Start to reach out to students interested in being an ambassador for the program next year.
- PR: push ads for the showcase, Tiktok takeover of journalism professors
- Alumni/donors: thank them for their continue support, find alumni who would want to mentor graduating seniors
- Employers: thank them for their continue interest in our department
June
- Student engagement: Compare enrollment statistics for this year and last year. Consistent work for the ambassadors with a report of what they did as a whole during semester. follow up with next years new ambassadors.
- PR: Have a larger, consistent following on tiktok.
- Alumni/donors: check data to see if we had an increase in interest and donations from previous years. Get graduating seniors in contact with an alumni mentor.
- Employers: Start planning career fair ideas for the falling semester
Metrics and Tactics
increase awareness to the department measured through social media engagement. This is a good way to get our message out.
- outcome; students are engaged and aware with what is happening in the department
- Indicator; Social media engagement increases by at least 40%
- Method; Data analytics provided by various social media apps, such as Instagram
- When collected; Monthly
Facilitate positive public opinion among stakeholders
- Outcome; Positive political sediment
- Indicator; track public messages regarding Journalism, compare to baseline
- Method; “blast” survey regarding the sediment of Journalism, collect again after a few months
- When collected; every 3 to 6 months
Press Release:
Baylor family,
Today is the day you have been worrying about ever since your baby bear applied to school. The car is packed, their room is empty, and it’s time for them to start their new adventure. It’s trying for any parent to send off their child; you’ve raised them to be fearless and independent young adults yet you still worry about the punishing world they are about to enter. Being able to attend college is a blessing that your child has worked for tirelessly but leaves you anxious.
Your Baylor family understands your worries, and the Journalism Department is here to support you during this uncertain time.
Your child has come to a department that truly desires them to be the best version of themselves; spiritually, emotionally, and academically. While the transition away from home can be stressful, we make comfort and safety a priority. With a 15:1 student- professor ratio, we are able to guide your child into being a young professional through hands-on and real world experience.
While the world of print media may not seem important- fear not. Journalism is in demand more than ever, as huge corporations and small businesses alike are in need of strong writers to elevate their companies to the next level.
That is where we are going to push your child. They will be ready to jump into the professional world as soon as they leave our department. With a 100% placement rate, we are more than confident in making this dream become reality. Kathleen Judson, a Baylor journalism student, felt as though the skills she acquired in the journalism department will carry her far.
“Learning the fundamentals in class and then experiencing those things at internships will give me the upper-hand during my job search after graduation,” she said.
As a student, it can be scary to come into college and choose a department immediately. It often feels as though you’re becoming trapped into a box by choosing which route to take. With 225 majors, an additional 68 minors and 10 secondary majors, there's countless routes your student may take to find what truly makes them happy.
We are honored to welcome both you and your child to the Baylor family. As we take this journey together, we will give your student every possible resource to arm them with the state-of-the- art professional skills that they will carry on with them from our accredited department.
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Advertising and Social Media Content Examples
Credits:
Created with images by bluebudgie - "newspaper background layout" • Maddy - "Baylor " • geralt - "board school blackboard" • daniel64 - "arm muscle strong" • Rollstein - "discrimination fig fear" • padrinan - "green art wood" • ReadyElements - "announcement article articles" • mat_hias - "usa flag america" • Pexels - "yellow wall concrete"