The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations (JMPR) JMPR Strategic Plan Mass communication and media content in all forms permeate every aspect of our daily lives – from politics to the health professions, from business and finance to the entertainment industry, from journalism and public information to social media influencers and advertising. Providing our students with critical thinking abilities, the most advanced technological production capacities, and ethical storytelling skillsets remain our major priorities for our department moving forward. These abilities and skills will enable our students – regardless of their major - to compete in the rapidly-transforming job markets that they will enter upon graduation, and prepare them for the urgent responsibilities of serving as actively engaged and ethical citizens in a democratic society. In response to the ongoing changes in journalism, mass communication and the media industries in general, the Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations is committed to constant updates and revisions to prepare students for dynamic and versatile career paths. Such recent curricular developments include new courses and programs on artificial intelligence, streaming platforms, children and media, and sports media; new initiatives on media literacy, broadcast and streaming, and a generalist degree in communication designed to attract students interested in a range of career possibilities; continued investment in experiential learning through a high-impact media lab for community journalism, studyaway and study-abroad programs, myriad special events and panels that bring together industry leaders, engaged scholars, and a robustly growing network of alums. Furthermore, in conjunction with the university’s and the school’s pledge for more interdisciplinary efforts, we are creating multiple inter-school programs in such high-growth areas as sports management and health communication, and building more interdisciplinary certificates across the board, such as media literacy, women’s studies, etc. Through faculty expertise and comprehensive, consistently-revised curricula in these important fields, students studying in all our disciplines have established a remarkable track record of pre-professional accomplishments in both their creative work and their scholarly research and academic output. Moving forward, as we think ahead to our next ten years as a nationally-recognized destination school for students considering entering the world of journalism, public relations, mass communication, and such related fields as law, education, and marketing, we are convinced that our academic strengths can and should be harnessed by and shared with the entire campus, certain that through well thought-out strategic and interdisciplinary collaborations, with a strong foundation in the liberal arts, the JMPR department could enhance the educational experiences of students enrolled in our many BA/BS/BFA and MA programs, as well as those majoring in a range of diverse disciplines across Hofstra, from the three main schools within Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to all the professional units that make our University what it is today. Ongoing strategic areas of future development will be a more consistent and informed response to artificial intelligence across our curriculum; more inclusion of entrepreneurial approaches to journalism and media professions; stronger writing and analytical skills for students to stay competitive in a future job market defined by exponentially advanced technologies; active faculty research and creative agenda and profiles that sustain the school’s and the university’s scholarly depth and rigor; as well as continued community connections and civic engagement initiatives that double as students’ experiential learning processes through the PR Swing Agency, the online, hyper-local news site The Long Island Advocate, the high-impact media lab, and media literacy workshops. Adopted: May 2026
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