The University of Memphis Department of Journalism has undergone a change of identity. In order to include all concentrations in the department, it is now known as the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media.
Department chair David Arant said the name change lets people know that the department does much more than just news writing.
“We at the faculty have been so concerned that people don’t know what we do here,” Arant said. “We came up with the idea of using the word ‘media,’ which really describes what we do.”
He said the name change was very necessary to fully explain what the department does, so students can know if they want to join the department.
“Suddenly, we have ‘strategic media,’ which really describes the advertising and public relations side of the department,” Arant said. “This will be a much cleaner, clearer branding of our department.”
Before the change of name, students would be journalism majors with concentrations in advertising or public relations. Now those concentrations are what the students would major in and earn their degree in.
“The department name fits what we do, describes fully what we do, and now the major name will describe exactly what that program of study is, and people won’t be confused,” Arant said.
Interim dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, Moira Logan, said the name change keeps up with the changing nature of the journalism field.
“When I was growing up, journalism meant writing for a newspaper and maybe broadcasting or being on a news program,” Logan said. “But now, with the explosion of social media and so many different ways of connecting or communicating, it’s really important that we address that.”
The department wanted to fully explain its changing identity, so visual media, one option for the new name, was out of the question because it describes part of the art department as well. ‘Strategic Media’ became a branding idea unique to the department and sets it apart from other communication fields at the university.
The department will now have four different majors: advertising, public relations, journalism and, in 2017, creative mass media.
The journalism department has offered much more than just ‘writing for a newspaper’ for a while now, and with the new name, prospective students can much more easily decide if this is the department they would like to join.
