A bachelor of media production and design program is coming to the Carleton University School of Journalism this fall.
Carleton is still considered one of the top Canadian journalism schools by multiple magazines and websites, having been around for over 70 years. But, the school is late to the game in transitioning the journalism program to the digital world.
Ryerson University, Carleton’s top Canadian competitor for journalism and communications programs, has offered a bachelor of media production degree for years now. The school has also included a variety of digital components within its overall journalism degree, access to groundbreaking technology resources at the school’s Digital Media Zone, and even a sports media program with a broadcast centre.
At Carleton, it was only less than two years ago that the school implemented a second-year introductory course to digital tools for journalism. And just this winter term, Centretown News and Capital News Online, two publications produced by fourth-year journalism students, were re-branded as Capital Current, a fully digital news website. Alongside the new degree program, these changes were long overdue.
The journalism and communications industries are not dying, but the platforms being used are changing. News consumers no longer heavily rely on traditional forms of newspaper and broadcast media, and are moving quickly towards online, interactive sources of information.
A program like the new bachelor of media production and design has been long-awaited, and is a necessary step toward keeping Carleton on the map as a top journalism school in Canada.
