Beyond Objectivity: Examining the Effects of Incorporating Civic Engagement into Higher Education Journalism Courses

Abstract

This paper examines a case study comparing students in civic engagement-enhanced journalism classes with those in which civic engagement was not emphasized in a medium-sized Mid-Atlantic university. Students completed surveys at the conclusion of the spring 2017 semester assessing their attitudes toward professional journalism roles. Students in courses containing civic engagement work prized contextual roles and were more open to non-traditional forms of community engagement journalism than their counterparts, who focused more on interpretive/disseminator roles.