THIS WEEK IN THE STUDENT PRESS REPORT:
Creator journalism comes to campus
J-schools are adding creator-focused courses, majors and dedicated centers while curriculum plays catch up with the industry
When Brooklyn-based freelance journalist Nicole Abriam took a startup journalism course at The New School in 2021, the assignment was straightforward: Build a product that serves a specific audience.
Leveraging the surge of writers moving to platforms like Substack and a void in nuanced coverage of the Filipino-American community, she launched Kultura, a newsletter covering that exact niche.
What started as a classroom assignment evolved into a senior capstone project, and eventually, a professional endeavor that she monetizes today through paid subscriptions.
In five years, Abriam wants to grow her newsletter into a social enterprise to support and highlight Filipino culture.
“There’s a growing market of creators who are switching to Substack and growing a business out of it,” said Abriam, who graduated from the New York City school with a journalism degree in 2022. “So I thought, ‘Why not do the same?’”
Abriam’s journey from student to creator journalist represents a burgeoning area of study, as a growing number of institutions are realizing they must adapt to the creator curriculum to stay relevant in a changing media industry.
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