Announcing College Journalism.org
CollegeJournalism.org director Barbara Allen works with a student journalist at Penn State.
LOS ANGELES (March 24, 2025) — It’s a tough time to teach journalism.
But now, there’s a powerful new resource for journalism educators, student media advisers and J-school administrators.
CollegeJournalism.org will help those who teach, mentor and lead burgeoning journalists in an increasingly evolving media environment by saving them time and effort.
This new website and corresponding newsletter are the creation of longtime journalist and educator Barbara Allen.
“College Journalism will help professors, student media advisers and higher ed leaders get the latest news, trends, ethics studies and journalism classroom ideas so they can more effectively connect with and inspire our next generation of professional journalists,” Allen said.
A resident of Los Angeles who was born and raised in Oklahoma, Allen most recently served as director of college programming for Poynter. Before that, she was the adviser and director of student media at Oklahoma State University. She also spent a decade as a local news reporter, editor and adviser for the Tulsa World’s award-winning teen section, Satellite, a weekly section of the newspaper produced by, for and about high school students.
Allen said that throughout her career, she saw and experienced how challenging it was for journalism educators to devote hours each week pouring through headlines, videos, articles, podcasts and social media to find up-to-the-minute examples for their students.
That’s where College Journalism comes in.
“Those of us who’ve taught and mentored student journalists know that textbooks can often feel outdated, which is a cardinal sin when you’re trying to connect with young people,” said Allen.
She said her newsletter will provide professors and advisers with current ideas, links and headlines pulled directly from diverse news sources, and include suggestions on how those items can be immediately utilized in the classroom or for assignments. Her website will be a source for original reporting and serve as a resource library.
“An educator’s ultimate goal is to get real buy-in from students, and the best way to do that is to present students up-to-the-minute information, whether that’s through a classroom discussion or homework assignment.”
The College Journalism newsletter comes out Sunday mornings, just in time for professors to prep for their week.
Allen said that College Journalism will also provide news coverage, consulting, research and thought leadership for the ever-evolving world of journalism education.
“College journalism and college media are generous spaces,” she said. “People involved in this world are very giving to students and each other.
“I want to meet them where they are and in the same spirit, whether that’s to provide advice to a struggling young reporter, or by helping a new dean find their footing, or coaching an experienced professor on new ways to approach students. I hope this newsletter and website can provide those services and so much more.”
To learn more, go to collegejournalism.org or subscribe to the College Journalism newsletter.
