Student Media would like to thank and congratulate each of our 30+ involved students graduating in 2024!

Your hard work, creativity, and leadership helped our groups continue to inform, enrich, and entertain the Mason community.

Click here to meet our outstanding 2024 graduates! >

While we are sad to see our grads move on, we know that each of them has a bright future ahead. Our work is inherently collaborative, but the individual contributions made over the years by the Class of 2024 have made a tremendous impact on the Mason community. Your shared commitment to excellence will not be forgotten.

Congratulations to everyone graduating in 2024 and best of luck with your new careers in media and beyond!

Student Media was proud to host the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2024 Region 2 Conference this April in Merten Hall on Mason’s Fairfax campus. Over 75 people attended, including students and advisors from across Region 2 (Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Delaware, and North Carolina).

Student Media Director Kathryn Mangus and Assistant Director Jason Hartsel served as conference co-chairs, working alongside SPJ Region 2 Coordinator Stephenie Overman.

25 media professionals (including several Student Media alumni and Mason faculty members) from print, online, television, and radio outlets served as guest speakers and/or mentors, helping educate the next generation of journalists during a busy day of learning and networking.

Click here to view the event program with speaker bios/photos >

Click here to view the “Meet Your Mentors” handout >

After breakfast and registration, attendees could choose from four themed breakout sessions (sports, climate, elections, and public reporting), each featuring a panel of experts. Keynote speaker, Evan Lambert (NewsNation), offered remarks and answered questions during lunch, followed by a presentation of the annual SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards. Google/RTDNA trainer Benét Wilson then facilitated a Google News Initiative training that showed students how to utilize free online tools meant to assist with reporting the 2024 presidential election back home on their respective campuses. The day concluded with a round of “speed mentoring” featuring 12 industry professionals offering career advice to attendees.

Special thanks to all the organizers, guest speakers, and mentors who shared their time and expertise with attendees!

Photos by: Wyatt Jones

Video by: Ava Jack

 

Student Media’s mission is empowering students to exercise their First Amendment rights and creativity through the creation of works that inform, enrich, and entertain the Mason community.

With 10+ unique publications and media groups to choose from, we offer a wide variety of opportunities to apply academic concepts beyond the classroom and build practical skills that can open up new career pathways. We meet students where they are and offer hands-on training to help them find success.

But don’t take our word for it…

Watch this video featuring our students sharing their own Student Media experiences: youtube.com/watch?v=AYl2kfrFTIA