New capstone class for senior journalism majors begins spring 2014 semester

Bob Schieffer '59, moderator of CBS’ Face the Nation and CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent, announced Sept. 11 a new partnership between the Schieffer School of Journalism at TCU and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Schieffer made the announcement from the stage where he was moderating Fort Worth Remembers JFK, also a partnership with the Star-Telegram.

The partnership’s intention is to create an investigative team of student journalists who will work with the Star-Telegram to enhance its coverage of important community issues and provide a unique opportunity for training the next generation of reporters and editors.

In making the announcement, Schieffer said, “Journalism schools have to be like teaching hospitals, and that’s where I hope we’re headed at the Schieffer School. And that is to give them a good, sound education and academics, but you also expose them to the real world of journalism,” he said. “The way to learn to be a reporter is to be a reporter and work with people who know more than you do.”

Senior journalism majors will be selected in a competition. They will work with John Lumpkin, director of the Schieffer School, and professor and associate director John Tisdale, as well as professional editors and Star-Telegram management. The focus of coverage for the students’ investigative team will be determined in mutual discussions with the Star-Telegram and members of the Fort Worth community.

Schieffer said, “This is an important step for educating our promising students, for continuing the long-standing collaboration of TCU Journalism and the Star-Telegram and for the benefit of resolving critical issues in the Fort Worth community.”

“The Star-Telegram and TCU have partnered before on many projects, but this promises to be the most important one we’ve ever attempted,” said Jim Witt, senior vice president and executive editor of the Star-Telegram.

“The practice of journalism is undergoing major disruption right now brought on by the Internet and a changing business model, and it’s essential that new professionals entering the field are better equipped to handle the multi-platform roles necessary for today’s journalists,” said Witt.

The students will take Multi-Platform Capstone – an academic course required to graduate with a journalism degree from the Schieffer School. “Students must produce an important news project or news product as well as demonstrate the ability to report and tell their stories in multiple platforms – text, photography, video, social media and other interactive media,” said Lumpkin.

The students’ material will be reviewed by Star-Telegram editors and published in the print and digital editions of the newspaper. The first team will be selected this fall and begin their work in January.

In addition to the participation of Star-Telegram editors, the initiative is underwritten by a contribution from the Star-Telegram and a grant from TCU’s Office of Community Involvement and Service Learning. The Schieffer School will provide course materials and students will use the school’s multi-million-dollar inventory of digital technology, as well as the school’s state-of-the-art Convergence Center.