Department of Journalism & Public Communications

  • Your Story Starts Here

    Learn by doing at the Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ. Students in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications learn and practice the skills of multimedia journalism and strategic communications — skills that are required in almost every field — media, government, business, health and science. Our students get jobs and make meaningful change at the local, state and national level.

    What is the Major?

Puanani Rogers and Bethany Brunelle

“Being a student in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications at the Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ meant the world to me. My professors and fellow students gave me the strength to keep going after a bout with cancer, and each day I’m in the field I think of my time at UAA with fondness and gratitude. Journalism was my Plan B, and UAA gave me the tools to succeed in this field. Thanks to JPC, I’m living my best life.â€

—   Bethany Brunelle, crime, courts, breaking news and visuals journalist, Las Cruces, New Mexico Sun-News. She is pictured here with Puanani Rogers, a Kanaka activist, when she was a reporter in Hawaii.

Student Media, Productions, and Community Engagement

Welsey Early in the Studio

Wesley Early '16 His JPC internship at Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Public Media led to a full-time position as web editor/education reporter. He was the News Director at KOTZ-FM Kotzebue, and now serves as a reporter with Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Public Media.

Journalism and Public Communications students are consistently involved in media production and community engagement. They work for organizations such as Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Public Media, Thompson and Co. PR, the Anchorage Daily News, MSI Communications, and a variety of industries across Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and the U.S. Recently, Journalism and Public Communications students and faculty worked to curb the spread of misinformation and to create a healthier online information environment. 

Read about JPC in the News!

Scholarship Opportunities

Student Internships and Jobs

Atwood Chair

Brad Hillwig

UAA’s Department of Journalism and Public Communications (JPC) is excited to announce the appointment of media entrepreneur and business alumnus Brad Hillwig, M.B.A. General Management ’10, as its Atwood Chair of Journalism for the 2024-25 academic year.

UAA Atwood Chair of Journalism

Our Past Chairs

Alumni Award

Rosey Robards

Congratulations to  Rosey Robards, recipient of the UAA Journalism and Public Communications Alumni Award.

Rosey Robards is the director of Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Teen Media Institute and executive director of the Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Press Club, a nonprofit organization that offers professional development opportunities and advocates for the industry. 

The UAA Department of Journalism and Public Communications has honored a distinguished alumnus or alumna since 2011. The award is given to alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their career paths and have given back to their communities. Past honorees include Natalie Lowman, former communications director of ConocoPhillips Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ, and Leah Boltz, a principal at Bettisworth North. 

UAA Journalism and Public Communications Alumni Award

Past Alumni Award Recipients