2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
Communication Studies
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Michael Riecke, Chair
13 Lanigan
315-312-3529
www.oswego.edu/communication-studies
Directory of Professors
The Communication Studies Department at SUNY Oswego prepares students to thrive in the fast-changing world of media, content creation, journalism, public relations, and communication. Our programs are designed to build practical, professional skills while exploring the essential role communication plays in shaping society, informing audiences, influencing audiences, and connecting people.
We offer four primary degree programs - Broadcast and Digital Media, Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations - that are grounded in real-world application and career readiness. Students gain hands-on experience from day one through access to professional-grade facilities and an integrated campus media environment, including WRVO Public Media (a National Public Radio affiliate), WTOP (the student-run television station in the Al Roker Television Studio), WNYO-FM (student-run radio), The Oswegonian (student newspaper), and Oswego Now, a department-run, digital news and entertainment service. Our students regularly write, shoot, edit, and publish content for campus and regional audiences—developing a professional portfolio before graduation.
Experiential learning is a cornerstone of our approach. Students participate in internships with media outlets, PR firms, government agencies, and entertainment companies across the U.S. and abroad. Departmental initiatives such as the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, which brings leaders in the media industry to campus each fall; Hollywood POV, our Los Angeles program; New York City Career Connectors, a Manhattan-based networking event for alumni and students; and our department-led study abroad programs, which offer direct access to industry professionals, alumni, and global perspectives on communication and media.
Our faculty bring industry experience and academic insight into the classroom, helping students build expertise in areas such as:
- Media writing and storytelling across platforms
- On-camera performance
- Audio and video production
- Social and digital media strategy
- News reporting and investigative journalism
- Public relations planning and campaign execution
- Speechwriting and public communication
- Interpersonal and intercultural communication
- Media ethics, law, and critical analysis
Beyond our majors, we also support minors in Journalism and Communication.
The Department of Communication Studies is a student-centered community that encourages exploration, collaboration, and creativity. Whether your passion is telling stories, informing the public, producing content, or building strategic communication campaigns, we provide the tools and experiences that will help students achieve their academic and career goals.
Broadcast and Digital Media
The Broadcast and Digital Media major is designed to prepare students for careers in an evolving media landscape. Students gain a deep understanding of media creation, distribution, and analysis across platforms including radio, television, video streaming, podcasting, social media, and emerging digital environments. Students explore the influence of media on culture and society while developing the technical and creative skills needed to succeed in professional content creation.
Students can tailor their studies by selecting one of four tracks:
- Digital Media Production – focuses on single and multi-cam video production, audio design, and multiplatform storytelling
- Sports Media Production – places an emphasis on multi-camera live event coverage and sports broadcasting and content creation
- Broadcast and Digital Journalism – focuses on news and sports writing, reporting, storytelling, multimedia production, and on-air performance
- Media Studies – explores media theory, critical analysis, ethics, and the societal impact of media
Experiential learning is central to the program. Students are encouraged to complete one or more internships and gain hands-on experience through campus media outlets such as WTOP-TV, WNYO-FM, WRVO Public Media, and The Oswegonian.
Communication
The major explores the various ways human beings interact and exchange ideas about feelings and beliefs to build relationships and gain cooperation with others. Students analyze the process of creating, sending and interpreting verbal and nonverbal messages that run the gamut from one-to-one relationships, to group and organizational relationships, to relationships between the individual and the media.
Students may explore the humanistic, behavioral and interactional dimensions of human communication, and then go on to study such specific influences on communication as gender, culture, conflict, ethics, and cognition. Or, students may focus on public communication, which includes the study of public speaking, the critical analysis of public messages, and the understanding of principles of persuasion and argumentation.
Communication is a popular major for students interested in wide variety of careers including management, speech writing, political communication, human resources, sales, and law. Students majoring in business management and marketing as well as many other majors will find a minor in communication useful.
Journalism
The Journalism program is designed to prepare students to gather, write, edit, package and produce news stories. The study of journalism allows students to develop and apply their critical thinking, research and communication skills. In addition, the program emphasizes the social, ethical and legal contexts within which journalism is practiced in the United States.
Students study the unique role the press plays among institutions in a democratic society and the rights and responsibilities of journalists. They study the concise, objective style of journalistic writing and the investigative methods that are central to modern reporting. They explore the different forces that shape the news on social media, television, radio, websites, emerging media platforms. Students are also encouraged to gain hands-on experience through campus media outlets such as WTOP-TV, WNYO-FM, WRVO Public Media, and The
Oswegonian.
In addition to completing an internship, students may enrich their studies by pursuing a minor, second major, or concentration in an area of study other than journalism.
Public Relations
Students in the Public Relations program study strategies for helping people, companies, and organizations build positive reputations and communicate clearly with the public PR professionals write press releases, plan events, manage social media, work with reporters and influencers, and come up with creative campaigns to shape how the public sees a brand, a celebrity, a nonprofit, or even a sports team.
The public relations major gives students a strong foundation in the principles of the discipline by offering courses that include print, broadcast and web-based research methods; persuasive writing; graphics; as well as public relations case studies, strategies and tactics; communication channel analysis; and ethical responsibility.
Writing, critical thinking and interpersonal skills are emphasized and internships are strongly suggested.
The Department of Communication Studies cosponsors these programs:
Major
Minor
Broadcasting and Mass Communication
Communication
Communication, Media and the Arts
Journalism
Public Relations
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