Joseph Russomanno joined the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1994. A native of Colorado, he earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. His decade-long career in broadcast news included two stops in St. Louis and two in Denver. He has worked as a news reporter in radio and television, and as a television news writer, newscast producer, and executive producer. His on-site assignments included the coverage of the 1987 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Washington, D.C., Super Bowl XXI in Pasadena, and Super Bowl XXII in San Diego. He received several awards for his work as a broadcast journalist. After his career in journalism, Russomanno earned a doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder. His work there emphasized First Amendment theory and mass media law.
How do you define mass communication?
Textbook definition: A message from a source intended for multiple receivers – an audience of many.
How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?
While I do not teach in the skills areas any longer, I’ve always believed that there is always room for excellence. There will always be a need and demand for quality reporting, information processing and writing. I continue to communicate that to students. And while job opportunities are shrinking in some areas of mass communication, if managed properly, job opportunities will be expanding in other areas.
What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?
First, staying relevant requires making no changes on some fronts. As I note above, the basics of reporting, writing and information processing will always be relevant. Suggested changes are in recognizing the ever-evolving methods of presentation—the various platforms. Today’s students need to be versatile. Moreover, understanding and even developing business models seems to be essential in the current environment.
If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be and why?
Trying to answer this is an impossible lose-lose situation. As tempting as it is to say Mass Communication Law, I’ll say a course that informs students of various aspects of the business of journalism and mass communication – and demands critical thinking about the past, present and future of that business – is indispensible.
What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?
Again, because my teaching consists of non-skills courses, they are presented primarily through a lecture format. That said, I am a PowerPoint addict, incorporating all the “bells and whistles” it allows for – photos, video, audio, etc. By using audio and video from various sources as well, this combination creates presentations that are more dynamic than would otherwise be possible.
If you could offer a piece of advice to both your fellow educators and media professionals in the field, what would it be?
As we look to the future, let’s not forget the past.
What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?
The future? To invoke a line from the past, “It’s the economy, stupid.” That said, a couple of observations:
As technology has become more affordable, we’ve seen opportunities spread to high schools, meaning that more students are coming to us better prepared than ever. That also means a responsibility to support those high school programs.
Within our programs, addressing technology is a justifiable focus. Staying one step ahead of it (or is it trying to be only one step behind?) is a perpetual goal. Again, however, I believe the mantra has to be that no matter the delivery mechanism, the basic skills and values ought to remain constant.