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California State University, Chico

Journalism and Public Relations Department

Interested in telling compelling stories whatever the platform? With Journalism and Public Relations (J&PR) you’ll develop in-demand skills employers want including writing, editing, visual storytelling and critical thinking.

You’ll also apply core values critical to media professions: innovation and adaptation, diversity and inclusion, ethics and equity, free speech and democratic ideals, and collaboration and leadership. With options in news and public relations you’ll get experience across the media landscape: traditional, social, visual, broadcast and emerging media.

Explore Our Programs

  • Students uses a camera to record a student in a hallway.

    Journalism BA

    Join our program to see your stories come to life and your curiosity rewarded. Gain real-world experience by participating in our student-run public relations agency and newspaper. Learn to craft compelling narratives, sharpen your research skills, and pick up work experience that will set you apart.

  • Public relations major Skylar Trostinsky working at Tehama Group Communications office, smiling at a desk.

    Journalism Minor

    Learn to write compelling stories and press releases, sharpen your research and interviewing abilities, and develop strong critical thinking skills that will set you apart in the workforce no matter what career you pursue.

The Orion Multimedia Reporter and Spanish Language Editor with camera in hand

Launch Your Career with J&PR at Chico State

With a passionate and well-connected alumni network, J&PR students engage with industry professionals regularly. PR students do site visits in the San Francisco Bay Area to explore PR agencies and network. News students attend conferences and compete in awards programs to build their portfolios.

Student Resources

  • CME Student Success Team

    Providing support for every CME student from orientation through graduation. We foster students' well-being, learning, and sense of belonging.

  • Clubs and Organizations

    Explore a variety of student clubs and organizations within the College of CME. Join a club to make friends and develop professional connections.

About Us

  • ACEJMC Accredited Program - The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

    Accreditation

    Chico State’s Department of Journalism and Public Relations is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). Only about 25 percent of programs across the country are accredited. In California, J&PR is the only accredited journalism program north of San Francisco.

  • Smiling student sitting at the front desk of The Orion student newspaper.

    The Orion

    The Orion is our multiplatform news organization featuring breaking news, entertainment, sports and opinion. The Orion is one of the most award-winning student journalism outlets in the country and was inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame in 2005.

  • Five students posing in front of the Tehama Group Communications tabling event on campus.

    Tehama Group Communications

    Tehama Group Communications is our student-managed, full-service PR agency working with North State clients. TGC staff help clients solve their business needs through social media campaigns, brand support, campaign strategy and visual storytelling.

  • Journalism Department Guest Speaker Cumbia Padilla

    Guest Speakers

    Each semester Journalism and Public Relations faculty host a range of guest speakers working in news and public relations. Our guests are often alumni who discuss their career paths, day-to-day jobs and the key skills needed for success in today’s industries. We also invite professionals in the field to discuss trends, legal or ethical issues, and what their companies look for in new hires.

Collaborate Across Industries

J&PR's strategic partnerships connect students across campus and industries.

Fast Facts

73%

of companies seek job candidates with strong writing skills

PR is #1

Ranked creative and media job to land in 2023