USC Annenberg: New Building, New Program, New Era

A new era has commenced at USC Annenberg, complete with a new building that Professor Larry Gross called “the perfect instrument for research, for teaching, for scholarship, for journalism that fits the 21st century.”

And a big part of that, according to Professor Kjerstin Thorson, is continually updating what Annenberg is teaching, as well as being aware of what Annenberg can learn from the students.

Professor and Annenberg Innovation Lab research fellow Henry Jenkins added that students benefit from applying what they learn in the classroom to real world situations. Programs and centers such as AIL, the Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship program (led by Professors Chris Smith and Gabe Kahn), and the USC U.S.-China Institute (led by Clayton Dube) are constantly innovating and providing students with those opportunities.

Annenberg also works with other schools at USC create innovative learning opportunities. The nine-month Master's degree program in Arts Journalism was created in partnership with the five other schools at USC that offer courses in art. The program is the largest university-wide partnership in USC history, according to program director and professor Sasha Anawalt.

But, it's the partnerships outside of USC that Dean Ernest J Wilson III is most proud of. Annenberg students have endless opportunities to learn from partners all around the world as the communication and journalism industries continue to change and evolve.

Assistant Professor Taj Frazier and Professor Rebecca Weintraub shared the view that Annenberg benefits from and embraces constant innovation in media. Weintraub added that Annenberg provides “a way of delighting in the change that this world is bringing.”

"USC Annenberg: New Building, New Program, New Era" is part of a series of videos looking at the many exciting changes underway at the school. For a look at USC Annenberg puts communication, in all its forms, at the heart of its mission watch Communication at the Center.