Professor discusses Texas A&M’s renewed commitment to journalism, 3 veteran journalists hired
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -Texas A&M University’s journalism program is experiencing significant growth and progress despite facing controversies with restructuring. The program, which was thrust into the national spotlight for issues related to hiring, has now emerged with renewed vigor and a clear trajectory forward.
During a recent event at the Memorial Student Center, A&M proudly announced the appointment of three distinguished professionals to its faculty: Mariano Castillo, Flora Charner, and Paul O’Donnell, each bringing a wealth of industry experience, who have been appointed as professors of the practice. Officials say this strategic move aims to enrich the program’s educational offerings and further elevate its standing.
Dr. Nathan Crick, a professor who played a pivotal role in launching the program, emphasizes the importance of balancing theoretical knowledge with practical skills.
“We want news that matters, and we want truth that engages people’s lives,” said Crick.
“Although journalism has a long history here at A&M, these new hires represent a university commitment to bringing journalism to a national stage here at A&M.”
Crick says that being able to learn from veteran journalists with a proven track record of success will prove valuable for students in the program.
“It is one thing to study journalism from a distance. It is quite another to be a practicing journalist on the ground, dealing with people, studying how to interview, how to get information, how to be in situations that are often conflict situations, to be able to get to the facts and really extract from those stories the essence of what it means to be news,” said Crick.
“The new program has to balance practice with theory. We want history. We want an understanding of the relationship between journalism and the public sphere. We also want to know how to write news stories, how to operate cameras, and how to write and edit stories. So we’re trying to balance two sides of journalism,” Crick added.
Despite facing challenges in the past, including the controversy surrounding the mishandling of the hiring process for Kathleen McElroy, an esteemed journalist and Aggie, Texas A&M University says they’re determined to turn the page and forge ahead into the next chapter of its journalism program’s development. The university is setting ambitious goals aimed at further enhancing the program’s quality and reputation.
“We want to be one of the premier departments in journalism in the coming years, and I believe that we are going to be. Although journalism has a long history at Texas A&M, these new hires represent a renewed commitment by the university to this profession, and it’s going to expand three or four times the amount of faculty we have, as well as integrating it cohesively within our department,” said Crick.
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