We’re passionate about storytelling + data.

Right now, work at Stanford and the broader Silicon Valley is changing the way stories are discovered, told, and transmitted. We are part of that transformation, empowering students to produce work that is multimedia, data-intensive, entrepreneurial, and influenced by design thinking.

Be a part of this innovation. See our mission statement. Read a message from Director James T. Hamilton >

 

Learn about our master’s program

Finding the hidden stories in data.

We love storytelling. And at a time where data is everywhere, we’re training students to have the tech know-how to discover stories using data skills and how to effectively tell those stories using multimedia.

What you’ll learn in our classes:

Turning Data into Stories

In Public Issues Data Journalism II, Farida Jhabvala Romero (MA ’15) learned to negotiate for data, clean data, build a scraper, analyze data using Excel and SQL and build a map for analysis in order to tell a story about towing in Menlo Park As reporters, students gain a data frame of mind.

Beat Reporting and Source Building

In News Reporting class, Carolina Wilson (MA ’15) focused on transportation in Silicon Valley, building up sources and refining story idea with thorough reporting. She produced an award-winning scoop which captured a major tension in the area between bike and regular commuters.

Using Multimedia Tools to Tell a Story

In Multimedia Storytelling, Yuqing Pan (MA ’15) used DSLR videography to chronicle a homeless couples’ experience. The result was a multimedia story about Santa Clara County’s plan to house the homeless.

You’ll build skills in the latest storytelling and data tools, including:

  • Final Cut Pro X
  • Hindenburg Audio Editing
  • GitHub
  • Google Fusion Tables
  • The command line
  • Sublime Text Editor
  • SQL
  • Python
  • R
  • Advanced spreadsheet techniques
  • Twitter API
  • Tableau
  • ArcGIS Mapping
  • Tabula and data cleaning
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Wordpress CMS
  • Jekyll
  • Social tools like Hootsuite
  • Social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Explore Our Full Curriculum

 

See those skills at play in published student projects:

 

Published story

Profiles of Silicon Valley communities in transition

A three-part series about Menlo Park’s transforming Belle Haven neighborhood, the push to revitalize the North Fair Oaks neighborhood and the region’s homeless issues.

Skills:

  • Building Sources
  • Multimedia Storytelling
  • Data Analysis and Mapping
Published story

Caltrain bike commuters push for more space

An in-depth multimedia report about the pressure for Caltrain to expand bicycle capacity to meet the ridership’s growing demand.

Skills:

  • Beat Reporting
  • DSLR and GoPro Photography
  • Mapping
Published story

Financial burden of suspended driver’s licenses

A mini-documentary profile of one of the estimated four million California drivers struggling to manage the mounting financial burden of a suspended driver’s license, the result of costly driving fines.

Skills:

  • DSLR Videography
  • Optimizing Clean Audio
  • Framing Sequences and B-Roll Editing

Interdisciplinary innovation in the heart of Silicon Valley


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Faculty with newsroom and academic expertise

Our faculty bring a combination of industry expertise and academic accomplishment to the classroom, from The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, the San Jose Mercury News, Bloomberg News and The Associated Press.

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A launchpad to newsrooms across the globe

Stanford Journalism alumni are in newsrooms, media organizations and tech companies throughout the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, The Verge, Recode and Google News.

Explore Our Alumni Network

Our Partners

Brown Institute for Media Innovation
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford

Fall 2020 Online Open House

We invite you to register for our online open house on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 2:30 – 3:45 PST to learn more about the program and the application process, and to meet some of our journalism faculty. We will send out the ZOOM link to all registered individuals a few days before the event.

RSVP


RSVP

Applications for the 2021-2022  school year are now open. Please apply by December 1, 2020.


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2021-2022  APPLICATION