Real-world professional standards. Real-world deadlines. Real-world stories that need to be told. All in our nation’s capital.
The Washington Capstone allows broadcast and digital journalism graduate students to spend a summer working in the nation’s capital. As the culmination of the master’s program, the capstone is an opportunity for students to put their newly-developed knowledge and skills to the test.
Most students cover Capitol Hill and the federal government as reporters for markets as varied as Bakersfield, California; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Augusta, Georgia; and Springfield, Massachusetts. As credentialed members of the Washington press corps as student news associates, they develop, research, shoot, report and edit news content that airs on their assigned commercial television stations.
Students interested in producing have the opportunity to work with a variety of organizations. In previous years, students have worked with Chinese Global Television Network, Voice of America and NBC4, the network-owned local station in Washington. Some students have applied their skills across media platforms, working with streaming services offered by Nexstar Media Group and others.
The capstone program is supported by faculty who have decades of experience covering Washington for local and network news operations. Students also benefit from a twice-weekly Speakers Series, which hosts journalists and Washington insiders who share their observations about the profession and the unique challenges of making sense of Washington and those who work there.