Through the new partnership, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting is now based on the University of Miami’s campus in Coral Gables. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.)
The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and the University of Miami School of Communication announce a new partnership that will train students to produce in-depth, hard-hitting reports and lead to the production of more investigative stories and news content.
FCIR, which moved to its new headquarters at UM’s School of Communication in January, will remain independent from the school. The FCIR-UM partnership includes an investigative internship program for journalism students in the School of Communication’s Department of Journalism & Media Management and collaborations with students from the School of Law, whose casework could lead to stories that expose injustice.
“It’s really exciting to think about the kind of projects our students will be able to get involved with. Investigative work can be eye-opening to a young journalist, and with mentoring and assistance from FCIR, our student reporters will be equipped to dig deeper into important issues for our state,” said Dr. Terry Bloom, Chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Management.
UM’s Department of Journalism & Media Management offers a curriculum that combines classroom and hands-on experiential learning with cutting-edge digital technologies. Students practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom through award-winning student media including campus newspaper, The Miami Hurricane, cable TV channel, UMTV, and radio station, WVUM 90.5 “The Voice.” UM journalism students have won major awards for their work, including an Emmy and honors from The Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, and The National Broadcasting Society. The department’s faculty includes noted scholars and working professionals who have excelled in the industry.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the University of Miami and call its Coral Gables campus home,” said FCIR Associate Directors Trevor Aaronson and Mc Nelly Torres in a joint statement. “Having the University of Miami as a partner will strengthen FCIR’s accountability reporting and educational mission.”
“From the start, education has been integral to the mission of the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting,” added Sharon Rosenhause, president of the FCIR board of directors. “We’re excited about working with the dynamic programs and journalism and law students at UM. We also acknowledge FIU’s International Media Center as our first academic partner, and invite other journalism programs across Florida to take advantage of our resources.”
Founded in 2010, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit, digital and bilingual news organization. The staff of journalists at FCIR is dedicated to producing investigative stories that expose corruption, waste and injustice.
The news organization produces award-winning, multiplatform stories on topics including education, immigration, government and criminal justice. Funded in part by foundations, such as the Oklahoma-based Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, FCIR partners with traditional news media throughout the state, including Florida’s NPR member stations, newspapers such as the Miami Herald and The Ledger of Lakeland, and TV stations including NBC6 in Miami, as well as ethnic and Spanish-language news outlets.
In 2012, FCIR received honors for its work, including from the National Headliner Awards, the regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, Florida Associated Press Broadcasters Contest, National Awards for Education Reporting and Green Eyeshade Awards.
Click here for a list of FCIR special reports.
For more information about the UM–FCIR partnership, contact Trevor Aaronson at 305-520-9621 or Ivette Yee at 305-284-6748. Visit www.fcir.org or www.com.miami.edu.