New Journalism Website Launches to Showcase Student Storytelling at the U
The College of Humanities in partnership with the Department of Communication has launched a new Journalism website to serve as a dedicated platform highlighting student-produced journalism across a variety of classes, topics and formats. From podcasts and radio features to investigative articles and multimedia storytelling, the site is a hub for emerging voices and community-centered reporting.
This initiative showcases projects from a variety of journalism courses and offers students an opportunity to showcase published work in their digital portfolios and get exposure as emerging journalists entering the field. Featured classes include:
COMM 3920: Community Storytelling for Radio and Multimedia
Storytelling has the power to build bridges, foster empathy and amplify voices that often go unheard. In this hands-on course, students partner with community-based organizations, such as KRCL 90.9 FM and Amplify Utah, to craft audio and multimedia stories that illuminate overlooked perspectives.
The course’s first collaboration with The Other Side Academy, a transformative training school offering alternatives to incarceration, gave students the chance to share stories of recovery, growth and redemption with graduates of the program. Through this immersive learning experience, students not only sharpen their technical and editorial skills but also learn to listen deeply and report with respect and purpose.
COMM 5775: Voices of Utah
Founded in 2007 by Professor Kimberley Mangun and reimagined in 2023 by Clinical Associate Professor Marcie Young Cancio, Voices of Utah is an award-winning community-engaged learning project. The course centers on multimedia storytelling that spotlights underrepresented communities in Utah, including Indigenous, refugee, LGBTQ+, Black, Hispanic and disabled communities.
Students reflect on issues of representation while collaborating with partners such as Amplify Utah. In doing so, they gain real-world reporting experience and a deeper understanding of the social responsibilities of journalism. Recent topics have focused on women’s sports as well as westside and Indigenous communities’ connection to Great Salt Lake. As Cancio emphasizes, “The goal is not only to teach students how to report—but why it matters who tells the story and how it’s told.”
COMM 3520: Radio Journalism & COMM 3540: Introduction to Podcasting
These courses offer students the opportunity to dig into the world of audio journalism, producing stories on subjects ranging from college athletics and influencer culture to the psychology of what we love. Through writing, interviewing and sound production, students craft segments that are now shared with a wider audience through the journalism site as Humanities Radio Presents.
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Cancio encouraged the creation of a website to showcase this work and has played an instrumental role in shaping the Department of Communication’s journalism emphasis. A veteran newspaper reporter, magazine editor, digital executive producer and television news managing editor, Cancio brings decades of experience into the classroom and student opportunities.
Through the nonprofit Amplify Utah, Cancio also facilitates vital partnerships with local media outlets and community organizations to ensure student voices are heard and community stories are told. As she notes:
“This site not only amplifies the work our students are producing but demonstrates the value of journalism that is grounded in empathy, representation and community collaboration. Our students are telling important stories and now, those stories have a home at the U.”
The new journalism website is more than a showcase—it's a springboard for students entering the world of professional media and a reflection of the Department of Communication's ongoing commitment to civic-minded, community-engaged storytelling.
Explore current student work now at https://journalism.utah.edu and reach out to comm-advisor@utah.edu to learn more about how to get involved.