Colorado College Journalism Institute

In the Journalism Institute the storied history of journalism at Colorado College meets the innovation of the Block Plan to create hands-on, experiential learning opportunities - and one of the most unique approaches to teaching journalism in the country.

The history of journalism at CC is long and distinguished, built up by members of the CC community who were fierce advocates for the vitality and protection of student journalism. In 1969, a controversial issue of the weekly student newspaper led to a debate over whether or not CC’s administration should have editorial control over student publications. In reaction, English professor Ruth Barton founded Cutler Publications, a legally independent not-for-profit organization to oversee the funding and guidance of CC student-run publications and protect them from censorship. Barton also was instrumental in the creation of CC’s journalism minor, and in 2018, the Journalism Institute launched as a hub for the journalism minor, Griffis Journalist-in-Residence Program, and partnerships with various local news and community media organizations, including Cutler Publications.

The Journalism Institute, with its focus on the importance of local news, has become a home for immersive, three-and-a-half-week courses taught by professors and visiting faculty recognized for work in some of the nation’s most prominent publications. In recent years, students have spent blocks working on longform articles for professional Colorado media outlets from pitching to publication, creating and printing a class newsmagazine, taking field trips to newsrooms across the city and country, and undergoing a multi-day reporting simulation with a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter.

Colorado College student journalists have won top honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and The Denver Press Club for their work.

This is just some of what the Journalism Institute and Block Plan make possible. Together with distinguished faculty, students explore journalism as a profession first-hand and learn how they can be storytellers in their own communities.