Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 25
The Next Generation:
Wheaton’s Journalism Certificate Program
W H EA T O N . ED U / M A G A Z I N E
One of 18 certificate students
this year, Nicole Spewak ’15 has
interned with the editorial staff
of International Justice Mission,
as well with Potsdamer Neueste
Nachrichte, a daily German
newspaper in Potsdam, Germany. During her first day on the
job at the newspaper, she conducted interviews with people
on the street in German—making subsequent interviews in
English “much less intimidating.”
In writing articles and shadowing experienced journalists
at press conferences during her
internships, Spewak says she
gained a more global perspective on her faith and the power
of truth telling.
Thanks to Spewak and other
students, Morgan is optimistic
the future of Christian journalism.
“Journalists deeply believe in
the proposition that we can become better as a society,” Morgan says. “That’s a gospel thing.”
Nicole Spewak ’15 at International Justice Mission headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
summer 2014.
Jeremy Weber ’05
To equip students for careers in
journalism, Wheaton’s communication department launched a
24-credit journalism certificate
program in 2011.
“We want to do our part in
shaping the next generation of
journalists,” says Dr. Ken Chase,
chair of communication. “This
is a matter of pursuing truth in
public life, which is necessary
for the pursuit of justice and a
check on the abuse of power.”
The courses train students
not only to do the work well, but
to do it ethically.
“We expose students to
some of the classic ethical questions like when to give a source
anonymity,” says Timothy C.
Morgan, program director and
senior editor of global journalism at Christianity Today. “We
also ask students to sit down
and write their point of view on
journalistic ethics.”
The program, assisted by
Wheaton Magazine editor Allison
Althoff ’11, integrates foundational
journalistic principles and best
practices with innovative social
media and marketing techniques. One of the distinctive elements is the focus on
experiential learning: guest
speakers including Sarah Pulliam Bailey ’08, national correspondent for Religion News Service, and TIME correspondent
Elizabeth Dias ’08 have spoken
on topics ranging from global
religion to digital innovation. Students are required to complete
two internships—some have
interned at Christianity Today,
FOX News Chicago, WBEZ-FM,
NBC affiliates, and more.
Indianapolis, and we cover the Indy 500 every year,” Batt says. “One of
the highlights of my career was covering the inauguration of President
Barack Obama. It’s a historic inauguration, regardless of your political
views,” Batt says.
She is thankful for the broad education she received at Wheaton, especially
for her political science and communication courses. “I use that information
every day when I cover news.”
For Paul Carr ’02, now a senior researcher with ESPN Stats & Information,
faith influences not just his work, but everyday life. Carr leads a team of people
responsible for generating accurate and interesting story-telling content for all
soccer platforms, including coverage of major events like the World Cup.
Though his work is behind the scenes, he offers advice that transcends the
media—advice on taking faith to work anywhere.
“Work hard and well. Show integrity in personal interactions,” Carr says.
“Display God’s love to people…People will learn about your beliefs, and
then you have opportunities to impact lives through words and actions.”
Above: A regular contributor to Wheaton Magazine, Jeremy Weber ’05
(pictured above) has traveled the world in his role as news editor at Christianity
Today—from Cuba to Egypt to eastern China. In 2010, he traveled 600 miles
through the jungles of the Central African Republic to examine water wells
funded by Christian donors. “The landlocked nation is one of the world’s
poorest and most tumultuous, but mixing missions with best business practices
can make a difference,” Weber says. He also traveled the length of Algeria in
2008, investigating why it shut down half of the nation’s Protestant churches,
but let Catholic ones (like the one above) continue operating.
W H E A T O N
23