Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

What Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication does

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is an academic unit within Arizona State University located in a six-story Downtown Phoenix facility housing four TV studios, 17 editing rooms, Arizona PBS studios, the First Amendment Forum, and event spaces. The school delivers bachelor's and master's degree programs in journalism and mass communication, including a Master of Arts in Investigative Journalism, plus fully online degree programs through ASU Online. It operates a "teaching hospital" model with embedded, hands-on newsrooms — Cronkite News, the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Knight Center for the Future of News — that produce award-winning student work distributed through Arizona PBS, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and The Associated Press.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) tuition governed by ASU's standard structure across undergraduate, graduate, and online programs; (2) fee-based professional development via CronkitePro (courses, certificates, badges, webinars) delivered through the ASU Learning Enterprise with in-person sites in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington D.C.; (3) foundation grants, with 2025 inflows exceeding $17 million from the Scripps Howard Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; and (4) individual philanthropy via named endowments such as the Liz and Richard Burns Cronkite Enhancement Fund. Customer segments span undergraduate and graduate students, online learners, working media professionals, and — through the Pro Athlete Speaker Experience — sports professionals.

The school is ACEJMC-accredited, ranked #1 in five journalism categories by the Broadcast Education Association (2024), and has produced student work recognized at the national level including a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a national Edward R. Murrow Award. It maintains placement relationships with more than 41 media employers including CNN, NBC, Scripps, Gray Television, Sinclair, Hearst, ESPN, and national outlets; about 80% of Cronkite internships are paid. Strategic priorities for 2025–2026 are anchored in AI-and-journalism curriculum buildout, statewide investigative accountability reporting through The Beam, and a national professional development partnership with the Poynter Institute.

Name

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Legal name

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Website

https://cronkite.asu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is Arizona State University's accredited journalism and mass communication school, delivering undergraduate, graduate, and online degree programs plus a "teaching hospital" model with student-run newsrooms (Cronkite News, Howard Center, Knight Center for the Future of News) serving students, working media professionals, and 41+ recruiting employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Journalism and Mass Communication

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Lecture Capture & Course Media (EDAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD), Online Public Speaking & Debate Programs (Live/Recorded) (EDAMAOAD)

Keywords

• Journalism education
• Mass communication programs
• Investigative reporting training
• Professional media development
• Broadcast journalism degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and academic programs: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition for journalism and mass communication degree programs, governed by ASU's tuition structure.
2. Professional development programs (CronkitePro): Fee-based professional courses and certificates for media professionals offered through ASU Learning Enterprise. Programs include online self-paced courses and in-person intensives. Example: Pro Athlete Speaker Experience at $7,500.
3. Grants and philanthropy: Major grants from foundations (Scripps Howard Foundation $5.7M, Knight Foundation $10.5M) and individual donors support programs, centers, and initiatives.
4. Donor contributions and endowment: Named endowments such as the Liz and Richard Burns Cronkite Enhancement Fund, supporting school priorities and student programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication provides bachelor's and master's degree courses in journalism and mass communication, with immersive hands-on training through student-run newsrooms, broadcast studios, and investigative reporting centers. It also offers fee-based professional development courses, certificates, and workshops for working media professionals through the CronkitePro platform. Operational sub-units include the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, Knight Center for the Future of News, National Center on Disability and Journalism, and Arizona PBS.

Product overview

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers a comprehensive educational portfolio comprising undergraduate, graduate, and online degree programs in journalism and mass communication. The school operates a "teaching hospital" model with hands-on immersive experiences including Cronkite News (student-run news operation), the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Knight Center for the Future of News. Professional development is delivered through CronkitePro, offering certificates and training programs. Additional offerings include the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ), career services with internship coordination, professional mentorship programs, and event space rentals. The school is ranked #1 in journalism in multiple categories by the Broadcast Education Association (2024).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Beam: A new investigative newsroom focused on producing in-depth reporting on issues that matter to Arizona communities, including education, water, housing, health care, immigration and political accountability
• Cronkite News
• CronkitePro
• Knight Center for the Future of News
• Howard Center for Investigative Journalism
• National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ)

Products and services

• Cronkite School Undergraduate Programs Undergraduate degree programs in journalism and mass communication, including instruction in video production, sports reporting, social media strategy, and other media skills for first-year, transfer, and change-of-major undergraduate students.
• Cronkite School Graduate Programs Graduate degree programs including Master of Arts in Investigative Journalism, offering advanced professional training in journalism and mass communication for graduate students seeking career advancement.
• Cronkite School Online Degrees Online degree programs in mass communication, digital audiences and related fields delivered through ASU's online platform for remote students.
• CronkitePro Professional development platform offering courses, badges, certificates and webinars for media and communications professionals. Delivered through ASU Learning Enterprise with online self-paced programs and in-person training at locations in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
• Pro Athlete Speaker Experience Five-week hybrid certification program for professional athletes and sports professionals designed to help them transition into public speaking careers. Includes virtual sessions and an in-person intensive at the Cronkite School.
• Howard Center for Investigative Journalism Hands-on learning experience supported by Scripps Howard Foundation where graduate and capstone-level students produce investigative journalism, often in partnership with national newsrooms. Includes The Beam statewide accountability reporting initiative.
• Knight Center for the Future of News Center focused on reimagining and strengthening the information ecosystem by democratizing research and development. Anchored by three labs connecting journalists, technologists, scholars and industry leaders to drive innovation in news.
• National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) Center providing resources and materials for journalists covering disability issues, including the Katherine Schneider Journalism Award and Gary Corcoran Student Prize for Excellence in Reporting on Disability.
• Cronkite News Student-run news operation producing multi-platform news content including television newscasts, digital reporting and sports coverage.
• Inclusive Excellence in Journalism Fellowship Summer fellowship program providing scholarships to undergraduate fellows for an investigative journalism certificate program, IRE conference attendance, and hands-on training. Funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation.
• Internship Interview Day Semesterly event connecting students with local media employers for internship interviews. Students interview with broadcast, public relations and print/digital employers for course credit.
• Cronkite Event Spaces Event facilities including the First Amendment Forum, Morgan Murphy Media Theater (Cronkite 202), and conference rooms available for booking by ASU and external organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pulitzer Prize finalist; National Murrow Award winner for 'Lethal Restraint' investigative series
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Poynter InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School and the Poynter Institute launched a collaboration to expand professional development for journalists nationwide. Poynter resources are integrated into CronkitePro, providing access to podcasts, a media job board, and AI training courses. The framework includes discounted access to Poynter courses and co-branded professional training initiatives.
• The Associated Press (global investigations unit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'Lethal Restraint' investigative reporting collaboration. Cronkite students were responsible for unearthing incidents of lethal police restraint for Nevada, working alongside AP global investigations unit and FRONTLINE.
• FRONTLINE (PBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRONTLINE collaborated with the Howard Center on the 'Lethal Restraint' investigation and the 'Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages' documentary premiering April 2025 on PBS.
• PBS NewsHourmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoward Center student investigative projects have aired on PBS NewsHour, bringing student journalism to national audiences.
• Arizona Center for Investigative ReportingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization contributing resources to The Beam, a new investigative newsroom focused on in-depth reporting on Arizona communities.
• Arizona Media AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-of-its-kind partnership with Arizona Media Association and Arizona Local News Foundation allowing The Beam's investigative stories to reach audiences across the state through a network of newspaper, digital, nonprofit, and broadcast outlets.
• Arizona Local News FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling distribution of The Beam investigative reports across Arizona's local news ecosystem.
• Stanford Cyber Policy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelby Grossman was previously a research scholar at Stanford Cyber Policy Center and Stanford Internet Observatory before joining Cronkite as Professor of Practice in AI and Investigative Journalism.
• ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnight Center partnered with ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation to produce the Governance Gap report on nonprofit news boards.
• Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with INN to research and produce the Governance Gap report examining nonprofit news board effectiveness.
• MIDaS Lab (Media Information, Data, and Society Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnight Center partnered with MIDaS Lab at Cronkite School for data analysis in the Governance Gap research report.
• Morgan Murphy MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiz Burns led Morgan Murphy Media for 43 years, hiring numerous Cronkite students and providing industry leadership. The company is a major Cronkite recruiter. The Morgan Murphy Media / Elizabeth Murphy Burns and Richard Burns Theater (Cronkite 202) is named in recognition of their support.
• University of Maryland (Howard Center)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at University of Maryland received $1M of the $2M Scripps Howard Foundation grant to develop AI tools for local news organizations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Poynter Institute: Premier U.S. journalism training nonprofit and current Cronkite partner for CronkitePro professional development. Functions as a complementary non-degree training provider rather than degree-granting peer.

Direct peers

• Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism: Top-tier private journalism school offering undergraduate and graduate programs with a similar teaching-hospital model. Direct peer in degree offerings, employer pipeline, and Pulitzer-competitive student output.
• University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications: Public university peer named in BEA 2024 rankings alongside Cronkite. Strong broadcast and sports journalism programs with similar employer recruitment pipelines in the Southeast U.S.
• University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism: Public university peer that co-receives Scripps Howard Foundation funding alongside Cronkite. Direct partner on the $2M AI journalism initiative, making it an unusually close operational peer.
• Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications: Closest direct competitor to Cronkite in BEA rankings (specifically named in BEA 2024 #1 comparison). Similar breadth of broadcast and digital journalism programs with national employer recruitment.
• CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism: Public graduate journalism school in NYC with focus on investigative and local reporting. Comparable mission of producing career-ready, public-interest journalists and competes for similar employer relationships.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media: Public university peer journalism school with similar teaching philosophy and strong employer pipeline. Comparable in scale, public-university structure, and award-winning student output.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: Premier graduate journalism school with deep NYC media industry ties and strong investigative reporting tradition. Comparable to Cronkite in award-winning student journalism output and Pulitzer-track recognition.
• USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: Private peer journalism school with comparable media industry placement and LA-based employer network. Also named in BEA 2024 ranking comparison alongside Cronkite.
• University of Missouri School of Journalism: World's oldest journalism school and historic leader in journalism education. Shares teaching-hospital model, investigative journalism emphasis, and national employer network comparable to Cronkite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Cronkite_ASU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCh0Id23isi5er_RhGs5jy5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/timeline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school
• Instagraminstagram.com/cronkite_asu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication