Welcome to the Convergence Journalism Emphasis Area at the Missouri School of Journalism, the school's first new major in more than 50 years. If you're a student interested in producing news for and with audiences across existing and emerging media platforms, we want to talk with you.

The J-School launched the convergence program officially with the Fall 2005 semester after more than two years of planning.

There are, perhaps, as many notions of "media convergence" as people who use the term. Ours is based on three basic principles:

1. The public increasingly wants to access quality news and information at any time through any and all media that are convenient or appealing to them.
   
   
2. The audience for news and information is less passive than it used to be. Many people, especially younger people, want to create, respond to and remix media. Increasingly they have the tools and skills to do so. Full-time journalists need to accept this power shift and take advantage of the opportunities it presents.
   
   
3. Convergence training should not be "a mile wide and an inch deep." Young journalists will not be equally adept at all storytelling styles and skills. But they can be effective contributors to a team that understands and takes advantage of changes in the media landscape.

Check the links on the left to learn more about the Convergence Journalism emphasis area, including course pages and related resources. If you have questions or comments, please contact Prof. Lynda Kraxberger, Convergence Faculty Chair: kraxbergerl@missouri.edu.