Columbia Journalism School

📚 The 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz changed the way America thinks about missing children.

Director of the duPont-Columbia Awards and author of "After Etan," Lisa Cohen joined Vladimir Duthiers, '11 M.S., co-anchor of CBS Mornings, to discuss why the case resonated so deeply with parents and how its lasting effects continue to shape public understanding of missing children's cases.

Watch the interview: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/etan-patzs-1979-kidnapping-and-murder-touched-a-nerve-with-parents-author-reflects-on-case-legacy/

Supreme Court reinstates murder conviction in 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz Etan Patz walked out of his New York City home headed for a school bus stop in May of 1979. He never made it to school and has never been found.

🎉 Congratulations to Alonso Vidal, ’26 M.S. Stabile, on being named the 2026-27 Columbia Journalism Fellow at FRONTLINE | PBS.

Alonso becomes the 12th Columbia Journalism School fellow selected for the program, which places emerging investigative journalists inside one of the nation's leading documentary news organizations.

“Columbia Journalism School has long enjoyed a vital relationship with Frontline and we are thrilled to see Alonso Vidal join as this year's fellow," said Dean Jelani Cobb. "Frontline is a cornerstone institution in American journalism and we look forward to seeing the high-impact work that will come from this collaboration."

Read the full announcement: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/2026-2027-columbia-frontline-fellow

📰 : Janine AlHadidi, '25 M.S., Video Production Assistant, Digital at PBS News!

Janine starts each day scanning international headlines before working on scripts, interviews and the fast-paced work of bringing stories on air. "The adrenaline rush definitely gets us through the day," she says. "Overall, I'm calling sources on background, booking interviews and writing scripts for a living. It's truly a privilege every day."

Since graduating, her work has taken her into embassy briefings and interviews with leaders from around the world. "I didn't expect to be in those seats asking questions shortly after graduation," she says. One of her biggest pinch-me moments came when she found herself working alongside a reporter whose VICE documentary she had analyzed in class at CJS just months prior.

Janine credits Columbia Journalism School with teaching her the grit and adaptability needed to thrive in a newsroom. "From operating cameras to directing, reporting and editing, we were taught to never be intimidated by a good challenge," she says. "CJS trained me to keep my journalistic standards high and always trust my gut."

As co-president of the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) at CJS, Janine found a community that continues to shape her experience as an alum. "Being a CJS alum is a responsibility I take seriously. I'm so proud to represent the school everywhere I go."

Learn more about the programs that shape our alumni: https://journalism.columbia.edu/

📚 Need your next great summer read?

Swipe through to discover books by Columbia Journalism School faculty spanning memoir, history, fiction and investigative storytelling.

Explore even more faculty books, documentaries and series for the season: https://journalism.columbia.edu/faculty-publications

🏆 Emmy-winning journalists, reporters recognized by the Livingston, Investigative Reporters & Editors and Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) Awards and student innovators all have one thing in common: CJS2030 in action.

This spring's achievements highlight how Columbia Journalism School alumni are advancing the vision behind CJS2030, Dean Jelani Cobb's roadmap for strengthening journalism through innovation, public engagement and support for the next generation of reporters.

Read more about a standout season for our alumni: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/spring-awards

📷: Lauren Harris, ‘26 M.S. Documentary, placed first in the University of Missouri’s annual Reynolds Journalism Institute Student Innovation Competition and took home the $10,000 grand prize. Photo Credit: Nate Brown.

🪄 Introducing the 15th Magic Grant cohort!

In 2026, The Brown Institute for Media Innovation awarded 11 grants to support the development of audio tools for blind creators; an app that matches first-time voters with candidates and ballot measures aligned with their priorities; a database that lets communities near America’s Cold War-era nuclear weapons sites assess potential contamination; and more.

The Brown Institute, established by Helen Gurley Brown in honor of her late husband, David Brown, awards its annual Magic Grants to teams collaborating on projects that blend journalistic insight with technical innovation.

Meet this year's recipients: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/2026-2027-magic-grants

🥇 For his significant, continued contributions to scholarship on media, markets and democracy, Professor of History and Communications Richard R. John won the 2026 C. Edwin Baker Award!

John has advised countless students in the J-School’s Ph.D. and M.S. programs, helping early-career and student journalists navigate the complex intersection of business, technology, communications and American politics since 2009.

Learn more about the award: https://link.icahdq.org/discussion/2026-c-edwin-baker-award-winners-announcement

📷: George Miller

📰 A new opportunity for business journalists is coming to Columbia Journalism School!

This October, the Nathan S. Collier Business Reporting Program will bring the first cohort of up to 10 early- to mid-career journalists to New York City for a fully funded week of immersive learning focused on the economic, financial and organizational forces shaping society.

Made possible by a $2.4 million gift from entrepreneur, philanthropist and longtime Columbia Journalism Review Board of Overseers member Nathan S. Collier, the program will feature instruction from Columbia faculty, industry experts and accomplished reporters at no cost to participants.

Read the full announcement: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/nathan-s-collier-program