A common refrain that you might expect to hear from Political Science majors is, “Majoring in Political Science made me realize I hate politics.” As a bright-eyed underclassman, I didn’t think this would be what I would become. I had dreams of becoming a political journalist with wide expertise. I would “speak truth to power.” I would “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” These are sentiments I hold a great respect for still, but the avenue that I see myself fulfilling these pursuits has changed dramatically.

Throughout my four years as a journalism major at Annenberg, I have taken a plethora of journalism courses, some that I have enjoyed and others that I hated. My experience in classes at Annenberg has been a rollercoaster. While some classes have served me well and taught me a lot about the field of journalism, others have felt repetitive and lacking a critical structure. To help you navigate classes and validate your confusion for some prerequisites, I have reviewed and ranked all of the journalism courses I have taken at Annenberg!

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Annenberg is and will always be my home here at USC. I love the school, and I will forever be grateful for the fact I’m able to attend this institution. However, throughout my time here, I’ve uncovered plenty of cracks in the program. Hopefully, one day, Annenberg can make changes to become even better.

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

Once I got accepted to USC, I made it my mission to take advantage of Annenberg’s free subscription. I religiously checked my phone to look for open seats in a class that was the perfect marriage of strategy in PR and beginner’s design, PR486: Multimedia PR Content: Introduction to Digital Design Tools. I knew this 2-unit class every Wednesday afternoon would be a welcoming experience and a reliable home base for my interdisciplinary (PR, design, and music industry) interests. After a semester kick starting my Adobe design journey, this class inspired me to pursue a minor in Communication Design at Roski and helped me establish a foundational skill set that I can list on my resume and a solid piece for my portfolio.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

On February 21, I attended An Evening with Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of ‘The 1619 Project’ at the Bovard Auditorium. Being able to attend this event and listen to Nikole Hannah Jones felt like a dream come true—for young journalists and women of color, Jones is a beacon of hope and inspiration for those who seek to shatter glass ceilings and create new legacies for generations to come.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’re a journalism major and you’re feeling super overwhelmed and thinking about changing your major, but still like journalism - don’t worry we have literally all been there. My journalism friends and I can all attest to our second year being our “weeder” year — most of us were at difficult crossroads in deciding whether to continue in the major or not. If you feel the same way, don’t worry, I got you! Here are some tips for getting through your second year as a journalism student:

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’ve wanted to create your own podcast,  YouTube channel, or online product and you’ve never felt confident or comfortable enough to, USC has the perfect elective to finally launch your dream project. All I knew was that I needed a 2 unit journalism elective course—I had no idea how impactful and important this class would be for me as a journalism student.