Beats of ’25: Graduation Edition
Students wrap up their year with podcasts, print pieces and photojournalism.
The Finish Line: Students Deliver in Semester-End Projects
Unraveling the Truth in “Shoe Leather”
Columbia Journalism School’s podcast Shoe Leather, hosted by Professor Joanne Faryon, is back with a new season: “Giuliani: The Unraveling.” This six-part series traces Rudy Giuliani’s fall from “America’s Mayor” to disbarred political outcast, as reporters investigate how his quest for relevance reshaped his legacy. Catch the full series on Spotify, currently highlighted as a featured podcast.
Narrative Journalism in “The Memory Project”
“Piece by Piece: Picking Up What’s Left Behind,” an anthology by Columbia Journalism School’s digital longform Memory Project class, led by Professor Michael Shapiro, is now available on Amazon in both paperback and e-book formats. Through long-form narrative nonfiction, the collection uncovers the hidden lives behind old photographs—stories of secrets, resilience, and the fragile ties that shape us. Support the project here.
Final Work Highlighted in Annual Documentary Festival
The Documentary Festival, the final school-wide event for Dean Duy Linh Tu’s video class, showcased powerful short films by students in the Multimedia Storytelling class. The documentaries explored deeply reported, visually compelling stories from across New York City.
Audio Journalism in City Newsroom
The student-led newsroom has released the second installment of “The Podcast Edition,” a retrospective of reporting by Columbia Journalism School students, guided by Professors Juan Manuel Benítez and Ty Lawson. The series explores how policy, power, and people shape life in New York City through a political lens. Explore their audio reporting here.
Magazine Reporting in “America Divided”
Students in Professor Keith Gessen’s Magazine Workshop course produced their print magazine of memoir and history, titled America Divided. The project examines how everyday people’s lives have been upended to varying degrees since Trump’s reelection.
All That’s Fit to Print: “CJS Tribune”
This student-produced newspaper was a result of the dynamic reporting class led by Professors Akisa Omulepu and Aida Alami. With beats spanning arts, politics, religion, sports and more, students brought compelling stories to life through investigative reporting, sharp writing and community engagement. Read the publication here.
Class of 2025 Joins the Frontlines of Local Journalism
CJS continues its strong tradition of supporting journalism in the public service, as five graduates from the Class of 2025 were selected as Report for America corps members.
These journalists will soon begin reporting on under-covered beats across the country, addressing urgent local issues with rigor and heart:
- Vahini Shori, ’25 M.S. – WBHM radio, Birmingham, Alabama: Covering faith and culture in a region where religion intersects with civil rights history and contemporary identity.
- Alexandra Markovich, ‘25 M.A. Politics – Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting: Investigating criminal justice accountability in Arizona, shedding light on law enforcement and reform.
- Daniel O'Connor, ‘25 M.S. – The Maine Monitor / Bangor Daily News: Reporting at the intersection of religion, politics and society in Maine.
- Katherine Lin, ‘25 M.S. – Mississippi Today: Covering economic development disparities, with a focus on inequality and community resilience in the Deep South.
- Oona Milliken, ‘25 M.S. – The Nevada Independent: Investigating government accountability in Southern Nevada during a critical election year.
Plus, more student work:
Jennifer Gan, ‘25 M.S., reported on Chinatown’s untold history through a tour created by journalist Roger Lee that highlights stories of gang violence, survival and community strength, while aiming to support local businesses and amplify Chinatown’s political voice.
Ailing Li, ‘25 M.S., published an audio story from Columbia Journalism School’s Telling True Stories In Sound course, exploring Kimlau Square in NYC’s Chinatown, its history, tensions, and the city’s redesign plans, featuring interviews with longtime community advocate Wellington Chen.
Justine Landis-Hanley, ‘25 M.S., and Alex Klavens, ‘26 M.S. Part-time, won first place at the Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Student Innovation Competition. Over several months, they developed “Here Today,” an interactive text-message service that delivers the top three stories to subscribers each morning. The product was designed to help combat news overwhelm and enable local newsrooms to connect with new audiences.
Isabella Morales, ‘25 M.S., investigated why the MTA is facing significant challenges and what this means for the future of New Yorkers’ daily commutes and city transportation in a report for City Newsroom.
Ivan L. Nagy, ‘25 M.A Politics, hosted “Hungary: The Worst of Both Worlds?” at Columbia’s Harriman Institute—a discussion with attorney and Diétás Magyar Múzsa editor-in-chief Sándor Esik on what the U.S. can learn from Viktor Orbán’s legal overhaul in Hungary and the country’s risky ties with Russia.
Carolina Sophia Pedrazzi, ‘25 M.S., contributed live shots and news packages to Columbia Journalism School’s newscast, including a segment live from the Ukrainian consulate covering stories on Ukraine, Yemen and Kashmir.
Anna Oakes, ‘25 M.S., was announced as the 2025 Silurians Press Club Fellow to continue her local reporting on immigration.
Alex Rouhandeh, ‘25 M.A. Politics, published a Newsweek article titled “Why Do MAGA Republicans Hate Europe?” exploring how the Trump administration’s stance made headlines, but the GOP’s skepticism toward internationalism has deep roots.
“Silent Epidemic: Alzheimer's Grips Bronx's Hispanic Community” by Cindy Shan, ‘25 M.S., won the Association of Health Care Journalists’ Student Reporting award.
Fiona Sullivan, ’25 M.S., published a story about John, an Ecuadorian immigrant who, after decades of building a life and family in the U.S., is now fighting to stay by seeking a gubernatorial pardon for a decades-old conviction and deportation order amid increasingly strict immigration policies.
In a report for City Newsroom, Sharla Steinman, ‘25 M.S., shared that Columbia University lost $400 million in federal funding due to the Trump Administration’s concerns over antisemitic harassment amid pro-Palestinian protests, prompting tighter protest rules and increased oversight.
Want to learn more about Class of 2025 accomplishments? Relive Journalism Day 2025.