Golden is a senior lecturer at the Hubbard School and leads student initiatives with Hubbard's Minnesota Journalism Center.
As journalism students prepare to launch their careers in the professional space, there are numerous opportunities to gain real-world experience before graduation.
We sat down with Gayle Golden — senior lecturer at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication and associate director for educational initiatives at the Minnesota Journalism Center — to learn more about her roles. She shared advice for how students can make the most of their time in school and stand out when applying for jobs in the competitive media landscape.
Journey in journalism
Golden began her career as a professional journalist in 1983, working at the Dallas Morning News covering science before turning to freelance work for magazines and outlets that included The New York Times starting in 1990.
With this experience, she began working at the Hubbard School in 1998 and has been instrumental in shaping both the professional journalism curriculum and the student experience.
"Most of what I do is teach in the journalism area. I teach magazine journalism, magazine writing and the advanced-level professional journalism courses that are chiefly practicum courses,” Golden said. She also built JOUR 3101W, Hubbard's foundational news reporting and writing course, which she taught for more than 20 years.
Outside of the classroom, Golden plays a central role in mentoring students and connecting them with real-world opportunities in the journalism field.
At the Minnesota Journalism Center, she oversees all of the signature internships, which includes the Report for Minnesota program that places students in Greater Minnesota newsrooms for a 10-week summer work experience. “That program recently expanded into a legislative reporting project, with interns reporting from the Capitol on the Minnesota Legislature,” she said.
Golden mentioned that she is also currently working on developing and revamping a micro-internship program as well as once again organizing the summer Hubbard Reporting Experience for journalism students who are taking the first steps into professional experiences.
How can journalism students stand out?
When asked what opportunities students can seek to distinguish themselves, Golden said it is important to understand and develop data literacy. She stressed the value of taking the data journalism course offered to Hubbard students and how critical an understanding of data analysis is to good journalism.
“Everybody should understand the basics of spreadsheets, how to request data, how to clean data, how to analyze data, find stories from data and be able to really understand the fundamentals," she said. In an age in which math and statistics are essential for storytelling, journalism students can stand out by being able to interpret and understand data.
Students can also set themselves apart by actively engaging with the many programs and opportunities offered through the Hubbard School and local journalism networks. These include mentorship programs, professional development events and networking opportunities that connect students directly with working journalists and media organizations.
Hubbard Hot Take
“I think Hubbard is dynamic and it’s always evolving to meet the needs of students," Golden said. She talked about how Hubbard is constantly changing to give students what they need to be successful as they graduate and enter the workforce.
Learn more
To learn more about Gayle Golden and her work, visit her CLA faculty page.
— By Kate Henning, Backpack student
