Mercer University Opens New Center for Collaborative Journalism

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)-Mercer University opened its new Center for Collaborative Journalism today. Students pursuing a degree in that field will be able to work up close and personal with professional local journalists. The new center has a state of the art newsroom with several computers, televisions, and a police scanner. 

Mercer University President Bill Underwood said the new center will be very beneficial for the university and Middle Georgia.

“I think students are going to have a top-flight journalism education that is going to be an experimental education where they learn the art of journalism working side by side with practicing journalists, and I think it is going to be great for local news gathering as we study the future of local news in a digital age,” said Mercer University President Bill Underwood.

The Macon Telegraph’s newsroom is now housed at the center as well as a Georgia Public Radio Broadcast Center. The new Collaborative Journalism center is supported by 5.6 million dollars in grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation.