Berkeley Journalism is proud of the 2800+ students who have graduated from North Gate Hall. We celebrate the immense contributions they’ve made to the communities and organizations they serve.

A sign with "Sundance Film Festival" in large gold letters is prominently displayed above a theater entrance. The marquee, lit by several round light bulbs, welcomes the festival's alumni and students alike. Part of a vertical sign is visible in the background against a clear blue sky.

Alumni, students and faculty feature at the Sundance Film Festival

February 16, 2023

In January, over a dozen alumni joined industry guests and hosts Professor Jennifer Redfearn, Jigar Mehta (’05), Duc Pham (BS ’02) and alumni regent Amanda Pouchot at the annual “Cal @ Sundance” event in Park City, Utah. The campus conclave celebrates the community of Berkeley alumni involved in the prestigious festival. Berkeley Journalism’s rich history…

Read More
Lisa Pickoff-White, an esteemed alumni, stands confidently in front of large windows, wearing a patterned dress with a collar. Her wavy hair and glasses add to her poised demeanor. With a slight smile, the bright light outside casts a warm ambiance in the room, highlighting the cityscape behind her portrait.

Alumni Portrait: Lisa Pickoff-White

January 12, 2023

Our latest alumni profile features Lisa Pickoff-White, whose dedication and involvement with Berkeley Journalism continues more than a decade after she graduated. Her lasting imprint on the school is seen through the many initiatives at KQED that involve Berkeley Journalism students. She is a frequent guest speaker, sharing wisdom with students about her work and…

Read More
A man sits in a motorized wheelchair equipped with assistive technology, wearing a red jacket and glasses, engaged in conversation with Brad Bailey at a table in a library. Shelves filled with books line the background, reminiscent of Berkeley Journalism's rich history.

Berkeley Journalism mourns the death of Hale Zukas, friend and subject of Brad Bailey’s (’17) Student Academy Award-winning “Hale”

December 19, 2022

Berkeley-based disability rights pioneer Hale Zukas died on November 30th in Berkeley, California. He was 79 years old. Born with cerebral palsy, which significantly impaired his mobility and speech, doctors advised his parents to put him in an institution. Instead, they facilitated a full, productive life for him. His extraordinary life was celebrated in “Hale,”…

Read More
A woman with fair skin and light blue eyes gazes into the camera, against a black background. She has neatly styled brown hair and is wearing subtle makeup, including nude lipstick. Representing women filmmakers, she wears a sleeveless black top and small stud earrings.

Producer Rae de Leon’s (’14) “Victim/Suspect” to screen at the Sundance Film Festival

December 15, 2022

Reporter and producer Rae de Leon’s (’14) new documentary, “Victim/Suspect,” will screen as an official selection of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition. The film is the result of a four-year investigation and features a first-of-its-kind case study of investigations in which police charged self-reporting sexual assault and rape victims with…

Read More
A newspaper is open to an article titled "Repeated Abuses at Detention Center With Powerful Allies" by Meg Shutzer in The New York Times. The article includes a black-and-white photograph showing a sign that reads "WARE YOUTH CENTER," partially obscured by plants in the foreground.

Investigation by alums Meg Shutzer and Rachel Lauren Mueller runs on front page of The New York Times following film festival premiere

October 30, 2022

Two back-to-back suicides at a juvenile detention center in rural Louisiana raise troubling questions about the state’s justice system and exposes a legacy of abuse and neglect. The explosive findings by recent J-School graduates appear in a documentary short and on the front page of the country’s newspaper of record.   On Oct. 30, Berkeley…

Read More
An abstract image featuring a black square in the center with a shattered glass effect, evoking the urgency of police shootings. Surrounding the black square are various blue and white rectangles and two black 'X' marks on a gray background. The blue rectangle in the upper right has faint text.

Major IRP investigation into non-fatal police shootings runs on front page of The Washington Post

October 21, 2022

On October 21, Berkeley Journalism alumnus Brian Howey (‘22) published a major investigation into non-fatal police shootings on the front page of The Washington Post. Howey collaborated with Wesley Lowery, one of the country’s premiere investigative reporters covering law enforcement, and Washington Post Data Editor Steven Rich on the story. Berkeley Journalism alums Bashirah Mack…

Read More
A close-up of several golden Emmy Awards trophies, featuring a winged woman holding an atom. The trophies are arranged in rows, reflecting a soft light that emphasizes their metallic shine. The background is dark, making the awards stand out prominently like stars in a news documentary.

J-School Faculty and Alumni Honored with News & Documentary Award Nominations

September 28, 2022

When the 43rd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards are presented on Wednesday (Sept. 28) and Thursday (Sept. 29) and by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, 22 Berkeley Journalism alumni and faculty will be among the nominees being honored. We were thrilled to not only see veteran journalists Bill Whitaker (’78/’17) and…

Read More
A man in a suit stands on a red carpet with a step-and-repeat backdrop displaying logos for Netflix, Berkeley Journalism, and the IDA (International Documentary Association). A woman holds a sign in the foreground, partially obscuring other individuals. The setting includes bright event lighting.

Alumni Portrait: Documentary Producer/Director Michael Milano

August 22, 2022

Michael Milano doesn’t like interviews. It is not that he doesn’t like people — he loves people, and people, generally, love him. But he says everything he wants to say is in his work. He gave very few interviews after his two widely acclaimed films came to light and those were not to the biggest…

Read More
Pulitzer prize

Pulitzer Prize board recognizes work of Berkeley J-School alumni at The Washington Post and NPR

June 21, 2022

On May 9, alumnae Sarah Cahlan (‘19), Ariel Plotnick (‘18) and Emma Brown (’09) were among the staff at The Washington Post awarded the Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of the costs, causes and aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. And Alsanosi Adam (’16) of NPR was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in…

Read More
Three people are standing in front of a wooden shingled wall. The person on the left is wearing a white shirt, the person in the center is wearing a blue denim shirt, and the person on the right is wearing a pink shirt and a light gray cardigan. They are all smiling, embodying the spirit of Berkeley Journalism.

Faculty, Students and Alumna Honored at SPJ James Madison Freedom of Information Awards

April 26, 2022

On March 16, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Northern California chapter honored students Ari Sen, Freddy Brewster and Katie Licari-Kozak, lecturer Jim Wheaton and alumna Sukey Lewis at the 37th annual James Madison Freedom of Information Awards. Jim Wheaton was honored with the Norwin S. Yoffie Career Achievement award. A founder of the Environmental Law…

Read More