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“ Communication is anything but a static medium. Its role, its methods, its meaning are constantly transforming themselves.” — Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Annenberg Foundation
“ USC Annenberg is uniquely qualified to lead in this radically changing world. We combine the disciplines, professions and competencies necessary to shape the future of journalism and communication.” —Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean
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The USC Annenberg Initiative At a time when digital media are exploding as a dominant force in society, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is uniquely positioned to shape the future of the information age. We are a remarkable school drawing from the resources of a world-class networked research university, in the heart of the most global city in the United States. We are a full-service school, bringing together communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations under one roof. No other institution combines all of the disciplines, professions and competencies needed to define the ways in which knowledge and information are — and will be — created and shared in a converging media world. This is the Annenberg Advantage. Our ambition today is to take the school to even higher levels of excellence. And to make that ambition reality, we are embarking on a $150 million fundraising initiative. Your gift to USC Annenberg will foster the dialogue, debate and understanding that are essential in a world where what is communicated — and how it is communicated — can trigger major changes for better or worse on a global scale. Your gift to USC Annenberg is an investment in new generations of students and scholars who will continue to explore, teach and invent the digital future. Join us in expanding the Annenberg Advantage.
“ If you think about it, it’s so clear that communication is at the heart of the human condition.”
—Norman Lear, television writer and producer, and political activist
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Empowering Community Born of a collaboration between USC Annenberg and the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, the U.N. World Summit Award-winning Mobile Voices/Voces Móviles project — popularly known as Vozmob — bridges the digital divide by enabling day laborers across Los Angeles to engage in community journalism, creating stories about their lives and communities using mobile phones and a custom-built website. At USC Annenberg, we are motivated by the mandate of our founder, Ambassador Walter Annenberg, “to be of service to all.” We know that as journalism and communication continue to evolve, the need for timely, accurate information in the service of all members of society is more urgent than ever. A culture of positive societal impact through innovation is a key element of the Annenberg Advantage. We are a leader in reaching out to underserved communities and empowering them to thrive in the communication revolution. And our students are leading this empowerment firsthand. As part of a broader community news initiative, for example, USC Annenberg has created Alhambra Source, a vibrant trilingual news site covering a suburb of Los Angeles previously characterized by low civic engagement and a shortage of local reporting. Reaching beyond our local communities, research under way at the school is tackling real-world issues ranging from probing the role of religion politics, culture and society worldwide to the use of communication technology to combat human trafficking. The school also sponsors a health journalism fellowship program that brings reporters from across the country to Los Angeles to discover new ways of reporting about health in their own neighborhoods. With an eye to how health plays out in the community as opposed to the medical research arena, fellows explore questions at the intersection of public health, health policy and our country’s growing diversity. Your investment in USC Annenberg will ensure that we continue to be an agent of positive change for people around the world.
“ The Next Silicon Valley: USC’s Annenberg? Journalism + Innovation = Entrepreneurship” — J on Friedman, MarketWatch, April 15, 2011
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Innovating the Future In 2009, a conversation between USC Annenberg’s director of journalism and a parent yielded a unique program for a changing news industry. USC Annenberg’s mobile news incubator program joins journalism, business and engineering students with media partners such as the Associated Press, La Opinión, Los Angeles Times, Variety and KPCC. Student teams develop digital tools, apps and business plans, demonstrating the power of innovation and collaboration in creating the future of journalism. In today’s post-industrial, networked, media-infused information environment, the skills that served previous generations of journalists and communication professionals — although still essential — simply are no longer enough. Beyond the traditional proficiencies in analysis, writing, ethics and critical thinking, USC Annenberg instills in its students the indispensable qualities of leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation. Using this larger set of tools, Annenberg-trained communicators take advantage of emerging media opportunities while maintaining a focus on the fundamental importance of communication in a global society. Our students learn that communication is essential to innovation, just as innovation is now essential to advances in communication. This is a hallmark of the Annenberg Advantage. The Annenberg Innovation Lab, described by Forbes as “the optimum ‘think outside the box’ spot in Los Angeles,” gives USC Annenberg a distinctive edge. The lab provides a space where students, faculty and entrepreneurs turn concepts into prototype technologies ranging from interactive television to the use of new media tools to quicken disaster response. The school’s Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship program integrates economic principles and entrepreneurial concepts throughout the school’s curricula. Through courses, research and industry collaborations, it pushes every student to innovate and lead. Your gift to USC Annenberg ensures that our students continue to gain the perspectives, knowledge and experience they need to shape the future of the digital age.
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Wallis Annenberg Hall Wallis Annenberg Hall will bridge the traditional and transformational. While its exterior pays tribute to the traditions and gravitas of USC’s iconic architecture, its ultramodern interior, designed to promote transparency and collaboration, is the physical reflection of the unique attitude of innovation that fuels the Annenberg Advantage. Configured to encourage serendipitous as well as intended interactions, the new building will ensure that multiple voices and visions intermingle in ways that enrich the entire academic enterprise. Unique “huddle” spaces, movable walls, and distinctive learning and research laboratories will foster future-oriented conversations and “blue-sky” thinking. Flexible meeting spaces, drop-in areas for visitors and state-of-the-art production studios will provide the environments where ideas can be turned into action. Leading-edge technologies and equipment will further cultivate an environment for collaboration. The latest in media production and distribution networks will allow students and faculty to collaborate in new ways. And a converged newsroom will bring together the school’s print, broadcast and online student news outlets into a common space for the first time. With its unique combination of flexible spaces and high technology, there are opportunities to acknowledge significant gifts throughout Wallis Annenberg Hall. This remarkable new building will ensure that the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism continues to connect people, foster creativity and quickly adapt to a pace of technological innovation permanently shifted into overdrive. By the Numbers > Total square feet: 88,000 > Stories: 5 > Classrooms: 13 Special Features > The Forum: a four story atrium with skylight, open seating, and media display tower > 1 two-story newsroom combining print, broadcast and online student news outlets > 1 professional-quality video broadcast studio > 1 professional-quality radio studio > 1 direct-to-Web podcast studio > 2 faculty neighborhoods > 2 open research neighborhoods > 1 laptop lounge > 1 experiential learning and research environment > 1 instructional media lab > 1 160-seat auditorium > 1 café
“ Giving to USC Annenberg is a powerful investment in a better future.” — Jacki Wells Cisneros, USC Annenberg ’95 The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation
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The USC Annenberg Initiative at a Glance USC Annenberg’s initiative is part of the broader Campaign for the University of Southern California. A multi-year effort to raise $6 billion to advance USC’s academic priorities and expand the university’s positive impact in our community and around the globe, the campaign will touch and transform every part of the university. As a donor, you may designate your contribution for a specific goal, or you may make your gift without restrictions. Whether your passion is empowering underprivileged youth, helping prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa or providing general support for the school, USC Annenberg can help realize your dream. Your investment in USC Annenberg today will help build a better tomorrow.
Capital Projects $ 70,000,000 Classrooms, studios, labs and other spaces within Wallis Annenberg Hall
Classrooms, gathering spaces and technological upgrades within the historic USC Annenberg building
Communications infrastructure to facilitate collaboration among teams in both buildings
Endowment for Student Scholarships Need- and merit-based undergraduate scholarships Graduate fellowships Internships and residencies Study-abroad stipends
$ 30,000,000
Endowment for Faculty, Research and Teaching Chairs and professorships Directorships Research centers and institutes
$ 30,000,000
Special Initiatives $ 20,000,000 Innovation and start-up funding Flexible funding to enable existing programs to respond to rapidly changing trends and technologies Interdisciplinary projects and collaborations
Total
$ 150,000,000
Selected Funding Opportunities
International Programs There is no better way to gain cross-cultural understanding and develop communication skills than to experience the world firsthand. Grounded in the conviction that today’s global challenges demand international competence, USC Annenberg offers students the opportunity to study and work abroad while earning credit toward their degrees.
Graduate Fellowships Multidisciplinary and international in scope, focused and practical in application, USC Annenberg’s flagship master’s and doctoral programs foster the innovation that is a trademark of graduate education at USC. An investment in graduate fellowships will attract even more outstanding scholars who, in turn, will enliven the entire academic enterprise.
USC Annenberg Innovation Lab The USC Annenberg Innovation Lab is a space where students, faculty, researchers and entrepreneurs collaborate on projects aimed at transformational changes happening in our participatory cultures. Together with external sponsors, the lab works to create practical applications for industry, government, consumers and society by focusing on solutions that sit at the intersection of art, science, design and engineering.
Student Media USC Annenberg students gain real-world experience producing and publishing live, in-depth and investigative multimedia content. Our award-winning student media outlets include Annenberg TV News, Annenberg Radio News, the 24/7 online news source Neon Tommy, and the Impact newsmagazine series. USC Annenberg’s converged newsroom will be the largest in Los Angeles, with journalists working alongside the student-run TriSight Communications PR firm.
USC Center on Public Diplomacy A partnership between USC Annenberg and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ School of International Relations, the Center on Public Diplomacy advances and enriches the study and practice of public diplomacy through research, publications, professional training and events.
USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society The USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society develops innovative academic programs and public events, conducts research, and promotes community outreach in its mission to examine how sports and sports communication engage culture, social values, diversity and economy.
USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy Working with top policymakers, industry leaders, scholars and the nonprofit sector, the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy develops research and conducts programs affecting diverse areas such as civic discourse, human trafficking, the future of news and the role of women in communication leadership.
Civic Engagement USC Annenberg is a leader in incorporating communication research into local journalism information needs. Our Civic Engagement and Journalism Initiative develops digital news sites that promote civic engagement and inter-group relations in underserved Los Angeles communities. Funds to support this initiative will have a powerful impact on new models of social innovation.
The Norman Lear Center The mission of USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center is to study and shape the impact of media and entertainment on society. Working with collaborators across USC’s schools and disciplines, and with publicinterest and industry partners, the Lear Center translates its findings into action through testimony, journalism, strategic research and innovative outreach campaigns.
USC U.S.-China Institute The USC U.S.-China Institute informs public discussion of the evolving and multidimensional U.S.-China relationship through policy-relevant research, graduate and undergraduate training, and professional development programs for teachers, journalists and officials. It produces compelling public events, widely viewed documentary films, and the popular magazines US-China Today and Asia Pacific Arts.
Undergraduate Scholarships Scholarship support enables USC Annenberg to attract extraordinary students, foster their success and promote the diversity that enriches the educational experience for all. USC Annenberg students will define the fields of communication and journalism in the 21st century and beyond. Need- and merit-based scholarships will ensure broad access to this extraordinary education.
Capital Improvements USC Annenberg’s historic building was constructed with support from Ambassador Walter Annenberg and designed by renowned architect A. Quincy Jones, USC’s dean of architecture from 1975 to 1979. When it was dedicated in 1976, social media, online advertising and even personal computing were years into the future. Today, with technological advances moving at blinding speed, major upgrades are needed to meet the needs of a 21st-century communication and journalism program.
“ Global outreach and understanding — that’s what sets USC Annenberg apart.”
— Stanley Cheung, USC Annenberg parent and Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Greater China, The Walt Disney Company
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Reaching around the Globe In 2003, when China’s online population totaled 22.5 million, and Facebook and Twitter were yet unimagined, USC Annenberg launched its annual Chinese Internet Research Conference. Ten years on, that foresight has been vindicated. With more than 500 million people online, China today has the largest Internet population of any country. And USC Annenberg is leading the way in understanding how China is changing and being changed by the Internet. The media revolution is dissolving traditional boundaries between countries — presenting challenges as well as opportunities to political, social and commercial institutions worldwide. Within this changing environment, the importance of USC Annenberg’s work in advancing a civil and connected society cannot be overestimated. The Annenberg Advantage draws from a powerful network of intellectual partnerships, beginning at USC and reaching out to every inhabited continent. These partnerships yield collaborative faculty research, outstanding educational opportunities for students and professionals, and international symposia of wideranging significance for communicators of every stripe. For over a decade, the school’s master’s degree in global communication program has allowed students to spend a year studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a second year at USC, examining strategic communication issues from both sides of the Atlantic. The school’s affiliated centers — such as the USC U.S. China Institute and Annenberg Research Network on International Communication — further connect thought leaders in the global age. The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, for example, has been hailed by the U.S. Department of State as “the world’s premier research facility” in the burgeoning field of public diplomacy. As our world continues to grow smaller, our abilities and ambitions must increase in inverse proportion. An investment in international programs at USC Annenberg will ensure a future in which the school continues to be a respected voice that effects positive change around the world.
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“ USC Annenberg is perfectly positioned to shape our transition to an information society. Our faculty and students stand at the fore of this rapidly evolving field, and bring a highly creative, multidisciplinary approach to its most pressing questions.” — C . L. Max Nikias, USC President
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (213) 821-1660 annenberg.usc.edu/campaign
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