College of Communication, Boston University

08/26/2026

In Boston, the “T” might make you think of public transit. But when it comes to Public Relations, T-shaped has a whole different meaning.

Today’s best PR professionals know how to connect the dots across media, social, content, analytics, strategy and more.

Our own Amy Shanler, professor of the practice of public relations, explains why T-shaped expertise and knowledge matters for today’s PR professionals and future leaders in her latest piece for PRSA: http://spr.ly/6187B1aAOL

08/19/2026

🎉 Welcome to this week's COMmendations, a roundup of recent headlines, achievements, and contributions by COM Faculty and Staff!

Drum roll, please...

☕☕ It's a pink summah showdown featuring two COM Professors, two sweet treats, and one Boston Globe story: Professor of the Practice of Advertising Doug Gould and Professor of the Practice of Public Relations Amy Shanler both jumped in on the "pink drink war" between Dunkin' and Starbucks for The Boston Globe: http://spr.ly/6187B1gvNz

🎥 It's a Locar-yes with Locarno: Associate Professor of the Practice of Film and Television Deepak Rauniyar's short film "Private Property" (co-written with Asha Magrati) had its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, where it competed for the Pardino d'Oro for Best Auteur Short Film: http://spr.ly/6181B1gvNP

📖 Wrap up your summer reading with a hyper-local, Boston-based tale: COM Journalism Lecturer Jay Atkinson's newest thriller "Storrow Drive" has hit the bookshelves! He spoke with New England Public Media about the process of embedded reporting, how he approached the writing of the book, and the depths of a story: http://spr.ly/6183B1gvNR

07/29/2026

07/22/2026

Welcome to this week's COMmendations! 🎉

🎬 3, 2, 1 Action: Professor Mitch Zuckoff, Department of Journalism, is heading to the big screen, again! Michael Bay will direct "Operation Epic Fury Rescue" for Universal Pictures, based on Zuckoff's forthcoming book about the April rescue of two downed American pilots in Iran. The book arrives via HarperCollins in 2027. Bay previously adapted Zuckoff's "13 Hours" for the screen in 2016.

🎥 More at http://spr.ly/6181BErSpT

📸 Michael Bay by Chris Saucedo/SXSW Conference & Festivals

07/15/2026

Welcome to this week's COMmendations! 🎉

Every week, COM faculty lend their expertise to some of the most important conversations in media, journalism, and beyond.

🐾 Slate: Lecturer Erick Trickey, Department of Journalism, explores the surprising and troubling fate of the capybara, the internet's favorite animal. Claw your way in at http://spr.ly/6182BErSVj

🤖 MassLive: Lecturer Chris Hope, Emerging Media Studies and Film & Television, reflects on the spiritual questions arriving in his inbox as more people turn to AI for personal guidance. Explore at http://spr.ly/6183BErSVd

07/15/2026

COM students are killing it again!

Portfolios showcasing the advertising work of COM students Ian Katan (COM’26) and Alicia Chiang (COM’27) each won D&AD Young Blood Awards last month, one of the most prestigious honors for students and emerging creatives in the field.

The international awards recognize portfolio websites across disciplines including advertising, marketing, PR, animation, illustration, and graphic design, and are chosen by a panel of more than two dozen judges of creative directors, copywriters and designers.

Check out all the details here: http://spr.ly/6187BEHRbX

07/14/2026

🎬 COMmunity Made: Join us for Pitchfest 2026!

On Thursday, July 30th, students in the College of Communication Master of Science in Media Ventures program will pitch their original media, technology, and entertainment startups to a panel of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and industry executives in Los Angeles.

Pitchfest is the culminating event our year-long, bi-coastal graduate program in which students develop and refine their own business models and prototypes.

Join us at BU Los Angeles (5700 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 675) starting at 6:00 PM PT!

07/07/2026

COM Student Spotlight: COMgratulations to Kallejhay Terrelonge, MS in Journalism, on earning a 2026 Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Fellowship!

While watching Hurricane Melissa's destruction unfold in her home country of Jamaica, Terrelonge kept coming back to one question: what happens when the cameras leave? That curiosity and investigative spirit, sharpened with guidance from COM faculty, is taking Terrelonge back to Jamaica through a reporting fellowship from the Pulitzer Center. Terrelonge will report alongside a New England church group on what long-term recovery really looks like, and how climate, health, and community resilience intersect once the headlines move on.

📖 Full announcement at: http://spr.ly/6187BEEuYF



📸 by M. Letendre

07/01/2026

COMmunity Made: COM Data Journalism students partner with Boston 25 on statewide police accountability investigation.

Boston University’s Justice Media Computational Journalism co-Lab, a partnership between the College of Communication and BU Spark!, teamed up with Boston 25’s Investigates team on a major accountability project: examining how domestic violence cases involving Massachusetts police officers get reported and resolved by the state’s oversight commission.

The collaboration was led by BU professors Brooke Williams and Anthony Chamberas. Students analyzed disciplinary filings, news reports, and public records across dozens of agencies statewide.

View the investigation at http://spr.ly/6182BD0P8n

06/22/2026

Scene & Heard After COM: Turns out the secret to building a movement is a mascot known for sticking around.🪳

Meet Abhijeet Dipke (COM ’25), who took an insult (which called unemployed young adults "cockroaches"), turned it into a symbol of resilience, created and launched a campaign, and inspired a movement all within 24 hours.

Dipke's coursework as a COM graduate student in Public Relations informed and influenced the success of the campaign, including the need for a clear vision, a strong mission, and a quick runway. "BU gave me the academic foundation to better understand how narratives are built, how public opinion is shaped, and how communication can be used to mobilize people around a cause," Dipke shared.

Scurry to our conversation with Dipke at http://spr.ly/6180BDwJ9I and read more about the campaign in the New York Times at http://spr.ly/6183BDwJ9F!