The end result of a collaborative six-month project between USC's Anneberg Journalism School and the Center for Investigative Journalism will premiere March 19th. Entitled "Hunger in the Golden State," the project is a three week-long multimedia series documenting California's growing social issues in light of the economic crisis. A press release from the Annenberg School noted that more than 20 multimedia stories will be released online, over the radio, and on television.

In creating the project, students partnered with professional and experienced journalists from a range of media outlets, such as The LA Times. During the six-month period, students produced stories in a hybrid newsroom-classroom, which the article stated, "broke down...the walls between academic work and real-world journalism."

The final result of the students work is described by Rual Ramirez, a project collaborator and the executive producer of The California Report, as "solid work" of "high-value."

This project represents just one of many partnerships Annenberg and other journalism schools have recently organized with media organizations. Earlier this month a journalism school in Florida announced plans to have students begin reporting on a blog for The South Floridia Times. In January, Annenberg students began writing for the LA Times homicide blog.

Media organizations and journalism schools view collaboration as beneficial to both parties. As Mark Katches from California Watch explained, "Students benefit by getting great experience and ability to work with top-flight journalists" while Annenberg's director, Geneva Overholser added that the "journalism schools can (contribute a lot) in this time of unsettlement among news organizations."

Although these collaborations have been met with much positive praise, detractors see newspapers' uses of unpaid student journalists as potentially unethical, though the future of journalism may require such partnerships.

Source: Annenberg J-School Press Release