The Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science is a special two-year program that offers the highest caliber of journalism and computer science training at Columbia University. Students enroll for a total of four semesters at Columbia's Journalism and Engineering schools, learning the fundamentals of reporting and writing while developing a working background in computer science and software design.
What is it like to be a student in this specialized program? Before his graduation, we talked with Aaron Brezel, a member of the Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science Class of 2020, who was recently a software engineer with The Washington Post. Please read our Q&A below to learn why Brezel chose Columbia's Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science Program, and how he had been using his training in the program to create innovative new tools for journalists.
What were you doing before you came to Columbia and what led you to apply to the Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science Program?
I came into the program from the journalism side. I actually came in straight from college - there was no working in the industry or anything like that. I was an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis. I really enjoyed it there and worked at the school's newspaper. I didn't do journalism as an academic pursuit; I always did it for the newspaper. I minored in computer science. When it came time to graduate, I knew I wanted to try and do journalism before doing something else. I saw that this dual-degree program existed and I thought "Oh, I do journalism and I also do computer science." It was an easy decision to do this particular program. This is a total cliche, but: it's where the industry is going. The dual-degree program seemed to be a supercharged way to get as much of a cutting-edge knowledge base as possible.
What has your experience in the program been like thus far?
It's definitely not easy, but I tell my parents this all the time: I learn a colossal amount every day. Every single day, you're learning another particular tool and you feel like you're hurtling forward, as opposed to in college, where what you're studying isn't always towards a certain goal. I always feel like I'm moving towards a goal in this program.
What have been some of the highlights of the curriculum?
Professor Amy Singer's reporting class was really fun. I reported down at the city courts, which was very different. When I was an undergraduate, I worked at the school newspaper, where I primarily did sports. The publishing environment there was totally different. Professor Singer's class was a great way to get up to speed and get practice doing real reporting.
I can also say that my "Introduction to Data Visualization" class, which was offered in the Engineering School, was really excellent. It was exactly what it sounded like: I learned all the principles of visualizing data in the right way. I think the salient point that they made in that class was that you have to treat data visualization with the same rigor that you treat journalism. You don't just slap on a pretty graph - you have to learn about how to present things in the right way so our visual brains can digest things properly and so we're not manipulating the data. It was an interesting application of things that I learned at the Journalism School in the computer science sphere.
How have you made use of the resources from Columbia's Brown Institute for Media Innovation and Tow Center for Digital Journalism?
I think at least four students in the dual degree program basically spend every hour of every day inside the Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Obviously, we make great use of Professor Mark Hansen's expertise.
After you graduate, how would you like to use the skills that you are building in the Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science Program?
Right now, I'm leaning toward two paths. One is data visualization: it's about applying the principles I learned in journalism - my own background - to the computational sphere. It's very gratifying to create a data visualization that tells a story. The second path is building tools for journalists. I've enjoyed doing that so far and think this program makes me well equipped to do it. I can use my skills in journalism to know what tools journalists may need while I also have the computational knowledge to give the tools the rigor and processes they need to have.
How was your summer 2019 internship at the Miami Herald?
I actually did a reporting internship, so I didn't use much of the advanced computational work that we do in the dual degree program. That being said, it was an absolutely phenomenal experience. I'm a much more confident reporter now than I had been in the past. It was my first real opportunity to do proper investigative work - incubate a story over a long time, work sources, and all of the things that make you a better reporter. I did get to do a little data work - in my own time, I worked on a data visualization to build my portfolio. While it might have been more prudent to get an engineering internship, I think it was definitely an excellent educational experience and I'm glad that I did it.
What is your master's project about?
I'm working with another dual degree student, Eugene Joseph, who is really really smart. We're calling our project a "meme tracker" - a low-level scan of sub-communities on the internet that produce memes. We're going to develop a method and processing pipeline for tracking them from their initial starting point to their proliferation and, eventually, their jump into the mainstream. It's a tool for journalists to quickly get a handle on the memes that are out there and where they come from. A lot of bad actors have gotten so good at imitating natural interaction on the internet - it's something called "attention hacking" - for some political purpose. Being able to cut through that facade would be a powerful journalistic tool.
Do you have advice for someone considering the Dual M.S. in Journalism and Computer Science Program?
This is definitely a great program if you want to become an engineer. If you want to be a journalist and primarily do journalistic things, you could probably do the M.S in Data Journalism Program or the M.S. Program. The dual-degree program prepares you to slide into a big journalism organization's research and development department, where they are experimenting with different tools. You'll have the knowledge of both journalism and computer science, so you'll know that whatever you're creating is going to really help the journalists. If that's where you see yourself going, I think this is a good program for you.
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