Craig Duff, Curriculum Innovation Award Recipient

Craig Duff is a Professor of Journalism in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He is an Emmy award-winning video journalist and documentary television director, producer and writer, specializing in multi-platform storytelling and solo journalism. Before joining Medill, Duff was the director of multimedia and chief video journalist for TIME. Through his earlier work with the New York Times, CNN and Turner Broadcasting, he earned numerous national awards. Duff’s summer work will lead to the addition of learning experiences with state-of-the-art multimedia techniques across several Medill classes.

“A ‘Medill Method’ of Video/Television Reporting and Production”

Duff will take the lead role in developing an innovative set of online modules to teach video editing and basic multimedia animation within multiple Medill courses. He notes that although Medill faculty members have extensive experience in the news business, “on the video and multimedia side of things, the methods of working on state-of-the-art systems and software have outpaced the knowledge of many of the teachers.” The approaches students learn through their classes, then, often lag somewhat behind current industry standards and practices.

Duff will visit leading news channels, network bureaus, digital outlets, and post-production houses in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. He will embed with top editors and will observe approaches to the technical craft of digital journalism. The modules Duff then creates, in collaboration with other Northwestern faculty members and technical staff, will accurately reflect what is happening now at top news outlets. Course experience with this standard “Medill Method” will enhance the success of Medill graduates as they enter professional news or media organizations.

The name of this award was changed in 2019 from Curriculum Development Award to Curriculum Innovation Award.