About Us
Shield Magazine, RCU’s student magazine, written, edited, designed and photographed by students
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Shieldmedia.org, a student-produced website with fresh content, photos and stories about RCU
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Shield Media TV, student-produced videos geared to students and delivered via YouTube
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Shield Media Audio, student-produced podcasts.
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Shield is written, designed and produced by students at Rochester Christian University. The faculty in the Department of Communication and Media Studies train and oversee students in the preparation and production of these outlets.
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Working in these areas offers students the opportunity to use their creative talents in producing content while at the same time gaining valuable media experience. Communication and Media Studies majors are required to work for Shield Media, and students from other majors are welcome to participate. Scholarships are available to students who work as editors and managers.
Shield Media is the independent student media of Rochester Christian University. As such, we are committed to engaging in thoughtful dialogue over issues relevant to our culture. Shield Media relates to our audience by providing them with bold stories that are intended to entertain, inform and stimulate.
Shield Media participates in RCU's faith-based mission, and believes that, as ethically minded journalists, we have a responsibility to engage each story with open-mindedness, compassion and nuance.
Along with RCU’s Department of Mass Communication, Shield Media prepares young professionals for work in media-related fields by teaching and honing their skills in writing, reporting, graphic design, broadcasting, videography and photography.
Shield Media is a student and not a college publication. Views expressed are diverse, and of course, do not correspond to all views of RCU's board, administration, faculty, staff, students or other constituency.
Our Mission
Our History
For 25 years, Shield Media has captured the moments that shaped our campus, offered a voice for student perspectives, and trained students in media and communication. Each issue reflects the spirit of its time — crafted by students who were willing to ask hard questions, celebrate their communities, and share their voices with honesty and courage.
In our 25th anniversary, we honor the people behind Shield Media — editors who pulled late nights to meet deadlines, writers who chased stories that mattered, designers who brought pages to life, photographers who froze important moments in time, and advisers who guided and believed in their students.
As we celebrate 25 years, we also look ahead. The tools may evolve, the mediums may shift, and the world will keep changing — but the purpose of Shield Media remains steady: to reflect the heartbeat of the student community and to give students a place to tell their stories. Here’s to a quarter century of curiosity, courage and creativity — and to the next 25 years of voices ready to shape what comes next.
Started in 2000 to provide a voice for students at Rochester College, The Shield began as a monthly four-page newspaper. The original student staff consisted of seven students and one adviser. The Shield newspaper was published monthly and continued that way for several years with a growing number of staff members.
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As young people's reading habits changed and with a new track in graphic design, The Shield changed format to a four-color magazine in 2008, which was published four times a year. The Shield added an online site, social media, podcasts and videos, and rebranded as Shield Media in 2014. ​Now, Shield Media features a magazine, website, social media, podcasts and videos produced by a student staff of 20 students and three advisers.
