News and Calendar of Events

CINECULTURE FILM SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 
FALL 2024

CineCulture is a film series offered as a three-unit academic course (MCJ 179) in the Media, Communications and Journalism Department. CineCulture fulfills General Education Integration Area Multicultural International (MI), a university graduation requirement. CineCulture provides a service to the Fresno State campus students, faculty and staff, and community. Everyone is welcome to attend.

CineCulture is also a campus club. The CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening discussions. 

CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening discussions.
Fresno State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us in advance to your participation.

For further information about CineCulture: http://cineculture.csufresno.edu/
CineCulture Club invites invite you to like us on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), and check the club website for film updates.
Contact: Dr. Mary Husain (Instructor & Club Adviser) at mhusain@csufresno.edu

Media, Communications and Journalism faculty annually celebrate with MCJ graduates at the College of Arts and Humanities Commencement Ceremony at the Save Mart Center followed by a Department of Media, Communications and Journalism reception in the Speech Arts TV studio SA 172. This year's CAH Commencement Ceremony starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16. The graduation reception begins at 12:30 in the TV studio.

The George F. Gruner Awards for Meritorious Public Service in Journalism annually recognize outstanding community service in newspaper journalism in the central San Joaquin Valley. The awards, which honor Mr. Gruner, a former executive editor of The Fresno Bee, rank among the top journalism honors in the state.

The McClatchy Company established the Gruner awards in 1989. The Department of Media, Communications and Journalism coordinates the awards, including the call for submissions and the judging.

George F. Gruner retired in April 1988 after a career in journalism covering 46 years, including 33 years on the news staff of The Fresno Bee. Before joining The Bee, he worked for 10 years as a reporter for the Oakland Tribune and two years as a copy editor on the civilian staff of the European Edition of The Stars and Stripes, the armed services newspaper published in Germany.

After a year on the copy desk at The Fresno Bee, Gruner was named assistant city editor in 1956 and city editor in 1961. He served as assistant managing editor in 1970, became managing editor in 1971 and executive editor in 1981.

Gruner was a figure in a Freedom of the Press issue in 1976 when, as a member of the “Fresno Four,” he was jailed for contempt of court for refusing a judge's order to reveal a confidential source of information used in The Fresno Bee's news stories concerning a city official. He and three other members of The Bee's staff refused to reveal the source and spent 15 days in custody before being released. The “Fresno Four” received wide support from journalists and many other individuals and organizations throughout the United States for upholding the right to maintain confidential sources.

After he retired, Gruner wrote two books, a history of the battleship USS California and another on the coastal passenger liners Yale and Harvard.

George Gruner died August 25, 2024 at the age of 99.

Visit the Alumni Link to view our MCJ Hall of Fame Inductees and look at photos from the ceremony.  

MCJ Day is designed to make high school students more aware of the department's five options. Guest speakers and panelists discussed the options and professional development.   

Periodically the MCJ Department will host Roger Tatarian Journalism Symposia. These events bring in top-notch national and international journalists to share with the campus and broader community about important issues of the day. The Roger Tatarian Journalism Chair coordinates the symposia. 

For more information about the reception or scholarships, contact Professor Faith Sidlow, MCJ Scholarship Chair, at fmsidlow@mail.fresnostate.edu