Picture yourself repping that Maryland pride with #merrillmade merch! 🤔 💭 We think you'd look very cool. 😎 The Spring 2026 Merrill Merch store is OPEN! Check out all the color options and designs at merrillcollege.itemorder.com. #fearlessjournalism

We are HALFWAY through #GivingDayUMD! 🐢 But that doesn't mean the giving stops! Your gifts help #merrillmade students like senior Laura Charleston pursue their passion in college and beyond. 🤩 #fearlessjournalism DONATE to Merrill College at go.umd.edu/GivingDay You can MULTIPLY your gift to Merrill with a number of Giving Day challenges and matches: 💥 When we reach 125 donors, a $50,000 scholarship gift will be unlocked thanks to David Ginsburg ’75! 💥 Members of our Board of Visitors have collectively committed $40,000, which will unlock once we reach 100 donors! 💥 Eileen Chamblee and Andrea Chamblee ’83 will match all gifts to the John McNamara '83 Endowed Sports Journalism Scholarship, up to $10,000! 💥 Professor Deborah Nelson will match, dollar for dollar, all gifts from faculty, staff and students to any fund up to $5,000!

Good morning and happy #GivingDayUMD! 🥳 🐢 To kick off the day, let's hear how your gifts can make an impact from second-year #merrillmade student Christian Jackson! TODAY is the day to support Merrill College and the #UMD community as we move forward and strive to make our unmatched experiential journalism education accessible to as many students as possible. #fearlessjournalism DONATE to Merrill College at go.umd.edu/GivingDay You can MULTIPLY your gift to Merrill with a number of Giving Day challenges and matches: 💥 When we reach 125 donors, a $50,000 scholarship gift will be unlocked thanks to David Ginsburg ’75! 💥 Members of our Board of Visitors have collectively committed $40,000, which will unlock once we reach 100 donors! 💥 Eileen Chamblee and Andrea Chamblee ’83 will match all gifts to the John McNamara '83 Endowed Sports Journalism Scholarship, up to $10,000! 💥 Professor Deborah Nelson will match, dollar for dollar, all gifts from faculty, staff and students to any fund up to $5,000!

The news business needs to reinvent itself to best serve the public, and “The Business of Journalism in the Age of AI” — a new webinar series from Merrill College and the #UMD @SmithSchool — will teach news leaders how to take part in that transformation. Merrill & Smith experts team with industry leaders to explore how the business model of journalism can evolve into something more sustainable and show how to thrive in the age of AI. The 10-session series launches March 27 and includes monthly webinars through December. All are Fridays from 12-1 p.m. Sign up for just one or all 10! REGISTER TODAY: go.umd.edu/BizOfJournalism

SO EXCITED to share our 2026 Hall of Fame class, which features five outstanding alums and faculty honoree George Solomon! The new class of #merrillmade alums includes Tim Brant ’73, Monica Norton ’87, Joe Palazzolo ’06, Joanna (Falcone) Sullivan ’87 and the late Lee Walczak ’68. Congratulations to all! “These remarkable journalists showcase the best of what Merrill College has to offer and we’re proud to have them joining our Hall of Fame,” Merrill College's @DeanLorente said. “This year, we honor one of the nation and region’s most renowned sports broadcasters, an award-winning Washington Post deputy managing editor, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, a longtime leading editor with American City Business Journals and Baltimore Business Journal, and an accomplished BusinessWeek reporter and editor. “I am especially excited to recognize the wonderful George Solomon, the former Post sports editor who fundamentally changed us for the better by supercharging sports journalism at Merrill College as founding director of our Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism.” Our induction ceremony will be 6 p.m. on March 31 at Knight Hall. Learn more about the Class of 2026 and register for the event: go.umd.edu/MerrillClassof202…

We are excited to announce Merrill College's new minor in Video Production and Documentary Filmmaking! 🎉 📸 🎥 🤳 Gain hands-on training in the visual storytelling skills desired by nearly every professional industry! #fearlessjournalism In this program , you will learn: ✅ Videography ✅ Studio production ✅ Documentary filmmaking ✅ Content creation ✅ Photography ✅ Cinematography ✅ Streaming and broadcasting ✅ Motion graphics ✅ Virtual production with Unreal Engine ✅ And more! LEARN MORE: go.umd.edu/ProductionMinor

‼️ EXCITING NEWS ‼️ Sean Mussenden (@sean_mussenden), principal lecturer at Merrill College and data editor at our award-winning Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, has been named the @HowardCenterUMD's interim director! Mussenden, a 2000 #MerrillMasters alum, succeeds Kathy Best, who retires this month. As the Howard Center’s founding data editor, Mussenden was instrumental in positioning the center as a national leader in experiential journalism education and journalism innovation. Congratulations, Sean! 👏👏👏 #fearlessjournalism

This semester marks the last one at Merrill for Kathy Best, our @HowardCenterUMD's founding director, ahead of her retirement. 😥 Kathy ushered in a new era for Merrill College in helping establish the center in 2019. Her leadership has made the Howard Center a hallmark of collaborative, innovative investigative reporting, culminating in a Pulitzer finalist honor this year. Your impact was felt throughout the college and you have created a lasting legacy. Thank you, Kathy! #fearlessjournalism

EXCITING NEWS: Join us in welcoming Deborah Barfield Berry as our new Capital News Service Annapolis bureau director! Former CNS Annapolis bureau director Christi Parsons will now lead the @cnsmd D.C. bureau! @dberrygannett, a former national correspondent for @USATODAY, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, a 2023 Nieman Fellow and a member of the Merrill College Hall of Fame. @cparsons, who replaces retiring D.C. bureau chief James Carroll, has been a journalist for more than 30 years with CNN, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and more. “Our Capital News Service bureaus in Annapolis and Washington remain in excellent hands under the leadership of Deborah and Christi,” @DeanLorente said. We are so excited to see where you take our wonderful newsrooms. Congrats! #fearlessjournalism

Rare aesthetic: Merrill College edition Nothing like Knight Hall and Tawes Hall during finals season 🥰 #fearlessjournalism 🎥 @JessDaninhirsch

🎓 🎓 CONGRATULATIONS DECEMBER GRADS! 🎓 🎓 You are now OFFICIALLY #merrillmade and we could not be prouder! 😁 We had a wonderful celebration on Friday and we can't wait to see what you all do. Congrats! #fearlessjournalism

At the end of this semester, Jim Carroll, our wonderful Capital News Service D.C. bureau director, is retiring. His guidance has made @cnsmd and Merrill College better, leading many future journalists reporting in the nation's capital. We hope this next chapter is full of fun, travel and joy! Thank you for 10 amazing years running the D.C. bureau, Jim! #fearlessjournalism

Maryland residents: Want input into the future of your local news? Participate in our study into how Maryland news outlets can better serve you! Maryland residents have until Nov. 15 to apply by filling out this short, confidential application form: go.umd.edu/MerrillNewsStudy

Help us support #merrillmade students and community members in need during the Merrill Food Drive! From Nov. 17-25, we will be collecting canned goods, nonperishables and hygiene products to benefit the @UMDCampusPantry. Please drop off your donations in the marked bins in front of the Student Services suite at Knight Hall. Thank you for your generosity!

MERRILL STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF: Join us for FREE COOKIES on Nov. 5 from 11–1 p.m. in the Knight Hall atrium as we mark the launch of Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless! During this campaign, Merrill College will work to enhance our elite journalism education and make it more accessible to a wider range of students. Let’s move #MarylandForward together! #fearlessjournalism

Maryland residents: Want input into the future of your local news? Participate in our study into how Maryland news outlets can better serve you! Maryland residents have until Nov. 15 to apply by filling out this short, confidential application form: go.umd.edu/MerrillNewsStudy

MERRILL STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF: Join us for FREE COOKIES on Nov. 5 from 11–1 p.m. in the Knight Hall atrium as we mark the launch of Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless! During this campaign, Merrill College will work to enhance our elite journalism education and make it more accessible to a wider range of students. Let’s move #MarylandForward together! #fearlessjournalism

Help Merrill College launch Forward as we work to build a brighter tomorrow for #merrillmade students and shape the future of the journalism industry. MORE: forward.umd.edu/jour

All work and no play makes Jess a dull girl. 👻 Don't forget your deadlines ... or else. Happy Halloween from Merrill College! 🎃 ⭐ @JessDaninhirsch

Very excited to share we have added three incredible #UMD alums to our distinguished Board of Visitors! Please join us in welcoming: 💥 @craigbengtson ’83 (RTVF), President, @CNBCi 💥 Michelle A. Mahabirsingh ’97 (ARHU), Counsel, @lambzankel 💥 @SaraMurray ’07, Managing Director, @FTIConsulting; former leading @CNN correspondent So glad you're here! MORE: merrill.umd.edu/articles/mer…