The Viper Times tours Walter Cronkite School of Journalism

Maely Levie, News Editor • October 26, 2025

Features

Kaden Craig and Amelie De La Torre pose in front of the green screen at the Walter Cronkite ASU campus

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Inspiration

Walter Cronkite School Of Journalism And Mass Communication (Raquel Barnard)

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Provides Inspiration

On October 21st, our very own Viper journalists had the amazing opportunity to visit the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University’s downtown campus!

Walter Cronkite senior students and a sophomore showing The Viper Times staff the media center. (Christopher Leis)

The tour kicked off in the morning, with the Vipers meeting on the first floor of the building. They completed a quick survey and received Cronkite merchandise for their efforts.

The main center of Walter Cronkite School of Journalism features a massive screen and comfortable seating. (Raimiel Jesse Catbagan)

The students from ASU guided The Viper Times staff to the main floor of the school, where numerous screens playing numerous news channels decorate the walls. The tour guides (who are students at Cronkite) discussed the numerous events that happen in the area, such as award winning journalists hosting Q&As, and luncheons with industry icons.

The Viper journalists then visited the third floor, where they visited numerous classrooms. They learned about the 360-style of classes, where students will spend the first half in lecture, and the second half collaborating as a professional newsroom. They also got to see the numerous booths that students are allowed to use for recording and writing for assignments, and even saw a student recording live on air!

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Prepares Students

Antonio Larson peers in while a Cronkite student creates their broadcast. (Raquel Barnard)

Behind the Scenes

The Viper Times staff also learned about the numerous opportunities students get, such as reporting on football and baseball games, and even reporting on the Olympics!

They then moved onto the next floor, where the Vipers had the privilege to visit two studio rooms. One was a practice room (where the Vipers took photos), and the second was the actual studio where Cronkite News films! The staff got the full run through on how the broadcast is produced, and got to visit the editing room where millions of buttons made their eyes cross over.

Cool buttons behind the scenes of ASU’s Walter Cronkite News which mix sound, video and control the on air production. (Raquel Barnard)

The Vipers then made their last stop in the Arizona PBS section of the building! The tour guides talked about the numerous internship opportunities available for Cronkite students in PBS, and about how some students even have jobs lined up for them right after graduation.

Abby and Skylee doing their news anchor in a production room at Walter Cronkite. (Raquel Barnard)

Hannah Bruce, the Graphic Designer of the Viper Times, really enjoyed the tours. She says, “I really liked how informative the tour guides were, they didn’t just show us the rooms, they explained in detail. They even provided their own experiences with things like internships.”

Verrado junior Scylee Groseth was surprised at how large the campus was and how much equipment was housed on campus. “I thought the trip was amazing, and seeing all the equipment the students have to work with was really inspiring.”

Mrs. Studts and Ms. May conversing near camera equipment in the news studio. (Raimiel Jesse Catbagan)

Aria Anderson, Editor in Chief, also had an amazing time. She says, “I most enjoyed seeing all of the different types of things you can do in journalism, especially being able to actually see the rooms where stuff is done.”

When asked about the potential success for journalism students that go to Cronkite, both staff members had nothing but positive things to say! Bruce says, “I think a student could be really successful at Walter Cronkite. They seemed to have a really good curriculum and opportunities for students to test out a bunch of different areas of journalism.”

Jacob analyzing the cameras in one of the production rooms at Walter Cronkite. (Raquel Barnard )

Anderson has the same thoughts about Cronkite’s ability to craft successful journalists. She states, “I could definitely see an aspiring journalism student being successful there. Like I said earlier, they have so much to offer and there’s something for everyone. The professors push you to try everything.”

The Vipers Times staff had an amazing time touring the Cronkite School and learned a lot about what their futures could look like. This was a wonderful experience, and we hope it’s a tradition that continues on for future Vipers!