WASHINGTON, DC — Howard University is continuing to raise the bar for investigative journalism education. The university announced that Sean K. Campbell, a nationally recognized investigative reporter, has joined its Center for Journalism & Democracy as a Visiting Professor for the 2025–2026 academic year.
This appointment marks the second year of Howard’s Visiting Professorship program at the Center, which was founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. The initiative is designed to expand investigative journalism training across HBCUs and give students access to the same level of resources and instruction found at elite institutions.
Building on Howard’s Legacy of Journalism Excellence
The Cathy Hughes School of Communications has long been known as a pipeline for Black journalists shaping the media landscape. With Campbell’s arrival, Howard students now gain access to his expertise in data-driven investigative reporting—a skill set increasingly vital in a world where truth often competes with misinformation.
The Center for Journalism & Democracy is dedicated to producing historically informed, accountability-driven reporting. Campbell’s teaching and mentorship will strengthen that mission, giving Howard students the chance to develop skills that can transform communities and hold powerful institutions accountable.
Classes That Make an Impact
Campbell will teach two key courses this fall:
- Data-Driven Stories, which focuses on teaching students how to analyze and transform raw data into impactful stories.
- Truth Be Told, co-taught with journalist Erika Blount, where students fact-check and produce reporting relevant to Black communities. Their work will be published through TruthBeTold.news, Howard’s student-powered news platform.
In the spring, Campbell will extend his teaching beyond Howard by offering data journalism courses at Morgan State University, further expanding the Center’s mission of strengthening investigative journalism at HBCUs nationwide.
An Investigative Journalist With Range
Campbell’s journalism career is built on exposing systemic issues and amplifying stories that often go untold. His work includes investigations into:
- Racism and discrimination within Doctors Without Borders.
- The hidden toll of deaths in nursing homes.
- The illegal flow of firearms into Mexico.
- A lead feature in New York Magazine’s award-winning “Ten Years Since Trayvon” issue.
For Howard students, access to a professor with this level of investigative experience means learning not only how to find the facts but also how to build narratives that resonate in national conversations.
Strengthening an HBCU Consortium
Campbell’s professorship also advances Howard’s broader vision of creating a network of HBCUs dedicated to investigative journalism. Through the Center for Journalism & Democracy, partner schools include:
- Florida A&M University
- Morehouse College
- Morgan State University
- North Carolina A&T State University
- North Carolina Central University
- Savannah State University
- Texas Southern University
- University of the District of Columbia
This consortium ensures that investigative journalism resources and mentorship are accessible to HBCU students far beyond Howard’s campus.
What This Means for Students
For Howard and its partner HBCUs, Campbell’s appointment represents more than just another professor—it is an investment in the next generation of truth-tellers. Students will learn how to ask tougher questions, analyze deeper patterns, and produce stories that shift narratives and challenge power structures.
As Howard continues to lead in producing groundbreaking Black journalists, the addition of Sean K. Campbell ensures that the university remains at the forefront of journalism education while uplifting HBCU students across the country.