Welcome to the new American Journalism Review!

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism faculty, staff and students have put much time and effort into rethinking what this digital publication should be. With the input of volunteer innovators from around the country and University of Maryland leaders, it debuts as a new digital platform that is fearless in its quest to create something special.

The AJR you see today offers a compelling mix of news and commentary from journalists, our editorial staff and students. Everything we do maintains a firm hold on the 36-year tradition of quality that embodies AJR. But what you see now is so much more. It is innovation. It is experimentation. It is accountable reporting.

This year-long effort has been daunting – and exhilarating. Increasingly, our Philip Merrill College of Journalism graduates will have to create their own careers. It is something they are excited about. In these pages, you will find our students covering innovation and entrepreneurship from a digital “native’s” perspective. Many of the ideas you see here are theirs.

The key to this entire effort is that we are focused on journalism. Our students already leave John S. and James L. Knight Hall with the tools they need to be working journalists in the 21st Century. AJR is one more way for our students to look at and write about the industry they plan to enter, to research what is going on in the real world and have impact.

Under the leadership of Co-editors Leslie Walker and Sean Mussenden, and News Editor Lisa Rossi, AJR will be a reflection of where journalism — and Merrill College– is going. It will be a vibrant place creating real-world journalists who are innovators and entrepreneurs.

The last decade has been a time of upheaval for the industry, but we know journalism has a bright future. AJR will play a key role in helping shape that future. So log on, dig in and join me. I’m looking forward to taking this AJR train into the future of Journalism.