University of Oregon Agora Journalism Center

Degrees offered

The Agora Journalism Center does not itself grant degrees. It operates as a center within the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), which offers the professional master's programs based at SOJC's Portland campus, including multimedia storytelling, strategic communication, and immersive media communication.

Programs and emphasis

Agora's work centers on community-centered and engaged journalism, local news sustainability, and civic health. Its activities include research reports assessing local information ecosystems across Oregon, a free online support platform for community-minded journalists called Gather, and the Oregon Media Collaborative, launched in 2024. The center co-sponsors the OJA Gather Award in Engaged Journalism with the Online News Association, and its director co-directs SOJC's Master's in Multimedia Journalism program.

History

The Agora Journalism Center was founded in 2014 and has operated as a program of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication since 2015. It is based at SOJC's Portland campus, alongside the school's Oregon Reality immersive experience lab.

Key faculty and leadership

Andrew DeVigal: Director of the Agora Journalism Center and holder of the endowed chair in journalism innovation and civic engagement at SOJC; a former multimedia editor at The New York Times.
Regina Lawrence: Formerly associate dean of SOJC Portland and the Agora Journalism Center's research director; later served as interim dean of SOJC and, in 2026, was named the school's Edwin L. Artzt dean following a national search.

Location and contact info

Address
University of Oregon, Northeast Portland Campus
2800 NE Liberty St.
Portland, OR 97211
Phone
(541) 346-3738
Email
sojc@uoregon.edu
Website
https://agorajournalism.center