Bio
R.B. Brenner is a Lecturer in the Department of Communication. He returned to Stanford in 2018 after four years at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a tenured full professor and director of the School of Journalism. He had been a Stanford Lecturer from 2010 to 2014.
His teaching is informed by a three-decade career as a reporter and editor. He held several prominent editing positions at The Washington Post, including Sunday Editor and Metro Editor. He was one of the primary editors of The Post’s coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings, which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2008, and played a leadership role in merging the digital and print newsrooms.
He has been a consultant for two journalism-themed films: “The Post” (2017) and “State of Play” (2009).
A graduate of Oberlin College, R.B. began his reporting career in North Carolina and also worked at newspapers in California and Florida.
Academic Appointments
-
Lecturer, Communication
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
-
Faculty/Staff Director, Board of Directors, The Stanford Daily (2020 - 2023)
-
Advisory Board member, Center for Media Engagement (2019 - Present)
2024-25 Courses
- Exploring Computational Journalism
COMM 281, CS 206 (Win) - Journalism Thesis
COMM 289P (Spr) - Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News
COMM 104W (Aut, Spr) - Specialized Writing and Reporting: Narrative Journalism
COMM 177D, COMM 277D (Spr) -
Independent Studies (3)
- Individual Work
COMM 199 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Individual Work
COMM 299 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Major Capstone Research
COMM 199C (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Individual Work
-
Prior Year Courses
2023-24 Courses
- Exploring Computational Journalism
COMM 281, CS 206 (Win) - Journalism Thesis
COMM 289P (Spr) - Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News
COMM 104W (Aut, Spr) - Specialized Writing and Reporting: Narrative Journalism
COMM 177D, COMM 277D (Spr)
2022-23 Courses
- Exploring Computational Journalism
COMM 281, CS 206 (Win) - Journalism Thesis
COMM 289P (Spr) - Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News
COMM 104W (Aut, Spr) - Specialized Writing and Reporting: Narrative Journalism
COMM 177D, COMM 277D (Spr)
2021-22 Courses
- Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News
COMM 104W (Aut, Spr) - Specialized Writing and Reporting: Narrative Journalism
COMM 177D, COMM 277D (Spr) - Specialized Writing and Reporting: Telling True Stories
COMM 177E, COMM 277E (Aut)
- Exploring Computational Journalism