Journalism education: why I still think j-school is useless...

…although I do love Jay Rosen…

Jay’s post last week on "Things I Used to Teach That I No Longer Believe" takes a look at how journalism education must change. Now, I confess, I myself did not go to journalism school. I learned on the job, as did most of the journalists I worked with as a foreign correspondent. I’ve also gotta say… when I was working as a bureau chief for CNN we always had interns at our Beijing and Tokyo bureaus. Often times the kids who hadn’t been to j-school ended up being a lot more useful as interns (and thus better candidates for paid jobs) than the j-school kids. The j-school kids tended to be more prima donna-ish, less street-smart, less likely to think outside the box, more concerned about their careers and resumes and less interested in doing a good job at critical but sometimes menial tasks we assigned them. There were of course exceptions, but that was my general observation. So I have always advised aspiring journalists to avoid going to j-school, especially if they have specialized knowledge or language skills.  I see even less reason for people to go to journalism school these days. Especially those who are already blogging. 

Jay believes journalism is no longer a “profession” but a “practice” in which both professionals and amateurs now participate. I agree. I also think this is all the more reason why journalism shouldn’t be taught as a separate degree – or at least the granting of degrees should no longer be the focus of journalism education. I would rather see education about the practice of journalism better integrated into basic high school English classes, and definitely into the required curriculum for all college students. In a world where all citizens can and increasingly do create media, we need to teach people the skills, social responsibilities, as well as legal and personal consequences of what they post online. I’ve always felt that our school system fails to educate the American public on how the news we consume gets made - and how to be an intelligent consumer of that news. These skills are all the more urgent now that practically anybody can become a news organization. If I was funding journalism education, I’d want my funds to be spent on widespread public education about journalism and media – not on the granting of largely useless degrees.

Comments

[amy]

hoho, I have a journalism degree. Though the education continues only one year, I feel I was like a new-born with interest to everything. Maybe not good in such a era where people have specified divided job. But it is interesting.

[omih]

I guess I am somewhere in the middle. I don't have a journalism degree but I received a UK-wide recognised certificate of compentancy at a newspaper-based training centre. I do believe that you mostly learn on the job but there are things that were drilled into me that a few bloggers could do with learning.

Namely the weight of what they are doing and the CHECK CHECK CHECK policy. If in doubt, leave it out. All of that stuff. In addition, it is unlikely that most bloggers will familarise themselves with libel law - simply because they have few assets to be stripped of. As well, of course, as the "it won't happen to me" attitude.

It's healthy on the one level that blogs for the most part exist outside of the parameters of libel. However, it also means that what you read on a blog is more likely to be inaccurate than an established media source. Then again it's commerical and political pressures that frequently dictate the coverage of newspapers and TV.

I would agree that there should be more education regarding news sources and the media in general.

One final thing - all school and university based education is, for the most part, aimed at securing employment. As yet, so few people make a living out of blogging, is it worthwhile for schools to be teaching blogging as a possible career?

[Cat]

Excellent post. Jay Rosen articulates so well what I have tried to say to others during the whole "are bloggers journalists" debate. Journalism is a practice and set of skills that can and should be taught to everyone. Not just so they can become journalists themselves but so they can also view information with an discerning eye and mind.

Omih adds an important note as well, about journalistic ethics and the imperative to verify and attempt to ensure the truth of what is said.

Those concepts were essential components of my j-school education, but I see them sadly lacking in practice--whether in the "mainstream media" or blogosphere.

[myrick]

I'm somewhat in agreement about j-schools being unnecessary, but operating overseas is completely different and language and specialized skills will get you a lot further (or would, if o'seas jobs were as easily available).
For the North American job market educational inflation has made a degree more of a necessity for entry-level positions.
If there are several thousand j-school grads entering the market each year, they will naturally squeeze out non-degreed entrants.
I was practicing before I did a j-school degree, so were many in my class. Aside from arcana about Canadian media law, I didn't learn much new - nor did many others - but for career advancement the MA didn't hurt.
There are primadonnas and kids in j-school who are there because they didn't have the grades for law; but many are there because they are interested in doing journalism and see a degree as a necessity.
Personally, I'm glad I did it. If anything, the alumni contacts were useful when I moved overseas. Plus, my other grad school option was a degree in Latin American studies (and that would have been completely useless in Asia).

[Lim Wing Hooi]

There are always both sides to a coin, and if you are a journalist, then you would know what it meant by objectivity, and balance news. (No apple pies please!) Alright, there are always some good in education, even mediocre education. But journalism is unique in the sense that, even people without journalsim degrees could do it. And what is surprising is, if you read Betty Medsger's 'Winds of Change,' it show those without journalism degree are the ones who make good journalist material- winning jounalism awards, rising up the newsroom hierarchy, etc etc. So, what do you want a journalism degree for?

But that is not equal to not attending university at all. You may one to attend university but get in depth knwoledge about issues, train your critical mind, socialize with other people, learn more about the world. That should not be equal to taking journalism degree just to get a paper qualification, or because there is no mathematics, or because the subject is relatively easy.

The way I see it, problem with journalism schools, if it operates by the way I desccribed earlier, is preapring their students to fail in the profession.

This is due to the large gap of expectation, between the reality and the safe and easy cushioned university environment.

In my opinion, journalism education is important. Very important. Just the way Joseph Pulitzer justified for the J-school to be built, or how Missouri built the first J-school, their opening speech and mission is no doubt important.

But the reality again is, will j-school be able to meet the objectives? Is it given the free hand to meet those objectives?

The idea of a j-school is good, but maybe because it was way tooooo lofty, it is not achievable. And if it is not, what is the point of having one? Unless j-schools are able to get experience journalist to critically teach the subjects, will our media be truly trustworthy, or even, worth reading?