Rethinking Journalism

Education [again]

The Future of JournalismCardiff University, WalesSeptember 2009

Donica MensingUniversity of Nevada, Reno

Presentation1. Arguments for change

2. One proposal for change

3. Recent examples

4. Conclusion

Basis •Dewey, Carey, Rosen, Reese, Zelizer …

•Teaching and researching online journalism for 10 years

•Collaborating in developing a new graduate program

•Reflecting on recent examples

Newspapers____________

Radio and TV stationsMagazinesWeb sites

Newspapers____________

Radio and TV stationsMagazinesWeb sites

Journalism Schools

Educators__________ Students

Journalism Schools

Educators__________ Students

Historic Model

Industry-centered journalism education

1. Professionalism

2. Reporting

3. Socialization

1. Professionalism In 1903 Joseph Pulitzer donated $2 million to Columbia University for a school that would

“emphasize the professional significance of journalism”

and exclude courses related to advertising, circulation and newspaper management.

1. Professionalism (now)

In 2005 the Carnegie Corporation and Knight Foundation pledged $11 million to revitalize journalism education and produce students who are:

“well-trained, well-educated, honest, trustworthy, curious, intelligent people” who will devote their lives to their profession (Carnegie, 2005).

Implications

Assumes that reformation of journalism depends on individual journalists rather than structural or institutional change

Ignores contradictions between professionalism and commercialism, between ideals and practices

Implies a barrier between journalists and citizens

2. Reporting“The reporter” is the idealized form of journalist targeted in j-schools

News gathering is the core skill required of nearly all journalism majors regardless of sequence

Assessment and success is measured by producing students with skills to succeed in industrial news production

ImplicationsAssumes information scarcity is the primary problem to be solved

Assumes information is a commodity to be produced and transmitted to a waiting audience

Emphasizes independent news judgment, verification and objectivity as primary values

3. Newsroom socialization

Many administrators come from industry and conceptualize journalism similarly

Many faculty teach ‘best practices’ from the newsroom

Most students are required to do internships in industry and are encouraged to participate in professional competitions

Implications

Reinforces existing practices rather than critical inquiry

Stresses mastery over innovation and experimentation

Creates a barrier between practitioners and scholars

JournalismJournalismEducationEducation

NewsNewsIndustrIndustr

yy

The Networked PublicGeographic communities/Communities of interest

Proposed Model

News Ecology

1. ProfessionalismDevelop curriculum that stresses the values of citizenship and professionalism

Develop practices based on critical inquiry and public needs

Develop ethical criteria relevant in new contexts

2. ReportingBe more explicit about purpose

Educate for multiple journalistic roles: filtering, facilitating, moderating, programming, databases

Enlarge the definitions of story, news element, coverage, deadline

Reflect on, test and publicly evaluate experiments and experiences

3. SocializationSocialize students to working in communities (online and offline)

Teach students to value innovation, uncertainty, experimentation

Require sophisticated analysis and critical reflection about their own practices

Initial examplesOurTahoe.org (University of Nevada)

Nuestro Tahoe (University of Nevada)

Reno Noise (University of Nevada)

Albany Today (UC Berkeley)

NewsMixer (Northwestern)

OurTahoe.org

Nuestro Tahoe

Reno Noise

Albany Today

NewsMixer

ChallengesDifficult to collaborate with disparate groups

Difficult for faculty to make community commitments

Students want to pursue individualized goals

Curriculum schedules inflexible and discontinuous

Innovation and experimentation often not rewarded in traditional academic evaluations

Conclusion• This is a critical moment in the evolution of

journalism

• Journalism educators can play a key role in experimenting, testing and developing new practices and conceptions of what journalism is and could be

• This work requires that we rethink our own practices within the academy and make our purposes and obligations more explicit

Feedback?•Donica Mensing (dmensing@unr.edu)

@donica

• http://studentdev.jour.unr.edu/jeducation

• 2009-2010 University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy

• August 2010, University of Nevada, Reno, US