Is The Web Killing Journalism Schools?
from the too-much-to-teach dept
Journalism schools are struggling with how to deal with the internet. Some are teaching web design and presentation, while others feel they should focus just on content. There seems to be a lot of disagreement about what’s the best way to teach journalism. I’d guess that it probably helps to have some basic technology skills – enough to understand what opportunities the web provides you with as a journalist – but the main point of journalism school should be to teach students how to be good journalists.
Comments on “Is The Web Killing Journalism Schools?”
No Subject Given
Journalism schools should definitely teach good journalism (have you read some of the writers out there today??). BUT — they do need to be teaching Web language, as well. Check out the help wanted section in AZ… you can’t get a job as a journalist unless you know HTML, etc. One person for four-plus specialties: The New Economy.
Re: No Subject Given
Well, as someone who thinks that everyone should know basic HTML skills, I can see why it’s important – but why should it be the responsbility of a journalism school which should focus on more fundamental journalism concepts? Most anyone can pick up basic HTML in a few hours (possibly minutes). Good journalism skills aren’t so easy…
Re: Re: No Subject Given
Unfortunately, with the way the world works today, it doesn’t seem possible to excel with only one specialized skill set. Yes, the main focus of a journalism school should be journalism. But you’ll never get a journalism job without other skills. For example, I don’t know HTML (yep, it’s true… somehow never had to do it and so never learned), but I took graphic design classes. Most journalism jobs require either one or the other, so I was ok. But without knowing that, I would have been very, very limited and would still possibly be looking for work. If a school is to prepare you for the “real world,” they must take into account what that real world requires and provide some background — even if it’s just minimal.