I’ve always thought that if journalism was going to truly move forward, it’s going to have to start again from the ground up. That includes thinking differently about journalism education. After all, that’s where it all begins!
And if there really was a time for a journalism student to make their college experience their own, this is it.
Let’s face it: Many journalism schools are suffering. Whether it’s because of dwindling funds, professor turnover as rapid as student turnover or a refusal to teach new media techniques, students just aren’t getting as much out of their traditional education as they used to. That’s why it’s so important for a handful to take the leap forward. That means taking initiative and becoming the journalist of the future — and it doesn’t matter where you’re going to college.
That leads me to the topic of this post. I was thinking earlier about advice I would give college students after giving Suzanne Yada’s advice a full read (which, by the way, you really need to read if you’re still in school). I’ve already done a similar post for those working in the college newsroom. But what bold, daring things could students try before they graduated? What could they do to optimize their education?
Here are three ideas I came up with:
1. Propose major curriculum adjustments to your journalism school — and get support
This sounds like a bold statement. I meant for it to be. Journalism needs bold people to light the fire behind it. Journalism schools need the same thing.
I know what you’re thinking: The j-school heads aren’t going to listen. They’ll be polite, say “Thank you,” but effectively throw your ideas into the trash. Try countering that by forming a proposal so compelling, they have to listen.
Do research on what some other, better j-schools are doing with their curriculum, as well as some of the skills and techniques that are needed for online media jobs. If your school isn’t teaching it, tell them they should be. Provide proof with job descriptions and interviews with media professionals. Earn support from your peers and perhaps a right-minded professor or two. Chances are, your j-school doesn’t need to be gutted for it to be effective, but it does need to teach things that might apply when you’re looking for a job in 2020. That includes InDesign, Photoshop, Final Cut, iMovie, basic web coding, CMS’s and current social media platforms.
Some of my own thoughts: I’m sick of seeing online media as an option, or a track, in the journalism degree. Online media should be a requirement. Media law should still be a class, but it also should be taught to various degrees in other classes. Social media should be taught, but as a universal topic (because who knows what we’ll be using 3-4 years down the road). Experience at a student newspaper or internship should count as credit.
The one obvious caveat to adjusting a j-school curriculum: Can your professors teach it? Here’s a horror story — a professor at my j-school had to learn Final Cut the night before teaching it to her online journalism class. That, to me, is unacceptable. I expect my professor to know online media if they’re going to lecture/teach students about it. Make sure your j-school is evaluating your professors on a semester basis. You could even form a student committee that serves as a watchdog, rates professors and informs the department of various issues.
2. Form a news startup online and compete with the student newspaper
Even if your student newspaper has been around 100 years, is a perennial award-winner and knows what it’s doing online, consider challenging it as a news source in the community. Seriously.
Take the Onward State, for example. It is a student-run startup that serves as an alternative to the Daily Collegian at Penn State University. It runs the way an online news site should — it links, it crowdsources, and it is open. This site is practically run from dorm rooms, yet it’s doing a sufficient job in competing with a 112-year old student publication by employing strong online and social media practices.
Is there a risk in doing this? In one sense, absolutely — you won’t get paid much, if at all; you have to convince other journalism students to collaborate for little to no pay; there’s a lot of extra work in building the site, advertising it and building its reputation from the ground up; the list goes on. But in another sense, there really isn’t much risk if you put your mind to it. The pay isn’t in money, but in education and experience. Journalism needs leaders — bold people willing to think differently and take risks.
Another benefit of forming a competing news startup: Challenging the student newspaper to do better. Many of them compete with other student newspapers around the state/country for awards, but the real competition they need is in covering the university and the community. If your startup can make them think differently and evolve, then your entire j-school wins and your community wins (because they’re better informed and involved, of course!).
3. Form a network of students that meets regularly to discuss readings and projects
This one isn’t quite as bold as the previous two, but could actually be more beneficial in the long run. This is a great way of building your own education and making something of your valuable time in college.
It’s simple: Get a group of awesome young journalists together (and maybe a professor or two, if you’re so inclined) and think of a good time during the week where everyone can spend one to two hours in a room together. There are a lot of things you can do in this allotted time:
- Brainstorm ideas.
- Have everyone buy one book at the beginning of the semester, read it and discuss it every week. One good example includes Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirky. Talk about what you learned from the book and how concepts can be applied to experience in journalism.
- Have “project days,” where everyone brings in a project they’re working on, either for a class, work or for the hell of it. Everyone else provides constructive critique and feedback.
- Brainstorm.
- Invite media professionals to visit, either in person or via teleconference, and engage with the students.
- Set up one challenge for every person to accomplish each week. This can include going on a multimedia assignment, trying one new social media tool or coming up with one killer idea on how to empower a student news organization. Perhaps set up a rewards system to keep people motivated week after week.
- Brainstorm. Brainstorm. Brainstorm!
The idea of this “student network” is to create your own education. It’s like having a class — a fun one, at that — without paying a cent of tuition or taking a single exam. It’s a way to make good friends with other passionate journalists, a way to meet media professionals and network, a way to try new things and read new perspectives and, most importantly, a way to become a better journalist.
It all starts there
The easy part is coming up with the idea. The hard part is executing it.
My hope is current students take this sort of advice (along with Yada’s) to heart and do their best to make the most of their pre-professional experience. This industry needs more bold thinkers and innovators, and it really does start from the ground up. In school.
Feel free to comment: What would you dare students to do before they graduate? What other thoughts do you have about making journalism education better?
Posted by Brian Manzullo at July 16, 2010
Journalism