Chapter 2 Post 1- Has the Education Kept Up?
Photo Source:
http://searchlightsandsunglasses.org/c2
The main thesis statement of chapter two of Searchlights and Sunglasses is that there is a disconnect between how the professional world of journalism is adapting to the digital age and whether journalism schools are teaching students about how to use digital technology correctly.
Newton points to the Carnegie-Knight initiative for the future of journalism education as an example that journalistic education is possible of adapting with the outside world.
I am uniquely positioned to wrestle with the question of whether journalism schools are doing enough to prepare students for the digital world that awaits them once school is over. And I must say that I have already reached many of the conclusions that Newton came to on the topic. Besides the two classes that I have taken, literally labeled "Online Journalism", I would say that my technology education at TRU has been minimal.
By continuing to be resistant to change the people in charge of the program fail to see that there is no longer a distinction between online journalism and regular journalism, they are now the same thing.
A link provided by Newton shares an excellent piece written by Gary Kebbel, who is a mass media professor at the University of Nebraska, and he provides 5 things that he believes journalism schools need to do change to better prepare their charges for the online world.
1) A curricular change is the first thing Kebbel points to, as he feels that the typical University style of classes just plain don't work for journalism and he calls on the schools to create more temporary, fluid classes that can change with the technology of the outside world.
2) Kebbel then points to a switch to a Teaching Hospital model of education. More on that particular subject in my next post.
3) Extracurricular projects being used to test new ideas are the next change that Kebbel posits and this makes the most sense of all the changes suggested by Kebbel. University is the perfect time for failure and experimentation, particularly when it comes to the idea of audience interaction, a skill that journalists now need that they never have before.
4) Maker Hours are the key to creating better online journalists says Kebbel. Essentially workshops that allow students to explore different issues and problems that they will run into after school, it is impossible to argue with Kebbel that these hours would not have improved my time here at TRU.
5) The final change that Kebbel introduces is that educators need to begin taking risks. The world of journalism has changed so much since the explosion of the digital age that it is only by taking risks and trying to be innovative that journalism schools can keep up with the world of journalism.
There can be no doubt that if TRU adopted some of the policies suggested by Kebbel that the level of education would be extremely helpful. However I also understand that change may be slow to come and that the two online journalism classes that I have taken have done a great job of preparing me for the online world.