Sunday, August 11, 2013

How to Select a J-School

As expensive as it is to go to college, the last thing an aspiring journalist wants to do is to pick a journalism school that isn't.    For both students and parents, there are a few quick checks.

When you tour the school, ask to see the best examples of "accountability journalism," where the student journalist is holding someone accountable for his/her actions.   You're asking to see examples of student journalists doing what journalists are supposed to do.   Ask to see the best examples of students reporting on fraud, waste, sexual assaults on campus, unethical or questionable conduct at the university.    If there is no such reporting, that's an indication of a weak program.    Journalists ask questions that need to be asked.    For student journalists, that means questioning and reporting on the institution.

Ask to see the most substantive computer-assisted reporting projects.   Here are some examples produced by my students:  Examining the University Bill,  Athletic Concussions,  Cars for Coaches, the Ohio Miracle - Silent Politicians.  If there are none, that's an indication of a weak program.

Universities often talk about the teacher/student ratio.   What can be far more important in training multimedia journalists is the equipment/student ratio.     If there's not enough equipment, the class is in trouble.

David Bloss, currently regional editor for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, has a lot of first-hand experience with knowing how much equipment is needed.  He has trained journalists around the world and has started journalism schools from scratch,  running  j-school programs in India and the Republic of Georgia.   "It's four to one," says David.   "To truly train properly, you need one piece of gear for every four students."

If you have 16 in the class, you need 4 video cameras, four audio recorders, four of whatever except microphones.   Double the microphones; a sit down interview takes two.     As you tour the j-school, ask what its equipment/student ratio is for all required multimedia reporting courses.   To double check what you're told on the tour, ask students what they run into when checking out equipment.   Is it available or is everything always checked out?   Training multimedia journalists takes gear and lots of it.

Check the student work section of the j-school's website.   What student investigations are there? What student interviews are there demonstrating the student journalist doesn't take no for an answer?   If all you see on the j-school website are feature stories, that's an indication of a weak school.

For aspiring student journalists looking to develop reporting skills, it's essential to pick a university that trains students to be journalists, not human microphone stands.

                                                                      ### 

6 comments:

  1. I think something to add is to ask how many of the professors have been actual reporters for newspapers, TV stations, magazines, etc.

    While I attended Wayne State University in the mid-2000s, I had two types of teachers: Those who had doctorates and never left academia and those who spent 15 years in a newsroom. The real-world teachers knew so much more about dealing with public officials, tips on writing and how to handle an irate editor. These are things I've used during my career as a reporter at the Lynchburg News & Advance, Huntsville Times and now the Orlando Sentinel.

    Also, all those studying journalism need to ask about reporting. Video skills are a huge thing now. Ask how many videos you'll produce during the program.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Superb point. Same is true in law school. Are you taking law classes from people who have practiced law or not?

      Delete
  2. A good journalism education is about much more than professional skills and equipment. You can't be a good journalist or a person in another profession who has journalism skills without understanding history, law, ethics, the relationship of media and society, etc., which are often taught poorly by professionals, but taught very well by people with terminal degrees (who often, incidentally, have professional experience, even if less than 15 years).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But one thing journalists do is to put their name on what they write and produce. You make a gross generality supported by no facts about professionals doing a poor job teaching while those with terminal degrees do an excellent job. Without question, there's a huge difference between doing and teaching. The great sales person may be a lousy sales manager. The first-rate reporter may not be a first-rate editor. Each position requires a different skill set. And anyone who has gone to college certainly remembers incredibly dull, boring instructors. I had a history prof at UW-Madison who was supposedly brilliant in his field and had lots of "publications." An empty podium was more interesting in the classroom. When touring a school, talk to students. Ask about the professors. Are they locked in their offices doing "research." Are they interesting? Are they boring? How do the students you talk to while touring the school rate the professors?

      Delete
    2. If you're a journalist in Tunisia or Egypt or Cambodia, there's a good reason to post anonymously. To use one's real name can pose serious harm. In this country, people who post should be willing to put their name on their posts.

      Delete
  3. A good journalism education is about much more than professional skills and equipment. You can't be a good journalist or a person in another profession who has journalism skills without understanding history, law, ethics, the relationship of media and society, etc., which are often taught poorly by professionals, but taught very well by people with terminal degrees (who often, incidentally, have professional experience, even if less than 15 years).

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.