Chris Lynch blogs that journalism schools in the coming years will "shrink or disappear" and that many of the best content creators - what some of us still call reporters - will get college degrees in different areas entirely.
Here's a newsflash for Mr. Lynch: That's been the case for decades. Some of the best journalists around have never taken a journalism course in their lives. Anyone who's worked in the news biz for more than five minutes knows that.
But Mr. Lynch engages in a bit of sophistry by essentially arguing that because some people don't need journalism school, no one does. "You have it or you don't," he writes.
Well, as someone who's actually run a college journalism program for more than a decade I can tell you that there are a great many students who do need the kind of training found in such programs. These students are often bright, capable and enthusiastic, but to expect them to somehow pick up the skills they need on the fly is both unrealistic and unfair.
Mr. Lynch seems to be saying that if someone isn't a natural at journalism then they shouldn't have the opportunity to become a journalist. I wonder - would he say the same thing about students who want to become accountants, or history teachers, or marketing execs?
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Comments
I think these are some very valid points. As the first commenter on my blog pointed out, the person who broke the Enron story wasn’t from a journalism background, and that was before the media decline was this severe.
Per your other point, I’d still emphasize that I do think there are natural talents that some people have to do this (which is why someone who didn’t go to journalism school could pick it up). That said, my brother made a very great point that I was blessed with a pretty great education (prior to even arriving at college) where I learned how to write. Not everyone is so lucky, and I should have realized that in my analysis. It’s something I plan to touch on in a follow up post.
I think the Journalism Schools that don’ have tecnology and teachers constantly updated will fall down and harm to their students.
Congratulations from Lima, Perú.
I’m René Zubieta, a rooky in this profession. I’m working as digital journalism in elcomercio.pe
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