The media industry seeks a path to survival, even as the layoffs continue. The cost-cutting is far from over. There’s talk of a modest rebound for newspapers in 2010, but how do you define rebound?
So how do the educational institutions that provide the talent and energy to help save the business succeed in this very ugly environment, when it’s hard to recommend journalism as a career without feeling a hint of guilt?
What’s a j-school to do?
Adapt, and survive. Maybe even prosper.
Naturally so much focus today is on the industry overall, how it got into this mess, how it gets out, what’s left when the rebound takes hold.
But there’s a huge “related” industry – the colleges and universities that help produce the journalists of the future, and the vendors that provide the tools and technology for newspapers to march into that unknown future.
A different topic for a different day, but at its core, the vendors who support the industry will survive – or not – as they always have: free enterprise competition, who provides the best and most innovative widget, at the best price, with the best service.
What about journalism schools? Those of us who went through j-school like to think there are different forces and values at play: the importance of a free press, a journalist’s unique role in society, ethics, morality, responsibilities. My j-school days were filled with those elevated thoughts, along with the realities of how do you make a living on that tiny salary.
Not much has changed, but there is one more big question out there: after I land my first job will my newspaper survive?
Despite all these fears and doom and gloom, journalism enrollment is soaring.
But why? Every j-school professor has his/her ideas, but a few to consider:
1. Just because you’re in j-school doesn’t mean you have to work at a newspaper.
2. Communication skills that you learn in j-school work anywhere, and there is always a need for people who can read, write and communicate cleanly and effectively.
3. Who wants to take math and science courses?
4. It’s a brave new world in the media; lets go along for the ride.
5. Surely, newspapers will figure out the Web one day and let’s be there when it happens.
As enrollment soars, the savvy schools are taking steps to make sure they lead the way for students.
And those j-schools are more likely to not only survive but thrive. Word gets around, as would-be students look around for the best j-school offerings. Students don’t want to learn to draw pages on paper dummies. They want to be challenged and go with a winner, a j-school looking ahead past today’s crisis.
They also want to be part of the solution. They want to be part of the change. “There’s something sexy about being on the ground floor when an industry revamps itself,” says one j-school grad, former reporter, but still in the industry in public affairs with a college seeking to meet the needs of today’s j-students. “For many of those students, it’s not about being along for the ride, it’s about driving the car.” Goodness knows, based on how some papers have managed up to and through the collapse, it might be wise to pass along those car keys to Web savvy, business-minded grads, while the car is still running.
Who’s doing it right?
A recent Poynter Online E-Media Tidbits blog by Maurreen Skowran listed several colleges and universities that are adapting their offerings to meet tomorrow’s needs.
One, Elon University in North Carolina, offers a Master of Arts in Interactive Media. Elon also has a class on virtual environments, and how games and Second Life can help deliver news, plus a requirement to produce a project for public good, spreading participation beyond traditional journalism students.
At Northwestern University’s Medill school, there’s a strong emphasis on understanding audience, content creation and marketing.
And Western Kentucky University has a new IMedia certificate which includes a course in online advertising.
The clear message from these schools is “we’re looking ahead.” Let’s make sure we don’t skimp on ethics, integrity and mission, but teach students how to help rebuild this industry.
For years, a retired AP executive, Conrad Fink, has been teaching media management at the University of Georgia.
Why do his classes work? Because they challenge students and put them in the real world, where they will be a few months later, thinking about how to manage a newspaper, make the right business decisions, make the right editorial calls. Make a business work.
He was teaching media management to students before it was cool, back in the day when some might argue that most media companies weren’t doing a lot of managing.
Ahead of the curve – for an educational institution, and the industry.
Not every school has a Fink on the faculty.
But every school can look to tomorrow, not to yesterday.