Global journalism education a conceptual approach

Whatever its shape or size, journalism education everywhere traditionally covers practical skills training, on the one hand, and general contextual education and liberal arts course, on the other hand.

Roughly 40% of journalists in 21 countries from all corners of the earth have a college degree in journalism. A closer look reveals that among those journalists younger than 30 years, college graduate are the vast majority. Considering the growth of higher education, the motivation to start, expand or innovate a program in journalism education becomes pertinent. Some kind of training in journalism at university level is offered by a wide range of departments varying from the humanities, the social sciences up to computer sciences and library studies.

Several authors identify two distinctly different positions for journalism education in society: the “follower” mode, where the mission of the school or program centers on training as a reflection of the actual wants and needs of the profession; and the “innovator” mode, where journalism is seen as a development laboratory, preparing students for a changing future rather than a static present.

Following the American model as established and regularly updated by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), several countries – particularly in the European Union and Southern Africa – are moving towards some kind of standardization of requirements for undergraduate and graduate programs in journalism education.

Mark Deuze

“Global Journalism Education. A Conceptual Approach”

www.dl.franko.lviv.ua

Task 2

You have learnt a lot about the way journalists are trained in different countries and about different educational establishments which provide journalistic education. Write an advertising article of around 200 words about the way journalists are taught in BSU to post it as the English language version on the site of the Institute of Journalism.

 PROJECT WORK

Option 1

Organize a round table discussion about different schools of journalism all around the world.

Option 2

Split into groups of 4 - 5 people and work out the best and the most up-to-date curriculum or training scheme for would-be journalists. Present it to your group mates.

Option 3

Organize a final class discussion on training for journalism. Split into 4 groups and provide your arguments on the necessity of having a journalistic education to be a real professional. Each group should discuss the mentioned position:

group 1 strengths	group 2 weaknesses
group 3 problems	group 4 opportunities

Option 4

Make a survey. Ask

• 10 freshmen about their expectations of training for journalism at the Faculty of Journalism, BSU;

• 10 sophomores about their experience of being taught at the Faculty (their likes, dislikes, the desires to change something);

• 10 senior students about if their expectations as freshers have been realized during to course of study.

Share the results of your analysis with your group mates. What conclusion about the way journalists are trained in BSU can you make? Would you like to make any changes?

ACHIEVEMENT TEST