Unit II training for journalism abroad

“It makes little difference how many university courses or degrees

a person may own, If he cannot use words to move an idea from one point to another,

his education is incomplete.”

Norman Cousins (1815 - 1990), American political journalist, author, professor, world peace advocate

The professional skills of journalists are probably the most recognized measures of media quality. Establishing high standards is critical not only to professionalizing the media, but also to having a positive impact on public. Most entry-level professional journalists come out of university-based journalism programs, which make universities an important factor in media capacity building. Better trained journalists offer a direct path to transforming the overall media landscape. When professional expectations are raised, media professionals are more likely to strive to achieve better results.

In this unit you will know

• how journalists are trained in different countries of the world;

you will be able

• to make a vocabulary map on the topic;

• to make a cognitive map on the topic;

• to speak about the ways journalists are trained abroad;

• to take part in the discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to training for journalism.

STARTER

In order to be a professional everybody should have knowledge of the subject and some skills to put the knowledge into practice. Many people consider a university degree a really good start for the professional career. But according to the survey made by the American Society of Newspaper Editors the editors of small newspapers are significantly less likely to want new hires to have a broad arts and science background than are the editors of medium-sized newspapers (68% v 81%) and editors of large newspapers (69% v 89%).

So is professional education really essential for a career of a journalist?

Share your opinion on this matter with your group mates. What conclusion have you made?

Anyway, irrespective of the conclusion you have made you could hardly deny the importance of being trained as a professional journalist. Now you will learn about the way journalists are trained in different countries of the world and some organizations which deal with providing professional training for journalists. But first of all let's get acquainted with some vocabulary useful for learning the material on the topic, enriching your personal vocabulary and building your individual vocabulary map.

Vocabulary file

Task 1a

Here you are given an example of a word family of the word credit. Pay attention to the word-building suffixes and parts of speech they form.

accrediting

accredited

credential

credit

accreditation

accredit

Make your own word-family charts of the words train (v), evaluate (v), educate (v).

Task 1b

Try to practice your knowledge and use these words and their derivatives in the sentences below.

1.	Some people doubt the necessity of mid-career journalism … .	train
2.	The Council (ACEJMC) meets twice a year and makes decisions about the … of visited schools.	accredit
3.	The special course “Training for …” is designed for teachers who are engaged in preparation of journalists.	train
4.	The ACEJMC is dedicated for fostering and encouraging excellence and high standards in professional … in journalism and mass communication.	educate
5.	The … Committee is composed of journalism and mass communication … and representatives of the media industry.	accredit, educate
6.	The Council recognises the diversity of each … program and encourages … innovations.	accredit, education
7.	One of the purposes of the … scheme is to ensure the essential skills are … according to the national standards.	train, evaluate
8..	The … are supposed to attend … courses by training on-the-job or by distance learning.	train, accredit
9.	The … of skills and knowledge is carried out by a special commission during the examination.	evaluate
10.	More than 1.700 students and … take up the preliminary … in journalism annually.	train, train

Task 2a

To make your speech varied you should be able to use different synonyms while speaking. Here you are offered to match the synonymous pairs.

1	curriculum	a)	humanities
2	major	b)	apprenticeship
3	optional	c)	task
4	discipline	d)	program
5	assessment	e)	core, mandatory
6	liberal arts	f)	subject
7	assignment	g)	elective
8	internship	h)	evaluation

Task 2b

Try to practice your knowledge and substitute the words in italics by a proper synonym using the words above.

1. Any volunteer can sign up to the training courses in different subjects involving journalism.

2. Many countries have special structures to assess and accredit journalism programs.

3. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the USA, recognises that 75% of the media students’ academic hours are in humanities.

4. Field apprenticeship means practical work in different media during the course of study.

5. One of the most important standards applied in evaluation of university activity is curriculum and instruction.

6. The internship is the key to the journalism market.

7. During the apprenticeship period young journalists do different odd jobs preparing to fulfil real tasks of the chief editor.

8. The NCTJ accredited courses must deliver core subjects and at least two electives.

Task 3a

You know there are some words which are close in the meaning and usage, but still they are different words and are used in different situations. Understanding the peculiarities will help you to feel more confident while speaking English. Study the difference in meaning of some commonly confused words.

study - to take a course in a subject, as at a college;	teach - to help to learn; tell or show how; - to give instructions or lessons in the subject;
study to apply the mind to the learning or understanding the subject, etc. by reading to investigate or examine, as by observation, research, etc;	learn to gain knowledge of something or to acquire skills in something; to commit to memory; to gain by experience;
learn - to become informed; know;	know - to be sure or aware of; - to be intelligent, informed;

Task 3b

Translate the words in italics from Russian into English. Mind the information above and possible word building suffixes.

1. Before applying for the course изучите carefully the suggested program and possible academic outcome.

2. They преподают not only specialised subjects but the disciplines of liberal arts block as well.

3. Learning how учиться is the motto of contemporary обучения.

4. 30% of students of Swedish universities are distance обучение students nowadays.

5. Many students consider that nowadays you’d better знать where and how to search for information than знать the information.

6. While at university many students изучают political science as an optional if they want to be engaged in global journalism.

7. Most students don’t like being учат what to do and how to do; they prefer учиться from their own mistakes.

8. If you take up a distance learning course you should be ready to make yourself учиться on your own, be well-organised and self-disciplined.

Task 4

Complete the text with the appropriate word combination from the box.