David Cuillier on Journalism Departments and Education

OurBlook interview with David Cuillier, journalism professor at the University of Arizona

How are journalism schools adapting to the new media landscape? What are some of the major changes that are being implemented?

DC: We, like many programs, are integrating multimedia throughout the program, including required courses in multimedia (we launched a new required multimedia course a few years ago) and throughout all classes. We have several online capstone courses that provide students hands-on experience in working in multimedia. Some traditional programs have had difficulty moving beyond just writing, but we have always emphasized the ability to tell stories clearly in different formats. For example, we have always required all our majors take a photojournalism class. It's important that journalists are able to convey stories through writing and visually, whether it's for a newspaper, television/radio, or online.

What are some of the challenges that journalism departments are currently facing?

DC: The biggest challenge is funding. Across the country universities are struggling financially and that is creating extraordinary hardship for a lot of journalism programs. We've had a lot of cuts and it makes it more difficult to sustain a quality education for students who are paying more and more for tuition each year.

The second challenge is that a lot of programs are feeling the negativity that pervades the journalism industry right now. A lot of people are falling into a depressing cynicism that students pick up. That's too bad, because I believe the times provide amazing opportunities for graduates. It's not just the faculty. We have to be careful what guest speakers to bring into classes. Many professionals have one message: "Get out! Change majors!" That's too bad. We must remember that what we do is essential for democracy and there will always be a need for journalists.

The third problem I see is the watering down of journalism education. Many programs, seeking to increase prestige and student numbers, have started public relations sequences and they have ballooned, taking over schools. Look at most programs and you'll see the PR students outnumber the journalism students now. Great programs have allowed PR to overshadow journalism, including the University of Missouri, Northwestern, and many, many others. The effect of that is that journalism courses are watered down - PR students dominate the classrooms in newswriting courses and faculty have to accommodate those students. I've taught in that setting I can tell you that the journalism students got a worse education than the students I teach now (where we are just journalism - no PR or any other distraction). Some programs rationalize and say that PR is the same as journalism - that the same skills are used, and that we need good PR people with ethics. True, similar skills, but completely different missions. Journalists serve the public and truth. PR specialists serve the interests of whomever pays them. Students already have a difficult time distinguishing the differences - combining journalism and PR in the same program blurs the line even more.

What are the most important skills that journalism grads need?

DC: We believe it is essential journalism grads leave with fundamental skills that will serve them well no matter the medium. We focus on being able to gather information aggressively, synthesize it, figure out what is important, and communicate it clearly. We also want them to have a clear picture of the role of journalism and the ethical responsibilities that come with First Amendment rights. Anyone can create a Web page or become a "communicator," but journalists protect democracy and serve citizens. It's good if they know other technical skills, such as pagination, video editing, data analysis - all those are nice. But they can also be learned on the job. We think journalism school is a good place to instill the principles and values of journalism, which not everyone learns on the job.

Are there more students than before, fewer or about the same, and why? Have they had to make significant investments in technology and equipment?

DC: In general, according to the studies that monitor this, enrollment in programs has increased over the past years, although it appears to be leveling off. Also, it's my impression the growth isn't in journalism per se, but rather public relations and other areas. The enrollment counts we see are usually reported for mass communication programs, which include journalism, advertising, public relations and sometimes speech and other topics. At our school, where we are actually just journalism, enrollment has steadily grown over the past few years but appears to be leveling off. We attribute that to increased requirements we implemented a few years ago (gpa and math requirements to become a major). I've surveyed incoming students and found that about a quarter of them want to work in entertainment media (e.g., Cosmopolitan, TMZ), a third want to work in sports journalism (ESPN, Sports Illustrated), and the rest are not really sure what they want to do. Very few actually want to go into it to be a news reporter or to make the world a better place - unlike previous generations of students. Journalism is a sexy career from the outside, but once students get in the program and realize it's a lot of work, many decide to go into public relations or change majors.

Regarding equipment, we encourage students to buy good camera/video gear and the software to use it well, but other than that I don't think most students invest a lot into equipment. The few dedicated photojournalists spend a lot of money on their gear.

Journalists are having a hard time adapting the new media landscape. How are journalism professors faring?

DC: Journalism professors are similar to journalists - some adapt to new environments and others would rather avoid it. I think universities, for the most part, have been behind the industry when it comes to new media. It appears many programs are three to five years behind the industry, adapting specialized courses long after the industry. But at the same time I see innovation in the universities and professors who are working hard to keep current and help students graduate with the latest skills.

Is there a shortage of professors who can teach these new skills?

DC: Absolutely. Professors who can teach new media are in high demand. Any Ph.D. graduate with those practical skills is guaranteed a professor job upon graduation. A lot of programs have to hire adjuncts to teach the specialized skills because of the lack of skills in the academy. You can see all the postings for these jobs at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication job posting site, http://www.aejmc.com/jobads/.

Do traditional journalism schools/departments face competition from online universities?

DC: I don't sense much competition from online universities, yet. Our university enrollment continues to climb and demand for a degree from an established, respected university is still strong. I think the online universities are providing opportunities for people who would otherwise not get a college degree, and that's great. Maybe down the road, as this large generation cohort dwindles and competition heats up for fewer students, things might change. But right now there are more than enough people who want to go to college.

Even then, I don't think online programs are good for journalism. We have some online courses, and some topics are well-suited to online, but I do not think you can substitute face-to-face interaction in basic newswriting courses. It's like working in a newsroom. Junior journalists learn far more when they are sitting next to the city editor, getting constant feedback and correction. Can you imagine that same new journalist getting the same feedback sitting at home and telecommuting? No way. Senior journalists can work from home online as freelancers because they've gone through the newsroom socialization already. But those starting out need that in-person interaction. Journalism is a craft and an apprentice learns best while in the shop.

What advice would you give current educators?

DC: I advise educators to not give up, don't get depressed about the state of the industry, and focus on the basics. Journalism will always be an essential part of our society. If anything, we need to work harder to develop outstanding journalists to help people sift through the massive amount of information (and misinformation) spread around the Internet. More than ever people need journalists to seek out information on behalf of the public (not government or corporations) and present it clearly. Few people have those skills. Journalists should be proud of what they do, and educators play a key role. I discussed these issues in an interview posted at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Web site, at http://www.aejmc.com/topics/archives/75#more-75

Are there any examples of projects or programs that are really helping students balance journalism integrity and new media skills?

DC: I think we have done that well. I've seen a lot of programs ditch the fundamentals to add multimedia coursework or puff classes. That is wrong, in my opinion. We've integrated new media skills but have maintained the rigor of our focus: watchdog journalism. Some examples:

Last year we created a new introductory course on the "principles of journalism" to instill these values early on. Many programs have introductory courses, but they often are broad regarding mass media. We focus on journalism.

We still require all our majors to take public affairs reporting so every graduate has the skills to understand and investigate government. We also require every student to take a course in ethics.

We added multimedia Web courses with an emphasis on public affairs reporting, such as "Border Beat," which enables students to cover important issues regarding the U.S.-Mexican border (http://borderbeat.net/). The award-winning site tackles tough, timely issues.

Taking into account the current state of journalism programs, what effect will it have on the industry in 10 years?

DC: I'm worried that journalists 10 years from now will be less likely to aggressively question the government. I think we are going to have a generation of lapdogs that allow government officials to run amok. Already I am seeing that. When I conducted a 45-day road tour of the nation this last spring, talking to more than 1,000 journalists in 33 states, I ran across journalists who had very little journalism education and were content to get their information from PIOs without verification. The journalists 10 years from now will be tech savvy, but I fear they won't be doing journalism. That worries me greatly.

How many new journalism graduates are getting jobs, and what kind of jobs are they getting?

DC: Thousands of journalism graduates get jobs every year in all lines of work, but it's not good right now. Only half of graduates get jobs in the field, according to an outstanding survey of communication graduates that is conducted each year by the University of Georgia (http://www.grady.uga.edu/annualsurveys/Graduate_Survey/Graduate_2008/Graduate_2008_Page.php). The 2008 survey showed that about half of those getting jobs in communication are required to write for the Web, so these skills are important. You'll see in the study how the crippled industry is affecting graduates and their outlooks. Not pretty. The next survey, of 2009 graduates, will be released in a few weeks at the AEJMC national conference. Check out the Web site for updated numbers.

Do internships still exist? If so, how have they changed?

DC: Yes, we place quite a few of our students in internships, given it's so crucial in their education. While some news organizations have cut back on paid internships, it appears unpaid internships are on the increase. In particular, many newsrooms are developing relationships with journalism programs to provide students experience through established programs that offer course credit. For example, a few years ago we started the "Apprentice" program with the Arizona Daily Star. It's a class where students work in the newsroom and meet to discuss issues, listen to staff speakers, and learn. It helps the paper during these tough times and it helps the students gain experience.

Anything else you want to add

DC: Thanks!

We received your query for PBS MediaShift regarding a story on the current state of journalism. We at the University of Arizona School of Journalism, like most journalism programs, are struggling to prepare future journalists for a tough environment. Our approach, which differs with some programs, has been to focus on the essential basics that apply in any medium - watchdog reporting, clear writing/visual skills, critical thinking, initiative/ingenuity, etc.

I recently finished a 45-day tour of the country, visiting newsrooms in more than 30 states and talking to more than 1,000 journalists (teaching strategies in accessing government records, see the Society of Professional Journalists' Access Across America blog at http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/aaa/). I saw things that absolutely floored me, and it made me even more resolute in making sure our journalism students know how to go out and get information tenaciously and without fear. I'm not worried about them learning how to use multi-media or online. They can do that. I'm worried about them having the fundamental skills - I saw way too many young journalists out there that had never heard of public records requests, that rely solely on PIOs for information. That is scary!

(Dr. David Cuillier has degrees from Western Washington University and Washington State University. Cuillier has several years of experience in editing and reporting and is now a journalism professor at the University of Arizona. He is also the Freedom of Information Chairman for the Society of Professional Journalists and has received several awards for his teaching and writing skills.)