Journalism Educators Making International Declarations

Abstract

In June, I attended and participated in the first World Journalism Education Congress, held with the 16th AMIC [Asian Media Information and Communication Centre] Annual Conference, in Singapore. The United States and AEJMC were well represented by AEJMC President Wayne Wanta, various journalism & mass communication school deans/directors, senior scholars in international communication and journalism education, scholarly journal editors, and others. Just three days before the conference started, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an article headlined, Practicing Guerilla Journalism in Singapore, which mentioned-among other points-The media-watchdog group Reporters Without Borders rates Singapore at the same level as the military dictatorship of Myanmar when it comes to press freedom. Thus, picking that country for a journalism and/or education conference seems like an odd choice if that choice itself were not meant as a political statement. (It doesn't seem to have been, and there were reports that various potential attendees stayed away precisely because of the conference location.) However, the Congress was informative, thought-provoking, and otherwise useful in many ways. Just reading the English-language Straits Times every day demonstrated through that newspaper's relentless pro-social content what some would like U.S. news media to be, if not also packed with Singapore's equally relentless pro-business content. Here and in at least the Autumn 2007 JMCE, I am reporting key presentations, debates, documents, and other international developments at and since the Congress. On its first day, representatives from national and regional journalism education associations convened and drew up a Declaration of Principles of Journalism Education. After reportedly intense debate (I was not in the room) about various concepts and even individual words, the delegates produced: We, the undersigned representatives of professional journalism education associations share a concern and common understanding about the nature, role, importance, and future of journalism education worldwide. We are unanimous that journalism education provides the foundation as theory, research, and training for the effective and responsible practice of journalism. Journalism education is defined in different ways. At the core is the study of all types of journalism. Journalism should serve the public in many important ways, but it can only do so if its practitioners have mastered an increasingly complex body of knowledge and specialized skills. Above all, to be a responsible journalist must involve an informed ethical commitment to the public. This commitment must include an understanding of and deep appreciation for the role that journalism plays in the formation, enhancement, and perpetuation of an informed society. We are pledged to work together to strengthen journalism education and increase its value to students, employers, and the public. In doing this we are guided by the following principles: 1. At the heart of journalism education is a balance of conceptual, philosophical, and skills-based content. While it is also interdisciplinary, journalism education is an academic field in its own right with a distinctive body of knowledge and theory. 2. Journalism is a field appropriate for university study from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. Journalism programs offer a full range of academic degrees including bachelors, masters, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees as well as certificate, specialized, and mid-career training. 3. Journalism educators should be a blend of academics and practitioners; it is important that educators have experience working as journalists. 4. Journalism curriculum includes a variety of skills courses and the study of journalism ethics, history, media structures/institutions at national and international level, critical analysis of media content, and journalism as a profession. …