Professional and Academic Levels of a Mass Media Writing Course

Abstract

An innovative media writing course at Texas A&M University proves that professional journalism training can play a central role in liberal arts education. New ideas, many suggested by Journalism and Mass Communication Educator writers, have strengthened course. The issue arises from assaults on journalism education by some university leaders. Dennis (1986) observed that some educators argue that journalism education lacks academic value. Critics argue that journalism curriculum, especially that train practitioners, are without academic and intellectual substance. James (1995) discussed attempts to eliminate journalism programs at universities of Washington, Michigan, and Arizona. She described complaint at Washington: According to central administration, school was suspect based on quality of instruction and scholarly production as well as a lack of centrality to mission of College of Arts and (p. 79). Washington's school survived by radically changing thrust of its programs to emphasize academic rather than practical training, and to integrate school more fully with other Arts and Sciences units (p. 80). Mencher (1994) points out that attacks on practitioner training came at a time when other educators were rethinking university roles. He quotes Ernest L. Boyer, president of Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching, who sees university as institution that celebrates teaching and effectively supports research, while also taking pride in its capacity to connect thought to action, theory to practice (p. 72). Mencher argues that journalism training at its best, makes connection and delivers ideal liberal arts education. Similarly, in exploring roles of history, theory and philosophy in journalism curricula, Iorio & Williamson (1995) found that the liberal arts were embedded throughout curriculum in both skills and survey courses (p. 21). They defined a new goal for journalism education that enlightens professional performance and constructs a journalism program central to core of liberal education and university mission. The idea that professional training in journalism is best-perhaps perfect - environment for arts and sciences education, provided blueprint for remodeling beginning media writing course at Texas A&M. The goal was to bring an existing professional writing course up to highest academic and intellectual standards. The course Journalism 203, Media Writing I, is an introductory, sophomore-level, threehour-credit course, regularly scheduled with three hours lecture and three hours lab each week. The course is first of three media writing and editing required of all journalism majors including students interested in public relations and broadcasting. Students in many different majors and at any academic classification take course. The only prerequisite is passing a departmental language skills test. The department offers five, 15-student sections during regular semesters and two sections in summer school. Three of regular semester sections typically get revised course. It has been taught five times by same full-time, senior faculty member. There are no teaching assistants and there is no textbook. The course is taught in a 15-week semester and 45 students meet for an hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for first three weeks for a crash course that delivers a quick summary of how journalistic stories are prepared. The crash course literally covers most journalistic skills and concepts. Starting on first day crash course requires writing, evaluation and rewriting. It begins with punctuation, grammar, listening and critical thinking, and ends with depth discussions of attribution and story organizational schemes. The workload in course is heaviest in first two-thirds of semester, allowing a slowdown as students tire and demands in other increase. …