One of the most important definitions of a university is that it
is (should be?) “a place were new knowledge is made.” For decades,
journalism schools and departments have been content to present the old
vocational school model: “Gee, whatever the profession wants, that's
what we'll teach.”
The problem is that the
profession is relatively anti-intellectual (i.e. reluctant to explore
new ideas that could be applied to understanding and communicating
socio-political-economic and cultural phenomena) and it has refused to
invest serious, long-term money in trying to understand the changing
information environment.
Our friend Cole Campbell, one of
the most perceptive and articulate people in journalism, and his
colleagues at the University of Nevada-Reno are trying to make some changes in the mossy traditions of journalism education.
The key phrase in the announcement below is “experimenting with and creating new forms of journalism.” Good on ya, folks. Let's hear about more experimentation.
“Interactive Environmental Journalism:
Now accepting applications
Pursue a Master's
Degree in Journalism with a focus on Interactive Environmental Journalism at
the Reynolds School. Our professional graduate program is an intensive 10-month
immersion in thinking about, experimenting with and creating new forms of
journalism. We are looking for a cohort of up to 15 students who have
journalism skills and are willing to use those skills to experiment with new
technologies to address specific environmental problems. Students and faculty will
collaborate inside and outside of class, working to create what we call Web 2.0
Journalism….
