E-Media Tidbits

Journalism schools need to skate ahead of the puck and avoid following a straight line in a dynamic situation. If they don't, they could fall off a cliff as they watch news jobs slide away.

In the past few years, journalism schools have done some rejiggering. But I think they can do better, by looking further ahead. To help with this, I made an outline for an imaginary college program in civic media.

The program I've imagined centers on multimedia (not just digital media), and requires a bit of non-media specialty. It is infused with journalism values but is not limited to journalism; complementary disciplines play an even greater role.

The program is designed for both traditional journalism students and those from other fields. Although this outline includes courses that no school seems to currently have, the gist of it could probably be put together at most schools with the addition of Civic Media I & II.

Here's the outline:

CORE

*Journalism Fundamentals (emphasizes ethics)

* Civic Media I

• Synthesizes different areas and includes miscellaneous related topics
• Ideally, student research would help build a knowledge bank
• Prerequisite or corequisite: Journalism Fundamentals, plus two or three of the required courses, one business and one not

* Civic Media II

• Final project would likely be a plan for a new venture
• Prerequisite or corequisite: Civic Media I, plus at least three of the other required courses
  

BUSINESS

* Advertising Basics OR Media Revenue and Finances

AND

* Small-Business Management OR Social Entrepreneurship

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

One of:

* Computational Journalism (such as data and automation)

* Emergent Technology

* Games, Simulation and Animation

* Interactive Media (such as social and data)

* Internet Social and Production Methods (including content management systems)

* Mobile Media

* Programming Introduction

MULTIMEDIA

One of:

* Multimedia Survey (includes print, visual and broadcasting)

* Library and Information Science Survey

* Two courses, each specializing in a different medium (excluding digital)

SERVICE MEDIA

One of:

* Accessible Media -- Different topics from term to term. Examples:

• Crisis Media (No smart remarks. It's to learn response to disasters and such.)
• Low-Literacy Media
• Media in Developing Countries
• Media for the Handicapped
• Media for Low-Income People

* Community Journalism

* Educational Media

* Investigative Journalism

* Solution-Oriented Journalism

MISCELLANEOUS

* Non-media focus -- Nine semester hours in a non-media specialty (may be multidisciplinary)

* Program electives -- courses in relevant fields, such as:

• Business
• Digital Technology
• Information and Library Science
• Journalism and Communications
• Civic Media III -- Production and possible continuing operation of new venture

* General education, including:

• Communication competency -- oral and written
• Economics OR Business and Society
• Scientific Foundations OR Environmental Science OR Medicine and Society
• Math competency
• U.S. history, government OR combination
• World history, government, cultures OR a combination

What do you think -- about J-school adaptations in general, or this in particular?