THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING
By CHAD PAINTER, DIVISION HEAD
With respect to Prince, I was in a post-AEJMC deadline and Easter stupor when I wrote this; forgive me if it goes astray. Actually, scratch that: Forgive me for the randomness of the items below. These are the issues, stories, and dilemmas currently on my mind.
Journalism education
I have been thinking a lot recently about Hamilton Nolan’s March 19 Splinter article “J-School Is a Scam” and Rachelle Hampton’s March 20 response in Slate, “Until Journalism Is a Meritocracy, J-School Is a Necessary Evil for Minorities.” Nolan’s basic argument, which centers on graduate school, is that “the only legitimate claim that any J-school can make to usefulness is that they will help you get a decent job in journalism” in exchange for the tidy sum of $105,000 (based solely on Columbia University). As Hampton points out in her article, the “too expensive” argument is based almost entirely on the top-end of the price scale and neglects quality (and often better) schools that are much less expensive. Nolan’s second argument is that most journalism skills are learned on the job—an argument that dates back more than 100 years. That argument rings as hollow now as it did then; most if not all journalism programs include on-the-job training via college media, and courses such as ethics, law, and theory simply are not easily replicated while reporters are on deadline.
Interns and sexual harassment
On the subject of vocational training, Jill Geisler’s March 22 USA Today article “Dear interns, we’re sorry. We should have warned you about sexual harassment” was a real wake-up call to me, especially because I have helped place more than a few students into internships at media organizations and state legislatures. Geisler writes that professors and professionals have prepared students for work experiences by helping them develop skills, work ethics, and polished résumés. However, she writes, “we didn’t raise the possibility you’d face sexual harassment on the job” though harassment often is about power, and those with the least power, such as interns, are the most vulnerable. Geisler’s entire article is a must-read, but here’s the major takeaway graf, at least for me:
The very first program of the Newseum’s new Power Shift Project was “Power to the Interns.” We gathered educators, employers, students, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Women’s Law Center. We tapped their wisdom to produce free training videos to help prepare and protect interns in the workplace. The videos are available here, for any organization to use.
The shrinking Denver Post newsroom
One of the more memorable newsroom scenes in The Wire happens when the executive editor James Whiting announces yet another round of layoffs despite the continued profitability on the semi-fictional Baltimore Sun. Whiting argues that the remaining staff are “simply going to have to find ways to do more with less.” Metro editor Gus Haynes, who serves as the moral champion of good journalism, counters that “you cannot do more with less; you only can do less with less.” I think about that scene each time I see the devastating photo from the Denver Post newsroom following yet another round of layoffs. The photo originally was shot in May 2013; since then, Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund that owns the Post, has cut newsroom staff by more than half despite continued profitability. More layoffs are expected soon.
Sinclair’s must-run anti-media piece
By now, there is a decent chance that you’ve seen a clip of the Sinclair Broadcast Group must-run segment denouncing the “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” Sinclair currently owns or operates 193 stations in more than 100 U.S. television markets. That number most likely will grow; in May 2017, Sinclair brokered a $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune Media’s 42 television stations. The combined company would reach nearly three out of four homes.
Media critics such as Brian Stelter and John Oliver have scathingly critiqued Sinclair both before and after the latest anti-media segment.
MED odds and ends
First, I want to say congratulations to long-time member Don Heider, who was named the Scripps Howard Foundation Journalism & Mass Communication Administrator of the Year.
Second, mark your calendars for the annual MED members’ meeting during the AEJMC conference. This year’s meeting is 6:45-8:15 p.m. Tuesday, August, 7. It will be followed by a members’ social (details to follow). As a reminder, the AEJMC conference is August 6-9 (that’s Monday-Thursday) at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown in Washington, D.C.
Finally, stay up to date on all MED happenings by joining the Google Group and Media Ethics Educators Facebook page. If you need help signing up, email me (cpainter1@udayton.edu) or Katy Culver (kbculver@wisc.edu).
Journalism education
I have been thinking a lot recently about Hamilton Nolan’s March 19 Splinter article “J-School Is a Scam” and Rachelle Hampton’s March 20 response in Slate, “Until Journalism Is a Meritocracy, J-School Is a Necessary Evil for Minorities.” Nolan’s basic argument, which centers on graduate school, is that “the only legitimate claim that any J-school can make to usefulness is that they will help you get a decent job in journalism” in exchange for the tidy sum of $105,000 (based solely on Columbia University). As Hampton points out in her article, the “too expensive” argument is based almost entirely on the top-end of the price scale and neglects quality (and often better) schools that are much less expensive. Nolan’s second argument is that most journalism skills are learned on the job—an argument that dates back more than 100 years. That argument rings as hollow now as it did then; most if not all journalism programs include on-the-job training via college media, and courses such as ethics, law, and theory simply are not easily replicated while reporters are on deadline.
Interns and sexual harassment
On the subject of vocational training, Jill Geisler’s March 22 USA Today article “Dear interns, we’re sorry. We should have warned you about sexual harassment” was a real wake-up call to me, especially because I have helped place more than a few students into internships at media organizations and state legislatures. Geisler writes that professors and professionals have prepared students for work experiences by helping them develop skills, work ethics, and polished résumés. However, she writes, “we didn’t raise the possibility you’d face sexual harassment on the job” though harassment often is about power, and those with the least power, such as interns, are the most vulnerable. Geisler’s entire article is a must-read, but here’s the major takeaway graf, at least for me:
The very first program of the Newseum’s new Power Shift Project was “Power to the Interns.” We gathered educators, employers, students, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Women’s Law Center. We tapped their wisdom to produce free training videos to help prepare and protect interns in the workplace. The videos are available here, for any organization to use.
The shrinking Denver Post newsroom
One of the more memorable newsroom scenes in The Wire happens when the executive editor James Whiting announces yet another round of layoffs despite the continued profitability on the semi-fictional Baltimore Sun. Whiting argues that the remaining staff are “simply going to have to find ways to do more with less.” Metro editor Gus Haynes, who serves as the moral champion of good journalism, counters that “you cannot do more with less; you only can do less with less.” I think about that scene each time I see the devastating photo from the Denver Post newsroom following yet another round of layoffs. The photo originally was shot in May 2013; since then, Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund that owns the Post, has cut newsroom staff by more than half despite continued profitability. More layoffs are expected soon.
Sinclair’s must-run anti-media piece
By now, there is a decent chance that you’ve seen a clip of the Sinclair Broadcast Group must-run segment denouncing the “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” Sinclair currently owns or operates 193 stations in more than 100 U.S. television markets. That number most likely will grow; in May 2017, Sinclair brokered a $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune Media’s 42 television stations. The combined company would reach nearly three out of four homes.
Media critics such as Brian Stelter and John Oliver have scathingly critiqued Sinclair both before and after the latest anti-media segment.
MED odds and ends
First, I want to say congratulations to long-time member Don Heider, who was named the Scripps Howard Foundation Journalism & Mass Communication Administrator of the Year.
Second, mark your calendars for the annual MED members’ meeting during the AEJMC conference. This year’s meeting is 6:45-8:15 p.m. Tuesday, August, 7. It will be followed by a members’ social (details to follow). As a reminder, the AEJMC conference is August 6-9 (that’s Monday-Thursday) at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown in Washington, D.C.
Finally, stay up to date on all MED happenings by joining the Google Group and Media Ethics Educators Facebook page. If you need help signing up, email me (cpainter1@udayton.edu) or Katy Culver (kbculver@wisc.edu).
