Radio Workshop

Bollinger's New Media (Transcript)

by Dianne Finch

INTRO:

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S PRESIDENT, LEE BOLLINGER, STIRRED THE JOURNALISM COMMUNITY IN THE FALL WHEN HE FORMED A TEAM OF JOURNALISTS AND PROFESSORS TO DELIBERATE OVER HOW TO TRAIN JOURNALISTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.

BOLLINGER'S VISION, DESCRIBED IN A MEMO, EMBRACES THE IDEA OF JOURNALISM AS A PROFESSION, AND INCLUDES ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN SUBJECTS SUCH AS PHILOSOPHY, ECONOMICS AND HISTORY, WITH LESS TIME SPENT ON THE CRAFT OF REPORTING AND WRITING..

SOME CRITICS FEAR THAT CREDENTIALING WILL BECOME THE DE FACTO NORM, AND THAT JOURNALISTS WILL BECOME AN ELITE GROUP -- INCAPABLE OF RELATING TO THE AVERAGE PERSON ON THE STREET.

DIANNE FINCH HAS THIS REPORT.

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NARRATION

NEWSWEEK COLUMNIST ROBERT SAMUELSON RECENTLY WROTE A COLUMN STATING THAT

PRESIDENT BOLLINGER'S VISION FOR THE COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AMOUNTS TO

"SNOB JOURNALISM."

HE ALSO SAYS THAT JOURNALISM SCHOOLS SHOULD PREPARE STUDENTS TO WRITE FOR WIDER AUDIENCES, NOT ONLY FOR ELITE OUTLETS SUCH AS THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE ATLANTIC AND THE NEW YORKER.

ACTUALITY SAMUELSON

These outlets aren't reaching MOST AMERICANS AND THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO REACH MOST AMERICANS. THEY ARE DESIGNED BASICALLY TO REACH A VERY SMALL GROUP OF ECONOMICALLY UPSCALE PEOPLE, AND INTELLECTUALLY SOPHISTICATED. THAT IS ONLY ONE PART OF JOURNALISM AND IF JOURNALISM SCHOOLS ARE ESSENTIALLY TAILORED TO SERVICE ONLY THAT GROUP ITS GOING TO BE A VERY CONSTRICTING EDUCATION.

NARRATION

PROFESSOR JAMES CAREY OF THE COLUMBIA'S JOURNALISM SCHOOL, CJS, says THAT HE RESPECTS JOURNALISM AS A CRAFT AND ALSO THINKS AT ANY CRAFTSPERSON CAN BENEFIT FROM MORE KNOWLEDGE. BUT CAREY IS MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE TERM PROFESSION.

ACTUALITY CAREY

I'M LESS EASY WITH THE NOTION OF PROFESSIONS BECAUSE THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONS IS THE HISTORY OF MONOPOLY.

WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DOCTORS BECAUSE YOU CANT PRACTICE MEDICINE UNLESS YOU GET A LICENSE FROM THE STATE,

THAT IS TO SAY THAT THERE IS A CREDENTIALING PROCESS, AND WHAT IS OFTEN WRONG WITH A CREDENTIALING PROCESS IS IT SAYS DOCTORS KNOW ABOUT MEDICINE AND THE REST OF US ARE IGNORANT AND THEREFORE WE HAVE TO DEPEND UPON THEM AND TURN TO THEM..SO I DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF JOURNALISM AS A PROFESSION.

NARRATION

REGGIE THOMAS, DEPUTY METRO EDITOR AT NEWSDAY,SAYS THAT IN HIS EXPERIENCE, TALENTED JOURNALISTS ENTER THE FIELD FROM MANY AVENUES, NOT ONLY JOURNALISM SCHOOLS.

ACTUALITY REGGIE

I THINK ONE AS A JOURNALIST HAS TO BE PROFESSIONAL BUT I DON'T SAY THAT JOURNALISM ITSELF IS A PROFESSION. ITS NOT SOMETHING YOU REALLY HAVE TO STUDY FOR AND THE FACT IS YOU DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE A PERSON HAS TO PROVE CERTAIN THINGS BECAUSE..YOU RUN INTO THE IDEA OF WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM AND THAT IS THE LICENSING OF JOURNALISTS...

NARRATION;

AND THOMAS, WHO LIKES TO RECITE SHAKESPEARE, DOESN'T SEE A NEED FOR THE BARD AT NEWSDAY.

ACTUALITY REGGIE

I DON'T NEED THEM TO QUOTE PLATO WHILE INTERVIEWING A WELFARE MOTHER,I DON'T NEED THEM TO QUOTE SHAKESPEAR MY FAVORITE BUT DOESN'T HELP ME WHEN I COVER A MASS MURDER OR A COURT TRIAL..

NARRATION

AND THOSE STORIES ON CRIME ARE IMPORTANT TO THE AVERAGE READER, ACCORDING TO PEYTON CRAIGHILL,

PROJECT DIRECTOR OF THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER IN WASHINGTON DC, WHICH CONDUCTS PUBLIC POLLS ON NEWS QUALITY.

ACTUALITY CRAIGHILL - PEW

WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THAT WHAT MOST PEOPLE MOST INTD IN PPLE SAY THEY FOLLOW MORE CLOSELY SOFTER TYPES OF NEWS COMMY NEWS LOCAL NEWS CRIME NEWS...

NARRATION:

AND HE SAYS THAT POLLS SHOW PUBLIC DISILLUSIONMENT WITH NEWS..

ACUTALITY CRAIGHILL:

PEOPLE ARE SEEING MORE OF A COMBATIVE STYLE AND INTENSE COMPETITION AND A LOT OF DISCORD IN CABLE NEWS AND IT IS ALSO FILTERING INTO NEWS MAGAZINES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND I THINK THAT ANY TYPE OF INTENSE COMPETITION IS TURNING PEOPLE OFF

NARRATION:

AND IN A POLL LAST YEAR, PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO RATE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS FOR HONESTY, INCLUDING JOURNALISM.

ACTUALITY CRAIGHILL

.................. WE ASKED ABOUT MILITARY LEADERS, ....RELIGIOUS LEADERS, JOURNALISTS, .WASHINGTON OFFICIALS, BUSINESS EXECUTIVES, AND JOURNALISTS WERE RANKED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT GROUP OF QUOTE UNQUOTE PROFESSIONALS.

NARRATION:

MILITARY LEADERS BEAT JOURNALISTS ON THE HONESTY SCALE. REPORTERS ARE VIEWED AS SELF-IMPORTANT AND UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY REPORT ON, ACCORDING TO PEW. AND ONLY 25 PERCENT OF 20 SOMETHINGS READ NEWSPAPERS, WHILE MOST PEOPLE ARE CHANNEL SURFING THROUGH VARIOUS NEWS PROGRAMS, IT BEGS THE QUESTION, IS THE PROBLEM RELATED TO AN INTELLECTUAL DEFICIT AMONG JOURNALISTS, OR DOES SOCIETY HAVE OTHER ISSUES TO THINK ABOUT.