I’ve read a few really interesting blog posts recently about journalism education:

• What is journalism school for? (Jeff Sonderman)
• J-stuents totally unprepared for journalism (Rachel Kauffman)
• Is j-school relevant? (Mindy McAdams)

Common theme among these posts: Journalism isn’t always learned best in the classroom.

Sonderman writes:

[Journalism school is bad at] creating understanding of how news really works. J-school can better prepare you for learning on the job later, but there’s no substitute for learning on the job.

Kaufman writes:

Two journalism professors at Howard University in Washington DC are disappointed in the students in their spring 2010 classes: Jack White wrote on his blog that he failed half his class.
…
At the same time, Dwight Cunningham wrote that he flunked 40% of his class. The 60% that passed “at least demonstrated some effort.” Not high praise, exactly.

And McAdams aggregates:

@McKennaEwen #wjchat Schools should reward students who work outside the curriculum to master 1 or 2 skills. There should be room to specialize.
…
@dnvolz Brian Williams never got any college degree and is considered a top journalist even in an ever-changing market #wjchat
…
@PDXdrew Q2 Nothing can replace real-world experience. Apprenticeships are a good idea. But you need a rounded education for balance #wjchat

I’ve recently criticized the Missouri School of Journalism for fragmenting its coursework. I don’t think colleges are doing a good job teaching basic journalism skills, so it is misguided for administrators and faculty members to put time into developing niche coursework before they put time into designing effective basic curriculum.

The aggregates above are more good examples of the need to focus on learning outside the classroom. My ideal j-school would put lots of resources into its campus publications and into facilitating internships at professional publications. Students should learn basic skills in their 101 courses, broaden their skill-sets with work experience, and reinforce those skills in upper-level coursework.