The Future of Communication: Theory and Methodology?

By Dietram A. Scheufele, UW-Madisonb

COMMUNICATION THEORY & METHODOLOGY – Communication as a discipline has come to a crossroads. The “mass” in mass communication has morphed into different publics that generate, exchange, and use content in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago. And these changes in how content is produced and communicated are paralleled by much more far-reaching shifts in how some cohorts in society interpret traditional notions of privacy, objectivity, and source credibility. And so far, our discipline has not done a very good job at offering answers to what have become increasingly pressing questions in various societal debates. How do social media change how we interact with one another? How does information get disseminated in a fragmented multi-channel media environment? And what does the future of (mass) communication look like?

The tricky part, of course, is that many of the answers to these questions transcend the boundaries of our discipline. This is particularly challenging for a young field, such as communication, that continues to struggle with its identity and its desire to compete on an even playing field with much larger disciplines, such as psychology and political science. And if we are not careful, we may follow these disciplines down some dead ends. A good example is the debate surrounding Republican Senator Tom Coburn’s proposal in October 2009 to prohibit the National Science Foundation from “wasting any federal research funding on political science projects.” Coburn, of course, used the label “political science” but targeted social science much more broadly. And his comments rekindled an old debate among political scientists about incremental disciplinary research versus big questions. Cornell’s Peter Katzenstein summarized this intra-disciplinary dilemma best: “Graduate students discussing their field … often speak in terms of ‘an interesting puzzle,’ a small intellectual conundrum… that tests the ingenuity of the solver, rather than the large, sloppy and unmanageable problems that occur in real life.” Read more

Technology, Text and Talk

by Jim Benjamin, University of Toledo

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY – The recent explosion of interest in social networking technology brings to light new dimensions of the spoken vs. written communication debate that occasionally emerges. Twitter uses written text, Facebook uses text and graphic images, “chat rooms” in on-line courses use text, and the “old” technologies of books and e-mails use written communication. Lecture captures, teleconferences, radio, television, and the “old” technologies of lectures, conversations, discussions, and telephones use oral communication.

The debate is ancient. Plato’s Phaedrus argued that the discovery of writing “will create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”

We know, of course, that speaking and writing are not mutually exclusive, that the existence of one does not preclude the existence of the other. You can as easily write the words for a speech as you can speak the written words aloud. We also know that the arts of writing and speaking are both valuable skills communicators must develop. As a journalism educator you need to write out your lesson plans and instructions for activities and scripts for programs, but as a journalism educator you must also speak in class, talk with your students individually, and transform the script into an oral performance. Read more

Discussing JMC with Charles Davis

Inspired by the series on social media by Danny Brown, “Discussing JMC with…” features a collection of interviews with academics from across the U.S. and abroad discussing current topics and trends in journalism and mass communication.

Charles N. Davis is an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and the executive director for the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), headquartered at the School.

Davis’ scholarly research focuses on access to governmental information and media law. He has published in law reviews and scholarly journals on issues ranging from federal and state freedom of information laws to libel law, privacy and broadcast regulation. He has earned a Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work in furthering freedom of information and the University of Missouri-Columbia Provost’s Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching, as well as the Faculty-Alumni Award. In 2009, Davis was named the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Teacher of the Year.

Davis has been a primary investigator for a research grant from the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation for NFOIC and another from the Rockefeller Family Fund for the study of homeland security and freedom of information issues. He was a co-investigator for an award from the U.S. Department of State for a curriculum reform project for Moscow State University in Russia.

Davis worked for newspapers and as a national correspondent for Lafferty Publications, a Dublin-based news wire service for financial publications, Davis reported on banking, e-commerce and regulatory issues for seven years before leaving full-time journalism in 1993.

How do you define mass communication?

Hmmm…..I wonder whether the question is whether the very nature of mass communication is changing in real time, with emphasis on the “mass.” Blogs, listservs, Twitter feeds – all can achieve what a decade ago required mass distribution. What that does to the relationship between the audience and the content mean these days, and how it works with and without interpersonal media – those are real questions worth pursuing.

How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?

If a student is not excited, or at the very least intrigued, by the chaotic state of the field these days, then they lack the kind of thrill-seeking spirit that will be requisite in the industry these days anyway! That said, I hope that I keep students excited by demonstrating, through lots and lots of examples, just how amazing journalism can be, the good that it does and its centrality to the democracy.

If we demonstrate passion, daily, for what we do, the students get that — immediately and profoundly.

What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?

If I knew what changes that we needed to male to stay relevant — if I, or anyone else held the keys to that riddle — they could set themselves up in a sweet consulting deal and retire to a lovely island somewhere in no time. Truth is, none of us knows precisely where all of this is headed, certainly not economically, but can we agree that students at the very least expect to be trained in a variety of media distribution platforms? To be conversant in a variety of platforms, while retaining our core skills and theoretical training seems, to me, to be the tension here. How do we do all of this simultaneously, and do we risk become dependent on the ever-changing technology and taking our eyes off the bottom-line mission of teaching our students how to report and write and edit at a professional level? I often feel we need twice as much time as we have just to accomplish some measure of professionalism on that front.

If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be and why?

Well, this is incredibly selfish, but I’d save the media law course, because disruptive technologies have a way of challenging legal assumptions, and the basis of First Amendment protection for expression is certainly no exception. We must create a new generation of mass communicators with a deep appreciation for First Amendment rights — many of which will face renewed challenges in this era of “new” threats posed by new technologies.

What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?

I am a laggard in terms of technology, but I find myself working to close the gap between myself and my students, who are always introducing me to new applications. I am a FaceBook and Twitter user of some renown — I find them to be the only ways in which I can effectively communicate quickly with students. I am experimenting with some podcasting, e-books and other things as well.

If you could offer a piece of advice to both your fellow educators and media professionals in the field, what would it be?

One piece of advice? Wow. That’s pressure!

I guess one piece of advice I seem to tell someone, either a current or former student, seemingly weekly, is that journalists of this era must be willing to embrace the change inherent in technologies, and not give in to the powerful temptation to throw up their hands and yield it to the kids! Students need — indeed, they crave — direction in terms of reportage and writing. That doesn’t change. It never will. So embrace that which is changing, and you’ll get much better at doing the stuff that hasn’t changed, and won’t. It sounds cliché, I know, but really doing that is a brave thing. I have not yet done it as completely as I should, I know that!

What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?

In terms of both journalism education and higher education in general, what I see is an age of greater entrepreneurial impetus, independence and disintermediation than ever before. The institutions that once brought us all the journalism, and provided us J-Schools with all the jobs, are in the midst of evolutionary change. Higher education is a bit more insulated from those effects — for now. But the university I retire from will look very, very different from the university that today’s retiree is leaving.

• You can find more “Discussing JMC with…” interviews here.

The Serendipitous Nature of Daily Journalism

From the series: Returning to the Digital Newsroom
A special report by Dennis Chamberlin

When I first heard about the opportunity to participate in this project there was no hesitation on my part. I spend most of my time in the classroom these days and, to be honest, I miss the serendipitous nature of daily journalism.

What I miss, in particular, is the days when you head out with an idea in mind and experience along the way how things change. The story might become difficult to complete, or an even better story might fall in your lap. It is all about observing what happens around you and knowing when to pause and ask a few questions.

Last week I made a visit to a local organization that helps people with housing problems. I showed up unannounced and left a couple hours later with a few story ideas that excite me.  Stories to be told in my community are better than what I might have conjured had I been a novelist.

For the past couple of semesters I’ve assigned my photojournalism and multimedia students topics about the economy. I was surprised how the first round of stories turned out. Despite my prodding and feedback students mostly gravitated toward stories showing people doing just fine. If you analyzed the complete class output you might think all is splendid in our small Midwestern town (despite having the second highest poverty level in Iowa).

I couldn’t fathom why students were not going deeper into the story. The answer turned out to be that they were afraid to talk to people from a different demographic–a telling characteristic, which prompted me to reflect.

My first four years as  journalist at The Denver Post were far more instructive than I ever could have imagined as a student. I have just completed four years as a professor on the tenure track at Iowa State University, providing me with an opportunity to observe our society through the eyes of my students–an  experience no less instructive than my years at The Post.

My photojournalism students submit their entire material to me so I can see how they approached the assignment. One of the unexpected elements of this requirement is that I can see how the photographer interacts and relates to the subject.

My students, like ones who came before them,  mirror the concerns of their peers but more important also are products of our society, reflecting values within all of us. Looking at the out-takes from their assignments I see that we prefer to take refuge in our immediate circle of friends, family and self than wander in diverse or uncertain realms.

The world out there is full of unknowns.  It can be scary. It requires us to interact with people who may be different in lifestyle, social class, ethnicity or culture. That can unsettle newcomers, especially if we send them on street assignments in unexplored locales.  But this experience is perhaps the single most important thing we as journalists do to uncover stories everyone needs to hear.

Beginning journalists have a responsibility to get out of the confines of the classroom and even the comfort of the newsroom and learn about the world first hand. They cannot do it vicariously through YouTube videos or Google searches.

By being journalists, students have an alibi to walk into the lives of others in ways that most of us are afraid to do.

That is why I’m looking forward to next week at The Des Moines Register. I want to get beneath the surface of my community and tell stories with my camera and audio recorder (my new tool) reflecting what is happening in these uncertain economic times.

Even now I’ve notice how I have begun to come out of the cocoon I unconsciously built during the past few years, preoccupied with work and family responsibilities. I now have a reason to strike up conversations with people whom I see everyday, but never took the time to know, listening to and documenting their stories.

Good journalism demands that we become engaged members of society. You can learn to understand others, and as a bonus you can learn more about yourself.

Dennis Chamberlin is an Assistant Professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University. He worked as a staff photographer for the Denver Post from 1983-1987 and his work has been featured in National Geographic, New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Time and others. Chamberlin received his M.F.A in Photography from Indiana University in 2005 and his B.A. in English and Journalism from Indiana University in 1983. Chamberlin was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for his contributions as an editorial staff member of the Fort Wayne-News-Sentinel during their flood coverage.

Job Market Turns Much Worse

Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Graduates
by Lee B. Becker, Tudor Vlad, Devora Olin
Grady College, University of Georgia

The sharp downturn in the national economy and the collapse of the economic model for media industries had significant impact on the job market that the 2008 journalism and mass communication graduates entered as they completed their studies.

As a result, significantly fewer of them than a year earlier–when the job market already was weak by historical standards–had at least one job offer on graduation, were able even to land a job interview, or find full-time employment.

Only six in 10 of the graduates had full-time employment six to eight months after graduation. That is the lowest level of full-time employment reported by graduates of the nation’s journalism and mass communication programs in the 23-year modern history of the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Graduates.

As recently as 2000, three-quarters of the graduates of these programs reported full-time employment when they returned the survey instrument. One year ago, seven in 10 reported having full-time employment.

The drop in the level of full-time employment–from 70.2% of graduates in 2007 to 60.4% in 2008–is the largest change recorded in levels of employment in the 23 years that the same methodology has been used to track these statistics.

The job market that had plummeted after its peak in 2000 and had begun to improve in 2003 simply crashed. Only half of the graduates had full-time work in the field of communication.
The only good news for 2008 graduates was that those who did find work received the same average salary as graduates a year earlier. With deflation, that actually represented a very slight increase in purchasing power capability. Read more