J-Source

Enrolment in journalism programs increasing in a challenging media landscape

Journalism jobs are constantly disappearing — as seen in Sun Media's announcement of 360 job cuts this week — but enrolment in journalism programs is still rising. That's one of the takeways from a Worldviews conference session, where panellists debated the value of journalism schools.  Journalism jobs are constantly disappearing — as seen in Sun Media's announcement of…

Journalism jobs are constantly disappearing — as seen in Sun Media's announcement of 360 job cuts this week — but enrolment in journalism programs is still rising. That's one of the takeways from a Worldviews conference session, where panellists debated the value of journalism schools. 

Journalism jobs are constantly disappearing — as seen in Sun Media's announcement of 360 job cuts this week — but enrolment in journalism programs is still rising. 

That's one of the takeways from a Worldviews conference session, where panellists debated the value of journalism schools. 

The panel consisted of: Jeffrey Dvorkin, director, University of Toronto (Scarborough) journalism program and executive director, Organization of News Ombudsmen; Janice Neil, associate professor of journalism, Ryerson University and editor-in-chief of J-Source, Adrian Monck, managing director, Head of Communications and Media, World Economic Forum; and Robert Steiner, director of the fellowship in global journalism programme launched by the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.

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Monck criticized journalism programs as "unscrupulous" for taking on students while the industry continues to downsize. Neil defended the programs and the success rate of graduates. She also said there are 50 journalism programs in schools across Canada and about 1,600 students Ontario programs alone. Dvorkin said professors are not adapting quickly enough in a constantly evolving media landscape, while Steiner also criticized the programs and trumpeted the Munk School's model of training academics to be journalists. 

More on the discussion can be found in this University World News article, this University Affairs piece and J-Source's live blog (starting on page two).