Elite journalism school makes waves promoting "news marketing"

by Actual News Geezer | July 23, 2007 at 11:21 am

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Medill School of Journalism is one of the premiere j-schools in the US, no question about it.

When I taught there in 2003 I was gobsmacked by how much money it had - the amount of tech toys was phenomenal. But what I did not know (being a temporary adjunct professor, you're not really part of things) was that the school was the source of much concern about its future direction. In fact, that concern has now blown up into public controversy. In a new plan devised by the dean of the school, Medill will barge ahead with a new range of educational 'deliverables' including a raft of marketing-based offerings for the thoroughly modern journalist:

The most controversial change, though, is the increased emphasis on marketing. This fall, lessons in audience behavior and motivation will be taught alongside drills in crafting leads and meeting deadlines. Students will be encouraged to connect with readers by writing out of storefront newsrooms in diverse Chicago neighborhoods.

Some praise the changes as long overdue; others dismiss them as a sellout. But what irks critics the most is the way they were devised. Last year Northwestern's president and provost announced that they were suspending faculty governance in the journalism school for three and a half years to give the new dean "free rein" to revamp the school.

The dean, John Levine, had been the founder and director of Northwestern's Media Management Center. The Center catered to news managers who would come to Medill to upgrade their business skills. And there was no doubt how successful that was: it generated a lot of money for Northwestern and in some ways began to outshine all other Medill activities. Levine believes that it's no great crime to teach new journalists about marketing approaches which will help students become more successful journalists:

Now journalists must understand what their audiences are interested in, as well as the best way to grab their attention. The dean believes that Medill is uniquely poised to straddle the line between journalism and marketing since it consists of both a school of journalism and a program in integrated marketing communications.

Critics contend the changes, which affect both undergraduate and graduate-level programs, will dilute the schools' focus on strong writing and reporting -- a charge the dean disputes. They bristle at the informal name change: Since Mr. Lavine took over, the Medill School of Journalism is now referred to simply as the "Medill School."