This information was originally published in the WORD, Â but a student – Gresham Gregory who does reviews for the WORD and is involved in all manner of multimedia – insisted that the message needed to be disseminated on a grander scale. So, it was posted on Hunter listservs and now here. Also, I realized because of Gregory, that this info could be important for those students [of all ages] coming to the Big Apple with their cameras. At the bottom of this message, are important links.
Briefly:
… list this URL questioning the value of a journalism degree and journalism programs. It was written by Professor Jon Funabaki. It is an old (ooo-ooo-old) blog post but important for those trying to evaluate the merit of journalism courses and programs, that is, students who want journalism careers and instructors who teach in journalism programs and are serious about what they teach. This post was prompted by a discussion with a colleague this past semester in the Department of Film and Media Studies where I teach.
Date: Thu 8 Jun 11:41:38 EDT 2006 - This has really been a great year for the journalism students and all the mentoring they have gotten from you is paying great dividends.  Congratulations.
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I came across this old email as I was doing summer cleaning of my email box. Mentoring, for me, is characteristics of journalists/J-instructors whom I respect: A primordial urge kicks in when they meet the up-and-coming and want to help, not  as crutches but as mentors. Mentoring is big part of the serious journalism programs, such as those at Columbia University and CUNY’s. That’s what my former students say and they don’t use the word, nope, they describe – effusively – their interactions with faculty and administrators and staff. Some can even cite mentors they’ve met as they started their careers. Mentoring shouldn’t be a big deal.
“I was offered a position yesterday afternoon, took it and start Monday [July 14]. I am now an Editorial Assistant at First30Days.com, a start-up website at Hearst. I’m a Hearst employee and working in their beautiful tower – I am very excited! I love that it is a start-up because they really made it seem like I would be able to have a lot of say in what goes on the site and now I will be able to witness firsthand how something takes off (or flops) and what works and what doesn’t.”
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Charlotte Cusmano majored in media studies at Hunter College, was the features editor then managing editor at the Hunter Envoy, which she was trying to help revive from a deep, deep slumber (I’m talking lots of years) so that it could live up to its claim of being the student-run, independent newspaper at the College. She did this while also holding several internship positions and taking classes full time. She graduated in June.
Hunter’s student journalists like Cusmano do the remarkable regularly and one would expect an up tempo joie de vivre to be resonating fiercely about their accomplishments, yet … so, I post snippets about student successes on Hunter-L, the College’s main community network for information (i.e., listserv), on other lists, like my department’s listserv, fm-l, and on hunterword.com  to let other students know about their peers’ successes because I believe success can be infectious.
And I plan to do it here on this blog.
So, I end this ode about Cusmano with one of my favorite refrains: I’ve encountered more exceptional students here at Hunter than I did teaching in the journalism program at Rutgers University (New Brunswick campus) and the journalism program at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University.
More of this later.
I had to ask the question.
I sent the request to the Region 1 Director of the Society of Professional Journalists (because I was on her email list) and got the following response:
Date: Mon 30 Jun 18:50:27 EDT 2008
From: Carolyn James <acjnews@rcn.com> Add To Address BookÂ
Subject: Re: SPJ Region One Director Carolyn JamesÂI have sent an email on this to my local Jersey people. Hope they can help
you. Carolyn James
On July 5 I sent the same request to Catherine Langley, Communications Manager  of the New Jersey Press Association.  It’s membership is much bigger than the SPJ Region 1 chapter. I got an “out-of-office” reply [she was on vacation].
And here’s more of the question originally asked: Does anyone know when was the last time a New Jersey newspaper won a:
Date: Fri 27 Jun 09:54:07 EDT 2008
From: Dan Connell
Subject: Re: why I quit SPJ — or, why SPJ quit meÂ
To: “Brasch, Walter” brasch@bloomu.eduÂ
Cc: [emails removed]Â
Perhaps SPJ members and student writers (at least those who freelance) should consider joining the National Writers Union, which–as a local linked to the UAW–has more of an orientation toward its base while also taking a lead role on issues that affect our freedom to do out work, i.e., the Patriot Act. Check it out:
Dan Connell (member of the NWU since 1981)
This is not a bad idea for serious student writers, however, most journalism, English and creative writing majors are not especially interested in writing careers. Nevertheless, since those in my writing classes are required to publish stories in the WORD, I’m seriously considering, because of this suggestion by Connell, to introduce some more reality planning in my advanced courses.
Since Hunter’s Department of Film and Media is revising its journalism curriculum – should I say struggling to revise – colleagues and students might consider the following from a blog – Outposts – by Timothy Egan of the NYT online, July 3, 2008:
The WORD has signed up with Uwire for the obvious reason: Serious Hunter J-students should be networking with other serious J&M students, that’s Journalism and Media students.
Here’s what Uwire says:
“Connecting Aspiring Media Talent with Each Other and the World”
Founded in 1994, UWIRE is a community-driven service devoted to the needs of student journalists. Our aim is to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience.
Our recently re-launched UWIRE.com is the only career networking community dedicated exclusively to aspiring media talent. It offers young journalists a place to establish themselves professionally, post a resume, interact with other like-minded content creators, and show off their portfolio.
Okay, I changed my mind about this behind-the-scenes discourse regarding the SPJ, Region 1 [see June 29 post]. The director and the professor who terminated his SPJ membership emailed me with permission to publish.
So here it is.
Conflict: A Behind-the-Scenes Snapshot of SPJ, Region 1
Sunday, June 29th, 2008I’m not identifying anyone regarding recent email correspondence sent to me as part of an info-outreach by the Region I Director of the Society of Professional Journalists. Since several WORD writers have won SPJ Mark of Excellence awards in recent years, I try to be in contact with the organization though not actively involved.Â
What follows is the edited response from a journalism professor who has been seriously involved with the organization for several years.  I thought I would post without explanation an edited version of what he wrote to the regional director but if several days from now I notice the need for more clarity, I will re-address this decision. I think the whole matter is very informative.
(more…)
Tags:journalism, journalism education, SPJ
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