The process of transforming the curriculum at the Medill School of Journalism to keep up with the times is a work in progress, Dean John Lavine told about 70 students, faculty and others at a forum Monday night.
"We've got a ways to go," he said. "It's a process, folks."
Lavine's emphasis on the role of technology and marketing in Medill's curricula has sparked debate since Lavine became dean in 2006, most recently when officials announced they would form a committee to explore changing the school's name. The Undergraduate Medill Student Advisory Council arranged Monday's meeting in Fisk Hall to address students' concerns.
Most of the conversation centered around Medill's new curriculum, implemented in stages in the past year, which emphasizes using video, audio and other multimedia forms of storytelling.
"In its simplest form, all those things are is a better way to tell a story," Lavine said.
Lavine also clarified that while a committee will "explore" changing the school's name, the word "Medill" will stay.
"The name Medill will not change," he said. "We have no right to change that."
Lavine stressed the importance of knowing and engaging audiences, leading Medill senior Laura Waters to ask whether "engaging the audience" meant altering content or changing how news is presented.
"It never means pandering," Lavine responded. "It's first of all understanding who the audience really is."
Lavine said hard data suggests that attractive presentation makes people spend more time with articles. Because there are more news sources today, there is more competition, and journalists need to know and appeal to their audiences, Lavine said.
"You have to have an audience," he said, "or the story doesn't exist."
Some students at the forum said they were concerned that they were learning about technology before they learned about writing and reporting. Others said they did not have enough access to classes that teach multimedia.
Sydelle Moore, a graduate student in her first quarter at Medill, said while she supports learning about technology, it is "sometimes haphazardly" implemented.
"We've got to get to the details," Moore said. "It seems like a lot of the program is half-baked and we're paying full price."
Lavine responded that Medill is making changes to keep up with the times while other schools are just talking about doing so. He said the "Herculean" job of turning out new curricula in 18 to 20 months is done, but the program still needs to be perfected and fully implemented.
Lavine also said the university will allow Medill to hire eight new professors because Northwestern administrators support the curriculum changes.
Medill senior Matt Medved asked Lavine whether the school has considered creating classes specific to subjects, such as sports or entertainment reporting. Lavine replied that since students are now required to take more journalism classes, more electives will be offered. The administration is just beginning to look at what they will be, he said. Elective classes in business and science reporting are being offered in the winter.
The changes have come with controversy and were covered by several Chicago and national media outlets in recent months. An audience member mentioned a September Chicago Magazine article that quoted an unidentified professor who questioned mixing marketing with journalism. Lavine acknowledged that some professors are not comfortable with the changes.
"I assume that there are some professors not supportive (of the changes)" he said. "But eventually you get to tell better stories."
One student said the changes would be fully implemented only after she graduated, and she felt she wasn't benefiting from the new curriculum. Lavine agreed, and said freshmen are getting a different and "in some cases, better" education because of the changes.
"You came in under a different curriculum - it is changing," he said. "I wish I could fix that, too, but I can't. … You are missing things that freshmen are getting."
Moore, the Medill graduate student, said she left feeling dissatisfied. Lavine listens to students but doesn't "hear us fully," she said.
"We mortgaged our futures to be here," Moore said. "We deserve to be heard."
Reach Alison Hollenbeck at a-hollenbeck@northwestern.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!