Melançon Enterprises • a multidivision multinational since 1980

After learning the history/meaning of the term "Fourth Estate" it's says something about the sad condition of journalism, ahistorical and uncaring, that this term has enjoyed as much currency as it has.

An extension of the three estates declared by Louis XVI in 1789! Lords, clergy, and commoners (which didn't include poor folk). That journalism would ever aspire or declare itself an estate in such an undemocratic system or conception of society...

At least the essay is about moving beyond that.

But it provides almost nothing worthwhile in my opinion.

Maybe the problem is that I'm coming from a perspective where I don't see journalism as it existed before the World Wide Web, or anything we have now for that matter, as good enough at investigating and disseminating truth to serve society, let alone save it.

So a bunch of platitudes about embracing the online while keeping writing skills and, apparently, journalism schools and journalism careers.

What about the purpose of journalism? Truth? Justice? Liberty? Superman comics at least?

Should journalism adapt to new technology, and accept a more empowered public? Sure. But is that what it needs to do, in the most meaningful sense? Journalism needs to ask if it exists to support itself and do propaganda for the powerful, or if it has a calling to present reality. To help people – all people, not just those with so-called disposable incomes – act on and control their reality.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [MGP-Forum Announce] REPORT: 10-Step Survival Guide for Journalism Programs
Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2007 20:11:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bill Densmore
To: post@mgp-forum.org

JTM-DC participant Barb Hipsman of Kent State University sends along a link to
a downloadable PDF of a report just finished by one of her colleagues at Kent
State -- Joe Murray . . . an analytic summary of the options facing journalism
programs if they want to remain relevant.

He titles it: "Adapt or Die: A 10-Step Survival Guide for Journalism Schools
Stuck in the Fourth Estate."...

Here's the link:
http://stream.kent.edu/gmurray/JMC/Adapt_Or_Die.pdf

Barb Hipsman, associate professor/news, Kent State University,
bhipsman@kent.edu /off: 330-672-1244

-------------------------------------
Bill Densmore, director/editor
The Media Giraffe Project Journalism Program / 108 Bartlett Hall Univ. of
Massachusetts Amherst MA 01003 OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore@journ.umass.edu

What happens when all that's left is the journalism?
Help plan and launch The Next Newsroom in a U.S. community
sometime during 2008. For background:

KICKOFF: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/
WHO CAME: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Jtm-dc-roster
THE BLOG: http://newshare.typepad.com/jtmnextnewsroom
ANOUNCEMENT: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/pdf/jtm-dc-announcement.pdf
THE SESSIONS: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Jtm-dc-reports

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