Bashing your own school, who would do such a thing?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Especially when you have valid reasons to your opinion. Alana Taylor, NYU journalism student gives her opinion why her school is lagging behind in the new age of journalism. This was posted on the PBS site called Media Shift. She starts off talking about one of her classes called Reporting Gen Y, which is one of the few classes focused on new media.


I am surprised by this because NYU is supposed to be a good school to attend. I always hear the school in the media because they are known for graduating some of the best young minds in the country.

They are in the media capital of the world, which is obviously New York city so its shocking this particular program is lagging behind in the digital age. I mean they have access to top notch newsrooms in the city, so one would think they would have caught on to the new wave of media.


Back to her journalism program, she pretty much says the focus is to become an editor for a magazine or newspaper. Also, she brings up the point that the program pretty much discredits writing for blogs or Web sites. I find that odd since newsrooms are turning their focus to the Web. They are trying to find ways to generate revenue from the Web. Newsrooms are trying to beat out their competitors to have breaking news on the Web. I just do not understand how a program in the number one media market could be so narrow-minded.


Taylor goes on to say, "Obviously, I am being a bit facetious here, but the truth of the matter is that by the time my generation, Gen Y, gets into the real world there will be a much higher demand for web-savvy writers and thinkers than traditional Woodwards and Bernsteins." I thought this stuck out to me. She is saying by the time she graduates, but I think that high demand is now.


As I touched on earlier, all the newsrooms are trying to be the first with new information. Relying on the newspaper at this point in the media age will have you far behind in the competition standpoint. Even waiting on a television report is pushing it nowadays.

She touches on no one in her class of 16 students had a blog besides her. I thought this was interesting because it seems like an almost essential part of being a serious journalist nowadays. Blogs give a journalist personality and a better connection with readers. I admit I did not have my first blog until I started my graduate program with VCU. I wish I would have been blogging before this program though. I did not have much knowledge about blogs until this program anyway.


I find it very odd that these students are being asked to bring the hard copy version of the New York Times every class. It seems like they have to prove that they are reading the paper and from Taylor it seems as if they are only supposed to read news from the Times.


She goes on to say, "I don’t understand why they don’t let us access the online version, get our current events news from other outlets, or even use our NY Times app on the iPhone. Bringing the New York Times pains me because I refuse to believe that it’s the only source for credible news or Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and it’s a big waste of trees."


I agree with her suggestions. Internet is so much easier and cheaper than getting the hard copy version. You are essentially receiving the same information. I think also the ability to get information from other outlets lets you have more access to different stories. Some stories deemed important to other newspapers in the country, may not be important to the Times. Students would miss out on more stories if they only trusted one outlet for news.

Taylor brings up very valid points in her post. I think sooner or later all journalism programs have to incorporate classes catered to the digital age. We are at the point where nobody reads newspapers. The late breaking news is on the internet. Blogging is the new fad. It's pretty much get with it or get left behind.