Those Who Can't Do, Teach

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:10 am

Here's a spectacularly bad idea from a journalism-school dean: News media professions could help journalism schools prevent and cure professional dishonesty if they required applicants for internships and jobs to send a form to their deans similar to the form many law schools require of their applicants. This one-page form asks the dean to certify that the student was in good standing. It also asks whether the student had any disciplinary problems and, if so, what they were. The dean has to send this completed form to the law school as part of the student's application materials.Note that applicants must get this form from the law school and send it to the dean of their undergraduate school. So applicants for admission know that law schools will know about their behavior as well as about their GPA and LSAT score. Applicants know that law schools will take into account any disciplinary problems they may have had.If news media organizations such as ASNE and RTNDA, in cooperation with academic organizations such as AEJMC and ASJMC, could develop and adopt a similar form, requiring applicants for internships and jobs to send the form to their deans and denying interviews until they received a completed form from their deans, they would send a powerful message to students.

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:13 am

"Powerful message."This idiocy seems to bring us dangerously close to the concept of licensing journalists, which is a path we don't want (or need) to tread.Not to carp on about another topic, but I blame much of this on the media-bashing that is conducted by Limbaugh, Hannity and the rest of those nitwits.Newsrooms tend to be self-policing, for the most part, and I see no reason for "certificates of honesty and authenticity."You know damned well that employers would want to see your certificate. Where would people go to get these certificates if they didn't go to J-school? Should I get one from the foremen at the dog food factory I worked for as a kid? Or maybe from the barflies at 5,000 Holiday Inns I played at as a musician before going to work at a paper full time?[ June 11, 2004: Message edited by: Bumfketeer ]

Jolieblonde · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2004 12:32 pm

At least the "document" from barflies would probably be a bit more honest and reflective of someone's character! <blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Bumfketeer:
"Powerful message."You know damned well that employers would want to see your certificate. Where would people go to get these certificates if they didn't go to J-school? Should I get one from the foremen at the dog food factory I worked for as a kid? Or maybe from the arflies at 5,000 Holiday Inns I played at as a musician before going to work at a paper full time?[ June 11, 2004: Message edited by: Bumfketeer ]<hr></blockquote>

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