TODAY'S GUEST, JONATHAN VALANIA, says that you shouldn't be majoring in journalism.After class, he wrote about his experiences with our class on his blog, Phawker.
I’m not kidding, I said, you can learn everything you need in a single Journalism 101 course and six months of interning at a newspaper. Go learn something else, something useful, and bring that expertise back to journalism. And don’t expect somebody at some college to teach you how to write — it simply can’t be taught. Either you’re a Jedi or you are not.
Inspirational, eh?
Well, here is your humble teacher's perspective: he's dead wrong. I'm talking Ted Koppel wrong.
You need a solid journalism background. You need the training. No one at a newspaper, television station or any other media outlet has time to train you. They are strapped. They are too busy producing to work with rookies.
So you need to learn the fundamentals now. Here. In college.
One of the greatest problems we face today is that people don't trust the media. You guys need to learn the conventions of the craft in order to perform it properly. There are simple questions (why do I need quotes in stories?) and complex questions (why can't I take that free dinner if they offer it to me?) that won't be answered during on-the-job training. Mostly because on-the-job training is, well, dead.
The ultimate key is to do both: get practical experience AND learn the policies and conventions like we discuss in class.
The business is changing. Valania was spot on about that. But you guys have an input in the direction we're going, and it's important to understand the past before you invent the future.
UPDATE FROM 10/24: Classmate Michael Donovan sucked up to the kvetching Valania before Valania dashed out the door yesterday. They spoke briefly and Donovan was quickly assigned to write about last night's Art Brut concert. You're a smart one, Mike D.
Oh, and Valania posted all of your comments on the main page of his blog today, and added his kudos to all.
27 comments:
I was surprised that he said that today as well. But as a communications major in a mostly populated journalism class, it was rather refreshing.
I have come to greatly enjoy journalism in the past couple months, but I'm usually out numbered in my classes, which is typical. And as a communications major, I am all about getting a little taste of everything in the media. Journalism seems extremely competitive and I kind of agree with what he says of either your a good writer or your not.
Maybe it's because I am not a journalism major, but Jonathon's visit was something new and different.
Great guest speaker today. shows up late and then tells everyone that college is not important.
Anyway.
I agree that college is a much needed base to get yourself well situated into journalism as a career. Like the guy from the Metro said they don't accept interns who do not have work experience, so wouldn't it be even worse to not even have the degree? Even though journalism is a very nail biting career to aspire, schooling and learning is definitely needed.
like billy madison says, "Yahoo for school!"
-CJH III
I believe experience is paramount to book-learning in almost any situation.
I do live sound for a living. The courses i took in audio engineering provided just the basics, barely enough to turn on the board. It was my boss throwing me in front on an FOH board and telling me to make bands sound good that got me to where i am today. I am the house sound guy of a bar in NJ, and a house sound guy for a concert production company.
While book learning im sure could teach me different techniques to make my style better, ultimately, it was experience that made me good at my job.
-Paul Gruensfelder
Oh man, where did you find this guy? What a jerk! Apparently we were like dogs being shown a card trick.
Yeah, I have no idea what that means but it doesn't sound very good.
I think Philebrity just gained about 300 readers.
And I don't buy it that Valania never checks it. I bet any guy who had pictures of his ex-girlfriend naked would check them out from time to time. That's just how people are.
By the way, his response to the question about advertising on Phawker that he quoted..."I don't know, why didn't your parents love you more?" I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he never said that today. At least I don't remember him saying that.
Wow. It's funny to see who comes out of the woodwork.
its a good thing so many kids left after the first speaker because Valanias ego was able to fill in the empty space (and then some) he might be right, i might find that out for myself after graduation but i know im learning something new each day that i attend class.
the business is changing because of tools like him who dumb everything down and blog it. 8 of 14 posts on the phawker homepage revolve around music.
Valania in class today reminded me of the time that Mayor Street showed up to an Honor's Inductee Ceremony at my school (CENTRAL) and told the students that when in high school he had been a lousy student and look where he had gotten, basically saying that honors student's were wasting their time.
Also... I'm not a journalism major, not particularly interested in journalism as a carear, but I do believe it is important to learn about what you are going to spend your life doing. That way you can find out if you want to do it or not!!!
In general I though Valania was a jerk but that Cornfield was great!
Marisa
I must admit, before Valania took the mic I was half asleep drawing cartoons in my notebook. But, his comment galvanized me to pay attention. Was he kidding? No. Am I doomed to be living in a box with no food and only my Temple degree in journalism? No. I won't lie, I went through the rest of my day still a little upset about his comment. I realized, however, that if I took heart to every critical comment regarding my beliefs I wouldn't be anywhere today. I'd be a liberal arts major (just kidding). Every major has criticism, some more than others, but we can't give in to the critics because then we'll lose sight of what we really want and more importantly what matters to us. Most of us want to be really good journalists and I don't think any of us should let a disbeliever get in the way of that. Sorry for the undying optimism.
-Juliet
I was kind of excited about Valania coming. I'm a news-editorial sequence and rather old shcool when it comes to journalism (I'd pick up a paper any day over online OR television for that matter) but I had recently really gotten into New Media. It's kind of childish really--it was the anti-establishment coming out in me.
What he was saying was edgey and almost forbidden (we could all draw that from George's body language)and so it was kind of exciting. It was instant gratification....which is where new media seems to be heading.
Being that I am damned determined to become a journalist someday, I figured it would be a good idea to meet and network with someone in the growing field. He gave me his direct email address to talk to him about contributing.
And then I read his blog... thanks. I mean really, thanks man. By the end of the blurb, he basically told me that I killed journalism:
" 'What are you trying to accomplish with Phawker?' asked another. The end of media as we currently know it, I said. Fortunately, that seems to be taking care of itself."
Low blow, man. AS for me, I'll stick with Geo and guys from the Metro who actually give a damn about what happens to journalism.
Well, as a journalism major, I have to say that I disagree 100% with Valania. I feel like I learn something new everyday in my journalism classes, and I actively try to do so in order to better ready myself for the career I hope to achieve someday. It was certainly interesting to hear a different point of view as I feel everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just cannot help but disagree with him. Sure, our Metro blogger may have been soft-spoken and not the visual spectacle Valania was, but at least he could speak intelligently about his career and not just make random assertions.
-Josh
P.S. I agree with Morgan, when I read that part about his quick retort, I did not at all remember him saying such a quick witty comment. Is making up facts a part of being a responsible journalist too?
i agree with you george. i think it is very important to have the proper background before you go running into a jounralism job and confuse everyone.
i was an english major for the first two year of my college career and i definitely love journalism a lot more. it was a worth while switch.
:D
I think Valania was certainly entertaining, he definitely had a presence about him. But maybe if he would have taken journalism classes into consideration more seriously, he wouldn't be saying "I said" after every single sentence.
interesting
Being a journalism major myself, I was almost hurt by what Valania said. Did he have the education? Or did he just try it for "fun"? I doubt he had zero journalism classes before jumping in. I think George is right about education being important to a new journalist. I wouldn't have known not to take the free dinner.
i agree with Jonathan on the point that some people just aren't writers, and no class will turn somebody into a writer. But I think its important journalists get a background in their craft and learn the nuances of journalism. While writing is a part of journalism, it is not all the job entails, therefore education on the history and inner-working of journalism is vital.
--Bill Matz
That Phawker guy is an idiot.
I think perhaps to be a bad Journalist, you do not need to study Journalism. But like you said, editors are not going to babysit, I want to go into a newsroom at least half prepared.
Something to remember about Jonathan Valania: he wants you to react.
It's what artists do. They don't create for the sake of creating. They create to inspire thought, to spur people into action, to make people feel.
Valania made people think and that is awesome. Don't ever let anyone spoon feed you information (including info from me). Think about what people tell you. Process that information and formulate your own opinions.
He exaggerates in order to get a reaction. It makes for a great show. But take your initial gut reaction and internalize it. Think about what he said, and think about what he means.
Because he did make good points, as well. It is VERY important to get practical experience. I just feel that you need grounding in the principles as well as that practical experience.
- George (the infinitely rational teacher)
so when Valania finally showed up to our class, I found him entertaining... until he spoke about not majoring in journalism. I am currently and art/digital media major but I have a passion for journalism so I was considering the switch. I became extremely confused when he stated that we shouldn't major in journalism after many classes of George telling us we do. I actually met with Valania after class and was considering doing an internship with him, well I quickly changed my mind. Why would I internship with a man who feels that I am responsible for the end of the media?
Plus, I'm in a basic journalism course now and i don't feel like i am ready to take on a journalism related job. I have no experience or no clue where to begin. Therefore I think all that crap he said was complete... crap. And seriously, if you're going to show up late, and act like a idiot when people ask you questions, don't even show up at all.
no wonder why philebrity asked him to leave....
Michelle Kraus
UPDATE: Valania posted all the comments from that post as a MAILBAG, adding his own comments, including that us photojournalism students are exempt and that he was glad to see that what he said got us thinking.
http://www.phawker.com/2007/10/24/mailbag-the-kids-are-all-right/
I think a lot of people took Valania a little too seriously. Yeah, he said we shouldn't major in journalism. And yeah, he probaby meant it.
But in this day and age - who ISN"T a journalist. With the spreading of news from EVERY outlet available - from blogs to websites like youtube - you don't need to have a masters in journalism to open up a web page.
REGARDLESS, the more you write - the better you get. The more you get critiqued, the easier it is to correct your flaws. But Valania's right, too. Learn something - so you have somethign to write ABOUT.
-emily
You can't learn everything there is to know in a single Journalism class. Journalism is both a science and an art. There is a formula to writing an article but if you don't add your own wrting style to the content then the news becomes stale and boring. Journalism classes teach you more than just the formulaic part of Journalism, it will also help you develop your style. Learning by doing is great but if you go out there and don't know what to do then you're not helping anyone.
I wasn't surprised by Jonathon's comments at all, and I wasn't offended either.
A lot of people, well at least most the people I have encountered and told them I have an interest in Journalism, they scrunch up their faces until I add there are other interests as well. I completely agree with Megan Gillespie (about to be my new Facebook friend), as much as I like writing I would never think to solely major in Journalism, the world of Communications has too much to offer and I want a taste of it all. Talent in a little bit of everything to have on my resume, Communications as a major rocks!
The funniest thing about what Mr. Valania said was that it is same mentality my parents have about Communications overall, so I practically had to bargain for support in pursuing a degree in such by adding a focus in Psychology. It is something I have an interest in, but to my parents Communications is an iffy field to try and get a job in.
I have confidence in my skills, and I will be a face of a change.
You can't teach someone to write, but you can enhance skills present. It is always a good idea to make yourself well-rounded, so that is where I would agree with Mr. Jonathon...in the changing world of Journalism there has to be more to offer than just knowledge in such.
He was funny, can we have him back to talk to our class? Lol
-Myriam Wilson
Hi all,
I'm Valania's co-editor over at Phakwer and a proud holder of a journalism degree. I hope you don't mind if I offer my two cents: (repeated from Phawker)
OK not to crash the Boss’s party, but I should be the one carrying the banner for J-school here. A journalism degree is neither bad nor unnecessary, but it is not essential.
What IS essential is learning the basics of reporting and writing, the mechanics of it all, either by taking classes OR getting published and, preferably, BOTH.
You guys who are in school now are fortunate in that the explosion of DIY media has created any number of venues in which you can get published.
Just try to make sure some of it is real reporting, not just top-of-your-head creative writing bloggery. Whatever you do, do NOT go straight to grad school and then try to go out into the job world without ever having written for publication. Nobody likes someone with a Columbia degree and no actual experience. Now go fuck shit up, kids.
Amy Z. Quinn
PSU ‘94 Journalism
www.citizenmom.net
Also, you have a typo in your right-hand sidebar. Arizona is cq.
I am not a journalism major and Valania offended me. Ever here the saying, 'Better to sit there and have people think you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.' Valania seemed to be a cross between Mr. Magoo and Mr. Bean (Only not as funny as one would think). Oh wait, but then I read his blog "Teacher's Pet." His following up the class questions with the idea of the end of media taking care of itself makes it seem like our faults, as in those who sit in classrooms like Miller's. Yeah Geo, you're right! Valania wants to get a reaction out of me. Viewing the inconsistencies between his blog post and his appearance in our class (you remember, when he spent most of the time scratching his head over the jokes he would have understood if he had not been unprofessional and gotten to our class 15 minutes before it ended; now who is seeking the attention they didn't get as a child) makes me think that the blogsphere will be the end of journalistic integrity if it is filled with the Valania's of the world how use it to conceal their blunders and personality flaws and to alter history (like inserting great come backs that his witless brain couldn't actually conjure on the spot).
All you heads who think Valania's appearance ws disheartening and all that crap, wow, what wusses! He's saying that if you suck, you suck. If you wanna internalize some solid boring formats, then whatever. Things are changing, and everyone who got their feelings hurt is a wuss with no sense of humor.
When I was still at CCP, I was excited about majoring in journalism, hoping to get a sweet magazine job that would connect me to people into the same things as me, but when I got to Temple, I got bummed out like crazy! Political Science and American History: to me, both huge snores. Sure, you need to know the past blaa blaa but I'm ready for the future, and ready to break free of the constraints that our nations traditions place on females and minorities (both of which I am). And writing for journalism is also, to me, a class where we learn rules which I one day hope to successfully break. SO my actual experience, outside of George's class (where we're encouraged to doubt, question, and forge our OWN views), has been pretty lame. I began to feel really bummed ut about my major and my future. And you know what got me excited about my major and my choices? Johnathan F**kin' Valania. This is the future. DIY. You have it, or you don't. You get it done, or you don't. And to anyone who lauds Philebrity over Phawker, come on... have you actually read them both? Maybe done that comparison homework? Philebrity is so desperate to be hip; to be "Northern Liberties". I should really just stop trying to explain this to all you non Philly natives, but to think there's any more newsworthiness in Philebrity than Phawker is ridiculous. I'm really surprised at how kiss-ass-y-by-the-book-closed-minded my classmates seem to be. Where are all the groundbreakers? The pioneers? Maybe, like me, they just never felt inspired enough to post on the class' blog site. Oh, well.
Keep posting. Without contrarians the world is a horribly boring place.
- George (the teacher who is totally all about DIY)
Jonathan Valania was great..he was an exciting character the other guy before him was boring..anyway Jonathan was exciting...we where listening..but dont worry i dont think he made anyone second guess their major...and if they did they where probably doing that anyway..although i dont totally agree with everything he say's he is interesting enough for me to add Phawker to the blogspots that i visit on a daily basis!
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