Journalists of the 21st century, faculties of the 19th century: the training that balks the media professionals today

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Are the Spanish Journalism faculties outdated? There is much talk about the brutal digital transformation that the profession has gone through in recent years, but do future journalists know what is data journalism, Chartbeat, SEO or managing Google Analytics? The crisis in the dissemination of traditional media has paralleled the audience records of its digital versions. According to the latest Annual Report of the journalistic profession of the Madrid Press Association (APM), 42% of the population is informed by reading online newspapers and 36% do so through social networks. And this has caused a whole tsunami in the way in which the journalistic profession is exercised: not only does it influence the frenetic pace of the publication of news, it has also placed social networks and all kinds of detailed metrics on the basis of numerous editorial decisions . The question is: has the training offered in the faculties of Journalism experienced a similar evolution?

Yes, he has done it at Columbia University, which awards the Pulitzer Prizes, which already teaches a double degree in Journalism and Computer Engineering . «If the best university in the world in Journalism mixes science and literature, perhaps in Spain we should also consider it, right?», Asks Carlos Elías , Professor of Journalism at the Carlos III University of Madrid, convinced that Journalism and Audiovisual Communication should teach a more "mixed" curriculum that strengthens subjects in mathematics, computer engineering and telematics. Something that the high school student is not familiar with and that can lead to failure. If a journalist of the future should become familiar with big data , data mining or audience segmentation, it seems obvious that he will have to study statistics and programming.

«Not all careers have changed, Art History or Philosophy remain the same. Other yes: Psychology years ago was pure narrative, Freud, until the biological aspect was introduced and science entered the race. Something similar will happen with Journalism , ”he concludes.

At the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​the subject of Data Journalism has begun to be implemented in the fourth year (that means that it will not be taught for the first time in three) and as an option.

David Vidal , director of the Department of Media, Communication and Culture, explains that the subject has been taught since 1992, previously as Precision Journalism.

Another of the pioneering experiences in the modernization of the training of journalists is carried out by the Nebrija University, which since 2018-2019 has a Master in Digital and Data Journalism. "We consider that data journalism is a tool to fight with arguments based on true data the attempts of misinformation that occur more and more frequently," explains the director of the master, Mercedes Herrero de la Fuente .

But if being familiar with the new tools and digital practices should be essential for every future journalist, shouldn't those subjects be included in the grades and not be an extra that not everyone can afford? "In the degree there is no place, masters are necessary for specialization," replies Herrero.

An idea that criticizes Eva Belmonte , co-director of Civio and with several awards under her belt (Best Individual Portfolio of the Data Journalism Awards in 2019 and García Márquez in 2016 in the Innovation category). «I am very much against it being considered as something extra. Also within the newsrooms. It makes no sense for a newspaper to have an isolated data journalism section. These professionals not only treat databases or make cool graphics, they have a nose to find stories in the data ».

Belmonte learned alone everything he knows about digital tools and believes that "the most important thing is not to know how to use them (anyone can do it self-taught), but to have the curiosity and interest of trying to find different ways to tell complex stories." Thus, he defends that « good journalism professors teach you to be rigorous and to distrust statements , to try to get as close as possible to the truth. And a way to exercise this type of journalism is also data journalism ».

At the Complutense University (UCM) no subject specialized in this field is taught. Something that the Faculty of Information Sciences plans to remedy in the 2022-2023 academic year, when a renewed program that adapts to the new times will enter into force. But that does not exist officially does not mean that students leave the Journalism career as in 1982, with a pen in hand and the illusion of emulating Kapuscinski. As explained by Arturo Gómez , associate professor at the UCM, the freedom of professorship of the public University allows professors to "incorporate these contents into the subjects they teach" and that makes working reality end up leaking into the classes. « The University has changed from top to bottom with the internet. It is not about changing some subjects, but the whole system, ”reflects Gómez, for whom it makes no sense that“ hyperstimulated ”students from kindergarten and school arrive at an institution with“ 15th or 16th century ”ways. "We also don't have to go crazy," he says, "even the Silicon Valley gurus now advocate eliminating education tablets."

Vidal agrees that it is more important than ever "to protect yourself from the pernicious effects that the use of news distribution algorithms is generating in the supposed quality journalism." " The field of technological economy has assumed decisions that previously corresponded to journalism ."

In any case, why is the slowness with which university education adapts to the professional world, especially on public campuses? "Private companies have worse students and teachers in this field," explains Vidal. «Often they must supply their lower academic profile with more technological investment, something that the public have difficulty doing. The latter have more administrative obstacles to hire teachers and little flexibility to design templates, ”he adds.

The teaching staff is a sensitive issue. With what journalism has changed, does it make sense that someone who has not stepped on a copy in the last five years gives classes? "It depends. We have a Professor of Communication Structure who is one of the leading experts in financing and independence of public corporations in Spain; TVE advisor or the Parlament: who better than her to teach that subject? On the other hand, for journalism, radio or television writing, this baggage is essential, of course, ”says Vidal. Carlos Elías, on the other hand, criticizes that it is more important to "investigate or have a paper in a subject than an extensive professional experience". In other words: « Someone who writes a thesis on Almodóvar's cinema has more options to be a professor than Almodóvar himself . In creative careers, creators should be above scholars, ”he says.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Education
• Journalism
• Data journalism

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