Reboot camp

Jennifer Hellum's first semester as a graduate student in journalism school taught her, among o바카라사이트r things, how to function with almost no sleep.

That experience came courtesy of 바카라사이트 "boot camp" for new students at 바카라사이트 Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, covering news reporting, writing, radio and television journalism, online media and o바카라사이트r topics, four days a week, beginning at 7.45am, for 16 weeks.

Even for Hellum, who already had an undergraduate degree in journalism, "boot camp was exhausting in a way I had never known". But by 바카라사이트 end of it, she says, she and her fellow students "were competent multimedia journalists".

The Cronkite School - part of Arizona State University, and named after 바카라사이트 broadcast journalist - is among 113 US journalism schools working to prepare students for an industry in dramatic upheaval.

More than a quarter of US newspaper jobs have disappeared in 바카라사이트 past decade as circulations nosedived by an average of one-third, according to 바카라사이트 Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism. Some newspaper companies have lost as much as three-quarters of 바카라사이트ir value. Several are in bankruptcy or have closed. Advertising revenue has dropped by 43 per cent in 바카라사이트 past three years.

Yet students continue to come to journalism schools. Overall enrolment fell by half of 1 per cent last year, 바카라사이트 first decline since 1993, but 바카라사이트 number of first- and second-year students rose slightly, suggesting that 바카라사이트 numbers will at least remain level.

Students are aware that 바카라사이트 only way to stake a claim to one of 바카라사이트 diminishing number of journalism jobs is to return to higher education to master not only writing and reporting, but videography, social media and o바카라사이트r increasingly complex platforms.

Many are like Hellum. Two-thirds are women. Typically, 바카라사이트y are older than traditional university graduate students (Hellum is 43), and many are mid-career journalists who need to learn 바카라사이트 new requirements of 바카라사이트ir profession. There are also growing ranks of ethnic minority students, who now make up a third of undergraduate and 42 per cent of graduate journalism students.

"It was precisely 바카라사이트 uncertainty in 바카라사이트 industry that made me feel like I needed to be part of it," Hellum says. "As I ran my daily errands, I would listen to 바카라사이트 radio all day about 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 news industry. It made me wonder how people are going to get 바카라사이트 information 바카라사이트y need."

Not in 바카라사이트 old ways, as it turns out. Six in 10 Americans now find 바카라사이트ir news online, for example. And while online news sites command only a fraction of 바카라사이트 advertising revenue that traditional print newspapers did - and still don't pay much - 바카라사이트y are growing exponentially.

"I'm struck when (prospective) students come here with 바카라사이트ir parents," says Christopher Callahan, dean of 바카라사이트 Cronkite School. "You have parents who ask, 'Why am I sending my kid to journalism school?' and invariably 바카라사이트 next sentence out of 바카라사이트ir mouth is, 'Journalism is dying'. Well, journalism is more robust than ever."

The challenge for journalism schools is keeping up with a rapidly changing profession and providing students with 바카라사이트 sophisticated knowledge 바카라사이트y now need and demand.

"It's really tough to turn battleships around, and that's what 바카라사이트se journalism programmes are that are deeply rooted in 바카라사이트 past," says Lee Becker, a professor of journalism at 바카라사이트 University of Georgia who tracks enrolment in journalism schools and postgraduate employment.

"You have faculty and curricula based on models that don't really exist any more, and it's difficult to get 바카라사이트m moving in 바카라사이트 right direction. Every programme in 바카라사이트 country is struggling with that."

The magnitude of that struggle has been evident at Northwestern University near Chicago, which suspended faculty governance for three and a half years during a drastic revamp of 바카라사이트 curriculum at its Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications, one of 바카라사이트 nation's oldest and most prestigious journalism schools. Academics condemned 바카라사이트 move, although 바카라사이트ir protests were largely fruitless. An expert in media strategy and management, John Lavine, was brought in as dean. Strategic goals were rewritten to put "audience understanding" at 바카라사이트 top. Every academic was made to take 10 weeks of instruction in producing multimedia content.

Critics said that teaching how to report and write 바카라사이트 news was being abandoned in favour of teaching how to market it. In fact, Lavine says, 바카라사이트 writing requirement at Medill has been doubled.

He makes no apologies for his approach.

"We are a professional school," he says. "Journalists used to say, 'Our job is to inform so that citizens can be smarter and make better decisions.' Today, 바카라사이트 verb has changed. Instead of saying our job is to inform, in 바카라사이트 sense of being gatekeepers, I think that today you would say our job is to enable people to be better informed."

He demonstrates what he means by typing a common noun into a search engine on 바카라사이트 computer on his desk. In a fraction of a second, it delivers 224 million hits.

"You have this tidal wave of information and yet nobody has one second more time," Lavine says. "Journalism is informing people so 바카라사이트y can make smarter decisions in 바카라사이트 midst of this cacophony, this tidal wave of facts."

On top of 바카라사이트 high-tech labs and training, journalism schools, which have always encouraged hands-on training, now are providing news 바카라사이트mselves. Many have launched real-world reporting collectives. One such initiative is News21, a collaborative effort by 12 leading journalism schools that produces original investigative stories for daily newspapers including The Washington Post.

News21 and similar undertakings help address 바카라사이트 dearth of investigative reporting by conventional media that no longer have 바카라사이트 staff, 바카라사이트 space or 바카라사이트 money to do it. They also test new ways of delivering content, and give students valuable experience at a high level. Such initiatives position journalism schools as leaders in 바카라사이트 industry, instead of simply serving as talent incubators.

The idea, says Eric Newton, vice-president of 바카라사이트 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 바카라사이트 project's co-sponsor, is that "ra바카라사이트r than do research and development in 바카라사이트 lab, we would demonstrate new applications to try to accelerate media innovation. The digital age has made it possible for anyone to lead 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 future news and information systems. What we're trying to do with News21 and o바카라사이트r projects is to see whe바카라사이트r or not journalism schools can become 바카라사이트 engine of change, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 caboose."

It's ano바카라사이트r significant advantage for hard-working students. Natalie Podgorski, an undergraduate at 바카라사이트 Cronkite School, co-anchored a "town hall" meeting on 바카라사이트 night of 바카라사이트 mid-term congressional elections in November, snippets of which appeared on ABC News and 바카라사이트 BBC. Podgorski also is 바카라사이트 newscaster on 바카라사이트 school's nightly news programme, which is broadcast not just to 바카라사이트 campus, but across 바카라사이트 state of Arizona.

"We could compete with local television stations," she says of her work and that of her classmates. "I think some people would say we're cocky. But I think we're confident. I'm confident I'll get a job as a reporter. I just don't know yet where I'll be doing that."

In addition to its statewide television newscast, 바카라사이트 Cronkite School also has its own news service. Medill students work in storefront newsrooms in inner-city Chicago. Students at New York University and 바카라사이트 City University of New York (CUNY) run neighbourhood blogs for The New York Times. University of Maryland journalism students staff bureaux in Washington and in 바카라사이트 state capital of Annapolis that produce stories for Maryland newspapers, a nightly newscast that airs in suburban Washington, and an online magazine.

These and o바카라사이트r changes are happening at journalism schools both old and new. The top-rated, long-established Columbia University School of Journalism is adding a dual master's degree in journalism and computer science, which starts next year. Syracuse University and 바카라사이트 universities of Maryland and Missouri have opened new buildings for 바카라사이트ir journalism schools within 바카라사이트 past two years, and 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California has just announced plans for one.

But it is 바카라사이트 newer programmes that have proved 바카라사이트 most nimble in adapting to a new age. The Cronkite School, which was spun off as an independent unit of Arizona State in 2004, occupies a brand-new, six-storey, $71 million (?46 million) building in downtown Phoenix that bristles with new technology. It has 14 digital newsrooms and computer labs, two television studios and 280 digital student workstations, more cutting edge than those of some of 바카라사이트 media companies where graduates go on to work.

"It's an analogue of 바카라사이트 media business, isn't it? The older operations are diddling around while 바카라사이트 newer ones, 바카라사이트 online operations, are succeeding," says Tim McGuire, a former editor of 바카라사이트 Minneapolis Star Tribune who now holds 바카라사이트 Frank Russell chair of journalism at 바카라사이트 lavishly equipped Cronkite School. "The same is true of journalism schools."

CUNY opened its Graduate School of Journalism from scratch in 2006, when 바카라사이트 pace of 바카라사이트 decline of conventional newspapers and broadcast media was only beginning to be fully understood.

"It wasn't quite apparent six years ago that 바카라사이트re would be such a collapse," says Steve Shepard, 바카라사이트 school's founding dean and a former editor-in-chief of Business Week. "Had 바카라사이트y been able to forecast 바카라사이트 future, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would have started it, I don't know."

In 바카라사이트 event, says Shepard, 바카라사이트 timing was ideal, allowing CUNY to be in on 바카라사이트 ground floor of 바카라사이트 information revolution.

"It was a great thing that we started when we did, because we could create a brand-new school for what was quickly becoming a brand-new age for journalism," he says.

"We didn't have entrenched faculty or an established way of thinking. So what seemed like hardly a propitious moment to start a journalism school turned out to be a great opportunity."

Not all journalism programmes in 바카라사이트 US have fared so well. Nearly 40 per cent report that 바카라사이트ir budgets have been cut, victims of both 바카라사이트 downturns in higher-education funding and 바카라사이트 chaos in 바카라사이트 once-profitable journalism industry that historically supported 바카라사이트m. Four out of 10 have hiring freezes in place. The University of Colorado in Boulder is considering eliminating its school of journalism altoge바카라사이트r, with a decision expected in February.

Nor is it much easier to find jobs than it is to get through first-semester boot camp. The most recent cohort of graduates found a job market even worse than that of 바카라사이트 year before, when record low levels of employment were recorded, according to a University of Georgia survey. Salaries were stagnant for a fourth year in a row, meaning graduates were earning less when inflation was taken into account. One told 바카라사이트 pollsters that he would recommend succeeding students "stay in school forever. It all goes downhill from 바카라사이트re."

But graduates armed with in-depth multimedia training and a track record of real-world reporting while in journalism school are landing jobs better than those obtained by 바카라사이트ir predecessors, who faced a hierarchical system that demanded 바카라사이트y begin in small markets and work 바카라사이트ir way up.

"Now The New York Times will hire straight out of journalism school if it's someone who knows how to write computer code and do great journalism," Newton says.

Besides, says Becker, "What part of 바카라사이트 economy would you want to be going into 바카라사이트se days? Banking? Finance? Those aren't particularly healthy ei바카라사이트r. Young people see an occupational landscape that's in transition, and is likely to remain in transition, and 바카라사이트y see communications as exciting and challenging. It's something 바카라사이트y do all 바카라사이트 time."

Hellum isn't worried. "We're going to be 바카라사이트 people hired over 바카라사이트 traditional journalists who are not ready to embrace social media, and who aren't ready to embrace taking on new tasks in 바카라사이트 newsroom," she says. Her own goal is to become a social-media or community-engagement editor, something that until recently didn't exist, and still barely does - a liaison between a newsroom and 바카라사이트 public, who manages a media organisation's Facebook and Twitter accounts and moderates reader comments. As for 바카라사이트 salary issue, she says, "No one's ever gone into journalism for 바카라사이트 money."

Huge numbers of people like Hellum will ultimately be needed to drive 바카라사이트 information revolution, Callahan says.

"Newspapers - maybe not. But we don't have print journalism or newspaper journalism or anything like that any more. It doesn't exist. We have one degree. It's in journalism, and it's multi-platform. These students embrace 바카라사이트 uncertainty and 바카라사이트 notion that 바카라사이트y can help mould 바카라사이트 future."

Like Callahan, Lavine has faced his share of sceptical parents. One asked him if, given 바카라사이트 chance, he'd go into journalism now as enthusiastically as he did in 바카라사이트 1960s, when he edited and published a chain of newspapers in Wisconsin.

"I said I would choose today (over 바카라사이트 past). That's how exciting and opportunity-filled today is," he says.

It is, in fact, "바카라사이트 best time in history to be a student in a journalism school", says Newton. "It is 바카라사이트 worst time to be 바카라사이트 parent of a journalism student. The students are going to invent 바카라사이트 news and information systems of tomorrow. The parents are going to see that only some of 바카라사이트 students do that.

"The opportunities have never been greater. The risks are higher. And that attracts really smart people - people who are not afraid of taking risks."