Professional journalists consume news on a daily basis, whether it is “hard news” about the current conflict in Ukraine, or the latest stories about their area of specialism like fashion or film. They are expected to know what’s going on in the world and for this to inform their pitches to editors or contribution to meetings where ideas are hatched – the creative side of the industry.
MICHAEL GOVE – WHO HE?
Employers expect journalism students and graduates to be reasonably knowledgeable about current affairs, but in my experience at LCC this is not always the case. For example, in my first year of teaching in 2015, I referred to the then education secretary, Michael Gove, a highly controversial figure whose conservative reforms alienated many teachers. The conflict was prominently reported in the media, especially his use of the term “The Blob” to refer to his critics in the profession. It still rumbles on, as a new book co authored by former local authority chief education officer and chief government adviser Sir Tim Brighouse testifies.
I was shocked to realise that none of the first years in the class, mostly from the UK, had heard of Michael Gove, despite the fact that his “toxic image” had led to his removal from his post. This was the start of a big learning curve for me as an industry practitioner, teaching practical journalism skills. Since then I have gradually tailored my references to current news stories to ones that I hope at least some students will be aware of. For example, when teaching media law, I don’t assume that even UK students will have heard of “national treasures” like Sir Cliff Richard, who won £2m from the BBC when it breached his privacy in 2019 – a huge, recent news story.
To encourage students to read journalistic content, I have built time into sessions for them to talk about stories that interest them, asking them to bring printed articles and links to share with the class. With a student body as diverse as LCC’s, this can really encourage diversity and broaden horizons, but it doesn’t really work on a voluntary basis, and even students who commit to bringing stories to the next week’s session may not turn up, without any advance warning.
Below: Talking to students about high profile media stories can be problematic for different reasons
WHAT ARE THE REASONS?
Assessment and Algorithms
As this kind of real-world engagement with current affairs isn’t built into learning outcomes or assessment criteria, it can fall by the wayside. It’s also probably partly due to the way that young people access news through social media sites or search engines whose algorithms serve up content that the students have shown an interest in. The serendipity of flicking through a newspaper or listening to a radio bulletin has been lost. This year’s annual Ofcom report showed, for example, that those aged 16-34 use YouTube as their main viewing outlet.
Another reason could be that teachers shy away from difficult hard news topics that students find upsetting, or “triggering”. In one PG Cert session, a colleague from a different discipline said that when students who wanted to talk in tutorials about the abduction of Sarah Everard from Clapham Common, because they lived nearby and were understandably anxious, “colleagues shut it down”. That’s a kind of censorship that as a journalist I find worrying.
Over the years I have come to self-censor, trying to use examples that I think the students, or enough students to contribute to a discussion, will have heard of. One successful example is an online interview by Vanity Fair with drag artist Ru Paul, a masterclass in asking personal questions for teaching interview skills, which students can really “relate to”. Other times, this can risk cringe-making attempts to be “down with the kids”. Does it also stifle the very values of curiosity, enquiry and open-mindedness that we need to foster in our journalism students?
HOW COULD THINGS CHANGE?
Colleagues in the media industry agree that it needs to reach out more to school pupils to explain the importance and value of journalism (at its best) that is a mirror to society and holds those who rule us to account. Organisations like Journalism for Schools and News Academy offered workshops for schools pre-pandemic, but have an uncertain future.
Raising awareness across UAL of organisations like the Association for Journalism Education, which offers content about emotional resilience and wellbeing could be helpful.
WHAT STUDENTS TEACH US
It’s not a one way process however. Students teach us so much about subjects and issues they care about, such as transgenderism, that eventually make their way into mainstream media. International students raise awareness of important issues in their worlds. Students also understand, and in many cases create, the kind of content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that media companies are desperate to engage with to keep attracting young audiences. We hope our students will be the journalists and content creators of the future, but we to achieve this we do need to foster their engagement with current affairs.