Newswise — Journalists face increasing challenges trying to do their job. Between ethics scandals, low public opinion, job cutbacks, and dangerous overseas assignments, some might question whether this is a good time to even consider becoming a member of the media.
Dean Thomas Kunkel of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism says to the contrary, "there's never been a better, more exciting or more important time to be a journalist." But he also warns that the industry is changing quickly, and that journalists must be willing to embrace new technology to ensure success.
Kunkel was recently named by the Scripps Howard Foundation as "Administrator of the Year. He'll receive the award April 21 during a black-tie gala at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Kunkel says the most challenging part of doing his job is simply finding enough hours in the day. "I want to be involved with everything," he says, "but there's never enough time."
During a far-ranging interview with Newsdesk, Kunkel talked not only about how relevant journalism schools are in the 21st Century, but took on criticism that the media is not telling enough "good news" stories in Iraq, and the impact the Internet is having on the print media.
"A Conversation With..." Dean Thomas Kunkel of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism:
Q - When you talk to your freshmen students, what do you tell them about the state of journalism today - and where it's going?
We tell them there's never been a better, more exciting or more important time to be a journalist - all of which I believe to be true. It's just that they have to realize that the business is changing, and they have to be willing to change with it. But if you embrace technology and its possibilities for journalism, and if you are a good reporter and storyteller, you will be in demand for a long, long time.
Q - What is your take on the way the media is covering Iraq - the administration says there are not enough "good news" stories.
Part of the problem with covering Iraq fully is that reporters literally cannot leave the relative safety of the Green Zone or they risk getting killed. So while on the one hand I'm sure there ARE "good" stories of progress not getting told, the situation remains so unstable and violent that they are almost not tellable. In other words, I don't believe journalists are willfully ignoring those hopeful stories, and in fact many DO get told. In general, I think journalists in Iraq are incredibly brave and doing the best, most honest job they can under the most dangerous circumstances in the history of war reportage.
Q - Is the Internet going to spell the doom for newspapers? The Washington Post's circulation is reportedly down 17% for example (from 1995). Why is the media still struggling so much to figure out how to use the Internet - and make money?
You're asking lots of questions involving irony. With the dawn of the Internet, more people are reading the Washington Post and other mainstream papers than ever. It's just that more are reading it online and fewer are reading the physical paper. The problem is, the Post and other papers make their money primarily by selling expensive advertising in the physical paper. The Internet, which has traditionally been a "freeware" universe, is too new and evolving too quickly for newspapers to have yet figured out a viable economic model. I think they'll get there, but no one is quite sure how or when.
Q - Are schools of journalism still relevant today? Are they keeping up with technology like they should?
I think they're more relevant than ever - crucial, even. That's because since the industry is spinning, it's up to the schools to make sure that important standards and values and practices are maintained, no matter how the business evolves. I think the best schools, like Maryland, are managing to keep up with the technology - although it's an expensive challenge! The larger problem is trying to figure out where the business is going in, say, five years so we can adequately train our young men and women.
Q - What is your impression of today's journalism students? How do they stack up to previous generations?
They're better than ever, smarter than ever, more trained than ever. People don't realize that, because they hear mostly about the scandals. But as a class, journalists in America have never been more educated or better trained. When I started in the business 30 years ago, few journalists had gone beyond high school, and there was nothing like the emphasis on ethics and best practices that is universal today.
Q - The Scripps Howard Foundation will honor you next month during its National Journalism Awards program as "Administrator of the Year." What do you find is the most challenging part of being an administrator - the dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism?
The most challenging part is trying to find more hours in the day. Our school operates an undergrad program, a master's program, a doctoral program, a national magazine and five professional centers, and we're involved in countless other programs and initiatives. And they all need more money! As the person in charge of all this, I want to be involved with everything, but there's never enough time.
Q - The Philip Merrill College of Journalism has come a long way under you tenure - what are you most proud of? What are your priorities for the next few years?
I'm most proud of the great work our students are doing from coast to coast, in every kind of medium. They are our best ambassadors. Our most pressing priority is the new, state-of-the-art Journalism building that we hope to see go up in the next few years. Beyond that, I want to make sure that our curriculum is staying relevant for our students, and I need to make sure that future faculty are just as outstanding as the faculty we have been privileged to have for the last two decades.
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