In the United States, commercial firms, educational leaders, and media leaders have developed different procedures for the assessment of quality in journalism and mass communication education. Academics in the field of educational research have developed yet additional approaches to program evaluation, including of journalism and mass communication programs at the university level. Each of these evaluators applies its own methods in reaching its conclusions about which are the best universities and university programs in the country. In some cases, the methods overlap. Others are unique.
None employs the full range of evaluation possibilities.
This report provides a methodological and conceptual overview of the current state of evaluation in the field of journalism and mass communication education. It makes empirical comparisons of the outcomes of various techniques and provides a critical assessment of the alternatives used. It also draws on experiences of other fields and on general issues in measurement of performance in higher education. It offers a critique of the current system and makes suggestions for the future. The study draws on the general literature from outside the U.S. and offers a critical assessment of the U.S. experience with journalism and mass communication program assessment.