It's a way for lazy professors to have their egos massaged and to massage those of their peers. It's no wonder Johnny can't read. Hell, these profs can't read, either. Most of them can't even write the simplest of declarative sentences. Misspellings, poor word usage and syntax, grammatical flaws and inconsistencies .
Nobody knows the difference.
It would help if people would occasionally use a dictionary. Yes, students are woefully unprepared in every area. Yes, the academic prevails over the practical approach. His suggestion for requiring a co-major for journalism students is a good one. It should be instituted as soon as possible.