University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-04-21

the New York World. writing in the
/ North Anne, Review. OF his propos-
ed college Of journalism. says:
/ To rear up minds with aspirations
and faculties above the herd, capable
Of leading on their countrymen to
greater achievements in virtue. intelli-
"cnce and general we'll being-these are
the el.ds for which endowed universities
are desirable: they are those which all
endowed universities profess to aim at
and great is THEN disgrace if, having
undertaken this task ami claiming cred
it for fulfilling it. they leave it UNI
fulfilled. Stuart Mill.
They object that even if a college
education he desirable. every thing
needed is already provided in the ex-
i>tin" colleges and no special depart
ment for journalism is required.
This criticism appears to have some
force. 1t is possible that it may be
advanced with sincerity by Intelligent
newspaper men who know nothing OF
colleges. or by intelligent college mcn
who know nothin" OF newspapers. But
ii i superficial 1t is true hat many
nf the subjects needed for the general
education OF journalist are already
covered in college. But they are too
much covered. The student of Journal
ism may find one course in law
school. another i'm Il graduate school Of
political scicnce. another. at the same
hour. in an undergraduate class at col
lr"e. and another in the department of
literature.
\ yorn" man of very remarkable
"ift>-rnou"h To enable him to educate
himself without the help OF a college
might he able to make from the cata-
lo"ue Il selection of courses which would
appear on paper to b. very fair
curriculum. 1t would perhaps be adc-
quate if he could keep the studies from
conflicting in hours. which he coui.l no. .
ana If at twenty years OF age he al
ready possessed that knowledge of the
requirements of his chosen profession
which | feel that twice twenty years
experience and hard work in my pro-
fr>siOn have not given me.
But after this wonderful Young man
has made out his list of studies he
will be doomed to disappointment The
courses in history. in law. i'm political
science and the rest will not be what he
really needs aS Il specialist i'm Journal
ism. They will give him only frac-
tion of the knowledge he requires on
those subjects. and they will swamp
that fraction of the knowledge i'm il
flood OF details of which ne can MAKE
10 Use. To fit these courses to his
purpose they must be rcmodelIrd and
specialized. Modern industry looks
sharply after its by-products. In silver
mining. gold is sometimes found as il
by product exceeding the value of the
silver. SO in general university courses
we may find by-product> that would
meet the needs of the journalist. Why
not divert. dcilcct. extract. concentrate.
specialize them for the journalist As Il
specialist.
The spirit of specialization is every
where. The lawyer is IL rcal-cstate
lawyer. or Il criminal lawyer. or a cor
poration lawyer. or possibly Il criminal
corporation lawyer. Formerly the fam
lily physician treated every ailmcnt:
now there are specialists for the eye
The ear. the throat. the teeth: for men.
for women. for children: even for i'm
a"inary diseases: for every possible va
rirty of practice. The editor OF Il New
\ "rk paper confined to the editorial
page is as much surprised a> the reader
when in the morning h. reads the news
The news editor does no,
Know what editorials there will be: the
musical critic could not write of sport
in" events. The man with the prize
less >rn>r of humor could not record
and interpret :hc movements OF the
>;"rk market. The men in all these
fields are specialists. The object Of ,hc
C"llr@" Of Journalism will be To dir
through this general, scheme intended
t" cover every possible career or work
in life. every profession. to select and
only upon the things which
he journalist wants. and not to waste
time on things that he does not want.
They object that Il College Of Jour
nali>m would establish class di,iinc-
lions i'll the profession an imvidiou~