El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-20

! THE gift Of an additional million
dollars to Columbia university
for the establishment of a
! School of Journalism by the Will of the
late Joseph Pulitzer. thus making Mr..
Pulitizers total gift for this purpose
two million dollars. assures the foun-
dalton Of that school within the next
few years According to a high Off
/ Ger of Columbia university it is abso-
lutely certain that the terms Of the
Pulitzer bequest will be complied with,
and that within less than the three
! years specified there will be on the
! Columbia campus in New York an ac-
/ tual school of Journalism in successful
operation.
/ This heavily endowed school viii be,
/ no doubt, the most conspicuous insti-
tuition for journalistic education in the
world, but it will be by no means the
/ only one The successful schools Of
/ journalism already IN operation in con-
nectiOn with state universities and
I other educational institutions OF the
middle west, have proved the feasibil
ity Of ministering TO this special need
for education by the scholastic method.
Is New in America.
Professional training for journalism
is new in America Schools OF law
{ have educated men and women FOR the
practice of law. Schools Of medicine
nave trained them for the practice OF
medicine. Schools Of agriculture, en-
/ cheering and education have existed
! Tor years. Only within the last decade
I however has there been a decided
movement toward the establishment
and maintenance of schools OF journal
/ ism. The universities OF the middle
west have been the leaders IN this
Z form Of education. More than thou
sand students are now enrolled in
courses in journalism offered in Varl-
/ Gus American state universities and
/ the number increases with each school
/ year.
/ Education for Journalism is not new.
! Only the form of present day educa-
ton in colleges ana universities is
new. Journalists have been educated
7 differently in the past for their pro-
[ fessiOn, some by broad, general courses
/ in universities and colleges and some
I by the training which comes from
practical experience. No JOurnallst,
I however. has succeeded who was un-
I trained or untaught.
Recognizes Journalism as Profession.
The new education for journalism
differs from the old in its recognition
of journalism as profession. as law
/ and medicine are professions il does
not make less insistence upon the
I broad, general, cultural education, nor
does it set aside the training which
only placLlcdl experience can give
The new education for Journalism
seeks to supplement these with spe-
cific instruction, eOrrelating with pro-
fessiOnal courses certain carefully
chosen academic courses While all
knowledge is helpful to the journalist,
! certain subjects are particularly de-
4. sirable. The new education seeks to
group effectively these subjects.
In different state universities diff
ferent courses in journalism are Of
fered and in different colleges and uni-
Versities there are different forms OF
organization for the courses In Wis
cOnsin. courses are offered in the
academic department associated with
the work in English. In Kansas. at
the University at Lawrence, two years
, work is given in reporting, and in
news and editorial writing. At the
Kansas state Agricultural college at
Manhattan, at the Iowa State Agricul-
turaI college at Ames, and a t the Wis
cOnsin State Agricultural college at
Madison. courses are given in agricul-
tural journalism. These colleges seek
to prepare writer's on farm topics for
the presentation of agricultural news
in clear, attractive style.
Remarkable Progress shown.
At the University of Missouri jour
nalism is a professional school CO.
ordinate with the schools of law and
medicine and education, and a degree
is offered upon the completion of a
four years course. At the University
the University of Washington and the
University Of Colorado there are de
partments Of journalism, in which
fundamental courses in the gathering
and presentation of news are given.
The University of the City of New
York, the University of California,
DePauw university. Marquette college. /
all give work in journalism. When &c
is remembered that 10 years ago no
American college or university offered
any work in professional or technical
training for Journalism, it may be seen
how remarkable has been the progress
of this new movement in practical
education.
While all knowledge is helpful to
the journalist, the grouping Of those
subjects most directly bearing upon
his work has been sought in the selec- /
ton Of the courses offered in the new
schools of journalism. On the profess
sional or technical side, courses are
given in the history and principles of
journalism. news gathering, repOrting
news writing, newspaper making.
newspaper administration, editorial
writing, copy reading, advertising,
magazine making. professional termin-
ology, comparative journalism. news
paper publishing, illustrative art and
newspaper Jurisprudence. Newspaper I
Jurisprudence includes a consideration 7
OF the libel law in its relation TO news
paper publication. Illustrative art in
cludes cartooning. The names of the
other courses suggest the subjects
which they consider The academic I
subjects usually insisted upon include |
English. history, political science, So
GEOLOGY, economics, psychology and
modern languages. The courses in jour /
nalism are not confined to work in
these particular lines, but the subjects /
which are required are grouped and /
emphasized, while others are elective. {
As Williams Views 1t.
Walter Williams. dean of the School 1
of Journalism of the University of +.
Missouri, a veteran newspaper man as /
well as a pioneer in the field of schOl- /
astic education for journalists thus !
expresses his views as to the efficacy /
of the laboratory method of training /
young men to be newspaper men:
The value of the new form of or
ganization for the professional schools /
has been demonstrated in the schools 3
of other professions, notably the
schools of law and medicine. 1t dig
miles the professional training. 1t /
concentrates the attention of the stu /
dents upon the subjects best adapted I
for this professional training. 1t gives
to the students in the professional {
school a professional spirit 1t lends
interest emphasis and strength to the 4
courses thus grouped. 1t places the
stamp of recognition upon the profess