Simple solution:
1. Texas taxpayers subsidize 1/2 of residents' tuition at state-supported schools.
2. Since student is getting state money, the state should get a good ROI on the degree.
3. No ROI, no degree program. Shut down most liberal arts degrees at state supported schools.

If you want a journalism, gender studies, art history, or other like degree, go to a private university.

State universities should offer STEM (and, perhaps, teacher) degrees.

How about a journalism department headed by a conservative. Half of the courses should be dedicated to exposing faux journalism with hundreds of hours of the biased CNN ABC NBC…shown as how not to be a journalist. Libs love diversity
How about a journalism department staffed with a diversity of thought. Half R and half demented sick dems

I love when people self-select into the ignore feature.

There are a lot of good journalists out there and we need more. What we need less of are lawyers pretending to be journalists. CNN etc have decided to ignore actual journalism and instead focus on ratings and sensationalism. That's a real shame.

I'd rather have a reduced tuition welding/plumbing/electrician tech school over most liberal arts degrees. At least those students would have the ability to pay back loans.

But I'd still keep journalism as a degree @ A&M.

Journalism and Communications degrees can be very valuable if they tailor the program towards non-traditional media. They have to focus around technology and social media platforms and include psychology and how to use their skills to create engaging content.

Texas Yarddog said:

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I'd rather have a reduced tuition welding/plumbing/electrician tech school over most liberal arts degrees. At least those students would have the ability to pay back loans.

But I'd still keep journalism as a degree @ A&M.

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I took an elective my last semester at TAMU. It was exactly what you're describing from the Ag Engr dept. we worked on all types of projects in teams, it was a great class. So probably no longer offered. I would have loved to work projects at the old foundry, the creamery or the meat center.

A&M made the mistake of ending the Journalism department in the 90's IIRC. While I thought it a good move at the time to focus on STEM degrees, it was a mistake.

The result was Texas media being dominated by graduates of other schools, and A&M not having friendly faces and supporters among the media elite.

I agree that there a some liberal arts degrees that should go, let's not make the same mistake twice.

In interest of full disclosure here, I am a Finance major.

RAB87 said:

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The 2024 election will be remembered as the time when mainstream media was surpassed by citizen journalism, eliminating any value of journalism degree. Such a program is a waste of student tuition dollars and only increases student debt. Shut it down for good.

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No, just select a curriculum (lectures) that is fair and balanced and then enforce it. Better to have journalist that can make up their own minds (instead of indoctrination) and set them to the task of reforming our MSM.

Central Committee said:

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A&M made the mistake of ending the Journalism department in the 90's IIRC. While I thought it a good move at the time to focus on STEM degrees, it was a mistake.

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Yup, Journalism department got eliminated for a while, the funny thing is there was still a Journalism pathway through the Ag department (which had a conservative approach to reporting).

My wife and another friend went that route, neither of them ended up working for 'the news', but they both have pretty solid jobs now. Wife is working for an oil company and friend is a city manager out in west Texas.

The Buttalion

APHIS AG said:

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DallasAg 94 said:

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Maybe you should stay on the Premium Forum.

As someone with an Engineering Degree from A&M, there are lots of Good Ags with Journalism Degrees.

Name does NOT check out... "True to each other..."

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I guess you have not read recently some of the crap from the Battalion.

But then, the Battalion has always printed crap.

In my day, the good use for the Battalion was when we all pretended to read it when the opposing team was being introduced during our basketball games. As soon as they started announcing our players, everyone would throw them up into the air.

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The Battalion is a learning laboratory for students who want to get into "print" journalism. I worked there for for 7 semesters in the 1990s and learned more about writing there then I did in all my J-classes combined at A&M. Getting trashed by grownups for the journalism not being up to your lofty standards is on par with blasting the football team for not being as good as an NFL franchise or being pissed that an architecture student can't design your dream home for you after a couple of semesters.

The fact that the kids at the Batt produce a product that is scrutinized daily by thousands of people from all over the country either breaks them into not wanting to be a journalist or galvanizes them into improving on their craft and finding a place to make a difference.

Why that is so hard to understand from the outside has been baffling me for three decades and counting.

The Battalion printed crap back when I at A&M.

While a youngster, we got Cosmo, Newsweek, and USNews&WR.... the WSJ and IBD.

Why? Because I wanted to understand the mindset of the other side. Cosmo had a huge circulation in the '90s and if I knew the crap women were feeding themselves, it was an advantage.

Reading the Batt, regardless of its poor quality and lack of substantive information, gave me a different perspective.

Having said that... I've lost the ability to stomach CNN or MSNBC.

I know we have frequently butted heads on the baseball board, but thanks for posting this.

Central Committee said:

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A&M made the mistake of ending the Journalism department in the 90's IIRC. While I thought it a good move at the time to focus on STEM degrees, it was a mistake.

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Was actually around '04-'05. A buddy of mine was in the last class to get a J-degree for a long time.

Texas Yarddog said:

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I'd rather have a reduced tuition welding/plumbing/electrician tech school over most liberal arts degrees. At least those students would have the ability to pay back loans.

But I'd still keep journalism as a degree @ A&M.

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This is the very reason why colleges have more women than men these days. Men can be rational when thinking about ROI of degrees.

Part of a woman's ROI when she gets a degree is the value of the degree of the spouse she is seeking. That is an old-fashioned idea, but it is true.

RAB87 said:

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The 2024 election will be remembered as the time when mainstream media was surpassed by citizen journalism, eliminating any value of journalism degree. Such a program is a waste of student tuition dollars and only increases student debt. Shut it down for good.

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Ridiculous take.

Conservatives need to desperately get involved in journalism. Sitting back and letting the left control that vital source of information is absurd. We should encourage right leaning students to major in Journalism in order to create a more balanced media.

TTUArmy said:

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I wouldn't remove the Journalism program. Remove the leftist professors that make up that department. Put some people in there that remember what integrity means.

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This is the answer. Shutting down the program entirely just abdicates all input from any kind of even handed or conservative viewpoint in favor of the left slant.

We need Aggies in the field who will be responsible and accountable who won't be swayed to slant everything left. You can't get there if you just refuse to participate.

Keep the program, but give it the appropriate oversight to be certain it doesn't turn to a left wing echo chamber. That means hiring the right people, and getting rid of the ones who fooled you.

I'm not sure what your degree is in... or what your field is... but 100%, you have read or follow a credible Journalism degree'd person.

6months after I graduated from A&M I met a guy who had a Radio Broadcast Journalism Degree from UNT. He was a friend of a friend. We got him a job at our company and we helped him be successful. Fast forward 3yrs. He called me and indicated he was being promoted at his new company asked if I wanted to be the backfill for the role he had. It doubled my salary.

I owe almost all of my career to him and his willingness to train me. He would tell you he owes his career to me (and another guy) for our willingness to train him. He has worked as a lead technologist for Tech startups that have IPO'd and been bought. He has made tens-of-millions.

He has the experience and training to speak at Tech Forums and lead huge conventions explaining and teaching Technology.

You never know where someone's path will lead.

Muy said:

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Journalism and Communications degrees can be very valuable if they tailor the program towards non-traditional media. They have to focus around technology and social media platforms and include psychology and how to use their skills to create engaging content.

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I agree, mostly.

Colleges are not a great place to have courses on cutting edge technologies. I think you want to avoid technology specific courses.

I remember in the 1990's, I started out in computer science because I wanted to be an internet programmer. After a programming class in COBOL and another in FORTRAN, I changed my degree to a business degree, and learned how to code Javascript and PHP / mySQL on my own time, on my own dime. Was a good decision.

In journalism, I think that a return to teaching first principles, along with concepts that are important to the future of journalism would be interesting. I think the best thing to add to a journalism department would be an ethics class that helps students distinguish between journalism and propaganda. The difference between furthering a narrative with soundbites and telling the whole story would be great.

I would add some classes around the psychology of the attention economy would be great. The reasons why the human brain is pre-programmed to desire to consume short-attention span media, how social media and cell phone games exploit this, and how to approach the topic ethically would be amazing.

Another psychology course about the behavior of people empowered with anonymity, how that can impact the usefulness of socially created content, and how to manage that would be great. Maybe WatchOle should teach it. I'm not sure that there are many more qualified experts than him about managing such an organization. Surely none in College Station .

Finally, some study about group think / echo chambers would be interesting. The destructiveness of virtue cycles, myopia, human susceptibility to confirmation bias, and the exposure to social media platforms from outside actors (enemies of the US, specifically) would also be cool.

BusterAg said:

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Muy said:

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Journalism and Communications degrees can be very valuable if they tailor the program towards non-traditional media. They have to focus around technology and social media platforms and include psychology and how to use their skills to create engaging content.

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I agree, mostly.

Colleges are not a great place to have courses on cutting edge technologies. I think you want to avoid technology specific courses.

I remember in the 1990's, I started out in computer science because I wanted to be an internet programmer. After a programming class in COBOL and another in FORTRAN, I changed my degree to a business degree, and learned how to code Javascript and PHP / mySQL on my own time, on my own dime. Was a good decision.

In journalism, I think that a return to teaching first principles, along with concepts that are important to the future of journalism would be interesting. I think the best thing to add to a journalism department would be an ethics class that helps students distinguish between journalism and propaganda. The difference between furthering a narrative with soundbites and telling the whole story would be great.

I would add some classes around the psychology of the attention economy would be great. The reasons why the human brain is pre-programmed to desire to consume short-attention span media, how social media and cell phone games exploit this, and how to approach the topic ethically would be amazing.

Another psychology course about the behavior of people empowered with anonymity, how that can impact the usefulness of socially created content, and how to manage that would be great. Maybe WatchOle should teach it. I'm not sure that there are many more qualified experts than him about managing such an organization. Surely none in College Station .

Finally, some study about group think / echo chambers would be interesting. The destructiveness of virtue cycles, myopia, human susceptibility to confirmation bias, and the exposure to social media platforms from outside actors (enemies of the US, specifically) would also be cool.

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I think we agree on it all. When I said "technology" I didn't mean programming, but rather how to leverage technology (including AI and data analytics) to succeed.

Rudder already did this and some dumbass did not take his lead.

This. Distinguish yourself from all the other journalism schools by actually encouraging some balance and reason in the profession.

Anyone have any personal experience with Dr. Blanton, current dept head?

From a technology perspective, he seems to fit the bill.

https://artsci.tamu.edu/comm-journalism/contact/profiles/hart-blanton.html

Maybe Hugh Hewitt is available to teach a course of journalistic ethics. I hear he may be looking for a job.

Aggie Infantry said:

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Simple solution:
1. Texas taxpayers subsidize 1/2 of residents' tuition at state-supported schools.
2. Since student is getting state money, the state should get a good ROI on the degree.
3. No ROI, no degree program. Shut down most liberal arts degrees at state supported schools.

If you want a journalism, gender studies, art history, or other like degree, go to a private university.

State universities should offer STEM (and, perhaps, teacher) degrees.

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It might benefit you to know what Normal schools are and why they are important. State Normal School Board of Regents was established in 1911.

Texas State, SFA... many of what we called "directional" schools... ETSU, WTSU, NTSU... those were regional schools established to provide a consistent and universal education in the State of Texas to teachers. The idea was... to ensure local colleges to educate teachers to bring a quality and consistent education SO THAT... if those students wanted to go to college, they'd have the basic education.

We can argue the success of that, but keep in mind, the education system in Texas is relatively young... as it is in most of America. Prior to 1911... Texas was a rural state and most kids were done with school by 13... 14 years of age. They stayed on their family farm and went to work. I posted some stats... Of those aged 25-29 only 22% of WHITE Americans and 6% of BLACK Americans had a high school diploma:
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_104.20.asp


A&M was established under the Morrill Act of 1862 which stated:

Quote:

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...leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanical arts ... in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life...

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It was originally established by a Federal Act and if not for Sul Ross... likely goes away.

A&M has become one of the greatest universities... not because of STEM... but because the Normal schools organized in 1911 to ensure schools like A&M had quality students from within Texas... oh... and because of the PUF.

Aggie Infantry said:

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Simple solution:
1. Texas taxpayers subsidize 1/2 of residents' tuition at state-supported schools.
2. Since student is getting state money, the state should get a good ROI on the degree.
3. No ROI, no degree program. Shut down most liberal arts degrees at state supported schools.

If you want a journalism, gender studies, art history, or other like degree, go to a private university.

State universities should offer STEM (and, perhaps, teacher) degrees.

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Yeah! let's get rid of that embarrassing Norman Bourlog Institute at A&M that works wonders on a daily basis in soil and crop technology. The Texas A&M Forest Service? Who needs it. County Ag extension offices? Nope. Looks like a cost center (see point 3).

And that Presidential Library and the associated Bush School with its wide, varied and world-renowned programs and degrees? Bulldoze it.

And who needs graduates with an understanding of economics and the impact of market forces on everything from local allocation of resources in the public and private sectors to international policy making? Nobody, that's who.

And we sure don't want to educate and train the next generation of journalists to be actual journalists and not glorified op-ed writers. Producing professionals who present the facts without "unnamed sources" and actual legwork? Sounds too tough. Let's just get rid of the whole thing instead.

Thanks.

I'm good people. Just don't tell the MLB Board.

I've done a lot of technical writing and public speaking. I took SCOM among other classes that I thought would help me in my career. It did.

Muy said:

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Journalism and Communications degrees can be very valuable if they tailor the program towards non-traditional media. They have to focus around technology and social media platforms and include psychology and how to use their skills to create engaging content.

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This is how I see it, as well as having a center right department head to have the kids to look at both sides. They should have to take marketing classes/business minor classes so they can learn to justify their existence. Have them look at videos of the Dem media to see how out of touch they are. Videos (especially from the past 8 years) should be apart of a class on propaganda. Look at how the moderators of debates are slanted, etc.

I have an Ag journalism degree and was a technical writer and editor for 30 years. Back in the day when I took journalism classes, they were all about truth.