2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Journalism Education
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Opinions
Due in no small part to the recent Knight Foundation Grant awarded to the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, journalism education at the College will be expanded and enriched to an unprecedented level over the course of the next three years. As a result of this generous grant, the College will have the privilege of advancing its commitment to news literacy and media communication. This grant will provide invaluable additions to the college-a Visiting Lovejoy Journalists-in-Residence Program, a multimedia digital resource center, a JanPlan course each of the next three years and summer internships for three students interested in journalism.
Administrators, professors, and students alike have long recognized the importance of public engagement and interactions at home and around the world. Journalism is an essential component of understanding the community we live in as well as the greater family of humanity we are all a part of. The importance of the quest toward truth, engagement and understanding through communication is paramount in today's world. This grant will allow students to participate in this industry at a level that was previously impossible.
Furthermore, students are not only producers of media, but also are consumers of news. It is important for any participating citizen to understand the intricacies of how the news is reported and conveyed. As the Internet makes the world smaller and smaller, news sources are evolving and expanding. Colby students must be at the forefront of understanding the media.
Elijah Parish Lovejoy, an 1826 graduate of Colby (then Waterville College), gave his life for his commitment to and defense of the truth. Today, we still celebrate his life at the College, as evidenced by the Lovejoy Award given to a journalist each fall and the use of the building that bears his name. While those demonstrations of respect are certainly important, this grant is a further step in the right direction towards truly honoring Lovejoy's legacy. However, we must expand these programs beyond the three-year limit stipulated by the grant. This grant, though generous, should only be starting point of a continued effort to establish a significant and meaningful journalism program at Colby which could one day potentially include a journalism minor, major or English concentration.
A school such as Colby, which has graduated many significant figures in journalism, should have a program that matches the prestige of its alumni. Many Colby students enter the news, publishing, or communications industries after graduating and there is no reason why we should not strive to create a stronger foundation on which these students can stand. Journalism engages each and every person at the College on a day-to-day basis and we cannot underestimate the value it has in the community. In order to do full justice to Lovejoy's legacy, we must push for the expansion of this program and a continuation of this incredible grant.
Administrators, professors, and students alike have long recognized the importance of public engagement and interactions at home and around the world. Journalism is an essential component of understanding the community we live in as well as the greater family of humanity we are all a part of. The importance of the quest toward truth, engagement and understanding through communication is paramount in today's world. This grant will allow students to participate in this industry at a level that was previously impossible.
Furthermore, students are not only producers of media, but also are consumers of news. It is important for any participating citizen to understand the intricacies of how the news is reported and conveyed. As the Internet makes the world smaller and smaller, news sources are evolving and expanding. Colby students must be at the forefront of understanding the media.
Elijah Parish Lovejoy, an 1826 graduate of Colby (then Waterville College), gave his life for his commitment to and defense of the truth. Today, we still celebrate his life at the College, as evidenced by the Lovejoy Award given to a journalist each fall and the use of the building that bears his name. While those demonstrations of respect are certainly important, this grant is a further step in the right direction towards truly honoring Lovejoy's legacy. However, we must expand these programs beyond the three-year limit stipulated by the grant. This grant, though generous, should only be starting point of a continued effort to establish a significant and meaningful journalism program at Colby which could one day potentially include a journalism minor, major or English concentration.
A school such as Colby, which has graduated many significant figures in journalism, should have a program that matches the prestige of its alumni. Many Colby students enter the news, publishing, or communications industries after graduating and there is no reason why we should not strive to create a stronger foundation on which these students can stand. Journalism engages each and every person at the College on a day-to-day basis and we cannot underestimate the value it has in the community. In order to do full justice to Lovejoy's legacy, we must push for the expansion of this program and a continuation of this incredible grant.
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