A new program in the School of Communication at Ohio State might revolutionize the multimedia standard and give students a more accurate concept of what it means to be a journalist.

The multimedia public affairs program would provide students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism an in-depth understanding of society’s effect on journalism, according to the proposed plan.

“Integrated reporting, editing and media presentation skills within a multimedia platform” are also included in the curriculum, which is currently under review by the Arts and Sciences Board at OSU.
In a world where the newspaper industry is on the decline, journalists are now being asked to know how to handle other forms of multimedia, such as video editing, broadcasting and photography.

However, at OSU the School of Communication does not offer classes in photojournalism or broadcast journalism, since these programs can already be found in other departments like Arts and Theatre.

Gifford Weary, dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Ohio State, attributes this to an effort to avoid repetitive courses.

“We can’t afford to duplicate programs,” Weary said. “What we do instead is to consult widely and partner with these other units to form minors, which is an effective strategy.”

The proposed program would include classes such as Multimedia Journalism, Media Management, Visual Communication Design, and Media Presentation, in an effort to tap into the growing need for diverse skills among journalists.

“Journalism is multidisciplinary by nature,” said Carroll Glynn, a professor and director in the School of Communication. She said that the development of the multimedia program is the primary focus of the school with regard to multimedia public affairs.

While having a greater emphasis on a wide range of media, the new program would also include classes that have been offered as part of the journalism program for some time, like Media Ethics, Crime and the News Media, and Qualitative Interviewing as a Communication Practice.

Weary believes that the proposed curriculum will provide students with coursework that can help them achieve a relevant skill set in today’s journalistic society.

“Because the newspaper as the major platform for transmitting information is in a lot of trouble, we have new tools which require different instruction, and we need to be preparing our students for those,” Weary said.

According to the plan before the Arts and Sciences board, the multimedia public affairs program is pending approval for the 2010 Autumn Quarter. Weary expects the board to vote on the curriculum
soon.