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Why (and How) Journalism Should (and Can) Move Towards Professionalism

Sara Adams

Journ3310H
Professor Soloski
April 15, 2014

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Craft or profession? Hobby or specialized career? The divide between the
formers and the latters is culturally distinct but not obviously defined. Is journalism
closer to one end of the spectrum or the other? And, ultimately, in which direction
is it and should it be going? These questions are not usually asked in the fields of
medicine and law, where there is generally no doubt that a professional
categorization is appropriate, but in the sphere of journalism, it often seems that
they cannot be resolved.
Merriam-Websters primary listing for the definition of profession states that
it is a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. i This definition
underlies the foundation of the debate. Journalism operates on a multilayered
plane, and with the advancements and alterations to modern day journalism, the
question of what journalism truly is, and what comprises the path to becoming a
journalist, becomes more complicated. The question to be answered is whether,
like a lawyer or a doctor, one can only be a practicing journalist if he or she is
specifically trained for the task and how closely journalism practices align with
those of the standardly accepted professions.
Once the term profession is more clearly defined, the next step in discussing this
debate is defining what constitutes a journalist. This definition cannot be
determined by simply looking in the dictionary, but is crucial to deciding not only
the need for professional training, but also legal protections and relevance to first
amendment rights. Some believe that A journalist is someone employed to
regularly engage in gathering, processing, and disseminating news and
information to serve the public interest. ii However, with the advent of recent

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technology, this blanket definition poses a number of problems by ignoring or
excluding unpaid bloggers and citizen journalists who gather, process, and
disseminate news and information on matters of public concern. iii These people,
the everyday citizens that contribute to the marketplace of ideas with personal
media production, create one of many complications in the quest to make
journalism a professional endeavor through their contributions to citizen
journalism and independent writing and publishing, especially online. These
writers fulfill the criteria of committing journalistic acts, but most are unemployed
and self-operating. But this does not deter from the fact that employers, especially
in larger scale publications, should and will begin requiring professional education
in order to be employed as a major reporter. Because of the difficulties with
special occasion circumstances, minor problem groups, and the ever-changing
state of technology and media, it is more prudent to say whether journalism
should be a profession, is working towards becoming one, and what will get it
there if it should shift towards professionalism, rather than merely addressing the
yes or no question of is it or isnt it. Based on the evolutionary history of
journalism, the perspectives of media critics and workers, and current practices of
the journalism industry, the inevitability and necessity for a more professional
handling of journalism and a professional technique of educating those pursuing
the field is apparent. Journalism should recognize its progress and continue to be
striving to match the standards presented in the historically professional careers in
order to stay on par with its constant expansion and advancement.

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The development of critical and authoritative commentary shows the
beginnings of the trend towards a professional direction for the world of journalism
and a basis of beliefs that have strengthened and developed into the modern day.
John E. Drewry, in 1930, wrote that he believed that in his personal experience in
journalism, there is no way it could be considered a profession over a craft. He
attributes this mostly to a certain type of individual rampant in his times
newspaper industry, the Marty Bulls as he calls them after a book character.
These reporters are uneducated and rough around the edges, though they have
the experience to do a fair job covering the typical newspaper stories. He noted
the unsettling problem of newspapers run by these individuals catering too
strongly to the tastes of the public and not enough to the delivery of hard news.
He states that journalists should be wise men who by training, background,
and personality is the antithesis of Marty Bull. iv Too many Marty Bulls prevent
journalism from being aligned with professional standards. There are too many
inaccuracies in newspapers, and too little attention is placed on having reporters
who are knowledgeable about various subjects and who will teach themselves
about the intricacies of their story when they do not already understand it- people
who characterize this anti-Marty. As Drewry says, Accuracy in the various news
stories that go to make up an issue, and truthfulness as the dominant
characteristic of the newspaper as a whole, are two subjects which an editor
cannot sidestep, if journalism is ever to be a profession. v He goes on to quote
William Allan White, whom he refers to as Americas most distinguished editor,
who says that until people recognize that journalism is a profession which must

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be licensed and controlled there can be no freedom of the press which is not
liable to great abuses and until journalism is recognized as a profession for
trained men who have certain defined qualifications, the newspaper business will
vacillate.vi
The future of journalism appeared to White, and also Drewry, to be in
danger if the current practices were continued, but somewhere, buried deep in the
nature of the field, they saw promise. I am inclined to think that journalism is
more nearly a profession than such things as plumbing or street sweeping; or than
a business, Drewry says, but it must be remembered that a profession
presupposes four things.vii His four requirements for a profession are a body of
knowledge specific to the field, ethical codes, licensing practices, and
accountability. One and two are fulfilled, but he sees problems with the absence of
three and four. Drewry recognizes that legitimate government control over
journalistic practices would incite numerous issues, but press associations could
be the accountability institutions. He recommends they uphold various regulations
such as the completion of high school and two years in a professional journalism
school or as an apprentice, mandating a licensing test that covers both journalism
and general education subjects, and being able to provide proof of good
character. Drewrys answer to the citizen journalism and freedom of speech
dilemma is a relatively good one- if an unlicensed writer (in his context, an
apprentice, but could apply to anyone) wished to submit a piece of work, he would
have to do so under the supervision and review of a licensed professional at the
publication. This would not have to apply to private blogs or publicly created

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media sites, but major publications that are expected to be highly trustworthy
sources of information.viii
By diverting the responsibility of control from a legal institution with
regulatory laws to a separate, independent, free and committed journalism
professional organization or board (a group such as the American Bar Association
and similar state groups), the threat of first amendment restrictions and political
control of the media can be reduced while professionalism can be promoted.
Drewry noted the importance of this kind of self-regulation within the journalism
community, as the state of the field, in both negative and positive regards, is at the
hands of the reporters and editors themselves. The group who will receive the
most benefits from a more professional journalism is those who are employed in
the discipline. As Drewry explains, reportorial salaries will be higher, fewer will be
lured into publicity and advertising, and there will be no more Marty Bulls to
discredit what then will really be the profession of journalism. ix
Modern day circumstances show that Drewrys observations about
journalistic issues are still problematic today. However, increased opportunity for
improvement indicate that his wishes for the newspaper business can become a
reality, to a degree he likely would never have predicted. Like in medicine and law,
where apprenticeships and other paths were once legitimate means of becoming
doctors and lawyers, changing times call for a shift towards a professional outlook
on journalism. Philip Meyer, in his article for Harvards Nieman Reports, says that
the craft system which worked in the world of journalism for a time (though Drewry
could clearly see the issues with the untrained and one-sided Marty Bulls) is now

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outdated and inefficient. Journalism could exist indefinitely as a craft only if the
field was stagnant. In todays constantly changing environment, Meyer believes
the only way to retain the original concept of journalism is to transform it into a
true profession. The problem now is that the old economic model of advertisersupported editorial products is falling apart and being replaced by forces that put
advertising, spin and entertainment ahead of truth and public service. x In 1947,
Wilbur Schramm agreed that the low standards set for a journalistic precedent
were worrisome. He compares the fields of law and medicine, and their special
education and training, to the lack of such requirements in the pursuit of becoming
a journalist. Schramm writes, The fact that society demands less of the men who
minister through news to its knowledge and attitudes is one of the great and
dangerous inconsistencies that give shape to the twentieth century. xi
Meyer also notes the trend towards the age of the editor when gauging the
success of publications, citing USA Today as one of the most widely read and
financially successful endeavors and linking that to its attention to formatting and
editing. Back in the 1930s, journalists fulfilled a hunter-gatherer role and their
job focused mainly on getting news and passing it along. xii Now, according to
Meyer, the emphasis is shifting towards processing, and whereas it used to be
enough to get information into peoples hands now we have to worry more
about getting it into their heads.xiii Although certain skills have always been
required to effectively share the news, in todays world the job has experienced a
notable expansion. Meyer lists the necessary knowledge for a modern journalist to
include the history and values of the craft, media law, the skills of reporting,

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writing, editing and critical thinking and, with luck, [and] about the economics of
the media.xiv Schramm, who wrote at the beginning of the development of
professional journalism, aligned the standards of professionalism in journalism
with law and medicine as well, adding theology into the grouping.
When looking at the educational system that underlies the definition of a
profession, Schramm broke down five elements that he believed were common to
the process of teaching professionals. Required first is a body of knowledge
specific to each profession- i.e. rules of medicine, legal doctrines, and the content
of religious text. Second was an environment in which a student could learn
through practice and experience the proper skills for their field. Third was some
kind of final exam that tested the students accumulated knowledge and abilities.
Fourth he named a code of ethics that provided a higher quality experience for the
clientele. The fifth requirement was a productive and mutually helpful relationship
between the working class in the field and the educational system, in which the
transition between student and professional is relatively easy, and education
centers that contributed to the knowledge of the field through research. Many of
these were the same as Drewrys requirements for a profession. In 1947,
Schramm believed that the second and fourth standards were met most fully, with
the potential to fulfill five growing.xv In todays day and age, numbers two and five
four have improved even further with an evolved ethical code to address new
types of media publications and more opportunities for practical experience,
through expanded journalism laboratories and internship and externship
opportunities. The fifth requirement has also seen major strides of advancement,

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with the creation of numerous accredited journalism institutions (such as The
University of Georgias Grady College) that work on various research initiatives in
communication fields.
This leaves ambiguity within the first and third requirements. As Meyer noted in
his article, for a time the body of knowledge was centered on the process of
individually picking up news and then publicly distributing it. The amount of
information a journalist needed to learn could barely sustain an undergraduate
major, much less a full graduate degree. The expansion of the field into what it is
today indicates the potential for a reflection in the increase of education required
to pursue it as a career, and though undergraduate and professional schools of
journalism exist, there is no specific type or level of schooling required to officially
take on journalist as a career title. However, to be a good journalist, one must
have a general knowledge of many different aspects of life, not one enclosed set
of knowledge like in medicine or law.xvi This leads into the problem with
Schramms third requirement for a profession, some kind of licensing protocol.
The first, less central problem with a test that would certify an individual to
practice journalism is the unavoidable implication that such a license could be
taken away, suggesting the possibility of controlling the freedom of the press. The
second and primary problem is the uncertainty of what could possibly make up
such a test. First of all, students generally learn so many different types and
aspects of communications in their studies that creating a fair and appropriate test
would be difficult. But even if only one specific area of journalism (Schramm
chooses to use editorial journalism) is considered on a certification test, the

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content of what should be tested is still unclear. Both the bar and the medical
licensing examination do not simply ask if the test taker can recall facts from
class. Instead they must apply the knowledge. This standard would have to
somehow carry over into the journalism test, but because the knowledge base is
broad and undefined, there would be no fair distribution of questions and no fair
way to standardize results. Schramm describes this problem as leaning on the
fact that education for journalism rests in a way that law, medicine, and theology
do not, on general education.xvii Though he believes professional training should
be given to those in professional schools of journalism, the education must
incorporate vocational and general education practices and give the responsibility
of certification and graduation to the institutes that train them. According to
Schramm, a standardized test may not be practical, but schools can systemize
their graduation procedures to ensure each exiting student will be seen as a
prepared and informed participant in the journalism field. xviii
Meyers more current vision on what constitutes a professional education, and
implicitly a profession, differs somewhat from Schramms, though they both are
founded on similar bases. He names two major principles of professionalism, the
instruction of theoretical knowledge to supplement practical training to create an
esoteric background for a proper journalist, and the formation and application of
standard systems, both of ethics and work quality. With the accreditation of many
journalism schools and their awareness of their responsibility for certification, as
well as the popularity of communications research, the first principle is realized.
The second is supported through the creation of organizations such as the

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Society of Professional Journalists, which combines the efforts and perspectives
of both educators and people who work directly in the field. xix
From Schramms perspective, journalism does not currently completely qualify as
a profession, but is getting closer and closer with each new development in the
field. If anyone is able to devise a true licensing test for a journalist, and can fully
categorize the essential knowledge while supporting it with more general
education, a new true profession will be solidified. xx Meyers definition is more
fulfilled in regards to journalistic potential. However, until the only practicing
journalists are those who follow through the full educational process, graduating
from an accredited institution with a field specific degree, journalism cannot be
placed on the same professional plane as law and medicine. xxi What Meyer and
Schramm, and a number of other commentators, see in the field of journalism is
the ability and necessity to transition from a craft-oriented model to a professional
model. With that, as Drewry insinuated with his licensed supervisor proposal, not
every individual who wants to publish needs to go through the entire process. The
importance of professionalizing journalism lies in rewarding those who do fulfill the
requirements and incentivizing people serious about the field to become a
legitimate practitioner. The goal is not to stop people who are not professional
journalists from contributing to journalistic pursuits, but to create a separate class
of individuals who will raise the bar for and protect the future of journalism as a
whole.
In a speech at the Ruhl Symposium, credited to Pew Research
Symposiums Project Staff, the backlash against a professional attitude towards

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journalism is examined. The author references the controversy that occurred
when Columbia University president Lee Bollinger commented that journalists
should be better educated. Many criticisms, some coming from famous
journalists, decried this idea, citing the popular concern that it would make the
field elitist and destroy the integrity of the freedom of journalism. However, this is
an unfair and unfounded argument. The author of the speech outlines two major
flawed concepts inherent in this oft-quoted fear. The first of these ideas is
professionalism in journalism equals elitism.xxii Journalism should not be limited to
those with a college degree in journalism, but an antagonism to promoting
journalism education is immature and backward. People are attached to the
notion that journalism is an inbred talent or a skill that can only be absorbed
through apprenticeship, says the author, because of an attachment to the notion
of journalistic independence. This leads to the second untruth critics of
professionalism purport, according to the speech. The authors point on this differs
from the previous commentators, yet provides good reasoning for doing so.
Professionalism, the speech states, does not have to have a licensing component.
The link between the professions is not the passing of a standardized test, but
that they involve public interest obligations that rise above commerce. xxiii This
means that, at the core, licensing is one way to ensure that the responsibility to
the public is served, but not the only way and decidedly not the definitive way. The
definitive aspect of a profession is service in the name of public enrichment and
service, and journalism should be recognized as a part of that. According to the
speech, journalism cannot escape professional responsibility. By failing to

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recognize itself as a profession, journalism hasnt avoided developing norms and
standards. It has merely failed to think them through thoroughly. xxiv The field has
operated on a lack of clear rules and standards, which instead of widening its
threshold has instead limited it.
The author goes on to discuss the consequences of rejecting the inherent
professionalism of journalism. First, it has stunted the development of journalistic
theory, placing it behind the more fleshed out professions of medicine, law, and
theology. This lack of definition has complicated the publics view of the press,
prevented a more thoughtful and deliberate approach from being formed, and deemphasizes some of the most important abstract concepts in the field, such as
objectivity and individual responsibility in ethical paradoxes. Second, it suggests
that journalism is technique-driven instead of principle-driven, which limits its
uniqueness and potential for development. Anything can be mistaken for
journalism, and the public has little basis for comparison.

xxv

In todays world, though journalism is not and likely never will be limited to
professionally trained individuals only, there should always be a major focus on
professional institutions and consistently raising quality and enforcing standards.
With the development of education and the slow but steady fulfillment of the
standards generally accepted to categorize a career as a profession, and a new
attitude towards the idea of professionalism, the future of journalism closing in on
the ranks of medicine, law, and theology and the opportunities to approach and
reach that end are welcome and visible. Journalism may have sufficed as a craft
for a time, but the evolution of the discipline impresses the need, from a multitude

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of perspectives, to continually raise the bar. As the Rahul speech phrased it, We
need to make journalism more conscious.xxvi A professional press is a benefit to
all, from the reporters gathering stories, to the editors running a newsroom, to the
citizens who will receive the final results.

Notes

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i1. Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. Profession, accessed April 1, 2014,

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profession.
2. Jonathan Peters and Edson Tandoc, Jr., Why Defining a Journalist is Messy, But
Crucial, PBS MediaShift, October 22, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/ 2013/10/whydefining-a-journalist-is-messy-but-crucial/.
3. Ibid.
ii4. John C. Drewry, Is Journalism a Profession?: Some Observations on the Press: In the
Negative, The Sewanee Review 38, no. 2 (1930): 191-192, http://www.jstor.org.proxyremote.galib.uga.edu/stable/27534508.
5. Ibid., 195.
6. Ibid., 195.
7. Ibid., 196.
8. Ibid., 196-197.
9. Ibid., 198.
10. Philip Meyer, Journalisms Road to Becoming a Profession, Harvards Nieman
Reports, http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101425/ Journalisms-Road-toBecoming-a-Profession.aspx.
11. Wilbur L. Schramm, Education for Journalism: Vocational, General, or
Professional? The Journal of General Education 1, no.2 (1947): 90,
http://www.jstor.org.proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu/stable/27795137.
12. Meyer, Road.
iii
iv13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Schramm, Education, 91-92.
16. Meyer, Road.
17. Schramm, Education, 92-93.
18. Ibid., 94-95.
19. Meyer, Road.
19. Meyer, Road.
20. Schramm, Education, 97.

21. Meyer, Road.

22. Pew Research Centers Journalism Project Staff, Snob Journalism, Pew
Journalism Research Project, http://www.journalism.org/2003/05/22/snob-journalism/.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
v

Bibliography
vi
viiDrewry, John C. Is Journalism a Profession?: Some Observations on the Press: In the
Negative. The Sewanee Review 38, no. 2 (1930): 191-198. http://www.jstor.org.proxyremote.galib.uga.edu/stable/27534508.
Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. Profession, accessed April 1, 2014, http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/profession.
viii Meyer, Philip. Journalisms Road to Becoming a Profession. Harvards Nieman
Reports. http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101425/ Journalisms-Road-toBecoming-a-Profession.aspx.

Pew Research Centers Journalism Project Staff. Snob Journalism. Pew Journalism
Research Project. http://www.journalism.org/2003/05/22/snob-journalism/.
ix
xPeters, Jonathan and Edson Tandoc, Jr. Why Defining a Journalist is Messy, But Crucial.
PBS MediaShift. October 22, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/ 2013/10/why-defining-ajournalist-is-messy-but-crucial/.
xi
xii
xiiiSchramm, Wilbur L. Education for Journalism: Vocational, General, or Professional? The
Journal of General Education 1, no.2 (1947): 90- 98. http://www.jstor.org.proxyremote.galib.uga.edu/stable/27795137.
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